Corsair Releases the Carbide SPEC-ALPHA Mid-Tower ATX Case

Cristian_25H · Apr 8, 2016

Corsair, a world leader in enthusiast PC hardware and components, today announced the immediate availability of the Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-ALPHA mid-tower gaming case. With a large side panel window and bold angular styling, the SPEC-ALPHA offers sharp looks in black/grey, red/white or the previously un-announced black/red to complement its efficient cooling. Packed with features to make your next gaming PC build better, the SPEC-ALPHA boasts three 120 mm fans for Direct Airflow Path cooling, a three-speed fan control and the ability to house a variety of high-end PC hardware.

With its modern, angular appearance, the SPEC-ALPHA really stands out in a crowd. There's plenty of modern features inside too, with native USB 3.0 support, room for up to four SSDs, and a three-speed fan controller for the three included 120 mm fans, allowing users to set their own cooling sweet spot. A large window shows off your internal components and the Direct Airflow Path layout, which provides superior cooling by getting rid of unnecessary drive bays. SPEC-ALPHA is also able to accommodate a front mounted 240 mm radiator compatible, allowing for additional liquid-cooling upgrades.

Available in three distinct color options - black and red, black and grey and white and red, SPEC-ALPHA offers sophisticated angled styling whichever version you choose.

Originally announced at CES 2016, the Carbide Series SPEC-ALPHA is now available with an MSRP of $79.99 from Corsair's worldwide network of retailers and distributors and is backed by a comprehensive two-year warranty and Corsair's worldwide customer support network.

Specifications

Bold Exterior Design with LED fans: You'll never mistake it for anything else - the asymmetrical, hard-edged design of the SPEC-ALPHA and its numerous color combinations give it a bold, unique look, and the front LED fans can be viewed through the front air intakes for a glimpse of the performance within.
Direct airflow path to keep your CPU and GPU running cooler: Modern systems don't need tons of drive cages in the airflow path. By removing the 5.25" drive cage, the SPEC-ALPHA has a direct path from the front intake to the two hottest components - your CPU and GPU, which can result in better, more efficient cooling.
Large side panel window to show off your hardware: Why hide it? All that performance hardware you built your rig with is looks great, so why not take a look at it through the huge side panel window?
Three included 120mm fans and built-in three-speed fan controller: Two front LED fans and a rear fan provide excellent airflow, and the built-in fan controller lets you decide exactly how much cooling you need with the flick of a switch.
Cable routing cutouts and tie downs: Nobody wants to see a rat's nest of cables, so the SPEC-ALPHA has cutouts and tie-downs behind the motherboard tray to keep your cable routing neat and tidy - and out of the airflow path for better cooling.
Easy to Build: Tool-free drive installation and side panel removal mean you can spend less time building your PC and more time gaming with it.
Front 240 mm radiator compatibility: Upgrade to the power of liquid cooling for your CPU or GPU with up to a 240 mm hydro series cooler in front of the case.
Native USB 3.0 and SSD support for modern builds: Whether it be a new external drive for storage or a new SSD for your OS or games, rest assured the SPEC-ALPHA is ready for anything you throw at it.

For more information on the Carbide Series SPEC-ALPHA visit:
www.corsair.com/specalpha

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

Solidstate89 · Apr 8, 2016

That has to be the ugliest case that Corsair has ever made.

BoyGenius · Apr 8, 2016

Totally agree. :twitch:

Even more ugly cases here.

Solidstate89 said:
That has to be the ugliest case that Corsair has ever made.

jboydgolfer · Apr 8, 2016

Solidstate89 said:
That has to be the ugliest case that Corsair has ever made.

Holy shit!! You are not kidding.what in the world were they thinking?!

"Okay boys...NOW lets develope a case that is never going to sell"

It looks like one of those giant korean robots from the cartoons took a dump

natr0n · Apr 8, 2016

Just throw your gear in there and use your pc.

When you worry about how shit looks you lost the idea.

alucasa · Apr 8, 2016

Solidstate89 said:
That has to be the ugliest case that Corsair has ever made.

I have to agree. It's not ... pretty. That's ... ugly... uglier ... Might as well make a case that mimics a condom.

MxPhenom 216 · Apr 8, 2016

Holy shit Corsair has gone full retard. That thing is ugly as sin.

Batou1986 · Apr 8, 2016

Not only is it ugly as hell but it has a HDD cage in front off the expansion slot area on the motherboard to block all those extra long GPU's.

Caring1 · Apr 9, 2016

Maybe it would look better once you pull all that moulded plastic shit of the outside?

Hood · Apr 9, 2016

Any respect I once had for Corsair is now gone. I'm ashamed that my 750D shares the same logo as this monstrosity.

Azumay · Apr 9, 2016

And its MSRP of $79.99 worth of ugly.

Frick · Apr 9, 2016

natr0n said:
Just throw your gear in there and use your pc.

When you worry about how shit looks you lost the idea.

This is only true if you're a peasant with poor eyesight.

Liquid Cool · Apr 9, 2016

Corsair has redefined the definition of something here...I'm just not sure what that something is.

I've seen the word "ugly" thrown around this thread several times and frankly, I don't think that's quite cutting it in this situation, but I'm no wordsmith.

The first thought that came to my mind after viewing the pictures of this case is that I walked away feeling insulted that Corsair would believe that I'd be interested in purchasing this item?

If you can define that for me...I'd consider it a proper description.

Even a poor blind man has fingers...I'd suggest wearing gloves just in case jboyd's description happens to be true.

Best,

Liquid Cool

Jetster · Apr 9, 2016

Don't be so tough on them. 12 year olds need cases too

Chaitanya · Apr 9, 2016

Corsair is going down the same route as that of Thermaltake. Similar ugly looks and cheap plastics, thin metal and lots of flex.

human_error · Apr 9, 2016

Looks like a modified version of the 760t base chassis. Not my cup of tea, but for people who like the look of alienware desktop cases and other similar cases this is an option for them if they want to build their own and have a decent chassis to be working with.

Batou1986 said:
Not only is it ugly as hell but it has a HDD cage in front off the expansion slot area on the motherboard to block all those extra long GPU's.

HDD cage is level with the PSU - as the case id basically a 760t without the rubber gromits on the inside and with a different cladding on the outside I can confirm that it'll take full size GPUs without issues (my 980ti fits in the space with room to spare).

Steven B · Apr 10, 2016

Everyone saying it's ugly, it looks good in person. I saw it at CES, and it does look nice in person.

Rauelius · Apr 10, 2016

I like the design of this case. I may pick it up. Looks like a budget version of the NZXT Noctis 450.

Sp33d Junki3 · Apr 10, 2016

Rauelius said:
I like the design of this case. I may pick it up. Looks like a budget version of the NZXT Noctis 450.

Why for the price you can get the NZXT S340, which is a better case that supports 2x140mm fans in front or 280rad, instead of 120mm/240 rad. Plus a much nicer cleaner look.
Also in the price range is the Fractal Define S or the Phanteks P400. Both of these are by far superior in terms of cooling and functionality.

Sorry I would not be caught dead with this case. Corsair George has really slipped in design. Why do Corsair even bother to make cases if they can't bother to make good ones.
Top 3 most sold cases last year was NZXT, Phanteks and Fractal. Shows that they know what they are doing. Corsair never came close to the top 5.

avatar_raq · Apr 10, 2016

Was, by any chance; the person who designed this case the same one who designed their Corsair Gaming logo?

silapakorn · Apr 11, 2016

Another case with useless space where 5.2" drives used to be.

Sp33d Junki3 · Apr 11, 2016

silapakorn said:
Another case with useless space where 5.2" drives used to be.

Care to explain why having no optical bay is useless? There is much more benefits to have it removed.

CorsairBlake · Apr 15, 2016

human_error said:
Looks like a modified version of the 760t base chassis. Not my cup of tea, but for people who like the look of alienware desktop cases and other similar cases this is an option for them if they want to build their own and have a decent chassis to be working with.

HDD cage is level with the PSU - as the case id basically a 760t without the rubber gromits on the inside and with a different cladding on the outside I can confirm that it'll take full size GPUs without issues (my 980ti fits in the space with room to spare).

It's actually not a 760T chassy. It's based on the 230T and SPEC-01 to SPEC-03 chassy. This is why it has the SPEC designation.

System Name	CUBE_NXT
Processor	i9 12900K @ 5.0Ghz all P-cores with E-cores enabled
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Master
Cooling	EK AIO Elite Cooler w/ 3 Phanteks T30 fans
Memory	64GB DDR5 @ 5600Mhz
Video Card(s)	EVGA 3090Ti Ultra Hybrid Gaming w/ 3 Phanteks T30 fans
Storage	1 x SK Hynix P41 Platinum 1TB, 1 x 2TB, 1 x WD_BLACK SN850 2TB, 1 x WD_RED SN700 4TB
Display(s)	Alienware AW3418DW
Case	Lian-Li O11 Dynamic Evo w/ 3 Phanteks T30 fans
Power Supply	Seasonic PRIME 1000W Titanium
Software	Windows 11 Pro 64-bit

System Name	TBD
Processor	Core i7-4790K @Stock
Motherboard	Asrock Z97-Pro4
Cooling	Hyper 212 Evo
Memory	G Skill Ares 3 8 GB (2x4GB)
Video Card(s)	MSi RX480 8 GB Gaming X
Storage	Samsung 850 250 Gb SSD, WB Blue 2TB, WD Blue 1TB
Display(s)	Benq E2440 1080p
Case	NZXT S340
Audio Device(s)	Onboard
Power Supply	Antec 500W
Software	Windows 7 SP1 64 Bit

System Name	Americas cure is the death of Social Justice & Political Correctness
Processor	i7-11700K
Motherboard	Asrock Z590 Extreme wifi 6E
Cooling	Noctua NH-U12A
Memory	32GB Corsair RGB fancy boi 5000
Video Card(s)	RTX 3090 Reference
Storage	Samsung 970 Evo 1Tb + Samsung 970 Evo 500Gb
Display(s)	Dell - 27" LED QHD G-SYNC x2
Case	Fractal Design Meshify-C
Audio Device(s)	on board
Power Supply	Seasonic Focus+ Gold 1000 Watt
Mouse	Logitech G502 spectrum
Keyboard	AZIO MGK-1 RGB (Kaith Blue)
Software	Win 10 Professional 64 bit
Benchmark Scores	the MLGeesiest

System Name	natr0n-PC
Processor	Ryzen 5950x-5600x \| 9600k
Motherboard	B450 AORUS M \| Z390 UD
Cooling	EK AIO 360 - 6 fan action \| AIO
Memory	Patriot - Viper Steel DDR4 (B-Die)(4x8GB) \| Samsung DDR4 (4x8GB)
Video Card(s)	EVGA 3070ti FTW
Storage	Various
Display(s)	Pixio PX279 Prime
Case	Thermaltake Level 20 VT \| Black bench
Audio Device(s)	LOXJIE D10 + Kinter Amp + 6 Bookshelf Speakers Sony+JVC+Sony
Power Supply	Super Flower Leadex III ARGB 80+ Gold 650W \| EVGA 700 Gold
Software	XP/7/8.1/10
Benchmark Scores	http://valid.x86.fr/79kuh6

System Name	Ryzen Reflection
Processor	AMD Ryzen 9 5900x
Motherboard	Gigabyte X570S Aorus Master
Cooling	2x EK PE360 \| TechN AM4 AMD Block Black \| EK Quantum Vector Trinity GPU Nickel + Plexi
Memory	Teamgroup T-Force Xtreem 2x16GB B-Die 3600 @ 14-14-14-28-42-288-2T 1.45v
Video Card(s)	Zotac AMP HoloBlack RTX 3080Ti 12G \| 950mV 1950Mhz
Storage	WD SN850 500GB (OS) \| Samsung 980 Pro 1TB (Games_1) \| Samsung 970 Evo 1TB (Games_2)
Display(s)	Asus XG27AQM 240Hz G-Sync Fast-IPS \| Gigabyte M27Q-P 165Hz 1440P IPS \| Asus 24" IPS (portrait mode)
Case	Lian Li PC-011D XL \| Custom cables by Cablemodz
Audio Device(s)	FiiO K7 \| Sennheiser HD650 + Beyerdynamic FOX Mic
Power Supply	Seasonic Prime Ultra Platinum 850
Mouse	Razer Viper v2 Pro
Keyboard	Corsair K65 Plus 75% Wireless - USB Mode
Software	Windows 11 Pro 64-Bit

Corsair Releases the Carbide SPEC-ALPHA Mid-Tower ATX Case

Cristian_25H

Solidstate89

BoyGenius

jboydgolfer

natr0n

alucasa

MxPhenom 216

ASIC Engineer

Batou1986

Caring1

Hood

Azumay

Frick

Fishfaced Nincompoop

Liquid Cool

Jetster

Chaitanya

human_error

Steven B

Rauelius

Sp33d Junki3

avatar_raq

silapakorn

Sp33d Junki3

CorsairBlake

Corsair Rep

Processor	Ryzen 5900X
Motherboard	ASUS Prime X470 Pro
Cooling	Arctic liquid freezer II 240
Memory	2 x 16 Gb Gskill Trident Z 3600 Mhz
Video Card(s)	MSI Ventus 3060 Ti OC
Storage	Samsung 960 EVO 500 Gb / 860 EVO 1 Tb
Display(s)	Dell S2719DGF
Case	Lian Li Lancool II Mesh
Audio Device(s)	Soundblaster Z
Power Supply	Corsair RM850x
Mouse	Logitech G703
Keyboard	Logitech G513
Software	Win 11

System Name	H7 Flow 2024
Processor	AMD 5800X3D
Motherboard	Asus X570 Tough Gaming
Cooling	Custom liquid
Memory	32 GB DDR4
Video Card(s)	Intel ARC A750
Storage	Crucial P5 Plus 2TB.
Display(s)	AOC 24" Freesync 1m.s. 75Hz
Mouse	Lenovo
Keyboard	Eweadn Mechanical
Software	W11 Pro 64 bit

System Name	DEVIL'S ABYSS
Processor	i7-4790K@4.6 GHz
Motherboard	Asus Z97-Deluxe
Cooling	Corsair H110 (2 x 140mm)(3 x 140mm case fans)
Memory	16GB Adata XPG V2 2400MHz
Video Card(s)	EVGA 780 Ti Classified
Storage	Intel 750 Series 400GB (AIC), Plextor M6e 256GB (M.2), 13 TB storage
Display(s)	Crossover 27QW (27"@ 2560x1440)
Case	Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow
Audio Device(s)	Realtek ALC1150
Power Supply	Cooler Master V1000
Mouse	Ttsports Talon Blu
Keyboard	Logitech G510
Software	Windows 10 Pro x64 version 1803
Benchmark Scores	Passmark CPU score = 13080

System Name	notta/uhmm no
Processor	AMD FX-8350 / I7-6700k
Motherboard	Asus Sabertooth 990FX R2.0/ Maximus VIII Gene
Cooling	Akasa Venom Voodoo / Corsair H60
Memory	Crucial Ballistix 8GB 1866 / generic ddr4-2133 16GB
Video Card(s)	Evga gtx 660 TI FTW
Storage	sdd m500 2x480Gb / HyperX® Predator m2 240
Display(s)	dell 23 1080p
Case	Corsair 400R / mastercase5
Power Supply	Evga 750b cx750m
Mouse	G400
Keyboard	roccat

System Name	White DJ in Detroit
Processor	Ryzen 5 5600
Motherboard	Asrock B450M-HDV
Cooling	Be Quiet! Pure Rock 2
Memory	2 x 16GB Kingston Fury 3400mhz
Video Card(s)	XFX 6950XT Speedster MERC 319
Storage	Kingston A400 240GB \| WD Black SN750 2TB \|WD Blue 1TB x 2 \| Toshiba P300 2TB \| Seagate Expansion 8TB
Display(s)	Samsung U32J590U 4K + BenQ GL2450HT 1080p
Case	Fractal Design Define R4
Audio Device(s)	Plantronics 5220, Nektar SE61 keyboard
Power Supply	Corsair RM850x v3
Mouse	Logitech G602
Keyboard	Cherry MX Board 1.0 TKL Brown
Software	Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores	Rimworld 4K ready!

System Name	Graphics Card Free...
Processor	Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard	MSI B450 Gaming Plus MAX Wifi
Cooling	Cryorig M9a w/ BeQuiet! PureWings 2 ~ 92mm
Memory	Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4 3200 ~ 16GB(2x8GB)
Storage	Samsung EVO 870 SSD - 1TB
Display(s)	AOC 24G2
Case	Cardboard...
Power Supply	eVGA SuperNova 550w G3
Mouse	Logitech t400 Zone Touch Mouse
Keyboard	IBM Model "M" Keyboard
Software	Manjaro ~ KDE Plasma
Benchmark Scores	She's a Runner!

System Name	Juliette // My HTPC
Processor	Intel i7 9700K // AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard	ASUS Prime Z390X-A // ASRock B550 ITX-AC
Cooling	Noctua NH-U12 Black // Stock
Memory	Corsair DDR4 3600 32gb //G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 3600
Video Card(s)	ASUS RTX4070 OC// ASUS RTX 4060 OC
Storage	Samsung 970 EVO NVMe 1Tb, Intel 665p Series M.2 2280 1TB // Samsung 1Tb SSD
Display(s)	ASUS VP348QGL 34" Quad HD 3440 x 1440 // 55" LG 4K SK8000 Series
Case	Seasonic SYNCRO Q7// Silverstone Granada GD05
Audio Device(s)	Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 // HDMI to Samsung HW-R650 sound bar
Power Supply	Seasonic SYNCRO 750 W // CORSAIR Vengeance 650M
Mouse	G903 and a Master Mouse MM710/No mouse, MS game copntroller
Keyboard	EVGA / Logitech K400
Software	Windows 11 Pro // Windows 10 Pro

Processor	Intel Core i9 9900k @ 5.1GHZ all core load (8c 16t)
Motherboard	MSI MEG Z390 ACE
Cooling	Corsair H100i v2 240mm
Memory	32GB Corsair 3200mhz C16 (2x16GB)
Video Card(s)	Powercolor RX 6900 XT Red Devil Ultimate (XTXH) @ 2.6ghz core, 2.1ghz mem
Storage	256GB WD Black NVME drive, 4TB across various SSDs/NVMEs, 4TB HDD
Display(s)	Asus 32" PG32QUX (4k 144hz mini-LED backlit IPS with freesync & gsync & 1400 nit HDR)
Case	Corsair 760T
Power Supply	Corsair HX850i
Mouse	Logitech G502 Lightspeed on powerplay mousemat
Keyboard	Logitech G910
VR HMD	Wireless Vive Pro & Valve knuckles
Software	Windows 10 Pro

System Name	Dricast
Processor	Intel Core i7 2600k
Motherboard	Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H
Cooling	Corsair A70
Memory	12GB Mushkin DDR3
Video Card(s)	2x EVGA Geforce GTX460@GTX560 Clocks in SLI
Storage	SanDisk 120GB SSD, Hitatchi 1TB, Hitatchi 2TB
Display(s)	Dell 24"
Case	Antec 902
Audio Device(s)	Onboard
Power Supply	Corsair 750TX
Software	Windows 7 Ultimate

Processor	i5-13500
Motherboard	MSI MAG B760 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4
Cooling	Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 White
Memory	Corsair Vengeance LPX 4x8GB 3200
Video Card(s)	EVGA RTX3060 12GB
Storage	250GB NVME (main) 1TB SSD (Game) 1TB HDD (Storage) 2TB HDD (ext Backup)
Display(s)	Benq 27" GW2765 + Asus 27" VE278 + 55" Hisense
Case	Cougar MX600 White
Audio Device(s)	Audiotrack Prodigy Cube DAC + Edifer S330D + Plantronics RIG 400
Power Supply	Corsair AX760
Mouse	Logitech G403 Hero
Keyboard	EVGA Z15 Brown Tactile (Blue Oring, Lube, Silence Pad)

System Name	Simon
Processor	Core i7 5820K @ 4.4GHz @1.25v core, 1.9v input, 1.12v system agent, 0.9v cache - 24/7 & P95 stable
Motherboard	ASUS X99 Deluxe U3.1, BIOS 3101
Cooling	Corsair H110i GTX + 2 x Corsair ML140 Pro Red LED, exhaust @ top panel
Memory	Corsair Vengeance LPX 4x 8GB 2666 MHz 16, 18, 18, 35, 2T (Stock)
Video Card(s)	MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X (OC BIOS), +60 MHz GPU, +450 MHz Memory
Storage	Samsung 960 Evo 500 Gb, WD Green + White Label, total 17 TB
Display(s)	3x Samsung CFG73 (24" 1920x1080, 144Hz) in 2D Surround, LG C7 OLED TV (55", 4K, 60Hz)
Case	Corsair 760T + Corsair SP120 Perf.Ed. + 3x ML 140 Pro Red + DEMCI Dust Filter Kit + DeepCool RGB LED
Audio Device(s)	Creative SB Z, Topping E30 + SMSL SP200, Hifiman 4XX, beyerdynamic 770 250Ω, Audeze iSine 10, HD6xx
Power Supply	Corsair RM1000i + APC BackUPS RS1500 (modded w/ 130 AH Kung Long Batteries) + APC Smart UPS SUA1500i
Mouse	Razer Naga Chroma + Reflex Lab Extended Mouse Pad + Xbox One S Controller + 3 x Xbox 360 Controllers
Keyboard	Corsiar K70 RGB (2016 Edition) Cherry Mx Red w/ custom Arabic-legend shine-through keycaps
Software	Windows 10 Pro x64 - ver. 20H2
Benchmark Scores	Onkyo TX-NR626 AV Receiver, speakers: 4x Yamaha NS-M325 + Yamaha NS-C3290 + Proson Libre Sub 8.1

Processor	Intel i7 10700K
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Pro AX
Cooling	Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 4
Memory	DDR4 Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200MHZ (2X16GB)
Video Card(s)	Palit GTX1080ti Super JetStream 11GB
Storage	Trandscend 370s 256GB / WD Caviar Black 2+1TB
Display(s)	Acer XB270HU 144hz Gsync
Case	Phanteks Eclipse P600S White
Audio Device(s)	Sound Blaster ZXR
Power Supply	Corsair RM1000X 1000W 80 Plus Gold