Corsair Carbide 275R review - Final words and conclusion

Conclusion 

It's clear that the 275R is a fair bit more than a 270R refresh. It retains what made the original chassis so well received here, whilst adding touches (obvious and less obvious) that elevate the case to justify the increased price. To be honest, re-releasing the 270R with a tacked on glass side panel would have been very easy, so it's great to see that Corsair went back to the 270R's design sheet and enhanced areas that needed it.

Is it perfect? No. Then again, the day I review a perfect product in any walk of life is the day I also win the national lottery. It's not going to happen. Some design decisions, I will admit, are a little odd. The glass panel screws needing a hex key is frustrating, though easy to work with once you tip the case on its side. The fact that the side doesn't 'capture' the glass is also odd, considering that other manufacturers who add tempered glass panels have managed to include this feature. In the grand scheme of things, however, I can definitely overlook it. The manual could use some improvements, but - again - it's a small detail. My final 'gripe' (though I really don't like to use that word) is the HDD activity light being tied to the front panel lighting. Again, a strange decision and a dedicated light would - in my view - be a better idea, but I'll live with it.

With the negatives out of the way, let's look at the positives, of which there are many. I swooned over the looks of this case when I unboxed it for the first time, and viewing a completed PC in it was sublime. Those who have read my previous reviews will know just how much I like Fractal Design's cases, so for me to say 'This, or the Meshify C, either is fine by me' is high praise indeed. I love minimalist cases that still manage to produce a 'wow' factor, and this case does it in style. In fact, I transferred my current build into this case for this review (my old case was a Fractal one), and I am more than happy to keep the status quo. I like it that much. Normally I'm in the habit of changing cases fairly often. Personally, I can see this one lasting a while.

Of course, that would all be for naught if the case were functionally useless! Thankfully, it is the exact opposite. It has excellent cooling potential, with up to 7 120mm fans able to be mounted. Radiator support up to 360mm (i.e. true 'enthusiast' class) in the front, 240mm up top, and 120mm in the back. Realistically, for 79.99, you could have a liquid cooled CPU and liquid cooled GPU in the case, and still, have room for all of those hoses. Not bad, Corsair. Not bad. It lacks nothing in the 'essentials' category that I miss, at all, either. The 275R also improves on the 270R's storage potential, and 2x HDDs and up to 6 SSDs (without the 3.5'' drives, naturally) is a lot in 2018, even for an enthusiast builder. You could, legitimately, fit an entry-level workstation into this PC. Though, again, why would you? Once you're paying top dollar for X299 or X399 CPUs and high end (even pro-grade) GPUs, do you need a 79.99 USD case?

The Exterior

I feel as though I have raved enough about this case's looks enough. I understand that aesthetics (aside from reviews of headsets, keyboards, and mice) are almost entirely subjective. However, I genuinely feel as though this new case massively improves on the looks of the old 270R. It was by no means a bad looking case, at all, but the 'jazz' factor has been turned way up for this new model. 'Drab' is potentially a word that could be used against the old product, but not this one. I think most of it is actually to do with that glass, to be entirely honest. Little touches, though, such as the bottom LED or rubber grommets, also elevate the case from 'nice' to 'very good looking'.

The Interior

There is certainly space enough inside to make working a breeze. I had no problems even with my bucket sized hands. Cable management is very good, if not exceptional (again, some velcro ties would be nice, or even a management 'bar', like the 570X). Despite this, I had no problems with cable spacing behind the motherboard tray, either. A very welcome change from the 270R is the newly rubberized management holes, which not only make the case feel more 'premium,' but also hide wiring that much better. PSU space is reduced from the 270R, but likely for the reason of tidying up the basement area. That said, 180mm in 2018 is more than enough even for some higher capacity units of 850W or so. I don't see an issue here, at all. Some may bemoan the 'lack' of space, but given the efficiency of modern components, most people who buy this case won't need anything than 650W, at the most. Drive mounting options are solid and better than the 270R, and are easy to install without a fuss. Whilst not tool-less, how much effort is it to install four screws? There is no 5.25'' bay, but this should come as a shock to... basically nobody. We have to acknowledge, as before, just how feature rich this case is for 79.99. It adds to the previous iteration whilst only increasing the price by 10 USD. To me, that's a great deal.

Final Words

I'll say this straight up. I recommend this case, wholeheartedly. I cannot fault the looks, the build quality, or feature set. Cooling options are solid, storage is very good, and building in the case is a pleasure. The case offers you options to use a wide variety of components for a very reasonable price, right from a very mid-level PC to a high-end rig housing the best 2018 has to offer. It does this whilst being relatively compact, and you get the sense that the space inside the case has been used well, with no 'waste' present. I have already said that this case offers excellent value for money, and it truly does. 79.99 nets you all of the above, and the poster child tempered glass panel that was all the rage of 2017 (alongside RGB and inflated GPU prices). Despite the closed-off front panel, airflow is entirely reasonable and - given that there is mesh everywhere - 'passive' ventilation is very much a thing, here. I've already mentioned what problems I had with this chassis, but I could absolutely look past every one of them.

To conclude, then. The 275R offers a lot, whilst adding to an already good case in the 270R. It's an example of a product 'refresh' that is actually a whole lot more than that. Try as I might I also keep coming back to this case's looks. To me, they're ideal, and for those that want a still striking yet understated PC, this is a very compelling mid-tier option. Available in white & black, starting today.

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