In this article we take a look at five computer cases designed and marketed for gamers. To qualify, the cases should be priced under R800 and should have an asthetic that appeals to gamers, without too much flash and little emphasis on function.

Today gaming cases have a different meaning to many people. Some really like the ones with LED lights and wild styles and others prefer something a little muted and understated. However, if we travel back in time five years, proper “gaming cases” were made of perspex like those Gigabyte ones that used to be handed out at competitions, or designs like the ASUS Vento, something that still makes me fall in love with it every time I see it on the internet.

For the following roundup we searched through  five different websites to find the cases shown below and searched for reviews for them online. For pricing, we looked at Wootware, Ikonix (formerly Ikonik IT), Titan-Ice computers and Rebeltech.

 Cooler Master Elite 344

Cooler Master’s Elite 344 is the smallest and best-looking mATX chassis out there. With an average price just over R320, it’s a bargain too. Its main benefit is that you can remove the drive cage and put your hard drives or SSDs in the internal 3.5-inch drive bay secured to the DVD drive bay, freeing up space below for extra-long graphics cards and unimpeded cooling from the front 120mm fan.

One could easily fit in an extra-long GPU like the Nvidia GTX690, a 120mm closed-loop cooler for the CPU, an 800W power supply, two hard drives and a DVD drive. The front-panel USB 3.0 port allows for super-speedy file transfers and the glossy front looks classy without being too cheap. Because it’s a budget offering, most websites have not reviewed it.

Cooler Master Elite 311 Windowed

Cooler Master’s Elite 311 is an evolution on the Elite 310, which I own. It puts in several valuable additions that the case really needed by moving the PSU to the bottom, adding in cable management cut-outs and modifying the hard drive cage to support partial removal. The result is a much more balanced design, giving owners more flexibility and space to work in. This is better suited for rigs that have one GPU and use either an mATX or ATX motherboard.

With an average price of R415, it will fit into most budgets and give you more flexibility in hardware choices. There’s no luxuries like the ability to support 240mm radiators or USB 3.0, although this doesn’t detract from the Elite 311’s value. Because it’s a budget chassis, most sites have not taken the time to review it properly.

Antec One S3

Antec’s One has been around for a few years and the design has never changed. The update was the S3, sporting a new front panel design, front-panel USB 3.0 support and slightly deeper grooves on the side panels, giving system builders more space to hide cables behind the motherboard tray.

The One S3 limits hardware choice compared to the other two chassis. You can’t put in extra-long graphics cards and you’re limited to mATX or ATX motherboard sizes. Its also just over a year old and will be up for replacement by Antec sometime this year. For an average price of R500 its not much more expensive than the Elite 311, but it does look a lot classier. TechpowerUp! rated the Antec One 8.6/10.

Corsair Carbide 200R

Corsair has been in the high-end chassis business for a while and up until the release of the 200R, they didn’t have any budget chassis to choose from. The 200R is longer and wider than it’s much more expensive 300R sibling. It manages to fit in all manner of hardware up to eATX-size motherboards and dual Nvidia GTX Titans.

The front of the 200R is understated like the Antec One S3 and features only the power button, two front USB 3.0 ports supported through an internal header and the audio and microphone jacks. With an average price of R630, it would be a better fit inside budget for mid-range rigs; although it would equally suit as a cheap upgrade for buyers just looking to update their rig to something that looks more appealing. The Carbide 200R won TechpowerUp’s Editor’s choice award.

Cooler Master HAF912 Combat

Cooler Master’s rugged design language debuting with the HAF series became a popular choice with gamers and the Combat is just bringing the original HAF912 design up to modern expectations. There’s lots of cable management options available including a cut-out for the 8-pin power connector for the motherboard on the top left, a removable hard drive cage, a smaller mounting cage for 2.5-inch drives, an all-black interior, and front-panel USB 3.0 support.

The HAF series are well-regarded for their cooling ability and the 912 comes standard with a 200mm fan in front and a 120mm at the back. You can additionally fit another 200mm fan on the top and a 140mm fan on the side panel. The HAF912 Combat is similar to the HAF912 Plus, so Guru3D’s Recommended award is relevant.

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