It is December now and that means the end of the year is upon us. This past year we have reviewed quite a few products, but I think we have reviewed cases the most. Cases are such an important part of your system, it is the first thing someone looks at when you are at a LAN party. We have decided to make a list of the best cases of 2011. Keep in mind these are drawn from cases that we have reviewed so if you do not see a case in this list that is why. Read on to see what our favorite cases from 2011 were.
Corsair Graphite Series 600T (Review)
Corsair really jumped on to the case scene in a big way this year. It all started with the Obsidian 800D case in 2010 and since then they have shown everyone that they are much more than a memory manufacturer. I don’t think that I’ve been disappointed by any of their cases that I’ve had the chance to review. The 800D case was awesome, but the price was not. Corsair wanted to come out with a case that had a more reasonable price, but had many of the same features of the 800D. The Graphite Series 600T was that case. It offered great cooling with twin 200mm fans and a single 120mm fan included. The case also had one of the best side panel locking system’s that I have seen on a case in a while. Inside of the case was just as impressive with a ton of cable routing holes, tool-less hard drive and optical drive systems, a CPU cutout and room for 2.5-inch SSD’s. I am using this case as my main system case and I don’t plan on changing that anytime soon! You can pick up the Corsair Graphite Series 600T case for $159.99 at my favorite online retailer.
Cubitek Tank XL-ATX Case (Review)
To be honest I really was not that excited to review this case. I just needed an XL-ATX case for XL-ATX motheboards we were reviewing at the time. I am glad Cubitek was nice enough to send this case over because I am still using it for one of my test systems. There is something just awesome about all aluminum cases and it is a shame there are not more of them. The Cubitek Tank XL-ATX case is made for XL-ATX motherboards so there is quite a lot of room inside to work with, which is why I use it for my test systems. Besides all of the room inside the case you have three 140mm fans and a single 230mm intake. These fans light up bright red, which looks awesome with the brushed aluminum finish of the case. This case has all of the other basics covered like 2.5-inch mounting systems, a CPU cutout, and USB 3.0 connectivity. If you are looking for a case that is quality-made and has a lot of room inside you can’t go wrong with the Cubitek Tank XL-ATX Case. The Tank can be found online for about $169.
Thermaltake Level 10 GT (Review)
Thermaltake’s original Level 10 case was just amazing. There was no case like it and there still is not a case that compares. The thing that was not great about the original Level 10 was the price, when it launched it was $800! No one really wants to spend that much money on a case. Thermaltake knew this and came out with the Level 10 GT. The Level 10 GT had some of the same looks as the original Level 10 case, but was a more practical case. It still is one of the coolest looking cases that I have seen! Besides looking different from other cases the Level 10 GT had 5 hot-swappable bays that were unlike any we have seen. They came out the side of the case and were completely integrated into the design of the case. When you open the easy to open side panel door you can see that there are cable routing holes and there is a connection on the side panel so you don’t have to worry about connecting the side panel fan (I believe Thermaltake is the only company doing this). If you are looking for a case that looks like nothing out there and is packed with features definitely check out the Thermaltake Level 10 GT. You can pick it up for $199 at my favorite online retailer.
So those are our favorite cases of 2011 that we reviewed. If you think there is a case that belongs on this list let us know in the comments!
I would have to include the Corsair Carbide 400R in that list. Working with it is a very similar experience to the Graphite 600T, but it includes a couple of key things the 600T lacks. First, it has front-panel USB3 ports that can connect to the motherboard header, instead of requiring a pass-through. It’s one of the first cases I’d seen that chose to include that feature, and it’s a VERY welcome one. Second, and most importantly, the $99 price tag. The fact that Corsair was able to create a case that easy to work in, with that many USEFUL features(some case makers don’t realize more isn’t always better), and price it under $100? That’s HUGE for us DIY-folks who appreciate a good bang for their buck. I built my newest PC this spring with a 600T, but if it had been out earlier, I definitely would have used the 400R instead.
I would have added the 500r, as well as the Raven 3(it truly is an excellent case if you take time in wiring)
I have had a Level 10 GT for about 6 months. There is a lot to like about it. Looks, fans, room, hinged door, cable routing.
However the drive bays are awful. The sata cable mounts in the hard drive bays are very weak. They are constructed of thin plastic. I broke 3 of them in the 1st month and had to give up on them because the multiple power plug (nice feature) wouldn’t connect properly and I had to plug my sata cables directly into my hard drives. This means that the hard drives mounting tray floats within my bay.
The Raven 3 is an awesome case, we did not get the chance to review it so it is not on this list.
Just what I needed! Useful insights to get me up and rolling in Content marketing and SEO
Lumion 7pro