Corsair Carbide Series 275R Review

Manufacturer: Corsair

UK price (as reviewed): MSRP £74.99 (inc. VAT)

US price (as reviewed): MSRP $79.99 (exc. tax)

Recent entries into the Carbide Series, such as the Spec-Omega and Spec-04, have been pretty underwhelming, but Corsair is back again today with a new model that ditches the Spec branding. Its most recent chassis, the 500D, was something of a return to form, so hopefully the same is true too for the 275R. The mid-range mid-tower market is full of lacklustre models but has a few standout entries like the Phanteks P400S and NZXT S340 as well as their tempered glass equivalents.

At £75, this is very much the market the 275R enters. Chassis design needs to prioritise function over form at this price, and the 275R appears to do just that. Tempered glass has been done to death, but we still think it looks swish. The rest of the black case (also available in white) uses clean lines and flat panels and is decidedly minimalist as a result, but the important thing is that build quality remains good. The roof is hewn from steel, and although the front panel is plastic (with a faux brushed metal finish, of course), it's not too thin or flimsy.

The roof-mounted front I/O panel nets you the typical set of audio and USB 3.0 ports. Not having a Type-C port fills like a missed opportunity to stand out, but perhaps it's too expensive to include.

The 275R employs six 120mm fan positions in total – three up front, two in the roof, and one at the rear – and you get one front intake and one rear exhaust by default for balanced airflow. The front panel has an unventilated front fascia, but it does leave gaps down the side for air to enter, albeit narrow ones. The roof is also porous providing a natural place for heat to rise out of.

Thankfully, the roof is guarded with a magnetic dust filter, which simply peels away whenever you need to clean it. The front intake area is also treated to a full-height dust filter, easily accessed behind the front panel, and a small filter slides in and out beneath the PSU too. This latter one can be a bit fiddly, mainly thanks to there not being a huge amount of clearance from the feet, but its rails work just fine when replacing it.

A quick look at the underside reveals a set of feet with thick rubber pads, which is a nice touch that's not always included at this price. We can also see at the front that Corsair has moved power LED duties to the front so that it provides a subtle underglow in this area. This is very similar to Phanteks with its P400S case, although there the lighting is RGB-enabled whereas here it is fixed to white.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 225 x 460 x 455 (W x D x H)
  
• Material Steel, plastic, tempered glass
  
• Available colours Black, white
  
• Weight TBC
  
• Front panel Power, 2 x USB 3.0, headphone, microphone, LED control
  
• Drive bays 2 x 3.5"/2.5", 4 x 2.5"
  
• Form factor(s) ATX, micro-ATX, mini-ITX
  
• Cooling 2 x 140mm or 3 x 120mm front fan mounts (1 x 120mm fans included), 1 x 120mm rear fan mount (1 x 120mm fan included), 1 x 140mm or 2 x 120mm roof fan mounts (fans not included)
  
• CPU cooler clearance 170mm
  
• Maximum graphics card length 370mm
  
• Extras Removable dust filters