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Vertical GPU cases are the best way to show off your graphics card. Yes, the card will run hotter compared to the regular mount, but hey, at least you can see all that RGB and fans. Now, PC cases featuring a vertical GPU mount option are either regular, mid-tower housings or chassis featuring vertical design where the vertical GPU mount is the default option.
Below you can find the best vertical GPU cases, both regular and vertical designs. No matter your preferences, you should find something for your needs. Whether that’s a hulking monolith filled with liquid-cooling pumps, fittings, and tubing or a stealthy vertical case that hides its innards.
If you’re leaning more towards the whole liquid cooling thing, check out our list of the best water cooling cases. For all of those looking for more RGB, there’s our best RGB cases list they can munch on. Also, if you’re plan to mount your GPU vertically, maybe read our list of the best 140mm case fans. You can lower your GPU thermals considerably by upgrading your case fan setup.
1. Fractal Design Meshify 2: Best mid-tower case with vertical GPU mount
Now, there are a ton of regular, mid-tower cases that support vertical GPU mounts. The thing is, most of these cases put the vertical GPU option only as an afterthought. This can lead to horrendous thermal performance due to a limited GPU clearance. One of the vertical GPU cases that come with solid thermals for the vertical GPU layout is the recently released Fractal Design Meshify 2.
This is the newest iteration of the legendary Meshify case. It comes with outstanding airflow, excellent internal design, lots of storage mounts, and support for a wide variety of AIO systems. The regular vertical setup supports only 2-slot cards. While better than most other similar cases, thermal results are less than perfect.
If you plan on installing a vertical GPU build inside the Meshify 2, we recommend getting a universal vertical GPU riser bracket. They can be found online rather easily. A universal vertical GPU riser bracket will allow you to install a 2.5 or a 3-slot card without issues, at the same time giving the card much more space to breathe.
Aside from its looks to kill and fantastic airflow, the Meshify 2 also supports radiators up to 420mm in length. It has space for up to 9 fans (three come preinstalled with the case). Its front mesh panel is easy to clean, and the case can host up to 14 storage devices in total when in storage layout. The regular layout gives you six universal 2.5”/3.5” drive mounts.
2. Thermaltake A700: Best full tower case with vertical GPU mount
If you like the hulking nature of full tower PC cases, the Thermaltake A700 is our first pick when it comes to vertical GPU mount. It’s a modular case with dual GPU placement options. And the vertical GPU option works great.
First of all, there’s a ton of room for the GPU fans to breathe, like inside the Meshify 2. Next, the case itself is humongous with excellent airflow, keeping the GPU thermals in check. Next, this is an excellent option for liquid-cooled builds due to its size and support for dual 420mm radiators.
The A700 also has room for up to 11 storage drives, and it can host up to 9 fans (one front and one rear fan come with the case). Overall, this is the ultimate tower vertical GPU case, if you don’t mind the size of the thing.
3. Segotep Typhon: Best budget vertical GPU case
Now, while most regular tower PC cases use vertical GPU brackets for the GPU, the Segotep Typhon features a completely unique take on the subject. The manufacturer rotated the whole motherboard mount by 90 degrees to allow the GPU to “hang off” from the board. The vertical GPU setup of the Segotep Typhon looks very impressive and is definitely original.
The best thing about this layout is that you have a mesh front panel with multiple fans blowing cold air directly into the GPU. If you want excellent GPU thermals and a vertical GPU setup, get this case. The cherry on the top is the low price, making the Segotep Typhon the best value vertical GPU case you can get right now.
The thing is, while the GPU is getting a ton of cool air, the CPU is hanging around in the back while the GPU blocks fresh air from reaching the CPU. Not an issue if you plan on using an AIO cooler since the case supports 240mm radiators on the rear side. But if you have an air CPU cooler, be ready for higher than normal CPU thermals.
Another issue with this type of layout is rear I/O access. Yes, you have a removable top panel below which you can access the board and GPU rear I/O panels. This can be tricky, and it requires using angled HDMI or DisplayPort cables.
When it comes to other specs, the Typhon supports up to 5 case fans, up to four SSD drives, and it has solid cable management. The only thing missing is the option for a vertical GPU mount with the fans at the front.
4. Thermaltake Tower 900: Best vertical GPU case for showing off
If you want the ultimate bling PC case for your custom water-cooled build, get the Thermaltake Tower 900. This is the best high-end vertical GPU case we could find. The Tower 900 is a unique case with a rotated board layout, which includes a vertical GPU mount.
The chassis is huge and includes glass side panels on three sides for increased visibility of your rig. It’s perfect for custom loops, but you can also build regular, air-cooled setups inside it. Again, there’s no option for the vertical GPU mount with fans at the front.
5. Phanteks Evolv Shift Air: Best Mini-ITX vertical GPU case
When it comes to vertical, skyscraper-style PC cases, the NZXT H1 is by far the most popular choice. The thing is, its design doesn’t allow the owner to show off their GPU in all of its glory. Then there are the abysmal thermal performance and riser cable issues that led NZXT to recall the case.
So, if you’re looking for the best skyscraper-like PC case, get the Phanteks Evolv Shift 2 Air. The only issue is that you’ll have a hard time finding this case at the moment. This is why our pick is the previous generation of the Evolv Shift Air case.
While it doesn’t feature some of the improvements of the second generation, like the increased GPU clearance, better internal layout, and easier I/O access, as well as increased airflow, the Evolv Shift Air is still a pretty solid vertical form factor Mini-ITX PC housing. Its tall and narrow form factor is enjoyable to look at, and the mesh panels allow for surprisingly solid thermal performance.
You can install dual 120mm radiators inside the chassis, allowing owners to install both GPU and CPU AIO systems. While 120mm isn’t perfect, it’s enough to cool off even the most powerful gaming CPUs of today, such as the Ryzen 9 5900X, as long as you don’t overclock them.
The Shift Air also has enough room for 3 SSD drives, it comes with quality dust filters and can host up to three case fans. Overall, it’s a pretty good chassis that looks amazing, but it is slightly tricky to build in.
Now, the Evolv Shift 2 Air has room for only one 120mm radiator, but it has more room for the GPU, allowing you to mount virtually any AIB RTX 3080, even 3090 cards. Also, the new version comes with the GPU placed on the left side of the case, which is great for everyone wanting to show off their graphics card.
If you want to get the regular, glass side panel Evolv Shift, don’t. The glass panel version has horrendous thermals (both the original and the Shift 2), limiting you to either low-power GPUs or even low-profile graphics cards in case you want to build an HTPC rig.
6. Fractal Design Node 202: Best horizontal case with vertical mount
Now, the following two PC cases don’t feature vertical GPU mount options but are excellent vertical PC cases and a definite consideration for everyone wanting to go vertical.
The first honorable mention is the legendary Node 202 from Fractal Design. While officially a horizontal PC case, it looks even better when used in a vertical position. It has passable thermal results, which you can improve by installing two 120mm case fans on the side of the case. The Node 202 supports dual-slot GPUs up to 310mm in length as well as CPU coolers up to 65mm in height.
The GPU can be mounted horizontally or vertically. There’s no room for AIO radiator mounts, limiting your options when it comes to the CPU. Something like the Ryzen 5 5600X should work great, but we wouldn’t use a CPU like the 10900K or the 5900X with this case.
You can install up to 2 2.5” SSDs, and thanks to three dust filters, you won’t have to worry about regularly cleaning the insides of the Node 202. Overall, this is a perfect vertical case for a living room gaming PC.
7. SilverStone RVZ03: Best slim vertical PC case
Last but not least, we have the SilverStone RVZ03, one of the best console-style PC cases. The RVZ03 looks pretty good. The housing comes with an ARGB front panel option, it can fit dual-slot GPUs up to 330mm in length and 149mm in width, and it supports CPU coolers up to 83mm tall.
The housing also comes with two pre-installed case fans with room for one more, resulting in some of the best thermal results in its class. You can fit up to four 2.5’’ SSD drives (if using an SFX PSU).
While the case supports ATX power supplies, an SFX power supply is highly recommended. Here’s a list of the best SFX power supplies if you decide to get the RVZ03. Finally, the price of the RVZ03B is very competitive, making this case one of the best bang for the buck vertical slim cases on the market.
Vertical GPU mount thermal & PCIe riser issues
When they hear about vertical PC cases, most users probably think about regular style cases with vertical GPU mounting brackets. These are usually just regular, mid-tower cases with the vertical mount as the secondary option.
This means that the case isn’t built around delivering optimal thermal performance with the GPU in a vertical position. Even in most airflow cases, mounting the GPU vertically will lead to increased thermals.
This is due to the decreased GPU space when in the vertical position, limiting airflow. Using a tempered glass side panel can only lead to increased thermals. We don’t recommend using a vertical GPU mount if you want to have the lowest possible thermals.
Now, there are some tower PC cases, like the Thermaltake A700, which have enough space for the GPU to breathe. When it comes to skyscraper-style vertical cases, like the Phanteks Evolv Shift 2 Air, most of these have increased thermals due to their slim design and glass side panels.
But some housings, like the aforementioned Evolv Shift 2 Air, have mesh side panels that allow the GPU to breathe. This results in thermal results that are in line with the best Mini-ITX chassis on the market.
Now, by far, the biggest source of issues with these cases are the PCIe riser cables. Most support only PCIe 3.0 standard, which can lead to a wide variety of issues when using PCIe 4.0 boards, like the X570 and B550, in combination with PCIe 4.0 cards, like the RTX 3080 and 3070.
You can resolve most of the problems by manually enabling PCIe 3.0 mode on your board or by getting a high-end, PCIe 4.0, riser cable. While definitely solvable, these issues might leave a sour taste in the mouths of most affected users.
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