Budget 0-20k Horizontal (console-like) PC cases

m1tr

Recruit
I am thinking of building a new PC for gaming/media serving. For aesthetic reasons, I would prefer the PC to look similar to an AV receiver since I would like to keep it under the TV. A case that suits my requirement pretty well is the Silverstone GD11 but it's not available in India. The Fractal Ridge also works but it is Mini-ITX and has limited clearance for CPU cooler. My ideal case would be something like a "slim" mATX case which I can lay flat on its side (bonus points if it also has decent IO on the front panel) with around 160mm of clearance for the CPU cooler and enough depth for a GPU like the 4080S FE (of course this is flexible if the case offers alternative GPU mounting configurations).

Does anyone have any recommendations for me?
 
Will the PC have a GPU? That and the PC power draw will strongly dictate the case options, especially if you want something compact. From what I know, Circle / Frontech and other brands will have ITX cases which are not the most well built (Flimsy metal) but will get the job done. Personally I bought a Node 202 from Sweden, and if I wasn't using a GPU I would have lot more options, especially from Iwin and other brands. It still won't be smaller than say a PS4 slim.

You can check out r/htpc in reddit - https://r-htpc.github.io/wiki/components#cases
 
kvn95ss said:
Will the PC have a GPU?
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Yes. I would like to leave some room for future upgrades. I don't see myself going beyond a 4080S.
kvn95ss said:
You can check out r/htpc in reddit - https://r-htpc.github.io/wiki/components#cases
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The HTPC subreddit is a great resource. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of examples of the type of case I am looking for. The "console" style sadly seems to be out of fashion and everyone's moving towards mini-ITX designs which would only be a last resort for me.

I don't necessarily want something super compact (if I did, the Fractal Ridge would be a no brainer). A typical mATX case which is slimmer than usual seems like the best option for me but I don't know if something like this actually exists (hence the post)!
 
Yep, SFF M-ATX horizontal cases are not available here. You will need to pay the pretty penny and import.

I suppose you can keep any of the smaller vertical MATX cases horizontally but there aren't any slim ones which will match the aesthetics of your AV receiver.

As mentioned above, you can also consider these cheap MATX ones (add some sticky rubber feet to keep them horizontal) from the likes of Fingers, Artis, etc but the builds are filmsy and lesser said about the cooling, the better -

Take a look at this artis JOY 3.0 Slim Mid Tower Cabinet on Flipkart

Take a look at this FINGERS BabyTower Micro-ATX Cabinet on Flipkart

Take a look at this artis ATOM 3.0 SLIM ITX /Micro ATX Cabinet on Flipkart

For these, check the CPU cooler clearance and replace the stock PSUs with better SFX ones but you will need to check the fitment.

Edit : The Node 202 ITX case is available here though.
 
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ibose said:
As mentioned above, you can also consider these cheap MATX ones (add some sticky rubber feet to keep them horizontal) from the likes of Fingers, Artis, etc but the builds are filmsy and lesser said about the cooling, the better -
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Yea I'd really like to not go back to frontec and other cheapo brands. Most of them don't seem to have basic ventilation or mesh!

I don't want to push the case budget too much past 20k but if something perfect comes along I might make an exception!