PC Builders Often Overspend On High-End Cases, Here’s Where That Money Should Go Instead

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With memory prices soaring to new, terrifying heights, it’s important for PC builders to squeeze every last bit of performance they can out of their money. One major trap to fall into when you’re putting your part list together for a DIY build is doling out money for a PC case with an LCD screen and 10 RGB fans. Especially when there’s no shortage of great PC cases for under $100 that, in many instances, will provide better air flow and upgradability room over more expensive, flashier options. 

And there are plenty of places in a PC setup to better spend that money. While an extra $100 to $200 may not do much in terms of a GPU, it absolutely does go a long way when it comes to processors, motherboards, RAM, and cooling solutions. Internal hardware aside, you can also spend the extra cash on accessories that will have a bigger impact on the overall feel of your setup, like gaming mice and keyboards, headphones, mouse pads, and more.

If you’re looking for a quality PC case in a reasonable price range, check out the NZXT H5 Flow, LIAN LI LANCOOL 207, and the Corsair 4000D Frame RS. Each of these cases prioritizes steady airflow and quality of life features like convenient I/O ports, pre-installed fans, and cable management options without running the price up to $250 and beyond.

Instead of dropping hundreds of dollars on a case, shoot for substance over style and spend it on better performance instead. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X retails for $339 at Amazon (on sale for $309.99 at the time of writing) and, while it’s a fine processor for gaming performance, it’s significantly slower than the $479 AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (on sale for $444 at the time of writing) when it comes to memory latency and multi-tasking (quad-and octa-core performance). $100 is also the difference between having a single-channel setup with the Lexar OC DDR5 RAM 1x8GB ($149.99 at Amazon) versus a dual-channel setup with double the RAM in the Patriot Viper Venom DDR5 RAM kit ($249.99 at Amazon). This will make a world of difference in both gaming and everyday usage, while an LCD screen on the front of your case will simply sit there and look pretty.

$35 is also the difference between the Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX ($219.99 at Amazon, on sale for $159.99 at the time of writing) and the Gigabyte B850 Aorus Elite WIFI7 Ice ($254.99 at Amazon, on sale for $208 at the time of writing) — the B850 model gives you Wi-Fi 7 over the B650’s Wi-Fi 6e (Wi-Fi 7 is up to 5x faster than Wi-Fi 6e), a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot instead of a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, and support for DDR5 8200 memory.

If you want to split the difference between form and function, grab a CPU liquid cooling AIO block like the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 A-RGB ($85.99 at Best Buy) or the Corsair Nautilus 360 ($99.99 at Best Buy). These add a little flair, but actually serve a purpose in reducing CPU thermal throttling.

Saving cash with a reasonably priced PC case also opens the door to better peripherals. A quality gaming mouse with a performant sensor like the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike ($179.99 at Amazon) or the Razer Viper V4 Pro ($159.99 at Amazon) has a tangible impact on the way your setup feels and how you perform. When split-second decisions are the difference between victory and defeat, you have a much better chance of winning with a premium gaming mouse instead of a flashy PC case. 

Similarly, the gaming keyboard you choose can make a massive difference in how your setup looks, feels, and performs. Choosing a keyboard with Hall Effect switches, like the Keychron K2 HE ($139.99 at Amazon) or ASUS ROG Falchion Ace HFX ($199.99 at Amazon, on sale for $148.49 at the time of writing), gives you the split second edge and reactivity that you don’t get with traditional mechanical switches. Premium gaming keyboards like the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro ($179.99 at Best Buy) offer QOL features like dedicated macro keys and media controls, and still provide a ton of personalization potential with different key cap sets, switches, and RGB lighting.

If you’re still using the same pair of wired Apple headphones that you’ve had for the last decade, a premium gaming headset is a more worthwhile upgrade than a fancy PC case. Our review of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless mentions how the headphones perform very well in long gaming sessions, offers a great suite of software features like EQ customization, and that “the earcups are just as comfortable as SteelSeries’ previous offerings, too, which is to say they’re very comfortable.” You can get the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless at Best Buy for $249.99.