Corsair Carbide 300R Case Review - PAGE 2

The Carbide packaging is similar to those for other cases released by Corsair, being a standard brown box that has an illustration of the case on the front along with descriptions explaining the highlights of the case.

For a sub $100 case, the Carbide 300R has a sleek design that includes an all-black paint job, perforated vents and a square design similar to that of Corsair's Obsidian series. Along the front of the case Corsair has added a large perforated vent that can accommodate multiple fans, three 5.25" external drive bays and a top mounted control panel. The reverse side also includes a nice layout and has a top 120mm fan, along with 7 expansion bays that each have high airflow brackets. There is also an additional area to the right of the bracket that provides even more ventilation and will allow the airflow coming from the front fans to be easily exhausted out the back.

Both side panels of the 300R have the same design, but the predominate panel has dual fan mounting brackets that can accommodate either a 120mm or 140mm case fan. The panels are both attached to the case with traditional thumb-screws, so unlike many of Corsair's other cases this model has panels that are removed by pulling on the rear handle to slide them off the chassis. Also, just in-front of the panels are two perforated areas which serve to improve the airflow to the front fans.

The control panel mounted at the top includes two USB 3.0 ports, front audio jacks, a reset button, an activity LED and the power button. For the most part the options on the control panel are standard for cases in today's market, but the USB 3.0 ports are still not integrated into all cases in this price range. Above the control panel is a large perforated area that can either accommodate up to two case fans, or a 240mm radiator.

Unlike most cases Corsair has decided to go with a large 140mm fan in the front instead of the traditional dual 120mm or 200mm fans. We actually prefer this as most 200mm fans just don't have the same airflow level as a good 140mm fan, and given this is a budget case it is nice to see how Corsair decided to use a larger fan instead of just sticking with a single 120mm fan. The front panel also includes a large built-in dust filter to help trap much of the dust from the outside before it can enter the case.

As we mentioned before, the top of the case can accommodate either dual system fans for improved ventilation, or a 240mm radiator for water cooling. The bottom of the case only has a single vent for the bottom mounted power supply and a removable dust filter that covers the power supply's air intake area.