The 5 Best PC Cases Without Windows in 2023
The best choices for a minimalism and silence
We have refreshed this feature for 2023 after reviewing the latest models on the market. Our top choices remain the same, but there have been a couple of decent offerings that we’ve included as alternatives.
As popular as a tempered glass chassis is nowadays, we know that showing off all of your PC’s bells and whistles isn’t to everyone’s taste.
What about those after a more minimalist build?
Whether it’s for a cleaner style, noise reduction, or anything else; today’s feature breaks down the best windowless PC cases available today for different budgets and sizes.
1
Overall Best Case Without Window
Fractal Design Define R5
Our Rating: 10/10
Overall Best PC Case Without Window: Fractal Design Define R5
2023 update: The Define R5 remains our top pick for 2.5 years running. I’ve reviewed some other windowless cases that have entered the market since but nothing that ticks the boxes quite as well.
I really cannot speak highly enough of the Define R5.
Not only is this the best computer case without windows, but it’s one of the greatest towers on the market today in any category (and our favorite case from Fractal Design, who are a fantastic manufacturer focused on no-window options).
The build quality of this case is top-tier. With a majority steel (+ metal finish) exterior that gives the chassis an understated but stylish look (stock photos do not do it justice).
Source: Gabiche
Fractal towers are known for their sound-dampening abilities without notable compromise on performance. Building your setup in the R5 gives you a fantastic balance between silence and cooling. You’re getting a fantastic windowless PC case for airflow, including room for:
- Up to 9 140mm fans + 2 great Fractal Design Dynamic GP-14 fans included
- Or up to 420mm top, 360mm side, 240mm bottom & 140mm rear radiators
This is a really impressive allotment for its size. The form factor often offers a lot less. Not that you need to have all 9 fans to run a computer well, but it’s nice to know you can max out this capability if you’re going for overclocking or a seriously powerful setup. I’ve seen the R5 actually outperform many of its open-air competitors for running an intensive setup in thermal benchmarking.
The hardware space is great too, with room for:
- 7 expansion slots
- VGA cards up to 310mm in length (if you need to, removing the HDD case can up this to 440mm, but most mainstream cards will fit in the 310mm space).
- 8 x 3.5″ / 2.5″, 2 x 2.5″ & 2 x optical drive bays
Between the cooling and internal space, it’s a great windowless PC case for gaming. Beyond that, anybody with high storage needs is going to be spoilt with options building in the R5 (think video editing, production work, or server builds).
What else is there to say? Between its fantastic build quality, cooling performance, sound dampening, and space for powerful hardware all rolled into a mid-range price, the R5 ticks all the boxes and is, without doubt, the overall best PC case without a side-panel window.
Best Budget PC Case Without Window: Corsair Carbide 200R
As much as we love the R5 for gaming and work builds alike, if you’re looking for a cheap windowless PC case, the 200R is a great substitute for its price.
One of the flagship budget options by powerhouse Corsair, this chassis has a steel exterior. Albeit a thin material with a basic finish, we still respect that Corsair has not gone for plastic in such a low-price PC case. It looks and feels decent compared to its budget counterparts.
This windowless chassis is a compact ATX case, with decent room for:
- 7 x expansion slots
- Graphics cards up to 420mm in length
- 3 x 5.25″, 4 x 3.5″ & 4 x 2.5″ drive bays
- Fan setup: Up to 8 x 120mm fans (2 included)
Source: Octothorpe
For its size and price, the 200R has an impressive allowance for fans and hardware.
You are, of course, not going to get the same level of cooling & sound dampening as the R5 (but again, with its low price in mind, it’s a great offering). That said, for a budget build, we think what’s on offer here is more than enough to cool some less-intensive GPUs.
We like also that even at this budget, Corsair hasn’t avoided including 2 fans which will be enough to get your build up and running.
If your wallet is tight, this is my comfortable choice for the best cheap PC case without a window on the market today.
2023 update: The 200R is still my top budget pick, but our team has seen it run into stock issues occasionally. If it ticked the boxes for you but is unavailable, Fractal Design has a very similar offering in the Core 1100. It’s an mATX case but I expect it will be an excellent alternative for smaller budget builds.
Best Premium PC Case Without Window: Fractal Design Define 7 XL
We’re back to Fractal. The next option is for their top-range model which is perfect for anybody trying to build the most powerful silent PC setup they possibly can.
The Define 7 XL is a huge E-ATX chassis, with incredible space for:
- 9 Expansion slots with a further 3 for vertical install options
- 359mm GPU clearance (or up to 549mm when removing some modular case parts)
- Drive bays included: 8 x 2.5″ / 3.5″ (up to 18 available), 2 x 2.5″ (up to 5 available) & 2 x optical″
- 30mm routing space for cable management
- 9 x 120mm fans (with 3 x Dynamic X2 GP-14 included)
- Or 2 x 480mm, 1 x 280mm & 1 x 140mm radiators
The 7 XL has pretty much everything you could need, even in a powerful high-end build.
Source: Azerai
With incredible storage space, this is one of the best server PC cases I’ve come across.
As far as gaming goes; between the excellent cooling capability and its monumental space for hardware, I’ve seen the 7 XL excel for overclocking, multi-GPU setups, and much more.
Fractal R5 vs 7 XL: Note that if you’re looking for a standard single-GPU build with modest overclocking or you don’t need the incredible storage space on offer in the 7 XL, then the R5 will suit you better.
If budget isn’t a concern, you could still pick up the 7 XL for the increased airflow space, but it would be a bit of an overkill if you’re not intending to utilize its massive layout for something extra powerful.
What’s even more impressive is how this case can still retain very low decibel levels even when I’ve seen behemoth builds running inside. It manages to achieve this through its high-quality (beautiful) build, industrial sound dampening panels, great cable management facilities, and modularity for non-required components (e.g. HDD cages, removing unneeded case parts reduces rattling).
While the R5 will suit a majority of gamers and other builds well, if your goal is to create the most powerful build possible in a PC case without glass, this is your best option.
Small Form Factor Windowless PC Cases
While the top 3 picks are our favorites for your typical gaming or work-related build, we’ve added a couple of extra quick-fire picks for great cases in smaller form factors.
Best Micro ATX Case Without Window: Cooler Master N200
A ridiculously cheap offering for windowless Micro ATX builds that still retains a great quality for gaming and production setups alike. The fact that it includes fans at its price is insane, I’d still be recommending it if it didn’t
If you have a tight budget, know the N200 has nearly everything the average mini-build needs.
Best Mini-ITX Case Without Window: SilverStone SG13
From a classic minimalist manufacturer, the SG13 is a fantastic quality windowless ITX option.
Like mATX, Fractal offers great windowless options for mITX, but SG13 is the best pick for a budget/value build (which we know many smaller form factors target).
2023 update: While we still rate it highest for ITX builds, the SG13 occasionally encounters stock problems in our recent checks. If you can’t get hold of it, an excellent alternative is Cooler Master’s MasterCase H100.