The best mid-tower cases are any gamer's bread and butter. Reliable and versatile, these cases can meet you at your level, whether you're putting together a high-end gaming PC build or trying to squeeze in a pair of graphics cards, these towers can handle just about any project you have in mind. They're widely available and suit a huge variety of builds, making them a great option for just about any build.
While metrics and specifications can be important when choosing a case, it's often a far more subjective decision than a purely scientific one. All of our picks for the best mid-tower cases are compatible with ATX motherboards, but have varying compatibility when it comes to the size, number, and placement of fans. Some other factors we like to consider are how easy it is to access the components, cable management solutions and the overall quality of the case.
Cases are probably going to be one of the least expensive parts of any build, but it's important not to cut corners. Investing in the right case will potentially outlast several years' worth of upgrades and can keep all of your more expensive components in better shape. Furthermore, if you invest in something you enjoy looking at, you'll naturally want to keep it around longer. So it makes sense to buy something that isn't an eyesore.
Trying to rank the best PC cases is a pretty subjective decision, and we respect that. So while some of our buying guides rank our products from best to worst, we've instead taken our top picks and placed them in no particular order with a couple of bullets on why we think they belong here.
This latest iteration of NZXT's "smart" case brings a couple of new features to help modernize your build. This ultra-clean and uncomplicated mid-tower from NZXT emphasizes convenience above all. This case Includes many of the same trappings of its predecessor, but costs a little bit more and has just a couple of neat changes. The NZXT H710i now features a front panel USB-C port and the ability to vertical mount your GPU with a separate PCIe riser.
The H710i features integrated RGB lighting around the tempered glass side panel, controlled by the NZXT CAM software and a built-in LED lighting hub that allows for easy control of RGB lighting and fan speeds as well. To keep things cool, the H710i features ventilation gutters that run the perimeter of each side of the case, aided by the 4 120mm fans included with the case.
Cable routing is where the H710i really shines. This is achieved primarily through a large aluminum slat that allows you to route your cables into the integrated cable channels on the back of the case. This keeps everything clean and clutter-free, and the velcro straps built into the back help hold everything down. This is an awesome, and easy alternative to the rubber gasket solution found on some of the best mid-towers.
The MasterCase SL600M has to be one of Cooler Master's most beautifully designed cases. It features anodized aluminum with a sand-blasted finish and just enough attitude to make it look sleek, futuristic and elegant, all at once. We were even more impressed once we opened it up and tested it.
Cooler Master's SL600M is the first case we've tested with a vertical chimney design that just makes sense and works. It's a bold move to completely seal the front of a case, but Cooler Master went all-in with the SL600M, completely sealing the front and moving the entire PSU shroud and housing from the bottom of the case to the front of the case. All of that newly opened space combined with generous feet allow the case to produce some serious airflow directly onto the GPU.
While the CPU temperatures suffered from this design, the SL600M has the lowest GPU temperatures out of every mid tower we've tested. Mount the graphics card vertically and away from the glass with the rotatable PCI bracket and cooling improves even further. While the case features all of the connectivity and convenience you'd expect in a high end mid tower, it's unfortunately missing an included GPU riser cable.
Cooler Master's H500M is the company's latest flagship mid-tower, but we'd really rather it be called a full-sized tower. Measuring 21.4 x 9.8 x 21.5 inches, the H500M is one of the biggest mid-towers on this list. Thanks to its large size and internal layout, it's really easy to build in and supports a huge variety of components and custom cooling options.
The H500M comes with two massive 200mm RGB LED fans installed which do a fantastic job of increasing airflow out of the box. Other modern touches include a USB 3.1 Type-C connector and tons of modularity including the option to choose between a mesh or tempered glass front panel.
Our only major issue with the case is the lack of easily removable magnetic dust filters for the front fan intake. Luckily, all of the mesh in the entire H500 line features a secondary filter layer that'll help keep dust out of your build. We mention the dust because the H500M features some serious airflow and comes prepared to keep the beefiest of gaming PCs cool.
If you're strapped for vertical space, the Lian-Li PC-011 Dynamic is a short and stubby alternative to some of the longer neck PC cases we've seen. Although it doesn't come with the clearest instructions given its proprietary lighting tech, it is one of two Razer-designed PC cases in existence. And of the two, this one is the best.
Featuring a tempered glass design, installing components in the PC-011 is rather painless. You can remove the top and both sides of the chassis for easy access into its entrails. Parts of the process that used to be stressful, such as liquid cooler installations, are now stumbling blocks of the past.
Plus, if you're willing to shell out a bit more cash over the vanilla model, the PC-011 comes in a Razer Edition as well. Fully integrated with the San Fransiscan company's Synapse 3 lighting software, you can even coordinate it with your other Razer-made peripherals.
The Snowblind Elements case from Ibuypower is nothing less than a statement piece. What may look like your standard tempered glass side panel is actually a 1024x1280 LED screen. This screen works almost identically to a monitor allowing you to change the background, add dynamic wallpapers, or even run applications at a skewed aspect ratio. That's about it. apart from the panel, which is really cool, this case doesn't do much to separate itself from its peers.
This doesn't make the Elements a bad case by any stretch. Ibuypower even tears a page out of the NZXT book when it comes to cable management, using a raised slat to rout cables to the back of the case instead of relying on a handful of pre-spaced holes with rubber gaskets.
Apart from being remarkably expensive, it also has a below-average number of fan mounts giving the interior less than ideal airflow. Also, if I'm paying this much for a case, let me choose a color other than white.
