These days, most PC cases can house at least a 240mm AIO radiator, making most cases suitable for water cooling your CPU. But if you want to run a custom loop for both the CPU and GPU, the situation changes. Many cases don’t have support for custom loops, don’t have space for pumps and hardline tubing, or cannot house multiple radiators at once. If you want to find the best case for water-cooling well, just scroll below and check out our list.
It features picks for every form factor along with a couple of extra choices, for people who want a simple and quality enclosure for their future build and for those who want to show off their custom loop build in all its glory. All of the cases listed below are well suited for custom water cooling loops as well as AIO cooling systems. Let’s begin with the pick we think is excellent for both newcomers and experienced builders.
Best Water Cooling Cases - Our Picks
| Award | Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Case For Watercooling Builds For Most People | Fractal Design Meshify 2 |  |
| Best Mid-Tower Case For Custom Liquid Cooling Builds | Phanteks Enthoo Evolv X Glass |  |
| Best Full Tower Case For Water-Cooling | be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 |  |
| Best Case To Show Off Custom Water-Cooling Builds | Thermaltake Tower 900 |  |
| Best Open Air Watercooling Case | Thermaltake Core P5 Titanium Edition |  |
| Best Mini-ITX Case For Watercooling | Cooler Master MasterBox NR200 |  |
| Best mATX Watercooling Case | Corsair Crystal 280X RGB |  |
| Honorable Mentions | Lian Li O-11 Dynamic |  |
| Lian Li O-11 Dynamic XL |  |
|
| Lian Li O-11 Dynamic Mini |  |
Best Case For Watercooling Builds For Most People
Fractal Design Meshify 2
| Case Type | Mid-Tower |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 413 × 217 × 453 mm |
| Drive Bays | 2 × 3.5/2.5” 3 × 2.5” |
| Expansion Slots | 7 |
| GPU Clearance | 315 mm |
| Total Fan Mounts | 7 |
| Front I/O Ports | 2 × USB 3.0, Audio In & Out |
The Meshify 2 from Fractal Design is a perfect water cooling case for most people. It’s relatively compact although not the smallest mid-tower case while offering room for up to a 420mm radiator on the top along with up to 360mm radiator on the front and another 280mm radiator on the bottom of the case. The Meshify 2 is also quite spacey, with plenty of room for tubing, water blocks, and the pump.
Do note that if you build a custom loop you’ll have to say goodbye to the optional HDD bracket, but even without one the Meshify 2 can take up to eight 2.5” SSDs or two SSDs and six 3.5” HDDs. Airflow is pretty good with perfect cable management. The case also looks quite nice, is available in three colors, and comes with a glass side panel.
If you don’t want a mesh case, there’s the Define 7, also from Fractal Design. It’s the same case, only with a different external design. If you want something bigger but like the Meshify 2 design, get the Meshify 2 XL, a full tower case that can house up to a 480mm radiator.
Best Mid-Tower Case For Custom Liquid Cooling Builds
Phanteks Enthoo Evolv X Glass
| Case Type | Mid-Tower |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 240 × 520 × 510 mm |
| Drive Bays | 10 × 3.5” 9 × 2.5” |
| Expansion Slots | 7 |
| GPU Clearance | 435 mm |
| Total Fan Mounts | 7 |
| Front I/O Ports | 2 × USB 3.0, 1 × USB 3.1, Audio In & Out |
If you want the best mid-tower case for custom water cooling builds, check out the Phanteks Evolv X Glass. First of all, it looks superb. The metal front panel with RGB on both sides, coupled with a glass side panel with more RGB effects and plenty of space inside for a powerful custom loop. It also has pretty solid thermal performance despite the lack of a mesh front panel.
The front panel can take up to a 420mm radiator on the front along with a 360mm radiator on the top. Cable management is excellent, and the case comes with six 2.5” and four 3.5” drive bays. It’s quite large although still inside the mid-tower spec, which means working inside the case is a breeze. If you’re going for AIO cooling, do note that this case doesn’t have the best thermal performance; GPU temperature will be higher than what you’d get from a mesh case.
On the flip side, the Evolv X does support dual system installation, with the second ITX system requiring an optional ITX mounting plate. You also get the option for vertical GPU mount, like on the Meshify 2. Overall, this is a great water-cooling case with the biggest downside being the high price. The Meshify 2 (or the Define 7) is cheaper while also offering great water cooling support.
Best Full Tower Case For Water-Cooling
be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2
| Case Type | Mid-Tower |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 577 × 243 × 586 mm |
| Drive Bays | 2 × 5.25” 7 × 3.5” 14 × 2.5” |
| Expansion Slots | 8 |
| GPU Clearance | 470 mm |
| Total Fan Mounts | 9 |
| Front I/O Ports | 2 × USB 3.1, 1 × USB 3.2, Audio In & Out |
Now, if you need lots of space for a custom loop and don’t care about the size of your next case, you should take a look at the be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2. The updated model includes some optimizations and improvements but the quality stayed the same. This is a perfect case for a water cooling build. That said, the original design is still an excellent choice for open loops.
The Dark Base Pro 900 has more space than a two-bedroom apartment, it can house a 420mm radiator on the front and topside, it’s pretty quiet while having solid airflow, and it looks pretty good. You also get two RGB strips for a bit of a light show, and the case features a modular design that should make installing multiple large radiators easier.
The Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 comes with enough space for up to seven 3.5” and fourteen 2.5” drive bays. Best of all, you also get two 5.25 drive bays in case you’re rocking a Blu Ray drive. If you’re looking for a full tower case with a classic design to show off your custom loop build the Core P8 from Thermaltake looks like the best option. Finally, you can go for a super tower case like the Corsair Obsidian 1000D, which can house multiple 480mm radiators at once along with a dual system (E-ATX plus Mini-ITX) configuration.
Best Case To Show Off Custom Water-Cooling Builds
Thermaltake Tower 900
| Case Type | Full Tower |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 752 × 423 × 483 mm |
| Drive Bays | 6 × 3.5” or 2.5” 2 × 2.5” |
| Expansion Slots | 8 |
| GPU Clearance | 400 mm |
| Total Fan Mounts | 13 |
| Front I/O Ports | 4 × USB 3.0, Audio In & Out |
The Tower 900 from Thermaltake is all about showing off your custom loop build. First of all, the case’s huge but at the same time building a custom loop inside it is child’s play. There’s plenty of room for even the most ambitious designs based on dual 560mm radiators. The case can be stripped from most elements, leaving a cube-shaped skeleton. Perfect when trying to construct a complex, dual-loop liquid cooling system.
The case features a modular design, with optional mounting arrays and drive brackets, and it features glass panels on three sides for an unmatched view of your build. The Tower 900 comes with six 3.5” drives, eight 2.5” drives, and even one 5.25” bracket. Given the fact this is a show-off case, there are plenty of storage drives. The case is humungous and quite expensive but it’s the best choice for flashy liquid cooling builds. If you want something smaller check out the Level 20 HT, also from Thermaltake.
Best Open Air Watercooling Case
Thermaltake Core P5 Titanium Edition
| Case Type | Mid-Tower |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 608 × 333 × 570 mm |
| Drive Bays | 5 × 3.5” 5 × 2.5” |
| Expansion Slots | 8 |
| GPU Clearance | 320 mm |
| Total Fan Mounts | 7 |
| Front I/O Ports | 2 × USB 2.0, 2 × USB 3.0, Audio In & Out |
When it comes to open-air cases fit for custom liquid cooling builds, the Core series from Thermaltake is the logical choice. First of all, every Core case looks stunning, with lots of glass and with an uninterrupted look on the finished build. The Core P5 is the best choice for most people.
First of all, the case isn’t too large. You can mount it on a wall with relative ease. Next, the Core P5 supports up to a single 480mm radiator, which should be enough for most builds. The case is easy to work in, it comes with a vertical GPU mount, has room for up to four 2.5” or 3.5” drives, and includes a modular design allowing you to mount the motherboard under a 90-degree angle.
This way you’ll be able to install even the longest GPUs on the market without clearance issues. Finally, the P5 comes with an optional upgrade kit, which includes three tempered glass panels, in case you don’t like the default open-air design. If you want something smaller there’s the Core P3. Then you have the Core P7. This one’s for enthusiast liquid cooling builds with tons of RGB. Last but not least is the Core P90. This is a humongous, two-sided case made for people who want to build the ultimate open-air, liquid cooling system.
Best Mini-ITX Case For Watercooling
Cooler Master MasterBox NR200
| Case Type | Mini-ITX |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 376 × 185 × 292 mm |
| Drive Bays | 1 × 3.5” 2 × 2.5” |
| Expansion Slots | 3 |
| GPU Clearance | 330 mm |
| Total Fan Mounts | 7 |
| Front I/O Ports | 2 × USB 3.2, Audio In & Out |
ITX cases aren’t known for their awesome support for custom loops but the MasterBox NR200 from Cooler Master is different. The case can house a 280mm radiator on the side along with a 240mm radiator on the bottom, which should be enough even for the most powerful CPUs like the 5900X combined with something like the RTX 3080.
Sadly, you won’t be able to see the loop since the side panel includes one of the radiators, but the performance will be unmatched by almost any other ITX case on the market. Except for the NCase M1 or the O-11 Mini. If you want to admire your loop while using the PC, there’s the NR200P. This version comes with a glass side panel but it can only house a single 240mm radiator.
The NR200 is also great for AIO builds. It can house a 280mm radiator on the side while still having room for three-slot graphics cards. When it comes to mounting brackets, you can install up to three 2.5” drives or up to two 3.5” HDDs. Overall, pretty solid for an ITX case.
The best thing is that both the NR200 and the NR200P are quite affordable (for ITX cases) so you don’t have to pay a fortune to get the base for your next custom ITX to build. If you want something a bit cheaper but still pretty solid for liquid cooling builds, check out the NZXT H200i. Great little case with solid water cooling support.
Best mATX Watercooling Case
Corsair Crystal 280X RGB
| Case Type | MicroATX |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 398 × 276 × 351 mm |
| Drive Bays | 2 × 3.5” 3 × 2.5” |
| Expansion Slots | 4 |
| GPU Clearance | 300 mm |
| Total Fan Mounts | 6 |
| Front I/O Ports | 2 × USB 3.1, Audio In & Out |
When it comes to mATX cases, the Crystal 280X RGB from Corsair is an excellent choice for a custom liquid-cooled build. It doesn’t have the best airflow but it does support dual 240mm radiator loops, which should be enough for virtually any CPU and GPU combination.
On top of that, the case is highly attractive and one of the best-looking cases on the market. See-through glass panels are perfect in combination with RGB case fans and some RGB strips, and the dual chamber design makes cable management frustrations a thing of the past.
Now, you’re limited to GPUs up to 300mm in size but if you’re going with a full-on water cooling build you should be fine since most GPU PCBs are shorter than 300mm. When it comes to the storage drive support, there are two 3.5” bays and three 2.5” bays. Not great, not terrible. The price is a bit higher but it’s worth it just for the design.
As for the alternatives, there’s the Level 20 VT from Thermaltake. This is another mATX case that can fit dual 240mm radiators. It doesn’t have a dual-chamber design but that 200mm RGB fan on the front does look pretty slick. Finally, if you’re not interested in an RGB case, check out the Evolv mATX from Phanteks. A great little monolith that can house up to a 360mm radiator.
Honorable Mentions
Last but not least we have the O-11 Dynamic trio from Lian Li. Made in cooperation with Der8auer, the famous overclocker, these cases are made for open-loop builds. Each case looks amazing, and each one has surprisingly solid airflow and thermal performance thanks to the side-mounted intakes which work great with radiators and case fans. Also, each case has a dual chamber design, which means cable management is spotless.
Lian Li O-11 Dynamic
| Case Type | Mid-Tower |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 445 × 272 × 446 mm |
| Drive Bays | 2 × 3.5” 4 × 2.5” |
| Expansion Slots | 8 |
| GPU Clearance | 420 mm |
| Total Fan Mounts | 9 |
| Front I/O Ports | 2 × USB 3.0, 1 × USB 3.1, Audio In & Out |
The first case is the original O-11 Dynamic, a mid-tower chassis featuring a see-through front and side panel, pretty solid thermal performance, and roomy design perfect for installing a custom liquid cooling build.
It can house two 360mm radiators at the same time (just be careful with heatsinks on your motherboard), providing more than enough cooling potential for any build. The case supports up to three 2.5” or 3.5” drives, and it features a vertical GPU mount. The O11 Dynamic Razer Edition of the case also comes with lots of RGB.
Lian Li O-11 Dynamic XL
| Case Type | Full Tower |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 471 × 285 × 513 mm |
| Drive Bays | 4 × 3.5” 6 × 2.5” |
| Expansion Slots | 8 |
| GPU Clearance | 446 mm |
| Total Fan Mounts | 10 |
| Front I/O Ports | 4 × USB 3.0, 1 × USB 3.1, Audio In & Out |
The next one is the XL version of the case. The O-11 Dynamic XL is a hulking beast made of glass and metal that’s perfect for complex custom loops since it has more room inside the chassis. The radiator support tops out at dual 360mm builds but that should be enough. The bigger win here is more space for experimentation and easier installation as well as the slick RGB strip on the front. When it comes to the storage brackets, you have room for six 2.5” drives and four 3.5” drives.
Lian Li O-11 Dynamic Mini
| Case Type | Mid-Tower |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 420 × 269.5 × 380 mm |
| Drive Bays | 2 × 3.5” 2 × 2.5” |
| Expansion Slots | 7 |
| GPU Clearance | 370 mm |
| Total Fan Mounts | 9 |
| Front I/O Ports | 2 × USB 3.0, 1 × USB 3.1, Audio In & Out |
Finally, there’s the O-11 Dynamic Mini. This can be a nice and compact ATX chassis or the ultimate water cooling ITX case. Mounting an ATX motherboard will make cable management a bit of a headache but other than that, this case rocks. There’s room for a 360mm radiator on the top and a 280mm radiator on the side, making this the ultimate ITX case for custom loops. On the flip side, the case’s huge so picking this for an ITX build doesn’t make much sense unless you’re planning to build a beastly machine based on the Ryzen 9 5950X and an RTX 3090 combo.
