If you're in the market looking for a gaming PC case, you must have come across mid-tower and full-tower cases. As the name suggests, a full-tower case is the case with the bigger form factor. However, most people usually go for mid-tower options because of how affordable and functional they are.
If you're looking to buy one, you might be confused between the two. To help you make an informed decision, we have put together this comparison, where we look into the differences, features, and gaming usability of the two cases.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the opinions of the writer
Mid-tower vs full-tower cases: What are their differences?
Right off the bat, mid-tower cases are the smaller bunch. They're not "small" small but just comparatively less roomy. So, you'd be well off with a mid-tower case if you're going for an ATX motherboard or even any of the smaller form factor boards out there. A full-tower case, on the other hand, can store everything from a large E-ATX board to a smaller Mini-ITX.
Expansion slots and driver bays are another important factor to look out for. Most mid-tower PC cases offer at least four drive bay slots, so you can store at least two SSDs and two HDDs. You also get a minimum of seven expansion slots, which are usually used up for things like your graphics card, sound cards, additional USB ports, and so on. It's basically yours to customize.
We cannot forget about the cooling on your PC. Mid-tower cases can store a maximum of three 120mm fans, while full-tower ones can hold up to four. Luckily, most cases today come with pre-installed fans, and sometimes, you get them for a really good price.
Overall, you can see both these case sizes are right up there when it comes to functionality and have very small differences. It's almost as if full-tower cases only one up mid-tower builds when it comes to little details.
Check out: 5 best gaming PC cases in 2024
Mid-tower vs full-tower cases: Which is better for gaming?
You have to note that these are merely just cases, so it's hard to choose just one case that's better than others for gaming. Both can store top-of-the-line hardware with great ease. You can still have a clocked-out setup on a mid-tower case as you have enough space.
However, if you're looking to build a PC that'll last you years of upgrades, we recommend you go for a full-tower case. Not that you can't do that on a mid-tower one, but it's just that the extra room on the larger case really does come in handy. And not just for gaming; you might have a ton of files and folders, and the extra slots do help for upgrading your storage.
Mid-tower vs full-tower cases: Which has greater value for money?
We're gonna have to side with mid-tower cases when we're talking of value for money. This is simply because mid-tower cases offer almost just as much functionality and only fall behind when it comes to storage. You could get one from anywhere between $50 to a more premium $300. You can store the best GPUs, have the most storage, and even a complex cooling system, and your PC will still look organized.
Take it this way, if you're someone who likes to keep upgrading and requires many storage slots and so on, go for a full-tower build. Do note that it takes up quite a bit of space.
However, if you want a PC case that's not very large but can still house the hardware you want, go for a mid-tower PC case. Honestly, that's the only parameter here: storage. So, make your choice accordingly.
Mid-tower vs full-tower cases: Final verdict
Choosing a set winner for this comparison is quite tricky. These aren't competitive pieces of tech and don't have that much of an effect on your performance. However, just for the sake of the argument, we'd say you go for a mid-tower case because of its sufficient storage, functionality, and affordability. It doesn't take up a ton of space and can house beefy GPUs and cooling systems.
However, as we mentioned above, if you are someone who loves upgrading and focuses on longevity, go for a full-tower PC case, as it'd be the only one you'd ever have to buy for years to come. The choice really comes down to your personal preferences.
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