Corsair Carbide SPEC-03 Review

[section_title title=Closer Look – Installation]Closer Look – Interior

Moving onto the interior of the Corsair Carbide SPEC-03 case, as previously mentioned the case is ATX form factor and includes a nicely sized cut into the motherboard tray (non-removable) which allows you to easily install and un-install coolers that you might be using.  In view is the front panel I/O cables which come neatly tied together with a twisty cable tie; this includes the front panel audio also.

In terms of storage facilities, the SPEC-03 has an expansion for 3 x 3.5” drives and 2 x 2.5” drives.  One of the best features of the case in my opinion is the tool-less nature of the drives and the drive bay itself which features a lever which you pull back, insert the drive to which it locks into place using the mounting holes on your hard drive.

In the roof, as mentioned in the external there is space for 2 x 120mm fans meant for expelling hot air from the case. In my opinion the is not sufficient space to use water cooling but it could be possible with a very thin radiator with 15mm thick fans.  Also in view is the one of the included 120mm fans which acts as an exhaust; nothing worse than disrupting the flow and laws of thermodynamics.

The SPEC-03 also comes equipped with 1 x 120mm fan in the front which acts as an intake and glows with a red LED.  At the top of the case we have the dual 5.25 drive bays which would be perfect for an optical drive or even a fan controller if you plan on regulating your fans. With the gap between the drive bays it allows the front fan to push air directly into the main chamber of the case without being impeded.

For those who intend to go SLI/CF in their system, the top PCI-Ex slot won’t have any problems when it comes to fitting but as I have illustrated, there is approximately 11” of space between the expansion slot covers and the drive bay, so bare that in mind when selecting a case for your system.

For cable management purposes, there is just over 2cm of space behind the motherboard tray and with added bevelled edge bringing around 0.5cm to that area, making plenty of space for a simple gaming rig etc. For a case of this price, I think there is more than enough room overall but there isn’t much space or anywhere specific to hide any extra cables so I would highly recommend a modular power supply.