# What case has the best airflow / cooling options and cable management?



## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 13, 2018)

So I have a Phanteks P400s and it's a pretty good case- the cable management was pretty good, but I would say that airflow isn't the greatest even though it has a slew of liquid cooling options.

What case should I be looking at for great cable management and great airflow / cooling options? Even though I really like my Phanteks case, I have been partial to NXZT, Corsair and CoolerMaster cases in the past.


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## thebluebumblebee (Sep 13, 2018)

I'd suggest poking around over at https://www.gamersnexus.net/reviews/hwreviews
If you like the Phanteks' look, the Phanteks Enthoo Pro M is quite good.


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 13, 2018)

I really like the look of the Phanteks Enthoo Pro M, especially the green as I want to go with military colors for my next build.

That being said, what do you think of the Corsair C70 (the green variant). I absolutely love the look of this case and its currently on sale both online and at my local Fry's for only $120. I think that would fit my style and build perfectly.


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## StrayKAT (Sep 13, 2018)

Mighty-Lu-Bu said:


> I really like the look of the Phanteks Enthoo Pro M, especially the green as I want to go with military colors for my next build.
> 
> That being said, what do you think of the Corsair C70 (the green variant). I absolutely love the look of this case and its currently on sale both online and at my local Fry's for only $120. I think that would fit my style and build perfectly.



Not bad! It's a little more sparse and less rugged in appearance, but pretty cool. I have the C70 black, but was considering a new green one for fun.... but now they're out of stock and existing prices are extremely inflated (I've seen $500!). edit: online, I mean... haven't looked locally.


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 13, 2018)

StrayKAT said:


> Not bad! It's a little more sparse and less rugged in appearance, but pretty cool. I have the C70 black, but was considering a new green one for fun.... but now they're out of stock and existing prices are extremely inflated (I've seen $500!). edit: online, I mean... haven't looked locally.



So, you are actually happy with your C70? I think a Green C70 with Noctua fans would look killer.


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## StrayKAT (Sep 13, 2018)

Mighty-Lu-Bu said:


> So, you are actually happy with your C70? I think a Green C70 with Noctua fans would look killer.



I am, but I wouldn't say it's the best for management. It's just "suitable". It's also pretty heavy (but it's got handles unlike that Phanteks above... ). edit: There are some plastic clips on the back to keep cables in place, but fair warning, they're fragile. The only fragile part of the case. I had to replace some already.


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## dirtyferret (Sep 13, 2018)

None of these new cases would fit the bill as all case brands are more interested in selling large AIO coolers with big mark ups then providing good airflow.  I actually own the phanteks P400s and it's a solid case but I would check out something like the old Corsair 300, 400, 500 or Cooler Master HAF series if you want cable management and plenty of air flow.

FYI; I use two 140mm fans up front, one up top, and one 120mm fan in the back in my 400s.  Airflow is solid enough for my build and I OC the cpu.


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## oxrufiioxo (Sep 13, 2018)

I really Liked my Corsair 750D AF, airflow with 5 Thermaltake RIng Plus RGB fans was really good.. Cable management was decent . I now have a corsair 500D SE... Airflow is adequate my Temps with the shitty LL120 fans it came with are within 1c-3c I do have a Reference Titan XP so that probably helps due to it venting air out the back vs in the case.


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 13, 2018)

If I can't find the Corsair Vengeance C70 for a decent price, or if I can't find someone to trade with, then I will most likely go with the Phanteks Entho Pro M Titanium Green. It probably has one of the best cable management systems in the business and its definitely the color scheme that I am going for.


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## RejZoR (Sep 13, 2018)

NZXT H700i since you like NZXT already, especially if you also value silence. Basically the case needs to accept 3x intake fans, preferably up to 3x140mm. 2x on the roof and 1x on exhaust, preferably 140mm. This way you can make properly windy case and not sacrifice silence.


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 13, 2018)

RejZoR said:


> NZXT H700i since you like NZXT already, especially if you also value silence. Basically the case needs to accept 3x intake fans, preferably up to 3x140mm. 2x on the roof and 1x on exhaust, preferably 140mm. This way you can make properly windy case and not sacrifice silence.



Unfortunately I am not into RGB like at all (accept for my keyboard, but that is more so I have a little bit of light during night gaming sessions). Plus the NZXT doesn't really have the color schemes that I am going for.


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## StrayKAT (Sep 13, 2018)

Mighty-Lu-Bu said:


> Unfortunately I am not into RGB like at all (accept for my keyboard, but that is more so I have a little bit of light during night gaming sessions). Plus the NZXT doesn't really have the color schemes that I am going for.



Maybe hold out a bit and see if Corsair is manufacturing new C70s. They're not advanced or have many organizational features, but they're cool enough that I want a spare one.. just in case this happens again. It's hard to find this mixture of simplicity and rugged.


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 13, 2018)

StrayKAT said:


> Maybe hold out a bit and see if Corsair is manufacturing new C70s. They're not advanced or have many organizational features, but they're cool enough that I want a spare one.. just in case this happens again. It's hard to find this mixture of simplicity and rugged.



I sent Corsair an email already, but no response. They are listed on their website as out of stock, but who knows. The funny thing is, for a case that is 6 years old, it has two USB 3.0 ports which wasn't all that common back then.


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## John Naylor (Sep 14, 2018)

We have had most of the Phanteks cases in here and frankly, I find them for the most part without peer .  The new Evolv X is "to die for".   As far as limited air flow, I have seen folks make this claim because the looked at the holes and drew a conclusion.  Measuring it, I have not found an issue and any Phanteks case tho I never used / tested the tall skinny one (Shift ?) or the Elite.  My personal box uses a Primo w/ 16 fans (10 rad / 6 case) all spinning between 300 and 650 rpm when gaming

As for RGB, I am not at all interested as a "standard item" by the way Phanteks does it in their understated way, it makes a nice highlight.  It highlights what is inside, not distract from it.... now if we could only avoid rainbow, breathing, flashie stuff on everything else.


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## RejZoR (Sep 14, 2018)

Mighty-Lu-Bu said:


> Unfortunately I am not into RGB like at all (accept for my keyboard, but that is more so I have a little bit of light during night gaming sessions). Plus the NZXT doesn't really have the color schemes that I am going for.



If you're into stealth (like myself), you may want to check Silverstone Kublai KL07. 3x140mm intake, 2x140mm top and 1x140mm rear. It's hard to make more ventilation. All intakes and exhausts except rear are silenced with a cover and angled vents that doesn't really obstruct airflow so you have a nice combo of silence and cooling. Cable management is also pretty good, I never had case cables so nicely arranged and none of it are visible when you open the side panel.

Only real grudge I have with it is that panels are a bit thin which gives it a bit cheap feel although things don't seem to vibrate because of it. And PSU space is a bit tight because latest revisions don't have movable HDD cage anymore. Been using it for few weeks now and it's working really well. Ventilation is exactly as I thought it will be with so many big fans. Superb. I did replace factory ones with SilentWings 3 because factory ones are quite noisy and don't push all that much air. Personally I'd fill the case with SilentWings 3 or Corsair MagLev's. Bottom line is, it's super affordable at 100-110€, stealthy, well silenced and has amazing cooling capacity.

The only other case I'd also throw an eye at is CoolerMaster MC500M which has similar properties as Kublai with few extras (that are also felt at the price). If tempered side panel is an issue (it would be for me) I'd probably take it to some window tinting shop and let them darken them so hard they'd be basically black.


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 14, 2018)

WOOHOO!

Corsair reached out to me and the C70 models are still in production, they are just out of stock and the stock should be resupplied soon!

Corsair sells these bad boys for $159.99, but I am sure they will resupply their retailers as well.

My military green Corsair Vengeance C70 with a custom smoke grey side panel and Noctua fans is going to look sweet!


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## cucker tarlson (Sep 14, 2018)

c70 for airflow, I don't know. A case with 3x120/140 and chamber design will be better.

how about

https://www.umart.com.au/SilverSton...06-White-Tempered-Glass--ATX-Case_39826G.html


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 14, 2018)

cucker tarlson said:


> c70 for airflow, I don't know. A case with 3x120/140 and chamber design will be better.
> 
> how about
> 
> https://www.umart.com.au/SilverSton...06-White-Tempered-Glass--ATX-Case_39826G.html



A few review sites have complained about the temperatures of the C70 case, but that's mainly due to the stock fans being terrible. I did a push / pull configuration with high quality Noctua fans, I am sure that I will be getting ideal temps. Furthermore, I will be using a Noctua NH-D15 CPU cooler which is arguably one of the best air coolers on the market.


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## cucker tarlson (Sep 14, 2018)

The design of rl06 is much better,no cages blocking the airflow, plus c70 has 5.25 cover where rl06 has another fan.Replacing stock fans in c70 won't do much is the design is mediocre. I put quality fans in my case,made little difference.Your P400 is no worse than c70, maybe even better unless you count side panel fans on c70.

And why would you replace Le Grand Macho RT for D15 ? They'll perform the same.


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 14, 2018)

cucker tarlson said:


> The design of rl06 is much better,no cages blocking the airflow, plus c70 has 5.25 cover where rl06 has another fan.Replacing stock fans in c70 won't do much is the design is mediocre. I put quality fans in my case,made little difference.Your P400 is no worse than c70, maybe even better unless you count side panel fans on c70.
> 
> And why would you replace Le Grand Macho RT for D15 ? They'll perform the same.



I am not getting the case because it's the best case on the market, I am getting the case because it is an awesome and unique looking case so you could say I am getting it for aesthetic reasons. The HDD cages are fully removable so I will remove those and put my SSDs (with an adapter) in the optical slots. There will be two 120mm Noctua fans in the front for intake, two 140mm Noctua fans at the top for exhaust, and one Noctua 120mm fan in the back for exhaust. This design will provide very good air flow.

As for my reasoning for the Noctua D15- these are all parts for my new system, eventually all of my old parts are going to be sold to my friend.


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## cucker tarlson (Sep 14, 2018)

Okay,but the thread title said something completely opposite so update it maybe.


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 21, 2018)

Well everyone, my "military themed" case is out the window since the availability of the Corsair C70 is pretty much non-existent and I am not dropping $500 on a six year old case. Corsair said it was indeed still in production, but they have been out of stock for the last month and they can't confirm if and when they will be getting more units in.

Anyways, going with my minimalist, high-airflow, excellent cable management approach, I have decided to go with the Fractal Design Meshify C Dark TG. I know I have been pretty wishy-washy about either going AMD or Intel, but I have decided to go AMD.

What does everyone think? More suggestions are also welcomed.


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 25, 2018)

Well, apparently my new PSU (Corsair HX1200i) is too big for the Fractal Design Meshify Dark TG- so now I need another high air flow case option. What would be the best option? Also I am most likely going to replace all the stock fans if needed.

So with this in mind, what case would be the best choice and what fan configuration should I be use i.e. two in front, one in back etc.


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## Caring1 (Sep 26, 2018)

Mighty-Lu-Bu said:


> Well, apparently my new PSU (Corsair HX1200i) is too big for the Fractal Design Meshify Dark TG- so now I need another high air flow case option. What would be the best option? Also I am most likely going to replace all the stock fans if needed.
> 
> So with this in mind, what case would be the best choice and what fan configuration should I be use i.e. two in front, one in back etc.


Corsair 450D Mesh, with the high air flow front.
Just like the one my rig is in


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## eidairaman1 (Sep 26, 2018)

Aerocool Xpredator or a CM HAF


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## DeathtoGnomes (Sep 26, 2018)

John Naylor said:


> We have had most of the Phanteks cases in here and frankly, I find them for the most part without peer .  The new Evolv X is "to die for".   As far as limited air flow, I have seen folks make this claim because the looked at the holes and drew a conclusion.  Measuring it, I have not found an issue and any Phanteks case tho I never used / tested the tall skinny one (Shift ?) or the Elite.  My personal box uses a Primo w/ 16 fans (10 rad / 6 case) all spinning between 300 and 650 rpm when gaming
> 
> As for RGB, I am not at all interested as a "standard item" by the way Phanteks does it in their understated way, it makes a nice highlight.  It highlights what is inside, not distract from it.... now if we could only avoid rainbow, breathing, flashie stuff on everything else.


i have the Primo as well! not over done with bling-bling. link to a potato pic in my system specs.


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 26, 2018)

Caring1 said:


> Corsair 450D Mesh, with the high air flow front.
> Just like the one my rig is in



The Corsair 450D looks nice- but it looks like you have to buy the top dust filter separate? That is a bit strange.


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## bonehead123 (Sep 26, 2018)

Corsair Air 540/740 or Thermaltake TT900...all have massively huge cooling options and excellent cable mgmt, but you would have to do the color scheme yourself.... Which is a really fun project for anyone who enjoys diy stuff.....


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 26, 2018)

bonehead123 said:


> Corsair Air 540/740 or Thermaltake TT900...all have massively huge cooling options and excellent cable mgmt, but you would have to do the color scheme yourself.... Which is a really fun project for anyone who enjoys diy stuff.....



For high air-flow the Corsair Air 740 or the Corsair Obsidian 750D Air-Flow edition look pretty good. Of course with either case option I would have to buy third party air filters... but definitely a possibility.


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## bonehead123 (Sep 26, 2018)

Mighty-Lu-Bu said:


> For high air-flow the Corsair Air 740 or the Corsair Obsidian 750D Air-Flow edition look pretty good. Of course with either case option I would have to buy third party air filters... but definitely a possibility.



If you want a low cost/trial option, I have a used Air 540 I can let go for cheap, but depending on your location, shipping could cost a bit....

Jlmk if interested...


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## IceShroom (Sep 26, 2018)

You can consider these :
Cooler Master MasterCase 5 :
http://www.coolermaster.com/case/mid-tower/mastercase-pro-5/
Cooler Master MasterCase H500 :
http://www.coolermaster.com/case/mid-tower/mastercase-h500/


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## Caring1 (Sep 27, 2018)

Mighty-Lu-Bu said:


> The Corsair 450D looks nice- but it looks like you have to buy the top dust filter separate? That is a bit strange.


Mine came with it already installed 
I'm pretty sure it's not optional.


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## Athlonite (Sep 27, 2018)

High air flow then go for Silverstone Raven RV02 with 3 x 180mm fans pumpin 300CFM straight up through the case and out the top you can't go wrong


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 27, 2018)

Right now I am contemplating either the Phanteks Enthoo Pro or the Corsair Obsidian 750D- I may want to paint the case, but I haven't decided yet.


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## kapone32 (Sep 27, 2018)

If you want optimal airflow go for the Thermaltake Core series the X5 and X9 both support all of the cooling you would ever want. Cable management is almost non existent though


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## Mighty-Lu-Bu (Sep 27, 2018)

kapone32 said:


> If you want optimal airflow go for the Thermaltake Core series the X5 and X9 both support all of the cooling you would ever want. Cable management is almost non existent though



Yeah I have fully decided after teetering for awhile that I am going to go with the Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition.


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