Corsair Carbide Series 100R Mid Tower Case

A great case to start PC building. It had some quirks I learned my way through by trial and error, but this case is an excellent choice for anyone looking to sport a minimalist design that looks professional (unlike many "Gaming PC" cases which look ridiculous...)Corsair's included fan (one fan) doesn't move much air but at least it's really quiet and it holds you over until you can buy some better fans to fill it out. I currently have a fan in every slot (5 fans) and have them facing in a way that move air in from the front (it may look like there is no intake, but there are slots all down the front corners of the case to allow sufficient air intake), then out from the top and back. I had an easy time installing the Silent Wing 2 from bequiet! in all my fan slots, and it runs so quiet that I have never even heard the fans run with the way this case seems to also absorb a bit of sound (especially with the front intake being more covered than some cases)Love this case from Corsair and if you're thinking about the $50 price range for a case on your build, definitely consider this one as a main contenderUpdate: 12/10/2016This case is still absolutely solid and meets all of my needs perfectly. I am surprised to see it on sale now for only $36. That's one heck of a great price for this product. This case was absolutely 100% worth it even at the $50 price mark I bought it at

For the price, this case is amazing. I'm not huge fan of really flashy cases that look like they belong in a different century, and the 100R Windowed version is a beautiful case. The styling is very sleek with a nice finish. The front plate and drive bays are made of plastic, and the rest is metal. A lot of reviews on tech sites and on different websites say that the side panels are very flimsy, but honestly, why would you need a case with thick side panels? The case has excellent accessibility and plenty of holes to route cables through. It seems very sturdy when fully loaded with gear. I fit all of of my components in without a problem and everything fit perfectly. Some reviews state that a Hyper 212 Evo will not fit inside the case; do not listen to them, that is a lie. It is a relatively tight fit, with only a few cm to spare, but it does in fact fit with the side panel on. All hardware that you will need (and a little extra) is included. There are five fan locations: two on the top, one in the rear and two on the front. It is worth a note that in order to put the second fan in the front, you must remove the front panel due to the fact that it mounts outside the inside of the case, but behind the front panel.There are a few cons to the 100R however. It is a little difficult to manage the cables on the non windowed side due to the very shallow depth between the back panel (directly behind the motherboard) and the side panel. You may find yourself having a bit of a difficult time routing wires unless you have flat cables. A modular power supply is a MUST as there is not a "basement" to tuck away all of the slack in the cabling with a cover.If you are looking for a simple windowed case design, the 100R is very difficult to beat based on the build quality vs the price point.

So this PC case in a nutshell is good. It’s in a way an improvement on the SPEC series and some a way back. I was looking for a case that was a bit simple in design to replace a case for my dad’s computer. This one for the price does the job, although it is disappointing that the windowless one is more expensive the side window still works just as good even though it isn’t needed. Now let’s get into the nitty gritty of the case.Construction:The frame itself is sturdy enough. It’s by no means a case that’s built to be strong but it’s not entirely weak either. It will hold up. The side panels on the other hand are flimsy and because of the material the case is made from it would be easy to dent or scratch. As long as your careful though you shouldn’t have any issues.Design:The design of the case was actually the selling point for me. It’s sleek and simple which is exactly what I was looking for. My main issue is how the power and reset butting is laid out. It doesn’t feel like a physical button like you would see on the spec series and it’s hard to see. Just got to remember the power button is on the right and reset is the left. Other than that I don’t have many issues with the case. Cable management can be a bit tight but for the most part it’s still functional and I wasn’t expecting something amazing from the price point. You get 2 5.25” drive trays which is more than plenty and 4 HDD/SDD trays which for a small case should be plenty for the average PC user. You also have plenty of options for cooling with fans and even AIO liquid coolers. If you’re using air cooling be mindful though of the size as some of the larger ones like the 212 will not fit in this case.Conclusion:In the end it’s a solid case. It’s perfect for the budget build and it definitely doesn’t break the bank.