The best PC cases 2023: top computer housing for your build

Get the best PC case to ensure that your PC's internals are safe and running optimally. A PC case isn't only there to house your components; it's more important function to keep them protected and to keep things well-ventilated so they do not overheat and throttle.

So, when building your own computer or gaming PC, you want to get something that is of great quality and does its job right. After all, you don’t want to have to replace an expensive GPU because the PC case you invested in does a bad job of keeping out cat hair, dust, and other debris that may linger around your desk space.

More importantly, quality PC cases prioritize airflow to keep those expensive internals cool. All those components inside – motherboard, processor, graphics card or RAM – generate heat, particularly when running demanding tasks, and the last thing you want is your PC to experience thermal throttling or get damaged from being too hot. So, while there may be some nice looking cases with RGB lighting and a glass side panel, if the cooling isn’t up to par, it’s not worth the investment. 

It's time you can get started on building your PC, and properly house and protect those vital components. There are a lot of options out there, but we can help you narrow down the choices to find something that works for you. We’ve built plenty of PCs ourselves so know what to look for when it comes to excellent PC cases. Take a look at our picks of the best PC cases below. 

The best PC cases 2023

A hulking glass beast is what you’re getting with the Corsair iCue RGB 5000X whose offerings include good cooling – thanks in large part to its mesh coverings around the top and bottom panels, a lot of space for efficient building, and three Corsair RGB fans. And, it delivers all those while looking incredibly sleek, albeit massive. It might be a bit pricey for some folks, but for those whose top priorities include airflow and space, it’s worth the price.

Read more: Corsair iCue RGB 5000X review

If you’re looking to save a few bucks, while still getting one of the best PC cases, look no further than the Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-04 Tempered Glass. Not only does it have plenty of space for airflow, it also has a deceptively large amount of space for future expansion. 

Meaning that even at this low price point, you won’t have to worry about fitting a full-sized graphics card like most of the best graphics cards. And, when you’re done building, the tempered glass side panel will allow you to show off your handiwork. 

It is extremely rare to see any PC case that even vaguely resembles the Fractal Design Meshify-C. Given that the front of the case is entirely made of a mesh material sectioned off into an array of polygonal shapes, the Meshify-C has a unique style – without compromising on function. With two fans pre-installed, cooling is (forgive us) a breeze, even if the Meshify-C is held back by a number of obstacles. 

As its name suggests, the Nanoxia Deep Silence 4 has the sole purpose of being quiet as a mouse. This silence-focused case is a well-balanced Micro ATX chassis that’s affordably priced, without sacrificing room for expansion. That’s right you can fit even the biggest, most powerful graphics cards in the Nanoxia Deep Silence 4. The fact that you will never hear it go above 30 decibels is just icing on the very taciturn cake. 

• This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Phanteks Evolv Shift X. 

Every single day mini-ITX gets more popular, and closer to toppling Micro ATX. And, it makes sense – why not spring for a small computer that can get just as much work done as a full tower? 

NZXT’s new H-series case line manages to integrate a ton of the same features as its Micro ATX and mid-tower equivalents, with mesmerizing, built-in and smart device-controlled RGB lighting and an adaptive noise sensor that sees improvement only by way of the Grid+ V3 fan controller.

Perfect for living room gaming setups, the NZXT H210i is a fantastic foundation on which to build a PC.

When you first look at the Phanteks Evolv Shift 2, it looks more like a sound bar than one of the best PC cases, but this helps it vanish into any living area or studio setup. 

It’s flexible to the point that it looks natural placed under a TV as it does on a desk, next to one of the best gaming monitors or best TVs. It may only be compatible with a Mini-ITX motherboard, but the Phanteks Evolv Shift 2 offers tons of space for components and liquid cooling loops. 

If this case is a little small for your preference, you can get the larger Phanteks Evolv X for more room on the inside for a bigger GPU and other components.

Fractal Design wins again with the Define R5, yet another mid-tower case with a gorgeous aesthetic. The metallic and blue LED-lit face of this case is simple, yet elegant, and is accompanied by noise dampening materials throughout its interior. 

In spite of the detachable ModuVent panels and drive trays not being toolessly accessible, it’s incredibly easy to build a system inside of the Fractal Design Define R5, plus it’s not as expensive as you’d expect from a PC case with such a pretentious name, either.  

Cooler Master is kind of known for, well, cooling things – and the Cooler Master H500P Mesh is evidence of how it got there. This beautiful RGB-packed case has plenty of room for airflow, even accommodating up to 360mm radiators on the top and front for when you really want to take your cooling to the next level. 

Add on top of that the RGB lighting and tempered glass side panel and you have the potential to build something beautiful with this case. Go for it.

The Antec Cube is without a doubt the best PC case for you Razer fans out there. While Razer hasn’t made its own desktop PC (not yet, anyway), you can build a Mini-ITX gaming PC, pretending it’s a razer product. You see, Antec partnered with Razer to bring its signature green-infused flare to the Cube, a small form-factor chassis. Complete with a deceptively high amount of space for future expansion, the Antec Cube is also compact enough to travel with. 

The Thermaltake Core W200 might not be the cheapest, but it may just be what you need if you need a piece of kit with all the necessary (and some perhaps frivolous) trimmings while still having more than enough room to expand in the future. 

This super tower has room for more than twenty drive trays and up to ten expansion slots – more than enough to technically have two PCs in it. And, if that doesn’t seem versatile enough for you, it also has a dismantlable modular design boasting removable drive racks and freely interchangeable SSD/HDD cage sections. 

All that comes at a (steep) price, but it’s well worth it if it’s exactly what you need.

How to choose the best PC case for you

If you're looking to do a new PC build, finding the right PC case is essential, but it is also going to be determined by the components you plan on including in the PC. If you're going big on components, you're likely going to need at least a mid-tower case, but if you're keeping things within a tight budget, a mini-ATX case will likely be better.