Corsair Carbide Series 330R Review

Performance Analysis

Without an additional fan controller of some sort, you'll have to run the case fans at full speed, and we have to admit that Corsair's fans do strike an admirable balance between noise and airflow. The case isn't quite on par with Nanoxia or Fractal Design when it comes to noise levels, but sound from the front fan was dulled well and the internal noise generated by our hardware was also contained impressively by the foam, with even our GPU fan dampened to a faint whir.


Cooling performance is roughly mid-league, with both the CPU and GPU delta T results at 52°C, which is good in both cases for a low noise chassis, although the Fractal R4 has a slight advantage for both temperatures at its own maximum speed. Nevertheless, the airflow from the two fans is obviously adequate to keep things under control, even with a bit of overclocking.

Conclusion

What the Corsair Carbide 330R does, it mostly does well. With a few exceptions, build quality is problem free, while the cooling performance to noise ratio also manages to impress. The minimalist styling is also still a popular one, and the door with its interchangeable hinges and noise deflecting openings is a particular highlight. The roof and drive cage areas could do with a little touching up, but the biggest negative is the sense that there's something missing from it. A secondary removable drive cage, radiator support in the front and a fan controller aren't unreasonable things to expect of a case at the 330R's price point.


This brings us onto the main thing that's wrong with this case: the pricing. The fact that the 330R and Fractal Design Define R4 share equivalent prices at the moment is a bit of a blow to Corsair's effort, as the Fractal chassis is superior in almost any way you care to name. Meanwhile, the 50 percent price premium over the £50 Carbide 200R also feels inflated, as the internal designs and feature sets of the two cases are very similar. A £60-65 price tag for the 330R would put it in competition with Cooltek's Antiphon, against which it would fare much better. Essentially, the 330R offers the basics needed for a decent system and implements them well, but at a price that simply leaves you wanting a little bit more.