Dual-chamber PC cases come with a lot of benefits and advantages. For one, they allow you to house your cooler components separately from the hot ones. You could, for example, put the power supplies in some hidden cavity somewhere in the lower part of the case while you could put the other components, like the motherboard and graphics card, in a more prominent position.
This can help you keep your interior parts sorted and separated. Should the need ever arise for you to do some maintenance, you won’t have to dig and poke around a tangle of spaghetti and wires to get to a certain component.
Furthermore, having this separation is also good for airflow. Since everything is neat and sorted, there’s more room for ventilation, and the accumulated heat can get dissipated quickly.
And thirdly, dual-chamber cases are usually good for aesthetics. The cable management system conceals all the unsightly wires and connections and leaves the façade of the setup smooth and minimalist.
This is, by the way, something of a necessity if the case in question has a see-through side panel. Imagine glancing over to the PC and having a mesh of ugly cables smile back at you through the glass. Yeesh.
Lastly, and this one is a bit unusual, you can also use a dual-chamber case to house two completely different PCs in a single case. Yep, that means that you could pop in two sets of motherboards, graphics cards, PSUs, etc. You could switch between ’em at the flick of a button.
In a hurry? Here are our top 3 favorite picks when it comes to the best dual-chamber PC cases in 2023!
Best Overall
Runner Up
Premium Pick
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What is a Dual-Chamber Case?
It is what it sounds like: a case with two chambers in it.
But then, the word ‘chamber’ brings to mind some high-ceilinged room in a medieval castle, so let’s do some…delineation.
Essentially, in a dual-chamber case, there are two separate parts located in the chassis. The chassis is the empty space inside a CPU wherein all the components are kept. The separation can be in a vertical as well as horizontal orientation.
Whereas the purpose of such a case can be to take benefit from any of the advantages enumerated at the starting of this post, it is usually to provide separate places for the PSUs and hardware. Once you set up your components in such a way, viz., with the PSU and the other hardware positioned separately, the other benefits (i.e., the cooling, aesthetics, etc.) will all automatically come your way.
Is it Worth Getting a Dual-Chamber Case?
It depends, mainly. Dual chambers in cases are something of a privilege, kind of like having a proper cable management system and soundproofing, etc. So, you might have to cough up more money for a dual chamber as compared to a case without it.
If your rig is old-fashioned, simple, and not very fancy, then you should try and go for a single-chamber case. With such a rig, you won’t have a lot of cables or water-cooling apparatuses that have to be neatly sorted, nor will there be a lot of heat that has to be dissipated.
In such a case, getting a dual-chamber case could be a bit of a luxury rather than a necessity. True, it would come with its benefits, but you could rather spend the money on something that is actually of use to you.
On the other hand, if your rig consists of some heavy and hefty components that create a lot of heat and come with a lot of wires, then a dual-chamber case will be something that you would need to compulsorily get.
So, to answer our question, it is worth getting a dual-chamber case in two scenarios: 1) you can easily afford it, and 2) your rig is big enough to need and fit it.
Here are our recommended picks for the top 7 dual-chamber PC cases to buy in 2023:
1. Corsair Carbide Series Air 540 – Best Overall
Let’s start off with something neat and aesthetic. Putting the features and size aside for a bit, the first awesome thing about the Corsair Carbide Series Air 540 is the looks. The body features a black and white color, with a minimalist I/O up front, next to the ridged black ventilation grill.
The thing is pretty wide as well, so there’s less of a longitudinal and rectangular look to it. The side panel is transparent, which adds to the overall aesthetics. The Carbide Series Air 540 is a mid-tower case with micro-ATX motherboard compatibility.
Another salient and special feature that is advertised about the Carbide Air 540 is the quiet working. While the case can fit up to six 120mm fans and five 140mm fans (or a suitable combination of radiators), it comes packed with 2 x 140mm at the front and 1 x 140mm at the front.
The Air Series AF140L is designed to work less noise and give a much quieter experience than other similar fans.
Features
- Made from carbide
- Product dimensions: 16.3 x 13.1 x 18 inches (L x W x H)
- Product weight: 16.3 pounds
- Comes with audio in/out ports as well as 2 x USB A ports
- Can fit 6 x 120mm and 5 x 140mm fans or a 280mm radiator at the top and 360mm radiator at the back
- 2 x 3.5″ hot-swap bays and 4 x 2.5″ SSD drive cages
- Can fit a GPU with a maximum length of 320mm
Why is the Corsair Carbide Series Air 540 the best Dual Chamber PC Case in 2023?
Generally, people who need to build a PC for simple and basic usage use moderately-sized components and cooling systems. For example, they will suffice by using a small and compact graphics card along with just a couple of fans for cooling.
On the other hand, people who have to create large and hefty rigs will need, apart from installing bulky components, a commensurate cooling setup. That would mean strapping on five or six fans as well as setting up a water-cooling system inside the chassis.
For these types of setups, the Carbide Air 540 is an excellent choice due to the large space it offers and the numerous fan-mounting points around it.
2. Rosewill CULLINAN PX – Runner Up
Although the Rosewill CULLINAN PX is being mentioned here on number 2, it has the potential of ranking in as numero uno as well. The thing’s beautiful. The glass design coupled with the front-lit fans and minimalist front panel makes up an extremely aesthetic appearance.
The dual-chamber style featured in the CULLINAN PX is very practical and excellently built. There is a wall right in the center of the chassis, which divides the interior into two equal and symmetric parts. One side is dedicated to the not-so-gorgeous components, like the PSUs, SSDs, and HDDs, whereas the other side (which is clearly visible through the tempered glass) is dedicated to the motherboard and GPU.
There are different variations available for the CULLINAN PX, varying on the color of the front fan lights.
Features
- Item dimensions: 18.8 x 18.7 x 14.3 inches (L x W x H)
- Item weight: 13.50lbs
- Supports up to 7 fans (280mm liquid cooling radiator can be added to the top, and a 240mm one can be added to the front)
- Comes with 2 x USB slots and audio in/out ports
- Front panel made partially from tempered glass and aluminum, sides all tempered glass
3. Thermaltake Tower 900 – Premium Pick
If you want to make your PC setup look like something out of an atomic laboratory, consider getting the Thermaltake Tower 900.
Look at it. The thing’s huge. You could fit a child in there…comfortably. (Don’t try that, though.) And that’s not even an exaggeration. The height of this thing is 29.6 inches. Bring it a bit closer to your desk, and you can double it as a side table for putting your bowl of cornflakes or cup of coffee on.
Okay, no more kidding.
The Tower 900 comes with a generous interior space and can support extended ATX motherboards. There are two chambers in the chassis. The front chamber, where you’ll put the GPU and the MB, has transparent, 5mm thick tempered glass on three sides.
On the top side of the case, you get four 4 x USB 3.0 slots along with an audio in/out port.
Features
- Item dimensions: 16.7 x 19 x 29.6 inches (L X W X H)
- Item weight: 54 pounds (which is around 24.5 kilograms)
- Can fit all ATX motherboards from mini to extended
- Has 5mm thick tempered glass on all three sides (partially on either side and fully on the front)
- Fan count: 3
- 4 x USB 3.0 and audio in/out ports
- Can hold 1 x 5.25”, 5 x 2.5/3.5” and 2 x 2.5” drives in modular drive bays
4. Thermaltake Level 20 XT
While the case by Thermaltake at number 3 was a vertical and portrait mammoth, this thing right here is the same in the horizontal and landscape orientation.
Apart from the generous amount of interior space and the awesome cooling system, the Thermaltake level 20 XT has a breathtaking design. The smooth curved edges combined with the dark tinted tempered glass on three of the sides make up an elegant body with some refined and minimalist aesthetics.
Getting carried away with the adjectives there, but the thing we love about this case is that it gives an amazing look without resorting to flashy lightings and over-the-top design patterns. It’s just a simple cube-shaped PC case, yet it is something you want to look at again and again.
Features
- Item dimensions: 15.5” x 26.06” x 20.3” (L x W x H)
- Item weight: 44.9 pounds
- “Landscape” orientation
- Three tempered glass panels (either sides and front)
- Comes with USB 3.0 X 2, USB 2.0 x 2 and USB C x 1
- Comes with 1 x rear 140mm fan installed. Furthermore, can install 18 x 120mm fans or 13 x 140mm on different sides of the case. Can also support a suitable combination of radiators as well
5. Thermaltake Core V1 – Budget Pick
Thermaltake doesn’t only work with large and gargantuan cases, as you might have thought after looking at the previous two products on this list. For people who want something smaller, albeit with decent cooling options and a dual-chamber design, the Core V1 is an excellent option.
This product is made for mini ATX motherboards only, so it does have a small size and a small price tag. This case can support a total of three fans: two at the back and one at the front. The big one at the front (200mm) comes included with the product, so you can start using it without having to wait.
And lastly, the Core V1 has interchangeable panels. This will be something of a pleasant surprise if you are a fan of inverted PC cases. Since you can change the panels around and choose which side remains visible, you can do some personalized tinkering and set the thing up according to your taste.
Features
- 10.87 x 10.84 x 12.44 inches (L x W x H)
- 3.2 kilograms weight
- Mini-tower case type
- 2 x hidden bays for 2.5” or 3.5” drives
- USB 3.0 x 2
- 10.87 x 10.84 x 12.44 inches (L x W x H)
- 3.2 kilograms weight
- Mini-tower case type
- 2 x hidden bays for 2.5” or 3.5” drives
- USB 3.0 x 2
6. Corsair Crystal Series 680X
The first thing that you are going to see (probably) when checking this product out is the price tag. Yep, that $266.99 looks hefty, and it is. But the Corsair Crystal Series 680X is worth it.
The case comes with three tempered glass sides, in a configuration not very commonly seen. Cases usually have transparent panels on the sides, but the Crystal 680X has one on the top as well.
The transparent panel on the side goes around on a hinge. That makes it more practical and a lot more aesthetic for when you have to open the thing up for repairs and maintenance.
The cooling potential, in this case, is also outstanding. You can fit up to 8 x 120mm fans or 7 x 140mm fans. You can also substitute ’em all with four radiators instead.
Features
- Dimensions: 16.65 * 13.54 * 19.88 inches (L x W x H)
- Item weight: 25.57 pounds (which is about 11.59 kilograms)
- Alloy steel and tempered glass construction
- Can fit up to 8 x 120mm fans or 7 x 140mm fans (or four radiators instead)
- Comes with three fans included
7. Lian Li PC-011
For people who are looking for something simple, with a no-frills design and a practical interior setup, the Lian Li PC-011 is a good option. There aren’t a lot of fancy hoo-has with this case right here, but it is still quite outstanding with regards to looks and storage.
The Lian Li PC-011 can be fitted with three radiators, one each at the top, front, and bottom. There is a nifty back compartment that works great to hold the cables and wires, and it is hidden enough not to become an eyesore.
The panels on the left and the front (partially) are made from tempered glass, whereas the rest is alloy steel. You can get a generous view of the inner components through the side and front windows.
Features
- Item dimensions: 20.5 x 14.4 x 22.2 inches (L x W x H)
- Item weight: 26.2 pounds
- Drive bays: 2 x 3.5”, 4 x 2.5”
- Can support ATX motherboards
- Total nine fans supported (or three radiators)
How to Choose The Best Dual-Chamber PC Case in 2023?
To make sure you get your hands on one of the best dual-chamber PC cases, you have to keep some pointers in mind. Look for these features and qualities in any product that you fancy. If you are satisfied with these aspects, go ahead with your purchase, otherwise, refrain from it.
Size and Capacity
The first thing you need to see in any product is the size and capacity. As we mentioned in the start, one reason why anyone could want a dual-chamber PC case is to house two different systems in one body.
If you are someone who has to do this sort of thing, then you should ensure that your case has sufficient space to hold all the stuff in it without getting too stuffy. That is one (among others) of the reasons why the Corsair Carbide was at the top of our list. The thing is wide and ample for larger setups.
Even for people who want to put in a single set of all the components, having large-sized cassis can be quite useful. It can help with the airflow and make maintenance easier.
Cooling System
If you are thinking about buying a dual-chamber case, chances are that you are planning on putting some hefty components in there. The heavier and more powerful your stuff will be, the more heat it will generate. And the more heat it will generate, the better the cooling system it will need.
So, in theory, you should look for a cooling system that works well with your particular setup. If you have a moderate GPU and a not-so-heat-generating combination of hardware, then you’ll be good with just a couple of normal fans.
On the other hand, if your hardware is pumping out the heat like a volcano churning out smoke, then you need some serious countermeasures for it. Here, you can also try water-cooling, but at the minimum, you should try and get at least 4 to 5 fans so that the system can carry on working without melting down.
Cable Management System
Once again, if you are searching for a PC case with two compartments, you probably want to put some heavy stuff in it. Or, you could be looking to put in two sets of hardware in it at once.
In both cases, you will have to work with a lot of cables and wires. In the absence of a proper cable management system, all the wires and connectors will become a mess, and it will get hard for you to carry out any repairs or maintenance. It won’t look very good as well if the case has a transparent side or body.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a dual-chamber PC case to sort your computer components out a bit, check out the list we’ve compiled above. If you want to go buying one on your own, be sure to keep in mind the pointers mentioned in the buying guide.
(5 votes, average: 4.60 out of 5)
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