Gadgetory

this video is brought to you by NCI XCOM great technology selection and service wow this has been a full year coming so the categories are so the categories are whoa let's do this what's up guys I'm Dmitry with Haruka Knox and welcome to our annual roundup of the best cases of 2015 I'm super excited to bring you this video because we reviewed 25 cases in total in 2015 I'm surprised that my reference system is still working everything is functional despite being taking out of a case and build and being inside the single case for 25 times individually throughout the year and check this out I bought this thermal paste exactly a year ago and I'm still using it there's still thermal paste in there left I have no idea how that's possible and in this countdown to the chassis of the year we're going to have six categories to play around with in which we're going to have a winner and a few runner ups or your honorable mentions that should also be considered so without any further ado the categories are the best mini ITX case the best budget enclosure the best this is my first time building a computer so which one should I buy type of case the WTF what were they thinking type of case the most beautiful enclosure of the year and finally we'll finish off with the case of the year now the way we compiled this list is only include cases that were both released and reviewed by us in 2015 to keep things fair and you can check out our 2013 and 2014 cases of the year with the links below or in the I but if you have any other suggestions or options that you think may suit into any of the categories that we'll be mentioning make sure to go like this on the keyboard so the first category is ITX and this one hands-down goes to the N case M 1 V 3 so building inside an M 1 was truly an amazing experience from the first time you easily pop open those aluminum panels and realize how freaking light the frame is but oMG how solid it is to everything about this tiny beautiful box screams quality from the refined aluminum edges to the way all the exterior panels are to lists but when you make your way onto the inside get ready for a tiny world of space optimizations thanks to continuous revisions by in case we have a variety of storage options that don't compromise on hardware compatibility this really awesome sight bracket for installation of in either an extra bracket with additional storage while leaving that one extra fan spot near it open or utilize the entire bracket for a 240 millimeter radiator you come out a full sized ATX power supply in here and still have room for a 12 and a half inch GPU all without obstructing the CPU area which is fantastic so if you want an all-encompassing compact ITX enclosure this is our winner of 2015 our runner-up ITX case includes the fractal design no 202 for a lovely and simple exterior with flexible orientation and what they did well here is the structural separation between the exterior panels and the main interior frame so you can assemble outside of the case sort of without any hassle it supports 12-inch GPUs with awesome ventilation everywhere and if you can deal with the totally clunky drive installation for the 2 2 and a half inch drives you'll be fine but to complement this runner up is our RV zo2 from silverstone now it offers a similar slim Tower form factor but with a totally different physical character the GPU chamber here is totally separated from the main one as to minimize airflow mixup and I love their implementation for drive installation with this very convenient angular two and a half inch drive brackets but if you got that enthusiast feeling bubbling up inside the last runner up in this category is the evolved I TX by fantex now yes it's slightly larger but offers a no compromise approach for water cooling with this fantastic removable bracket at the top and overall outstanding airflow throughout and given its a much wider enclosure compared to what we are used to with ITX cases it offers the easiest cable management in its class the next category is the best case and this one easily goes to the coarser 100 R and the Silverstone PS 11 at only 50 bucks I've grouped them together because the frame is about my 5% identical and both come and silent edition that has some noise dampening foam spread throughout or with this window that reveals a good portion of the interior at 50 bucks you have good storage options for both mechanical and solid-state drives and okay build quality and interior to accommodate for budget systems no problem stick to an air cooler for the CPU and thanks to the many cutouts around the motherboard cable management should be not a problem at all just make sure to control how many cables go behind the motherboard tray because there isn't that much room left of course these are the compromises for 50 bucks but these are the two of our budget selections for 2015 next let's talk about the entry category the case I would recommend if you're doing your first build and looking for something comfortable hands down the define s from fractal design they take an open concept to the next level by literally having nothing on the interior gone are the hardly ever used drive cages that restrict air flow and what we have here is a perfect equation for water cooling builds no modding required the motherboard tray is slightly recessed to help with cable management the top fan mounts are offset closer to the side panel for better radiator clearance and while I'm not a huge fan of the mod you vent system because there is no top dust filter when they are removed you can pretty much let the front of the case handle all the fan mounts all the storage is moved to the back with a clever three and a half inch drive mount and dual SSD brackets that clean up super well thanks to the ton of space and you don't have to worry about any structural support either once those side panels are on you can sit on the damn thing for a job well done the runner-up for a fantastic first timers experience is the NZXT Noctis 450 which brings us a very much needed upgrade in the airflow department as the exterior ventilated panels allow for less restrictive front intake and top exhaust plus for those not really interested in that elegant form factor of the age of 40 now have this as they share an identical interior frame which I really like the power supply shroud is awesome the drive cage is solid and hardware compatibility is top-notch inside the n450 plus you get a fan hub and gorgeous red underglow accents and we also gotta give the cooler master master case five shout out in here too because they are attempting to take a customization approach to the next level with a very well-designed interior space that is like chameleon it adapts based on your needs and everything from cable management to excellent air flow options to the modular cages to the best-in-class side panel design that hangs on the hinge and they don't just drop plus they brought back the handles which even just during assembly are super beneficial if you buy into the master case concept you are almost guaranteed for a future-proof investment the next category is fun the WTF what were they thinking and this one easily goes to the antic s10 now don't get me wrong it's a beautiful enclosure with quality tempered glass side panels with a unique tooless magnetic mount but that's about it because it's 500 bucks this is the case I was hoping that would revive antique with that competitive edge but absolutely nothing new was introduced on the interior layout and they've actually broke some things and made things worse like having no clearance for a top mounted radiator because the bracket is centered and far too back and cables are also on the way sure the front chamber is cooled separately but cable management becomes a nightmare especially because of that one entrance point at the bottom we have a molex fan hub you serious for a $500 case and it seems that unless you're using an e ATX motherboard then ntek is not really worth it because interior cutouts for cable management around the motherboard tray will definitely test your patience there's just not enough of them and they also really far away from where they need to be did they even build in this case I'm confused this may be the worst building experience of 2015 for me and even if you throw out the price out of the window switching gears a little bit let's talk about something that we did enjoy working in the most beautiful chassis of the year goes to the Leonie PC o8 this is the case where the tempered-glass side panels are not the only thing to talk about Leonie has always had fantastic aluminum build and they're unique and less conventional layouts are kind of fun to experiment with this dual chamber design allows the main portion of the case to remain very clean and exposed so if you've been dreaming of having this multi side showcase PC this is it and the rear side panel is solid to hide anything you've not fully cleaned up busts the case has this awesome lighting system built in that lets you position these LEDs anywhere you want and adjust the hue with the three knobs at the back my favorite part with this PC case are the added reflections in a darker environment that would make your workplace absolutely beautiful especially if you light up the insides in all the right places the Leonie PCO 8 may not be for everyone but it sure is beautiful and now we've come to the last category the moment we've been waiting for the case of the year a word goes to the evolved ATX by fantex now I think this case offers a very good balance between build functionality and internal customization starting with the build on the exterior we have these fantastic three millimeter aluminum panels complemented by internal solid frame I love the elegant character and the sandblasted surface to both side panels are a toolless and swivel to open but it's really when we get onto the inside that really highlight a functional layout for today's needs like a slide-out top bracket for easier radiator or fan installation outside of the case that accommodates for wide and thick radiators without interfering with the motherboard it is an open layout so you get the best possible front airflow but these parts can also be populated with these independent brackets and be moved in any of the five slots for best compatibility with your setup there is an additional side SSD mount at the front and two more at the back with two dedicated three and a half inch drive caddies which isn't a lot but that's why those optional brackets exist achieving organization with cables is super simple there's a PWM and hub included chromatid cutouts everywhere cable ties in all the right places and an interesting shape for the side window that reveals all the important goodies all while maintaining a fairly small footprint without any hardware or cooling limitations and really the only factor to keep in mind is the price at $179 which is steep but it's a really good reflection on the build the flexibility to get the mounting and awesome water cooling support and thus deserves our case of the Year nomination well that concludes the case of words for 2015 I really hope you enjoyed oh it was a fantastic year I'm looking forward to 2016 seeing what type of minimization of the frames we can achieve further on and what type of efficiency we can get with space optimizations but if you have any suggestions on any of the cases or options that we've picked per category make sure to let us know in the comment below I'm Dimitri with Harbor Canucks thank you so much for watching we'll see you the next video and Happy Holidays it was a good year case so it was a good year I'm looking forward to seeing one that 2016 shopping - I'm frame putting larger emphasis on modular aspect of a case some of the year we'll get one compiled list of the best cases of this year we've reviewed 25 cases I'm surprised my references and my thermal paste they're about a year ago still