When you build a PC, you need to keep the different parts cool so that you can get the best possible performance.
If you are interested in water cooling, then you are going to need a case that supports radiators and fans, amongst other things.
Here we are going to look into some of the best cases on the market that are designed with water cooling in mind.
Best Overall
- Clean Minimal Design
- Comes in Multiple Colors
- Tempered Glass Side Panel
Premium Pick
- 2 RGB Lighting Channels
- Great for Water Cooling
- Tempered Glass Side Panel
Budget Pick
- Affordable Price
- Included RGB Controller
- Tempered Glass Side Panel
The Best Cases for Water Cooling in 2020
1. NZXT H510 – Best Water Cooling Case
The NZXT H500 was one of the best gaming PC cases on the market that you could buy a while back and the H510 refreshes the same design while adding some improvements. This is a very nice looking case that does not cost a lot of money. You get two fans included with the case. One is mounted on the top and one is at the rear to exhaust hot air out of the case. There are no fans at the front, out of the box but you can add two fans if you wanted to.
You have some ports on the front for easy accessibility which also includes a USB Type-C port. The front I/O only comes with a single headphone microphone combo jack but you do get a splitter with the case. The case has a clean and minimal design with a side panel on the side for showing off your hardware and RGB lighting. This is an ATX mid-tower case and supports Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX and ATX motherboards.
Our Pick
The NZXT H510 is great value for money keeping in mind the design and features that you are getting for the money. The side panel is made of proper glass and does not feel cheap. There are plenty of options for water cooling which makes building a PC and setting up a water cooling loop so much easier.
Taking the side panel off is super easy. The screw stays in place when you are trying to remove the side panel so that it is not misplaced. The case has a slot at the rear for reservoir mounting which is a very nice touch keeping in mind that this is a relatively inexpensive case.
The PSU shroud has a mesh design that blends in well with the rest of the case and on it you have toolless mounting for your SSD. On the back, you have 2 slots for HDDs and 2 slots for SSDs behind the motherboard. The case features a routing kit and channels for cable management so that you do not have any issues hiding all those cables.
The case also has a removable bracket for radiator installation which makes water cooling a bit easier. It also comes with a couple of dust filters to keep your PC clean.
Pros
- Clean minimal design
- Can mount 5 fans
- Impressive cable management
- Slot at the back for reservoir
- Removable bracket for radiator installation
- Impressive value for money
- Tempered glass side panel
Cons
- The top fan tends to vibrate a lot
- Included fans are a bit loud
2. NZXT H710i – Best Tempered Glass Case
Now that we have got the cheaper option out of the way, we can look at the NZXT H710i which is a premium PC case that features all the bells and whistles. The box design looks great with the mesh around the tempered glass side panel. The glass does not protrude out of the case which is a nice touch. This is a premium case so you have plenty of options for water cooling and you can get creative and try different things with his case.
4 screws hold the side panel in place and interestingly the glass sits on a lip so it does not fall even when all the screws are removed. The rear side panel comes off with a push of a button, so you have access to the back very easily. The case has plenty front I/O and this refreshed version even comes with USB Type-C.
Our Premium Pick
An interesting feature of this case is that it supports vertical GPU mounting. You can use the feature to mount your graphics card vertically to show it off properly. 2 fans are included with the case but you can mount more if needed. The case comes with a controller that controls RGB lighting effects as well as the fan curves. So you can do all that using the software.
This is a great case for easy PC building and the cable management options make hiding those pesky cables very easy as well. All things considered, this is one of the best cases that you can buy right now.
Pros
- Clean and premium design
- Tempered glass side panel
- Easy single-button access to the back of the motherboard
- The radiator mount is detachable for easier installation
- Velcro ties and channels for proper cable management
- Plenty of options for water cooling
- Integrated fan controller
Cons
- Included case fans are not the best
- A bit expensive
3. Thermaltake V200 – Budget Case for Water Cooling
The Thermaltake V200 is a reasonably priced case and one of the best ones that Thermaltake has to offer right now. The case has a tempered glass side panel along with a glass front through which you can see the three RGB fans that come with the case. The case is functional and looks great in too. At the back of the case, a single fan is included for exhausting air out of the case.
Read also: Best Air Cooler for i7 8700k
Four screws hold the tempered glass side panel in place so you will need to be careful as it will pop off. The case has plenty of spaces for routing your cables and you have room for mounting a pump, reservoir and radiator. Fit, finish and build quality is very good. There is a cutout for the power supply if you want to show that off but other than that the bottom part of the case is mostly covered.
Our Budget Pick
The Thermaltake V200 is a great budget case with plenty of room inside for water cooling. The case has a tempered glass side panel and comes with 3 RGB fans and a standard fan out of the box.
Cable management options are well thought out and you can mount your SSDs next to the motherboard as well. The case comes with a controller to customize the RGB lighting. There is a button on the front that allows you to change the lighting but the controller can be plugged into your motherboard so that you can control the RGB effects from the software rather than the button on the case. LED strips can also be plugged into the controller to add even more lighting to the case.
At the back you have plenty of places to tie down your cables and routing your cables is not going to be an issue. You also have 2 drive bays for installing HDDs or additional SSDs if needed. A drawback with this case is that the PCIe slot covers are cannot be used again. If you pull them off then they are going to stay off. This is a bit odd but if you are not planning on upgrading any time soon then this is not going to be a major issue.
Pros
- Included RGB controller
- 4 fans included (3 have RGB)
- Tempered glass
- The case has a button to control RGB lighting
- A lot of room inside the case
- 3 USB ports at the front
Cons
- Installing HDDs in the back is a bit tricky
- PCIe slot covers cannot be used again
4. Fractal Design Meshify C
The Fractal Design Meshify C comes with a tempered glass side panel and is a compact mid-tower case. It is designed with airflow in mind and you can probably tell by the name alone that the case has a lot of mesh. The design is similar to the Define C. Nothing much on the interior has changed but the exterior is a bit different.
The front has protrusions that are only visible at an angle along with the company logo. Overall the design is very attractive and while the case is minimal it is not bland. On the side, you have the tempered glass side panel that is held in place by 4 screws, which is pretty standard. There is a dust filter on the front and the bottom which can be taken out and cleaned.
At the front of the case, you have the power and reset buttons along with a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a headphone and a microphone jack. The power LED is hidden in the front panel and is very subtle but looks nice. There is no USB Type-C which is a bummer. On the top, there is a magnetic dust filter and you will find room for mounting 2 140mm or 120mm fans. This space can also be used to mount the radiator if you are interested in water cooling.
Also Great
The Fractal Design Meshify C is a compact case but it comes with all the features that you are going to need for water cooling your system. It is reasonably priced and highly recommended.
At the front, you can install 2 140mm fans or 3 120mm fans. Two fans are included with the case. One is installed at the front and the other at the rear. You have plenty of options when it comes to fans and cooling. If you are interested in water cooling then you can install a 360 radiator in the front as long as you move the HDD storage bays back, which can easily be done. If you do this then you will need a shorter power supply. You cal also go with a smaller radiator is you have a larger power supply.
At the top, you can fit a 280mm radiator and you will need to slide the rear exhaust fan down, which you can easily do without having to remove the fan and then installing it again. 3 SSDs can be installed on the bracket behind the motherboard, so you have plenty of storage options.
Interestingly with all these features and the impressive design, the case is not too expensive. You can pick it up for under $100 pretty easily.
Pros
- Compact PC case
- Minimal design
- Tempered glass side panel
- Plenty of airflow
- Numerous fans can be installed
- Water cooling friendly design
- Comes with 2 fans
Cons
- With radiator in the front longer, GPUs might not fit
- With radiator in the front, you need a smaller PSU
5. Cooler Master MasterBox Pro 5
The Cooler Master MasterBox Pro 5 is another case that comes with a tempered glass side panel but the front is plastic. It still looks nice though. You cannot install fans or a radiator on the top so you are limited to 3 fans in the front and a single fan on the back. The case is ideal for a mid-range PC build and the price of the case reflects that. You can pick this case up for under $100.
The case comes with 3 RGB fans at the front. The blades are white so the RGB lighting is bright across the board compared to Black blades. The tempered glass has 2 screws at the top and none at the bottom. This is because there is a lip in which the glass sits. This is great because the glass is not going to fall off even with the screws removed.
This case comes with three pre-installed 120 mm RGB fans right behind the front glass panel. Which will save you some money on fans and give you some fancy lighting at the same time.
You can mount a 360mm radiator in the front of the case. You will need to remove or move the HDD storage bays but it can be done. Or you could just go with a smaller radiator. This is only ideal if you use a mesh front on the case. You can mount 2 SSDs next to the motherboard and you can even install 2 SSDs in the HDD storage bays. So you have plenty of storage solutions.
The rest is pretty much standard but keeping in mind the price that you are paying for this motherboard is is safe to say that you are getting some impressive value for money.
Pros
- Includes 3 RGB and 1 Non-RGB fan
- Plenty of storage solutions
- Can support 360mm Radiator with mesh front
- The tempered glass side panel is supported by lip
Cons
- Not enough airflow for high-end hardware
- No mounting support on the top of the case
6. CORSAIR Crystal Series 680X
Corsair has been in the PC hardware market for a while now and the company even makes PC cases. Here we have the Crystal series 680X which is a mid-tower ATX case. This case is similar to other mid-tower cases in height but it is much wider which is something that you should keep in mind.
The case has a dual-chamber design that is optimized for airflow. This means that the case is divided into two different parts. One of the parts has important hardware including the CPU and graphics card. In the other chamber, you have all the cables, PSU and storage drives. This looks great as all these parts are hidden out of sight and this kind of design is great of airflow as well.
Our Pick
The Corsair Crystal Series 680X is great for water cooling and you get support for numerous fans and radiators. If you are looking for the ultimate case for over the top cooling then this is an option to consider.
This is an ATX case so you can install any standard ATX motherboards or smaller form factors. The case comes with 4 fans out of the box. 3 of these fans are RGB fans while the 4th one is a regular exhaust fan that is at the back of the case and removes hot air from the case.
Like other PC cases in this list, this one also has a tempered glass side panel. Other than that, the front has tempered glass as well and the top is partially covered in tempered glass as well. The fans are the LL120 RGB fans which we openly recommend to people that want RGB fans. The case also comes with a controller that is used to control the lighting of these fans. You can change the lighting and play with the effects of the software.
In terms of cooling, there are plenty of options. You can install up to eight 120mm fans or seven 140mm fans. The case also supports up to 4 radiators. That is what the major selling point of this case is.
Pros
- Dual chamber design
- Optimize for airflow
- Up to 8 120mm fans can be installed
- Up to 7 140mm fans can be installed
- Up to 4 radiators can be installed
- 3 RGB fans included
- Multiple dust filters
Cons
- Wider than regular ATX cases
- Tempered glass is a fingerprint magnet
7. darkFlash Phantom Black
This is another tempered glass side panel case that you can pick up for a reasonable price. It comes with 6 fans preinstalled. 4 are installed in the front and 2 of them are at the back. All of them feature RGB lighting. Not only is the side panel tempered glass but 2 other sides have glass as well. There is a dark tint to the glass which gives it a very sleek and stylish look ones you have the RGB lighting installed and ready to go.
This is called a mid-tower case but it is taller than most mid-tower cases. Interestingly it is not called a full tower case. Just keep that in mind if you are interested in getting this case. At the front, you get 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports along with the headphone and microphone jacks and the RGB button for changing the RGB effects of the fans.
The darkFlash Phantom is a very nice looking case that comes with plenty of options for water cooling and fan mounting. The case is a bit tall but it is very easy to build inside.
At the top of the case, you can install a 280mm radiator. At the front, you can install a 240mm radiator and at the back, you can install a 120mm radiator. So you have plenty of support for fans and radiators if you are interested in water cooling your PC. At the bottom of the case, you have the PSU shroud that does have a window, which can be used for showing off your fancy power supply. You can even show off your RGB lighting if you have an RGB power supply.
The case comes with a controller that controls the RGB lighting of the fans. It is connected to the button at the front of the case which allows you to change the lighting effects. At the top of the case, you also get a magnetic dust filter which will keep the dust out The filter sits on the top of the case so removing it and cleaning it is very easy.
Pros
- Easy case to build in
- Beautiful design
- 6 RGB fans included
- Plenty of support for fans and radiators
- Velcro straps available for cable management
Cons
- The right side panel also has tempered glass and exposes cables
8. Cooler Master MasterCase H500
The Cooler Master MasterCase 500 is designed with airflow in mind. You can get the case with a mesh front panel or a plastic one. We recommend the mesh one for better airflow. At the front, you get 2 giant 200mm fans with RGB and on the back, you get a standard non-RGB fan 120mm fan for exhausting heat out of the case. The case comes with a controller so that you can change the RGB lighting effects and customize the look of your build.
There is a tempered glass side panel like all the cases that we have looked into here. The glass panel on the other side is not available on the other side which is a nice update. This helps bring the price down and makes the design much better in the process. The side panel is held in place with two flathead screws which are not the best solution but there is a lip at the bottom. So, when you remove the screws the panel is not going to drop down and break.
The Cooler Master MasterCase 500 is cheaper than other similar models and comes with 2 front panels. It has massive 200mm fans at the front with RGB lighting and a standard fan at the back. The case even supports vertical mounting for water-cooled GPUs. All these features make the case impressive value for money.
The GPU can be mounted vertically but there is only a single slot for that and you will need an entry-level single-slot card or a water-cooled card in order to take advantage of the feature. A 360mm radiator can be installed in the front of the case. A 240mm radiator can be mounted on the top of the case and the top natively supports 200mm radiators from Cooler Master.
At the top, you get a magnetic dust filter that is going to keep the system much cleaner. It can easily be removed for cleaning. The case comes with a handle that will let you lift it up. At the front, you also have 4 USB ports, headphone and microphone jacks along with LED indicators and the power button.
Pros
- 2 front panels included (mesh and plastic)
- 3 fans included (2 RGB)
- Huge 200mm fans at the front
- Supports 360mm radiator
- Supports vertical mounting for water-cooled GPUs
- Impressive airflow
- Cheaper than other 500 series cases
Cons
- Glass is prone to scratches and fingerprints
- Flat screws on the side panel
9. AeroCool Cylon RGB
The AeroCool Cylon RGB is a budget case that comes with an RGB LED at the front. The lighting can be controlled with the button on the top but you cannot turn it off unless you remove the cable that is powering the LED light. The case comes with an acrylic side panel which looks fine but you do get a hint that this is a cheaper case and that makes sense because it indeed is. It is understandable that corners were cut in order to keep the price low.
This is a relatively inexpensive case but it looks and feels like it as well. If you are on a budget then this is an option that you can look into.
The case supports a 240mm radiator at the front and a single 120mm fan at the top. You also have a 120mm fan at the back to exhaust air out of the case. There is a dust filter at the bottom and the top of the case. You might not want to keep something heavy on the top of the case as it does have some flex. Another drawback is that the PSU shroud is not spacious and if you do not have a semi-modular PSU then tucking away extra cables can be an issue.
At the back of the case, you have HDD storage bays which can be used for SSDs as well. There are slots for you to mount SSDs next to your motherboard as well.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Supports 240mm radiator at the front
- Numerous fan mounting options
Cons
- Top of the case has some flex
- Case RGB light cannot be turned off
10. darkFlash DLM21
The darkFlash DLM21 is a smaller case that supports Micro ATX and ITX motherboards. Even though it is a smaller case, it still supports a 120mm radiator at the rear as a 240mm radiator on the top. At the front, you can install up to 3 120mm fans as long as you remove the HDD storage bay.
The darkFlash DLM21 is a nice compact case that supports up to 240mm radiators. It comes with 3 RGB fans out of the box and the side panel opens up like a door without having to remove any screws. If you are interested in building a smaller PC then this is a great option to consider.
The HDD storage bay can be used for HDDs or SSDS. You have slots for 2 SSDs next to the motherboard. The case has a tempered glass side panel but the interesting thing here is that the side panel opens up like a door rather than having to remove screws. This is very convenient indeed. Once the side panel is open, you can lift it up a little bit to remove it, if needed.
The design is simple and minimal and you even get dust filters for the top and the bottom of the case. The cable management options are decent. The implementation is not the best in the world but that is understandable keeping in mind that this is a compact case that is reasonably priced.
Pros
- Compact size
- Clean design
- Supports 240mm radiator
- Side panel can be opened like a door
- 3 RGB fans included
Cons
- Cable management options could be better
- No USB Type-C
- Removal of Black lines would look better
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