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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mostlyharmless - Saturday, April 30, 2016 - link
I've never seen a case with a modular (on/off, mike/headphone, USB) section that could be relocated to various areas of the case (top, upper front, lower front). Though it'll be a non-issue when all ports are wireless.Murloc - Sunday, May 1, 2016 - link
meh it would look ugly, plus there are so many cases that all use cases are covered.mostlyharmless - Sunday, May 1, 2016 - link
... until you moved your PC to a new location & something different would be more convenient.egmccann - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 - link
True. It was one of the irritations I had with my old Sonata (and my current coolermaster case, actually.)As far as this case... no external drive access means it's not for me. Which is to bad, as I kind of like the straightforward aesthetic. (I don't want or need case windows, lights, etc.)
Valantar - Monday, May 2, 2016 - link
Considering the amount of wiring coming out of front I/O panel, they aren't exactly easy to move around. It would probably be doable, but I'd bet not worth ruining the aesthetic of the case for 99% of designers.tromedo - Monday, May 2, 2016 - link
Any idea when motherboards will have internal USB Type-C Headers and the case manufacturers will adopt it for the front panel?colonelclaw - Tuesday, May 3, 2016 - link
I was wondering that myself. Should we be expecting a $99 case to have USB-C or is it too soon to be thinking that way?Haravikk - Monday, May 2, 2016 - link
Looks like a good case; I'm very much a fan of the muted looks and the sensible internal layout. Bit disappointed that the sides require thumbscrews and the front is friction fit when the top is magnetic, as I wouldn't mind paying a bit extra for some decent strength magnets for super-easy access.I know it's pretty typical to only review the bundled fans, but it would have been nice to see what kind of differences could be expected with different fan arrangements. I'm particularly interested in what the case might be like with liquid cooled graphics and the biggest passive CPU cooler that money can buy, leaving the top open. At modest fan speeds I imagine it should still be pretty quiet for modest gaming demands (not high end pushing it to the limit sort of stuff, which has never really interested me anyway, I prefer quiet).
pikunsia - Monday, May 2, 2016 - link
Since I can't put my ASUS DVD-RW and my PIONEER BD-RE, this case is not for me. My Corsair 450D is eminently superior to this case.AnnonymousCoward - Thursday, May 5, 2016 - link
It looks like Corsair copied the Fractal Design R5, but insanely dropped support for optical drives (in a desktop tower!), and supports only a 120mm rear fan instead of all 140mm.