9.10.2019

I've not had wide practical experience with desktop PC cases but when I did my first build I did a lot of research beforehand, reading lots of reviews and making notes about any particular faults. The problem is that even after all that I was none the wiser. They're all much of a muchness as some people used to say.All the well known brands: Corsair, Fractal, BitFenix, Coolermaster, Thermalake, Antec etc and a host of others have mid-tower cases in the £50 - £70 'budget' price range and it is almost impossible to separate them except on what is probably, for most buyers, relatively minor details.The fact is you're not going to find any significant positives or negatives whichever make you choose in this price range.For instance any criticism in reviews leveled at the Corsair Carbide 200R in relation to cooling is really trivial. I know because have been using one for almost four years now. Just because it does not have a front mesh and draws the air in from narrow, filtered side intakes does not have any real world practical relevance.If you're really you're worried about temperatures this case has far more fan intake/exhaust mounts than you'll need to keep it satisfactorily cool. The bottom intake for a 140mm fan more than resolves any theoretical failings of the front mounted intake fan's effectiveness. You can fit an optional second fan at the front too.The build quality is good enough throughout and the space available is better than many in this category. That is the main reason I've bought another one. The Coolermaster case I use for the PC I'd earmarked for upgrading simply can not accommodate the new GPU I wanted to use without significant compromises and extensive cable rerouting/extensions. The Corsair Carbide 200R will take the same GPU and space to spare all without any cable routing compromises.So after the positives what are this case's negatives. Again: trivial but still there is one that niggles me and that is the decision to use a relatively lightweight, plastic SSD/HDD mounting rack. The tool-less fixing mechanism works but it does not hold the HDD quite as securely as I've found is necessary.I eventually used the conventional screw mounts instead. The problem I had was that using two HDDs along with a SSD is that the two, different, HDDs (a 1TB Seagate and a, slightly noisier 160GB WD) when spun up together create a cyclical resonance. With the lightweight rack that slight vibration is transferred to the casing amplifying it. The annoyance is mostly because it is not constant and as the rest of the system is so quiet you notice it more.With a single HDD on it own, maybe even two matched HDDs or an all SSD build this would not be any sort of issue but as it is for me I can not ignore it. With the rebuild in the new case I'm going to use vibration 'prevention' washers on the two HDDs and if that doesn't fix the problem I might well dump the second HDD and replace it with a SSD when I can afford it.So to conclude: the Corsair Carbide 200R is as good a mid-tower case as you'll find at this price in terms of design and build quality. Apart from that specific plastic HDD mounting rack vibration issue described there are no significant negatives that need highlighting..Whilst there are plenty of others you could buy which may match or even exceed its specs at this price it must still be a strong contender for your money.

2.5.2014

I bought this as an "over-pressure" experiment for my workshop PC, which had managed to fill itself with dust "felt" in a reasonably short period of time. The case is very nicely presented from the box, and has a good quality feel, despite the mid-range price point. There is plenty of ventilation and space for (IIRC) three more 120mm fans in addition to the two already installed. One is in the roof and the other in the front inside the removable front cover. As I was going for over-pressure, I was a little disappointed by the lack of dust-proof mesh covering the punch-out holes for the fans, but it's not impossible to remedy with some aftermarket magnetic meshes, which I've done.Each fan is supported away from the case by black rubbery grommits that shred quite easily if you remove and reinstall any screws, or add more fans. There are some spares in the screw-bag, but a full-fan setup would need more fo shizzle. Where does one get them from???The four 2.5" bays are just slide-in click-fit slots in a plastic housing that doesn't feel particularly sexy, but does the job. The four 3.5" slots have a rocker-locker pin that pings out of the cradle if you're not careful. Take note of how they're positioned from the next one down if this happens to you.It's quite negative so far, but I still like the case. I was recycling some gen3 Intel and ASUS gear with a new Corsair 650w modular PSU due to some power issues I'd been having with my 450w PSU in the old case, and was pleased to see how case design has come along. All the cables could be threaded through behind the mobo to hide them away, and in back were a bunch of stamped-in tie-downs for the innevitable zip-ties you'll need to keep it under control. The cut-outs are designed with an ATX board in mind, but worked ok with my MiniATX board, showing just a little more cable than it otherwise would. I'll make sure to get an ATX board when I start feeling my PC is slow, but that's not happening right now, so I'll save my money.There are two more 120mm fan mounts provided in the case's left door (the one you'll open to get at the contents), with some grommits there in case you need them. You'd have to do some fancy footwork to undo the fan power cables to avoid damaging the pins each time you pull the door off, so I plan on leaving them as output vents. The rearmost top fan point is baulked by my water cooling radiator, which is blasting out of the rear 120mm fan mount, but you can probably shoe-horn another in if you're using fans if you feel the need. I've put another mesh panel over the vent though, as I'm not keen on it filling with dust and rubbish due to gravity.Sure, it could be better - what couldn't? For the price though, you get a well engineered and good looking case with understated design cues on the front, which suits me, as no matter how powerful or otherwise, I don't want some kind of garish temple of light under my desk. Who looks at their own PC after the first week other than to find the on switch or eject a DVD anyway? Speaking of which, you might want to mount your optical drive in the lower bay, to avoid switching your PC off instead of ejecting a disk. Yes... yes I did :(

15.7.2016

This case is a well built, as expected from Corsair. It is quite big and in hindsight I should have gone for a micro atx case. However, I of course cannot put this against the case as it isn't meant to be small.Pros:• Due to its size, it is easy to work in and install components such as the motherboard and PSU.• There are rubber O-rings on all of the side panel and top installation points which help reduce vibrations• Tool-less installation for HDDs, SSDs, and the front bay devices (such as a DVD writer) means installing HDDs and SSDs is quick and easy• 2x 120mm fans included (1 front and 1 back)• 2x USB 3.0 ports on front for the fastest transfer speeds• Headphone/mic port on the front• Easy to access power and reset ports that have a nice click to them,and the power button is also illuminated which adds a premium touch• Can hold a tall CPU cooler (up to 160mm), such as the Hyper 212 EVO from Cooler Master• Can fit a 120mm radiator in the rear• Metal side panels which don’t have too much flex to them• The chassis itself is rigid even without the side panels, which is what you would expect from Corsair• Painted black throughout – it is crazy how much more premium a case looks when it is in the same uniform colour• The panels are quite well colour matched so the plastic front panel doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb• Comes with a Corsair 2 year warranty, though I doubt you’ll need it as it is built well (I didn’t need it)Cons (These cons don’t impact me much, but I thought I would point them out anyway as some may view them as problems):• No rubber grommets for clean cable management• Not very cable management friendly – hard to hide cables well due to small space behind side panel• Hard to fit a 240mm radiator in the case without modding or mounting parts outside the case• Plastic front panel is hard to remove, which needs to be done to thoroughly clean the front dust filter• The PSU dust filter slides out the rear of the case so may be hard to access if the rear of the case is facing a wall• Despite having dust filters on the front panel and under the PSU area, dust does manage to find its way into the case quickly – which is likely due to the open top and side of the case.The case is simple, and has been sufficient for my needs over the past 2 years. However, I do feel that it is overpriced, and there are better alternatives out there such as the NZXT CA-S340W-B1 Source 340 Midi-Tower Case - Black (which has a PSU shroud, better styling in my opinion, a large window but doesn’t have an optical bay).When I purchased it for £45 2 years ago, it was one of the best cases at that price. Now? Not so much. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a solid case for those who just want a no-frills case, but I think the price needs to be dropped by £10 for it to be a viable option today, as other cases within the same price bracket beat this by quite a margin (**cough** NZXT S340).

8.5.2020

I've built several PCs for myself, and choosing a case is always fraught with difficulty, especially when buying on the basis of other people's reviews and pictures. Maybe if you are lucky you can find a YouTube video of someone building into the case you fancy, but more often than not the purchase is something of a gamble.I chose this case because the price (£45) was very reasonable for what was on offer. I have no interest in the visuals of the case, so a bland looking black box is fine by me. There is a transparent side panel, but again that's of little consequence to my build. If you are looking for a case that will show off all your LEDs then look elsewhere.This case appealed to me largely because it retained the front DVD/CD-R drive slots (2 of them).The case is made from the standard soft steel, or alloy, so care is needed not to force screws or bend things, but it's perfectly sturdy enough for a straightforward build. The panels are all quite resonant, so any vibrations you create by the use of fans and drives is amplified, but the equipment in my build was already quiet to begin with, so that wasn't a problem for me.The case did present one or two issues that are worth mentioning.One of the motherboard risers was off center by around half a millimetre, meaning that screw had to be entered at an angle and wouldn't go all the way in. This was not a deal breaker, because all other screws were perfect.Also, I'm not really bothered by cable management (I don't do any, beyond keeping the cables out of the fans!) but I couldn't find an easy way to remove the front panel, which you'd want to do if you were going to tuck the front panel cables in there.All those cables were nicely labelled and very straightforward to attach.The plastic mounts for the internal drives were very flimsy, but wonderfully easy to attach. Drives are much smaller these days and don't weight as much. You probably won't be kicking your PC around any time soon, so the mounts are perfectly serviceable.I found it a little bit tricky to get the motherboard I/O plate in place, and it only really sat correctly once the motherboard was attached, but a little pressure caused the plate to pop into place.When the machine is off the power switch is all but invisible - at least it is where I site it (beneath my desk in quite a dark spot) and the switch is set quite flush with the surface, making it difficult to feel where it is by touch. The first few times I went to switch the PC on, I was fumbling around pressing everywhere but the one place I should! But eventually of course you get used to that, and it wouldn't be a problem for everyone.These wee annoyances are the kind of things I've noticed on all my builds, but then I always use a cheap and cheerful case. This is certainly that, but I also feel confident that it will do the job adequately for the lifetime of this PC.

22.8.2018

I have a similar Antec case which fell apart badly and it was the same price. I went for this to match the look of that as they are placed next to each other. I prefer busy looking case with lots of devices but I went for something plain like my other case.PROS:- The built quality is excellent and feels right.- There are 3 bays for devices to be plugged in and the are very easy to remove the protector and attach devices to.- It is spacious and there wiring can be hidden behind the panel so they don't obstruct and hit the fan to make noise which I hate.- The finish color is good.- The fans are extremely quite compare to the jet engines on my other case.- The Internal bays (x4) are very easy to attach disk to.

4.8.2014

I bought this case for my first ever computer and gaming PC build. The PC is designed very nicely, and is good for looks as well as a simplified interior, this is a great case for a first builder or an experienced builder. It has toolless bays, some nice room for a full size ATX standard motherboard, some decent room for airflow and a huge amount of space for MASSIVE graphics cards, up to 450MM long, which I don't think any exist as of yet. The case is amazing to look at, especially the windowed version, being able to see the guts of the PC is pretty cool, as well as you could have a quick look if something seemed wrong. The case has a lot of room for mounting fans, and included is one rear exhaust fan,

9.4.2015

The Corsair Carbide 200R is a very well made case. The sheet material is of a reasonable thickness and robust enough for my use. There are no sharp edges and the interior is painted black to match the outside. Since I have no intention of putting the inside on display it really doesn't matter what colour it is but the black finish gives a cleaner appearance than the usual stark grey, plated metail usually found.There are two fans in a push-pull arrangement. One behind the front panel and the other at the rear. The Top, Bottom and side also have holes and mounting locations for more fans should you want.The Front Panel has all the necessary cables to attach to the Motherboard and features two USB 3 sockets,

6.3.2014

This case is exceptiobal value for money.It has many good points that even many expensive cases lack.Firstly its very easy to neatly wire, as tere are internal plates that you can weave the cables through.Its comparatively very large, capable of holding the biggest of parts. This could potentially cause problems if you have limited space in which to put it, but if you can facilitate it I would recommend it.It is pretty future proof, since you can easily upgrade to better (and bigger) parts in the future. Equally, large cases take longer to heat up, if you cram all your parts into a small case the temperature will get much higher, a lot quicker.On that note the case also comes with two fans,

26.10.2013

In relation to the Carbide 200R, I want to say as few things as possible to avoid boring the people who might benefit from this reveiw. This was my first time build for a family member and I wanted to do it as cheap as possible, I know this case isn't exactly cheap but its a value product, its like the difference between buying a knock off tablet or a Nexus, you get quality for an ideal price range.The 200R, considerations:* The case itself is beautiful (in my opinion and the amazon photos do it justice);* Its not a flimsy case like some tech websites describe it to be, its not Armour plated either but its comparable to the stock case you get in a 300$ to 600$ computer;* The case is completely black,

16.4.2017

I bought this case for a mid-range gaming build, my first ever solo build in fact. I was on a budget too as i am a student, and didn't want to spend ridiculous amounts on a case, but i wanted a stylish and functional one that could provide an easy installation process. I also didn't want a completely over-the-top look, and was in need of a stylish and understated look.The case aesthetic is minimal, with an all matte-black design. The feet of the case actually spin when you move it on a surface, a nice touch for when im moving the PC from location as it makes it just a little bit easier to move it off a surface or slide it across one. Since I went for the 'Silent Edition'

20.2.2017

I love this case, it looks great etc. and does its job. I'm not going to say much about why I like it, it's pretty obvious from the description, which says it all.Pros:+ Air intakes all have easy clean filters. They are useful.+ doors on both sides, with offset motherboard mounting panel makes installing motherboard easy, and not necessary to put the CPU and heatsink on the board in advance.+ Cables for usb3 and front panel controls all compatible with modern motherboard.+ Best cable management I've experienced, made possible working from both sides, and design of chassis.+ Air flow is good.Cons:- You need angled Sata cables for HDDs, or you will have to bend the wire quite aggressively,

22.1.2016

I purchased this case for my first PC build. I chose it because it has a nice clean look, supports USB 3.0 and has a nice viewing panel. I have found that this case was really easy to install components into. A nice feature of this case is that it includes a dust filter on the power supply intake (For PSU's that are mounted with fan side down). This ensures that your power supply receives clean air to prolong its life. The structure of the case is very sturdy yet lightweight. The side panels are held on with thumbscrews for easy maintenance and installation. On the inside there is a drive bay which allows you to install up to 4 (3.5") drives and 4 (2.5") drives, which should be more than enough for most PC setups,

12.7.2017

this is not a review but just to let people know really because i looked around all the pc builder sites before buying this case to see if it could fit big air coolers primarily the noctua D 15 and i was told buy all that the case was to small for the cooler the case having a max cpu cooler height of 165mm and the D 15 been 165mm high....well having been building pc's for a long time i know that the builder sites get most if not all their info from the spec's given by the manufacturer and they almost always give a rough estimate on thing's, so i went ahead and bought both this case and the noctua D 15 and i can tell you now the D15 fits in this case with loads of room left about a inch in fact between the top of the cooler and the side panel without lowering the fans or anything,

6.2.2014

This case is very good for £60 (although it is worth noting that when I bought it the price was advertised as £114.90 discounted to £60 when in reality this case usually sells for between £60-70 as standard just about everywhere). There are a lot of cooling options available, 6 120/140 fan mounts and 1 120, although I did find it strange that the rear exhaust mount is the only one that is 120 only. The case is solid steel and weighs a ridiculous amount for its size but its incredibly solid and you won't have to worry about breaking it. There is plenty of room inside so you don't have to worry about large graphics cards or CPU coolers. There are a few problems,

23.7.2014

If you are looking for a clean, high quality case then the Corsair Carbide 300R is defiantly a strong contender. It has a great build quality which is expected from Corsair and some great features that are really useful. One of which are the dust filters on the intake fans (front and bottom PSU fan) that can be removed for cleaning, stopping unwanted dust from damaging the computer components. Corsair's tool less mounting system means that less time is spent screwing in hard drives and the thumb screws allow quick removal of screws to take off the side panels. The case has plenty of room inside and has the option to increase cooling capabilities.

Corsair Carbide 270R - Reviews

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