Horizontal PC Cases
A PC case is a frame that holds the components of a computer. It also provides a way for cables to plug into the motherboard, and it allows access to fans for cooling purposes. Electronic components such as the hard drive, power supply, and motherboard are typically placed within their own separate chassis within a larger enclosure known as a PC case. The most common type of PC case is called the ATX, or Advanced Technology Extended. It was developed by Intel and enhanced by Microsoft for their own PCs. It has kept this name because it is backward compatible with older technology such as PCI and ISA cards. This allows parts to be added to your computer for a relatively low cost.
There is no doubt that computers have become an important part of our lives. These days, everyone has one or two devices in their home. However, you don’t just need to own a computer anymore. You will also need a computer case. The reason for this is because you will likely want to easily access your stored data and hardware components while protecting them at the same time. There are many excellent reasons why everyone needs at least one good quality case on hand whether it be horizontal or vertical.
The horizontal case design is the most commonly used for home PCs. These cases take up a wider area than tall towers and allow for more airflow to cool components. Storage bays such as DVD drives and floppy drives are usually found on top of the case, with space to install other devices such as card readers or fan controllers at the front of the case. The power supply unit (PSU) is situated on the bottom-rear side of the PC’s interior, but some models have a PSU mount to reduce its footprint in a system, along with systems that use a square PSU to sit adjacent to a graphics card instead.
We want you to look at the best and top-performing product according to the features and specifications but before that let’s look at the things needed for consideration.
Things Need To Consider:
Orientation:
Not all companies are making cases for horizontal orientation so if you are looking for one then you have to keep that in mind also some of them don’t even provide the necessary hardware kit. You can find it on your own or buy a new kit from somewhere else.
Lightning:
Some cases are coming with lightning inside the case. So if you are looking for that then you have to be careful while choosing your model. Some of them will allow you to change the color but there are some who won’t even support that feature.
Form Factor:
Knowing your form factor is very important. You can’t just simply go and order a horizontal case for a vertical motherboard you have to know which one is compatible with each other.
Clearances:
It is also necessary to know how much clearance do you need inside your case. Some cases don’t even allow enough space for cable connectors and other necessary hardware.
Front Panel:
There are many front panel designs including USB 3.0, USB 2.0, eSATA, Audio ports, etc. You have to install all of them starting from the motherboard. So make sure that your case is designed for those types of ports before buying one.
Best Horizontal PC Cases:
The Best Horizontal PC Cases You Can Purchase Today
Cooler Master HAF XB EVO
Best Overall Horizontal PC Cases
Specifications
Brand: Cooler Master – Case Form Factor: Horizontal Full Size – Case Material: Steel + Polymer + mesh front bezel – Motherboard Support: ATX, Micro ATX, Mini ITX – Drive Bay: 2+4+4 – Expansion Slots: 7 – GPU Clearance: 334mm – CPU Clearance: 180mm – PSU Clearance: 180mm – USB Version: 3.0 – Weight: 18.1 pounds – Dimensions: 16.7 x 17.4 x 13 inches
Cooler Master HAF XB EVO is the top best horizontal PC cases. It is available in 5 different color options white, red, blue, green, and yellow. This case has a lot of features with quality design.
It has a mesh front with foam filters and a steel top cover. It can be mounted easily on walls and racks. Inside this case, it is spacious and it can provide you space for your components. Its size is perfect, provides good airflow with a 200mm front fan and 120mm rear fan. It has a ton of storage bays also to install the hardware very easily. It is compatible with both vertical and horizontal orientation.
This case comes with lots of features such as USB 3.0 at the top I/O panel, pre-drilled holes for liquid cooling, and CPU backplate cutout. The product comes with a 1-year limited warranty.
SilverStone Technology GD09B
Best Runner-Up Horizontal PC Cases
Specifications
Brand: SilverStone Technology – Case Form Factor: Horizontal Mini ITX – Case Material: Plastic front panel with faux aluminum finish +0.8mm steel body – Motherboard Support: ATX, Micro-ATX, SSI-CEB – Drive Bay: 1+2+1 – Expansion Slots: 7+1 – GPU Clearance: 310mm – CPU Clearance: 138mm – PSU Clearance: 170mm – USB Version: 3.0 – Weight: 9.26 pounds – Dimensions: 17.32 x 14.09 x 6.69 inches
SilverStone Technology GD09B is one of the best products on the market. It is designed for mITX boards with a horizontal orientation. This case has a good airflow to cool your components.
It provides excellent cooling with fans pre-installed on the front and rear sides. So you don’t have to buy them separately, it’s already included in this package at no extra cost. The backside has a built-in PSU cover to avoid dust from entering your device. It provides 1x 120mm and 2x 80mm front airflow fans and also, 1× 120mm rear fan included, along with all the screws and motherboard standoffs.
It is made up of high-quality aluminum and steel to get a durable case. It is one of the best PC cases for mITX boards.
This case has a flip-top design and it is the best choice if you want to show off your build. It also comes with two front USB 3.0 ports and dust filters beneath the power supply and one on the bottom of the case. This case can support really high-end GPUs even up to 310mm long, CPU cooler height up to 165mm, power supplies up to 170mm in length.
Thermaltake Core P5 V2
Best Premium Horizontal Case
Specifications
Brand: Thermaltake – Case Form Factor: Mid Tower – Case Material: SGCC – Motherboard Support: ATX, Micro ATX, Mini ITX – Drive Bay: Two 3.5”/2.5” – Expansion Slots: 8 – GPU Clearance: 320mm – CPU Clearance: 180mm – PSU Clearance: 200mm – USB Version: 3.0 – Weight: 39.9 pounds – Dimensions: 23.9 x 13.1 x 22.4 inches
Thermaltake Core P5 V2 is one of the most famous computer cases on the market. It comes with a built-in 3-step fan speed controller behind the front panel door to manage the cooling system based on your requirement. It has some really good features like its USB 3.0, 2 x LED strips (top and bottom), and removable fan filters, which are easy to clean.
It provides a lot of space with Tt LCS certification, it is fully compatible with Thermaltake liquid cooling systems. This case has a side window to provide you with a view inside your PC. The best thing about this case is that it also comes with two extra RGB light strips inbox.
To complete your build, this case comes with very good cable management tools. Its installation is easy and it has pre-installed four rubber grommets to reduce vibration and noise. It is the best PC case for beginner builders because it has an attractive design with a tempered glass side panel.
This case has lots of space inside it for installing components. It supports Mini-ITX, MicroATX, and ATX motherboards. Your motherboard will stand vertically on this case with a built-in riser card to keep your components cool.
If you want an open build concept in your case, which looks awesome when you have all the components installed in this case. It provides very good airflow with two front 120mm LED fans and one rear 120mm fan.
Thermaltake Core G3
Best Slim Horizontal PC Cases
Specifications
Brand: Thermaltake – Case Form Factor: Slim ATX – Case Material: SPCC – Motherboard Support: ATX / Micro ATX / Mini ITX – Drive Bay: 2 – Expansion Slots: 2 – GPU Clearance: 310mm – CPU Clearance: 110mm – PSU Clearance: 130mm – USB Version: 3.0 – Weight: 9.3 pounds – Dimensions: 17.9 x 14.6 x 5.5 inches
Thermaltake Core G3 is one of the best gaming PC cases on the market. It can easily accommodate high-end graphics cards and CPU coolers. It also comes with a fan installed on the front side, which is enough to extract heat from your system.
If you want a unique PC case with lots of room to install a customized water cooling system, then this is the best possible choice. The backside has an open design with a cutout for water-cooling tubes.
It provides very good airflow with its front and side ventilation holes with a built-in fan to extract heat. It has a very simple design that only professional gamers will love. The best thing about this case is that it also comes with huge space inside it. It has two extra front 120mm fans to extract heat from your PC.
It is a slim-type case with the ability to support Mini-ITX, MicroATX, and ATX motherboards. It also has two slots for installing graphics cards. It provides a very large window to keep an eye on your components.
The cases comes with lots of cable management tools, which will help you to hide all of your components inside the case. If you are a beginner, then this is the best build for yourself because it comes with lots of room to add more components to your PC.
SilverStone GD08
Best E-ATX Horizontal Case
Specifications
Brand: SilverStone Technology – Case Form Factor: Horizontal – Case Material: Aluminum front panel, SECC body – Motherboard Support: E-ATX / ATX / Micro-ATX / SSI-EEB / SSI-CEB – Drive Bay: 2+8+2 – Expansion Slots: 7+1 – GPU Clearance: 345mm – CPU Clearance: 138mm – PSU Clearance: 220mm – USB Version: 3.0 – Weight: 15.4 pounds – Dimensions: 16.73 x 17.32 x 6.89 inches
SilverStone GD08 is one of the best cases in terms of compatibility. It can support massive components, graphics cards, and CPU coolers. Its motherboard stands at a 90-degree angle to give you better access to the components inside. The best thing about this case is that it also has a very large window, which allows you to keep an eye on your components.
It provides very good airflow with its pre-installed four fans. It has one 120mm intake fan in the front, two 120mm exhaust fans on top, and one 120mm exhaust fan at the back. The best feature about this case is that it has removable dust filters, which are easy to remove. The case also comes with an interchangeable top cover to install other components easily.
The case provides two slots for installing graphics cards, which means you can add more components to your gaming PC. This case is good for beginner’s PC building because it is compatible with both Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX motherboards. It provides a very large space inside it to add more components and upgrade your gaming PC in the future.
It is a good PC case for gamers because it provides very good airflow with its built-in fan. It is a horizontally designed case, which you can use as a server or HTPC. The small fan on the front side will extract heat from the system, and the large fan on the backside will blow out hot air from your PC.
It has seven PCI slots for installing graphics cards. If you are looking for a case with lots of room to install components, then this is the best build for yourself. It also comes with two USB 3.0 ports on the front panel, which will give you a very fast transfer speed.
Antec VSK2000
Best Budget Horizontal PC Cases
Specifications
Brand: Antec – Case Form Factor: Micro-ATX – Case Material: Sheet Metal – Motherboard Support: Micro-ATX / Mini-ITX – Drive Bay: 1+1+1 – Expansion Slots: 4 – GPU Clearance: 200mm – CPU Clearance: 65mm – PSU Clearance: PSX only – USB Version: 3.0 – Weight: 5.28 pounds – Dimensions: 18.6 x 15.9 x 7 inches
Antec VSK2000 is the cheapest case on this list. It has a very simple design and comes with three drive bays. The best thing about this case is that it also comes with one 120mm fan. It extracts heat from your PC and gives you good airflow inside the case.
It is very easy to install components into this case because it has a removable HDD rack. The drive bays are located on the backside of the case, and you can simply slide out the rack to install your components. This is the cheapest case on this list, which means you will not lose much if your PC crashed. However, there are limited upgrades that you can do in this case.
This case is one of the best cases for beginners because it is very cheap and gives you good airflow inside the case. The side panels are very easy to remove, and this case comes with a built-in fan controller on the top panel. You can control the fan speed manually to give you good airflow inside your PC.
This case is compatible with Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX motherboards. It is very small in size, but it provides good cooling inside the case. The best thing about this PC case is that it comes with a huge window to see the components inside the case.
SilverStone ML04
Best Horizontal Micro-ATX Case
Specifications
Brand: SilverStone Technology – Case Form Factor: Horizontal Micro-ATX – Case Material: Aluminum front door and plastic front panel + steel body – Motherboard Support: Micro-ATX, Mini-DTX, Mini-ITX – Drive Bay: 1+2+1 – Expansion Slots: 4+1 – GPU Clearance: 74mm – CPU Clearance: 70mm – PSU Clearance: 140mm – USB Version: 3.0 – Weight: 11 pounds – Dimensions: 13.78 x 17.32 x 4.13 inches
SilverStone ML04 is one of the best cases on this list. It has a very unique design and comes with good airflow to keep your components cool inside the case. The aluminum front door looks very nice if you are building a gaming PC. It is compatible with all motherboard form factors, but it doesn’t have any 5.25-inch drive bay inside the case.
It comes with two removable dust filters on the front side of the case to keep dust away from your components. The top cover can be removed easily to install your components. The top cover design also allows you to install up to 240mm fans on the top panel. SilverStone decided not to include any fans inside this case, so it is up to you whether or not you want to have a fan in this case.
If you are looking for a case with no frills, then the SilverStone ML04 is the best PC case for you. It has very simple features, but it does come with good airflow and looks really nice on your desk.
This case has seven expansion slots for installing graphics cards and other PC components. The best thing about this case is that it also comes with one USB 3.0 port on the front panel, which will give you very fast transfer speeds.
This PC case has a very unique design and provides great airflow inside the case to keep your components cool. It does not have drive bays or any 5.25-inch drive bays inside the case. However, it comes with two small fan slots on the rear panel to install 120mm fans.
Fractal Design Node 202
Best Horizontal Mini-ITX PC Case
Specifications
Brand: Fractal Design – Case Form Factor: Mini Tower – Case Material: SPCC – Motherboard Support: Mini ITX – Drive Bay: 0+0+2 – Expansion Slots: 2 – GPU Clearance: 310mm – CPU Clearance: 56mm – PSU Clearance: 130mm – USB Version: 3.0 – Weight: 7.72 pounds – Dimensions: 13.07 x 14.84 x 3.46 inches
Fractal Design Node 202 is the cheapest case on this list, but it has a very unique design to keep your components cool inside the case. The top panel is removable, and there is a good amount of space inside the case if you want to install fans to blow air from outside into your PC. This case also comes with one USB 3.0 port on the front panel, which will give you very fast transfer speeds.
The Fractal Design Node 202 is very small in size but has good airflow inside the case. The top panel is removable if you want to install fans to keep your components cool. It doesn’t have any 5.25-inch drive bay inside the case, but it comes with two 3.5-inch drive bays for installing hard disks.
The top cover can be removed by unscrewing the thumbscrews on the back of the case or by removing two small screws at the bottom of your PC case. The best thing about this PC case is that it comes with a huge window to see all your components inside the case.
Fractal Design Node 202 is a good choice if you are looking for a case with a very unique design to keep your components cool. This case has a huge window to see all your PC components inside the case, and it comes with enough space to install up to two 120mm fans on the top panel. The price of this case is also very low, which makes it a good choice for gamers and other PC enthusiasts.
Conclusion
Chassis are vital to the design of your workplace, battle station, or gaming station. Horizontal PC cases not only maintains a clean and basic appearance on your tabletop but also allows you to extract a lot of power from well-engineered chassis.
If you are a laid-back computer user who does not subject your system to significant processing loads, go for a chassis that is minimalist and ideal for HTPC. For ease in cable management and efficient heat transfer, gamers should choose a bigger chassis with twin chambers. To prevent dust accumulation, filters are also important. Some enclosures have positive pressure that allows better dust accumulation.
If you reside in a dusty environment, choose a chassis with easily accessible and replaceable filters. Peripherals require connectivity in order for your enclosure to have Type-C connectivity if you have equipment that uses this port type. USB 3.0 may also improve data transfer speeds by being present on the front panel, allowing for simpler and quicker performance. The microphone jack is just as important as the audio jack, which is represented in some of our chassis by high-end sound jacks. It’s entirely up to the user’s preferences. We hope you locate the product you’re searching for when shopping for your smart PC setup.
Also Read: Best Unique Pc Cases
