The Best PC Cases are AFFORDABLE

# Three Affordable Mid-Tower Cases Under $100: A Comprehensive Review

## Introduction

In the world of PC gaming and building, the case you choose to house your components plays a crucial role in both aesthetics and functionality. Over the years, the market for mid-tower cases has evolved significantly, with brands offering more value at lower price points than ever before. In this article, we’ll dive into three recently released mid-tower cases under $100: the NZXT H5 Flow, the Fantex XT Pro, and the Corsair 3500X. We’ll explore their features, build quality, compromises, and overall value to help you decide which one might be the best fit for your next build.

## The NZXT H5 Flow

The NZXT H5 Flow is the priciest option among the three, retailing at around $99 (depending on configuration). Despite its price, it’s a standout in terms of design and functionality. One of the key features of the H5 Flow is its sleek and modern aesthetic, which includes a circular mesh pattern both inside and out. This attention to detail contributes significantly to its premium look.

The case also comes with two pre-installed fans, which is a great value add for those looking to save time and effort in setting up their system. NZXT has done an excellent job with the exterior design, ensuring that every line and curve complements the overall build. The inclusion of tempered glass panels is another highlight, as they are now considered standard rather than a premium feature.

However, like many mid-tower cases, the H5 Flow does have its compromises. One notable issue is the rear panel, which feels thin and flimsy. While this might not be a deal-breaker for most users, it’s something to keep in mind if you plan on frequently removing or reinstalling components. Additionally, the case lacks features like removable fan brackets and adjustable motherboard trays, which are often found in more expensive models.

## The Fantex XT Pro

At $49, the Fantex XT Pro is the most affordable option in this comparison. Despite its budget-friendly price, it manages to impress with its clean design and thoughtful engineering. The case features a mix of rectangular patterns on the interior and a standard airflow mesh on the exterior, giving it a balanced look that feels both functional and stylish.

One of the standout features of the Fantex XT Pro is its packaging. Fantex takes extra care by double-boxing their cases for added protection during shipping, which is a nice touch considering its low price point. The case also includes a rear exhaust fan out of the box, making it more appealing for those who don’t want to spend extra on additional fans.

The build quality of the XT Pro is solid for its price, though there are some areas where corners have been cut. For instance, the rear panel feels thin and flimsy, similar to other budget cases. The case also lacks features like thumb screws for the PCIe slots, which can make assembly a bit more cumbersome. Despite these limitations, the XT Pro offers excellent value for those looking for a no-frills case that gets the job done.

## The Corsair 3500X

The Corsair 3500X is another solid option in this price range, retailing at around $89. Known for its sleek design and attention to detail, the 3500X aims to compete with the growing trend of “fish tank” aesthetics popularized by other brands. The case features a consistent ventilation pattern throughout, which not only enhances airflow but also contributes to its premium feel.

The inclusion of tempered glass panels is another highlight for the 3500X, and while these are now standard in many cases, Corsair’s implementation is worth noting. The design of the glass and how it integrates with the case’s frame makes it look more expensive than it actually is. The case also supports BTF motherboards, adding to its versatility.

However, the 3500X does have its shortcomings. For one, it doesn’t come with any pre-installed fans, which can be a downside for users who want an out-of-the-box solution. Additionally, like the other cases in this comparison, the rear panel feels thin and flimsy, which is a common compromise at this price point.

## Cooling Solutions: MonteX HyperFlow ARGB AI0

While discussing mid-tower cases, it’s worth mentioning cooling solutions that complement these builds. The MonteX HyperFlow ARGB AI0 is an excellent choice for those looking for both performance and aesthetics. Available in black or white, with 240 or 360 sizes, this cooler offers full platform compatibility and comes with tools for easy installation.

The HyperFlow ARGB AI0 not only looks stunning with its pump lighting and matching blade illumination but also delivers impressive cooling performance thanks to high-speed fans and dense fin stacks. Daisy-chaining fans for better cable management is another feature that makes it a great choice for any build. Backed by a 6-year warranty, the MonteX HyperFlow ARGB AI0 is a reliable investment in your system’s cooling needs.

## Build Quality and Compromises

When comparing these three cases, it’s clear that while they offer varying degrees of design and functionality, there are common compromises across all three. One of the most noticeable issues is the rear panel’s thin build, which can lead to potential GPU sag if not properly supported. Additionally, many of these budget cases lack features like rubber grommets for cable management, making routing cables more challenging.

Another area where corners have been cut is in the inclusion of accessories. While some cases come with fans or additional padding during shipping, others leave users to provide their own components. This can be a deciding factor for those who value convenience and ease of assembly.

## Hardware Compatibility

Despite being budget-friendly, all three cases offer decent hardware compatibility. The NZXT H5 Flow, Fantex XT Pro, and Corsair 3500X all support large graphics cards, BTF motherboards, and provide ample space for airflow. However, they lack features like removable fan brackets or adjustable motherboard trays, which are often found in more expensive cases.

## Value Proposition

When it comes to value, the Fantex XT Pro stands out as an excellent choice for those on a tight budget. Its clean design, thoughtful engineering, and inclusion of essential features make it a great option for entry-level builds. On the other hand, the NZXT H5 Flow offers a premium look and feel, making it ideal for users who want to spend a bit more for a high-quality case without breaking the bank.

The Corsair 3500X sits somewhere in between, offering a balance of design and functionality but falling short in terms of pre-installed fans. For those who don’t mind investing a little extra, the MonteX HyperFlow ARGB AI0 is an excellent cooling solution that complements any build.

## Conclusion

The world of mid-tower cases under $100 has come a long way, offering more value and features than ever before. While there are still compromises to be made in terms of build quality and included features, the NZXT H5 Flow, Fantex XT Pro, and Corsair 3500X all provide solid options for different user needs.

Whether you’re looking for a premium design, affordability, or a balance between both, these cases prove that you don’t need to spend hundreds on a case to get a great build experience. As the market continues to evolve, it’s exciting to see more brands offering high-quality cases at accessible price points, making PC building more inclusive than ever before.

Thank you for reading, and we’ll see you in the next video!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enokay so here I have three mid towers that launched recently all under $100 and I mainly want to see what type of value we can expect at this price point and what type of compromises are common between them I mean like 10 years ago when $100 enclosure would be considered premium but things are obviously different now but how are they different and do you really need to spend big bucks like $200 plus to get a good experience absolutely not my friend the priciest option here is surprisingly the NZXT H5 flow that also has a version with fans the most affordable option is the XT Pro for fantex for only $49 which is as basic as you can get right now but their Ultra and view models are actually quite attractive and the Corsair 3500 x is their least expensive case as far as I know that looks quite good as they try to catch up to this whole fish T aesthetic and I think the secret to making a case look expensive are in the small details like a consistent ventilation pattern that makes a huge difference in all three cases here follow this principle Corsair with the destiny logo throughout including the PCI slot covers NZXT with a circular mesh inside and out and fantex with their mix of rectangular pattern on the interior and their standard airflow mesh on the exterior panels packaging is actually more important than you think fantex for example always double boxes their cases for Extra Protection aside from the $49 enclosure NZXT does the same but with added interior protection around the metal mesh panel that I'm actually surprised to see and corer case is a you know pretty standard with decent padding but a single box for shipping I would say we no longer consider temper glass as like the premium feature it's very basic and it's included absolutely everywhere so it's a matter of How It's mounted and basically how it's designed around the computer frame that makes it stand out from cheap versus expensive so NZXT does a phenomenal job with the exterior border that matches perfectly to the lines of the bottom of the case corsair's TG design is pretty basic but at least with easily removable panels and I really like the visual separation that's happening with the XD view from fantex between our main Cham and the PSU shroud I think looks way more expensive this way and the interesting thing about temperglass on the more expensive cases is that it's not that different it might have more of it it might have a different mount it might have something in the middle of the glass which makes it a little bit more complicated to make it might have curved edges which is really expensive to make but in general there isn't that much difference versus a $49 glass piece versus something that is found on twice or triple the price now Corners have to be cut somewhere regardless if it's a $49 case for a $95 case and one thing they all share in common is a really thin flimsy rear panel like on the one hand how many times do you take it off for it to matter if it's thin or not but when the side panel and the side of the case looks pregnant is that a good sign some potential build quality compromises span other areas like ventilation pattern that flexes on the corset enclosure for example really tight thumb screws that require screwdrivers to unlock first or no thumb screws included in the first place with your PCI slots sometimes not all motherboard standoffs are pre-installed and the io Shield area in many enclosures that have the slightly more flexible thin frame is just really horrible to work with obvious color mismatching between the white tones on the fantex enclosure like the filter and the frame are completely different shade of white accessory bundles for example are also quite basic if included at all but at least I appreciate the inclusion of proper screws for fan areas where you cannot access from the back so all three brands NZXT fantic and Corsair have them but not all of them include fans out of the box and that might be a good thing if you're populating your own but on the many affordable cases including fans is actually a great value ad like on the $49 case from fantex you still have a rear exhaust fan the H5 flow has two pre-install fans and Corsair the $89 model doesn't even include any fans so you're going to have to spend extra to get some flow in there and sometimes buying a slightly more expensive enclosure with fans built in might be better value and less expensive than buying a che cheaper enclosure and buying fans to populate it with that is of course not always the case but still something to keep in mind and speaking of cooling montech with another insane value product the hyperflow argb aios available in black or white 240 or 360 sizes with full platform compatibility and friendly tools along the way that not only look gorgeous with pump lighting and matching blade illumination but also performance that should satisfy with any hot silicon thanks to high-s speeed fence high density fins on the rod a good pump and daisy chain fans for easy Cable Management all backed by the 6-year warranty so you don't have to worry Check It Out Below but just because the case might be more expensive doesn't actually mean the build quality is better so like the fractal design North XL awesome facade but it's way too loud and the side panel the rear side panel bends and flexes just as easily as the $49 fentex case all the build quality issues I've encountered with a Corsair 6500 and 2500 absolutely do not deserve the asking price the only time those panels don't bend so easily is when they're made from aluminum so Leon Lee and many other case Brands and the side panel just feels really sturdy or fractals old stuff when they included a bunch of sound noise dling foam in there that really solidified that panel too another clear example of cost cutting is the io and the inclusion of a single USB a port I mean that's criminal it's not acceptable especially because the internal USB cable is still the same that really thick non-bending 19 pin at least I'm happy to see a normal io on the Corsair case interestingly on a $49 case from fantex the USBC and usba a ports are combined into that single 19 pin internal USB header which is pretty clever and definitely one of the ways they were able to achieve this price point but often it is the speed of that USBC Port that is the difference between uh budget enclosures versus something more premium and expensive so actually both Corsair and fantex mentioned that the USBC ports are USB 3.2 Gen 2 which means 10 GB per second which is great and the on the other hand just says USB 3.2 and the fact that they're not disclosing which gen it is it is likely just gen one but definitely more expensive cases are moving their USBC to gen 2x two which is 20 GB per second which for creators is absolutely amazing and definitely adds to the cost that is associated with why you pay so much now tolerances for panel gaps is something that should be talked about especially when we talk about like value cheap enclosures but it's gotten so good that it's not really conversation the only issue comes like the mounting mechanisms on those panels especially like with the fanex rear panel and how the little notches are not always aligning perfectly especially when you try to remove the panel it's always a pain and one of The Notches always catches in the frame another drawback is that all these cases have Tess panels which makes you know assembly easy but none of them include the plastic clips that go inside the frame that catches the Peg and in case that plastic clip breaks you're out of luck that panel will start to Rattle or whatever and I've seen thermal and antech and other brands premium price category include the extra plastic clips that you can replace yourself but nothing is available here now most of the time the more expensive cases are bigger with more complicated designs better materials Uh Wood elements fancier accessories include better cooling out of the box maybe with more fans either RGB or reverse fans or with like a Fan Hub and I'm sure you've all noticed cases within the $69 territory they're all the same except with a different front panel and I feel like we no longer longer have the perfect $99 enclosure that does it all out of the box I think that price point has moved up to$ 149 to1 179 but at least Hardware compatibility on the more affordable case class has gotten way better so like better AO support uh still decent air cooling support large graphics cards and more fan slots options on a power supply shroud on the bottom of the case both fantex and Corsair support BTF motherboards if you're into that so they're all kind of basic specs wise but none of them have removable fan brackets adjustable uh motherboard trays modular power supply shroud frames rotated power supply mounts or anti- GPU sack hardware and of course some of these features make assembly and especially reassembly way easier if you're like doing build after build and like swapping out components but they're not like a must have they're good quality of life Improvement but they're not a must have for a good experience and also something to note is that the quality of your building experience isn't determined by the case alone like the case is a big component in that but if your cables are really stiff from the power supply and are difficult to work with that's going to be a huge let down and like would sour The Experience more than like having a flimsy bendy rear panel in the enclosure the only real compromise you might expect from a cheaper case that has a thinner frame is the GPU sag once it's mounted into the PCI slots because sometimes that whole back section is very bendy and the GPU definitely will sack but I feel like it's Cable Management in cases like these that has gotten super lazy like none of these even have rubber grommets and back channels are simply not designed well to handle you know thick cables and just give you a good routing experience which is actually where the premium and the more expensive cases do a better job with K management but with where we are today I am incredibly impressed with the value that the fantex XT line offers the H5 flow is definitely a looker but I'm not a huge fan of the perforated shroud and how it reveals the power supply even though it is offset giving you better air flow for the GPU in the Corsair case you know the side intake is kind of old news but if you are going for pretty it has potential so let me know which uh case you're rocking and what was the last price point that that you've actually looked into a case and has that price point has increased over years because I feel like cases getting way more more expensive and yes we are getting to that point of like all right this is really really decent quality but all the more recent Innovative features are definitely still staying at the top of like 150 plus territory all right guys I'm to thanks so much for watching I'll talk to you in the next videookay so here I have three mid towers that launched recently all under $100 and I mainly want to see what type of value we can expect at this price point and what type of compromises are common between them I mean like 10 years ago when $100 enclosure would be considered premium but things are obviously different now but how are they different and do you really need to spend big bucks like $200 plus to get a good experience absolutely not my friend the priciest option here is surprisingly the NZXT H5 flow that also has a version with fans the most affordable option is the XT Pro for fantex for only $49 which is as basic as you can get right now but their Ultra and view models are actually quite attractive and the Corsair 3500 x is their least expensive case as far as I know that looks quite good as they try to catch up to this whole fish T aesthetic and I think the secret to making a case look expensive are in the small details like a consistent ventilation pattern that makes a huge difference in all three cases here follow this principle Corsair with the destiny logo throughout including the PCI slot covers NZXT with a circular mesh inside and out and fantex with their mix of rectangular pattern on the interior and their standard airflow mesh on the exterior panels packaging is actually more important than you think fantex for example always double boxes their cases for Extra Protection aside from the $49 enclosure NZXT does the same but with added interior protection around the metal mesh panel that I'm actually surprised to see and corer case is a you know pretty standard with decent padding but a single box for shipping I would say we no longer consider temper glass as like the premium feature it's very basic and it's included absolutely everywhere so it's a matter of How It's mounted and basically how it's designed around the computer frame that makes it stand out from cheap versus expensive so NZXT does a phenomenal job with the exterior border that matches perfectly to the lines of the bottom of the case corsair's TG design is pretty basic but at least with easily removable panels and I really like the visual separation that's happening with the XD view from fantex between our main Cham and the PSU shroud I think looks way more expensive this way and the interesting thing about temperglass on the more expensive cases is that it's not that different it might have more of it it might have a different mount it might have something in the middle of the glass which makes it a little bit more complicated to make it might have curved edges which is really expensive to make but in general there isn't that much difference versus a $49 glass piece versus something that is found on twice or triple the price now Corners have to be cut somewhere regardless if it's a $49 case for a $95 case and one thing they all share in common is a really thin flimsy rear panel like on the one hand how many times do you take it off for it to matter if it's thin or not but when the side panel and the side of the case looks pregnant is that a good sign some potential build quality compromises span other areas like ventilation pattern that flexes on the corset enclosure for example really tight thumb screws that require screwdrivers to unlock first or no thumb screws included in the first place with your PCI slots sometimes not all motherboard standoffs are pre-installed and the io Shield area in many enclosures that have the slightly more flexible thin frame is just really horrible to work with obvious color mismatching between the white tones on the fantex enclosure like the filter and the frame are completely different shade of white accessory bundles for example are also quite basic if included at all but at least I appreciate the inclusion of proper screws for fan areas where you cannot access from the back so all three brands NZXT fantic and Corsair have them but not all of them include fans out of the box and that might be a good thing if you're populating your own but on the many affordable cases including fans is actually a great value ad like on the $49 case from fantex you still have a rear exhaust fan the H5 flow has two pre-install fans and Corsair the $89 model doesn't even include any fans so you're going to have to spend extra to get some flow in there and sometimes buying a slightly more expensive enclosure with fans built in might be better value and less expensive than buying a che cheaper enclosure and buying fans to populate it with that is of course not always the case but still something to keep in mind and speaking of cooling montech with another insane value product the hyperflow argb aios available in black or white 240 or 360 sizes with full platform compatibility and friendly tools along the way that not only look gorgeous with pump lighting and matching blade illumination but also performance that should satisfy with any hot silicon thanks to high-s speeed fence high density fins on the rod a good pump and daisy chain fans for easy Cable Management all backed by the 6-year warranty so you don't have to worry Check It Out Below but just because the case might be more expensive doesn't actually mean the build quality is better so like the fractal design North XL awesome facade but it's way too loud and the side panel the rear side panel bends and flexes just as easily as the $49 fentex case all the build quality issues I've encountered with a Corsair 6500 and 2500 absolutely do not deserve the asking price the only time those panels don't bend so easily is when they're made from aluminum so Leon Lee and many other case Brands and the side panel just feels really sturdy or fractals old stuff when they included a bunch of sound noise dling foam in there that really solidified that panel too another clear example of cost cutting is the io and the inclusion of a single USB a port I mean that's criminal it's not acceptable especially because the internal USB cable is still the same that really thick non-bending 19 pin at least I'm happy to see a normal io on the Corsair case interestingly on a $49 case from fantex the USBC and usba a ports are combined into that single 19 pin internal USB header which is pretty clever and definitely one of the ways they were able to achieve this price point but often it is the speed of that USBC Port that is the difference between uh budget enclosures versus something more premium and expensive so actually both Corsair and fantex mentioned that the USBC ports are USB 3.2 Gen 2 which means 10 GB per second which is great and the on the other hand just says USB 3.2 and the fact that they're not disclosing which gen it is it is likely just gen one but definitely more expensive cases are moving their USBC to gen 2x two which is 20 GB per second which for creators is absolutely amazing and definitely adds to the cost that is associated with why you pay so much now tolerances for panel gaps is something that should be talked about especially when we talk about like value cheap enclosures but it's gotten so good that it's not really conversation the only issue comes like the mounting mechanisms on those panels especially like with the fanex rear panel and how the little notches are not always aligning perfectly especially when you try to remove the panel it's always a pain and one of The Notches always catches in the frame another drawback is that all these cases have Tess panels which makes you know assembly easy but none of them include the plastic clips that go inside the frame that catches the Peg and in case that plastic clip breaks you're out of luck that panel will start to Rattle or whatever and I've seen thermal and antech and other brands premium price category include the extra plastic clips that you can replace yourself but nothing is available here now most of the time the more expensive cases are bigger with more complicated designs better materials Uh Wood elements fancier accessories include better cooling out of the box maybe with more fans either RGB or reverse fans or with like a Fan Hub and I'm sure you've all noticed cases within the $69 territory they're all the same except with a different front panel and I feel like we no longer longer have the perfect $99 enclosure that does it all out of the box I think that price point has moved up to$ 149 to1 179 but at least Hardware compatibility on the more affordable case class has gotten way better so like better AO support uh still decent air cooling support large graphics cards and more fan slots options on a power supply shroud on the bottom of the case both fantex and Corsair support BTF motherboards if you're into that so they're all kind of basic specs wise but none of them have removable fan brackets adjustable uh motherboard trays modular power supply shroud frames rotated power supply mounts or anti- GPU sack hardware and of course some of these features make assembly and especially reassembly way easier if you're like doing build after build and like swapping out components but they're not like a must have they're good quality of life Improvement but they're not a must have for a good experience and also something to note is that the quality of your building experience isn't determined by the case alone like the case is a big component in that but if your cables are really stiff from the power supply and are difficult to work with that's going to be a huge let down and like would sour The Experience more than like having a flimsy bendy rear panel in the enclosure the only real compromise you might expect from a cheaper case that has a thinner frame is the GPU sag once it's mounted into the PCI slots because sometimes that whole back section is very bendy and the GPU definitely will sack but I feel like it's Cable Management in cases like these that has gotten super lazy like none of these even have rubber grommets and back channels are simply not designed well to handle you know thick cables and just give you a good routing experience which is actually where the premium and the more expensive cases do a better job with K management but with where we are today I am incredibly impressed with the value that the fantex XT line offers the H5 flow is definitely a looker but I'm not a huge fan of the perforated shroud and how it reveals the power supply even though it is offset giving you better air flow for the GPU in the Corsair case you know the side intake is kind of old news but if you are going for pretty it has potential so let me know which uh case you're rocking and what was the last price point that that you've actually looked into a case and has that price point has increased over years because I feel like cases getting way more more expensive and yes we are getting to that point of like all right this is really really decent quality but all the more recent Innovative features are definitely still staying at the top of like 150 plus territory all right guys I'm to thanks so much for watching I'll talk to you in the next video\n"