When considering building your own PC or upgrading your current one, one of the most important components that should come to mind is the PC case. It is very important indeed, for it will be the chassis that will hold your entire system together for many years to come. Choosing a good PC case will ensure future-proofing for any further upgrades you might want to make to your system, as well as add some nice aesthetics (or not if you really prefer it that way) to your build. They come in varying shapes, sizes and designs and are priced accordingly. 

There are other questions to consider as well: like how many components are in your system? How much space do they take? Do you have limited space or some extra leg room? Are you going to plop your PC on your desk or under your desk or will you mount it somewhere? How much cooling do you want? Will any components you buy in the future fit perfectly in the case? Is your case future proof?

These are some very important considerations you should be thinking about before buying a new PC case. Let’s see those considerations in further detail and then we’ll move on to our best picks.

PC Case Market Analysis

Traditional PC shipments inclusive of desktops, notebooks and workstations in India in Q4 2020 (October-December) amounted to 2.9 million, showing a bolstering growth of 27 per cent year-over-year (YoY), according to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker. For the PC  market however, there was an overall decline of 6.4 per cent last year. This was due to the extreme demand and low stocks of PC components including PC cases which still continues even today as manufacturers face chip, panel and plastic shortages due to the pandemic.

What does this mean for the average Indian? It means that the prices for PC cases are  increasing ever so slightly, due to extra imposed tariffs on Chinese products both by India and the United States and the ever growing demand by consumers and shortages in supplies due to the pandemic. However, as the world slowly recovers, expect prices to mitigate and reach a plateau and even possibly decrease to a certain extent. Manufacturers are also ramping up their production as well. A trend search reveals that the interest in purchasing PC cases in India shows a sideways trend, that means, consumer and market perceptions in India are very mixed. Still, there is never a good time to snag a PC case for the right price. It’s always better to be late than sorry.

Addressing the elephant in the room

Before thinking about anything else, think about the size of the case that you want. It should fit your setup perfectly and have ample room for components and cooling. PC cases are available in many fits and sizes. The sizes are defined by the ATX motherboard. They come in three flavours that will most likely suit your needs: Full tower ATX (large), Mid tower ATX (standard) and Mini/Micro-ATX (small).

Small cases: Micro-ATX and Mini-ATX cases

These smol, nimble bois can handle (almost) anything that you throw at them. Micro-ATX and Mini-ATX cases are tiny and compact when compared to most PC cases available in the market and that most consumers use. They are all about saving as much space as possible. Mini-ATX cases are the smaller of the two, being about half the size of a standard tower (Mid- sized ATX cases) while Micro-ATX cases are about 25 percent smaller than the standard ATX.

Both cases require specifically built components to function properly, which are readily available and of high quality, made by the best manufacturers. However, don’t expect to use liquid cooling or any big coolers. Some don’t support full length graphics cards. There isn’t much room in the chassis for more hardware as well so expect to use just the basics. Always check the full dimensions of your Mini-ATX and Micro-ATX cases before buying.

Standard cases: ATX-Mid towers

Sometimes the classics are all you’ll ever need. These cases are the most common that people use for their builds. You’ve come across them yourselves in most workstations and computer shops. Your current PC case might even be an ATX-Mid tower. Most Intel and AMD motherboards fit into them. Most standard configurations of graphics cards, power supplies, fans and other miscellaneous components will comfortably fit into these cases. You’ll only ever need to upgrade if you have some chonky components or would want to use some big custom liquid loops and cooling.

Corsair’s iCue 465X RGB Mid-Tower ATX Smart Case

Large cases: ATX Super Towers and ATX Full

These big, thicc, chonky bois will house every component you could think of fitting in. Standard ATX motherboards won’t grow in size anymore, but you can have dual or even multiple GPUs, multiple drives for your storage, a large power supply, multiple fans or expensive custom-made liquid loops and cooling with large reservoirs and add-ons such as Wi-Fi modules.

ATX Full cases are much larger than any Mid-sized ATX towers but they only fit one whole computer system at any given time. Meanwhile, the ATX Super Towers can fit one or two or even three computer systems at once. These are really big. Most super towers measure around 27 inches (68 cm) by girth alone.

Phanteks Enthoo Pro TG PH-ES614PTG_BK ATX Full Tower with integrated RGB lighting

There are some cases that fill some specific niches as well. They are open air cases, wall mountable cases and dual system cases.

Open air cases have no walls, only being supported by a singular panel to which the motherboard is attached and glass panels for protection only in front of the components but not on the bottom or the sides. Some even lack the front panel. These cases are great if you want to make your PC a statement, a work of art and they cost as much too. They will contain custom liquid cooling, top end components and clean RGB. Dust and pet hair can easily get in and ruin the build.

Wall mountable cases are open as open air cases but the supports are usually hoisted against the wall so that the PC can be suspended in air. It has all the risks of the open air cases but also the risk of being dropped. However, if there is a lot of chaos on the floor then it might be considerable.

Dual system cases, as the name implies, are rather self explanatory. They contain two whole dual computers inside them. One computer could be used to stream, host a server or for work while the other can be used for gaming and computational tasks.

Features

The next most important thing after size is how many features a case provides and what it supports. Newer cases come with more features and the more you splurge the more features you’ll receive. Here’s a quick list:

Cable management: Cases with cut-outs in the motherboard tray allow for routing of the cables you use through the rear of the case. Budget PC cases tend to have simple holes punched out into the motherboard tray, whereas mid-range options often include rubber grommets in the holes to give a neat look. Some even include wire covers and tie-off points to aid in giving the build a clean look.

SSD mounting points and drive-bays: Some cases include mounting points on the rear of the motherboard tray for SSDs. Make sure to look for drive bays of about 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) to 3.5 inches (8.89 cm) to house your storage drives.

Tool less design: It is almost ubiquitous today and present in most mid-range and high-end cases and includes thumb screws for internal fastening and twist-on, snap on and other tool free mechanisms for the drive bay.

Front-panel connectivity: Having extra ports on your front panel helps in case you’ve got lots of external devices. All cases, even the cheap ones have a couple of USB A-Type ports in the front. Many modern cases come with USB A-Type 3.0, USB-C and even fan and RGB controllers. There’s also front panel audio jacks.

Fans and airflow: With much fans, does better air cooling come. At the least you’ll need at least one fan in the front and one in the back. Many budget PCs suffer with high temperatures and low performance due to the presence of only one fan. Many cases come with fan mounts through which you can upgrade your cooling as well. Improperly designed tempered glass and metal front panels can obstruct airflow so you should consider thinking about that. 140mm fans are ideal for the best performance in games, but for a budget friendly build you can always go for the 120mm standard.

CPU cut-aways: These allow you to replace your CPU without removing your entire motherboard.

Sound-dampening: Soundproof cases minimize the effective sounds generated by your PC when it runs often by using sound-dampeners in the panels of your PC. However, these obstruct airflow so they tend to tread around the higher temperature range as compared to standard cases. Some nicer cases actually stay silent while also accounting for airflow by including large 140 mm fans that spin at high speeds.

And many other features such as dust filters to keep your PC free from dust, tempered glass panels, and integrated RGB lighting.

Aesthetics

It is purely up to personal preferences. When purchasing a PC case make sure you like the look of it for it will be used for many more years to come. All online retailers show their cases from multiple angles to aid you in this quest. They come in varying colours, materials and decals so you can customize your look to your heart’s content. It’s an unexplored canvas that you can fill out. 

Tempered glass cases have become all the rage in the past decade because they let you admire the internals that you have installed in your PC while also preserving the original design of your case. Some even prefer sleeper PCs, which are often old 90s or 2000s cases or some new sleek ones which are made by almost all PC case manufacturers and they hide the contents of the PC from view. 

Price ranges in India

Computer cases start around ₹1000- ₹7000 (around $15-$100) and these cases are barebones and provide little in the way of features.

You get some extra breathing space once you bump up to around  ₹7,000- ₹14,000 (around $100-$190) and this should be the sweet spot for most. Expect to get all the newest features you want for a Mid-sized ATX tower and many Full ATX Towers present in this range.

Sweeten the pot up to around  ₹20,000 and you’ll find fully decked out Full ATX Towers with all the latest features. As a rule of thumb for a minimum price you’ll at least want one that has two fans, one in front and one in the back for good airflow which helps with cooling. 

Our picks for the best cases in India

Still having trouble deciding? Here’s what we recommend.

Best budget PC cases in India

1. Montech Flyer Micro ATX, retails around 5000 rupees

This gives you great value for what you pay. The Montech looks and feels great. It is a Micro-ATX case with an “elegant hairline surface” and it occupies little space. The top panel features a magnetic dust filter which is easy to take off or on. The case comes prebuilt with two fans and has good airflow. It has a rather simple RGB mode which offers 7 colours and 3 lighting profiles. 

The Flyer supports two 3.5 inch HDDs in the rear HDD cage and has two SSD plates which can support two 2.5 inch SSDs. It features two USB A- Type 2.0 ports, one type 3.0 port, one microphone jack and also has a button to control the lights on the front port. and can fit a total of 8 fans mostly around the 120mm and 140mm standards.

What’s the catch? The side panel is made of acrylic instead of tempered glass, which seems to be a major gripe with people. There are no instruction manuals that are provided with the case, so it’s hard to build and cable manage without help. It is difficult and nearly impossible to take out the front panel which seems welded shut onto the chassis. However, the installation is smooth and you can be done within minutes. At this price point, this case is a big steal and is a major plus point.

2. MSI Mag Forge 100R Mid-ATX Tower, retails around 5000 rupees

 

 

This case is absolutely magnificent. It is a mid-sized gaming tower that supports ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ATX formats and comes loaded with three fans, with the two front fans being ARGB which are controlled by a 6 pin controller. The case has premium tempered glass with a thickness of about 4mm and has excellent viewability and also weighs around 5.6 kilograms. 

Features include two driver bays which are compatible with 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch HDDs or SSDs, two USB 3.2 Gen1-Type A ports with HD audio and microphone support. It supports upto 5 fans of the 120mm and 240mm varieties. Overall, it has excellent build quality and is quite sturdy. It looks sexy and will last you for a long time. The best thing? It goes on sale, a LOT, so you can absolutely steal this puppy at around  ₹4500.

3. Ant Esports ICE-200TG Mid-ATX Tower, retails around 3500 rupees

 

This PC screams gamer right from it’s very name. It supports the entire gamut of ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ATX formats. The side panel is tempered glass, yet oddly enough, the front panel is made out of acrylic and accentuated by a rather bold statement which is made with a black glassy finish and RGB. 

It comes with only one 120mm fan installed in the rear but this issue can be quickly fixed by installing more 120mm fans or a 240mm fan in the front or the top, with the maximum capacity being 5. Surprisingly it even supports liquid cooling. It can hold up to two 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch HDDs and two SSDs and it even has a flash card reader! The cable management is definitely as it says, manageable. For I/O it offers two USB A- Type 2.0s, one USB A-Type 3.0, and one audio and one microphone jack. 

Yet the build quality feels middling and the acrylic panel just feels weird when you have the luxury of the tempered glass one. Expect to face some issues with the installation of your components as well. However, this is quite a surprise at this price range and it can even go as low as ₹2000. Another absolute banger. 

Best mid-range PC cases in India

1. Lian Li Lancool II Mesh RGB, retails around 10,000 rupees

You’ve sweetened the pot, now it’s time to taste the honey. We begin by viewing this absolute gorgeous beauty from Lian Li. It also comes in black but the white model is much, much superior.

 The case features a front mesh panel and a mesh shroud panel in the bottom left panel with a honeycomb mesh design. It has integrated three ARGB fans which can be either of120mm or two fans of 140mm. The top and rear panels with the space above the PSU chamber can be outfitted with varying combinations of 120mm and 140mm fans for a total of 5 extra fans. Even with everything fitted inside it still feels spacious and has a lightweight chassis.

It’s 3.5 inch drive bays can support up to three 3.5 inch or even 2.5 inch HDDs and SSDs, with it’s 2.5 inch drive bays being present behind the MB tray, the right flip panel and above the PSU chamber. You can fit two 2.5 inch SSDs into each of these. It features seven expansion slots. The front panel ports include two USB A- Type 3.0s and one USB Type 3.1 (which is optional) and the usual audio jacks. The magnetic dust filter is splendid and there is good cable management. It provides a lot of features for its price and is certainly a consideration in this price range.

2. Corsair 4000D Airflow CC-9011201-WW White Steal, retails around 8000 rupees

 

 

Unlike the obscene naming scheme for this case, one thing that is not obscene is how great it is in both the function as well as the looks department. Yet again the white colour is superior to the black one in this case. It has a high airflow front panel and features Corsair’s proprietary CORSAIR RapidRoute Cable Management System.

The 4000D Airflow system is clean and good. It comes equipped with two CORSAIR 120mm Airguide fans and you can equip it with an additional 6-7 fans varying between 120mm to 140mm if you are clever enough. The radiators vary from 120mm, to 280mm and finally 360mm. It has seven expansion slots with an additional two that are vertical. The front I/O is a bit barebones with one USB A- Type 3.0, one USB Type-C and the usual audio jack.

When you look beyond all the proprietary marketing and naming, this case is elegant and minimalistic with its tempered glass panel which is tool free and slides right off. Another excellent case for a great price.

3. Phanteks Eclipse P500A, retails around 12,000 rupees

 

A mind-boggling case for its asking price, this unique case will give you all the features you could ever need. It comes in both black and white variants and features a mesh design that will certainly aid in airflow. Surprisingly you can even mount your GPU vertically to give more space to any other components. Not to imply that this ATX Mid Tower lacks any space, yet it is also compatible with Mini-ATX and Micro-ATX standards and comes with three 140mm fans included, along with space for 4 other fans ranging from 120mm and 140mm standards. The radiators feature the full gamut as they range from 120mm to 360mm and it even supports water cooling. 

There are a total of ten expansion slots available, with three that are vertical and they support both 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch HDDs or SSDs, for a total of 10 HDDs and 3 SSDs The front I/O includes two USB A- Type 3.0s, a USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C, the normal audio jacks and LED control buttons. 

The case is made of steel and features smooth and decadent tempered glass which enables your components to stand out for your viewing pleasure. The feel is premium and grandiose and honestly it feels like it could be a high end PC. This is one of the best cases in this price range and you’ll find it hard to find anything better than this. A solid choice overall.

Best high-end PC cases in India

1. Corsair iCue 5000X Smart Case, retails around 18,000 rupees

 

You mean business when it comes to building your PC and you want the best of the best. This case features not one, not two, not three but four tempered glass panels for your viewing pleasure. It boasts a clean look as well.

 It features Corsair’s RapidRoute Cable Management System, but this time it’s much better and gives plenty of space to route your cables however you like. Three 120mm RGB fans come free with this puppy and the motherboard tray can be customized with fan mounts. You can fit up to a total of seven fans varying between 120mm and 140mm standards. There are a total of 9 expansion slots, with 2 of them being vertical and they can use 2.5 inches as well as 3.5 inches. There are 4 dust filters for the front, the top, the motherboard tray and the PSU cage. You can fit this with any and all ATX motherboards. The front ports include two USB A- Type 3.0s, one USB 3.1 Type-C and the normal audio jacks with buttons for its patented Smart RGB control, and the RGB is indeed impressive with a wide range of colours. 

This is the Porsche 911 of PC cases and you will never go wrong with this one for sure.

2. Corsair Crystal Series 680X RGB, retails around 25,000 rupees

 

 

If the Corsair ICue 5000X is the Porsche 911, then let me introduce you to the Lamborghini Aventador. This baby features all sizes of ATX motherboards and three crystal clear tempered glass panels. 

The cooling is rather excessive; the fans run faster than a cat when it is scared yet maintain their sound level, although it is quite noticeable under full load. Included are three 120mm fans, or two 140mm fans, along with five other fans ranging between 120mm and 140mm for a total of 8 possible fan configurations. The radiators offer upto all standards respectively. It features a total of 10 expansion slots, with 2 being vertical and all supporting 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch HDDs and SSDs. The front I/O features the standard at this range, one USB 3.1 Type-C and two USB A Type-3.0s along with the normal audio jacks and an RGB controller.

The case is heavy and chunky and is  feature rich compared to most of the cases showcased as of yet. You will never need any other features ever again if you intend to buy this build, or at least for a very long time. That is, unless you are looking at the next case.

3. Fractal Design Define 7 XL retails around 17,000 rupees

 

 

For the minimalist and sleeper PC case fans out there, this one is certainly for you. Skip the gaudy RGB designs and the gamery, techy look and add some brushed steel and aluminium and you get this case. There are no tempered glass panels; why would you want to expose the components to the outside world? It is an ATX Full Tower and can support multiple GPUs at once so you can finally fulfill your fantasy of having a beast and hiding it from the world. The top does have a hexagonal mesh like design, but that is all the decadence and flair this case is going to get. 

It may not look like it, but inside this case is very spacious and throws neatness out the window, with space for 18 HDDs and 5 SSDs if you ever need that much storage. The case begs to be water cooled with its radiator available by default at 480mm and features sound dampening so really it’s meant to be fitted with a custom liquid loop.

The panels latch without effort and without tools and are easy to remove so that there is no trouble while building your PC. There are a total of 12 expansion slots, with 3 vertical and all featuring various combinations of 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch HDDs and SSDs. If you really want to cool it with fans, four 120mm fans or three 140mm fans come included, with the option to fit 6 more fans with the varieties of the 120mm and 140mm standards. The front I/O features one USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C, two USB A- Type 3.0s, two USB A- Type 2.0s and the usual audio jacks. 

This case on its own nearly weighs around 16 kilograms. This case is not a sports car, it is instead a marauder tank parading and masking itself as a normal car and it is by far my most favourite case in this list. This is a solid choice and if I had to, I would buy this case multiple times, till the end of time (or if a better version pops up).

Conclusion and Summary

Shopping for your next or first PC case should be of paramount importance as it will serve as the house to the furniture that is your components inside. The market right now is short on supply and high on demand, however there is hope and the supply will increase and the prices will decline further. However, there is never a bad time to purchase a PC case for your build.

PC cases come in various sizes to suit all your needs. From the humble 1990’s IBM beige PC cases to the latest and most feature rich cases from Corsair, Phanteks, MSI, Lian Li and various other companies, the market is always competitive and there is a lot to choose from.

You should look at features such as support for cable management, airflow and fans for cooling and water cooling, CPU cut-aways, sound dampening, tool less design, integrated RGB or not or whatever is your fancy, front panel connectivity and I/O, SSD mounting points and drive bays, dust filters to protect your PC from dust and tempered glass panels or no glass panels and full metal panels depending upon your preferences, along with a multitude of many more features and exclusive support so that you are fully satisfied with your case. 

Make sure you like the look of your PC case; it is going to last you for years and you should be wholly satisfied with it. There are websites online that allow one to customize their PC case to their heart’s content. Price ranges in India range from  ₹1,000- ₹25,000 so you can get whatever case you want. The world of PC cases is as exciting as it is exhilarating to navigate and there is something for everyone’s tastes.