BUDGET CASES

Play it smart by saving money on your chassis and spending it on bigger and better components.

- Jacob Ridley

There's no denying the importance of a quality PC case in getting top performance out of your PC's parts. Your choice of the case can mean the difference between optimal airflow and a weak breeze that could barely cool a capacitor. It can decide whether you have space for SSDs or have to stick one to the back of your motherboard tray with tape. It may even be the difference between a pain-free PC building experience and needing a band-aid.

Zauron

AEROCOOL $47

The budget case champ

1 The Aerocool Zauron is quite simply the most impressive budget case. Not only because it delivers what any PC gamer on a budget would need of it, but because it also does it on a shoestring budget. The Zauron is the cheapest case of the lot.

The layout of this case is exactly what is best for a case of this price tag and size, offering plenty of ventilation and space for an optimal fan setup. The PSU is fitted neatly away under a shroud and there's room for multiple fans or radiators in the front and top. On the side is a real tempered glass side panel, which is surprising on a case that asks so little. There's just one fan included, which is a bit of a knock to the Zauron because it's a single molex-powered fan with a fixed RPM. Yet average temperatures for both CPU and GPU are decent despite this. So while it may still have some of those cheap case flaws, much like the others, I can't argue with this case for the small sum of money demanded for it.

PC GAMER VERDICT

→ One of the cheapest cases we tested

→ Simple design and effective layout

→ Nice looking finish

SPECS SIZE: MID-TOWER / 2.5-INCH BAYS: 4 MAX / 3.5-INCH BAYS: 2 MAX/MAX GPU LENGTH: 325MM / MAX FAN SUPPORT: 6X120MM/ RGB LIGHTING: FAN ONLY / SIDE PANEL: YES, GLASS / FRONT PANEL: POWER, RESET, AUDIO, 2 X USB 3.0