I'm looking for an ATX case under about $60 that doesn't have a tempered-glass side panel. I use my computer as a monitor stand, so a glass panel feels risky and unnecessary. I also prefer a practical, old-school design and need room for three 2.5-inch drives, plus a larger 3.5-inch hard drive that will replace two of them. A few micro-ATX cases caught my eye, but they don't meet my storage requirements. Are solid metal cases still available at this price, or are there affordable glass-panel cases whose side panels can be swapped for metal?
5 Answers
PCPartPicker can filter cases by side-panel type, price, and drive-bay count, which makes this search much easier. Set the price ceiling, choose solid or mesh panels, and require at least two 3.5-inch bays and one 2.5-inch bay. Also check second-hand listings; discontinued cases with solid metal panels and 5.25-inch bays are often cheap there.
The Fractal Focus 2 and Pop Air are available with solid side panels instead of glass, and both have room for 3.5-inch drives. They’re usually more than $60 new, though, so checking used listings could make them realistic. Older cases are often a better deal for this kind of storage-heavy build.
Some cases use the same mounting points for the glass and solid side panels, so a replacement metal panel might work, but it depends on the exact chassis. You can sometimes install the solid panel from the opposite side, although that may leave you looking at the back of the motherboard. It’s worth checking the manufacturer’s spare-parts listings before buying.
They definitely still exist, but the inexpensive market is heavily focused on glass and RGB now. The Thermaltake Versa H21, Antec VSK4000E-U3, and some Cooler Master and Thermaltake models have solid panels and useful drive bays. The Antec in particular has several 3.5-inch bays, though it may be slightly above your budget depending on the seller.
A few other cases worth checking are the Sharkoon S1000 or V1000, Thermaltake Versa V100, DIYPC DIY-S05, Rosewill Helium NAS, Antec P10 FLUX, and older Phanteks Enthoo models. Prices and availability vary a lot, but several can be found around the $50–$100 range and are much more practical than most modern glass cases.
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