You know how they say that the middleman is the best of both worlds? Well that’s what the Micro ATX form factor is all about. Mini ITX could be too small for many and not accommodate all the required components while ATX might be a little expensive. As a matter of fact, the Micro ATX form factor for motherboards and PC cases has a pretty high demand on the market. Several reasons include, the affordable price, ability to have the necessary hardware, attractive aesthetics and of course smaller space occupancy compared to ATX. For most, what’s really impressive is the ability of these Micro ATX cases to house large GPUs, cooling setups, PSUs and the rest of the hardware without interfering with each other. So you are obviously here because you want the best Micro ATX case that will suit your requirements. Let’s get on it without further delay.
Phanteks PH-ES314ETG_AG Micro ATX Case- For High End Builds
- 15.7 x 9.1 x 17.8 inches, 19.8 Pounds
- Micro ATX, Mini ITX Motherboard support
- Dual tempered glass side panels
- Up to 319mm/12.5in GPU support
- CPU coolers allowance up to 7.6″
- Can hold up to 360mm AIO cooler
No that there aren’t other cases that allow more clearance for the graphics card. However, the allowance allowed in the Phanteks case is more than sufficient even for the RTX GPUs, plus there is a reason why this is the number one Micro ATX case in the community. For starters, the design is sleek and would look magnificent with the RGB and water cooling setup through the tempered glass panels. It’s like this case was designed primarily for water cooling rigs. With so much space inside, you can be assured that no interference will occur among the PC hardware and a capable cooling setup. You also get removable dust filters and 2 x 140mm pre-installed fans. 26mm cable management space and additional cable compartment in bottom. To top it off there is also a Pump Bracket for water cooling.
The panels are super easy to remove. There is optimum airflow to help maintain the temps and the Phanteks does an excellent job in noise reduction even under heavy operations. You have to do the cabling management well between the PSU and the hard drive in order to not experience any difficulties. If you want to remove the stock coolers and install some quality aftermarket fans then by all means, go for it. Overall, the Phanteks does a great job as a case for thermals, cable management, airflow, hardware accommodation and aesthetics. So you can say that it is a fair price to value ratio.
Lian Li Micro ATX- A Budget Premium Case
- 210 mm (W) x 415 mm (D) x 400mm (H)
- Micro ATX/Mini-ITX Mobo support
- 375mm GPU support
- Capable of 5 fan support/ 160mm CPU clearance
- Liquid cooling ready
Perhaps we should have included this case as our first choice, but not everyone requires this level of GPU clearance. You should also check out our post on the Lian Li Lancool(PC case+ gaming desk setup). We are well aware of Lian Li’s reputation in building quality yet affordable PC cases. What we mentioned above was just a taste of what’s offered. You also have the liquid cooling ready nature with the capability to house a 240mm AIO cooler on the top or front of the case. 2 x 120mm fans at the front and rear tops, removable bottom side panel, magnetic dust filter and excellent cable management. Not to mention the glass panel to show off your RGB and aesthetics. So what does all these on paper mean to the average/high end gamer?
Now let the customer feedback speak for this case’s reputation. It is absolutely fabulous and flawless both on paper and in the real world. So the users are loving everything from the clearance inside to the quiet operation even at peak levels. The airflow is optimum and the cable management is on point. A customer who upgraded from the Corsair Spec-01 mentioned that it was a completely different experience assembling the Lian Li. Way easier and finished with a premium touch. The RTX GPUs such 2080ti, 2070 and 3070 fit in very well without obstructing other hardware. A user who assembled an ASRock X570, RTX 2070, 500G M.2 NVMe, 256G SSD and 2X 3.5″ 2TB HD’s along with a 750W PSU for a Ryzen 7 3700X advised that that the power and SATA cables can be a bit of a tight fit at the bottom if you opt for full sized HDDs. Apart from that minor setback, the case is just perfect!
CORSAIR CRYSTAL 280X-For Maximum Aesthetics and Packed Builds
- 3 tempered glass panels
- ATX Motherboard support
- 2 LL120 RGB fans included
- Dual-chamber layout
- Sufficient storage and great cooling allowance
The list would be incomplete had we left this one out. The Corsair Crystal 280X is a unique Micro-ATX case, mainly because of its dual chamber feature that prevents cable mismanagement and hardware disrupting airflow. Since there is ample space for airflow and cooling, the internal temperatures remain optimized thereby making the hardware more durable. Also, the 3 sided glass panels for you to boast your glamorous RGB build which includes the RGB stock fans of Corsair. Room for up to six 120mm cooling fans, or a 240mm radiator in the top, front or bottom. Enough storage space with two 3.5″ drives and three 2.5″ drives.
The customer feedback for this case is the same as that of Lian Li. A user who assembled a rig with i9 9900x, RTX 2080Ti, Samsung 970 PRO 512GB SSD, 4x Crucial MX500 1TB HDDs with a 1200W PSU advised that you can cool the system further if you take off the piece of glass that mounts over the top of the radiator opening on top. Several others had had an issue with the PCI mount because of the thumb screws not lining up with their holes. So this resulted in them having to take it off and bending to make the indent match. Apart from that, the users love the easy cable management at the back area, awesome cooling because of the spacious nature and of course the unmatchable 3 sided glass panels. For you guys out there looking to squeeze the maximum to a small case, you got a winner.
NZXT H510- Best Micro ATX Case Under $100
- 16.85 x 8.27 x 18.11 inches
- 321-381mm GPU clearance, 165mm CPU cooler clearance
- Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX motherboard support
- Front USB 3.1 Gen 2 type-C
- 2 Aer F120mm fans included
- Sleek and attractive design
Definitely a great Micro ATX case under $100. Surprisingly, you have everything that you require for a somewhat high-end build. Up to 240mm radiator support, a couple of 120mm fans, good cable management, water cooling support and of course the tempered glass panel for RGB display. Cable-routing kit and pre-installed channels for easy wiring. You got enough storage support for 2 of each 2.5” and 3.5” drives. Great cooling support with a max of 6 120mm fan allowance.
The customer feedback is pretty encouraging for this case. There is one common well received feature of this case and that is the excellent cable management. The NZXT added routing paths are pretty useful for stacking away the cables neatly. Note that the air intake for this case is not the same as most cases. The air intake is from the side. So it is best to add fans from the side and rear and not the front as it is covered by steel. As for thermals, they aren’t unique but they are not bad either. A user who owns a Ryzen 7 2700x mentioned that it maintained around 36-40 Degrees Celsius at 0% load. So overall, the NZXT H510 is a great price to value offer for budget builders.
Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L- The Ultimate Budget Case Under $50
- 14.14 x 9.85 x 16 inches
- Micro ATX, Mini ITX motherboard support
- 120mm rear pre-installed fan
- 360mm GPU clearance/ 159mm/6.2″ CPU cooler support
- 240mm radiator support
- Up to 5 120mm fan support
- 3 drive bays(2X2.5″ and one 3.5″ )
You can see that the specs speak for the case itself. For 50 bucks, this is the absolute best you can ask for. The required GPU and CPU cooler support, optimized airflow, awesome cable management and the compact design are the major sale factors of this Cooler Master case. Aesthetically, it has an edge to edge acrylic transparent side panel to show the RGB. The I/O panel can be adjusted in 6 different locations. The front magnetic design dust filter aids in the maximum airflow.
So of course this case is suited for a general build and not a high end one. A user who fitted in a Ryzen 7 2700x together with a GTX 1080 TI stated that the airflow was great and the cable management was so easy. You simply have to configure the fans in the proper way in order to obtain the maximum airflow. The case was more than roomy for users and proved excellent in performance given the quiet operations and low temps. The dust filters function well and the overall design is attractive. The slight setback is the window being tinted and a little dark.
Fractal Design Node 804- The NAS Case (For Home Servers)
- 13.5 x 12.1 x 15.3 inches
- 8x 3.5″, 4x 2.5″ or up to 10x 3.5″, 2x 2.5″ HDD/SSD
- Small built but extremely spacious
- Good airflow with dual chamber case layout
- 3x Silent Fans included
Okay so what is a NAS? stands for network attached storage, it acts as a single storage unit for all your devices in your office or home. You can see from the above, how many storage units it can accommodate to fulfill this task. Plug the NAS into your router for everybody to access it. So the Fractal Design Node 804 is a cube shaped case designed for good airflow throughout intense usage while maintaining quiet operation. Water cooling ready, 2 USB 3 ports and headphone/microphone jacks available. Has space for 7 other fans apart from the stock. The right side can manage a 280mm radiator while the left has to be limited to a 240mm. Plenty of room for a full sized PSU. Users have different storage configs and it is a perfect match for everybody because of the durability brought out by the well structured airflow.
Summary
Well those are our top 5 recommendations for the best Micro ATX cases that you can find in the market at present. To summarize, if you are looking for the best premium grade Micro ATX case with optimal cooling/ great airflow, the Phankteks or the Corsair should serve you well. Especially, if you are also planning to pack in a few components capable of handling production workloads. If you want premium quality yet opt to save a few bucks, you have the Lian Li with everything you could ask for in a Micro ATX case. Now for those of us who are frequently traveling and engaging in LAN parties, a portable case is the best. Obviously we can recommend the ultra budget Cooler Master or the Cooler Master MasterBox Q300P as the best Micro ATX case for travel. Of course you cannot expect top of the class airflow and next level cable management at this price. But remember that portability is the primary feature here.
