Case review : Corsair Graphite 600T
Corsair is a company which owes their good reputation to their memory products, as they started off as a performance RAM modules manufacturer. During the past few years Corsair has also expanded into other market areas, releasing products such as SSDs and PSUs. Today we are going to examine and test one of Corsair’s premium computer cases, the Graphite Series 600T.
Introduction
Manufacturer’s features and specifications
Key features
- Twin 200mm cooling fans with white LEDs for excellent cooling
- Eight expansion slots provides you flexibility for multiple graphics card solutions
- Unique cable routing holes guarantees you a clean and clutter-free installation
- Integrated fan controller, for up to four fans, gives you the choice of noise vs. performance
- Tool-free optical drive installation makes building your system faster than ever
- CPU backplate cutout makes upgrading your CPU heatsink easy
- 2.5” and 3.5” hard drive compatibility for up to 6 drives — straight out of the box!
- Two year warranty with Corsair’s world-class customer service and technical support
Warranty - Two years
Dimension - 20" (H) x 23.3" (L) x 10.4" (W) - (507mm x 592mm x 265mm)
MB Support - ATX, mATX
Expansion Slots - 8
Form Factor - Mid-tower
Material - Steel structure with molded ABS plastic accent pieces
Drive Bays - (x4) 5.25" (x6) 3.5"/2.5" Drive Caddies
Cooling - (x2) 200mm Fans w/White LEDs (x1) 120mm Fan
Front I/O - (x4) USB 2.0 (x1) USB 3.0 (x1) IEEE1394 (x1) Headphone, (x1) MIC
Power Supply - ATX (not included)
Packaging and Bundle
Corsair supplies the 600T in a huge, simple looking brown cardboard box. There is little artwork on the box, limited to a sketch of the case at the front and some details on the product’s features on the back. Inside the box we found the case protected by two large polystyrene foam slabs and wrapped in a cloth bag.
Bundled with the case you will find a well-written black and white manual, several black cable ties, black screws and washers, keys for locking the side panel, a small advertisement leaflet and a striking red leaflet with Corsair’s support contact information.
The case exterior
The Corsair 600T is a very large dark graphite colored tower case, much like its name implies. There are few edges as Corsair gave the 600T a rounded, smooth design. Despite its large size and the SECC steel body, the 600T weights 12.7kg which is considerably less than what we originally imagined.
The front of the case is covered by a honeycomb metallic mesh with a deep groove around it. The top part of the honeycomb mesh consists of four removable 5.25” drive covers while the lower part hides a massive 200mm fan and a dust filter. To remove the lower part of the mesh and clean the filter you only have to push the mesh and the latch will release itself. Unfortunately the rest of the faceplate is made out of plastic which lowers the aesthetical prestige of the faceplate dramatically.
The front panel connectors and the case buttons can be seen at the top of the case, although it is the large fan controller rheostat which steals all of the attention. There are four USB 2.0 connectors, one USB 3.0 connector, headphone and microphone jacks, a Firewire connector with the white HDD activity LED next to it and the standard power and reset buttons.
There is nothing on either of the two side panels but the two plastic latches which are holding the side panel into place. Neither of the two side panels is being held with any screws; you only need to push down on the two latches for the side panel to come off and push it back into place for the latches to lock again. Corsair offers an optional left side panel which has a window or a metallic mesh for 4 extra cooling fans.
Most of the 600T top is covered by a large metallic mesh hiding yet another massive 200mm fan. The mesh is removable and will come off by simply pushing it down. You also may swap the 200mm fan for two 120mm fans and Corsair has even left enough room for a dual-fan 240mm water-cooling radiator. If you install the radiator on the outside of the case though, which you may have to do if the radiator is but a little thick as there is only a small clearance between the motherboard and the top of the case, you will not be able to re-insert the mesh cover. Finally, the keyhole for the side panel lock can be found beneath this cover as well.
Another dust filter can be found beneath the case, filtering the air entering the PSU’s intake. The filter is removable by pulling it out from the bottom rear part of the case without having to remove either of the side panels.
Another exhaust fan, this time a “small” 120mm black fan can be seen at the rear of the 600T. There are two rubber grommets covering the holes for water-cooling users. Notably enough, the PCI slot covers are all vented, except from the top cover which has a small hole for the user to route the USB 3.0 cable to the rear of the motherboard.
The case interior
The interior of the Corsair 600T case is all dark, down to the case cables and thumbscrews, with the exception of the two 200mm fans. This is probably as dark as a case’s interior may ever get. The motherboard tray is cut behind the CPU area, allowing the installation of large CPU coolers without having to remove the motherboard from the case.
The area at the left and bottom sides of the motherboard tray is littered with oval shaped holes covered by rubber grommets, allowing the routing of most, if not all, cables behind the motherboard tray.
Two of the exhaust fans can be found mounted inside the case. The rear fan is a standard 120mm fan rated at 1200RPM maximum speed and the top fan is a clear 200mm white LED fan rated at 800RPM maximum speed.
A total of six HDD trays are present at the lower front part of the case, divided between two cages. The top cage is removable and held into place by two black thumbscrews, while the lower cage is not. By removing the top tray the user can also install very, very long PCIe cards; that long that none are commercially available today. The HDD trays are made out of plastic but they have anti-vibration rubber rings and their quality is acceptable.
The PSU area can be seen at the bottom rear part of the case. A movable metallic bracket holds the back of the unit installed, which we would love to see it improved by implementing rubber or any other soft component as the hard metal will certainly put a couple of dents on the PSU.
The second clear 200mm white LED fan is mounted at the front of the case, cooling all of the HDDs and serving as the system’s main intake altogether.
Our ICTT system fits inside the Corsair 600T case with ease. Plenty of room is being left for working inside the case and for cable routing and management, even with the most complex of systems and when using water-cooling solutions.
Test system setup and results
In order to assess the thermal performance of the case we will be using our
Integrated Casing Torture Test (ICTT) VR-Zone's Integrated Casing Torture Test system to take readings over a period of one and a half hour. All of the case fans are operating at their maximum speed during the test and both side panels are closed. The exhaust temperature probe was placed above the rear fan of the case.
The thermal performance of the Corsair 600T surprised us by not being exceptional. It would appear that the massive 200mm cooling fans were implemented for the acoustics performance and/or visual effect. While they do move a significant volume of air, they do not appear better than good 120mm fans; just quieter. The temperature of the HDD cage, which was being hit directly by the intake fan, stabilized at about 42.5C degrees after an hour.
When it comes to acoustics performance, the Corsair 600T generates 32.0dB(A), an excellent result for a case with three very large fans running at their maximum speed. The case fan are audible while running at their maximum speed; not enough to be annoying while gaming or engaging in any other activity which requires attention but enough to become a potential problem if a light sleeper would like to spend the night in the room.
Final words and conclusion
Quality (30% of the total score)
The Corsair Graphite 600T is a sturdy, well designed and constructed tower case. There were no sharp edges, parts which could be easily broken or any other manufacturing defects. Unfortunately Corsair is using way too much plastic around the 600T’s body, which reduces both the case’s aesthetics and the overall quality feel.
Quality Score 8.5/10
Performance (30% of the total score)
While the thermal performance of the Corsair 600T case was good, we are certain that it could do a lot better and we know that it will be facing some very hard competition when taking into consideration the retail price of the case. On the other hand, the massive fans may not be moving too much air but they do a very good job doing so quietly.
Performance Score 8.5/10
Aesthetics (30% of the total score)
Aesthetics can be subjective and although the 600T does not look bad, its size could be a potential problem. The case is not too tall or too deep but it is considerably wide, making it appear “bloated” and it will not fit in the tower slot of most computer desks. Also, the massive use of plastic ruins the prestige of the 600T, turning it into an ordinary “run of the mill” chassis.
Aesthetics Score 8.5/10
Value (10% of the total score)
For enthusiasts and people who upgrade or meddle with their system often, the 600T is probably one of the best cases out there. It is a very roomy case, loaded with features, offers great expandability and an entirely tool-less design. The Corsair Graphite 600T is not a cheap case but it is a great deal if you need a high quality, easy to work with case for long term use.
Value Score 9.5/10
Case review : Corsair Graphite 600T
Originally Posted by dootmars
Oiii..murag familiar-looking case ni dah! Murag naa ko ani..hehehe..nice Mike!
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