A pc case does more than just protect the innards of your computer from dust and dings. The best cases can deliver a number of other benefits: more spacious innards, lower temperatures, muffled sound, extensive water-cooling support, and even fancy-schmancy tempered glass panels and RGB lighting.
The most important thing to remember when picking out a case is that it must fit your motherboard and components. Form-factor standards like micro-ATX, ATX, and E-ATX don’t always align with motherboard sizes, so make sure you know what kind of hardware you plan on installing before buying anything.
Most people will want a mid-tower case, which allows for most drives and most motherboards. You can find these for $50 to $150-ish, with lots of variety in design and features.
There are also small cases for mini-ITX motherboards, which are great for home theater PCs and the latest Intel NUCs. These are a bit more limited in space, but you can still fit most closed loop (also known as All-In-One or AIO) water coolers and various storage bays.
If you’re planning a high-end build, you should be looking at full tower cases. These are large enough to house the biggest and best hardware, with room for multiple GPUs if you’re so inclined. You’ll often find them with a side window and lots of space for cooling fans. Look for extra features like cable management cut-outs in the motherboard tray and tie-off points, which can be a big help when you’re dealing with tons of cables. pc case