Sarfraz
Best Picks
PC building is not just about assembling all the parts and going straight into your game. It is how you decide its functionality. PC heating is among the major issues that lead to lower performance and decreases PC parts’ lifespan.
Airflow has been the issue in cases since 2017 when we saw a series of different cases with blocked airflow from the front but now as the companies started listening, we have dozens of cases with the finest airflow without lacking the aesthetics.
After checking out more than 50 top PC cases, I have listed around a dozen cases that excel in airflow and will keep the performance to your expectations. On top of that, each of these comes with great components compatibility and a neat cable management system.
Important: The availability of the cases and their pricing fluctuate on a daily basis. We do not control them and some of the cases listed here might not be available at the time you are reading this post.
Best PC Cases For Airflow
Rosewill Gaming Challenger S
- Classic and Professional Design: ROSEWILL...
- All-Around Airflow: With 2x front blue LED 120mm...
- Spacious Internal: The ATX case pre-installs 2x...
- Hassle-free Installation: The ATX mid tower case...
The minimum and the best budget case I can recommend is the Rosewill Challenger S. It’s an awesome case for airflow despite being cheaper than most of the airflow cases. Well, it’s cheap because of its construction. The material used in this case is neither of that good quality nor it’s poorly made. It’s just intermediate which is justified for its price.
At its side panel, it has ventilation through honeycomb mesh on which you can install 2x 120mm fans for even more airflow. This case doesn’t have any transparent window panel to make it better in terms of cooling. The case comes with 2x 120mm pre-installed BLUE LED fans at the front and 1x 120mm pre-installed Non-LED fan at the rear.
In total, this case can have up to 7x 120mm fans that will create so much airflow in the case that it will never heat up in any circumstance.
Cougar MX330-G
- One Window to View Them All: MX330-G Air features...
- Massive Expandability: Seven PCI slots and support...
- Strong Cooling: Want to cool all those powerful...
- Minimalist Beauty: The cover for the PSU and the...
While most of the airflow cases with the latest trend of full-length PSU shroud and LED fans are expensive, Cougar has a good option for those who don’t want to spend more than $60 and want all those features. The MX330-G is a well-designed mid-tower chassis that is equipped with everything you would want now.
For aesthetics, you will have side tempered glass panels secured with four screws and along with that, you will get 3x 120mm blue LED fans pre-installed: One at the rear and two at the front. The case is highly ventilated from the front and uses honeycomb mesh to allow a lot of air for intake.
The top of the case too has good ventilation and provides dust-free operation with the help of a dust filter. You can install 2x 120mm more fans at the top for proper airflow which is highly recommended and you can also swap up the front fans for a radiator.
DeepCool TX Mid Tower TESSERACT SW
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At the same price as that of Corsair Carbide Series Spec-02, a good case is available from DeepCool. DeepCool isn’t known for awesome cases and it doesn’t produce better quality cases than Corsair or Cooler Master but for people who are on a budget and want more for less, then DeepCool has some good solutions.
There is a meshed front panel on the case that has good ventilation from top to bottom and comes with a pre-installed 120mm BLUE LED fan for intake. At the rear, it comes with one more Blue LED fan for the exhaust.
At the top, it comes with support for installing up to 2x 120mm fans. Although you cannot install a radiator at the top because of the clearance issue, you can install a 1x 120mm radiator at the rear just like the Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-02.
SilverStone Technology RL05BR-W
- Includes front mounted USB 3.0 Type-C port
- Includes two 140mm LED fans designed to generate...
- Super clean internal look with PSU and drive bay...
- Motherboard back plate opening for quick CPU...
Unfortunately, this case did not get as much popularity as the others. The reasons may be many but putting those aside, We will focus on what it delivers and how is it for the money. Silverstone is definitely the producer of one of the best Mini-ITX cases and this one is best for airflow without a doubt. Everything, in this case, is good and I don’t find any major CONs in it.
There are two pre-installed 140mm RED LED fans at the front for intake. Those are bigger and better than the 120mm fans that are present in the previous above-mentioned cases. The front panel is meshed and has a dust filter to stop the accumulation of dust easily inside the case. You can also install a radiator instead of only fans which are great for CPU cooling.
The case is 6 kg heavy and the material is just fine. Still, it’s better than the previous cases. But the price is also more. For the increase in price, it comes with better airflow and the top of the case also has support for 2x 120/140mm fans or 240/280mm radiator. The bottom of the case also has one dust filter for the PSU that is very much needed.
So cooling-wise, it’s far better than the above cases and is worth every penny.
Corsair 275R Airflow
- A slatted front panel design allows ample airflow...
- Clean and modern styling, with an angled...
- Includes 3 120mm cooling fans for powerful airflow...
- Room to install up to 6x 120mm cooling fans or...
Do you want something that is unique and also cheap? Do you want a Corsair case, White or just plain black in color?
Then take a look at this gorgeous mid-tower chassis from Corsair that provides a unique way of cooling through the front panel. The 275R Airflow stands for its name and provides a slatted front panel that lets the air inside through different angles making it easy for the air to reach every corner of the case. This case has great support for fans and radiators with up to 6x 120mm or 4x 140mm fans to choose from.
You can install up to a 360mm radiator at the front and up to 240mm radiator at the top. It comes with 3x 120mm pre-installed fans that are unfortunately non-LED and considering the price it comes for, it is justified. This is our Editor’s Choice of the best budget airflow cases which you should definitely buy if you own less than $100.
Fractal Design Meshify C TG
- Streamlined high-airflow design: The performance...
- Distinctive new styling with stealthy...
- Flexible storage options: room for up to 5 drives...
- Great cooling support: 2x preinstalled Fractal...
If I can choose a perfect case for you for under $100, then I will recommend the Fractal Design Meshify C TG is also among the best mid-tower case you can find right now. This is a deal-breaker and consists of every feature that you would want and need.
It can take AIO coolers, custom liquid loops, and long graphics cards. The interior and the exterior are at their best and I like the white edition which has a white exterior and Black interior. There are a total of 5 color editions of this case including a fully black one that provides users with different options to choose from.
The front panel features an angular design which Fractal Design claims increases the intake. There are dust filters at the front, top and bottom so that the case accumulates less dust. Unlike the Meshify S2 case which is bigger and packed with features, you can take advantage of good airflow by installing up to 3x 120mm/2x 140mm fans at the front, 2x 120mm/140mm fans at the top, a 1x 120mm fan at the bottom and 1x 120mm fan at the rear. The case already comes with two 120mm fans pre-installed- one at the front and one at the rear.
For AIO cooling, you can install up to a 360mm radiator at the front and up to 280mm radiator at the top. Therefore, cooling wise it doesn’t fall back and provides the maximum support. The material quality, as well as the aesthetics of this case, is 10/10 for the price.
Cooler Master MasterBox TD500
- Polygonal Mesh features a 3-dimensional contour...
- A crystalline tempered glass side panel dons a...
- Three included addressable RGB fans flood the...
- For enthusiast-grade cooling, 2360 millimeter...
The new MasterBox TD500 isn’t that behind of Meshify C and features a similar front panel in order to create an ideal airflow to cool your components. While some area of the front is covered by opaque material, there is still around 80% of the vented area that you will need to cool your chassis from inside.
It features a tempered glass side panel with some random design and has two thumbscrews on the top to secure it properly. It has a very long PSU shroud that will hide your cables and power supply but leaves sufficient space in the front for radiators to be installed. So, you can either keep those 3x 120mm ARGB fans for amazing airflow and for also maintaining the aesthetics, or you can water cool your CPU for reaching new overclocking heights.
The hot air can be exhausted through the rear and through the top by installing a single 120mm fan at the rear and up to 3x 120mm fans at the top, making the airflow balanced. For supporting your components, it has an adequate amount of clearance from the CPU cooler to the graphics card and provides ample space for your cables to be managed at the back.
There is another similar case from Cooler Master which has a little different design than this one. That is the MasterBox MB511 ARGB which features a vented front panel and pre-included ARGB fans. You can check out that too if you want some alternatives from Cooler Master.
Corsair Carbide Series Air 540
- Dual-chamber Direct Airflow Path design for...
- Features 8 Case Expansion Slots
- Also features 2 x 5.25 inch , 4 x 2.5inch and 2 x...
- Full side panel window
When you need cases with the best airflow then Corsair has several cases like these. Among them is the Corsair Carbide Air 540 ATX cube which also has a smaller version for mini-ITX form factor motherboards. This case is very innovative and has a unique design when comes to installing the components.
For cooling, it has ventilation from the front to the top and comes with a pre-installed 2x 140mm Fan at the front which can be interchanged to either 3x 120mm fans or a 240/280/360mm radiator. But then you won’t be able to install a very long graphics card as some clearance issue may occur. But at the top, there is a lot of space for installing even a dual-fan radiator and you can even install very thick radiators which are used for custom water loops.
This case can have 6x 120mm fans or 5x 140mm fans at the same time and supports several storage devices at the same time. As most of the wiring stuff goes at the back, cable management is very easy due to the large empty space present at the back. Rubber grommets are a huge Pro in this case and are present for routing cables from different directions. This case is all the way to one of the best airflow cases right now in the market although it’s not cheap and comes for around $140.
Another alternative you can go for is the Corsair 280X or Corsair 680X if you want a similar design but the airflow of that case isn’t good as it uses tempered glass panels instead of ventilated or meshed panels.
Thermaltake Core X31 RGB Edition
- Unprecedented space for high-end hardware and...
- Pre-installed three patented circular 256...
- Power supply placement design is one of the Core...
- A "2 + 3" drive bay design for storage devices...
For $100, I find the Core X31 to be the best case both for airflow and customization. The reasons for choosing this case over other cases with the same amount of fan slots are modular design and better ventilation. You can take apart almost every drive cage and even the PSU shroud from it to build in it accordingly.
Users who want to do a custom water loop will definitely need this case because even if you remove all the cages, you will still have drive bays at the backside of the motherboard tray where you can install hard drives and SSDs. In front, you will still be left with plenty of space for a custom water loop and great ventilation for sending the heat out, out of the rear and top of the case where you can install up to 4x 120mm fans collectively.
The top also supports 3x 140mm fans and has a dust filter. Not only on the top but the bottom, the front also has dust filters for preventing dust accumulation. Fan support is astonishingly not limited to the front, top, and rear but you can also install up to 2x 120mm or 2x 140mm fan at the bottom beside the PSU. The airflow will be ridiculously high, in this case, leaving no room for overheating whatsoever.
For $100, This is the best case which is modular, has great airflow, and also comes with 3x 120mm TT RGB fans pre-installed. I use the TT Riing fans myself in my personal rig for radiators and those are some of the best PC fans I have ever used.
Thermaltake Commander C36
- Light up the system : 2 Pre installed 200 mm 5V MB...
- Built in dual mode 5V ARGB switch board : Control...
- 27 LED modes through I/O port button : Wave mode;...
- Clear view of PC gaming : one 4 mm tempered glass...
While most of the cases above provide either 120mm fans or 140mm fans for cooling, the Commander C36 from Thermaltake has pre-installed 2x 200mm ARGB fans that are controllable through a controller already present inside the chassis. This case is cooled by those massive fans that draw air through the honeycomb mesh front panel while maintaining cool aesthetics.
The case comes with huge support for fans, AIO coolers as well as custom liquid solutions which will ensure that your system never gets heated up even after long hours of operation which will eventually result in a better lifespan and better performance. The case has a full-length PSU shroud with a cut-off at the side to show off the PSU as well while hiding all the unnecessary stuff inside it like cables and HDDs.
For storage devices, it has 5 slots in total that can be used in different ways. You can either install 4x SSD and 1x HDD or you can have 2x SSD with 3x HDD. The case can support long graphics cards and tall CPU coolers as well if you opt for air cooling and as I mentioned above, for aesthetics the fans can be controlled using a single switch at the top which provides 8 different modes to choose from.
CoolerMaster MasterCase H500M
- Four Tempered Glass Panels : Edge to edge glass...
- Glass & Mesh Options Included : Choose between the...
- Rich Connectivity : The I/O panel comes with a USB...
- Covers For Clean Building : A total of 9 covers...
Cooler Master MasterCase H500M is the revised edition of the original H500P which also got a revision for the front panel but this one adds some more features to the case which helps in both aesthetics as well as airflow. This case costs $200 due to the premium quality materials used in it and the features it has been equipped with for components support as well as cable management.
Our Senior Editor Subhanka has reviewed this case and is using it on his personal computer and believes that it lives up to its name and is worthy of being included in the Half series that CoolerMaster has specifically made for high airflow.
The front panel uses a quality mesh design that features more width from the sides which results in increased airflow and the middle part can be interchanged with the glass panel if you want to limit the dust intake. In both cases, the case performs absolutely great in terms of cooling and as the case is equipped with 2x 200mm ARGB fans, you will be enjoying both the great airflow and multiple colored lighting effects.
Inside it, there is a lot of space for installing tall CPU coolers, AIO coolers as well as long graphics cards that will get clearance up to 412mm. There are multiple features that are still needed to be discussed but it will be better if you read our full review of this case which will let you decide if this case is worth the money or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which fans to use in Airflow Cases?
As more and more fans are being released on a monthly basis, there are a lot of new fans from Arctic, Corsair, Cooler Master, and many other brands that will help you achieve your desired airflow in the whole system. These fans are not only awesome in throwing a lot of air but are packed with features like RGB/ARGB lighting that can sync with other components.
Do NZXT Cases have good airflow?
Short Answer- Most of the NZXT cases have limited airflow due to the opaque front panel and no ventilation. This is the reason we didn’t include any of them on our list. But they are still good for building a PC because they bring a minimalistic design to the table.
If you want a detailed analysis, check our article- NZXT Cases and Airflow.
Are Open Air PC cases good?
Though the open-air PC cases don’t have any issues of overheating, they collect a large amount of dust in a very short time which again results in higher temperatures. If you can maintain your open-air PC case properly, then there should be no problem in using one but it’s hard to maintain them on a daily basis as I have used TT Core P3 myself and I was forced to change due to dust accumulation.
Or you can also create your own custom PC case by modding the front panel for more ventilation. It’s difficult but it’s a permanent solution to create a continuous airflow.
Does cooling your computer make it faster?
Yes, it makes it faster on some occasions. Suppose you have overclocked your CPU or GPU and it’s going close to the critical temperature, cooling it properly will result in lower temperatures that will help the CPU/GPU retain its clock speed. If it reaches the critical temperature the CPU/GPU will automatically downclock making your system slower.
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