Question Mid-tower under $100 without tempered glass or RGB?

[PlayerDot]

It's driving me crazy. I spent hours searching for a case for my next build, but all I find is tempered glass and built in RGB fans. The few solid cases I find are upwards of hundreds of dollars.

I'll be using a microATX motherboard (B760M)

I just want something boring and simple. Black. Some cases I liked:
Corsair 110Q (not available in my region?)
Fractal Design Define Mini C (Using this one, no longer available)
Phanteks Eclipse P400A (if only it didn't have glass. Similar solid Phanteks cases on amazon.de are $120-170)

I checked through a few similar threads, but I end up getting prices that are way off the budget.

Preferably with ports/USB in the front or top, not the sides. Bonus points for case fans.

 

[Lutfij]

Define 7 Mini

The Define 7 Mini offers the same stylish appeal and many of the life-improving features of its larger siblings, in a streamlined form factor.

www.fractal-design.com

Pop Mini Silent

Fractal fuse flair with function in the new Pop series of cases that doesn’t skimp on aesthetics or flexibility. The entire series offers a solid foundation and excellent build quality, giving all users plenty of options and room to maneuver.

www.fractal-design.com

^
?

 

[Lafong]

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-AP201-33-Liter-Tool-Free-Quasi-Filter/dp/B0B99HTD3B

Maybe??

 

[Eximo]

Amazon and Newegg both have the Define Mini C in stock.

 

[logainofhades]

PCPartPicker Part List

Case: Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $88.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-03-01 14:43 EST-0500

 

[PlayerDot]

Thank you all for your suggestions! I like all of them, though the AP201 looks like the PSU and cable management might be a pain.

Unfortunately all of these are around €120-140 + up to 15€ shipping where I live. Even the Define Mini C I paid about €70 for not even 5 years ago.
Damn, I never thought I'd be paying more for a case than almost all other components.

 

[logainofhades]

How about this one?

PCPartPicker Part List

Case: Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case (€79.90 @ Alza)
Total: €79.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-03-01 21:36 CET+0100

 

[Lutfij]

I never thought I'd be paying more for a case than almost all other components.
It's inflation. Things that were cheap are now, expensive, if it's not running into End of Life - EoL, territory. 5 years ago things were different. I'm assuming you're changing the case due to the front panel type-C port from the board? In that case you should look into that Pop Air or the Asus case. You could add a type-c module to the cases suggested but that only brings up the cost.

 

[PlayerDot]

How about this one?

PCPartPicker Part List

Case: Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case (€79.90 @ Alza)
Total: €79.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-03-01 21:36 CET+0100

Sadly in the same ballpark.

I never thought I'd be paying more for a case than almost all other components.
It's inflation. Things that were cheap are now, expensive, if it's not running into End of Life - EoL, territory. 5 years ago things were different.

Funny enough, the tempered glass variants of the same cases or related to the cases are typically up to €30 cheaper, so I'm guessing it's more market forces at play than inflation. On the bright side: DDR4 RAM and SSDs are much more affordable than they were back then, too.

I'm assuming you're changing the case due to the front panel type-C port from the board? In that case you should look into that Pop Air or the Asus case. You could add a type-c module to the cases suggested but that only brings up the cost.

I didn't even think of that, though it might come in handy. I'm not reusing the old case because I'm passing down the PC in my family. Since the prices are mostly the same now, I figured I might try something different. The thumb... pinchy...things to remove the front cover to clean the filter are a massive pain to remove, too.

EDIT: I was being a bit sloppy with my search, but now I have managed to find some of these cases for 80-90 and free delivery with some of the lesser known stores that I've ordered things from in the past.
Thanks again everyone!

 

[Lutfij]

Supply/demand curves, geopolitical issues, demonetization, legislations, even market statistics by brands can all cause a product to be wiped off the shelf or restocked with fervour. A product might even be priced better than other brands or products within it's own product portfolio to aid in influencing the market. Intel have been known to do this with the APAC regions to aid in lower income families easily gain access to a computer at home as opposed to having a computer at school alone.