‘This isn’t a case that makes it clear how
expensive it is.’
Corsair’s first ever case is getting on for
three years old, but the fact that it’s still being sold is testament to its
staying power. A full tower with five 5.25” bays, four hot-swappable 3.5” /2.5”
bays, two normal 3.5” and eight expansion slots, you’ll fit a lot of kit into
here before it gets even close to full. Cooling is provided by a 140mm drive
bay fan, a 140mm lower compartment, a 140mm exhaust fan and no less than four
optional 120mm fans ( three top mounted, one fan-bay).
Even for a full tower, this is a large
case. It’s over 60cm tall and weighs 10kg before you’ve put anything in it. The
design, however, is almost minimalist. From the outside it’s monolithic (in the
Arthur C Clarke sense), but the lack of frills may put some people off. This
isn’t a case that makes it clear how expensive it is.
There are no LEDs, no exterior flourishes,
no features that’ll impress others. All of the care has been taken internally,
with cable tidying features and segmented compartments. There is a window so
that you can see in, but unless you break out your own lighting, there won’t be
a huge amount to see.
A practically invisible flip-down
faceplate reveals I/O ports and a reset button. A push-to-open door reveals the
hard drive bays, which can be hot-swapped without the need to open the chassis
up.
There are a few hidden design features that
indicate the level of engineering here. A practically invisible flip-down
faceplate reveals I/O ports and a reset button. A push-to-open door reveals the
hard drive bays, which can be hot-swapped without the need to open the chassis
up. The doors can also be mounted to pen from either side, depending on which
you prefer. And the side panels can be popped off at the push of a button
(although this isn’t hugely secure if you’re moving the case around).
Its age does come with some negative
effects, though: there’s no sign of USB3.0 or eSATA connections. At this price,
you could reasonably expect both. For a case aimed at enthusiasts, the lack of
these features if probably enough to put them off, and ultimately there are
better-looking, more modern cases you could buy for the same money.
Details
|
Price
|
$345
|
|
Size
|
Full tower
|
|
5.25’’ bays
|
5
|
|
3.5’’ bays
|
6
|
Verdict
A good case when it was launched, but it’s
nearing the end of its life cycle now.
