The Best $30 PC Case? {NEED HELP}

This is one of the only ones that I could find with ATX and MicroATX. It even cost's less than $30 U.S. Dollars.

Buy here

It doesn't look the nicest, but that's what your going to get, if you buy a case at this cheap of a price.

You're going to have to pay more than $30 for a case that's respectable in all fashions. The case above is cheap, but airflow is laughable. Antec do good #£100 cases.

10-Bay ATX Mid Tower Computer Case w/4.72" Blue LED Fan:Buy here

Features/Specifications:

10-Bay ATX Computer Case

General Features:

Black color (front panel is a glossy piano-black finish)

10 drive bays

No power supply

Blue LED on front panel

Front panel 4.72-inch (120 mm) Blue LED case fan

Two (2) Side mounted USB ports

One (1) Side mounted headphone jack

One (1) Side mounted microphone jack

Power switch

Reset switch

Covered drive bays

Front metal mesh

Vented side panels

Expansion Features:

Seven (7) Expansion slots

Drive Bay Features:

Four (4) 5.25-inch external drive bays

One (1) 3.5-inch external drive bay

Five (5) 3.5-inch internal drive bays

Supported Case Fans:

One (1) 4.72-inch (120 mm) front case fan (installed)

One (1) 3.14 - 3.62-inch (80 - 92 mm) rear case fan (not installed)

One (1) 2.75-inch (70 mm) side case fan (not installed)

Compatible Motherboard Types:

ATX

mATX

AT

Unit Dimensions:

16.6 x 7.25 x 17.5-inches (H x W x D, approximate)

Regulatory Approvals:

WEEE

Package Includes:

10-Bay ATX Computer Case

Screw pack

Additional Information:

Notes:

Model: KJ-6691

This computer case does not include a power supply or power cord.

Product Requirements:

ATX motherboard

ATX power supply

Available power outlet

Power cord

Hard drive, optical drive or floppy drive

The rest of the system

yeah $29.99

when getting a cheap case, ignore the look, focus purely on space and airflow.

Many cheap cases will often have poor airflow,

Due to the shape of a PC case, it is designed for air to enter through the front and the hot air exits through the back. Most chipset heatsinks and after market heatsinks and videocard heatsinks will have the fins of the heatsinks and fans positioned to pull cool air from the front of the case.

The problem with the cases is you will have trouble going $30 or under as shipping is often almost as much as the price of the case

While the case is not something you want to dump too much money into, you want something that will provideo good cooling and above all, a front fan that can cool the hard drives. A hard drive such as a 7200 RPM western digital caviar black or many other high performing 7200 RPM drives will overheat with out direct airflow over the drive.

I have seen this problem a lot with I did repairs on systems that some people built. there will be no fan cooling the hard drive, then they will get me to help them with problems with bluescreening and windows delayed writing problems, it then turns out that the drive was overheating and shutting down to prevent damage.

If possible, I really recommend you save up some more money and get a better case. those cheap cases often use really thin metal that can cause the case to flex if it gets bumped or something goes on top of it such as a cat :)

If you can save up enough, you can get a case like this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103021

or like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811162052

Or like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103010

ATX specs rarely ever change so get a quality case now that will last you as long as the motherboard mounting remains the same.. Don't get a really cheap case that will put you at risk of it flexing or poor airflow causing parts of the system to run hot (when they run hot, they tend to not last as long which will cost you more in the long run).