#1 Phanteks P400 TG #2 NZXT S340 Elite #3 Fractal Design Define C #4 Be Quite Pure Base 600 TG I say that's will be the outcome, haven't watched the video yet, but since I have watched your reviews of those cases I think that's what you are going to say! After watching your video: I stick by my early statement and the P400 TG is the winner in my opinion, but not by far, since the S340 Elite coming second, which is an awesome case. The Pure Base 600 is the least interesting case in this video and as some say, the Corsair 400C would be a better choice!
IMO i'll put the Corsair 400C 2nd and remove the Be Quite from the list. I have a 400C and i choose it insted of the S340 because i dont like the top panel. :/
I don't understand the decision to add something like bright orange to a case and not offer options. They have to know that no matter how good their case design is in literally every other aspect, that orange strip instantly disqualifies the case for 99% of their potential audience.
These videos have helped greatly in choosing a case. Great production values and editing. I like the subtle, chill music behind the VO. Nice work, Dmitry.
I love all of these cases, but I really wish someone would make a case with a single 5.25" bay that, along with front vents, is concealed behind a hinged door. I know a lot of people don't use them anymore, but for people like me who wants their rig to be able to handle the occasional disc without plugging in a loud, slow, overpriced external optical drive. Make a case where the single bay can be removed for those who don't want it. Every case I see that still has the bay has it exposed and I think those completely take away from the looks lf the case. First world problem, I know, but enthusiast rigs are all about that. Edit: Also with the tempered glass and a basement to hide cables. Thanks for the replies!
I was considering the silent base, but I want tempered glass and he raised some concerns in his review of that case. Cooler Master has a mid tower that meets what I want except it is a bit too exotic looking for my taste and is way more than I want to spend at $250.
I say get some edging material, a glass pane, and some silicone. Cut the window open more, edge it, and silicone in a standard glass panel. It won't be TG, just don't handle it roughly and you won't have an issue.
oh yea, very helpful. I like videos like this, where you pin more than 2 cases together and give like a quick side by side by side by side rundown of the strengths and weaknesses. great job Dimitri.
teeblack06 am I the only one that wishes a case would come with ports on the bottom instead of the top? Like very bottom front, I hate how my cables fold over and drop down
teeblack06 agreed, but with tempered glass becoming a strong trend, it'd be hard for a case to have TG and side ports. Probably why I didn't mention it bc I can't imagine a fluid way to incorporate it
If Fractal could put out a chassis with TG ... then no contest. I've owned a variant of all of these cases (S340, SB800, P400S, Define S) and Fractal was overall the best case IMO.
This was actually a video I was hoping to see from you guys. I wanted a comparison of all these 4 cases and I knew you guys would make the best. Thanks Dimitri
Nooo way:) Corsair need to make big changes in there cases. They need to remove most cases in there market. There soo much old cases in corsair brand. But i use only Corsair cases in my live:) My personal case air 240 and my brother case another corsair case. Both of this cases horrible about dust protection. I can't clean my dust filters in air 240 without remove all case panels. This is huge problem for me. I hate it. I use this case because i can't find another case fit in my desk side. Only good thing about Corsair cases because that brand have many cases you can chose. This brands like phanteks and nzxt have much less case but they have solid ones. Wishin in the future Nzxt and phanteks make good solid micro atx and mini itx cases and we can find more options in the market
Corsair forgot about cable management with the 400C. Some sloppy mistakes with that case. It's not bad, but I'd rather have the S340 Elite or P400S or even the Define C.
Just built my P400s yesterday. It's an awesome case to build in! And I would mention that it's the only case that comes with a magnetic RGB strip that can be controlled by a button and a built in fan controller. If your PC is in your room, being able to turn off the RGBs at a press of a button is priceless
Hi Dimitri, I don't know if you reply to comments anymore but I just wanna say that your channel is amazing. You're the first place I go to see if any new tech goodies are worth it or not.
From someone who's built in each, Eclipse p400S is by far the winner, from looks to build experience it is incomparable. A good edition to the line up would be the Enthoo Pro M TG edition as well, bit older but a brilliant case none the less. If you were to rank in terms of looks I'd say 1)P400S TG 2) S340 Elite 3)Fractal Define C 4) BQ Pure Base 600TG In terms of Build experience 1) P400S TG 2) Define C 3) Pure Base 600 4) S340, purely because of how restricted and cramped the case feels plus plastic clips aren't really great for Cable Managment.
Why is the Phanteks Enthoo Pro M TG never part of this discussion? Tempered glass, single removable 5.25 inch drive bay, power supply shroud that's vented, support for front AND top radiator configuration with the top radiator slide out rack of the Evolv, and priced under $100.
S340 comes out on top in my mind. The only real downsides to it are the drive cages (weird choice) and imperfect (but still very good) cable management. Just as a side note, great video! It might be a little information dense for some, but I appreciate that you condensed such a large amount of information down so well, covering all of the important features accompanied by appropriate shots of the features being discussed. This video could have easily been 30 minutes+, but you covered it really well in much less time.
should have put in the "Deepcool D-Shield"... I absolutely love this case allows you the have up to 12 fans or more ;) has mostly everything these cases have in this video and it only costs $37!
Well with their new H-series they have all 3 sizes (H700i, H400i, and H200i), so they're listening I guess. I really like the H700i aside from the "machine learning" hub or w/e, it seems better than the S340 is most ways. I might just buy it and take the hub out.
I was looking at the p400 which has RGB strips, kind of pushing it into the lead BUT the define C would be the definitive winner if it had a tempered glass panel
green busters yes green you said it best if the mini c had the tempered glass it's a clear win. and the evolve matx is not smaller only the evolve it'x is if i recall otherwise they are all similar in size and the corsair 400c had some major new design steps that actually went backward rather then forward
I postponed getting my next case for 2 weeks to wait for this very video, been using a NZXT Guardian for 13 years. The S340 Elite had my heart until I found out about the P400 TG so I was so very torn. Thanks Dmitry for putting out this comparison video, I think I can finally make my decision!!
Just wanted to mention that the S340 elite can support 3 3.5 inch HDDs. There's enough clearance under the HDD caddy and mounting holes on the bottom of the frame to hold one more drive in place.
Marginal indeed. With all the foam on the P400S, you won't hear the difference. Also, the system is as quiet as the hardware you put into it. This BeQuiet is certainly not worth it.
I recently put together a system and went for the p400s. It was between that and the 340 elite. the p400s only won due to the extra fan position on the top of the case. With regards to what I actually wanted out a case, everything was a compromise. The compromise I made was the 5.25" drive bay. I would have liked to keep that, along with a 280mm radiator support somewhere, and the PSU shroud plus tempered glass. would also have liked to stick 2 3.5" drives, and 2 2.5" drives in a case, well hidden somewhere. I guess all that means a full tower really, but would like it in a mid tower sized package ideally.
I am concerned that many reviewers are greatly playing down 5.25" bays. Does no one use either a DVD drive for movie viewing or CD/DVD/BluRay ripping? My experience with external drive solutions is that they easily break or degrade overtime (laptop like drives seem to have this problem) or they are big and bulky often with large external PS bricks. There are many 5.25" solutions to additional front cabling and information are impossible any other way. A BlurRay/DVD drive is still a useful tool.
The Enthoo Evolve TG is a case I'd be willing to pay to premium price of 169EUR. It's only a mid tower, but offers the same enthusiast water cooling support as the Fractal Design Define S, but with extremely good quality. And, unlike the P400, it comes with HDD brackets. You have to buy them separately for the P400S.
how come my corsair h110i am4 didnt fit the way it is fitted in 6:20 ... I put it behind the front cover outside the metal case...same phanteks p400s just sharing.. thanks :)
I gotta give it to the S340 Elite. It was between that and the Phanteks P400. I bought the S340 Elite and my friend bought the P400. The appearance of the finished build is clearly cleaner on the S340, and noticeably quieter, though he did top rad and I put mine in front. The 4 USBs in front alone make my friend wish he went with the S340, making reaching to the back for quick accessories or a USB transfer a thing of the past. A luxury often overlooked.
I agree, I have the S340 Elite too, such a great looking case, and plenty of space to work with. I even layered the inside with some material to hide extra cable holes and SSD mounts that I wasn't using, I also changed the feet to some smaller ones to make it sit lower. Have a look here... uk.pcpartpicker.com/b/nqnnTW
I've been rocking the standard S340 for a long time now. One of the first builds I've done and the case has had two different systems in it, it's amazing. The case just looks so good. I don't plan to upgrade til the end of the year or so, but I'm more than likely getting the S340 Elite once I work out everything I want.
At first i wanted to go with S340 Elite due to its simplicity but that lack of radiator support made me to go with P400S. I have no regrets. Still both are best from 4 mentioned in video.
The nzxt, and the p400tg are both great, but the color choices offered by phanteks and the led strip just takes the cake, and not to mention the airflow :)
I ordered a phanteks p400 tg the other day just by going off the reviews on amazon and the way it looked. and i decided to search it on youtube to see if there were build videos with it. I am super happy to see i picked a winner of a case. I almost chose an Aigo tempered glass case that looked very nice but the more i looked into it the metal used on it is very thin and it bends very easy and im just glad i didnt go with that case over the phanteks.
Aesthetically speaking, the nzxt s340 elite is by far the best case, especially because of the gpu cable cutout as well as the ssd trays that show off your storage. In terms of design and functionality the fractal design c is easily the winner for me, with the removable plate for the 360 rad, relatively small footprint, top dust filter as well as front removable psu dust filter, incredible cable management, and probably a bunch of stuff I'm missing. without a doubt the best case to build in.
the be Quiet loses. the motherboard tray isn't desinged properly. the glass shows the ugly edges of the case frame and the size and design are dated and less efficient than the others.
I couldn't be happier with my Phanteks Eclipse P400S TG, I was so close to going with the S340 Elite but HC came out with their review for it, which had me sold!
All the cases in this video were great, but this is the order I think they rank. #1 Phanteks P400 TG for the - Best looking case, lowest temps, fan and LED control on front panel, and supports up to a 360mm radiator. Second best case at cable management. I'm a huge fan of the solution it provides for routing cables on the backside of the motherboard. #2 Factal Design Define C - Its compact size and great cable management is easily the best out of the three cases overall. Tempered glass would be preferable, but the define C is still a great looking case. That brushed finish on the front panel is gorgeous. It also has 360mm rad support... always a plus. #3 NZXT S340 Elite - the VR passthrough this case has is something all cases need to follow as an example. I'm also a big fan of having 4 USB ports on the front panel. Awesome customizable color selection, but the frame is a little too boxy for me. #4 Be Quite Pure Base 600 TG - If you aren't a fan of orange accents, you are SOL. Lack of a PSU shroud is not good either. It's nice that it has a 5.25" drive bay... but I seriously doubt many people will use this. Also has the worst cable management of the bunch and the worst AIO temperatures. Still a good case, but dated compared to the other 3 options. Quite frankly it's not competitive considering it's tied as the most expensive option with the NZXT S340 Elite at $99.
I love Fractal for simplicity. Waiting for them to make slightly taller case with bottom compartment for 360 rad on the side for triple 360 rad support, add tempered glass and its a win-win.
Cool video! I would have liked to see a sound comparison demo here as many of these cases either include sound dampening foam or are targeted to be quieter options. I was looking at all of these though, so I really appreciate this review!
Why don't you just design your own pc case. Honeslty you have the best knowledge and experience with what, and where to include items. You should try and design one and send it as a proposal to one of the many pc case manufacturers. Hell, I would buy it simply because it is your design.
I'm going to be making a build in the Phanteks case soon hopefully. I'm excited as I believe that is the most stylish case in this line up that has the most utility and practicality.
Pure base 600 TG may not blacked out ... though if one wanted to, could add some window tinting to the back of the glass ...like used in "Automotive Window Tinting" !! :)
hey Dmitri just as a suggestion for further comparison videos like this which i really like, it might be helpful to put a title box about which case you are showing/talking about. I know you start with a preface saying which case you are currently talking about. But the rate at which you go back and forth talking about them is a tad overwhelming.
Think it would of been nice to mention the S340 does not officially support 280mm RADs, as some will fit and some do not. The X62 for example does though people had a bit of trouble doing it.
I have the Define R5 and TG cases with the freedom to beef it up with RGB is very tempting. Thinking about getting the S340, but the downsides are inexcusable. No hard drive protection? Only 1 top fan? No dust filter? Hopefully something like that without those kind of compromises come out this year or Fractal finally comes out with a TG case.
Carpet bomb liked this video and your s340 elite, p400 p400s p400s TG, define c, define s vs enthoo pro vids. Best comparative overview online period. And yes it's that time again, building fever :)!
having just completed moving my system from an H230 into an S340, I agree completely. It's a nearly perfect case. My only quibble is that I wish they'd left a few mm more space around the lip to better accommodate the Hue+ light strips.
Surprisingly, I think the Define C was the most functionally competent of all these cases. Best cable management, best support for larger radiators, most convenient dust filter positioning, and it's also the smallest of the four. I am honestly impressed.
I was considering the Phanteks. I think it looks the best of the 4 with the TG. But lack of top radiator support really bugged me. Fractal isn't quite as pretty but it is much better designed inside and now they have a TG version. In the end I think I'm going to get the Meshify C. Better airflow with the same clever layout of the Define C.
I bought Phanteks P400S with tempered glass but I didn't like the front panel and got NZXT S340 Elite instead. It is very simple and that's how I like it. If they would merge S340 and P400S ideas, like two fans at the top, dust filters, silencing mats, simplicity etc that would be the perfect case. Also S340 could use some LEDs behind the front panel.
Very good comparative test. I like to still have a DVD writer for some light delicate back up, I don't trust usb keys too much... Just a place for it would be great for me.
Would love to see your very well structured script layout as a table between all options to get a good overview. Would't be much to much efort either with great benefit for the viewer seeking the "perfect" case for him/her.
I think I would choose the Define C for my next PC although I would like to have it a little bit bigger for a 140mm-fan in the rear and three 140mm-fans and corresponding radiators in the front and the top. Perhaps there will come a Define C XL or a Define R6.
I vote for the Define C. I have the Define C TG. The reason being it's so moddable. AND! As a first time builder, it helped make the building more convenient. And that glass ♥️
Recently built in P400S. I like it much better than CoolerMaster N400 (not mentioned and for good reason), from which the components were moved (air cooled at first, and moved when going to AIO cooling), which I think as I saw on one of your videos cannot take an 240mm AIO to save it's life. The P400 could only use it in the front due to, as you stated, MB height restrictions at the top; though mine were really tall VRM heatsinks but memory could have caused a problem as well. One issue that brought concern was with the AIO and the distance from the front of the case to the CPU. Shorter distance lessens stress on hoses, but can have GPU board interaction with the radiator or too much hose to find a home. The hoses were barely able to connect on my AIO. I eventually found a good resting place that seemed mostly stress free, but I was concerned about leaks from stress on the connection joints; mostly CPU block. Also, I assume that this is true for all these cases, but you have to mount the radiator with hoses at the top to avoid hose collision with a large GPU sticking into the case. I keep hearing hoses should be towards the bottom of normal case use to avoid air getting to the pump as liquid volume slowly reduces over time; not an issue at first. Thanks for the in depth review. My only comment on you video is that some of your comments did not sync with the images shown. You would be talking about something that was on the screen a few seconds ago which lead to confusion while looking at a different case while you spoke. Minor issue. Cheers and thanks for great wealth of case info. I bought a 750D before seeing your review, and learned quickly about valid negative issues that you described well; like the 5.25" bays.
Have to say "Thanks!" here. Couldn't decide between Phanteks P400S TG and Fractal Design Define C TG, will choose the latter. It'll be a jump from CoolerMaster Elite 431 Plus which had 5,25" bay for optical drive and totally no cable management. Like the simple design of Define C.
It's amazing how fractal design stays small and yet can cover all the features (and more) offered by the bigger cases. The s340 has the magnet thing, the vr hdmi in the front and yet still uses that stupid single fan mount on the top with no cover which, IMO, is inexcusable, specially when you consider the clean look of the case. Also props to the bequiet for the 5.25 driver bay. I think that by now cases could have support for at least the slim drives and have them hidden somewhere, like Inwin has done before.
Sorry but my answer is 'none of the above' - you missed out the corsair crystal 460X ;) Just transferred my pc into one last week and kitted it out with a full set of 6 HD120 rgb fans, it looks absolutely stunning !! I'll admit cable management was a struggle behind the back panel, but it was more than worth the effort
The S340 Elite wins for me because of its SSD mounts on the power supply shroud and the appropriate cut outs on the power supply shroud. I also love its smart cable bar. I've been looking at the Fractal Design C for long and I think it just lacks a TG side panel and appropriate cable cut outs. P400s could definitely also work on its cut outs. Pure Base 600 needs to add a power supply shroud as well with appropriate cable cut outs. Like if they all had good cable cutouts, the would probably all be truly on par with the S340 Elite or even better with their top fan dust filters.
Bought an S340 Elite. Tempered glass is a beautiful new trend and when you see your build behind one, it really shows how cheap plexi has been all these years. Whatever matte black paint NZXT is using is so damn fancy. It's really nice. The one thing that drives me insane is that the top fan mount has space for a 140mm fan yet they only included a 120mm. This makes no sense as to why a 140mm was not included as it should have been. That and the stupid drive cage. Other than those two gripes, I find it hard to think of a in the mid tower case as well designed and made of premium materials as the S340 Elite is within its price bracket. NZXT have been killin' it in the chassis department for a few years now. First with the trend-setting H440 and now with the jack of all trades S340 Elite. Can't wait to see when they get around to the H440 TG.
I have razer h440 but i can't really do water cooling with it so i got Phanteks P400s to build my water cooling. It's seems like it has more room to work in
I would love the S340 with a hinged door or one like the Inwin 303, USB 3.1 at the front and better radiator support. One day, I suppose. Oh and a magnetic top dust filter would be nice although you could probably buy one for it somewhere already.
Love the design of the Pure Base and its sound dampening pads and nice case fans , but, the lack of a psu shroud and those 5 1/4 inch bays are a deal breaker for me.
FIRST!!! Thanks for watching :) Full review links in the description! So... WHICH MID-TOWER WINS?
What the heck man no fair.
HardwareCanucks
my mid tower down below
No you are not, I am first.
I have won exactly 0 giveaways. I'm so happy xD
man, why does nobody review the jonsbo umx4... its such a unique case dammit..
Got me self Define C, very good)
240x37mm rad + 4 fans on the top & 300 mm gpu + 2 fan at front
no zip-ties used, perfect cable managment)))
#1 Phanteks P400 TG
#2 NZXT S340 Elite
#3 Fractal Design Define C
#4 Be Quite Pure Base 600 TG
I say that's will be the outcome, haven't watched the video yet, but since I have watched your reviews of those cases I think that's what you are going to say!
After watching your video: I stick by my early statement and the P400 TG is the winner in my opinion, but not by far, since the S340 Elite coming second, which is an awesome case. The Pure Base 600 is the least interesting case in this video and as some say, the Corsair 400C would be a better choice!
Yeah!
Wrong.
Nailed It
correct :)
IMO i'll put the Corsair 400C 2nd and remove the Be Quite from the list. I have a 400C and i choose it insted of the S340 because i dont like the top panel. :/
Went with the Fractal Design Define C TG and I am very happy with it. I was suprised at how small it was but everything fit perfectly.
I don't understand the decision to add something like bright orange to a case and not offer options. They have to know that no matter how good their case design is in literally every other aspect, that orange strip instantly disqualifies the case for 99% of their potential audience.
You can get an all black version.
Thats their company color scheme... i think
Black and orange is common in nature and is visually appealing to a much larger percentage of their audience than 99%
Yes, but sometimes people just want plain black (which i think they have) so.. eh.
The chance is big that the Dutch people will buy it ! :)
These videos have helped greatly in choosing a case. Great production values and editing. I like the subtle, chill music behind the VO. Nice work, Dmitry.
I love all of these cases, but I really wish someone would make a case with a single 5.25" bay that, along with front vents, is concealed behind a hinged door. I know a lot of people don't use them anymore, but for people like me who wants their rig to be able to handle the occasional disc without plugging in a loud, slow, overpriced external optical drive. Make a case where the single bay can be removed for those who don't want it. Every case I see that still has the bay has it exposed and I think those completely take away from the looks lf the case. First world problem, I know, but enthusiast rigs are all about that.
Edit: Also with the tempered glass and a basement to hide cables. Thanks for the replies!
I agree! It would be so nice to have that, being able to conceal a pretty unsightly piece of hardware would be great!
So, like a Define R5, but with one bay instead of two?
Christopher Vopal silent base 600 has a concealed drive bay, and you can remove the hardware if you don't need the bay.
Basically, also I want tempered glass like many of the newer cases are having. I hate the scratches that you inevitably get with acrylic panels get.
I was considering the silent base, but I want tempered glass and he raised some concerns in his review of that case. Cooler Master has a mid tower that meets what I want except it is a bit too exotic looking for my taste and is way more than I want to spend at $250.
Yay!!! Thanks for doing it Dimitri. I asked on the Pure Base 600 TG video for this comparison, and you did!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't know if I should just mod the Define mini C (or Nano S depending on which I use) or wait until Fractal launches a TG case ._.
Christoph Erwerle lol same here
I say get some edging material, a glass pane, and some silicone. Cut the window open more, edge it, and silicone in a standard glass panel. It won't be TG, just don't handle it roughly and you won't have an issue.
Was thinking about acrylic..
Christoph Erwerle works out the same, just get acrylic instead of glass.
i would definitely love a define c with tempered glass
oh yea, very helpful. I like videos like this, where you pin more than 2 cases together and give like a quick side by side by side by side rundown of the strengths and weaknesses. great job Dimitri.
Phanteks P400 case is my favorite. just wish it had 4 usb ports on top.
teeblack06 am I the only one that wishes a case would come with ports on the bottom instead of the top? Like very bottom front, I hate how my cables fold over and drop down
personally i prefer the side usb ports
teeblack06 agreed, but with tempered glass becoming a strong trend, it'd be hard for a case to have TG and side ports. Probably why I didn't mention it bc I can't imagine a fluid way to incorporate it
agreed
The phanteks enthoo pro m has side usb ports and has a TG edition.
Dimitry, the production value on your channel is just wonderful. Cinematic candy all around. Keep up the great work.
If Fractal could put out a chassis with TG ... then no contest. I've owned a variant of all of these cases (S340, SB800, P400S, Define S) and Fractal was overall the best case IMO.
Relco it's ya boy from the future.. ya know the news
This was actually a video I was hoping to see from you guys. I wanted a comparison of all these 4 cases and I knew you guys would make the best. Thanks Dimitri
What about corsair 400c,should have included it too.
Nooo way:)
Corsair need to make big changes in there cases.
They need to remove most cases in there market.
There soo much old cases in corsair brand.
But i use only Corsair cases in my live:)
My personal case air 240 and my brother case another corsair case.
Both of this cases horrible about dust protection.
I can't clean my dust filters in air 240 without remove all case panels.
This is huge problem for me. I hate it.
I use this case because i can't find another case fit in my desk side.
Only good thing about Corsair cases because that brand have many cases you can chose.
This brands like phanteks and nzxt have much less case but they have solid ones.
Wishin in the future Nzxt and phanteks make good solid micro atx and mini itx cases and we can find more options in the market
THEIR THEIR THEIR
ümit sezer bruh corsair 400c has so much better cooling and dust filters than s340 elite or p400,do a research
i will thanks:)
Corsair forgot about cable management with the 400C. Some sloppy mistakes with that case. It's not bad, but I'd rather have the S340 Elite or P400S or even the Define C.
Just built my P400s yesterday. It's an awesome case to build in! And I would mention that it's the only case that comes with a magnetic RGB strip that can be controlled by a button and a built in fan controller. If your PC is in your room, being able to turn off the RGBs at a press of a button is priceless
No noise testing ?
Hi Dimitri, I don't know if you reply to comments anymore but I just wanna say that your channel is amazing. You're the first place I go to see if any new tech goodies are worth it or not.
Phanteks P400s is the win
@@hazetyt what did you choose? I went with the P400S as silent was the theme of my build.
From someone who's built in each, Eclipse p400S is by far the winner, from looks to build experience it is incomparable. A good edition to the line up would be the Enthoo Pro M TG edition as well, bit older but a brilliant case none the less.
If you were to rank in terms of looks I'd say
1)P400S TG
2) S340 Elite
3)Fractal Define C
4) BQ Pure Base 600TG
In terms of Build experience
1) P400S TG
2) Define C
3) Pure Base 600
4) S340, purely because of how restricted and cramped the case feels plus plastic clips aren't really great for Cable Managment.
Why is the Phanteks Enthoo Pro M TG never part of this discussion? Tempered glass, single removable 5.25 inch drive bay, power supply shroud that's vented, support for front AND top radiator configuration with the top radiator slide out rack of the Evolv, and priced under $100.
Love the shot with the plant inside the S340 at 7:54! ❤️👍
I think Fractal design should do a tempered glass version of the define c dont you think?
It's out. Fractal Design Define C TG
S340 comes out on top in my mind. The only real downsides to it are the drive cages (weird choice) and imperfect (but still very good) cable management.
Just as a side note, great video! It might be a little information dense for some, but I appreciate that you condensed such a large amount of information down so well, covering all of the important features accompanied by appropriate shots of the features being discussed. This video could have easily been 30 minutes+, but you covered it really well in much less time.
My vote is for the S340 Elite. Only issue I see is the drive cage and it looks phenomenal.
No padding
metal on metal
should have put in the "Deepcool D-Shield"... I absolutely love this case allows you the have up to 12 fans or more ;) has mostly everything these cases have in this video and it only costs $37!
NZXT Should release a Mini-ITX version of the S340 Elite. That would look amazing.
YES
also an e-atx version
Or even a Micro-ATX version
oh hell yes S340 elite itx
Well with their new H-series they have all 3 sizes (H700i, H400i, and H200i), so they're listening I guess. I really like the H700i aside from the "machine learning" hub or w/e, it seems better than the S340 is most ways. I might just buy it and take the hub out.
I particularly like the Phantek P400S. Nice clean design, spacious interior and great price point. Also like the RGB on it.
I was looking at the p400 which has RGB strips, kind of pushing it into the lead BUT the define C would be the definitive winner if it had a tempered glass panel
green busters
yes green you said it best if the mini c had the tempered glass it's a clear win. and the evolve matx is not smaller only the evolve it'x is if i recall otherwise they are all similar in size and the corsair 400c had some major new design steps that actually went backward rather then forward
I postponed getting my next case for 2 weeks to wait for this very video, been using a NZXT Guardian for 13 years. The S340 Elite had my heart until I found out about the P400 TG so I was so very torn. Thanks Dmitry for putting out this comparison video, I think I can finally make my decision!!
Abram Hill nice i have a NZXT lexa blackline which is 12 years old
Where do you store all the cases?
RepsUp100 in fulltower cases
Just wanted to mention that the S340 elite can support 3 3.5 inch HDDs. There's enough clearance under the HDD caddy and mounting holes on the bottom of the frame to hold one more drive in place.
But is the Be Quiet build noticeably quieter than the others ?
Evann Hobeika marginal difference
Marginal indeed. With all the foam on the P400S, you won't hear the difference. Also, the system is as quiet as the hardware you put into it. This BeQuiet is certainly not worth it.
Thank you !
I recently put together a system and went for the p400s. It was between that and the 340 elite. the p400s only won due to the extra fan position on the top of the case.
With regards to what I actually wanted out a case, everything was a compromise. The compromise I made was the 5.25" drive bay. I would have liked to keep that, along with a 280mm radiator support somewhere, and the PSU shroud plus tempered glass.
would also have liked to stick 2 3.5" drives, and 2 2.5" drives in a case, well hidden somewhere.
I guess all that means a full tower really, but would like it in a mid tower sized package ideally.
S340 all the way, such a pretty case
I am concerned that many reviewers are greatly playing down 5.25" bays. Does no one use either a DVD drive for movie viewing or CD/DVD/BluRay ripping? My experience with external drive solutions is that they easily break or degrade overtime (laptop like drives seem to have this problem) or they are big and bulky often with large external PS bricks. There are many 5.25" solutions to additional front cabling and information are impossible any other way. A BlurRay/DVD drive is still a useful tool.
phanteks enthoo evolv tg?
Sander Veski no, it's not.
anybody got a buy link??? in black??? Germany, plzzzzzzzzzz
it isnt a full tower but it is not a compact mid tower and much more expensive
overpriced? At least in this price point nowhere near real.
The Enthoo Evolve TG is a case I'd be willing to pay to premium price of 169EUR. It's only a mid tower, but offers the same enthusiast water cooling support as the Fractal Design Define S, but with extremely good quality. And, unlike the P400, it comes with HDD brackets. You have to buy them separately for the P400S.
how come my corsair h110i am4 didnt fit the way it is fitted in 6:20 ... I put it behind the front cover outside the metal case...same phanteks p400s
just sharing.. thanks :)
I gotta give it to the S340 Elite. It was between that and the Phanteks P400. I bought the S340 Elite and my friend bought the P400. The appearance of the finished build is clearly cleaner on the S340, and noticeably quieter, though he did top rad and I put mine in front. The 4 USBs in front alone make my friend wish he went with the S340, making reaching to the back for quick accessories or a USB transfer a thing of the past. A luxury often overlooked.
Nick DeSousa thank you for the feedback
I agree, I have the S340 Elite too, such a great looking case, and plenty of space to work with.
I even layered the inside with some material to hide extra cable holes and SSD mounts that I wasn't using, I also changed the feet to some smaller ones to make it sit lower. Have a look here... uk.pcpartpicker.com/b/nqnnTW
I've been rocking the standard S340 for a long time now. One of the first builds I've done and the case has had two different systems in it, it's amazing. The case just looks so good. I don't plan to upgrade til the end of the year or so, but I'm more than likely getting the S340 Elite once I work out everything I want.
David Midcalf Wow, love the material you put in there! Great looking build and of course, the S340 Elite's matte finish makes it all pop.
At first i wanted to go with S340 Elite due to its simplicity but that lack of radiator support made me to go with P400S. I have no regrets. Still both are best from 4 mentioned in video.
The nzxt, and the p400tg are both great, but the color choices offered by phanteks and the led strip just takes the cake, and not to mention the airflow :)
Have you ever considered designing your own case?
i would love that
I ordered a phanteks p400 tg the other day just by going off the reviews on amazon and the way it looked. and i decided to search it on youtube to see if there were build videos with it. I am super happy to see i picked a winner of a case. I almost chose an Aigo tempered glass case that looked very nice but the more i looked into it the metal used on it is very thin and it bends very easy and im just glad i didnt go with that case over the phanteks.
CORSAIR 400c and 460x are awesome cases, really disappointed those aren't here.
true
that's like 140 dlls... not even in the same price range
I had the Carbide 400C. very nice case.
The 460x is pretty ugly imo and the 400c has many other cases that are better than it.
I really like this, quick and clean Dmitry. Good video!
So how come the 460x wasn't included?
out of the price range, the cases demitri talked about here were around 80-100 but the corsair 460x is about 150
That makes sense. But it's still a good case to pick?
Eli Song it still wins in my book not ALOT more money as far as a case is concerned
David.. the 460x is $105 lol
StoneAgeGaming from where? Ru talking about the non rgb 460x?
Aesthetically speaking, the nzxt s340 elite is by far the best case, especially because of the gpu cable cutout as well as the ssd trays that show off your storage. In terms of design and functionality the fractal design c is easily the winner for me, with the removable plate for the 360 rad, relatively small footprint, top dust filter as well as front removable psu dust filter, incredible cable management, and probably a bunch of stuff I'm missing. without a doubt the best case to build in.
the be Quiet loses. the motherboard tray isn't desinged properly. the glass shows the ugly edges of the case frame and the size and design are dated and less efficient than the others.
I couldn't be happier with my Phanteks Eclipse P400S TG, I was so close to going with the S340 Elite but HC came out with their review for it, which had me sold!
*Phanteks Eclipse P400S TG
Patrik Radelj Whoops, my bad!
Legend has it if your early dimitri will reply
Yeah :) :)
+HardwareCanucks holy s**t you replied
It was the legend 27
All the cases in this video were great, but this is the order I think they rank.
#1 Phanteks P400 TG for the - Best looking case, lowest temps, fan and LED control on front panel, and supports up to a 360mm radiator. Second best case at cable management. I'm a huge fan of the solution it provides for routing cables on the backside of the motherboard.
#2 Factal Design Define C - Its compact size and great cable management is easily the best out of the three cases overall. Tempered glass would be preferable, but the define C is still a great looking case. That brushed finish on the front panel is gorgeous. It also has 360mm rad support... always a plus.
#3 NZXT S340 Elite - the VR passthrough this case has is something all cases need to follow as an example. I'm also a big fan of having 4 USB ports on the front panel. Awesome customizable color selection, but the frame is a little too boxy for me.
#4 Be Quite Pure Base 600 TG - If you aren't a fan of orange accents, you are SOL. Lack of a PSU shroud is not good either. It's nice that it has a 5.25" drive bay... but I seriously doubt many people will use this. Also has the worst cable management of the bunch and the worst AIO temperatures. Still a good case, but dated compared to the other 3 options. Quite frankly it's not competitive considering it's tied as the most expensive option with the NZXT S340 Elite at $99.
Be Quiet really needs a psu shroud....
this aged well
I love Fractal for simplicity. Waiting for them to make slightly taller case with bottom compartment for 360 rad on the side for triple 360 rad support, add tempered glass and its a win-win.
Give me a Define Mini C with TG and I call it perfect :3
Cool video! I would have liked to see a sound comparison demo here as many of these cases either include sound dampening foam or are targeted to be quieter options. I was looking at all of these though, so I really appreciate this review!
Define C!
i have to say, i like the phantex, but i dont like the tilted surface. for me, the s340 elite is the winner. Great video!
Why don't you just design your own pc case. Honeslty you have the best knowledge and experience with what, and where to include items. You should try and design one and send it as a proposal to one of the many pc case manufacturers. Hell, I would buy it simply because it is your design.
no... gamersnexus techjesus should
I'm going to be making a build in the Phanteks case soon hopefully. I'm excited as I believe that is the most stylish case in this line up that has the most utility and practicality.
what about Corsair 400c
define c 4 me btw
Pure base 600 TG may not blacked out ... though if one wanted to, could add some window tinting to the back of the glass ...like used in "Automotive Window Tinting" !! :)
Please get the Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass and make an mATX video, dont include ITX plebs
ye wtf
hey Dmitri just as a suggestion for further comparison videos like this which i really like, it might be helpful to put a title box about which case you are showing/talking about. I know you start with a preface saying which case you are currently talking about. But the rate at which you go back and forth talking about them is a tad overwhelming.
All these cases have one thing in common. They have shit airflow.
I'll go with the p400s.
That included rgb strip is one heck of a deal, not to mention the tempered glass.
Phanteks p400s...
Think it would of been nice to mention the S340 does not officially support 280mm RADs, as some will fit and some do not. The X62 for example does though people had a bit of trouble doing it.
Phanteks is a fucking top case.
I have the Define R5 and TG cases with the freedom to beef it up with RGB is very tempting. Thinking about getting the S340, but the downsides are inexcusable. No hard drive protection? Only 1 top fan? No dust filter? Hopefully something like that without those kind of compromises come out this year or Fractal finally comes out with a TG case.
I love the looks of the Phanteks but the S340's functionality just wins overall.
Great Knightsby I think the fractal define c is the most functional apart from the fact it's window scratches too easily since it's plastic
I think most people think S340 wins the look and P400 wins the functionality
Dova Pug not anymore.. The new TG version is so sexy!
Carpet bomb liked this video and your s340 elite, p400 p400s p400s TG, define c, define s vs enthoo pro vids. Best comparative overview online period. And yes it's that time again, building fever :)!
Nzxt S340 Elite IsThe Best!!!
no
Nerd Kid P400S ftw
H440 you scrub
only one 140mm on top and no dust filter made me not buy it
having just completed moving my system from an H230 into an S340, I agree completely. It's a nearly perfect case. My only quibble is that I wish they'd left a few mm more space around the lip to better accommodate the Hue+ light strips.
Surprisingly, I think the Define C was the most functionally competent of all these cases. Best cable management, best support for larger radiators, most convenient dust filter positioning, and it's also the smallest of the four. I am honestly impressed.
*The best case of the year is*
Read more
sausage lips damn you got me there
it's not April Fool's anymore...
sausage lips got me too lool
Guys cmon, links are blue color not black
lawlerzwtf quit pretending you didn't fall for it. You're not fooling anyone like the guy did.
hope someone realised that you've showed the nzxt h440 at 2:47. pretty nice case tho!
anyway, nice channel" keep it up!
corsair 400c best
I was considering the Phanteks. I think it looks the best of the 4 with the TG. But lack of top radiator support really bugged me. Fractal isn't quite as pretty but it is much better designed inside and now they have a TG version. In the end I think I'm going to get the Meshify C. Better airflow with the same clever layout of the Define C.
I bought Phanteks P400S with tempered glass but I didn't like the front panel and got NZXT S340 Elite instead. It is very simple and that's how I like it. If they would merge S340 and P400S ideas, like two fans at the top, dust filters, silencing mats, simplicity etc that would be the perfect case. Also S340 could use some LEDs behind the front panel.
This is the exact video I was looking for. Thank you for helping me to decide. I went with the P400S :)
Very good comparative test. I like to still have a DVD writer for some light delicate back up, I don't trust usb keys too much... Just a place for it would be great for me.
Would love to see your very well structured script layout as a table between all options to get a good overview. Would't be much to much efort either with great benefit for the viewer seeking the "perfect" case for him/her.
in fact in thes340 you can store 3 HDD on of them will be screwed to the bottom of the case "direct contact"
I think I would choose the Define C for my next PC although I would like to have it a little bit bigger for a 140mm-fan in the rear and three 140mm-fans and corresponding radiators in the front and the top. Perhaps there will come a Define C XL or a Define R6.
I vote for the Define C. I have the Define C TG. The reason being it's so moddable. AND! As a first time builder, it helped make the building more convenient. And that glass ♥️
Recently built in P400S. I like it much better than CoolerMaster N400 (not mentioned and for good reason), from which the components were moved (air cooled at first, and moved when going to AIO cooling), which I think as I saw on one of your videos cannot take an 240mm AIO to save it's life. The P400 could only use it in the front due to, as you stated, MB height restrictions at the top; though mine were really tall VRM heatsinks but memory could have caused a problem as well. One issue that brought concern was with the AIO and the distance from the front of the case to the CPU. Shorter distance lessens stress on hoses, but can have GPU board interaction with the radiator or too much hose to find a home. The hoses were barely able to connect on my AIO. I eventually found a good resting place that seemed mostly stress free, but I was concerned about leaks from stress on the connection joints; mostly CPU block. Also, I assume that this is true for all these cases, but you have to mount the radiator with hoses at the top to avoid hose collision with a large GPU sticking into the case. I keep hearing hoses should be towards the bottom of normal case use to avoid air getting to the pump as liquid volume slowly reduces over time; not an issue at first. Thanks for the in depth review. My only comment on you video is that some of your comments did not sync with the images shown. You would be talking about something that was on the screen a few seconds ago which lead to confusion while looking at a different case while you spoke. Minor issue. Cheers and thanks for great wealth of case info. I bought a 750D before seeing your review, and learned quickly about valid negative issues that you described well; like the 5.25" bays.
Just bought the phanteks entho luxe full glass panel, but I would have loved to have snagged one of the limited edition HyperBeast s340's.
at 8:19 your graphic incorrectly lists what the drive options are.
Of these 4, aesthetics go to the s340 elite, hands down. there's no competition IMO. PSU shroud, cable shroud, front ssd. Boom. Done. SO clean.
Have to say "Thanks!" here. Couldn't decide between Phanteks P400S TG and Fractal Design Define C TG, will choose the latter. It'll be a jump from CoolerMaster Elite 431 Plus which had 5,25" bay for optical drive and totally no cable management. Like the simple design of Define C.
Early again! Reply again? Btw I thought about this video yesterday i just wanted someone to make it nice job! ❤️
It's amazing how fractal design stays small and yet can cover all the features (and more) offered by the bigger cases. The s340 has the magnet thing, the vr hdmi in the front and yet still uses that stupid single fan mount on the top with no cover which, IMO, is inexcusable, specially when you consider the clean look of the case.
Also props to the bequiet for the 5.25 driver bay. I think that by now cases could have support for at least the slim drives and have them hidden somewhere, like Inwin has done before.
Sorry but my answer is 'none of the above' - you missed out the corsair crystal 460X ;)
Just transferred my pc into one last week and kitted it out with a full set of 6 HD120 rgb fans, it looks absolutely stunning !! I'll admit cable management was a struggle behind the back panel, but it was more than worth the effort
The S340 Elite wins for me because of its SSD mounts on the power supply shroud and the appropriate cut outs on the power supply shroud. I also love its smart cable bar. I've been looking at the Fractal Design C for long and I think it just lacks a TG side panel and appropriate cable cut outs. P400s could definitely also work on its cut outs. Pure Base 600 needs to add a power supply shroud as well with appropriate cable cut outs. Like if they all had good cable cutouts, the would probably all be truly on par with the S340 Elite or even better with their top fan dust filters.
Great video as always, really needed this one! :D
Bought an S340 Elite. Tempered glass is a beautiful new trend and when you see your build behind one, it really shows how cheap plexi has been all these years. Whatever matte black paint NZXT is using is so damn fancy. It's really nice.
The one thing that drives me insane is that the top fan mount has space for a 140mm fan yet they only included a 120mm. This makes no sense as to why a 140mm was not included as it should have been. That and the stupid drive cage. Other than those two gripes, I find it hard to think of a in the mid tower case as well designed and made of premium materials as the S340 Elite is within its price bracket. NZXT have been killin' it in the chassis department for a few years now. First with the trend-setting H440 and now with the jack of all trades S340 Elite.
Can't wait to see when they get around to the H440 TG.
For me, the P400 FTW. It simply checks the boxes, good cable mgmt, clean simplicity and functionality. Fan and LED controls on the front a bonus.
THKS I LOVE YOU, i waited this for months and months :D
I have razer h440 but i can't really do water cooling with it so i got Phanteks P400s to build my water cooling. It's seems like it has more room to work in
The Define C wins for me. Good price, great solutions to keep your build nice and tidy. I'd go for a version without a transparent side panel, though.
I would love the S340 with a hinged door or one like the Inwin 303, USB 3.1 at the front and better radiator support. One day, I suppose. Oh and a magnetic top dust filter would be nice although you could probably buy one for it somewhere already.
Love the design of the Pure Base and its sound dampening pads and nice case fans , but, the lack of a psu shroud and those 5 1/4 inch bays are a deal breaker for me.