Buying a case - things to consider

I am quite close to finishing my first PC build - just need the case and the display. I'm planning on buying the case next and I am basing my decision on price, the number of drive bays included and whether or not it comes with any sort of cooling. Is there anything else that I really need to consider? Also when it says how many USB slots are included, does it need to match the amount of USB ports my motherboard has? I plan on only using 2 or 3 USB ports at one time so should I just look for a case that has this many slots?

External usb ports always come in pairs 2 or 4 etc so get a case that has 4. What is your price range because you can get many decent cases for $50-$100 and very good ones around $150.

OK so your motherboard should have USB3 plugs on its back panel, that's where you can plug in your USB3 devices no matter what case you choose, since the plugs are on the motherboard itself. To make use of front USB3 plugs on the case the motherboard needs to have the appropriate ports, usually listed among "internal I/O ports" or "mid-board". Most new motherboards have 2 USB3 plugs on the back and offer 2 front USB3 ports, and they also have more USB2 ports than you'll ever need. As for the case, it all depends on what you need, but generally you want a model with bottom placed PSU and preferably with 2 12cm fans on top (or the option to install them), 1 on the back, and 1 or 2 12cm intake fans on the front.

Buying a case is a matter of personal favor in style and design.

When I recommend cases they must be good ventilation for airflow and good cable management as well.

From my own experience, most PC cases will have the standard minimum of 2 USB ports and AC 97 mic/headphone jacks up front. I have a personal preference for microATX minitowers. For a case that small, an additional thing to consider is whether the case has room for full-sized video cards (eg over 11" long).

For example, two of my microATX cases. One is more restricted on video card size:

Usb ports do not necessarily come in pairs (my phantom for example) I have one usb 3.0 (with the header), and one 2.0. which is fine with me since I just use the 2.0 one as a fast charging port and 3.0 for everything else.

Check for room, inside the case, fan holes in the top and back and check if it has ventilation possibilities in the bottom.
Cheap cases often bring the risk of overheating your system so don't go 'too' small if you're cooling only air.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

The most I'm willing to spend is about $100. Came across this after a bit of research - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B009GXZ8MM/cupcre-21. It seems pretty good - decent price, comes with two pre-installed fans (are pre-installed fans usually reliable?), has cable management which is nice and seems like a its a good size.

Just curious, how come it's best to have the PSU at the bottom?

http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/34-phantom

Thank me later

For a 100$ budget, worrying about the amount of drive bays or any sort of cooling is silly as that will get you a very good case as is. I recommend the following cases:

Fractal Design Define R4

Fractal Design Define XL R2

Nanoxia Deep Silence 1

NZXT H440

There are so many personal factors IMO that come into play when choosing a case. The first case I got I just wanted something simple and cheap. It worked fine enough, but after a while I ended up wanting/needing more.

The ports on the case are extra on top of what is on the motherboard. So you will have the ports on the back of the motherboard and the ones on the case to use. The ports on the case plug into the motherboard.

Things I ultimately looked for were:

1. Style - We all have our own style and vision for what we want.

2. Cable management - After using a case with no cable management I realized how nice it is to have. It works even better with a modular PSU.

3. Cooling - The case needs to be able to accommodate the coolers and fans you want to use. Some cases also come with fans.

4. Noise - Certain cases pay special attention to noise cancellation and include little things like rubber stands to cut down on vibration all the way to noise isolation foam.

Aside form that, most cases will have adequate space for hard drives and disk drives.

Here you go

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139008

Dayum that's a very nice case for that price.

When it's on top it gets air warmed by CPU and other components (and heat is bad for all things electronic). Besides, bottom PSU placed cases tend to be bigger and have better cooling.

Ok, thanks for all your replies guys. I'll do a bit more research before I make my decision.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119263

I am a huge fan of the Coolermaster Storm Scout 1 and 2.. I currently use the 1 in my build with a micro atx Asus motherboard.. (but it can hold full size atx as well).. I like the design alot, it isn't overpowering its a nice black color.. The front panel has filters already built in so you hardly get any dust.. The airflow is great while not being overly load.. It has a cut out for the motherboard so its easy to install back plate for cpu cooler if you need it.. The back panel room for cables is great, I am able to hide all of my cables.. It is also a lighter case with a very sturdy handle at the top so you have a much easier time of carrying it around..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139029

If your looking for not your typical case I honestly think this is the coolest one I have ever seen.. When I build my next machine I will definitely be using this case I think..

I have a Corsair Graphite 600T White Edition, the case is pretty big, it has 6 hard drive caddies four USB port in the front, two 200mm fans and one 120mm. It has good ventilation and you have fan control panel for the fans speed. It's an awesome case and a beautiful :P