Clear case

[BrovoTheta]

Hello what are some reliable clear cases that I can buy. I want to build my own PC with a see through case but I am afraid it will be fragile, are there any recommendations?

 

[ir0nw0lf]

Fragile, you planning on dropping it from a 3rd story window or something? I mean, you looking for acrylic, tempered glass, what?

 

[Bandalo]

Totally clear, like the old-school all-acrylic cases, are hard to find these days. They were fragile and easy to crack.

Modern "clear" cases are usually steel or aluminum frames, and have plexi, acrylic, or tempered glass panels, and they're much, much more sturdy.

 

[BrovoTheta]

Fragile, you planning on dropping it from a 3rd story window or something? I mean, you looking for acrylic, tempered glass, what?

Probably not, but just in case. I am not sure what would be the best material, but I would lean more towards tempered glass.

 

[BrovoTheta]

Totally clear, like the old-school all-acrylic cases, are hard to find these days. They were fragile and easy to crack.

Modern "clear" cases are usually steel or aluminum frames, and have plexi, acrylic, or tempered glass panels, and they're much, much more sturdy.

Originally I would like a full acrylic case, but I wouldn't want to take the risk if they have a bad reputation. Thanks for the info

 

[Bandalo]

Originally I would like a full acrylic case, but I wouldn't want to take the risk if they have a bad reputation. Thanks for the info

Acrylic is a brittle material. It's OK for windows and such, but it doesn't work well for things like PSU mounts, MB and fan mounts, etc. It only gets worse at it ages as well, UV exposure and heat cycles make it even more brittle. So basically your case would start cracking at the joints, or MB mounts would crack and fall out, etc.

Thermaltake has some nice "open air" cases, the P1, P3, P5 etc line that can put hardware on "display" very well if you're looking for an alternative.

 

[Larochepiano]

Like Bandalo mentioned, Thermaltake cases are very good looking they offer a lot of tempered glass so you can see the inside of your gaming machine. There's also some cases that offer windowed side panel.

You did not mention your budget, so I'm going to give you my recommendation based on what you wrote. I'd go with a Thermaltake Tower 900 Black Edition Tempered Glass. This model is a little bit expensive, but it's very nice, its a full tower case with 3x tempered glass (5mm thickness) with many more features.

Here is an article that might help you on your search, https://exposegaming.com/best-gaming-cases-under-500/ .Some cases cost a lot, but if you want a high-quality see through gaming case, you might have to spend a good amount.

 

[Smoked Brisket]

I also like to see as much of the PC components as well. That being said over the years I have had several full acrylic builds and they end up being a disappointment because you can never fully hide your cables. After Danger Den going out of business your options are limited for full transparent. Mountain mods offers one http://www.mountainmods.com/u2-ufo-crystal-ship-cyo-c-21_104.html This will be a good quality/last you for years case, but again, cable management will be an issue. You can also use their build your own tool to pick a more standard tower chassis and make all the sides acrylic. Lian Li offers several that are half tempered glass. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112471 https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112563 Those would be my choices over Thermaltake or Inwin, no offense to anyone.

 

[DeathFromBelow]

Mountain Mods actually has a few nice acrylic ITX and ATX cases. They use thick panels that hold up really well. I've done a few builds in their ITX-TRG.

Edit: Whoops sorry for the huge pic.