What's the Top 10 M-ATX Cases of 2014? + Cougar Spike Review

[AlvinPacheco]

Hi, I just wanna ask you guys what do you think is the best micro atx cases available in the market this 2014 that is price=quality, price=flexibility or the SWEET SPOT among other matx cases. But Before that, Let's review the Cougar Spike MATX Case.

My current case is Cougar Spike.

 

Pros

• Supports Latest and long video cards up to 330mm
• Nice Front Design comes with 3.0 Usb Port and 2.0 Usb Port
• Nice Airflow for a MATX case (25c Idle 45c max in full load, I'm living in a tropical country)
• Supports up to 4 fans (But I only have 2 Case fans due to the Window Mod)
• Screwless Mechanism 
• Inside of the case is painted black.
• And lastly is THE PRICE, So cheap its good.

Cons

• No Cable Management Panel on the back so I bought a Modular PSU.
• Limited HSF Height Clearance. Cannot install high tower ones, But I managed to install a Hyper212x by modding it into a Window instead of a Fan mount side panel.
• PSU is on top and its sharing the air inside the case and not getting fresh air outside.
• No dust filter but the mesh infront helps a little bit..
• PCI slot covers are not reusable
• No Backplate cut for easy change of cooler.

Conclusion:

Because of it's low price the Cougar Spike can't get to its full potential because of the cons I've said earlier, but for it's value and flexibility it's still a good case, some of the cons that I've mention earlier can be change by modding the case. Adding a hole to the top of the case can make your PSU suck fresh air above you chassis if you turn your PSU upside down. Limited Tower Heatsinks can also have a solution by modding the side panel of the case but you have to sacrifice the 2 fan slots. Dust Filter can also be made or you can buy ones in the market. Backplate can also be cut for the ease of replacing your coolers. Still this case can also be considered as a Entry Level case for gamers or for those who is starting to build their first PC. 

 

So that's the end of the Cougar Spike Matx Case Review. Now let's go back to the Top 10 Shall we?

Start with your Top 10. I would appreciate if you reply like this.

10. Name - Features - Price

9. Name - Features - Price

​8. Name - Features - Price

7. Name - Features - Price

​6. Name - Features - Price

​5. Name - Features - Price

4. Name - Features - Price​

​3. Name - Features - Price

2. Name - Features - Price
​1. Name - Features - Price

 

Thanks for reading this thread I hope you found this helpful especially to those who want a new MATX this New Year.

[WoodenMarker]

You forgot to mention that the Spike comes with a pretty darn quiet fan that moves a decent amount of air.

 

I don't really have enough matx cases I like to have a top 10.

Some nice cases include:

N200 which is basically a more updated Spike but with louder fans.

350D, Arc Mini R2, and s340--even though it's an atx case. They're all similar in size and have similar functions.

 

I'm moving the thread to Member Reviews.

[AlvinPacheco]

You forgot to mention that the Spike comes with a pretty darn quiet fan that moves a decent amount of air.

 

I don't really have enough matx cases to have a top 10.

Some nice cases include:

N200 which is basically a more updated Spike but with louder fans.

350D, Arc Mini R2, and s340--even though it's an atx case. They're all similar in size and have similar functions.

 

I'm moving the thread to Member Reviews.

Ok thanks for those suggestion, N200 is a good one too, still I'm looking for Top 10 MATX cases. Keep it coming .

[Zeals]

This is personal preference. I've only had personal experience with the N200, Core 1000, Prodigy M, Elite 344 and Shaw BDF1
 

1. Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 - $119 AUD
   Pros: Cooling, Cable Management
   Cons: Dust
    
2. Fractal Design Design Mini - $119 AUD
   Pros: Quiet, Cable Management, All the Drives!
   Cons: Not the best airflow (Like all quiet cases)
    
3. Corsair 350D - $129 AUD
   Pros: Cable Management
   Cons: Could use more hard bays
    
4. Phanteks Enthoo - $149 AUD
   Pros: Cable Management, Quality Fans Included
   Cons: No Optical Drive Support
    
5. CoolerMaster N200 - $55 AUD
   Pros: 2 Fans! Reasonable Layout
   Cons: Cable Management Suspect
    
6. Fractal Design Core 1000 - $56 AUD
   Pros: Fractal Quality For Dirt Cheap!
   Cons: Cables are all in the 'front' of the case, also only meant for SSDs, HDD options limited
    
7. BitFenix Prodigy M - $99 AUD
   Pros: Small, Great for LANs
   Cons: Cable Management, meant for SSDs, also COMPLETE PAIN to build in
    
8. BitFenix Pandora -  $179 AUD
   Pros: Pretty, Customisable Icon
   Cons: Cable Management, Price  
    
9. CoolerMaster Elite 344 - $79 AUD
   Pros: Reasonably Easy to Build in, 500W PSU
   Cons: Cable Management should be better, no proper SSD support,  Does NOT fit an Hyper 212Evo
    
10. Shaw BDF1 - $29 AUD
    Pros: CHEAP, 430W PSU
    Cons: Cuts your hands, questionable build quality, crammed, no SSD support

[HippY]

if I would buy a mATX case it would be the Parvum System S2.0

These are some beautiful cases, manages to "imitate" high end modded cases for reasonable price (£130)

[AlvinPacheco]

 

This is personal preference. I've only had personal experience with the N200, Core 1000, Prodigy M, Elite 344 and Shaw BDF1

 

1. Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 - $119 AUD

   Pros: Cooling, Cable Management

   Cons: Dust

    

2. Fractal Design Design Mini - $119 AUD

   Pros: Quiet, Cable Management, All the Drives!

   Cons: Not the best airflow (Like all quiet cases)

    

3. Corsair 350D - $129 AUD

   Pros: Cable Management

   Cons: Could use more hard bays

    

4. Phanteks Enthoo - $149 AUD

   Pros: Cable Management, Quality Fans Included

   Cons: No Optical Drive Support

    

5. CoolerMaster N200 - $55 AUD

   Pros: 2 Fans! Reasonable Layout

   Cons: Cable Management Suspect

    

6. Fractal Design Core 1000 - $56 AUD

   Pros: Fractal Quality For Dirt Cheap!

   Cons: Cables are all in the 'front' of the case, also only meant for SSDs, HDD options limited

    

7. BitFenix Prodigy M - $99 AUD

   Pros: Small, Great for LANs

   Cons: Cable Management, meant for SSDs, also COMPLETE PAIN to build in

    

8. BitFenix Pandora -  $179 AUD

   Pros: Pretty, Customisable Icon

   Cons: Cable Management, Price  

    

9. CoolerMaster Elite 344 - $79 AUD

   Pros: Reasonably Easy to Build in, 500W PSU

   Cons: Cable Management should be better, no proper SSD support,  Does NOT fit an Hyper 212Evo

    

10. Shaw BDF1 - $29 AUD

    Pros: CHEAP, 430W PSU

    Cons: Cuts your hands, questionable build quality, crammed, no SSD support

 

 

This is a nice list, well detailed, Thanks Zeals, Anyone else here wanna share their top 10?

[Brood]

Aesthetics is the main factor in judging
I live in the Philippines too~

1. Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 - 4000 PhP
- Dust Filters!
- Nice radiator support
- Tinted window
- Really nice looking
- Reasonably priced

2. Fractal Design Node 804 - 5200 PhP
- Cube form factor
- Build quality
- Stealth Optical Drive bay
- Fan Filters!
- Fan mount galore
- Radiator support
- Windowed
- Hidden PSU Chamber

3. Phanteks Enthoo Evolv - N/A
- Nice looking
- Side window implementation
- Cable Management

4. Corsair Air 240 - 5150 PhP
- Hidden PSU Chamber
- Nice looking
- multiple orientations

5. Silverstone SG09 - N/A
- Space Efficient
- Dustfilters!
- Comes with 3 fans
- Direct Airflow

6. Corsair 350D - 5500 PhP (Windowed)
- Classy looking
- Beautiful window
- Cable Management

7. Bitfenix Prodigy - 3500 PhP
 - Beautiful (I like white)

8. Cooler Master N200 - 2050 PhP
 - Cheap
 - Acceptable Cable Management
 - Nice front IO (2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0)
 - SSD Mounts
 - Front Rad support if im not mistaken 

9. Cougar Spike - 1400 PhP
- Dirt Cheap
- USB 3.0

10. Deepcool Smarter - 1200 PhP
- Dirt Cheap
- USB 3.0

[AlvinPacheco]

Aesthetics is the main factor in judging

I live in the Philippines too~

1. Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 - 4000 PhP

- Dust Filters!

- Nice radiator support

- Tinted window

- Really nice looking

- Reasonably priced

2. Fractal Design Node 804 - 5200 PhP

- Cube form factor

- Build quality

- Stealth Optical Drive bay

- Fan Filters!

- Fan mount galore

- Radiator support

- Windowed

- Hidden PSU Chamber

3. Phanteks Enthoo Evolv - N/A

- Nice looking

- Side window implementation

- Cable Management

4. Corsair Air 240 - 5150 PhP

- Hidden PSU Chamber

- Nice looking

- multiple orientations

5. Silverstone SG09 - N/A

- Space Efficient

- Dustfilters!

- Comes with 3 fans

- Direct Airflow

6. Corsair 350D - 5500 PhP (Windowed)

- Classy looking

- Beautiful window

- Cable Management

7. Bitfenix Prodigy - 3500 PhP

 - Beautiful (I like white)

8. Cooler Master N200 - 2050 PhP

 - Cheap

 - Acceptable Cable Management

 - Nice front IO (2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0)

 - SSD Mounts

 - Front Rad support if im not mistaken 

9. Cougar Spike - 1400 PhP

- Dirt Cheap

- USB 3.0

10. Deepcool Smarter - 1200 PhP

- Dirt Cheap

- USB 3.0

 

Nice list! This can help me because of the pricing which is in PHP and for the items that is sure that is available in the phil. Thanks. Anymore top 10 guys?

[Mooshi]

While not a top 10, the only case making me go "I WANT THIS" is the Phanteks Evolv. From using thick alu panels and a steel body, it's one of the more solidly built chassis on top of having great cooling support. (Unlike the likes of the Fractal Node 804 or Corsair Air 240 which have great rad support, but are severly lacking in support for large air coolers in spite of being so wide. In contrast, the Evolv is less wide and supports towers up to 170mm I believe.) Optical bay support is a bad odd in the rear, but I personally don't use my 40 dollar paperweight of a blu ray drive.

 

Edit: I'm not sure if it's available in your country so I'm of no use with pricing, only offering an opinion as a fellow matx user.

[GuideMe002]

Hello my fellow countrymen! Great Review!
I can't decide 10 best matx  because it's too many to mention so i'll input my favorite matx only its the 350D.

[NannerBeans]

If I had to get one it would be the Silverstone SG10. I like compact cases. The 350D is pretty good too but bigger than I would like. 

[bohica]

There is no way I could do a Top 10 list, but most of the cases so far are nice. If I had the money to drop on anything out there non-custom, it would be the Lian Li PC-V359WB. That is one sexy case imo, and it shows some impressive functionality on the cooling side. There are other cases that offer more drive bays, but this would be the one for me.

 

edit: My definition of custom cases would be the Xynoshttp://www.xynos.com/

[Morgo_mpx]

If I had the money to drop on anything out there non-custom, it would be the Lian Li PC-V359WB. T

 

I have this case. It's great. Very clean as it uses a two level design. All the messy stuff like cables, hdd's and the psu are hidden and up top you only see the mobo area. It can support 5 fans and has watercooling grommets which i think are a bit useless.