The Corsair Carbide 400Q Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on April 29, 2016 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Corsair
- ATX
- E-ATX
- Carbide
Corsair is a company that does not need much of an introduction - they are one of the world’s most reputable manufacturers of PC components and peripherals, with a vast range of products for all wallets and tastes. One market section that Corsair is highly active in is that of PC cases, with the company frequently releasing new designs and currently marketing dozens of products.
Introduction
Today we are having a look at one of Corsair's most recent releases, the Carbide 400Q. The Carbide 400Q is not formally designed to replace or compete with any of the company’s previous models, but it feels as if it the spiritual successor of the Carbide 330R. The midi-tower case is designed as a financially reasonable solution for users that want an refined yet simple and quiet system. We are having a close look at the features, quality, performance, shortcomings and value of the Carbide 400Q in this review.
| Corsair Carbide 400Q | ||
| Motherboard Size | EATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | |
| Drive Bays | External | - |
| Internal | 2 × 3.5" (internal drive cage) 3 × 2.5" (Rear of motherboard tray) |
|
| Cooling | Front | 3 × 120 mm or 2 x 140 mm (1 × 140 mm included) |
| Rear | 1 × 120 mm (included) | |
| Top | 2 × 120 mm or 2 × 140 mm (none included) | |
| HDD | - | |
| Bottom | - | |
| Radiator Support | Front | Up to 360 mm or 280 mm |
| Rear | Up to 120 mm | |
| Top | Up to 240 mm | |
| Side | - | |
| Bottom | - | |
| I/O Port | 2× USB 3.0, 0× USB 2.0, 1× Headphone, 1× Mic | |
| Power Supply Size | ATX | |
| Clearances | HSF | 170 mm |
| PSU | 190 mm | |
| GPU | 370 mm | |
| Dimensions | 464 mm × 215 mm × 425 mm 18.27 in × 8.46 in × 16.73 in |
|
| Prominent Features | · Silenced panels for quiet operation · Easy to build, hard to beat · Clean, modern lines with an all steel exterior · Direct Airflow Path · Compact design, full size capabilities · Liquid cooling capable · Two included AF series fans · PSU and 3.5” Bay Cover · Easy to clean |
|
| Price | $99 (MSRP) | |
Packaging & Bundle
Corsair supplies the Carbide 400Q in a sturdy brown cardboard box. The monochromic artwork is simple and based on a schematic of the case itself, with a short description of the case printed in several languages. Although it is not much to gaze upon, the sturdy box and thick Styrofoam slabs provide more than good protection during shipping.
Corsair barely supplies more than just the basics alongside with the Carbide 400Q. The bundled items are just a user’s manual, black mounting screws and a few short cable ties.
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LordanSS - Friday, April 29, 2016 - link
To be honest, I'd like to have space to install a BluRay burner for use as a backup solution for important things.Not talking about using normal BR media, but the M-Discs instead for more permanent backup. But I guess this would be an edge case, and an absolute minority of consumers for desktop cases.
Black Obsidian - Friday, April 29, 2016 - link
For occasional use, a USB3 Blu-Ray burner seems like the natural solution. Pull it out the odd time you need it, leave it stored when you don't.Murloc - Saturday, April 30, 2016 - link
who back-ups on optical disks anymore?Not even OSes are sold on disks anymore.
LordanSS - Saturday, April 30, 2016 - link
I reckon you either did not read, did not understand or just don't know what I was talking about.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-DISC
Valantar - Sunday, May 1, 2016 - link
Sorry, but they are. My household (two people) has five PCs in regular use. None have optical drives. We do have an external DVD drive for whenever the need might arise, but it hasn't been used for years. It just sits atop the HTPC like a tombstone to optical media. We do play blu-rays from time to time, but the PS3 does that job better than the PC. I can't remember needing an optical drive for drivers or anything else since before Windows 7.The space needed for 5,25" bays is better utilized for more modern use cases, like radiators, drive mounts or space savings (or all three, like in this case). I _really_ regret getting my Fractal Define R4 half a year before the launch of the Define S - I'd much rather have an additional 140mm fan in the front than two unused 5,25" bays.
twtech - Saturday, May 28, 2016 - link
I still use optical media for some things, including OS installs. I don't use the drive a lot, but if I'm going to have a huge metal box for my PC enclosure anyway, it might as well have an internal optical drive for those times when I would like to use one.HOOfan 1 - Friday, April 29, 2016 - link
With the lack of 5.25 inch drive bays and the covered basement, I would say it is more of a competitor to the NZXT S340 and less a successor of the 300Rvenkatsrin - Friday, April 29, 2016 - link
Why do you keep reviewing big ugly cases, who needs such monstrosities??There is hardly any coverage on matx or mitx cases... boo hoo...
BrokenCrayons - Friday, April 29, 2016 - link
I don't think computer case products really are changed that often by manufacturers. Just doing a quick search on Amazon, I was able to find mATX case designs that are essentially identical to the ones I was purchasing 5-10 years ago. It's probably just that there's not that many out there to review. Let's admit it, a case usually lasts a very long time. I've got one that was originally purchased in 2006 and really have no intention of replacing it as long as there are ATX motherboards around.Though I admit I could probably make a certain person very happy if I bought a Corsair Carbide 400Q for him and stuffed a new gaming computer into it. But I don't want company in my MMOs so I'd rather keep him on a console where gaming is simpler and easier for him. Plus there's sports titles on consoles and he's sort of a sports game guy. PC games...well those that aren't directly ported from consoles anyway...those are more for thoughtful or social types.
CaedenV - Friday, April 29, 2016 - link
Any article with a coke can for scale is instantly a great article lol