Best Wooden PC Case in 2026: Fractal North, Corsair Frame 4000D Wood, Montech XR Wood or Lian Li A3 Wood, Which One for a PC That Blends into the Living Room?

A wooden case is mainly for a PC that stays in view, in a living room or on a desk, without the usual “gaming” look. But not every model uses the same amount of wood: some have a front made entirely of real wood, others only wood plates as an accent. And the room for the graphics card varies a lot, from 322 to 425 mm.

In short: the Fractal Design North remains the best-balanced choice in ATX (graphics card up to 355 mm, walnut or oak front). The Corsair FRAME 4000D WOOD RS is the most versatile for a big graphics card (405 mm) and 360 mm liquid cooling. The Montech XR Wood is the budget option, with less wood. For a compact PC, the Lian Li A3-mATX Wood takes a card of more than 410 mm in micro-ATX.

Every figure comes from the manufacturers’ spec sheets (Fractal Design, Corsair, Montech, Lian Li). The page only covers models for which an exact spec sheet is available. To compare with cases without wood, also read our gaming PC case guide and our selection of white PC cases.

• Real wood front. This is the case of the Fractal North and North XL (walnut or oak slats in front of an open front) and of the Corsair FRAME 4000D and 5000D WOOD RS (a single piece of FSC-certified wood with a built-in filter).
• Wood as an accent. On the Montech XR Wood, Montech talks about American walnut plates built into the front. Tom’s Hardware mainly describes wood strips at the top and bottom, and notes that it is not much wood. The result is still pleasant, but more discreet.
• Wood on compact cases. The Fractal Terra uses solid walnut and anodized aluminum panels, the Era 2 a solid walnut top panel. The Lian Li A3-mATX Wood has a black walnut front (black version) or a beech front (white version).
• Airflow. Corsair states that its wood front is a little more restrictive than a standard front, with no noticeable effect on cooling, since gaps on the sides also let air through. On the North, the front is open between the slats.

• The motherboard format. The North is an ATX mid tower. The A3 Wood is limited to micro-ATX and Mini-ITX. The Terra and the Era 2 only take Mini-ITX and an SFX or SFX-L power supply.
• The graphics card length. It runs from 322 mm (Terra) to 425 mm (FRAME 5000D with front fans). A front radiator takes some away: on the North, Fractal goes from 355 to 300 mm with a 360 mm radiator. See also our guide which case for an RTX 5090.
• The graphics card thickness. On the A3 Wood, a 25 mm fan at the bottom limits the thickness to 61 mm (3 slots). On the Era 2, the card must not exceed 63 mm.
• The radiator. A 420 mm radiator is only possible on the North XL and FRAME 5000D. The details for a 420 mm are in our guide to the case for a 420 mm AIO.
• The noise level. If silence is your priority, also look at our quiet PC cases.

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The North started the trend of wooden cases. Fractal states a real walnut or oak front with brass details, ATX, micro-ATX and Mini-ITX motherboards, and two 140 mm Aspect 14 PWM fans. The graphics card can be up to 355 mm long, or 300 mm with a 360 mm radiator at the front.

The radiator mounts at the front (up to 360 mm) and at the top (up to 240 mm). Its weak point is precisely the limited space at the top: for bigger liquid cooling, move up to the North XL or the Corsair cases.

To choose between ATX and micro-ATX, our ATX or micro-ATX format guide helps.

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The FRAME 4000D WOOD RS takes Corsair’s modular FRAME chassis with an FSC-certified solid wood front (walnut on the black version, oak on the white one). It takes motherboards from Mini-ITX to E-ATX and graphics cards of up to 405 mm, or 430 mm without a front fan.

For cooling, Corsair states three mounting locations for a 360 mm radiator (front, top and side), up to two 360 mm radiators at the same time, and four RS120 PWM fans supplied. The CPU cooler can be up to 170 mm tall. A tempered glass panel covers the whole left side, and an anti-sag arm for the graphics card is included.

The North XL takes the real walnut front of the North in a bigger format. Fractal states E-ATX motherboards, a 413 mm graphics card, 380 mm with a front radiator, and a radiator of up to 420 mm at the front, 360 mm at the top. Three Aspect 14 PWM fans are supplied.

The FRAME 5000D WOOD RS is the large-format version, with an FSC-certified solid wood front. Corsair states graphics cards of up to 450 mm (425 mm with the front fans), radiators of up to 420 mm at the front, top and side, two 200 mm RS200 fans at the front and an RS140 at the rear. The CPU cooler can be up to 175 mm tall.

The Montech XR Wood is the most affordable of the selection. Montech states an ATX, micro-ATX and Mini-ITX mid tower, with a 420 mm graphics card, a 175 mm CPU cooler, four GF120 ARGB PWM fans supplied and a 360 mm radiator at the top or a 280 mm one at the front.

The wood is an accent here: American walnut plates on the front. If you want a front made entirely of wood, look at the North or the Corsair cases instead.

The A3-mATX Wood is a 26.3-litre case designed with DAN Cases. Lian Li states micro-ATX and Mini-ITX motherboards, a 415 mm graphics card in 4 slots, a 165 mm CPU cooler and a 360 mm radiator at the top or on the side. Fans are not included. The front is black walnut (black version) or beech (white version).

The Terra is a 10.4-litre case made of anodized aluminum and FSC-certified solid walnut. Fractal states a Mini-ITX motherboard, an SFX or SFX-L power supply of 130 mm maximum, and a graphics card 322 mm long and 72 mm thick. The CPU cooler is limited to 48 mm according to the Fractal spec sheet: plan for a very low-profile cooler or liquid cooling. For more SFF choices, read our guide to the best Mini-ITX case.

The Era 2 has an anodized aluminum chassis with a solid walnut top panel. Fractal states a Mini-ITX motherboard, an SFX or SFX-L power supply, a 326 mm graphics card in 3 slots (63 mm thick at most), a radiator of up to 280 mm at the top, two Aspect 12 PWM fans and a pre-installed PCIe 4.0 riser cable.

To match the graphics card, Gigabyte makes the AORUS GeForce RTX 5080 INFINITY WOOD 16G. Gigabyte states 330 mm long, 145 mm wide and 65 mm thick, a 16-pin power connector and a recommended 850 W power supply. Here is how a card of this size fits in each case:

• Believing that “wood” means a front made entirely of wood: check whether it is slats, a single piece or simple plates.
• Forgetting that a front radiator reduces the available graphics card length.
• Choosing an ITX case without checking the SFX power supply and the CPU cooler height.
• Taking the Terra or the Era 2 for a recent graphics card of more than 320 mm without measuring.
• Not planning for fans: the Lian Li A3-mATX Wood does not include any.

Not necessarily. Corsair states that its wood front is a little more restrictive than a standard front, with no noticeable effect on cooling. On the North, the front is open between the slats.

The Corsair FRAME 5000D WOOD RS (up to 450 mm without front fans) and the Montech XR Wood (420 mm) are the longest. The North XL goes up to 413 mm.

Yes: the Lian Li A3-mATX Wood in micro-ATX, the Fractal Terra and the Era 2 in Mini-ITX.

Yes in the North (at the front), the Corsair FRAME cases (front, top or side), the Montech XR Wood (at the top) and the A3-mATX Wood (at the top or side). Only the North XL and FRAME 5000D take a 420 mm radiator.

For most PCs, get the Fractal Design North, the best-balanced wooden case. For a big graphics card and 360 mm liquid cooling, the Corsair FRAME 4000D WOOD RS is more versatile. If your budget is tight, the Montech XR Wood offers more discreet wood. In compact formats, the Lian Li A3-mATX Wood holds long cards, and the Fractal Terra or the Era 2 suit high-end Mini-ITX.