With many minimalist PC cases to choose from, finding the best minimalist PC case may be hard. The best minimalist PC cases are built to look as sleek as possible, without compromising airflow or any other functionality.
Having a PC case that looks great isn’t everything. Some things to look out for when purchasing a new PC case are airflow, fan slots, fan filters, SDD slots, and cable management. We’ve made sure that every minimalist PC case featured in this list have all the mentioned features to look out for.
We have sought out the best minimal PC cases so that your decision will be much easier! In this guide, we will be reviewing each minimalist PC case to further help you out with your decision.
Best Minimalist PC Cases
1. Thermaltake S100
Minimalist PC cases do not have to break the bank to be good. A great example of this is the Thermaltake S100. With a price of only $69.99 (at the time of writing), this minimalist PC case has everything to look out for.
This Thermaltake minimal computer case comes in two colors; black and white. Both colors look great, but the black edition looks even more sleek in my opinion. Even though this minimal case in only $69.99, Thermal take didn’t cheap out on the quality. The side panel is made out of 4mm tempered glass, which gives you a great view of the components inside. A cool feature of this minimalist PC case is the magnetic swing door design of the side panel. Opening the side panel has never been easier!
The Thermaltake S100 comes equipped with a PSU cover to improve airflow and to help hide all those cables. When it comes to fans support, this minimal PC case fits up to 5 120mm fans. With two fans at the front, two fans at the top, and one at the back, the Thermaltake S100 will have the perfect airflow. If this minimalist PC case isn’t perfect enough, it also comes with a pre-installed 120mm fan. So that’s one less fan to purchase!
If you’re worried about the intake fans pulling in dust, then you do not have to worry anymore! The Thermaltake S100 is equipped with magnetic fan filters to reduce drastically the amount of dust that ends up in your PC. Since the fan filters are magnetic, they’re super easy to take off and clean from dust.
2. Lian Li Lancool 205M
The Lian Li Lancool 205M is a minimalistic microATX mini tower perfect for those looking for a minimal small form factor case. If you’re looking for something bigger, the Lian Li Lancool 205 is almost identical but slightly taller to fit ATX motherboards.
Available in both black and white, this elegant chassis will fit your setup perfectly. The tempered glass side panel allows you to take a look at the mesmerizing hardware inside. Since this case has a tempered glass side panel, cable management inside is extremely important, if you care about looks that is. The interior cable management bar and PSU shroud will help you hide those ugly cables.
When it comes to fan support and airflow, the Lian Li Lancool 205M got you covered. Fitting 2 x 120mm or 140mm fans in the front, 2 x 120mm or 140mm fans at the top, and 1 x 120mm fan at the back, this minimalist case gets the perfect airflow. This case comes with two fans pre-installed, 1 at the front and 1 at the rear. This means that you’ll only have to get Triple 120mm fan pack to fill the other slots. In addition to the fan slots, this minimalistic case features air vents on both the sides of the front panel.
If you’re looking to build a water-cooled rig, this minimalist chassis is able to fit a 240mm or 280mm comfortably either at the front or at the top. If you’re going for an air cooler, the CPU clearance is 160mm so the Cooler Master Hyper 212, which is available for only $45.99, will fit perfectly.
The Lian Li Lancool 205M is equipped with 3 high-quality magnetic dust filters, one at the top, one at the front, and one at the bottom. These will keep the inside of your case cleaner, and you won’t have to clean the inside of your case every week.
In conclusion, the Lian Li Lancool 205M is an all-rounder and is definitely one of the best minimalist PC cases in 2022.
3. NZXT H510
If you’re a PC gaming enthusiast you’ve definitely heard of the NZXT H510 before. NZXT have been at the top of minimalist game for quite some time now. And they definitely know what they are doing. The NZXT H-Series is one of the best selling minimalist PC cases on the market.
The NZXT H510 is available in three different color combinations. Apart from that, this minimal case is also available in 4 different styles, which all have subtle alterations. The H510 is the most basic one, with a solid front panel and no pre-installed RGB.
For the H510 Elite, NZXT swapped out the solid front panel for a tempered glass front panel. This makes the H510 Elite perfect for your RGB build. In fact, two AER RGB 120mm fans are pre-installed in the front panel to make sure your rig is equipped with some RGB from the get go.
The H510i is identical to the H510, but comes equipped with the NZXT Smart Device V2 and pre-installed RGB light strips. Apart from that, the chassis is completely identical to the H510. When it comes to the NZXT H510 Flow, NZXT swapped out the front panel for a perforated front panel. Just as the name suggests, the NZXT H510 Flow is equipped for better airflow.
If you’re looking for one of the best minimalist cases on the market right now, the NZXT H510 is definitely one to check out. With space enough to fit an ATX motherboard support and 240mm radiators, you surely won’t have any problems.
4. Fractal Design Meshify C
The Fractal Design Meshify C is a compact mid-tower minimalist case which is available in both black and white. The angular mesh front panel gives some style to the case, while also maximizing the air intake capability. As a matter of fact, the Fractal Design Meshify C is designed to provide the perfect airflow.
Apart from the mesh front panel, this chassis comes equipped with two preinstalled Fractal Design Dynamic X2 120mm fans. These are specifically designed to deliver optimal airflow while producing minimal noise. With the superior air cooling that this case provides, dust filters are important. The Fractal Design Meshify C is equipped with three dust filters which are exceptionally easy to clean.
Even though the Fractal Design Meshify C is compact in size, its interior is quite large. With a large interior, this case is extremely comfortable to work in. In fact, this case has enough room for an ATX motherboard. It also provides enough space to install a 360mm water-cooling radiator at the front.
Featuring a tempered glass side panel, this minimalist case has a clean looking exterior with full visibility of the interior. Apart from that, its extremely easy to take off since it only has four thumb screws to take off. If you’re not into a tempered glass side panel, the Fractal Design Meshify C has multiple options to choose from. You can opt in for an extremely tinted side panel, or you can also choose to go for a solid side panel.
You will also appreciate the flexible storage options that this minimal case provides. At the back of the case, you’ll find three dedicated SSD slots. While at the bottom of the case, in the removable drive cage, you’ll be able to equip another two SSDs or HDDs.
All in all, Fractal Design Meshify C is an extremely elegant minimalist case that provides great value and is easy to work with.
5. Cooler Master MasterBox NR600
The Cooler Master MasterBox NR600 is a showcase of pure elegancy. With optimal airflow in mind, the NR600 features a mesh front panel and a large top vent panel. Both panels are equipped with dust filters to reduce the amount of dust build-up inside the case.
When it comes to design, the tempered glass side panel lets you take in the beauty of the interior. Taking off the side panel is as simple as removing one thumb screw and pulling the side panel upwards. With a tempered glass side panel, you’ll want to have some proper cable management. The full length PSU shroud helps hide the cables even better. Additionally, the NR600 comes equipped with two long rubber grommets for routing cables.
The NR600 provides quite a comfortable space to work in. Apart from supporting full ATX motherboards, this minimalist case has a 410mm GPU clearance, and a 166mm CPU clearance. Impressively, this minimalistic case can accommodate up to five 2.5″ SSDs and four 3.5″ HDDs.
Overall, the NR600 is a spacious minimalist case which provides versatility and is a breeze to work with.
Most Important Features To Consider
Airflow
When looking out for a minimalist PC case, one of the most important features to consider is the airflow capability of the case. Without good airflow capability, the PC will run hot and it may cause damage to the components.
Fan Slots
Fan slots go hand in hand with airflow. Without a good amount of fan slots, the minimalist PC case cannot possibly have a good airflow. When looking for a new minimal computer case, the amount of fan slots is extremely important. Apart from the amount of fan slots, the position of the fan slots is another thing to look out for.
Generally, the case needs to have the same amount of fan slots in the front as it has at the top. Apart from that, one fan slot at the back is extremely important. The fan slots at the front should be used for intake, while the fan slots at the top and the one at the back should be used for outtake.
This amount of fan slots creates a perfect airflow, and you won’t end up with a negative airflow for sure. Without a good number of fan slots, your gaming PC will end up without sufficient airflow. This may cause some overheating and maybe also damage your components.
Fan Filters
Fan filters are definitely a feature to look out for when searching for the best minimalist case. The fans that are pulling air into your PC, are not only pulling in air, but they are also pulling in dust.
If the case is equipped with fan filters, they will significantly reduce the amount of dust that enters your PC. If your case and components end up full of dust, they will start overheating due to lack of airflow and your components will start to perform worse. Apart from that, cleaning up all that dust from your components is not an easy task.
Cable Management
The best minimalist PC cases will always have some cable management features. Whether it has cut-outs to pass your cables through, or sockets to cable tie your cables to, cable management features are always a feature to look out for.
Good cable management is often undervalued. While cable management makes your PC look a whole lot better, it also helps it perform better. Without proper cable management, your PC will run hotter which can result in overheating. As mentioned before, overheating may damage your components.
FAQs
What is the best minimal PC case?
We’ve scoured the market for the best minimalist PC cases that are currently available. We’ve come up with a list of the 5 best minimalist PC cases that one get in 2022!
What is the best minimal PC case for airflow?
All the five cases that are mentioned in this list have exceptional airflow. If you’re looking for a minimalist PC case with a great airflow, then you should definitely check out this list of the best minimalist PC cases.
Which minimalist PC case is the cheapest?
None of the minimalist PC cases mentioned in this list will break your bank. But if you’re looking for the absolute cheapest minimalist PC case, then you’ll love the Thermaltake S100 which is available for only $69.99!
What minimal PC case should I get?
Picking out a minimal PC case with so many options to choose from can be quite hard. Especially if its your first PC build. That is why we decided to gather the best minimalist cases that are available in 2022 in one list.
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