Corsair Graphite 230T Review

Corsair Graphite 230T Review

Manufacturer: Corsair
UK price (as reviewed): £66.98 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $73.98 (ex Tax)

With all the hoo-ha over mini-ITX cases (come on Corsair, where's yours?) and super high-end monsters such as the Obsidian 900D, it's easy to forget about the segment that sells the most cases. The humble mid tower is the case that most people reading this will own, yet it's one that Corsair has struggled with.

The Carbide 200R didn't set our world alight thanks to some very average cooling results compared to the rest of the cases we've tested. However everything else was spot-on, including price and features.

The Graphite 230T then retails for a tad more than the Carbide 200R, tipping the scales at £65, which means it's not quite aimed at picking a fight with the likes of the Fractal Design Core 3000 or Antec One. Instead it's trading blows with the Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 and Nanoxia Deep Silence 2.


These cases both offer unique selling points, with the Arc Midi R2 featuring a built-in fan controller and an otherwise similar set of features to the Graphite 230T, while the Deep Silence 2's focus on noise reduction meant it's one of the quietest cases we've tested.

So the Graphite 230T won't have it all its own way then, but Corsair has certainly improved one aspect that has blighted it's recent crop of Obsidian cases: their bland exteriors. In fairness, the Obsidian range of cases is just one of several that Corsair offers and is designed to appeal to this kind of enthusiast.

Nonetheless, Corsair has taken the bull by the horns with the Graphite 230T and given it a seriously bold colour scheme, with our Rebel Orange sample being one of three colours on offer. Admittedly the other two are the slightly less bold pairing of grey and black but, hey, baby steps and all that.

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Also making a statement, though, are the cases' fans, with the front mounted pair incorporating coloured LEDs that shine clearly through the large mesh section. For the orange and black finish these are orange while blue lights join the battleship grey finish.

It certainly appeals to the... rebel in us, but Corsair hasn't over-done it, instead combining the flash of colour with a an otherwise no-nonsense exterior and a sturdy case.


The Graphite 230T is fairly compact at 55cm deep and 44cm high - for the imperial folk our there that's 8.2in x 21.7in x 17.3in (w x d x h) - and it weighs in at just over 6kg, so isn't something you'll totally dread lugging to a LAN party either.


However, there's no fan control again, which means other cases have a slight spec-sheet advantage straight away. These leaves the front panel containing the usual Corsair selection of features: two USB 3.0 ports, minijacks, plus power and reset buttons.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 210 x 550 x 440(W x D x H)
  
• Material Steel, plastic
  
• Available colours Orange (reviewed) Black, Battleship Grey
  
• Weight 6.1kg
  
• Front panel Power, reset, 2 x USB 3, stereo, microphone
  
• Drive bays 3 x external 5.25in, 4 x internal 3.5in, 4 x internal 2.5-in,
  
• Form factor(s)ATX, micro-ATX
  
• Cooling 2 x 120 front fan mounts (2 x fans included), 1 x 120mm rear fan mount (fan included), 2 x 120/140mm top fan mounts (fan not included), 1 x bottom 120/140mm fan mounts (fans not included)
  
• CPU cooler clearance 160mm
  
• Maximum graphics card length 430mm (340mm in extreme low slot with storage caddie installed)
  
• Extras Removable dust filters, LED lighting