Gaming hardware designer BitFenix recently announced two new computer chassis. Named Merc Alpha and Merc Beta, both enclosures are of the mid-tower ATX design and deliver gaming features for budget prices. Product Manager David Jarlestedt stated confidently that “gamers will be hard pressed to find a better value enclosure in this segment.”

The differences between Merc Alpha and Merc Beta are subtle but important for cooling potential. Specifically, Merc Alpha is able to accommodate up to eight 120mm fans (including two on top) while the Merc Beta eschews the two top 120mm fan grills in favor of a flat surface and a total of six fans.

Features shared between both models include an all black interior and exterior coating, black cabling for the front ports, cable management features, CPU cooler motherboard cut-out, four USB 2.0 front panel ports, and easy to use thumbscrews to secure the case door and internal drives. Further, the cases support three 5.25” optical drives, seven 3.5” hard drives, and one 2.5” drive bay for an SSD.

Both Merc Alpha and Merc Beta will be available in stores starting August 2011 with an MSRP of $39. You can see more photos of the budget gaming cases here.