Corsair Carbide series 300R Mini review up!

[Rvenger]

Corsair Carbide Series 300R

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139011


I just bought a GTX 480 from a seller in the FS/FT forum and I knew I was going to run into some issues with heat. My GTX560 was pushing 80c in an Antec 300 case. My 2500k was hitting 60c on 2 cores while gaming. I literally have no place to put the HX650's PSU ribbon cables, so that blocks airflow. The USB and audio headers are too short so I have to stretch them across the case, another issue. I cannot bottom mount the PSU fan so when I am playing BF3 for 2 hours, all that heat from the video card dumps right into the power supply. Not to mention with an ~11" videocard, it will be pretty crammed in this case.


I will post pics of the new case when I receive it. Looks very promising!

Mini Review and pics - Scroll down to bottom.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Corsair typically means quality in the case department. It looks sharp, and checks the right boxes as far as design and features. It is just too small for my taste 😛

 

[QueBert]

I <3 my Corsair case, I also have a Corsair PSU. If they made motherboards I'd more than likely order one 😀 Great company and they have some of the best customer service I've ever came across. Everything I've used from them in the past has always been top notch.

 

[dawp]

I just bought this case for my daughter a couple of weeks ago and for what it is, it's a good case. It doesn't come with the usb 3.0 to usb 2.0 converter cable that is included with the more expensive r400. Other than that I like it.

 

[dawp]

I <3 my Corsair case, I also have a Corsair PSU. If they made motherboards I'd more than likely order one 😀 Great company and they have some of the best customer service I've ever came across. Everything I've used from them in the past has always been top notch.

Maybe in the future, they are making more and more stuff. I just pick up their k60 keyboard.

 

[airdata]

They have some nice cases.

I was in microcenter looking at cases this weekend and all of the corsair models seem to be built very well.

 

[Rvenger]

Thanks everyone. I know its not a huge case, I am not running a workstation inside it 😛 I just want it to be cool.

There are so many fan configurations I can do with this case. but particularly the top, should I run 2x 140mm fans on the top or 2x 120mm? I have both types of sizes.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Thanks everyone. I know its not a huge case, I am not running a workstation inside it 😛 I just want it to be cool.

There are so many fan configurations I can do with this case. but particularly the top, should I run 2x 140mm fans on the top or 2x 120mm? I have both types of sizes.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2228066

Might not answer your questions about the fan size question, but might give you some insight as far as not mounting 2 top fans. Still an interesting read either way 🙂

 

[sandorski]

A Mid-Tower is plenty for that setup.

 

[Elcs]

Love my 500R. Got a friend with a 400R and he couldn't be happier.

Can't imagine the 300R being bad. Sounds like a double thumbs up purchase.

 

[General Kenobi]

The Carbide series is definitely good, this particular one might be Corsair's equivalent to Cooler Master's HAF 912. Got to love the environmentally sound packaging as well.

 

[Rvenger]

Once I submit that rebate, it will be an even better deal. Can't wait to see the quality because I usually never sway away from Antec.

 

[Rvenger]

Unpacking of the 300r

Didn't realize how heavy the side panel was. When I removed the panel the edge smacked the kitchen table. Whoops!

Mobo Tray

Top View - Use can use either 140mm or 120mm fans. They have little paper grommets glued in place so you don't damage the paint when you are tightening your fans.

Rear view

PSU filter

 

[Rvenger]

Front panel filter is held on by the steel mesh. If you pull it out to clean it, I bet it would get damaged eventually.

The side filters seem to pop out with ease which is a good thing

My assortment of fans I will be using 4x 120mm 2x 140mm

I ran into an issue with the 2x 140s on top. The second one to the back was obstructing the installation of the DVD burner. I had to install a 120mm in it's place to make it fit.

Switched the 140mm to the front to help assist with cooling the video card.

Everything Installed and ready to go! Even though this case is small, it has a ton of room inside for expansion. I did hear you can purchase more drive cages if you need more for hard drives.

 

[Rvenger]

Finished and running

Overall, I like the case very much. Airflow is superb and it is relatively quiet even though I have 7 fans in the case. It fits my GTX 480 perfect and keeps it cool when it is idle. The front has a nice blushed aluminum look even though it is plastic.

A few troublespots:

1. Front Panel audio is reversed. I have to use the MIC output for my headphones and vice versa. Might just be a defect on mine. EDIT: Corsair support sent me a replacement and all is good!
2. Side panels are difficult to close because they are somewhat flimsey. (They are not cheap feeling, just very bendable)
3. You cannot put 2x 140mm fans on top unless you move your optical drive down one bay. You can substitute 1x120mm like I did.
4. Only comes with 10 motherboard screws but a ton of fan screws. I had to use the black screws that came with my Bitfenix Merc Alpha. (shouldn't be a cost issue because the Bitfenix came with a ton of motherboard screws.)
5. Front panel audio connector is too short
6. Had to bend the backplates slightly on the cards because the case isn't perfectly inline with the slots. (I noticed this happens often on cases)

 

[Elcs]

One thing I dislike about Corsair cases very slightly.

They design the top to accomodate their H100 (2x120mm radiator) so you cannot actually use 2 x 140mm fans that use the 120mm fan mounts.

Nice mini-review!