Top 8 Cases of 2014

**Top Cases of 2014: A Review**

In this article, we will be reviewing some of the top cases of 2014, each with its unique features and benefits. From silent cases to small form factor PCs, we have covered it all.

**Case of the Year: Fractal Design Define R5**

Hands down, the most silent case on the market right now is the Fractal Design Define R5. As long as you keep those top motherboard events covered, you'll be fine and dandy. This case is built very well, with a front panel design that's outstanding in its ability to allow airflow in while keeping noise out. The drive gauges are modular, and cable management is definitely one of the easiest for a chassis of this caliber.

**Runner-Up: NZXT H440**

The Fractal Design Define R5 is not without competition, however. The NZXT H440 from NZXT is another silent case that's worth considering. It has more crammed internal structure than the Define R5, but with outstanding chamber separation for managing your cable clutter. Additionally, it has more color options, making it a great choice for those who want a bit of flair in their build. While it may not be as quiet as the Define R5, it's definitely worth considering.

**Best Budget Option: Phanteks N2 Pro**

For those on a budget, the Phanteks N2 Pro is an excellent option. It's a highly modular case that's designed to be easy to work with, making it perfect for modders and builders who want to create their own unique look. The N2 Pro has a solid frame and extremely modular interior that you can actually disassemble, making it easy to upgrade or repurpose.

**Best Value: Phanteks N2 Pro**

The Phanteks N2 Pro is not only the best budget option, but it's also the best value overall. With its high level of modularity and ease of use, it's perfect for builders who want a case that will last them for years to come. While it may have some minor drawbacks, such as a side panel that scratches easily, it's definitely worth considering.

**Best Silent Case: Fractal Design Define R5**

As mentioned earlier, the Fractal Design Define R5 is the best silent case on the market right now. Its ability to keep noise out while allowing airflow in makes it perfect for builders who want to create a quiet and efficient system. With its modular drive gauges and easy cable management, it's definitely worth considering.

**Best Small Form Factor PC: Silverstone RVZ01**

For small form factor PCs, the Silverstone RVZ01 is an excellent option. It has long GPU support thanks to that dedicated bracket that can also house a slim optical drive. The case also features excellent airflow and enough storage potential inside the chassis to make for one rewarding build. While it may require a specific build process, it's definitely worth considering for those who want a compact and efficient system.

**Best Small Form Factor PC: Corsair 250D**

The Corsair 250D is another great option for small form factor PCs. It utilizes a larger size to accommodate for 240 mm all-in-one liquid cooler on the side with also an optical drive support. There are no limitations for the power supply and long GPU support as well, making it perfect for builders who want a compact system that still packs a punch.

**Best Price-to-Features Ratio: Phanteks N2 Pro**

The Phanteks N2 Pro is not only one of the best cases on the market, but it's also an excellent value. With its high level of modularity and ease of use, it's perfect for builders who want a case that will last them for years to come. While it may have some minor drawbacks, such as a side panel that scratches easily, it's definitely worth considering.

**Conclusion**

In conclusion, each of the cases mentioned in this article has its own unique features and benefits. Whether you're looking for a silent case or a small form factor PC, there's something on this list for everyone. From budget-friendly options to high-end cases, we've covered it all. We hope that this review has been helpful in finding the perfect case for your needs and interests.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthis video is brought to you by nc.com great technology selection and service hello everyone I'm Dimitri with herac conu and welcome to another video so another year has passed we've seen so many awesome introductions into the chassis market and now it's time to do or to pick our top favorite uh cases of the year but instead of choosing the top five cases you know isolating a certain product to towards a certain spot uh because you know everybody has their different needs for different builds I've decided to do this differently and instead doing top five cases I've decided to do top five cases within each category so we're going to break it down into top or best budget case best mini ITX case best silent case best Cube case and the last category is your most common the most versatile category so you know you can you can pick this up for water cooling uh storage gaming anything type of case so the umbrella that covers pretty much everything and that chassis would be the most versatile uh for any type of build but before we jump into our top five uh cases within those categories I also want to do some honorable mentions as we did in our previous 2013 video because those cases didn't exactly make it to our top list but they still should be considered because they are entering a very risky category by being different and being very sort of Niche towards a specific type of Builder that you are uh and and those uh cases I think should be still be praised and still be considered now I'm sure there are many worthy considerations out there that do not make it on our list but this is because I want to be as objective as possible with our top five picks um and so we only include cases that we've reviewed on the channel I'm sure there's plenty of cases that we haven't uh reviewed yet but feel free to chime in in the comments below of what you think would be worthy of consideration for uh both us and the viewers that are watching ing for to expand the Horizon of what is available there in this chassis market and starting with the first honorable mention this would be the inwin 901 this is one of those Niche cases that's built for the high class with tempered glass side panels full aluminum frame and a much better internal layout than its bigger brother the 904 and if you get the cash to explore this Micro ATX Direction I'm sure you'll have no choice but to feel pleased beat Fenix Pandora deserves a shout out they have some interesting design choices both in the good and the bad Direction but one thing is for sure they're ready to listen to community's feedback and make changes accordingly in short the Pandora sacrifices on userfriendly design and cable management to be thin but despite that we're very eager to see the final consumer release Corsair 380t is one of those portable cases that stands out with the help of the Bumblebee yellow plus that convenient handle and despite its larger size for just many ITX system I'm sure there are many users who would take advantage of its limitations for a kickass miniitx machine and the last case on the honorable mentions list would be the enu evolve this is how you do aluminum for the first time uh there are so many positive features but it's not perfect and fantex needs to redesign the internal layout to be more accommodating for extra drives but it's still a really awesome attempt all right and with that out of the way let's move on to the highlights of the Year first category the best budget case goes to NZXT s340 at 69 bucks with sales as low as $50 so there's black and white options available if you can look past the orange peel paint job you'd be surprised at how well this case is built it's pretty much full metal it's got a window to showcase the interior capable air flow for intake and exhaust an Innovative Cable Management bracket to hide your cables and no compromises for neither the GPU nor the power supply NZXT should have included Drive CES for 3 and 1/2 in drives and also be careful not to touch the side panel window as it scratches so easily um but the NZXT s340 is my choice for a budget build the next category would be cubed cases would particularly focus on chamber separation I have actually two cases for this one the first is Corsair air 240 it's a solid Choice with much better chamber separation than the original air 540 with direct airf flow delivery at the front and exhaust potential through the top support for pretty much any Enthusiast GPU and outstanding Cable Management that makes assembly a total Breeze it complement a 120 and 240 mm all-in-one coolers at the front with enough storage capacity and my only negative point would be the Fairly thin frame design but other than that if you are looking for a cube style case you still should consider the a240 I would also highly recommend the node 84 for pratical design now this chassis is wider and is more water cooling friendly and that would be the main advantage of the 8 or4 over the a240 plus you gain all that extra storage in the passive chamber cable management is absolutely wonderful given the large cutouts also there's a slim optical drive slot integrated into the front panel so for those who want that it is there you will have no problem fitting the most modern Enthusiast G pus and either Cube case will satisfy your dual chamber Cube build for the next category we're talking about the best silent case now this one is a little bit tricky because hands down the most silent case on the market right now given you full proper procedures to make it silent is fractal design Define R5 as long as you keep those top modu events covered you'll be fine and dandy it's built very well and that front panel design is outstanding to allow appropriate it front intake but keep the noise out the Interior Drive gaug is modular and cable management is definitely one of the easiest for a chassis of this caliber rivaling the definer 5 however is the h440 from NZXT that actually allows utilization of the top fan slots without adding much noise to the system because of that top cover however it has more crammed internal structure but with outstanding chamber separation for managing your cable clutter and also it has more color options so the h440 and theiner 5 are the two silent cases to buy the second last category on the list is a small form factor PC uh for Mini ITX builds and as with the previous category there are also two contenders here as well first the Silverstone rvz01 this is an awesome little case with long GPU support thanks to that dedicated bracket that can also actually house a slim optical drive everything from X excellent airf flow and enough storage potential inside the chassis would make for one rewarding build you have to follow a specific build process to get everything set up but if you love The look and have the use for such a machine for uh either portable gaming or editing the rz1 is one of my favorite Mini ITX cases at the moment now following suit within this category is Corsair 250d the main advantage here is that utilized a larger size to accommodate for 240 mm all-in-one liquid cooler on the side with also an optical drive support there are no limitations for the power supply and long GPU support as well and being part of the obsidian family you do get that conventional square and elegant look with the brushed aluminum bits at the front and finally onto the last category for the most versatile the best price to Features ratio case uh that will satisfy any type of build welcome the fanook N2 Pro not only does this case bring most of the competition at this price point to its knees but it really has set a new Benchmark of what we can expect to see at $89 and $99 uh price point the N2 Pro may not suit everyone's taste with the external frame but it's what on the inside that counts anyway right but I love the open format that's separated into Chambers with the removable power supply bracket that you may use if you desire exclusive rear access to the drives with plenty of air FL options in the front and the top and the bottom even if you can sacrifice one of the drive cages and can also be within the limits of power supply clearance we've got a pwm Fan Hub at the back along with a single SSD bracket to stash away that one boot drive and everything about the case just screams quality with a solid frame and extremely modular interior that you can actually even disassemble so huge props for that implementation for modding or repainting or Etc the side panel is probably one of the only weaknesses in the quality Department as it scratches way too easily but one thing is for sure ever since the release of the N2 Pro it really has kept a spot of the chassis of the year and we would highly recommend this to anyone looking to upgrade or begin with a new build in the new year so thank you so much for checking out our top cases of 2014 video we hope this was helpful to direct you towards um a chassis of your needs and your interests but uh do you agree or disagree with our top spot for the case of the year for the fantex N2 Pro if you don't please provide alternatives for what you think could replace the M2 Pro as the case of the year with the comment below now 2015 is going to be an awesome year I can feel it I'm super stoked to begin our Productions as we have some awesome stuff lined up so make sure to subscribe if you have any other ideas for Content or product directions please let us know in the comment below we always take that feedback seriously and from the entire hru team we want to give you a huge thank you to our awesome honx Community both here on YouTube and on the website um because you know without you guys we wouldn't be where we are right now so we really hope we will see you in 2015 uh so thank you for watching and we'll see you in the next yearthis video is brought to you by nc.com great technology selection and service hello everyone I'm Dimitri with herac conu and welcome to another video so another year has passed we've seen so many awesome introductions into the chassis market and now it's time to do or to pick our top favorite uh cases of the year but instead of choosing the top five cases you know isolating a certain product to towards a certain spot uh because you know everybody has their different needs for different builds I've decided to do this differently and instead doing top five cases I've decided to do top five cases within each category so we're going to break it down into top or best budget case best mini ITX case best silent case best Cube case and the last category is your most common the most versatile category so you know you can you can pick this up for water cooling uh storage gaming anything type of case so the umbrella that covers pretty much everything and that chassis would be the most versatile uh for any type of build but before we jump into our top five uh cases within those categories I also want to do some honorable mentions as we did in our previous 2013 video because those cases didn't exactly make it to our top list but they still should be considered because they are entering a very risky category by being different and being very sort of Niche towards a specific type of Builder that you are uh and and those uh cases I think should be still be praised and still be considered now I'm sure there are many worthy considerations out there that do not make it on our list but this is because I want to be as objective as possible with our top five picks um and so we only include cases that we've reviewed on the channel I'm sure there's plenty of cases that we haven't uh reviewed yet but feel free to chime in in the comments below of what you think would be worthy of consideration for uh both us and the viewers that are watching ing for to expand the Horizon of what is available there in this chassis market and starting with the first honorable mention this would be the inwin 901 this is one of those Niche cases that's built for the high class with tempered glass side panels full aluminum frame and a much better internal layout than its bigger brother the 904 and if you get the cash to explore this Micro ATX Direction I'm sure you'll have no choice but to feel pleased beat Fenix Pandora deserves a shout out they have some interesting design choices both in the good and the bad Direction but one thing is for sure they're ready to listen to community's feedback and make changes accordingly in short the Pandora sacrifices on userfriendly design and cable management to be thin but despite that we're very eager to see the final consumer release Corsair 380t is one of those portable cases that stands out with the help of the Bumblebee yellow plus that convenient handle and despite its larger size for just many ITX system I'm sure there are many users who would take advantage of its limitations for a kickass miniitx machine and the last case on the honorable mentions list would be the enu evolve this is how you do aluminum for the first time uh there are so many positive features but it's not perfect and fantex needs to redesign the internal layout to be more accommodating for extra drives but it's still a really awesome attempt all right and with that out of the way let's move on to the highlights of the Year first category the best budget case goes to NZXT s340 at 69 bucks with sales as low as $50 so there's black and white options available if you can look past the orange peel paint job you'd be surprised at how well this case is built it's pretty much full metal it's got a window to showcase the interior capable air flow for intake and exhaust an Innovative Cable Management bracket to hide your cables and no compromises for neither the GPU nor the power supply NZXT should have included Drive CES for 3 and 1/2 in drives and also be careful not to touch the side panel window as it scratches so easily um but the NZXT s340 is my choice for a budget build the next category would be cubed cases would particularly focus on chamber separation I have actually two cases for this one the first is Corsair air 240 it's a solid Choice with much better chamber separation than the original air 540 with direct airf flow delivery at the front and exhaust potential through the top support for pretty much any Enthusiast GPU and outstanding Cable Management that makes assembly a total Breeze it complement a 120 and 240 mm all-in-one coolers at the front with enough storage capacity and my only negative point would be the Fairly thin frame design but other than that if you are looking for a cube style case you still should consider the a240 I would also highly recommend the node 84 for pratical design now this chassis is wider and is more water cooling friendly and that would be the main advantage of the 8 or4 over the a240 plus you gain all that extra storage in the passive chamber cable management is absolutely wonderful given the large cutouts also there's a slim optical drive slot integrated into the front panel so for those who want that it is there you will have no problem fitting the most modern Enthusiast G pus and either Cube case will satisfy your dual chamber Cube build for the next category we're talking about the best silent case now this one is a little bit tricky because hands down the most silent case on the market right now given you full proper procedures to make it silent is fractal design Define R5 as long as you keep those top modu events covered you'll be fine and dandy it's built very well and that front panel design is outstanding to allow appropriate it front intake but keep the noise out the Interior Drive gaug is modular and cable management is definitely one of the easiest for a chassis of this caliber rivaling the definer 5 however is the h440 from NZXT that actually allows utilization of the top fan slots without adding much noise to the system because of that top cover however it has more crammed internal structure but with outstanding chamber separation for managing your cable clutter and also it has more color options so the h440 and theiner 5 are the two silent cases to buy the second last category on the list is a small form factor PC uh for Mini ITX builds and as with the previous category there are also two contenders here as well first the Silverstone rvz01 this is an awesome little case with long GPU support thanks to that dedicated bracket that can also actually house a slim optical drive everything from X excellent airf flow and enough storage potential inside the chassis would make for one rewarding build you have to follow a specific build process to get everything set up but if you love The look and have the use for such a machine for uh either portable gaming or editing the rz1 is one of my favorite Mini ITX cases at the moment now following suit within this category is Corsair 250d the main advantage here is that utilized a larger size to accommodate for 240 mm all-in-one liquid cooler on the side with also an optical drive support there are no limitations for the power supply and long GPU support as well and being part of the obsidian family you do get that conventional square and elegant look with the brushed aluminum bits at the front and finally onto the last category for the most versatile the best price to Features ratio case uh that will satisfy any type of build welcome the fanook N2 Pro not only does this case bring most of the competition at this price point to its knees but it really has set a new Benchmark of what we can expect to see at $89 and $99 uh price point the N2 Pro may not suit everyone's taste with the external frame but it's what on the inside that counts anyway right but I love the open format that's separated into Chambers with the removable power supply bracket that you may use if you desire exclusive rear access to the drives with plenty of air FL options in the front and the top and the bottom even if you can sacrifice one of the drive cages and can also be within the limits of power supply clearance we've got a pwm Fan Hub at the back along with a single SSD bracket to stash away that one boot drive and everything about the case just screams quality with a solid frame and extremely modular interior that you can actually even disassemble so huge props for that implementation for modding or repainting or Etc the side panel is probably one of the only weaknesses in the quality Department as it scratches way too easily but one thing is for sure ever since the release of the N2 Pro it really has kept a spot of the chassis of the year and we would highly recommend this to anyone looking to upgrade or begin with a new build in the new year so thank you so much for checking out our top cases of 2014 video we hope this was helpful to direct you towards um a chassis of your needs and your interests but uh do you agree or disagree with our top spot for the case of the year for the fantex N2 Pro if you don't please provide alternatives for what you think could replace the M2 Pro as the case of the year with the comment below now 2015 is going to be an awesome year I can feel it I'm super stoked to begin our Productions as we have some awesome stuff lined up so make sure to subscribe if you have any other ideas for Content or product directions please let us know in the comment below we always take that feedback seriously and from the entire hru team we want to give you a huge thank you to our awesome honx Community both here on YouTube and on the website um because you know without you guys we wouldn't be where we are right now so we really hope we will see you in 2015 uh so thank you for watching and we'll see you in the next year\n"