Small(er) is beautiful
Corsair entered the PC chassis market just over a year ago with the impressive Obsidian 800D - a large enclosure designed to accommodate every component an enthusiast might want to throw into a case. Followed a short while later by the largely-same 700D, Corsair has waited a while before launching a mid-range case that, it hopes, will satisfy the needs of Joe Average.First unveiled at this year's Computex trade show and now shipping at popular retailers for around £130, the Graphite 600T purports to take high-end features and cram them into a mid-sized chassis measuring 507mm x 592mm x 265mm (HxDxW).
The bottom portion clicks away to reveal a 200mm fanThe 600T follows Corsair's bias towards minimalist styling. The plastic-fronted chassis is rather plain to look at, juxtaposing nicely against the garish-coloured enclosures that have been all the rage in recent years.
Whereas the Obsidian full-tower series is all about sharp angles and clean lines, the Graphite has a bulbous, rounded appearance. The design elicits comments that could be levelled at Marmite: you'll either think it's the height of sophistication or rather dull.
Whatever the thoughts on design, the 600T is well-built with no squeaks or rattles as you move it around. At the front, looking at the bottom portion, a removeable filter hides an intake 200mm fan. Moving on up, four 5.25in bays are standard fare for a mid-tower case.
Keeping smooth lines on the front means that the power and reset buttons are moved up to the console at the top. It's home to a four-way fan-controller, four USB 2.0 ports, a solitary USB 3.0 - nice to see manufacturers now specifying this - and a single FireWire port. Finished off with microphone and headphone sockets, the positioning of the console makes sense, insofar as it's an easy reach if the chassis is by the desk side.
The long grille section at the top also comes away to reveal a pre-plumbed 200mm exhaust fan. This can be removed and replaced by a double-width (240mm) radiator and twin 120mm fans, should you so wish. The caveat here is that a radiator cannot be positioned in the section between the removeable grille and the top of the main compartment, which is a shame. Fitting it inside the chassis is possible, of course, but doing so will lead to a tight squeeze, especially if you want to locate the fans below it in a 'push' configuration, rather than in a 'pull' setup if they're positioned in the grille cavity.
With security in mind, the underlying side panel can be secured by engaging the lock - bottom-centre of the photo - with a one-quarter turn.
Having two huge fans already installed in the 600T diminishes the need for a side-mounted blower. The upshot is a plain side that sits on a plinth. It's actually an important design decision because of the way the PSU mounts at the bottom: having the 600T raised a little off the floor helps the PSU draw air in.
The picture shows the bottom-mounted PSU that's a hallmark of the Corsair range of chassis. It'll take any conventional-sized supply, including larger-than-normal 1,000W-plus models.
Watercooling grommets are a must on any enthusiast-orientated chassis, as are a plethora of expansion slots. Rounding it off, a third fan - a 120mm exhaust - makes up the last part of the pre-supplied cooling. The speed of all three fans can be adjusted by the controller on the top.
