The short answer
For most builds, get a mid tower with a mesh front. It fits a full-size ATX board, today's big graphics cards and a 360 mm liquid cooler, and it keeps everything cool. Before you buy, check three numbers on the case's spec sheet: graphics card length, CPU cooler height and radiator support.
- Mid towerMost builds. Room for any mainstream parts, easy to build in, and the widest choice.
- Micro-ATXA smaller desk footprint that's still easy to work in. You need a Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX board.
- Mini-ITXLiving-room and tiny desk PCs. The builds are fiddlier, part choices are limited, and cooling takes planning.
- Full towerE-ATX boards, big custom water cooling, or lots of drives. Overkill for most gaming PCs.
Cheapest cases today: mid tower from …, Micro-ATX from …, Mini-ITX from …, full tower from ….
Today's cheapest case by size
Lowest in-stock case at any store we track, updated daily| Size | Any case | Mesh / airflow front | White |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading today's prices… | |||
"Mesh / airflow" is matched from the product name, so a few mesh cases without those words in their name are counted only under "Any case."
Case sizes at a glance
| Size | Boards it fits | Typical room inside | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full tower | E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | Any graphics card, 360–420 mm radiators, many drives | Workstations, custom water cooling |
| Mid tower | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | Most graphics cards, up to 360 mm radiators | Nearly every gaming and home build |
| Micro-ATX | Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | Most graphics cards; usually up to 240–360 mm radiators | Smaller builds that are still easy to work in |
| Mini-ITX | Mini-ITX only | Card length and cooler height are tight; often an SFX power supply | Compact and living-room PCs |
A bigger case always fits a smaller board, but not the other way around. Board sizes are explained in the motherboard chipset guide.
Will it fit? The three numbers to check
- Graphics card length. High-end cards are often 330–360 mm long. Compare the card's length (on the maker's spec page) with the case's "max GPU length." A front radiator can take 25–60 mm off that number.
- CPU cooler height. Big air coolers stand 155–165 mm tall. Check the case's "max CPU cooler height," especially for Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX cases.
- Radiator support. If you want an all-in-one liquid cooler, check which sizes (240, 280 or 360 mm) fit, and where: front, top or side.
Also check the power supply size. Almost every tower uses a standard ATX supply; many Mini-ITX cases need a smaller SFX unit. A few budget cases come with a power supply already installed, and the case listings say so.
Airflow, glass and looks
A mesh front panel is the single biggest thing for temperatures. Cases with a solid glass or plastic front can run noticeably hotter and louder, because the fans have to work harder to pull air in. "Panoramic" glass cases look great but usually rely on side or bottom intakes, so check the fan layout.
Count the included fans. Two or three pre-installed fans save you $20–40. A good basic setup is two or three fans pulling air in at the front (or bottom) and one pushing it out the back.
White cases and white parts often cost a little more than the black versions of the same model, and so do matching white fans and boards.
Other things to check
- Front USB-C. A front USB-C port only works if your motherboard has the matching internal USB-C header. Most mid-range and better boards do.
- Drive bays. Many new cases have few or no 2.5"/3.5" bays. That's fine with M.2 SSDs, but check if you're keeping a SATA SSD or a hard drive (see the NVMe vs SATA guide).
- Dust filters on the front, top and bottom intakes save cleaning time. Magnetic or slide-out filters are the easiest to clean.
- Cable space. Look for 20–30 mm of room behind the motherboard tray and tie-down points. That makes a tidy build much easier, especially for first-timers.
- Back-connector boards (such as ASUS BTF and MSI Project Zero) hide their cables on the back and need a case that specifically supports them.