The 8 Best PC Cases With Fans Included in 2022
We've narrowed down the best value picks with cooling covered
We have updated this article in June for the second half of 2022. After reviewing some new fan-included options on the market, our top picks remain the same. We’ve included some alternatives for options that occasionally run low on stock.
Why settle for a PC case that doesn’t include your cooling off the bat?
While many options include fans nowadays, it can be hard to know when the quality and quantity are decent for the price of the case in question.
After 100s of chassis reviews, I’ve put today’s features together to guide you through the best PC cases with fans included.
These picks will focus on value. We’ll look at cheaper cases including 1-2 fans/decent ventilation perfect for a budget builder, and also slightly more expensive choices that still offer an excellent deal by including a more extensive RGB fan/cooling setup.
Best PC Case with Fans Under $50: Cooler Master N200
The top pick was a bit of a no-brainer for this feature.
The N200, from one of the best PC case manufacturers in the game, is an absolutely incredible value purchase. Of course, you’re not going to get the same level of product as some more expensive options, but it’s still well ahead of its similarly-priced counterparts.
The build quality is a nice mix of steel, plastic, and metal for the mesh (again, great for the price). I like the choice of mesh in this case. Alongside the vents on the sides, top, and rear, Cooler Master has clearly recognized that purchasers of the N200 don’t want to then spend lots more on expensive fans. So the cooling out of the box is already suitable for your budget gaming PC build (or something for general work).
This case comes with a very generous 2 x 120mm fans installed (1 on the rear & 1 on the front). You could install up to 3 more if you wish to later. But between the mesh and surrounding ventilators, you have all the cooling you need out of the box here. I was pleased with the thermal benchmarking I saw on a test budget build.
Source: jnanof
This is a Micro ATX case, the perfect form factor for a budget builder (not too big that you’re paying for unnecessary material, not too small you’re worried about specialist parts), with room inside for:
- 4 expansion slots
- 4 x 3.5″, 3 x 2.5″ & 1 x 5.25″ (optical) drive bays
- Graphics card clearance up to 355mm in length (more than enough for most mainstream cards)
- 1 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 on the front I/O panel (many cases this cheap will have fewer ports)
We can’t reiterate enough what an impressive budget offering this is.
The fact that you get a case from one of the most reliable brands with a slick design, build quality, 2 120mm fans, decent ventilation, and enough space for a great gaming build is really impressive.
This isn’t just the best micro ATX case with fans, but the best cheap choice across any form factor I’ve found by a notable margin.
2022 mid-year update: The N200 remains our top pick for 2.5 years running; we’ve seen other cases with fans enter the market, but nothing that matches what the N200 manages to achieve in its incredibly low price point. Yes, there are better cases at higher budgets, but if you’re looking for the best value and something that still serves as a great base, this remains our favorite choice.
Best PC Case with RGB Fans: MUSETEX T400-MN8
For those with a slightly larger budget who want to build something with a more eye-catching aesthetic, MUSETEX’s T400-MN8 is a very impressive value offering.
If you told me you could get a decent quality mid-tower with 8 addressable RGB fans & 2 sides of tempered glass at this price before I saw this? I would have thought you were lying!
But that’s exactly what you get with the MN8. RGB fans that are addressable can be customized in a huge variety of ways to behave as you want. This can mean anything from what color each light is, to how the lights are animated (they can fade on and off at various speeds or even flare up in sync with your music). The system includes a remote control to change the lights easily (a nice touch, as this can get tiresome if going through software).
The tempered glass windows are full-length, which we always appreciate in showing off a great aesthetic (especially one focussed on RGBs). There is enough room in here for:
- 7 x expansion slots
- Up to 380mm GPU lengths (all you’ll need for nearly every card)
- 3 x 2.5″ & 2 x 3.5″ drive bays
Source: MUSETEX
There’s all the space you need for a full size card. The ridiculous inclusion of cooling inside the case gives you a great basis for overclocking if you desire. Between these factors, it’s often my top answer when readers ask what the best gaming PC with fans included is on a budget.
Cooler Master N200 vs MUSETEX T440-MN8
MUSETEX isn’t as big and reputable of a brand as Cooler Master, but we still consider them worthy of inclusion, with their various flagship cases being well-received for quite a while now.
The N200 is a little more practical of a choice than the MN8 with far more ventilation surrounding the case. Even though the cooling on the MN8 is very capable with its fans, it’s slightly hampered by the choice to g for a tempered glass front panel. This is clearly an aesthetic-focussed decision and you’ll have to ask yourself if you prefer a more reliable consistent airflow (N200) or a beautifully transparent case that overcompensated for its ventilation issues with plenty of fans (MN8).
As insane as the N200 offer may be, the MN8, with its dual tempered glass and 8 ARGB fans, is the most value I see in the list’s options. Yes, it costs more, but the extra inclusions are even crazier for the price.
If you want an RGB aesthetic, this is a fantastic budget choice.
2022 mid-year update: Although we still highly recommend the T400, we’ve observed it having several stock issues over 2022. If you like the look of it, MUSETEX does some similar models that offer a ton of great value RGB fan inclusions, like the Phantom.
Best ITX Case with Fan Included: Thermaltake Core V1
If you were looking for a small pc case with good fan inclusion, I have good news.
One of the most popular ITX cases on the market, the Core V1, is a fantastic value offering. At its low price, it only includes 1 fan, but that is a 200mm fan that is as nearly as large as the case and combined with the great ventilation and mesh design, is enough to cool your ITX build on its own (with an option for 2 x 80mm fans in future if you do want to upgrade).
The V1 has a deceptively high-quality build for its price, with SPCC steel and tempered glass surrounding its exterior (not to mention its incredibly unique cube tower design).
Source: Seiren2112
Quite largely considered one of the best budget ITX cases for gaming, there’s space inside for:
- GPUs up to 285mm in length
- 2 x 2.5″ & 2 x 3.5″ drive bays (both hidden)
The storage space, in particular, is really impressive for a case of its size (with many similar cases only having 1-2 2.5″ drive bays). You of course won’t get the cooling that you would in our larger choices, but still more than enough for a budget gaming PC.
We’re a little disappointed by the GPU length. It’s not uncommon to see this kind of clearance in ITX, but for a case that has gaming in mind, pushing to 295-300mm would’ve been nice to see. With that said, that’s often the sacrifice of getting a great compact aesthetic. It will still accommodate many mainstream GPUs. Just be sure to check your dimensions before you buy (and if this is too small, many of the other options on this list are larger).
NOTE: If you’re looking at the Amazon reviews for this case, know that a majority of the very low ratings are for a different Thermaltake Core series cases (the V200), if you specifically look for the V1 reception, you’ll see that it’s largely very positive for all the reason’s we’ve discussed.
This isn’t just one of the best mini ITX cases with fans, but one of my most common recommendations to budget builders looking for a nice compact case that still packs a punch.
Best ATX Case With Fans: Fractal Design Focus G
I know that not everyone is into the big “flashy” aesthetic that a case like our MUSETEX pick above provides. I want to also offer a gaming PC case with fan inclusion that’s a little more traditional (and also from one of the best chassis brands in the business).
Fractal cases are always top quality. The Focus G, despite its lower price tag, is no exception. Featured several times on What in Tech previously, this mid-tower includes a pair of high-quality Silent LL Series 120mm case fans. I’m really pleased by this, as it would’ve been easy to cheap out and offer some very basic fans at this price point. Fractal is known for silent builds, and while this budget offering isn’t as quiet as its flagship choices, it will still be the quietest option on the list.
Inside is room for:
- 7 x expansion slots
- GPU clearance up to 380mm (more than enough for most cards)
- 2 x 2.5″ / 3.5″, 1 x 2.5″ & 2 x 5.25″ drive bays
Source: MrThreePik
There’s plenty of graphic card/storage room in here for either a gaming pc or someone looking for more of an enthusiast work build.
There are lots of smaller “quality of life” features in the case too. Including decent cable management and airflow (nicely aided by the mesh front plate). The inclusion of optical drives is great for anyone still using older media (if not, they can easily be converted into more storage space).
Alongside the decent ventilation and included cooling is the option to add up to 4 more 120mm fans (not that you’ll need these on a budget setup, but it’s a nice option for later if you want to consider overclocking).
If the other cases don’t hit the mark for you (perhaps you want more of a minimalist choice from a big brand, and your budget is a little above the N200), this Fractal offering is a great choice.
Quick-Fire Picks (Best of the Rest)
While the top 4 choices are what we consider the best budget PC cases with fans included, there are a few extra options worth considering in certain situations that we thought worth adding (and are still worth considering if they more comfortably match your requirements).
Best Budget Case With RGB Fans: Montech X1
If you want a cheap PC case with RGB fans and the MUSETEX top pick is outside of your price bracket, the Montech X1 will be the best model for you.
Cheapest PC Case With Fan Included: DEEPCOOL MATREXX 30
Although we would recommend pushing you to purchase the N200 model if you can stretch your budget a tiny bit further (with the higher quality/reputable manufacturer behind it), we respect some builders will literally be looking for the cheapest PC case with fans that will get their build up and running. The MATREXX is the choice we’d recommend for just that (only 1 fan included but with enough ventilation for a budget build, though we’d highly recommend adding 1-2 more when possible).
Cheapest ATX PC Case With Fan: DEEPCOOL MATREXX 50
The larger brother of the pick directly above, if you are after the cheapest ATX PC case that also has that classic, tempered glass look, this is it (we would recommend purchasing a cheap second 120mm fan with this as a minimum, however). We would still recommend our top Fractal pick vs this if you have the extra budget for its superior build quality and airflow.
Best ATX Case With RGB Fans Alternative Pick: Thermaltake V250
If you prefer an RGB case to be with one of the larger brands as opposed to the MUSETEX offering we present above, this is your best value option. One of Thermaltake’s flagship budget models includes a beautiful tempered glass design and 3 high-quality RGB fans.
We also like the quantity of cooling built-in as we know many readers are after a PC case with 3 fans included.
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