The best PC case for airflow is advocated by enthusiasts for a positive impact on the overall performance of the computer. These cases offer a lot of vents for intake and exhaust, along with tons of case fans. Good airflow inside the case will help the PC achieve its peak performance — be it an entry-level computer for day-to-day workloads or a high-performance gaming rig with all the bells and whistles. We’ve already mentioned some good-quality airflow cases in our collection of the best PC cases, so you might want to check it out first. In this article, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at more options that are worth considering.
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- Best overall PC case for airflow: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact
- Affordable airflow case: Cooler Master MasterBox NR600
- Best compact mid-tower case for airflow: NZXT H510 Flow
- Best full-tower PC case for airflow: Corsair 7000D AIRFLOW
- Best silent airflow PC case: be quiet! Silent Base 802
- Best value airflow case: Fractal Design Meshify C
- Best small airflow case: Lian Li O11 Air Mini
- Best open frame case: Thermaltake AH T200 micro ATX
Best overall PC case for airflow: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact
The Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact is a popular pick when it comes to the best PC case for airflow. This compact ATX case offers an excellent foundation for all kinds of PC with its beautiful looks and impressive thermal performance. It’s not the most affordable PC case on the market, but it’s a decent-priced case that’s easy to recommend for a variety of different builds. You can buy this case with a solid side panel or a see-through tempered glass side panel. Both of them look equally good.
The best thing about the Fractal Design Meshify Compact 2 is that it sports a mesh panel on the front for airflow. This panel has a dust filter inside, so it keeps all the dust and dirt away from the internals. Notably, you also get three pre-installed fans with this cabinet, which means it’s ready to go out of the box. You get a 120mm Dynamic X2 GP-12 fan installed at the back and two 140mm Dynamic X2 GP-14 installed on the front panel. There’s space to add three more 120mm fans or a 140mm fan between the top and the bottom panel.
One of the highlights of this case is that the top panel is entirely removable. It allows for easy access to the internal chamber. This makes a very easy case to work with as you get a ton of room inside the chassis to build your computer easily. In addition to the front panel, you get dust filters for both tops as well as the bottom panel too. The Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact is also great for those looking to add some liquid coolers. You can install up to a 360mm radiator on the front panel, a 240mm radiator on the top panel, and a small-sized 120mm radiator on the back panel. It might be a bit of a stretch, but you can install a 120mm radiator on the bottom panel too.
You can use an ATX, mATX, or mini-ITX motherboards with this case. The case also offers plenty of clearance for all the components. You can install a GPU with a max length of up to 341mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 169mm. The power supply unit rests separately at the bottom of the case along with some storage drive mounts. The Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact also makes it easier for you to manage all the cables inside the chassis. There are dedicated cable routing channels inside the chassis that let you carefully route the cables, away from the line of sight.
This particular case also comes with 7 expansion slots for expansion cards along with two 3.5″ and 4 2.5″ drive mounts. The front panel IO of the case comes with a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C port, two USB 3.0 ports, audio I/O, and the power button. You can pick up this PC case in either black or white color variants and each of them comes with a 5-year warranty.
- The Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact is an excellent ATX case with plenty of space inside the chassis and a mesh front panel for airflow.
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Affordable airflow case: Cooler Master MasterBox NR600
The Cooler Master MasterBox NR600 is the most affordable PC case in this collection. At $86, this one is cheaper than the Meshify C case we saw earlier. But just because it’s an affordable case, doesn’t mean it’s bad by any means. The Cooler Master CoolerBox NR600 has a minimal design and comes with a mesh front panel for better airflow. This ATX mid-tower case is for those who don’t necessarily want a flashy design. The MasterBox NR600 case works like a charm with its industrial design and brings a ton of awesome features along the way too.
The Cooler Master MasterBox NR600 comes with a mesh front panel, as we mentioned earlier. We think all the best PC cases for airflow must have a mesh or some sort of panel with a lot of vents on the front. A solid front panel isn’t enough to move the air in or out of the chassis that efficiently. The MasterBox NR600 is perfect in that regard. There’s space to add up to three 120mm fans on the front behind the mesh panel. You can also add two 120mm or two 140mm fans on the top panel. Lastly, there’s space to add a 120mm fan at the back too.
The Cooler Master MasterBox NR600 comes with two pre-installed fans. You get a single 120mm fan on the front and a 120mm fan at the back. You will have to buy the rest of the fans to get better airflow. The MasterBox NR600 also has plenty of space to accommodate radiators for the liquid coolers. You can install up to a 360mm radiator on the front, up to a 240mm radiator on the top, and a small-sized 120mm radiator at the back. This makes the Cooler Master MasterBox NR600 a solid option to consider even for a high-end build.
The MasterBox NR600 PC case also has a lot of space inside the chassis to accommodate all the high-performance components that’d want to install. The case has clearance for a GPU with a max length of up to 410mm. You can also install a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 166mm, which is pretty good. What we also like the most about this particular case is that comes with dust filters for both tops as well as the bottom part. This will keep the dust away from the internals. They’re also very easy to remove and clean. The case also has cable routing channels to make it easier for you to manage the cables inside the chassis.
The Cooler Master MasterBox NR600 offers 7 expansion slots, four 3.5″ and five 2.5″ drive bays in total. The front IO panel of the case includes two USB 3.0 ports and a 3.5mm headset jack. Overall, there’s a lot to like about the MasterBox NR600 PC case. It offers plenty of great features for an affordable price. The Cooler Master MasterBox MB512 ARGB is also a fantastic option to consider if you’re looking to build a PC without burning a huge hole in your pocket.
- The Cooler Master MasterBox NR600 is one of the most affordable mid-tower airflow PC case you can buy on the market right now.
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Best compact mid-tower case for airflow: NZXT H510 Flow
NZXT is home to some of the best PC cases on the market. You can check out our collection of the best NZXT PC cases to check out all the cool options they have across the different categories. NZXT’s H510 mid-tower PC case is arguably one of the most popular cabinets around. This particular case is available in a couple of different variants, including an airflow version called the NZXT H510 Flow. The NZXT 510 Flow is different from other NZXT cases mainly because of the front panel design. The NZXT 510 Flow being an airflow PC case, comes with a perforated front panel for maximized airflow.
The perforated front panel, in case you don’t know, is new and exclusive to the H510 Flow variant of the case. Other variants either have a solid panel or a tempered glass panel on the front. While the solid and the tempered glass panels also have air vents for airflow, but they’re not as good as having a full perforated panel. It’s worth pointing out that the NZXT H510 Flow PC case also comes with two pre-installed Aer F 120mm fans. There’s one on the front and one on the back for optimum airflow.
The NZXT H510 Flow mid-tower PC case will allow you to install as many as four case fans including the two that are already installed. In addition to the fan that’s already installed on the front, there’s space to add another 120mm or a 140mm fan. You can also install either a 120mm or a 140mm fan on the top. The best thing about this case is that all intakes are covered with filters to keep the dust and dirt away from your system. As for the radiator support, the NZXT H510 Flow will let you install up to a 280mm radiator on the front and a small-sized 120mm radiator on the back.
The NZXT H510 Flow case may not be as big as some other PC cases on this list, but it still has a lot of room for internal components. The case offers a maximum CPU cooler clearance of up to 165mm and a maximum GPU length clearance of up to 360mm. This particular case also comes with the solutions to manage your cables inside the case properly. When it comes to the front panel IO, the NZXT H510 Flow case comes with a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port on the front, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port, and a headset audio jack. The case also comes with seven expansion slots, three 2.5″ and 3.5″ drive bays too.
NZXT PC cases have received a lot of criticism in the past for their thermals. These cases have the impressive build quality and stunning design, but the thermals haven’t been able to keep up with the growing needs for high-performance components. The H510 Flow case, however, changes all that. We hope NZXT makes more Flow variants of its other cases too. You can hit the link below to find out the best price for the NZXT H510 Flow case below.
- NZXT H510 Flow is essentially the same case as the original H510, except the new one comes with a perforated front panel instead of a solid panel for better airflow.
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Best full-tower PC case for airflow: Corsair 7000D AIRFLOW
Corsair has a huge selection of PC cases to choose from across different categories. If you are in the market to buy a new full-tower PC cabinet, then we think you should consider buying the Corsair 7000D AIRFLOW case. As the name suggests, this particular PC case is an airflow variant of the standard iCUE 7000X full tower. This one comes with a mesh front panel for airflow as opposed to a solid glass panel on the 7000X RGB case.
The Corsair 7000D AIRFLOW is a massive case with plenty of room inside for all the components. This is the type of case you want to pick as an enthusiast looking to build a high-end rig for gaming, content creation, and more. This is the only PC case in this collection that can fit in the most amount of fans and radiators for cooling. There’s space to install as many as four 120mm or three 140mm fans on the front. You can install four more 120mm fans on the side panel adjacent to the motherboard tray.
Additionally, there’s also more space to add three 120mm or 140mm fans on the top. Lastly, you can add either a 120mm or a 140mm fan at the back. In total, the Corsair 7000D AIRFLOW has space for twelve 120mm and seven 140mm fans. It’s worth pointing out that the Corsair 7000D AIRFLOW comes fitted with three 140mm AirGuide fans. There’s clearly room to add more fans, but you’ll have to buy them separately. Corsair also bundles a PWM fan repeater to help you control connections for up to six fans.
The same is the story when it comes to radiator support too. The front panel as well as the side panel can accommodate up to a 480mm radiator. You can also install another 360mm radiator on the top and a small 120mm radiator on the back. It’s safe to say that the Corsair 7000D is a solid case to consider for a fully water-cooled PC build with a custom loop. With over 80L, there’s plenty of room to carry all the essential water-cooling components including a reservoir, pump, and more.
The Corsair 7000D AIRFLOW is also a fairly simple case to work with. All the panels including the two steel ones and the tempered glass side panels come off rather easily. You get full access to the internal chamber to build your PC. The 7000D AIRFLOW offers enough clearance to fit GPUs with a max length of up to 450mm and CPU coolers with a max height of up to 190mm. The case also comes with 8 horizontal slots and three vertical slots that allow you to mount the GPU vertically. You also get six 3.5-inch and four 2.5-inch drive bays, which we think should be enough to add plenty of storage to your rig. The ports on the front panel IO include four USB 3.0 ports, a single USB 3.1 Type C, and an audio in/out port.
- The Corsair 7000D AIRFLOW is a full-tower PC cabinet with lots of space inside the chassis. You can install as many as twelve 120mm fans inside for airflow.
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Best silent airflow PC case: be quiet! Silent Base 802
As you probably already know, airflow cases with open mesh design and lots of fans don’t really fit into the definition of a silent PC. Well, be quiet! has done the unthinkable with its Silent Base 802 PC case. This mid-tower case from be quiet! is a great airflow PC case that also happens to be one of the quietest cases on the market. ‘be quiet!’, for those who don’t know, is a company that specializes in making PC components that keep your PC as quiet as possible. We’ve added a couple of be quiet! PC cases to our collection of the best PC cases, but we think this particular case deserves a special mention on this list too.
The best thing about the Silent Base 802 PC case is that it comes with interchangeable panels. That’s right, you get both a solid panel as well as a mesh front panel to be used with the case. You can use the solid panel for when you need the PC to be silent and switch to the airflow panel when you need better airflow. The same is the case for the top panel too. Having two panels and being able to switch between the two makes it a very versatile PC case. The best thing about the case is that it comes with a dust filter for both panels too. This means the internals will be safe from all the dust and dirt particulars.
The be quiet! Silent Base 802 case also comes with three pre-installed fans. You get two 140mm Pure Wings 2 fans on the front and another one of the same kind at the back. This means the case is ready to be used out of the box without having to splurge on case fans all that much. There’s space to add another 140mm fan on the front and three more 120mm or 140mm fans on the top. You can install up to a 420mm radiator on the front panel, up to a 360mm radiator on the top panel, and a small 120mm radiator on the rear panel.
It’s also worth pointing out that this particular PC case is equipped with extra thick dampening mats of up to 10mm on the front and the sides. This is part of the reason why the case is so quiet. Notably, the decoupled PSU bracket, motherboard tray, and HDD cages also minimize vibrations inside the chassis. For the side panel, you’re looking at a see-through tempered glass panel that lets you see all the internals of the build.
The Silent Base 802 is a spacious case that has plenty of room inside for all the components. You can install a GPU with a max length of up to 432mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 185mm. The case also comes with a USB 3.2 Type C port, two USB 3.0 ports, a couple of audio ports, and a power button. Additionally, there’s also an integrated 4-step fan controller that lets you adjust the speed of the fans.
- The Silent Base 802 is a versatile mid-tower PC case that let's you switch between the solid and the mesh panels at anytime depending on your needs.
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Best value airflow case: Fractal Design Meshify C
This is the second Fractal Design PC case recommendation in this collection and this one’s very similar to the Meshufy 2 Compact we mentioned earlier. This Fractal Design Meshify C is sort of like an affordable version of the Meshify 2 Compact. It happens to be one of the least expensive PC cases in this collection, yet it offers everything you’d expect from a high-quality airflow case. There’s a lot to like about the Meshify C case, and it’s our pick for the best value airflow PC case you can buy on the market right now.
Just like its elder brother Meshify 2 Compact, the Meshify C comes with a mesh panel on the front for airflow. There are two 140mm Dynamic X2 GP-12 case fans behind the front mesh panel and they’re protected by a dust filter to keep all the dust and dirt away from the internals. These two fans come pre-installed in the case along with another 120mm fan at the back. This means, you get a total of three pre-installed fans with this PC case, which is quite impressive given its price. In addition to these, the case has plenty of space to add more fans. You can also install two 120mm fans on the top panel and a 120m fan at the bottom. The top panel of the Meshify C isn’t entirely removable as we saw on the Meshify 2 Compact, but it has air vents for airflow. These vents also have dust filters, which is great.
As for the radiator support, this ATX mid-tower case has plenty of room for those too. The front panel can accommodate a 360mm radiator while the top panel has space for up to a 240mm radiator. You can also install a small 120mm radiator at the back of the case. The Meshify C, despite its affordable price tag, is pretty good for a water-cooled build. You also get an option to choose between a solid steel panel or a see-through tempered glass panel for the side. You can install either an ATX, mATX or a mini-ITX motherboard inside the chassis and there’s plenty of space for all the components too.
The Fractal Design Meshify C can accommodate a PSU with a max length of up to 315mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 170mm. There’s also a separate shroud to hold the PSU at the bottom of the case. Just like the more expensive Meshify 2 Compact PC case, the Meshify C also comes with cable routing options to make it easier for you to manage the cables. All in all, we highly recommend checking out the Meshify C case if you’re looking to build a budget PC. We think this is a solid alternative to the Meshify 2 Compact. They both look identical to each other and have almost the same set of specs of offer too. You can hit the link below to find the best price for the Fractal Design Meshify C PC case online.
- The Fractal Design Meshify C is a more affordable version of the Meshify 2 Compact. It looks identical to the standard variant and offers almost the same set of features.
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Best small airflow case: Lian Li O11 Air Mini
Lian Li’s O11 Dynamic is one of the best PC cases on the market right now and it requires no introduction. Well, this Lian Li O11 Air Mini is essentially a smaller version of that case. This one is slightly different in terms of usability because it comes with a mesh front panel for better airflow. Hence, the name Air Mini. Despite the name mini, this isn’t exactly a mini-ITX case. It’s relatively bigger in comparison to all the mini-ITX or SFF cases on the market. The Lian Li O11 Air Mini is big enough to accommodate an ATX, mATX, or a mini-ITX motherboard inside. This means you can use this case to dish out a perfectly viable high-end PC.
This is one of the only PC cases to have three mesh panels. In addition to the mesh panels on the front as well as the top, the Air Mini O11 also has a mesh panel for one side of the case. The side that’s behind the motherboard tray has a mesh panel for better airflow. There’s a tempered glass window on one side that lets you see the internals. One of the best things about this case is that it retains the dual-chamber design that you get with the bigger Dynamic O11 full-tower case. This makes it very easy to work with this case.
The PSU sits separately behind the motherboard along with the cables and the storage drives. Despite its small form factor, the Air Mini O11 has enough space inside the chassis to accommodate the full-sized ATX PSU. Also, unlike the standard Dynamic O11 case, this particular unit also comes with pre-installed fans. You get two 140mm PWM fans on the front along with a 120mm PWM fan at the back. You can add more fans on the top as well as the bottom of the chassis, but you’ll have to buy them separately.
The Lian Li Air Mini O11 also supports a water-cooled system. There’s plenty of space inside the chassis for radiators. You can install up to 280mm radiator on the top, a 240mm radiator on the side, up to a 240mm radiator at the bottom, and lastly, up to 280mm radiator on the front. You can also add GPUs with a max length of up to 362mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 170mm. These are some impressive numbers for a case that’s as small in size as the Air Mini O11. You also get as many as seven expansion slots with vertical ones for mounting the GPU vertically.
The front IO panel of the Air Mini O11 has two USB 3.0 ports, a single USB 3.1 Type C along HD audio ports. The Air Mini O11 is a little on the expensive side, but we think it’s totally worth splurging on this case if you’re looking for a small PC case for your setup. You can hit the link below to check the price for this case online right now.
- The Lian Li Air Mini O11 is a smaller, airflow version of the bigger Dynamic O11 full-tower PC case.
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Best open frame case: Thermaltake AH T200
What better way to make sure the internal components of your PC have enough air to breathe than buying an open-frame PC case? Well, that’s why we wanted to end this round-up with the Thermaltake AH T200 micro chassis. This is a one-of-a-kind PC case that’s meant to provide the best chassis airflow. Seriously, this is as good as it gets when it comes to airflow in PC cases because it has an open-frame design. This particular unit is available in black, white, and pink colors, so be sure to pick the one that suits the overall aesthetics of your setup.
The AH T200, according to Thermaltake, is inspired by helicopter design. It’s made out of steel all around with plenty of openings for airflow. There are two 4mm tempered glass panels on each side and three 3mm glass windows at the front. The front glass windows highlight the helicopter design of the chassis, in addition to letting you get a clear view of the internal components. While these glass windows are fixed and can’t be removed, you can easily remove the tempered glass side panels. These panels are secured in place using thumbscrews and are very easy to work with.
The AH T200 chassis is big enough for you to fit in a lot of high-performance PC components inside. This particular chassis offers a max CPU cooler height clearance of up to 150mm and a maximum GPU length clearance of up to 320mm. You can install microATX and mini-ITX motherboards inside the chassis. The case doesn’t come with any pre-installed fans, but you can install two 120mm or 149mm fans on both the top and front panels each. As for the radiator support, you can only install either a 240mm or a 280mm unit on the front. It’s very limited in terms of the radiator support, but it should be enough to add at least one AIO to the build.
The rear panel only has the expansion slots, so there’s no space to add any fans or radiators at the back. The Thermaltake AH T200 PC case comes with five expansion slots at the back. There’s no vertical mounting option, so keep that in mind. You can install up to two 3.5″ or three 2.5″ drives inside the chassis. There’s a separate spot at the bottom of the chassis for PSU. The AH T200 comes with a decent selection of ports on the front IO panel. You get three USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C ports and three USB 3.0 ports along with HD Audio.
All things considered, we think the Thermaltake AH T200 is a great chassis for those who’re looking to buy something for the best airflow for their rig. That being said, there’s a lot of things to consider while using an open-frame chassis like this. You’ll have to clean them often to prevent the internals from getting choked with dust. It also goes without saying that working with an open-frame case like this is more difficult than a normal one.
- The Thermaltake AH T200 is a one-of-a-kind PC case that comes with an open-frame design.
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Best PC case for airflow: Final Thoughts
Well, that wraps up our collection of the best PC case for airflow. We think the Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact and the NZXT H510 Flow are great options for most users. The Fractal Design Meshify C is a solid option to consider if you’re on a budget. It’s quite affordable and offers almost the same set of features as the Meshify 2 Compact. Those who are leaning towards a high-end PC build should consider buying the Corsair 7000D Airflow.
If you are building a new PC, then we recommend you check out our collection of the best motherboards or even the best CPUs to along with the cases mentioned in this list. Our ever-evolving collections are constantly updated with new options, so you’ll get the best options available on the market. Alternatively, we also recommend you join our XDA Computing Forums, where you can discuss your build with fellow enthusiasts and get more recommendations.
The post These are the best PC cases for airflow you can buy in 2021 appeared first on xda-developers.
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