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Corsair Carbide Air 540D Makes Both Side Panels Equally Important
- Thread starter btarunr
- Start date
If I ever made a scratch build, this was the idea I had.
One half for motherboard and cooling, 'smaller half' for psu and storage.
Somebody built my case!
Wait, somebody stole my idea!
I think you mean my idea.
Seeing this, I think the layout can work, it's just that Corsair haven't been very efficient about it. Plus, of course, they've made it hideous.
Corsair George
Corsair Rep
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That would be me.
Don't mind the kiddos man. Maybe it is not for everyone, but no case is. I personally like the design. I do wish it was made of more metals and less plastics; I am not the typical user and do not mind spending $250-350 on a case. Cases to me last for years and it is worth the investment to buy one that suits my needs and lays out nicely. I think the case layout and design is great and pretty aesthetically appealing as well. Regardless of what they say it is a refreshing design and not the typical vertical rectangle we are used to.
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| 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 |
Air 540D
I'm a 400R, H100, and Air Series fan owner who is extremely happy with all, and a big fan of most Corsair products, including your cases, George. I love the layout and ease of configuration in the 540D, but like others said, the aesthetics are kind of a departure for Corsair. It may just take some getting used to. If the MSRP is really $140, it's a very tempting deal compared to others in this range. I'd like to see a fat design like this in the Obsidian line, with the brushed aluminum treatment and even more cubic - if I know you guys, it's probably already in the works...
I'm a 400R, H100, and Air Series fan owner who is extremely happy with all, and a big fan of most Corsair products, including your cases, George. I love the layout and ease of configuration in the 540D, but like others said, the aesthetics are kind of a departure for Corsair. It may just take some getting used to. If the MSRP is really $140, it's a very tempting deal compared to others in this range. I'd like to see a fat design like this in the Obsidian line, with the brushed aluminum treatment and even more cubic - if I know you guys, it's probably already in the works...
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| Processor | Intel Core i7 3820 |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | ASUS P9X79 Pro |
| Cooling | Cooler Master Hyper 412 Slim |
| Memory | ADATA XPG Gaming DDR3 1600 Mhz 4GB x8 |
| Video Card(s) | Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2GB |
| Storage | Seagate Barracuda 7200 1TB x1 + 2TB x4 |
| Audio Device(s) | ASUS Xonar Essence One |
| Power Supply | Antec TruePower New TP-750 |
| Software | Windows 7 Professional x64, OpenSUSE 12.3 x64 |
When I first saw the news about the Corsair Carbide 540, I really loved it, and thought to get one when it hits the store. I am already tired of conventional tower and HTPC desktop cases, but there is almost no alternative for ATX or EATX boards except Cooler Master's HAF XB. But after checking the specification of Carbide 540, I just wanna step back and reconsider whether to purchase this case.
The most ridiculous thing happened in Cooler Master's HAF XB is having a 2.5" internal drive cage instead of 3.5" when there is plenty of space, and Corsair however makes this happen again in their new Carbide 540 case.
For a typical setup with one ODD, only three 3.5" drives can be installed at maximum (the two 3.5" hot swap trays provided + converting the remaining 5.25" bay to hold a 3.5" drive). This is definitely insufficient while many people having ATX or EATX builds (or in other words, adopting mid-tower or larger cases) do usually run quite a few 3.5" HDDs rather than 2.5" for storage or whatsoever.
The deficiency of 3.5" bays in HAF XB is already well discussed and keeps some potential buyers off purchasing the case. Even many of those purchased had modded the case to fit more 3.5" HDDs. I am a bit surprised that Corsair lets the new Carbide 540 follow the same route as the HAF XB.
The most ridiculous thing happened in Cooler Master's HAF XB is having a 2.5" internal drive cage instead of 3.5" when there is plenty of space, and Corsair however makes this happen again in their new Carbide 540 case.
For a typical setup with one ODD, only three 3.5" drives can be installed at maximum (the two 3.5" hot swap trays provided + converting the remaining 5.25" bay to hold a 3.5" drive). This is definitely insufficient while many people having ATX or EATX builds (or in other words, adopting mid-tower or larger cases) do usually run quite a few 3.5" HDDs rather than 2.5" for storage or whatsoever.
The deficiency of 3.5" bays in HAF XB is already well discussed and keeps some potential buyers off purchasing the case. Even many of those purchased had modded the case to fit more 3.5" HDDs. I am a bit surprised that Corsair lets the new Carbide 540 follow the same route as the HAF XB.
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- 2,074 (0.46/day)
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- Jacksonhole Florida
| 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 |
Good Point
Welcome to TPU, hokkiev. Nice post, I missed the similarity after a casual look at the 540, but you went right to the potential flaw that will be a deal-breaker for many (I have 4 x 3.5 hard drives and need a couple more). And as you pointed out, it's been done, without much success. But perhaps Corsair build quality and reputation will help out, and the fact that 4 TB drives are available and getting cheaper. Thanks again for the intelligent observations, and keep 'em coming!
Welcome to TPU, hokkiev. Nice post, I missed the similarity after a casual look at the 540, but you went right to the potential flaw that will be a deal-breaker for many (I have 4 x 3.5 hard drives and need a couple more). And as you pointed out, it's been done, without much success. But perhaps Corsair build quality and reputation will help out, and the fact that 4 TB drives are available and getting cheaper. Thanks again for the intelligent observations, and keep 'em coming!
- Joined
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- Location
- Hong Kong
| Processor | Intel Core i7 3820 |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | ASUS P9X79 Pro |
| Cooling | Cooler Master Hyper 412 Slim |
| Memory | ADATA XPG Gaming DDR3 1600 Mhz 4GB x8 |
| Video Card(s) | Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2GB |
| Storage | Seagate Barracuda 7200 1TB x1 + 2TB x4 |
| Audio Device(s) | ASUS Xonar Essence One |
| Power Supply | Antec TruePower New TP-750 |
| Software | Windows 7 Professional x64, OpenSUSE 12.3 x64 |
I am just desperate looking for a cube (or anything interesting and refined) to replace my tower case that can fit my ATX board, and my situation is similar to yours - having some 3.5" HDDs and going to get more!
Though Lian Li has also revealed PC-D600/D7000/D8000 (giant!) cubes with a vast amount of drive bays, I hardly find them attractive because the price being at least the double of Carbide 540 can be expected, and personally I think both the layout and look of Lian Li's cases are not as elegant as Carbide 540.
If the Carbide 540 could have provided at least one (two is definitely perfect) removable internal 3.5" drive cage with 2.5" compatibility besides the hot swap trays, as well as the flexibility to put the case in both desktop and tower orientation, it would be the masterpiece, and I would certainly be happy to make the purchase even it costed some bucks more.
Though Lian Li has also revealed PC-D600/D7000/D8000 (giant!) cubes with a vast amount of drive bays, I hardly find them attractive because the price being at least the double of Carbide 540 can be expected, and personally I think both the layout and look of Lian Li's cases are not as elegant as Carbide 540.
If the Carbide 540 could have provided at least one (two is definitely perfect) removable internal 3.5" drive cage with 2.5" compatibility besides the hot swap trays, as well as the flexibility to put the case in both desktop and tower orientation, it would be the masterpiece, and I would certainly be happy to make the purchase even it costed some bucks more.
Corsair George
Corsair Rep
- Joined
- May 4, 2012
- Messages
- 48 (0.01/day)
The Carbide series is our "mainstream" case line, where we are targeting price/performance first and foremost. We're trying to make the case appealing to most people, something that's somewhat difficult when you're designing, basically, a cube.
The width of the case and its dual-chamber design made us want to focus on airflow on the main chamber, with as little restriction as possible. As a result, we went with large open mesh, bent in between high profile "ribs" for structural support. It was bold and somewhat polarizing, but in the other designs we had, the "big metal box" look just came across too awkwardly.
If the Air 540 sells well and the demand is high, we may do an Obsidian version - it would be somewhat challenging based on the ID but it'll all be based on demand.
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2013
- Messages
- 6 (0.00/day)
- Location
- Hong Kong
| Processor | Intel Core i7 3820 |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | ASUS P9X79 Pro |
| Cooling | Cooler Master Hyper 412 Slim |
| Memory | ADATA XPG Gaming DDR3 1600 Mhz 4GB x8 |
| Video Card(s) | Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2GB |
| Storage | Seagate Barracuda 7200 1TB x1 + 2TB x4 |
| Audio Device(s) | ASUS Xonar Essence One |
| Power Supply | Antec TruePower New TP-750 |
| Software | Windows 7 Professional x64, OpenSUSE 12.3 x64 |
Hi George,
I really appreciate the effort of you and Corsair on giving such an elegant case coming with brilliant ideas. However, as I said in my previous post, I truly can't see the point of providing an internal 2.5" drive cage instead of 3.5" one, or am I missing something?
540D is definitely not a small case. Getting only two dedicated 3.5" drive bays in such a large case is hardly convincing especially to those demanding users building ATX/EATX machines, while 3.5" HDD is absolutely the mainstream for expanding storage capacity in desktop computers.
I understand it is impossible to satisfy everyone, but replacing the removable 2.5" cage with a 3.5" one simply won't upset anyone.
I hope this disputable drive bay arrangement can be revised (the deal-breaker as Hood said) as this is the only critical flaw in the well designed 540D particularly for many of those the product targets at, and I think this would be the most significant move making the 540D selling well.
I really appreciate the effort of you and Corsair on giving such an elegant case coming with brilliant ideas. However, as I said in my previous post, I truly can't see the point of providing an internal 2.5" drive cage instead of 3.5" one, or am I missing something?
540D is definitely not a small case. Getting only two dedicated 3.5" drive bays in such a large case is hardly convincing especially to those demanding users building ATX/EATX machines, while 3.5" HDD is absolutely the mainstream for expanding storage capacity in desktop computers.
I understand it is impossible to satisfy everyone, but replacing the removable 2.5" cage with a 3.5" one simply won't upset anyone.
I hope this disputable drive bay arrangement can be revised (the deal-breaker as Hood said) as this is the only critical flaw in the well designed 540D particularly for many of those the product targets at, and I think this would be the most significant move making the 540D selling well.