Page 98 - PCWorld (September 2019)
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HERE’S HOW                 BUY THE PERFECT PC CASE













               Corsair’s case lineup—even
               eliminate 5.25-inch drive bays

               completely for better airflow.
               You’ll start to find water-cooling

               compatibility worked into some
               cases in this price range, along
               with better cable management

               details, tool-less design, and
               aesthetic niceties like RGB
               lighting or tempered-glass side

               panels. We’ll get into feature
               details shortly, but around $100
               is the sweet spot for price-to-
                                                     This case has a side window but I took off its whole side panel for
               performance when it comes to          this picture.
               buying a PC case.

                   Once you extend beyond $150 or so,              PC CASE AESTHETICS
               you should expect a PC case that excels in          Make sure you like the look of the PC case
               both performance and acoustics, and one             you’re buying! You’re going to be staring at

               that comes with connectivity options and            it for years to come, so this is not a superficial
               handy features galore. Some of them are             consideration. Every online retailer shows PC

               huge; this is where you’ll find most full-tower      cases from multiple angles on their store
               cases. Build materials tend to be swankier in       pages, so there’s no excuse for buying ugly.
               high-end cases, with aluminum and                       PC cases come in all sorts of colors,

               tempered glass being much more common               materials, and designs. If you don’t want to
               than in budget and mid-range cases.                 spend time neatening up your interior

                   You’ll also find wild concept cases like         cabling, pass on cases with a side window.
               the motorized In Win H-Tower, which opens
               like a flower (video link above), or the racing      BUY A PC CASE: FEATURES

               car-esque Cougar Conquer ($350 on                   TO WATCH FOR
               Newegg [go.pcworld.com/coag]). Be                   Aside from the basic dimensions and price,

               mindful when you’re buying a PC case that           feature support is the biggest differentiator
               doubles as a funky flagship, though. They            when you’re buying a PC case. The more
               oftentimes sacrifice functionality for their         you spend on your case, the more goodies

               exotic forms.                                       you’ll receive. Here’s a quick rundown of



               96   PCWorld   SEPTEMBER  2019
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