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When it comes to purchasing a new PC case, excellent cable management is an important factor for many people. This is particularly true for anyone who has had to put together a PC in a case which has poor cable management options. Cable management is also important for anyone who cares about the aesthetics of their PC.
In this guide, you can find the best mid-tower and full-tower PC cases with excellent cable management. I also talk about how important (or not) cable management is and what makes a case have good cable management. Finally, I talk about the other factors to consider when choosing a PC case.
Table of Contents
Best Mid-Tower Cases for Cable Management
Below you can find the best mid-tower PC cases which offer excellent cable management. You might notice that there is quite a wide price range. Although all of the cases offer great value for money, the more expensive cases do have better build quality and will usually have more features. For example, the NZXT S340 is a great case for the price, but it doesn’t have any external bays whereas both the Enthoo Pro M and Define R5 do.
The design of the case is also reflective in the price. Obviously this is subjective, but personally, I much prefer the design of the Define R5 to the other two. If you don’t care about looks, then that’s fine, but if you do then it’s definitely something to consider.
Best Full-Tower Cases for Cable Management
Below you can find the best full-tower PC cases which offer excellent cable management. Full-tower cases are great if you’re building a really powerful PC and have an E-ATX motherboard.
When choosing between the cases below, the main things to consider are the aesthetics of the case and the features they have to offer.
How Important is Cable Management?
The first thing you might be wondering is whether or not cable management is really that important. Well, in terms of the performance of your PC, super neat and tidy cables aren’t going to make a difference. As long as the cables are securely strapped down and they won’t interfere with any moving parts, it will be fine.
So, why choose a case with good cable management?
There are a couple of reasons you might want to choose a case with good cable management. Firstly, it looks good. If you plan on buying a case with a window, you probably don’t want the first thing you see to be cables awkwardly snaking around your case.
The second reason is that a case with good cable management makes it much easier to put your build together and replace any parts. Building a PC can be a nightmare if the case doesn’t offer good routing options for cables or if it is too cramped.
What Makes a PC Case Have Good Cable Management?
Now we’re going to look at some factors that make for good cable management. These are specific things for cable management, and we’ll look at some more general considerations when choosing a PC case in the next section.
- Lots of space – Having a nice and roomy case makes cable management much easier. Almost every PC build is going to be different, so having a large area to work with means you will have lots of routing options, regardless of your components. When you have too much cramped into a small space, it can be very difficult to organise all the cables. This means that smaller cases like mini-towers and Mini-ITX cases are not ideal for cable management.
- Good layout – Some manufacturers put more thought into the layout of their case than others. For example, some cases have space behind the motherboard to help with cable management, and some well placed cable tie holes can really make things easier.
- Cable ties and accessories – A PC case with good cable management should come with plenty of cable ties and possibly some additional accessories. For example, some cases come with velcro straps which can come in really handy.
Cable Management Guide
The video below is a fantastic guide to cable management from Linus Tech Tips.
Other Things to Consider When Choosing a PC Case
Along with choosing a PC case that is good specifically for cable management, there are some more general considerations to take into account.
Size or Form Factor
The most important thing to consider when choosing a PC case is the size. There are four main sizes which I have outlined below. Within each of these size categories there are variations in size so do make sure you check the dimensions of specific cases if the exact size is important to you. For example, you can get smaller mid-tower cases and larger mid-tower cases. These four size categories are just a guideline to the size, and refer more to the types of motherboard they are compatible with.
- Mid-tower (ATX) – Mid tower PC cases are the most popular size. They are big enough to build a fairly powerful rig, but they’re not too big that they become cumbersome. Mid tower cases are usually compatible with ATX, micro-ATX, and mini-ITX motherboards. Unless you plan on building a monster gaming PC or you need to keep things compact, then a mid-tower case is likely the best option for you.
- Full-tower (E-ATX) – Full-tower PC cases are larger and designed more towards specialist situations. Most people won’t need what a full-tower has to offer, but if you’re looking to build a really powerful PC, you’re going to need the extra space for components and a cooling setup. Aswell as ATX, micro-ATX, and mini-ITX motherboards, full-tower cases are usually compatible with E-ATX motherboards.
- Mini-tower (Micro-ATX) – Mini-tower PC cases are generally better suited for budget builds. The cases themselves are usually fairly cheap, and you’re not going to need huge amounts of space because you won’t be cramming it with really powerful components if you’re building a budget rig. Mini-tower cases are usually only compatible with micro-ATX and mini-ITX motherboards. Micro-ATX motherboards are very common with budget builds so this shouldn’t be a problem, but do keep in mind that mini-tower case don’t usually support ATX motherboards. Unfortunately, due to their small size, mini-tower cases cases aren’t great for cable management.
- Small form factor (Mini-ITX) – Small form factor PC cases are the smallest. There are two main reasons you might want to consider a small form factor case. Firstly, you can build a PC that is very portable, and secondly, they are great for home theatre PC setups because of their compact size means they fit nicely on shelves or in closets. Small form factor cases are usually only compatible with mini-ITX motherboards. Like with mini-tower cases, the small size of these cases make them not a great choice for cable management.
Budget
Another thing you need to consider is the cost of the case. You might be thinking that since there aren’t moving parts to a PC case that a more expensive case won’t have much else to offer over a cheaper case.
This is true to a certain extent. Obviously build quality comes into play and you don’t want a case that falls apart after a few weeks. But unless you want the case to have a certain look or you need specific features, you don’t need to spend a huge amount.
When it comes to cable management, you will find that the cheaper cases aren’t that great. You don’t need to spend a huge amount, but you will need to spend over $50 for a case with good cable management.
Aesthetics
Some people don’t care at all what their PC looks like, but to others it is a big deal. Whether you want to build a futuristic-looking gaming PC that looks like it’s just landed from outer space, or you want to avoid that completely for a more formal setting, you might want to consider the aesthetics of the case.
Additional Features
Finally, you should consider any additional features you might need. This includes things like the front panel and the number/type of ports on it, fans built into the case, and the number of drive bays.
Some PC cases have a tool-less design. These are designed so you won’t need screwdrivers or other tools to put your build together. This isn’t a huge deal, but it can be handy if you will be replacing parts or moving stuff around a lot.
Conclusion
Cable management isn’t the most important thing to consider when building a PC. As long as the cables are strapped down and not getting in the way, you’re good to go. However, good cable management can make it easier to put together your rig and change components later on. Good cable management also looks much better if aesthetics are important to you. The cases we have chosen have lots of space and a good layout making them excellent for cable management.
Last update on 2022-09-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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