Gaming cabinets from Alienware stayed true to their name by offering futuristic design elements that certainly gave an impression of alien tech. On the same lines, the exteriors of the Corsair Carbide SPEC Alpha looks no less alien. Highly reminiscent of the turrets from the video game Portal, Corsair Carbide SPEC Alpha’s feet play a big role in giving it that distinct look.
Specifications
Length: 518mm
Width: 220mm
Height: 474mm
Weight: 6.2kg
Motherboard form factor: ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ATX
PSU form factor: ATX standard
Front I/O: 2 x USB 3.0, Mic in and Audio Out, 3-speed fan control
Drive options: 3 x 3.5-inch HDD, 4 x 2.5-inch SSD
Fans: 3 x 120mm
Maximum GPU length: 380mm
Maximum CPU cooler height: 156mm
Maximum PSU length: 190mm
Width: 220mm
Height: 474mm
Weight: 6.2kg
Motherboard form factor: ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ATX
PSU form factor: ATX standard
Front I/O: 2 x USB 3.0, Mic in and Audio Out, 3-speed fan control
Drive options: 3 x 3.5-inch HDD, 4 x 2.5-inch SSD
Fans: 3 x 120mm
Maximum GPU length: 380mm
Maximum CPU cooler height: 156mm
Maximum PSU length: 190mm
A few points to note down :
- Bold Exterior Design with front intake LED fans: The asymmetrical, hard-edged design of the SPEC-ALPHA gives it a bold, unique look.
- Direct airflow path to keep CPUs and GPUs running cooler: Modern systems don't need bulky drive cages obstructing the airflow. By removing the 5.25" drive cage, the SPEC-ALPHA has a direct path from the front intake fan to the CPU and GPU.
- Large side panel window to show off your hardware: Why hide it? All that performance hardware looks great, so why not look at it through the huge side panel window?
- Three included 120mm fans and built-in three-speed fan controller: Watching a movie? Flip the switch for nearly silent operation. Throwing on the headset for some online gaming? Flip it to high and keep the GPU cool for better framerates.
- Cable routing cutouts and tie downs: Nobody wants to see a rat's nest of cables, so hide them behind the motherboard tray to keep cable routing neat, tidy, and out of the airflow path for better cooling.
- Easy to build: Tool-free drive installation and side panel removal means less time spent building and more time gaming.
- Front 240mm radiator compatibility: Upgrade to the power of liquid cooling for CPUs or GPUs with up to a 240mm Hydro Series cooler.
- Native USB 3.0 and SSD support for modern builds: Whether it's a new external drive for storage or a new SSD for the user's preferred OS or games, the SPEC-ALPHA is ready for anything.
A View on the Design
The interiors remain the same in the Corsair Carbide SPEC Alpha compared
to the previous Spec cabinets. With dimensions of 518 x 220 x 474 mm,
this cabinet is able to house ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX motherboards.
The front and top panels have an angled design with portions covered
with mesh to allow air intake and exhaust, respectively.The side-window panel has a transparent plexiglass which is susceptible to scratches.The cabinet ensures all your components are visible if your components all have LED lighting.
The meshes on the top and front panel don’t have any dust filters and you’ll find only one at the bottom which is kind of disappointing. The cabinet stands at a considerable distance from the floor for air intake from the bottom thanks to its weird looking feet. If these feet look too alien and
don’t impress you then you can buy those rounded rubber feet and attach
them in the provided mounting holes at the bottom.
The front I/O panel includes the power button, two USB 3.0 ports,
three-speed fan controller, mic in and audio out port, and the reset
button. The back panel of the cabinet consists of a 120mm fan and
seven PCI-E expansion slots. The slots are tool less thanks to the
thumbscrews but if you are unscrewing them for the first time, expect
some mighty resistance. You just might have to grab a screwdriver to
attach your GPU or other PCI-E cards. There are no locking tabs as are
seen in truly tool-less designs. There are rubberised holes to
fit liquid cooling pipes and at the bottom there’s the PSU cage.
The thumbscrews don’t fall off their grooves, clinging to them which is
something Corsair has been doing with their cabinets and should be
adopted by other cabinet manufacturers as well.The front panel comes pre-installed with two 120mm LED fans with sliding
mounting holes that let you move the fans in case you plan on adding a
third fan at the bottom. The top panel can house two 120mm fans as
well. These fans can be controlled with the three-speed fan controller
on the front panel. To be able to reach and install the third fan,
you’ll have to remove the drive cage that houses three HDD slots and two
SSD brackets, and additional two SSD brackets can be found behind the
motherboard plate.
The Corsair Carbide SPEC Alpha offers a generous number of tie-slits and
paths for cable management. The cutouts on the motherboard plate are
well thought out to aid routing the cables to the necessary components
from the PSU.
So, these were our views on this spectacular case by Corsair launched at CES-2016. Let us know what you think about it in the comments below.
Author : Anushk Keshri Rastogi