# Case With Great Airflow recommendations



## Durvelle27 (Dec 7, 2018)

Hey TPUers I decided for my new rig I want to replace my Fractal Midi R2 case that I’ve had for years as it’s been through hell and back from all my aka ghetto mods and just doesn’t appeal no more. So I’m just going to use it for a server hidden away. But for my main rig I’m trying to find a case with good airflow that can accommodate decent sized watercoolers upto 360mm. I see so many options available but I’m pretty sure just because a case has a lot of fans doesn’t mean the airflow is good. What would you guys recommend for under $100 and no I do not care about RGB.


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## P4-630 (Dec 7, 2018)

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/good-airflow-case-recommendations.237660/

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...-cooling-options-and-cable-management.247589/


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## Durvelle27 (Dec 7, 2018)

P4-630 said:


> https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/good-airflow-case-recommendations.237660/
> 
> https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...-cooling-options-and-cable-management.247589/


Those are someone else’s threads


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## Tatty_One (Dec 7, 2018)

Phanteks Enthoo Pro M would fit the bill, for me it's the best case I have ever had and I have had a few, obviously we are all different, I have the Acrylic version but only because I wanted the Gunmetal which does not come with the tempered glass otherwise I think the specs are the same...…….

http://www.phanteks.com/Enthoo-Pro-M-TemperedGlass.html


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## Durvelle27 (Dec 7, 2018)

Tatty_One said:


> Phanteks Enthoo Pro M would fit the bill, for me it's the best case I have ever had and I have had a few, obviously we are all different, I have the Acrylic version but only because I wanted the Gunmetal which does not come with the tempered glass otherwise I think the specs are the same...…….
> 
> http://www.phanteks.com/Enthoo-Pro-M-TemperedGlass.html


That case looks very good and simple. Also love that it can fit 2x 360mm radiators. Slightly exceeds my budget.


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## Tatty_One (Dec 7, 2018)

Durvelle27 said:


> That case looks very good and simple. Also love that it can fit 2x 360mm radiators. Slightly exceeds my budget.


Take a look at their range, I think the Acrylic version that I have is a little cheaper, there may be some deals around.


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## Durvelle27 (Dec 7, 2018)

Tatty_One said:


> Take a look at their range, I think the Acrylic version that I have is a little cheaper, there may be some deals around.


Another case I see from them that falls under my budget is the Phanteks P400S


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## Tatty_One (Dec 7, 2018)

Durvelle27 said:


> Another case I see from them that falls under my budget is the Phanteks P400S


That one looks really nice too, don't think you can go far wrong with that either.


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## jboydgolfer (Dec 7, 2018)

Durvelle27 said:


> That case looks very good and simple. Also love that it can fit 2x 360mm radiators. Slightly exceeds my budget.



*EDIT
the MEshify C DOES officially house 360mm Rad on the front bezel, i just checked Fractals website. *

*


*


They go on sale pretty often, I got my Enthoo Pro-M for $65. although, I love my fractal Meshify-c. I know it houses 280mm Rad, & that it has the height to house a 360mm possibly behind the front bezel, but you'd need to pop out the hatch at the bottom front of the case. but if 360mm is a must, then the Enthoo is nice, and could house 2x360 or greater, it is a big case.


you can see the Asrock Extreme 4 Z97 on the bottom there, its a full ATX motherboard, but it looks like its MATX, or ITX since the case is so massive. my only real complaint with the Enthoo is the front i/o pwr buttons & USB are of shit quality, mine broke 3 times, & i rarely use them.


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## cucker tarlson (Dec 7, 2018)

https://www.newegg.com/global/pl-en/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163379


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## Durvelle27 (Dec 7, 2018)

jboydgolfer said:


> They go on sale pretty often, I got my Enthoo Pro-M for $65. although, I love my fractal Meshify-c. I know it houses 280mm Rad, & that it has the height to house a 360mm possibly behind the front bezel, but you'd need to pop out the hatch at the bottom front of the case. but if 360mm is a must, then the Enthoo is nice, and could house 2x360 or greater, it is a big case.
> 
> 
> you can see the Asrock Extreme 4 Z97 on the bottom there, its a full ATX motherboard, but it looks like its MATX, or ITX since the case is so massive. my only real complaint with the Enthoo is the front i/o pwr buttons & USB are of shit quality, mine broke 3 times, & i rarely use them.


I love fractal cases. The material is very sturdy and really great quality. Had my Midi R2 Windowed over 5 years and aside from the cutting on it I did it  still held up nicely. 

The Mechify C looks great as well and the price is about the same as the Pro M.  It I’m really trying to stay under $100 total as my wife is already pissed I spent so much money on my new Ryzen components under specs


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## jboydgolfer (Dec 7, 2018)

Durvelle27 said:


> I love fractal cases. The material is very sturdy and really great quality. Had my Midi R2 Windowed over 5 years and aside from the cutting on it I did it  still held up nicely.
> 
> The Mechify C looks great as well and the price is about the same as the Pro M.  It I’m really trying to stay under $100 total as my wife is already pissed I spent so much money on my new Ryzen components under specs



The meshify-C should be far under $100 ,I got mine for 70 bucks , I apologize if they're more expensive than that, I wasnt aware of the prices increased


*i just looked up the meshify Dark like i have, with tempered Glass side panel, its $89 on Newegg*

you can tell the meshify-c  is better quality than that enthoo pro M,   It Has to weigh 50% more than the latter, plus it has glass


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## Durvelle27 (Dec 7, 2018)

jboydgolfer said:


> The meshify-C should be far under $100 ,I got mine for 70 bucks , I apologize if they're more expensive than that, I wasnt aware of the prices increased
> 
> 
> *i just looked up the meshify Dark like i have, with tempered Glass side panel, its $89 on Newegg*
> ...


I see it comes out to $109.73

It’s looks a little bigger so that could be the weight difference


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## jboydgolfer (Dec 7, 2018)

Durvelle27 said:


> I see it comes out to $109.73
> 
> It’s looks a little bigger so that could be the weight difference



You must be looking at the wrong case . the fractal meshify is tiny in comparison to the phanteks, and is $85 after taxes & shipping on amazon. apparently the dark model is more pricey now thats its more popular, but the light one is the same thing, just not tinted glass panel.

The fractal design meshify-c is $89, ( it's the case on top in the picture I posted up above). It weighs more than the phanteks cuz of better quality components, but its way smaller than the phanteks.

id just order the light one, as its way cheaper now. they used ot be the same cost when i got mine.  Just be cautious  if you decide to purchase one .they apparently make different versions now ,as where they only used to make the one type with different colors and side panels, i think they have a mini one now


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## eidairaman1 (Dec 7, 2018)

jboydgolfer said:


> You must be looking at the wrong case . the fractal meshify is tiny in comparison to the phanteks, and is $85 after taxes & shipping on amazon. apparently the dark model is more pricey now thats its more popular, but the light one is the same thing, just not tinted glass panel.
> 
> The fractal design meshify-c is $89, ( it's the case on top in the picture I posted up above). It weighs more than the phanteks cuz of better quality components, but its way smaller than the phanteks.
> 
> ...



Too bad Aerocool wont make a XPredator Ultimate case where it is huge. My Xpredator supports EATX and I believe ATX-XL


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## Tatty_One (Dec 7, 2018)

Personally I am not a great fan of huge cases, I had a Coolermaster HAF in their early days and I hated it, I never go bigger than a mid tower these days.


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## Durvelle27 (Dec 7, 2018)

jboydgolfer said:


> You must be looking at the wrong case . the fractal meshify is tiny in comparison to the phanteks, and is $85 after taxes & shipping on amazon. apparently the dark model is more pricey now thats its more popular, but the light one is the same thing, just not tinted glass panel.
> 
> The fractal design meshify-c is $89, ( it's the case on top in the picture I posted up above). It weighs more than the phanteks cuz of better quality components, but its way smaller than the phanteks.
> 
> ...


I was looking at Newegg. Which charges $10 shipping and tax


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## thebluebumblebee (Dec 7, 2018)

You could wait until after the Christmas season to see if there are any clearance sales...  I am definitely seeing evidence of strong Christmas sales keeping prices high.  Check out this chart of the 400C:






IMHO, the Meshify C is specifically designed with AIO's in mind.  It's a wonderful, tiny case, while still easily housing an ATX motherboard.  IIRC, going larger than a 240/280 mm rad severely limits your storage options because you have to remove the HDD bay.  Seriously, this is a great case.  Limited storage options though.
While the Phanteks Enthoo Pro M is know for it's good airflow, GamersNexus found the P400 to be have terrible airflow.

BTW, the Fractal Design Define S2 Black Brushed Aluminum/Steel ATX Silent Modular Light Tint Tempered Glass Window Mid Tower is on sale for $120 for the next 16 hours.  That's their custom water cooling case and is quite large.

Edit: You might want to wait:


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## Durvelle27 (Dec 8, 2018)

thebluebumblebee said:


> You could wait until after the Christmas season to see if there are any clearance sales...  I am definitely seeing evidence of strong Christmas sales keeping prices high.  Check out this chart of the 400C:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Honestly I don’t think I could wait that much longer 

I did read up on the Mesh C and it looks pretty good. Maybe I’ll see if a family member had prime to catch it under $100 on Amazon

Define S2 to out of range


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## Deleted member 67555 (Dec 8, 2018)

I have the Meshify-C with a black tinted side panel..
I actually have it on my desk with a 32" monitor.
I really want a version of it with the power button, USB and audio ports on the upper side of the tempered glass side.
That would have to be a top mounted 360mm rad as I'm positive 280mm is the max for the front.
I have never liked a case as much as I like this case.
They literally thought of everything internally for a modern build.
Maybe front, front? with 2 interior mounted 140mm fans?


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## Durvelle27 (Dec 8, 2018)

Ok I think I’m going to go with the Fractal Meshify C white. Found it for $99 no tax


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## Durvelle27 (Dec 10, 2018)

What about these cases ?

Cooler Master Masterbox Lite 5
NZXT H500
Corsair Carbide 275R


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## John Naylor (Dec 10, 2018)

Durvelle27 said:


> That case looks very good and simple. Also love that it can fit 2x 360mm radiators. Slightly exceeds my budget.



https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854042
$89 twin 360s or twin 280s
https://www.neweggbusiness.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9B-11-854-042

I often buy from neweggbusiness


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## Deleted member 67555 (Dec 10, 2018)

Durvelle27 said:


> What about these cases ?
> 
> Cooler Master Masterbox Lite 5
> NZXT H500
> Corsair Carbide 275R


Wow...Those cases were also on my list of cases.
I say an Absolute NO! to Acrylic side panels.
When I was looking Microcenter had their own version of the MB5
https://www.microcenter.com/product...r-version-atx-mid-tower-computer-case---black
It looked nice...but the front bezel...bleh


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## John Naylor (Dec 10, 2018)

I did a bit more looking around and under $100, the Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Series w/ Tempered Glass Side Panel for $89 looks like ya best option ... anything close is significantly more money.*...* and now it's $10 less at $79
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854042


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## TheoneandonlyMrK (Dec 10, 2018)

Durvelle27 said:


> Hey TPUers I decided for my new rig I want to replace my Fractal Midi R2 case that I’ve had for years as it’s been through hell and back from all my aka ghetto mods and just doesn’t appeal no more. So I’m just going to use it for a server hidden away. But for my main rig I’m trying to find a case with good airflow that can accommodate decent sized watercoolers upto 360mm. I see so many options available but I’m pretty sure just because a case has a lot of fans doesn’t mean the airflow is good. What would you guys recommend for under $100 and no I do not care about RGB.


I would recommend the lian li pc-011 air as it looks good but im biased i have a dynamic version.


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## Vario (Dec 11, 2018)

Coolermaster HAF 912 is still one of the best airflow cases IMO.


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## Durvelle27 (Dec 11, 2018)

Vario said:


> Coolermaster HAF 912 is still one of the best airflow cases IMO.


That case ugly and no side window


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## Vario (Dec 11, 2018)

Durvelle27 said:


> That case ugly and no side window


 ugliness was always the weak spot


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## jboydgolfer (Dec 11, 2018)

Durvelle27 said:


> I was looking at Newegg. Which charges $10 shipping and tax



yea, i utilize Amazon, since during Xmas time, they usually give everyone free Prime shipping.


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## Deleted member 67555 (Dec 11, 2018)

If you can go to a microcenter I would...
It's good to see these in person.
For reasons such as:

I like NZXT cases by looks but won't buy a case built that fragile.

Coolermaster cases are nice but seem to always have some obvious surface that is easily scratched.

Etc....


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## Vario (Dec 11, 2018)

If airflow is the goal, Just make sure to get something that has big open vents, for example if it has a front bezel it isn't going to breath as well.


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## John Naylor (Dec 14, 2018)

Vario said:


> Coolermaster HAF 912 is still one of the best airflow cases IMO.



I agree.... but only in the past tense ... it was one of our main stays  ,...tho mostly the bigger ones.    Market newcomers which have taken a fresh look have made innovations.  Like many of the sports heroes from our youth whu **were** great in their day, most would have  hard time competing in today's game. 

To get the required air flow, you need minimum areas for intake an exhaust ... going below that will result in considerable air resistance.   Going much below that has very little impact at all.


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## Durvelle27 (Dec 14, 2018)

Thanks so much guys for the recommendations

But I ended up getting a DeepCool Mattrexx 55 and spending the rest on a AIB RTX 2070 and a Bigger M.2 SSD


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## Vario (Dec 14, 2018)

Durvelle27 said:


> Thanks so much guys for the recommendations
> 
> But I ended up getting a DeepCool Mattrexx 55 and spending the rest on a AIB RTX 2070 and a Bigger M.2 SSD


Has the fans behind a glass pane making it not high airflow IMO but it is a beautiful choice all the same.


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