Collection: Case Accessories

Which case accessories do you actually need?

Most PC builders think of case accessories as an afterthought, but they decide how quiet, cool and tidy a build ends up. The category covers case fans, fan hubs and controllers, dust filters, GPU support brackets, vertical GPU mounts, riser cables, sleeved extension cables and the odd bit of cable management hardware. What you need depends on what your Computer Cases came with and what your parts demand.

At the entry tier, you're buying basic sleeve or fluid dynamic bearing fans with plain frames, usually 120mm at 1200 to 1800 RPM. They move decent airflow but tend to be tonally rough at speed and use thin blades that lose efficiency against dust filters and radiators. The sweet spot is where blade geometry changes: thicker, more rigid blades, tighter tip clearances, better bearings and PWM control down to low RPM. That gives you more static pressure per decibel, which matters when air is dragged through mesh panels or a radiator. Enthusiast fans like the Noctua NF-A12x25 or Phanteks T30 push this further with tighter tolerances and higher pressure, but the gain over a good mid-range fan is often only a few degrees, or a slightly lower noise floor. Diminishing returns hit hard once you have balanced intake and exhaust and a sensible fan curve.

For heavy GPUs, a support bracket is cheap insurance. A vertical mount or riser is purely about looks, and it comes with thermal and clearance costs.

Upgrading and technical nuances

Fan choice comes down to airflow versus static pressure. Airflow-focused fans suit open mesh fronts and exhaust positions. Pressure-optimised fans suit radiators, dense dust filters and the fins on a tower cooler. Arctic P12 and P14 PWM fans are the budget benchmark and punch well above their price. Noctua NF-A12x25, be quiet! Silent Wings and Lian Li UNI FAN lines suit buyers who want lower noise or daisy-chained wiring. Corsair's iCUE Link range reduces cable count but ties you to its ecosystem, so check that before mixing brands.

ARGB is a common compatibility trap. Most fans use a 5V 3-pin header, while older RGB gear uses a 12V 4-pin header. Plug one into the other and you can fry LEDs. Also check whether your Motherboards have enough PWM and ARGB headers, because a good fan hub often costs less than a better board. A hub spreads load across a single SATA or Molex feed and takes the PWM signal from one header, which keeps motherboard fan headers well within their current limit (typically around 1A to 2A each).

On modern platforms like AM5 and LGA1851, power draw from CPUs & Processors and Graphics Cards / GPU is high enough that case airflow matters. A GPU on a 12V-2x6 connector can dump hundreds of watts into the case, so positive pressure with filtered intake and a proper rear and top exhaust usually beats stacking more fans in one spot. Pair that with the right CPU Cooling and the rest of the Fans, Heatsinks & Cooling range to keep temperatures stable under sustained load.

For cables, ATX 3.0 and 3.1 power supplies use native 12V-2x6 connectors. Third-party sleeved extensions look great, but they need to match your PSU's pinout and be rated for the full load. Use only extensions designed for your specific modular PSU, as pinouts differ between brands and even between series. Read more in Power Supplies and Cables & Connectors. If you're pairing with an older ATX Power Supply, an adapter is a poorer choice than a native cable, since the bend radius and contact quality matter.

Vertical mounts use a PCIe riser. A PCIe 4.0 riser is fine for most cards, while PCIe 5.0 needs a better shielded riser, and cheap ones can cause instability or drop link speed. Lian Li and Thermaltake make well-regarded versions.

Practical things to check before you buy

Start with fan sizes and thickness. Most cases take 120mm or 140mm fans at 25mm thick, but some radiators and tight front panels cannot take 30mm designs. Check the case's mounting slots too, since some use proprietary layouts or reverse-blade orientations for aesthetics.

Check clearance between top fans and tall Desktop Memory or a large cooler. A 25mm fan on a top radiator mount plus tall RAM heat spreaders can collide with the motherboard VRM heatsink. A GPU bracket needs to match the card height and the case floor, ideally with a rubberised tip so it doesn't mark the PCB.

Look at PCIe riser length and orientation too. Vertical mounts block the PCIe slots next to the GPU, so any capture card or network card needs a plan. If you plan on adding a Networking card, such as a Wi-Fi card from TP-Link, check which slots remain after fitting the mount.

Dust filters help only if they're cleanable. Magnetic filters on the intake are easiest. Finally, look at how many cables you're adding. Extra ARGB hubs and fan splitters can create a mess behind the tray, so check the rear-panel clearance, ideally around 20mm to 25mm.

If you're buying a whole new build, consider whether a prebuilt from Computers already includes decent fans. A display on Monitors won't matter here, but a compact case will matter for desk space.

Brands and local warranty

Reliable names to look for include Noctua, Arctic, be quiet!, Corsair, Lian Li, Phanteks, Fractal Design, NZXT and Thermalright. Cable specialists like CableMod are popular, though check local availability. For storage drives in the same build, see Solid State Drives (SSD).

Local warranty matters more than most people think. Under Australian Consumer Law, products need to be of acceptable quality, and the retailer must deal with faults. With fans and cables, failures are often bearing noise or a dodgy connector, and sending a small part overseas isn't worth it. Buying through an Australian retailer with local support means a straightforward swap instead of weeks of shipping. With power cables especially, a genuine product with local backing is worth a few extra dollars.

Frequently asked questions

How many case fans do I need?

Most mid-tower builds work well with two or three intake fans at the front and one rear exhaust, plus optional top exhaust. What matters is balance and filtered intake. A GPU-heavy build benefits from more front intake, while a CPU-heavy build benefits from good rear and top exhaust.

Are expensive fans worth it?

It depends on the noise target. Mid-range fans handle most builds well. Premium fans mostly give lower noise at the same airflow, better bearings and tighter tolerances. If your PC sits near your desk, the difference is audible.

Do I need a GPU support bracket?

For large, heavy cards, yes. A bracket reduces stress on the PCIe slot and PCB, especially if you move the PC around. It costs little and prevents sag.

Can I mix fan brands?

Yes, if they use standard 4-pin PWM. The catch is ARGB and proprietary hubs. Mixing is fine for airflow, but lighting control may need separate software or a basic controller.

Will a vertical GPU mount hurt performance?

Not much if the riser is good quality, but the card sits closer to the glass, which can raise temperatures. Check the gap and the case's design before buying.