Best Full Tower Cases of 2018 – Buying Guide

The freedom of having a full tower PC case is somewhat intoxicating in the way that you have all this space to do whatever your mind can think of. With the right case you can pull off any combination with no need to compromise on your vision. This space often makes for a better performing PC too because the cooling capabilities are increased tenfold. Hotter components aren’t all bunched together and are instead allowed space to breathe. Of course this comes at the expense of having a giant hunk of metal to find space for but providing you can fit a full tower case easily in your environment, you will find the benefits far outweigh the cons.

Full tower PC cases can be expensive too, often they are aimed at enthusiast builders, on this list we only have one case under one hundred dollars so if you are working on a budget then a full tower case may not be for you.

In this list we will be looking at the best full tower PC cases that are currently available on the market. If you have any suggestions let us know in the comments below.

1. Phanteks Enthoo Pro – $90

The Phanteks Enthoo Pro is the cheapest case on our list coming in at just ninety dollars, not a particularly bad price for such a big case. Phanteks are perhaps more well known for their fantastic cooling solutions but their cases are just as good.

The Enthoo Pro has space for one 200mm fan in the front (or two 120/140mm fans), a 120/140mm fan in the back, three 120/140mm fans or a 200mm fan up top, two 120mm fans on the bottom or one 140mm fan and surprisingly there is space for two 120mm fans specifically to cool your hard drives. It also comes with a PWM hub so you can connect all of your PWM fans to it, it is located on the back of the motherboard tray meaning you can keep the front clear of extraneous cables.  

The case comes in three different colours, Black, Titanium Green and White so there is something there to fit all builds. The side panel has a large window and a smaller one so you can see everything that is inside. There is room for four 5.25” drives and eight expansion slots to play with. Included is a PSU shroud so you can hide all of the cables underneath it, it has a rubber grommet on the side of it to thread cables through. A unique feature that is not common at all.

Overall the Phanteks Enthoo Pro is a great full tower case for the money. A fantastic choice for those that want the space of a full tower case at a fraction of the price.

2. Fractal Design Define XL R2 – $136

Fractal Design are known for their well thought out minimalistic cases. The Define series is probably their most popular and the XL is a fantastic addition to the series.

In typical Fractal Design fashion, the case has no sort of flashy gimmicks. That isn’t to say it looks boring, it is sleek and professional looking. It has a total of seven fan positions. Two 120/140mm fans in the front, one 120/140mm fan in the rear, two 120/140mm in the top, one at the bottom and one in the side. There is space for water cooling radiators up to 280mm, so a good choice for water enthusiasts. There is room for eight hard drives, four 5.25” drives and a total of nine expansion slots. GPUs up to 480mm are supported if you remove the HDD cage, if you don’t want to do that there is 330mm of space to play with.

The Fractal Design Define XL R2 is the case full tower case to get if you want understated looks with a fantastically well thought out layout. The price isn’t too bad either for what you get.

3. Thermaltake Core V71 – $144

In stark contrast to the Fractal Design the Thermaltake Core V71 goes for a bit more of an outspoken design with its front mesh and blue accented design.

The side panel window is large enough for you to see absolutely everything inside of the case, if you are one of those people that likes to gaze at all of your equipment, this case is a godsend.

At the front you have two 200mm fans, the back has space for one 120/140mm  fan, the top has space for a further two 200mm fans and the bottom even has space for two 120mm fans. This case is a fantastic choice for those big into their air cooling. The Thermaltake Core V71 has what Thermaltake call “Fully Modular Design” so you can customise the innards to your liking.

There is support for eight hard drives and SSDs inside, along with space for two 5.25” drives as well. There are eight expansion slots to take advantage of as well.

The Thermaltake Core V71 is a very well thought out case that allows you to tailor it to your needs. The cooling capabilities really make this case stand out amongst the competition.

4. Corsair Obsidian Series 750D Airflow Edition – $160

Corsair make some of the best cases on the market, in all different form factors as well. The Obsidian Series 750D Airflow Edition is one of their biggest cases to date and it does a lot with the space available.

Looks wise, the 750D is really impressive, it isn’t showy, every little detail is there to improve the functionality of the case. The difference between the standard and Airflow Editions of the 750D is that in the latter there is a  rectangular mesh front just under the 5.25” bays for two 120/140mm fans. The standard fits these fans but without the mesh making for less efficient airflow. It is a nice option to have though.

There is space for a total of ten fans, three up top, two in the front, two on the bottom and one in the rear. The max fan size supported for these slots is 140mm, apart from the bottom fans, they have a max size of 120mm. This also means that there is radiator support for sizes up to 360mm.

There are three 5.25” drive slots as well as support for seven Hard drives. There are nine expansion slots too. There is plenty of room for everything in the 750D.

The Corsair Obsidian Series 750D Airflow Edition is a great case. It has been meticulously design from every angle and it certainly justifies its price tag.

5. CoolerMaster HAF X – $190

The HAF X has been around for a long time now, that is a testament to how well it is designed. Aesthetically it may be a bit over the top but look past the tank like design and you find a fantastic case that will house anything you can throw at it.

HAF stands for High Airflow and that’s exactly what this case gives you. One 230mm fan in the front, two 200mm fans up top and one 200mm fan on the side. It even comes with an air duct to focus the side fan on your GPU. In the front there are two hot swap drive bays for hard drives and space for a further four 5.25” drives. Nine expansion slots gives you enough room for quad SLI and Crossfire. Not including the hot swap drive bays, you have room for five HDDs on the inside of the case.

Also included is a PSU shroud to hide cabling and a device to combat GPU sag. Very nice additions that you don’t really get elsewhere.

The HAF X may be old but it is still one of the best full tower cases you can get today. A fantastic case that still has many years in it. It may be expensive at just under two hundred dollars but it will last for a very long time.

6. Phanteks Enthoo Series Primo – $256

The second Phanteks case to grace this list and it is a lot more bold in its design than the last. This is Phanteks top of the line Enthoo Primo.

It shares a lot of the same features as the Enthoo Pro, things such as the PWM hub and PSU shroud return but it also adds a lot for the extra cash. Things such as controllable LED lighting and space for up to sixteen fans, this means great support for very big radiators. The motherboard tray is in a really deep red that compliments the fully black exterior, though it may alienate those that want a colour matching build. Thankfully they offer some more colour combinations so you may find something that matches your colour scheme.

Perhaps disappointingly, there is only support for six hard drives, a little small for the size of the case. You can fit two PSUs in this case which is a very rare occurrence but a nice inclusion. There is space for five 5.25” drives and eight expansion slots.

This is a really expensive case but you get a lot of space for features that you can’t get from competition, such as dual PSUs. It may be lacking in HDD support but it makes up for it with a design geared towards the best airflow possible.

7. Cooler Master Cosmos II – $330

By far the most expensive case on this list but the Cosmos II from CoolerMaster is their top of the line case. It is an absolute beast of a case that can fit anything you throw at it and it looks good doing it too.

Design wise, CoolerMaster say it was inspired by race cars and it’s not difficult to see that with the swooping dramatic lines the case has. The Front IO even looks like a dashboard to a very expensive car. There is support for up to ten fans and thirteen hard drives. The bottom compartment of the case even comes with its own specially designed cooling solution. There are ten expansion bays as well, giving you lots of space for GPUs and other PCIe cards.

The case even comes with handles and you’ll need them if you want to lug this behemoth around with you.

The CoolerMaster Cosmos II is the granddaddy of Full Tower cases but CoolerMaster have been teasing a Cosmos III at this years Computex so before splashing the cash on this one, make sure to wait and see what the new one has to offer. 

As evidenced by this list, full tower PC cases are the way to go if you are the kind of person that likes to experiment and really go big with your builds. Of course full tower cases aren’t for everyone but for those that really take their PC building seriously only a full tower case and give the space you need to fit in all of the wacky gadgets you can pick up today.

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