A PC case is more than just an enclosure for the components. It acts as a solid platform for the overall build and plays a huge role in deciding a lot of other factors, such as the radiator support for cooling, GPU support, and more. Besides that, a PC case also acts as a statement piece for your desk. If you're spending a ton of money putting together a high-end gaming rig, why not give it some personality? In this guide, we'll be taking a look at some of the best PC cases for gamers.

Our collection of the best PC cases for gamers

We picked the very same Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO as the primary recommendation in our collection of the best PC cases, so it only made sense to pick the same case for this gaming guide. We view the O11 Dynamic EVO as one of the best PC cases you can buy on the market, especially as a gamer. The O11 Dynamic EVO is a mid-tower PC case with a dual-chamber design. This case has plenty of glass panels on both the front and the side. There are mesh panels on the top and behind the motherboard tray with vents for airflow. This is one of those mid-tower cases with enough space for plenty of case fans or even a custom cooling loop.

You can install up to three 120mm or two 140mm fans on the front, top, and bottom panels. There's also space to add a single 120mm fan at the back. As for the radiator support, you can mount up to a 360mm radiator on the top, bottom, or front. While the Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO PC case doesn't come with any pre-installed fans, you do get a front panel LED strip. This LED strip can be controlled via the motherboard software or a hub. Another interesting thing about this case is that you can move the IO ports of the case between four different locations on the case. This can be done without any tools, which makes it very convenient to customize. Notably, you can also buy a port hub as an additional accessory for the case to add more ports.

Overall, we think there's a lot to like about the Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO PC case. It's obviously not a perfect case for everyone, but there's still a lot to consider. It has plenty of space for all the components, support for dual PSU mounts, a cable management bar, a modular design, and more. The Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO is available in black, white, and gray color options, so pick the one that suits the overall aesthetic of your setup.

The Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact is one of the best mid-tower PC cases you can buy largely because of its sleek design and ability to keep all the installed internals cool. The Meshify 2 Compact PC case comes with the iconic mesh front panel with an angular design with either a solid or tempered glass panel on the side. This stylish panel provides fresh filtered air to the chassis with the help of the fans fitted on the front. The top is also a mesh panel for airflow. The front mesh panel also has a removable dust filter under it, making it easier to clean. You can also remove the nylon filter for increased airflow. You get dust filters for both the top and the bottom panel of the case too.

Unlike our top pick, the Meshify 2 Compact comes with three pre-installed fans out of the box. You get two 140mm Dynamic X2 fans on the front, along with a single 120mm fan at the back for exhaust. You can add another 140mm fan on the front, two 120mm or 140mm fans on the top, and a single 120mm fan at the bottom. When it comes to radiators, there's space to mount up to 360mm radiator on the front, up to 240mm radiator on the top, and two small 120mm radiators at the back and at the bottom each. The Meshify 2 Compact also comes with cable routing space, making it easier to manage the cables inside the chassis.

The Meshify 2 Compact PC case is big enough to house a ton of components inside the chassis. You can install GPUs with a max length of up to 341mm and CPU coolers with a max height of up to 169mm. The PSU sits inside a separate compartment at the bottom, along with drive bays. It's also relatively easy to build inside the Meshify 2 Compact PC case, as the top panel can easily be removed. You can easily build a high-end PC inside this chassis without worrying about the thermals. You can use both CPU fan coolers or AIO liquid CPU coolers with this case.

If you want a PC case frequently used in more powerful builds by enthusiasts and seasoned system builders, look no further than the Corsair iCUE 7000X. This thing has plenty of internal space for just about anything, including the largest graphics cards and E-ATX motherboards. The iCUE 7000X from Corsair also supports up to 480mm radiators for cooling, allowing even the largest AIO liquid coolers to be installed. You can install not one but two 480mm radiators, with an additional one on another panel. If you want to go down the route of a custom open-loop cooling solution, that's also possible.

For sucking and exhausting air, the Corsair iCUE 7000X can hold up to 11 120mm fans or 7 140mm and 120mm blowers. The case also has enough clearance for GPUs and CPU coolers up to 190mm and 155mm in length, respectively. Just like other popular full-tower PC cases, the Corsair iCUE 7000X is a huge chassis, so you'll need to bear that in mind when moving it around and installing hardware. It's also relatively expensive, so be prepared for the rather steep price tag.

The Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 is one of the largest full-tower PC cases around. We're talking about a case big enough to accommodate two PC builds inside. In addition to the primary build with up to an E-ATX motherboard, the Enthoo Pro 2 has space for a secondary ITX system at the bottom, too. This type of case is perfect for power users and streamers who can greatly benefit from a dual PC setup. The Enthoo Pro 2 is also used mainly as an enterprise solution, as it can also house an SSI EEB motherboard. We wanted to add this case to the collection as a solid option for gamers mainly because of all the space it offers. The chassis is big enough to accommodate a fully water-cooled build, complete with a custom loop.

You can use all the space to manage cables and add water cooling components such as a pump, a reservoir, and more. One of the highlights of the Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 PC case is its exceptional airflow performance. The case comes with a mesh front panel that uses Phantek's high-performance fabric material. This mesh panel is made of rugged and durable nylon fiber for increased airflow. The Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 is big enough to house as many as fifteen 120mm fans. There's space on the front to install up to four 120mm fans or three 140mm fans. The top panel can hold up to three 120mm or 140mm fans. You can also install up to four 120mm fans on the internal side panel and three 120mm or a single 140mm fan at the bottom of the case. Plus, there's enough space to add a single 120mm or a 140mm fan at the back for exhaust.

In addition, there's plenty of radiator support inside the Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 case. You can mount up to a 480mm radiator on the front, up to a 360mm radiator on the top panel, up to a 360mm radiator on the bottom panel, and either a 120mm or 140mm radiator at the back. There's also space to add an optional 480mm radiator inside the chassis on the side panel. It's safe to say that the Enthoo Pro 2 can house a fully water-cooled system. The case also has massive storage support. You can add as many as eleven 2.5" SSDs and up to four 3.5" HDDs inside the case. It's perfect for those looking to build a high-performance PC, as you can use the money saved on the PC case on other core components, such as the best CPUs, motherboards, and more.

You'd be forgiven for mistaking the NZXT H9 Flow for the Lian Li O11 Dynamic since they share a similar overall aesthetic. Many brands have attempted to copy the popular Lian Li design, but NZXT still managed to put its own spin on things. Looking at the NZXT H9 Flow, it's clearly an NZXT chassis and follows the same language as all its other cases currently available. With considerably more internal space to work with, NZXT made sure there are ample fan and radiator mounts for more powerful gaming PC builds. In fact, you could even install up to three 360mm radiators if you're looking to build your own open-loop solution.

Just like other NZXT-branded PC cases, you'll be able to enjoy the absolute best cable management, especially when using a modular power supply. The included fans are rifle-bearing, which isn't great, and there's no RGB or fan hub controller pre-installed, which is a shame. Still, if you're able to squeeze in countless fans, some RGB strips, and other high-end PC components into your budget, you'll be able to create one kick-ass-looking PC inside the NZXT H9 Flow. It'll not only look the part but be able to game for hours at a time without encountering thermal-related issues.

Buying expensive components for a high-end gaming rig significantly increases the overall budget of your build. We think the Phanteks Eclipse P400A is an excellent value PC case for less than $100, making it the most affordable PC case in this collection. But just because the Eclipse P400A is affordable doesn't necessarily make it a bad PC case. In fact, this budget case is just as good as many other mid-tower PC cases mentioned in this collection. You can utilize either two or three 120mm fans pre-installed, depending on which version of the case you purchase. The standard model has two, while the RGB version (which we'd recommend) has three RGB fans with lighting strips.

As well as the installed fans, you can add another two 120mm or 140mm fans up top and a single 120mm blower on the rear panel. This case is designed with AIO cooling in mind, with the front panel being able to hold up to a 420mm radiator. However, the top panel can only handle a 280mm radiator. You can use a GPU with a maximum length of up to 420mm, which is ample for even today's largest graphics cards. Likewise, you have plenty of space for taller air coolers. The PSU sits behind a built-in shroud and shields your cable mess from being seen through the glass, making this chassis a good choice for the price.

The Lian Li O11 Air Mini is essentially a smaller version of the regular O11 Dynamic PC case. This particular case is perfect for those who don't have a lot of space in their setup. It's also worth pointing out that the Air Mini PC case has a mesh front panel for better airflow. One of the best things about the O11 Air Mini PC case is that it comes with three pre-installed fans. This is the only Lian Li O11 case that comes with pre-installed fans out of the box. The O11 Air Mini comes fitted with two 140mm PWM fans on the front, along with a 120mm PWM at the rear. Additionally, there's space to add up to three 120mm fans or two 140mm fans on the top and the bottom panel. You can also install two more 120mm fans on the side.

Despite the small form factor, the O11 Air Mini is also perfectly viable for use with a water-cooled system. You can install plenty of radiators inside the case without having to deal with any clearance issues. There's space to mount up to a 280mm radiator on the front along with a 240mm radiator each on the side as well as the bottom panels. You can install an E-ATX, Micro-ATX, or Mini-ITX motherboard inside. Plus, you can install a GPU with a max length of up to 362mm — and CPU coolers with a max height of up to 170mm. The Air Mini case also comes with up to seven expansion slots, allowing you to install even the most modern GPUs. As for the front panel IO ports, the case offers two USB 3.0 ports, a USB 3.1 Type C port, and audio ports.

The Lian Li O11 Air Mini is available in black and white color options, so you can pick the one that matches the overall aesthetic of your setup. The Air Mini isn't exactly a small form factor PC case. While it's smaller than many other ATX cases on the market, you might want to look elsewhere if you're strictly looking for a Mini-ITX case. This is still very much a compact ATX, and we think it can be used even for a high-end gaming rig without having to worry about any thermal issues.

The Hyte Revolt 3 looks very similar to the NZXT H1, but it has some notable differences while being incredibly well-designed and built. For one, it's easy to build a PC with, whether you buy the standalone chassis or the one with the PSU pre-installed. It's limited by only supporting Mini-ITX motherboards, but if you want the most compact chassis without sacrificing too much elsewhere, this is about as good as you can get. It's possible to install a 280mm radiator inside this thing, which is incredible and allows for one powerful PC with some overclocking on the table. It also helps that this gorgeous chassis is available in black and white.

The restrictions also apply to the size of the graphics card you're able to use. With support for up to 335mm cards, you could conceivably squeeze an RTX 40 series GPU inside the Revolt 3 with a little wiggle room to spare. There are three PCI slots, which means even the latest and fattest GPUs should fit, so long as the dimensions don't interfere with the case or other components. With the GPU and AIO (or air coolers) installed, there should be ample internal airflow, and the included dust filtering should help keep everything relatively clean even after a good few months of use. It was Hyte's first PC case and remains one of the best traditional ITX cases on the market right now.

How to buy the best gaming PC case

We chose the Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO as the best PC case for gamers as it ticks all the right boxes. It's flashy, has plenty of cooling support for more powerful systems, allows for overclocking with water-cooling solutions, and even has a unique striking design. You won't be disappointed with the installation process of your dream PC inside this chassis. Should you want something a little more subtle, the Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact is a brilliant piece of kit.