# Corsair Unveils its First Inverted-ATX Cases, the Carbide 600Q and Carbide 600C



## btarunr (Dec 8, 2015)

Corsair, a world leader in enthusiast PC hardware and components, today announced the release of the new Corsair Carbide 600Q and Carbide 600C high-performance PC cases. With iconic minimalist styling, a wealth of sound-deadening features (600Q), a huge clear side-panel window (600C) and distinctive inverted-ATX interior design, the 600Q and 600C continue the Corsair tradition of innovation and excellence in modern PC case design to deliver a no-compromise approach to PC cooling.

Unlike many PC cases which demand enthusiasts choose between noisy, high-airflow ventilation or low-noise, restricted airflow designs, the 600Q and 600C are able to deliver the best of both. The distinctive inverted-ATX internal design places the heat producing components in the direct airflow pathway of the two AF140L 140mm intake fans and single AF140L 140 mm exhaust fan, providing powerful and efficient cooling, with extra wide vents ensuring unimpeded airflow.



 

 

 

 




Specially tuned for low-noise operation, the 600Q and 600C's three included fans have been redesigned for excellent airflow at lower noise levels, with an integrated external 3-speed fan controller allowing users to reduce the fan RPM, further lowering noise with a minimal impact on cooling performance. The result is a no-compromise approach to cooling that delivers fantastic system temperatures at extremely low noise levels.

The 600Q dedication to low-noise continues well beyond fan speeds. High density sound deadening material fitted in the front panel, side panels, and roof works to further mute system noise and ensure that the 600Q is as quiet as it is beautiful.

Clean and minimalist styling that's both eye-catching yet reserved combines with solid steel exterior paneling and a premium finish. The distinctive curved front panel houses two 5.25in drive bays secreted behind a hinged flap, offering full functionality without compromising on looks. Inside you'll find two tool-free 3.5in drive bays and three tool-free 2.5in drive bays integrated into a stylish PSU and drive bay cover. A plethora of cable routing holes, tie-downs and cable grommets make building in the 600Q and 600C easy, so your system can look as good on the inside as it does on the outside.

Available in December from Corsair's world-wide network of retailers and distributors, the Carbide 600Q and Carbide 600C are backed by a comprehensive two year warranty and Corsair's world-wide customer support network.

Specifications 
Inverse-ATX Layout: With this new layout, airflow is easily directed at the hottest devices in your system; the GPU and CPU, and not wasted on drive cages.
Sound Damping Throughout (600Q only): Keep your system quiet and cool with high-density sound damping material on side panels, front panel, and top panels. It's so quiet, you'll find yourself wondering if your PC is even powered on.
Hinged and Latched Full Side Panel Window (600C only): Easily access your components with a single touch - and when closed, enjoy viewing every part of your build through the full size side panel window.
Steel Exterior: Get rid of those plastic cases - the 600Q and 600C have full steel exterior panels for extra durability and gorgeous good looks.
Three Included AF140L fans: Great airflow doesn't have to be noisy - the three AF140L fans can push large amounts of air across your hottest devices without that annoying fan hum, and the three-speed fan controller lets you decide exactly how fast they run.
PSU and 5.25" Bay Cover: Clean up the inside of your case by tucking all those cables and less-attractive drives behind a clean, refined PSU and 5.25" bay cover. Or remove them for assembly - it's up to you.
Watercooling Ready: Fit up to a 280mm radiator up front and up to a 360mm radiator on the bottom - along with a 140mm rear fan mount.
Easy to Clean: Easily access dust filters on front and bottom meaning you'll never spend more than a minute getting dust out of your system.
Easy to Build: Tool-free drive installation, tool-free side panel access, and tons of cable routing options and tie downs means you can spend less time building your PC and more time using it.
MSRP: $149.99 exc. Tax
For more information, visit the product pages of the 600Q and the 600C.

*View at TechPowerUp Main Site*


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## Deleted member 105021 (Dec 8, 2015)

I don't see the point of this.


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## FreedomEclipse (Dec 8, 2015)

redshoulder said:


> I don't see the point of this.



The point is to make your PSU ingest a lot of heat from your graphics card(s) while maintaining silky smooth low CPU temps should you be running an 280mm AIO at the bottom of your case.

Because heat rises.


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## Chaitanya (Dec 8, 2015)

that interior is very similar to Silverstone Raven, and from early reviews its seems to suffer from higher than usual GPU temps.


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## trog100 (Dec 8, 2015)

FreedomEclipse said:


> The point is to make your PSU ingest a lot of heat from your graphics card(s) while maintaining silky smooth low CPU temps should you be running an 280mm AIO at the bottom of your case.
> 
> Because heat rises.



it would make sense to have my cpu cooler below the graphics cards rather than directly above them.. my cards generate more heat than the cpu and would be better off near the top of the case.. not so sure of the psu being up there as well mind you.. 

win some lose some.. 

trog


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## peche (Dec 8, 2015)

why corsair?
getting back to 90's  & top loading PSU for heat ingestion? 

...


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## FreedomEclipse (Dec 8, 2015)

trog100 said:


> it would make sense to have my cpu cooler below the graphics cards rather than directly above them.. my cards generate more heat than the cpu and would be better off near the top of the case.. not so sure of the psu being up there as well mind you..
> 
> win some lose some..
> 
> trog



if youre on traditional air cooling - it doesnt apply because the interior of your case gets warm/hot anyway regardless of positioning. IMO you might shave an extra 2-3c off??? 4-5'c at most Because dont forgot your mobo has VRMs and those VRMS generate a fair amount of heat too if youre overclocked. If they decided to go down the same route as the Silverstone Raven cases and have everything kind of mounted vertically then that would by far be a better idea as far as cooling goes.

Then again, a case like this corsair one fills a rather niche market. Not everyone is going to buy one.


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## HM_Actua1 (Dec 8, 2015)

I don't understand this?  I mean yah I'm sure someone would want to try this but why?


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## AsRock (Dec 8, 2015)

Is a shame they did not put the PSU sideways to take air from out side or even make it top vented but can understand on the later why not as some people have terrible habits.

Be nice to see a taller one with 120mm fan above the graphics card and reverse the air flow.


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## DeathtoGnomes (Dec 8, 2015)

FreedomEclipse said:


> The point is to make your PSU ingest a lot of heat from your graphics card(s) while maintaining silky smooth low CPU temps should you be running an 280mm AIO at the bottom of your case.
> 
> Because heat rises.



using 4 fans on that 280mm AIO could push the heat out the bottom, more effectively than just 2, leaving behind no more heat than most bottom mounted PS do. just a guess.


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 8, 2015)

Not too sure about the reason for WANTING the PSU to ingest hot air from inside the tower, unless they want you to get a new PSU every year instead of every 4.

It's not like it would have been hard for them to put a grill on top for PSU to suck fresh air in from there.


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## Corsair George (Dec 8, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> Not too sure about the reason for WANTING the PSU to ingest hot air from inside the tower, unless they want you to get a new PSU every year instead of every 4.
> 
> It's not like it would have been hard for them to put a grill on top for PSU to suck fresh air in from there.




You guys know that the PSU is designed to intake hot air from the rest of the case, right? That's the original intent of the ATX specifications? And with almost every Corsair PSU being able to perform their rated output at 50C, even without the fan running at idle on a lot of them, and the PSU having multiple Over-Temperature protection settings and safeties, that this config, in fact, will not stress your PSU any more than it was originally intended?

In this config we see a few advantages:

1) Direct airflow path from the front fans to GPU/CPU without having to get rid of the 5.25" bays completely. 
2) Better GPU cooling on GPUs that feature complex heatpipe/vapor chamber designs as they are orientation dependent and work better in this layout typically.
3) Better CPU and CPU VRM cooling if you use the bottom fan as an intake and blow cold air directly across the CPU/VRM area. Yes, there is a dust filter for this. 
4) You can see the sexy cool part of your graphics card instead of the boring PCB. 

It's not for everyone, of course. But I highly recommend you guys keep your eyes peeled. There are real advantages to the Inverse ATX layout. Some people won't dig it, that's cool. 

But the cooling/noise ratio of this layout is simply awesome.

Also I happen to like the looks, but I understand some people don't. That's why we  have ~20 other cases.


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## thebluebumblebee (Dec 8, 2015)

(Corsair George posted while I was finishing this post)
 I feel like the marketing department didn't consult with the people who designed this case.  In order for this case to work correctly, the amount of air coming in has to be greater than the amount of air taken out - there must be "excess" air to move across the GPU's and out the back (notice the vented area behind the GPU's) as well as air for the PSU.  As pictured in the 2 GPU setup above, there are more fans blowing out than in, so the PSU fan ends up fighting for air, as well as the GPU's sitting in a dead air area.
As for "heating up the PSU", quality PSU's are made to run in 40-50°C ambient temps, so this shouldn't be a problem.
Now if a person added to the 140L intake fans by putting 2 x 140L or 3 x 120L fans on the bottom blowing in, then I could see this case performing wonderfully and quietly. (see below)
IMHO, this case should be limited to about 400 watts of CPU and GPU, such as a mainstream i7 with a pair of GTX 980's.
Why the solid top?  Simple answer - noise.  Also, I have some friends who have birds roaming free  in their house.  Solid top is a very good idea for them.


Chaitanya said:


> ......, and from early reviews its seems to suffer from higher than usual GPU temps.


I'm not finding that??????
From kitguru.net: (The PSU is a Seasonic Platinum *Fanless* 520W!!!!)


> Corsair Carbide 600C with the addition of a 280mm liquid cooler {*blowing in*} is epic. This chassis had no problem keeping our Core i7-4820K running at a low temperature. Our GTX 980 graphics card ran at its usual 78 degrees under full load. Cooling in this chassis is top notch.








@Corsair George , why are you guys marketing this case in a way that users are bound to have a poor experience with it?


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## Corsair George (Dec 8, 2015)

thebluebumblebee said:


> @Corsair George , why are you guys marketing this case in a way that users are bound to have a poor experience with it?



What do you mean? Are you asking why the case was photographed with the fans on bottom exhausting?


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## thebluebumblebee (Dec 8, 2015)

Corsair George said:


> What do you mean? Are you asking why the case was photographed with the fans on bottom exhausting?


Yes


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 8, 2015)

Corsair George said:


> You guys know that the PSU is designed to intake hot air from the rest of the case, right?



Well, you guys have fun informing the rest of the case industry about that.  

I'll keep my PSU sucking cool air in through the filtered bottom until you personally run your own PSU in 50C temperatures 24/7 until it breaks...which will be before mine does.


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## peche (Dec 8, 2015)

Corsair George said:


> You guys know that the PSU is designed to intake hot air from the rest of the case, right? That's the original intent of the ATX specifications? And with almost every Corsair PSU being able to perform their rated output at 50C, even without the fan running at idle on a lot of them, and the PSU having multiple Over-Temperature protection settings and safeties, that this config, in fact, will not stress your PSU any more than it was originally intended?
> 
> In this config we see a few advantages:
> 
> ...


want to get rig of some bays and also better airflow?
on some cases you can take advantage of full desing for better airflow for motherboard and other hardware... 


Spoiler: so ...


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## Corsair George (Dec 8, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> Well, you guys have fun informing the rest of the case industry about that.
> 
> I'll keep my PSU sucking cool air in through the filtered bottom until you personally run your own PSU in 50C temperatures 24/7 until it breaks...which will be before mine does.




There's no informing anybody - everyone knows. The Antec 900 was one of the first cases to move the PSU to the bottom, but it wasn't for better PSU cooling - it was so they could put a 200mm fan over the CPU. Ever since then, people have used the top as a better location for fan mounting and moved the PSU to the bottom for enthusiast chassis. The reason has NOTHING to do with PSU longevity - barring some tragic component failure, the PSU is probably the functional component that will last the longest in your chassis. Modern PSUs like our RMx/RMi, HX, AX, etc, are so ridiculously overbuilt that they can run @ 100% @ 50C for 5 years straight. And since nobody ever does that, they can last significantly longer.

The PSU is almost an entirely self-contained system. It has its own cooling, its own temperature and fan control, and its own OCP, OTP, OVP, etc. It is one of the most durable parts of your system and can handle tons of different things.

By flipping the whole thing upside down you end up increasing the temperature of incoming air from ambient (external) to ambient (internal). So, say your room is 25C, and the internal of your case is 35C, then you just raised the ambient 10C. But if your PSU is designed to operate at 50C, that has almost no relevance. 

You are right about one thing - the lifespan will decrease shortly based on that temp. If it lasts, say, 70,000 hours @ 50C, then it might last 100,000 hours at 25C, and 85,000 hours at 35C. I honestly don't know the derating curve off the top of my head, but you have the theory correct - it's just that in practice it will make nearly no difference. 

And like I've said other places - we do sell a ton of regular layout ATX cases if you'd rather have a 750D or something.


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## Corsair George (Dec 8, 2015)

thebluebumblebee said:


> Yes



Because in our tests, the only time bottom intake made a performance difference is when you were using radial style GPU fans (Asus Direct CU style). The reference blower-style exhausts enough air by itself that bottom exhaust and front intake works just a bit better, even in SLI.


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## peche (Dec 8, 2015)

t


Corsair George said:


> There's no informing anybody - everyone knows. The Antec 900 was one of the first cases to move the PSU to the bottom, but it wasn't for better PSU cooling - it was so they could put a 200mm fan over the CPU. Ever since then, people have used the top as a better location for fan mounting and moved the PSU to the bottom for enthusiast chassis. The reason has NOTHING to do with PSU longevity - barring some tragic component failure, the PSU is probably the functional component that will last the longest in your chassis. Modern PSUs like our RMx/RMi, HX, AX, etc, are so ridiculously overbuilt that they can run @ 100% @ 50C for 5 years straight. And since nobody ever does that, they can last significantly longer.


here is not so much to investigate lad... use your brain first... 
is better for a PSU to breath fresh air than hot air from CPU cooler... 

regards...


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## cdawall (Dec 8, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> Well, you guys have fun informing the rest of the case industry about that.
> 
> I'll keep my PSU sucking cool air in through the filtered bottom until you personally run your own PSU in 50C temperatures 24/7 until it breaks...which will be before mine does.



Want to be really specific? This is the original ATX specification booklet. The PSU is supposed to be used to cool the processor. So no it was never designed to be at the bottom of the case per ATX specification it was supposed to be placed near the CPU drawing air off of the passive CPU cooler.






source


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 8, 2015)

cdawall said:


> Want to be really specific? This is the original ATX specification booklet. The PSU is supposed to be used to cool the processor. So no it was never designed to be at the bottom of the case per ATX specification it was supposed to be placed near the CPU drawing air off of the passive CPU cooler.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Remember way back when, when it did that?  PSU's were not all that long-lasting or reliable.  But do notice it says "if the power supply is expected to cool the processor.."  Which means it isn't REQUIRED to.  That's there for those lazy computer manufacturers in early 2000's who couldn't be bothered to provide enough airflow.

I'll keep my PSU with fresh air.  But I can't argue with choice.  Choices are good for those that want them.


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## FX-GMC (Dec 8, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> *Remember way back when, when it did that?  PSU's were not all that long-lasting or reliable.*  But do notice it says "if the power supply is expected to cool the processor.."  Which means it isn't REQUIRED to.  That's there for those lazy computer manufacturers in early 2000's who couldn't be bothered to provide enough airflow.
> 
> I'll keep my PSU with fresh air.  But I can't argue with choice.  Choices are good for those that want them.



I'd say this has more to do with the design of modern PSUs than a small temperature change.


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## cdawall (Dec 8, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> Remember way back when, when it did that?  PSU's were not all that long-lasting or reliable.  But do notice it says "if the power supply is expected to cool the processor.."  Which means it isn't REQUIRED to.  That's there for those lazy computer manufacturers in early 2000's who couldn't be bothered to provide enough airflow.
> 
> I'll keep my PSU with fresh air.  But I can't argue with choice.  Choices are good for those that want them.



I still have an original ATX power supply that works on a slot A machine. Grey box special, no UL listing. I have had multiple under 5 year old good brand/good UL powersupplies die when being used under 80% of their rated spec. Provide all the fresh air you want, they are still designed to exhaust heat from the case. Corsair, Antec, EVGA etc all rate their units at 100% load and 50C intake temps for a reason.


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 8, 2015)

Corsair George said:


> There's no informing anybody - everyone knows.



Actually they don't all know what you profess they do, or there would not be a (filtered) intake on the bottom on nearly all cases.  There would be nothing there but metal, and instructions with case telling people to make sure the intake fan is pointed up to help suck out hot air from the case.  The hundred or so case manufacturers are all doing it the same way (except for the cheap ones who don't provide a filter).


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## TheLostSwede (Dec 8, 2015)

Like the overall design, but I'd much rather swap the 5.25in drive bays for 3-4 extra 3.5in drive bays.
Also not a fan of Corsair's plastic SSD caddies, as they make the drives rattle around in them due to not being designed for 7mm height drives.
And please, no top mounted ports, they collect crud like crazy, one of the big flaws with my old Lian-Li case.
Also, £150 is way too steep, when you consider the exchange rat is 1.5 to the US$...


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## trog100 (Dec 8, 2015)

FreedomEclipse said:


> if youre on traditional air cooling - it doesnt apply because the interior of your case gets warm/hot anyway regardless of positioning. IMO you might shave an extra 2-3c off??? 4-5'c at most Because dont forgot your mobo has VRMs and those VRMS generate a fair amount of heat too if youre overclocked. If they decided to go down the same route as the Silverstone Raven cases and have everything kind of mounted vertically then that would by far be a better idea as far as cooling goes.
> 
> Then again, a case like this corsair one fills a rather niche market. Not everyone is going to buy one.



i think in my "case" it would matter.. my case temps are not in the slightest bit even.. at the front its near room ambient.. the same applies to the bottom of the case.. the top rear of the case is 20 C over room ambient.. 

the heat inside the case is very localized the hottest part being the upper rear which dosnt matter in the slightest.. its where all the gpu and cpu heat ends up going.. it then goes out of the upper rear and heats the room.. he he

basically my graphics cards create a warm pocket of air directly above them.. this pocket of warm air is picked up by the cpu cooler fans which heats it up some more and then it gets blasted out of the upper rear of the case.. my front case fans do bugger all.. my side case fans do a lot and so does the upper rear fans.. 

but no way on this planet is my case temp even.. its all very localized and short of blowing a gale through it.. it cant be any other way.. 

i aint going to buy one of these upside down cases but i can see for me at least a positive advantage in moving my cpu cooler underneath my pair of room heater graphics cards.. for sure the psu will run hotter but for equally sure my cpu will run cooler.. he he

some case temps may be even.. mine certainly are not.. 

trog


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## cdawall (Dec 8, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> Actually they don't all know what you profess they do, or there would not be a (filtered) intake on the bottom on nearly all cases.  There would be nothing there but metal, and instructions with case telling people to make sure the intake fan is pointed up to help suck out hot air from the case.  The hundred or so case manufacturers are all doing it the same way (except for the cheap ones who don't provide a filter).



That has only been recently. Less than 5 years ago nearly every case put the powersupply in the traditional location. Above the processor for heat extraction off the processor.


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## FX-GMC (Dec 8, 2015)

FreedomEclipse said:


> The point is to make your PSU ingest a lot of heat from your graphics card(s) while maintaining silky smooth low CPU temps should you be running an 280mm AIO at the bottom of your case.
> 
> *Because heat rises.*



The heat doesn't ignore the airflow provided by the fans so no, heat does not always rise in this case.

The biggest difference is the PSU intake pulling from outside the case (cooler temps) or inside the case (higher temps).


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## thebluebumblebee (Dec 8, 2015)

Corsair George said:


> Because in our tests, the only time bottom intake made a performance difference is when you were using *radial style GPU fans (Asus Direct CU style)*.


Aren't those the predominate type?
Secondly, those are normally quieter than the external exhaust type and I would expect them to be the normal pick for a 600C build.


Corsair George said:


> The reference blower-style exhausts enough air by itself that bottom exhaust and front intake works just a bit better, even in SLI.


That I would like to see.  Truthfully.  Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill, but I see too many people posting here with temperature problems that, IMHO, trace back to airflow.  Too many cases are made without the following thought process:

A) Where's the air coming from?
B) Where's the air going? 
And what components does the air cool/what components does the air flow across, while getting from A to B?
IMHO, most cases today leave the GPU's in a dead air pocket.  These cases, with intake fans on the bottom have no dead air zones!

BTW, what's the air's temperature delta across an AIO's radiator?


cdawall said:


> Want to be really specific? This is the original ATX specification booklet. The PSU is supposed to be used to cool the processor. So no it was never designed to be at the bottom of the case per ATX specification it was supposed to be placed near the CPU drawing air off of the passive CPU cooler.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's actually funny and sobering at the same time.  ATX came out in what year? 1995  How many watts did the CPU use at that time?  How many watts did GPU's use at that time?  And check out the sentence that says: "Chassis venting should be placed strategically to allow for proper cooling of other components such as peripherals and add-in cards."
@rtwjunkie , I don't think anyone is saying that keeping the PSU as cool as possible is not a good idea. And I wouldn't be surprised if the biggest reason that case manufacturers put the PSU down there in that orientation is so that we don't drop things into the PSU. 


FX-GMC said:


> The heat doesn't ignore the airflow provided by the fans so no, heat does not always rise in this case.
> 
> The biggest difference is the PSU intake pulling from outside the case (cooler temps) or inside the case (higher temps).


But why fight physics?  IMHO, go with the flow and give it a helping hand as needed.


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 8, 2015)

cdawall said:


> Above the processor for heat extraction off the processor.



Like I tried to point out, that is a very outdated standard.  ATX doesn't require that location.  Back when it was created, case airflow and cooling of the cpu sucked...bad.  The standard says that the PSU CAN be used to cool the CPU, and IF it is, it should be placed very closely.

That's all I'm going to say on the subject.  Choices and free will are good.


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## cdawall (Dec 8, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> Like I tried to point out, that is a very outdated standard.  ATX doesn't require that location.  Back when it was created, case airflow and cooling of the cpu sucked...bad.  The standard says that the PSU CAN be used to cool the CPU, and IF it is, it should be placed very closely.
> 
> That's all I'm going to say on the subject.  Choices and free will are good.



Very, very few OEM (which makes up a huge portion of the PC market) use a bottom mount PSU. Most are still used in conjunction with a  single exhaust fan for airflow.


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 8, 2015)

cdawall said:


> Very, very few OEM (which makes up a huge portion of the PC market) use a bottom mount PSU. Most are still used in conjunction with a  single exhaust fan for airflow.



And very, very few OEM have improved their airflow pattern (as @thebluebumblebee explained in detail) since the late 90's.  They have no choice but to do things the old way, as the standard ALLOWS (but doesn't require) them to do.


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## cdawall (Dec 8, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> And very, very few OEM have improved their airflow pattern (as @thebluebumblebee explained in detail) since the late 90's.  They have no choice but to do things the old way, as the standard ALLOWS (but doesn't require) them to do.



It works though. Even the dual 980 based, 6700 Asus OEM PC's use a top mount PSU, single 120mm intake, single 120mm exhaust and temps are acceptable under load.


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## Joss (Dec 8, 2015)

Before this case was released I couldn't think of a single Corsair case I'd buy.
Now,  I can't imagine a single Corsair case I'd buy.


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## thebluebumblebee (Dec 8, 2015)

Joss said:


> Before this case was released I couldn't think of a single Corsair case I'd buy.
> Now,  I can't imagine a single Corsair case I'd buy.


Okay, so that's a completely worthless post.  Come on, step up to the plate and take a swing.  Why not?  Price? Style?  What????


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## Corsair George (Dec 8, 2015)

cdawall said:


> Very, very few OEM (which makes up a huge portion of the PC market) use a bottom mount PSU. Most are still used in conjunction with a  single exhaust fan for airflow.



Correct. Because where cost counts, every penny matters. If HP or somebody is building a $299 email/web browsing box, then why add an exhaust fan when you can just use the PSU fan as an exhaust fan and kill two birds with one stone?

That has long since been ignored by most people in the experimental gaming PC design market. We've put the power supply on top, on bottom, sideways, behind the motherboard, some guys even put it in front of the case. 

Because having something different than everyone else is part of the fun of building a PC yourself anyway.


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## Joss (Dec 8, 2015)

thebluebumblebee said:


> Why not?  Price? Style?  What????


Details, there's always something,
lack of dust filters, poor construction,
thin panels, rigidity,
design options,

either one or some of the above, plus overprice,

example: the 600T, a beautiful case but with no front mount option other than a 200mm fan, 
worst than that, only a 20mm thick one, otherwise get rid of the hdd bays or mod around,
and the top 200mm/20mm fan can't easily be replaced for 25mm one(s) lest the air cooler touches them,

I could go on with this case or others, or other Corsair products but I don't have the patience.


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## cdawall (Dec 8, 2015)

Corsair George said:


> Correct. Because where cost counts, every penny matters. If HP or somebody is building a $299 email/web browsing box, then why add an exhaust fan when you can just use the PSU fan as an exhaust fan and kill two birds with one stone?
> 
> That has long since been ignored by most people in the experimental gaming PC design market. We've put the power supply on top, on bottom, sideways, behind the motherboard, some guys even put it in front of the case.
> 
> Because having something different than everyone else is part of the fun of building a PC yourself anyway.



$299 web browsers have laptop style bricks and mini-ITX boards now. One maybe two fans in the entire case including the CPU.


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## [502] (Dec 8, 2015)

My neck hurt trying to read the writing on those GPUs.


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## Kursah (Dec 9, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> Well, you guys have fun informing the rest of the case industry about that.
> 
> I'll keep my PSU sucking cool air in through the filtered bottom until you personally run your own PSU in 50C temperatures 24/7 until it breaks...which will be before mine does.



Honestly I can't recall the last time I saw a PSU fail due to high temps. I work with and build 100s of systems a year that go in a variety of deployments.

You know what I see failing? Old and cheap PSUs being overloaded and almost any Antec PSU I've ever deployed. My Corsair HX520 was the sole exhaust on a Core2 ocd system for a spell before I could afford fans... That PSU and system are still going strong.

Sure heat kills...but I'm no longer ovwrclocking to the hilt...but would like better airflow and sound control. I'll keep an eye on this for sure. 

This is however the first top PSU mount case I've had interest in in years. I like the overall airflow concept...now let's get the price into something I can afford and I might consider replacing my 5yo Lian-Li...


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## JBVertexx (Dec 9, 2015)

Silverstone has been doing the reverse ATX for years, and they have never had the PSU sucking hot air....

I like reverse ATX (90 degree rotated ATX is even better), but Corsair should have arranged PSU to intake fresh air.  Mistake.


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 9, 2015)

@Kursah, you know what I don't see? The fresh air that the GPU needs. As someone else pointed out, it's all dead air up there instead of it getting fresh air, like you would get from a bottom intake shooting straight up to GPU.


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## Kursah (Dec 9, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> @Kursah, you know what I don't see? The fresh air that the GPU needs. As someone else pointed out, it's all dead air up there instead of it getting fresh air, like you would get from a bottom intake shooting straight up to GPU.



Air is gonna get there, will it be cold? No. Does it NEED to be? No.....t necessarily.  

But that also doesn't mean it should be molten hot either, I agree. Two intake fans and only one exhaust...it'll pick up the slack...though if you have some super hot vid cards, Regardless, it should only be there to keep air moving up in that area, the primary exhaust fan should handle the bulk of hot air exhaust. Is it the perfect combo? No...but I don't see the PSU issue being that much of an issue really. But the systems I usually build are generally targeted with keeping cooler in the first place, even OC'd...so really if this case can produce good temps for those kinds of systems, and this case could have a cheaper cousin or get a price cut...or a plastic version...I'd test one. It looks easy to build inside of too.

I am in all agreement for the preference of the current popular "PSU on the bottom with dedicated intake." option, seeing as my last two cases over almost 10 years have that feature. Doesn't mean it's necessary, but it's seems to be a common-sense option if your case isn't designed for needing it as an exhaust. I think here, a quality PSU pays off too...not just in clean energy supply but in durability. And sure I still look for cases with that feature by default. It's not often I'm even interested in a case with a top mounted PSU, which this one can go on that short list at least as a blip on the radar. 

I could see "server rated" ATX PSU's becoming the next big thing if top mounted PSU's were to take off again...lol. Which makes sense seeing that server PSU's act as system exhaust too, and constantly hot as well for some servers.


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## Corsair George (Dec 10, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> @Kursah, you know what I don't see? The fresh air that the GPU needs. As someone else pointed out, it's all dead air up there instead of it getting fresh air, like you would get from a bottom intake shooting straight up to GPU.




The intake fan that brings in fresh air is like 4" away from the GPU.


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## Corsair George (Dec 10, 2015)

Kursah said:


> I could see "server rated" ATX PSU's becoming the next big thing if top mounted PSU's were to take off again



They already are. 50C temp rating is our standard for RMi/RMx, HX, AX, and all TX series PSUs. EVGA, Seasonic, Superflower - most of their mid to high end products are already rated at 50C.

The lower end stuff is rated at 40C or so, which is still cooler than the ambient temp in this case for most people. But the likelihood of somebody installing a $40 PSU in a $150 case is pretty low.

As a guy who meets with our engineering and QC teams all the time and the PM for this case who spent over 18 months testing airflow patterns and thermal/noise stuff, I find it funny how confident some of you are that the performance will be bad when we have evidence, in actual reviews, of the exact opposite:

600Q thermal test: 
http://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/corsair_carbide_600q_review,8.html

600C thermal test:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2015/12/08/corsair-carbide-series-600c-review/3

http://www.cowcotland.com/articles/2003-5/test-boitier-corsair-carbide-600c.html

http://www.techspot.com/review/1098-corsair-carbide-series-600c/page4.html

http://www.legionhardware.com/articles_pages/corsair_carbide_series_600c,5.html

http://www.hw-journal.de/testberichte/gehaeuse/2342-test-corsair-carbide-600c?showall=&start=6


Internally we've seen the performance on this case is nearly as good as our AIR 540, which is among the best in the world. And it's significantly quieter than AIR 540. It is a really great balance of noise and cooling.

If you don't like it, that's cool. Don't like the looks or the layout - fine, I get that, no problem. Everyone has preferences.

But please give us credit on the performance here - it's been thoroughly tested, and not just by us. This case has very, very good cooling.


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## Kursah (Dec 10, 2015)

Thanks for taking the time to support your product. Folks can get a bit abrasive at times. I still like the design of this case...I just cannot afford to try it out. But I am in the market (at some point soon, maybe come tax season!) for something to replace my good airflow but noisy Lian Li PC-K62, I've had it for nearly 6 years. And while it's been a great case, I'd kinda like something that made more sense airflow-wise. Where I really like your design here, as you explained is the intake-side of things...getting the HDD's and cage out of the way, allowing direct airflow for the CPU and GPU, I imagine makes a great difference overall.

I tend to plan my systems out to not run at molten hot temps anyways, so what some folks are twisted about doesn't apply to me...there are other cases and bench setups for them.

I have my now getting pretty old Corsair HX750W (2010-ish)...I don't plan to replace it quite yet...but it never exhausts anything more than barely luke-warm as it stands with a dedicated intake. I'd be fine using it as a secondary exhaust route tbh. As I said in one of my previous posts, I had an HX520W, which was the only exhaust for a system for a while...until I could replace fans...and never had an issue, and that system and PSU are still running to this day. 0 issues. Speaks volumes for quality components.

I tend to go for nicer PSU's and yes as you mention 50C ratings, I have and do look for that.


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 10, 2015)

@Kursah I hardly think I'm abrasive. 

Like you I tend to plan my systems to run very cool.  I just dislike when a company rep comes in and says everybody is aware of this and doing it, when in fact everyone but the OEM industry has gone away from the suggested ATX standard...a standard which was decided on when cases were, hot, crappy interiors and psu's were needed for exhaust and to keep costs low, that's all.  We're smarter about airflow now.

He's trying to support his company's product, which is commendable, but that doesn't make it fact.  Corsair FEELS that this is the future and the better way to do things.  I and a few others just happen to disagree, which is perfectly ok.

@Corsair George thanks for pointing out the air intake for the GPU's. I missed that!


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## micropage7 (Dec 10, 2015)

just move your feet case and you got it..
sorry the psu should on the bottom


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## thebluebumblebee (Dec 10, 2015)

@Corsair George , I'd like to see a review for the 600Q from http://www.silentpcreview.com/ , or is it too much like an upside down P180?

I really like this case, and it looks well thought out.  One of the little things that I noticed was the 8 expansion slots.  IMHO, there will be a lot of these used for workstations.  I still like solid tops and optical drives.

What I don't like:

The marketing pictures with the fans blowing out on the bottom.
What you have to go through to get to the front air filters.
The bottom air filter is accessed from the rear. (actually, with it being magnetic, will a person have to tip the case over?)


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## MT Alex (Dec 10, 2015)

If nothing else, this case would finally let us see the nice machining and looks of our gpu blocks instead of the humdrum backplates or plain looking pcbs that are usually visible.  I like that.


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## Corsair George (Dec 10, 2015)

thebluebumblebee said:


> @Corsair George , I'd like to see a review for the 600Q from http://www.silentpcreview.com/ , or is it too much like an upside down P180?
> 
> I really like this case, and it looks well thought out.  One of the little things that I noticed was the 8 expansion slots.  IMHO, there will be a lot of these used for workstations.  I still like solid tops and optical drives.
> 
> ...



You can access the dust filter from the sides or front too, we just showed the photo from the rear. It's magnetic so just reach under the case and pop it off, remove it from any side you want.


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## Corsair George (Dec 10, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> @Kursah I hardly think I'm abrasive.
> 
> Like you I tend to plan my systems to run very cool.  I just dislike when a company rep comes in and says everybody is aware of this and doing it, when in fact everyone but the OEM industry has gone away from the suggested ATX standard...



Okay I see where I misunderstood what you were saying. 

When I said "everybody is aware of this" I meant guys who sell aftermarket PSUs to system builders and gamers. Not HP/Dell/etc. Those guys are buying $6-$10 PSUs in bulk that are designed to exactly match the system they're building, and a lot of them are custom or very close to it. Every length of wire, connector, etc, is determined as to whether it's necessary or not. I opened a Dell desktop a couple years ago that had two SATA connectors on the PSU, spaced perfectly for the ODD and the HDD, and no extra connector at all if I wanted to add a second drive. Because the connector costs money. 

What I was talking about was guys like us, Thermaltake, Antec, Cooler Master, EVGA, Seasonic, etc. We are all making standard ATX sized PSUs, designed for the needs of the enthusiast/aftermarket community. In these systems, over the past few years, the PSUs have gotten worlds better. When we started making PSUs 9 years ago, it was still very common to see stuff rated at room temperature, rated at Peak output, or just flat-out mislabeled. Stuff that didn't keep its voltage regulation or ripple in check at all, and efficiency and audible noise was hilariously bad. Look at the old PC Power & Cooling TurboCool 1KW. At the time it came out it was the first 1KW PSU for enthusiasts, and it was horrifically inefficient and insanely loud. Even their "Silencer" series is loud and hot by today's standards.

But nowadays, the PSU market is built completely for overkill. 

Here's an example of what was considered a gaming/enthusiast PSU from 2006:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story3&reid=11
650W, $120. When heated up it dropped in performance spectacularly. Group regulated so it performed differently depending on what you plugged into it. Generally a cheap, crappy design with efficiency in the 75% range.

Here's an example of our RM650i from 2015:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=445
650W, $129. When heated up it does not affect performance. Individually regulated so it performs identically no matter what rail is loaded with what. A highly efficient design that never drops below 85% efficiency and can peak in the 90% range. Fully modular cables, built-in software monitoring. 

Most importantly, notice the capacitors and other internal components, like the fan. The first unit uses off-brand, 85C rated caps. The RM650i uses 100% Japanese 105C rated capacitors. The fan we use is a rifle bearing fan with a hilariously long lifespan, and very quiet operation. The unit is rated at 50C, as well.

When the ATX enthusiast cases with PSUs were being designed in 2005/2006, the PSU was moved to the bottom not just for the PSU's sake - although that was a benefit for cheap, crappy PSUs like the former - but it was also a benefit for overall case cooling. After all now you could put a huge 200mm fan on top or a couple of 120mm fans on top and exhaust more hot air out of the case than the PSU could move. 

Today, those same PSUs are so overbuilt that they can operate in much more drastic conditions without affecting their performance.

To put it simply - today's enthusiast PSUs are so overspecified and underutilized that the "cold air from the bottom of the case" makes nearly no practical difference to their operation or longevity, provided you aren't buying some bottom-of-the-barrel $20 thing on Black Friday.


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 10, 2015)

Corsair George said:


> Okay I see where I misunderstood what you were saying.
> 
> When I said "everybody is aware of this" I meant guys who sell aftermarket PSUs to system builders and gamers. Not HP/Dell/etc. Those guys are buying $6-$10 PSUs in bulk that are designed to exactly match the system they're building, and a lot of them are custom or very close to it. Every length of wire, connector, etc, is determined as to whether it's necessary or not. I opened a Dell desktop a couple years ago that had two SATA connectors on the PSU, spaced perfectly for the ODD and the HDD, and no extra connector at all if I wanted to add a second drive. Because the connector costs money.
> 
> ...



Thank you for such a thorough explanation.  You are very knowledgeable in your field.

I'm a pretty conservative person and change comes very slowly for me. I took forever to finally accept bottom-mounted PSU's, but the airflow advantage of putting exhaust fans up there sold me, which leads me to a point you made on that.

Sure, PSU's are over designed, but it still cannot compensate for the well laid out "normal case" airflow where I will have two front intakes, a bottom intake supplying the GPU, and one or two exhaust fans on top, as well as the normal rear exhaust.

Sure I can hear the fans, but it's not excessive. I don't have to crank up the speakers to hear my game over them. I shop for the best compromise of cfm vs decibels at max speed that is in my "don't really notice it" tolerance, and have a great middle ground in a well-designed case.  None of my components get beyond warm.

I guess my concern was such a huge change sets off my conservative nature, and the fear that I'll have to one day put up with equipment that doesn't meet my needs because everyone else is always going gaga over new gear, without looking at all the positives and negatives both.  

I can see where this could be a good design for a number of situations.  I don't think that gaming is one of those situations for me. 

I DO appreciate you being here on this forum! I have always been ecstatic when a rep shows up and sticks around.   I also appreciate the opportunity to debate.  Too many people have lost or never learned the art of debating, and misconstrue argument as an attack.  I hope you did not misconstrue mine.


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## Kursah (Dec 10, 2015)

@rtwjunkie I wasn't singling you out rather than the general responses...educated and experienced or not. Folks see something and some respond by uaing experience and education, others ignorantly, and others yet just follow the leader and are more throwing salt in the wound than donating anything useful.

It's something that stems to many threads and topics. But I do feel that some abrasiveness is a good thing too...going blindly into something because someone says so can be just as bad, if not worse than those that do the opposite.

Also with the typed word, how you might read what you wrote could be different from how I or even George reads it. Many of us know that though. 

Anyways...I gotta stop coming to this thread...I keep checking the links and pics...makes me want to do bad things with my credit card.


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 10, 2015)

Kursah said:


> Anyways...I gotta stop coming to this thread...I keep checking the links and pics...makes me want to do bad things with my credit card.



New Gear tends to do that to many of us!


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## tastegw (Dec 11, 2015)

lay the mobo flat i say,


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## newconroer (Dec 11, 2015)

As if no one else has considered that ever?

Immediate problems :


The PSU and drive shroud is above the GPU...where is the GPU air rising to? Straight into a floor(oops a ceiling I mean).
Your exhaust fan is below the GPUs. Other than passive areas and holes/cracks in the case itself, nothing is actively exhausting the GPU air as it rises. And if the exhaust below is pulling the air back down over the CPU, then that renders the entire idea moot.

They have literally turned the case upside down and simply put the 'feet' on the opposite side.

What they should have done is left the case standing right side up and set the motherboard mounting points to the top right (front) of the case. The mounts would be reversed so the board is inverted.  The top vents/fans would passive or actively exhaust the GPU air and stop it from rising up over the CPU and motherboard, because it can't. The CPU heat gets exhausted by the rear mounted /traditional mounted fan near the I/O panel.

I can't believe some one got this past the corporate bozos in a concept brain storm meeting.


Really Silverstone has it right with their 90 degree turn. All the rising heat goes to the main exhaust at the top simultaneously as opposed to the GPU heat washing over the CPU on it' way to the surface. Meanwhile the cool intake air is directly beneath these components creating a wind tunnel with the exhaust air above them.

Not sure why other manufacturers ignore this.


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## DeathtoGnomes (Dec 11, 2015)

watercooling your gpu slows the heat rise considerably but thats still not an active option for the budget enthusiasts since there are too many variances in card designs to create a standard for mass producing water blocks at more affordable prices. 

Im still waiting for the day that vid cards get redesigned right side up.


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 11, 2015)

DeathtoGnomes said:


> Im still waiting for the day that vid cards get redesigned right side up.



Hell yeah! I really don't see why they can't build it the other way.


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## alucasa (Dec 11, 2015)

DeathtoGnomes said:


> Im still waiting for the day that vid cards get redesigned right side up.



Would be nightmare for mini-itx builders. :/


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## newconroer (Dec 11, 2015)

There's a lot that can be done to optimize - though I feel it starts with the motherboards. Things like this general understanding that no one would use the bottom PCI E slot, so we'll leave all the case header pins in the corner, and thus make it impossible to install a GPU there, unless it's a baby one. Meanwhile we'll keep making the motherboard with the PCI E lane, and calling it a triple or quad multi GPU supported motherboard and jack up the price!

Or why can't they turn the PCI E lanes 90 degrees making the GPUs perpendicular to the to the CPU. Then a case manufacturer could rotate the mounting holes 90 degrees, and thus the GPU and CPU are at the same elevation.
This is similar to installing a board in a Silverstone rotated case I suppose, but different in it's own way.

How about putting SATA data cable ports somewhere other then under the spot where GPU coolers extend to? Really, of all the places on a motherboard?

Screw it. I am going to turn my case on it's front, install some rubber mounts and use the front as a bottom intake. The original rear is now the top, handling exhaust. And the bottom becomes the front intake with it's two 140mm fans.


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## kciaccio1 (Dec 11, 2015)

redshoulder said:


> I don't see the point of this.




Only point I see is if you want the window on the other side of the case.


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## DeathtoGnomes (Dec 15, 2015)

rtwjunkie said:


> Hell yeah! I really don't see why they can't build it the other way.



IIRC there was a spacing problem with card height and it make the cards too close to the CPU and northbridge heat sinks for PSU air cooling alone. This also affected ATX sizing which later became the standard and afaik can never be changed short of an act of god, or someone with some balls to create a new design worth keeping.


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## Vlada011 (Dec 17, 2015)

I don't know... now I like somehow more pure aluminum case, some Lian-Li and In Win have 900 series extremely nice, for Mini ITX, mATX and E-ATX, 3-4 nice version.
But at this moment for bigger build I like Lian-Li PC-X510, for smaller In Win 901 and 904 Plus.
I like that sound of aluminum when you close panels... Maybe because of that I didn't change my Obsidian 650D... 
Because serve me well, everything fit inside and it's little higher quality than later cases from CORSAIR. 800D, 700D and 650D arrive in period when they fight for market and name.
But PC-X510 near some huge TV in living room is completely something else, or In Win 904 Plus...


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## sa seba (Feb 21, 2016)

I think this case's interiour can be looking great, working well, and be quiet at the same time.
A H110i GT in the front set as intake, 2 fans at the bottom set as intake.
Exhaust can be taken care of by a reference design GPU, a H90 connected to a HG10 Bracket on the GPU, and a high end PSU on top.


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## AsRock (Feb 21, 2016)

Corsair George said:


> The intake fan that brings in fresh air is like 4" away from the GPU.



But if your using the 3rd party like coolers your going have 2-3 fans pulling air from the PSU fan \ outside the case.  And as they blow air at the card that's going cancel most air coming from the front.

This is been bugging me about this case for a while now and i am sure that having extra intake fans at the bottom just may not be enough.  And lets say the gpu would get enough air flow, would the PSU i guess it would get the little as it could from the vents if possible which is going bring in dust. 


Wish i could find a video testing it be honest as it's been time for a case change for a while now as my current one has served 4 systems now.


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