Corsair Carbide SPEC-03 Review

[section_title title=Closer Look – External]Closer Look – External

The Corsair Carbide SPEC-03 features a large viewing window which stretches near to the drive bays and the overall colour of the case is a deep matte looking black.  The case structure is made from steel and is based around the ATX form factor; however the SPEC-03 does support M-ATX or the M-ITX. The windowed side panel also features a bevelled raised edge which does give the case a more aggressive look as opposed to just a flat sided panel.

On the other side of the SPEC-03 we have the same bevelled side that features on the window panel and gives it a symmetrical look.  Both side panels are made from steel but still very light, in fact the whole case is light and is approximately 493 x 215 x 426mm in terms of size.

The top panel of the SPEC-03 contains ventilation and mounting holes for 2 x 120mm fans, which are intended to expel hot air from the case. It features a finer honeycomb mesh underneath that should reduce dust from getting to  your components and reducing the thermal performance, which is a plus point. One thing I think Corsair should have done, is put the grill in the middle as it is currently off centre and in my opinion, it would look much better if it was symmetrical; just like the side panels.

Like the majority of cases currently on the market, the Corsair Carbide SPEC-03 features a front panel I/O which features the following inputs:

–          2 x USB 3.0 ports

–          1 x Power button

–          1 x Reset button

–          1 x headphone/microphone socket

–          1 x LED on/off switch

Plenty of options and if you don’t have a motherboard that supports USB 3.0, you can get an adapter which makes it backwards compatible with USB 2.0.

The most interesting part of the SPEC-03 in my opinion is the unique design of the front grill; it kind of reminds me of the Hannibal Lector style mark or Bane from batman, it’s a very aggressive looking style indeed. This would probably be the deal breaker to some people as I can imagine the grill to be marmite; you either love it or you hate it.  That being said, I quite like the aesthetic choice of aggression for a gaming case.

On the bottom of the case, there are 4 stands which elevate the case ensuring airflow can get into the chassis from underneath, this also helps protect the desk/surface from damage. featured on the bottom is room for 1 x 120mm cooling fan and a removable mesh dust filter which not only covers the 1 x 120mm opening but also the power supply, ensuring dust is kept away from vital components; at least from the bottom of the case!