Five Best Desktop Computer Cases [Hive Five]

If you're building a new system, one of the first decisions you have to make is what case you plan to use to house all of your components. There are a lot of things to consider: bang for your buck, overall size, expansion bays, ease of installation, cooling and airflow, the list goes on. This week, we're going to look at five of the best desktop computer cases, based on your nominations.

Earlier in the week we asked you which desktop cases you think are the best. We could have broken this into categories, like "best case for watercooling, best gaming case, best case for this or that," but we figured you would have some good all-around suggestions, and you came through with way more cases that are great for all types of builds than we could possibly feature. Even so, five of them did stand out above the rest. Let's take a look, and when you're ready to move on to the rest of your build, head over to our freshly updated PC build guides to see what we think you should toss in your new case.

Cooler Master HAF X

The HAF X?and indeed, the entire HAF series?earned high praise from you for being roomy cases with lots of expansion bays and plenty of space for after-market coolers, watercooling, and multiple huge high-end video cards?all without getting so cramped that it's difficult to get to a component you need to repair or replace. The monster door fan will lift warm air right off of your board and CPU, and there's plenty of room for fans elsewhere in the case too. The front-side I/O ports are a nice bonus, as is the power supply cable partition that keeps unused cables out of sight. Bonus: you won't need a screwdriver for much with this case?most components pop and slide open easily for installation or removal. The HAF X is a pricey chassis though?it'll set you back $180 at Newegg. If that's too much, consider the cheaper (but also well liked) HAF 932 chassis for $150, or the budget-friendly HAF 912 case for for $60.

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Fractal Design Define Mini

Fractal Design's cases are built for enthusiasts who want their computers to be sleek, modern, and minimal?not in features, just without all of the windows, mesh, LEDs, and blinking lights that other manufacturers have. Those of you who nominated the Define Mini all said the same thing: It's a computer case "for adults." You're not missing out on features by going grown-up, either. The Define Mini may be built for Mini ITX and Micro ATX boards, but it'll definitely keep your system cool and offer you plenty of drive bays and expansion slots for drives and graphics cards. The case also sports a built-in fan controller and two 120mm fans, and the side panels feature noise-absorbing material to keep your rig nice and quiet. Front access to the drive bays is a nice touch, and the top-side I/O is unobtrusive but functional. If you want one for your next build, it'll set you back $100 at Newegg. Need a little more room? Step over to the $90 Fractal Design Arc Midi, an ATX mid-tower with less focus on silent running, but more space to move, a lower-price point, and great features, to boot.

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Corsair Obsidian 800D

The Corsair Obsidian series, not just the 800D, is a great range of richly featured full-sized tower cases that give you room to maneuver and a solid build designed to last for multiple system builds. The aluminum and steel body of the 800D makes for a lightweight case as well regardless of its size, and its size works to its advantage; Corsair has separate "cooling zones" inside the case to keep your power supply, CPU, graphics cards, and hard drives independently chilly, thanks to smart airflow design and separate fans. Cables won't get in the way, thanks to rubber cable management slots all over that make routing them The case comes with three 140mm fans, and sports tool-free installation for hard drives and components, including hot-swappable drive bays so you don't have to take the windowed (or meshed) case door off. Front-side I/O offers access to USB, Firewire, audio, and power without being too intrusive, keeping the design and lines nice and clean. The Obsidian is another pricey case, going for $280 at Newegg. If you want some of those same features without the premium price, check out the rest of the Obsidian chassis family.

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Antec Nine Hundred

Antec makes great cases, there's no doubt about that, but many of you really preferred the Nine Hundred, and we can see why. it's a solid case, and even though it's targeted to gamers, you don't have to be one to appreciate it. There's plenty of room inside for your components (standard ATX or smaller), seven expansion slots, two front-side 120mm fans and a massive 200mm fan at the top of the case, a fan controller to manage them, top-mounted I/O for USB, power, audio, and Firewire, along with a handy top drawer for a music player, smartphone, or external hard drive. Don't let the angled design fool you?there's plenty of room inside and outside this chassis. The Nine Hundred isn't terribly expensive; it'll set you back $100 at Newegg. If you have a little more to spend, consider the also nominated and well-loved Antec Twelve Hundred for $160.

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Corsair Graphite 600T

Another Corsair? Well, your nominations warranted it: the Corsair Graphite 600T is a more streamlined and less frilly model than some of Corsair's other chassis families. It's a mid-tower, but it's remarkably roomy considering its 8 expansion slots and 10 total drive bays (four 5.25" and six 3.5"). Plus, the case sports those rubber cable management slots that make wrangling cables or watercooling so easy, and tool-free installation and swappable trays. The steel case is sturdy, and for your money you'll get a chassis that should last you a couple of builds. It's sharp matte black with a few plastic accents, and comes packed with 2 120mm fans and a 200mm fan positioned to keep your components cool, along with room for plenty more. The top-side I/O port offers quick access to USB ports, audio ports, power, Firewire, and the fan controller so you can control performance versus noise with a single knob. The price on the 600T varies depending on whether you want it in white or black, with a window on the side or with a mesh case door. The standard model will set you back $160 at Newegg, but the one with the door window and gray accents will cost you $180. Want it in white? That'll also be $180. For more options, check out the rest of the Graphite series.

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Now that you've seen the top five, it's time to vote for the all-out winner:

Honorable mentions this week go out to Lian Li's cases, which were extremely popular, but no specific model or SKU was popular enough to make the top five. All of them combined would have made a good run for the top, though. Those of you who nominated Lian Li models all noted their lightweight aluminum designs, sleek and modern looks, and cool, roomy interiors.

Also worth mentioning is the Corsair Carbide Series, especially the Carbide 500R, which many of you praised highly for its superior design and airflow. We even chose the Carbide 400R for our enthusiast build in our own PC build guides, so they're worth checking out.

Finally, I have to give a personal nod to the Thermaltake Level 10 Series, mostly because I still love really shiny and unique-looking PC case designs, and as reader ender89 pointed out, "Not because its the best, or the cheapest, or the fanciest, but because a bunch of engineers went into a room and a work of art came out. and that is something to celebrate." Hear hear.

Have something to say about one of the contenders? Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Make your case for your favorite?or alternative?in the discussions below. Also, don't forget that we just updated our $600 and $1200 PC build guides, so if you're looking for components to go with your favorite case, we have you covered there too.

The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it's not because we hate it?it's because it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest, but if you have a favorite, we want to hear about it. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!

Photo by hades2k.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/QwxiO5LUdZ0/five-best-desktop-computer-cases

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