
Next to the standard Advanced Technology eXtended motherboard, here comes the Micro ATX. All the power phases in the world is not going to matter if you don't have a high quality VRM. 4/6 here is the number of phases for the CPU while 2 refers to the number of phases for the memory (RAM) controller. If you intend to overclock your CPU and RAM on a Micro ATX motherboard, it should at least have a 4 + 2 power phase (6 + 2 is better).
You’ll start to find water-cooling compatibility worked into some cases in this price range, along with better cable management details, tool-less design, and aesthetic niceties like RGB lighting or tempered-glass side panels. Some—most notably much of Corsair’s case lineup—even eliminate 5.25-inch drive bays completely for better airflow. Some cases are built with more fans for higher performance others focus on silent design.
Some of them are huge this is where you’ll find most full-tower cases. Once you extend beyond $150 or so, you should expect a PC case that excels in both performance and acoustics, and one that comes with connectivity options and handy features galore. And, that makes them better suited for. This height advantage for standard ATX motherboards allows them to feature more PCIe lanes. As you can see, mATX motherboards are the same width as standard ATX motherboards, but they are a couple of inches shorter.
Buy a PC case: Features to watch forBuy Fractal Design Meshify C Black ATX High-Airflow Compact Dark Tint Tempered Glass Window Mid Tower Computer Case, FD-CA-MESH-C-BKO-TG with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Assuming the ATX and mATX boards you are comparing have the same type of PCIE ports.This case has a side window but I took off its whole side panel for this picture. The lack of ports may make crossfire/SLI harder if you want to do that, but that depends on the model and what you want to do with it. Gaming: Same as performance. ASUS Prime X570-Pro lacks luxuries like WiFi, multiple LAN options, or over the top aesthetics.Heat: I upgraded from an FM2 ATX Mobo to an FM2+ mATX Mobo without noticeable differences.
And if you need a 5.25-inch bay in the front of your PC to house an optical drive, fan controller, or whatever, confirm your case includes that. Some cases include mounting points for SSD on the rear of the motherboard tray, too. If that’s part of your build, make sure a PC case has enough 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drive bays to house your storage drives. Many people still use traditional SATA-based SSDs or hard drives, though. Here’s a quick rundown of many of the features you’ll find in modern PC cases, starting with practical extras before delving into nice-to-haves.Drive bays and SSD mounting points: With recent trends towards using NVMe SSDs, room for large physical drives are less necessary with modern cases. The more you spend on your case, the more goodies you’ll receive.

Even if they aren’t populated, many cases include additional fan mounts that allow you to upgrade your cooling later. Some budget PC cases include only a single fan, and your PC’s temperatures and performance will suffer for it. At the very least, you want two fans for optimal airflow—an intake in the front and an outward-blowing fan in the rear. You’ll often find front-panel audio jacks as well, though we’d always recommend plugging your headset directly into the audio jack on your motherboard’s rear I/O shield.High-end cases (like this Phanteks Enthoo Elite) offer much more advanced front-panel connectivity.Fans and airflow: The more fans you have in your PC, the better your airflow is likely to be. Many modern cases include USB-A Type 3, USB-C, and even fan or RGB lighting controllers as table stakes. Even cheap cases have a couple of USB-A Type 2.0 ports in the front.
Dust filters keep most of that debris from ever reaching your fans, much less your precious internal hardware. But be sure to configure your fans for positive air pressure to keep dust from being sucked in through the unoccupied vents in your chassis.We don’t do many formal PC case reviews at PCWorld, but we’re constantly building PCs in all sorts of rigs. A computer clogged with dust and pet hair and tobacco gunk is a computer that runs hot and throttles more often. The Silverstone RL06 ($110 on Amazon) and Fractal Design Meshify C ($90 on Amazon) skips those obstructions, placing protective mesh in front of several 120mm intake fans for superb airflow and thus, lower system temperatures than its rivals.Dust filters: Keeping your PC clean is important. Tempered glass and stoic metal front panels are all the rage these days, but those pretty designs can hinder airflow if they’re not designed properly.
You can also swap out the front panel with glass if desired. It looks great aesthetically, while offering good cooling performance. Corsair 4000D Airflow: Coming in at under $100, this is a very well-rounded case. Tariffs on Chinese products have resulted in price increases of about $10 to $25 per case.) Best budget PC cases
Lian Li 011 Dynamic: The fan favorite. Great price? Yep! One of the best mini-ITX cases you can buy. Flexible build options? Check. Cooler Master NR200P: Mini-ITX? Check.


