Corsair Carbide 500R: A Corsair in Every Home
by Dustin Sklavos on October 25, 2011 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Corsair
- mid-tower
Conclusion: Another Solid Enclosure from Corsair
I'm becoming increasingly convinced that you just can't really go wrong buying a Corsair enclosure. The issue with the Carbide 500R is that it has to compete with two other Corsair cases in the same price bracket, or for not much more money you can get Rosewill's Thor v2, a case that performs roughly as well acoustically and better thermally. There are a few tradeoffs to be made there, but I can definitely see someone making them. Likewise, if you go $40 south, you run smack into Fractal Design's Arc Midi, a case which is a bit louder but otherwise about as effective at keeping your system cool.
As far as competing against itself, Corsair's "evolution in reverse" continues. With the existence of the 500R, I have a hard time recommending end users spend up for the Graphite 600T or Obsidian 650D. Those are both fine cases, but honestly I feel like the 500R is simply a better performer. Your mileage may vary and you may find the aesthetics of the other two cases more your speed, but Corsair threatens to obsolete themselves with the 500R.
The other options on the market require a trade-off here and there, so I can see why someone would go for Fractal Design's Arc Midi or Rosewill's Thor v2 over the 500R, but I can also see why someone would opt for the 500R instead of either alternative. That's probably not the most useful conclusion, but thankfully in this price range there just aren't too many cases that are authentically bad performers, so you can start to "season to taste" and choose an enclosure that fits your needs best. If it were my call I'd probably save the forty bucks and go for the Arc Midi, but the 500R isn't a bad choice.
As weird as it sounds, what I think may be the weakest point about the 500R is actually its price tag. While the performance probably warrants the money, the materials used in the construction don't feel like a $40 improvement over the Carbide 400R. I think if Corsair chopped $20 off the MSRP of the 500R, it'd be the obvious choice in its market instead of stratifying things. At $119 it'd be an easy recommendation over any of Corsair's other enclosures, as well as the Arc Midi and Thor v2.
Still, $139 isn't bad, and right now there's a $15 rebate on the Corsair Carbide 500R if you're a gambler. As always, Corsair has produced a case that's reasonably attractive, idiotically easy to assemble, and a solid performer. In some ways it's really the high point of their enclosure business. There are alternatives, but if you like the way it looks and want something easy to build, the 500R is worth your hard earned money.
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compudaze - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - link
I love how Corsair left the top fan mounts open instead of obstructing them with unneeded mesh. And how they even left room for their own H100's hoses to drop down... Brilliant. I'm considering "downgrading" to this and re-purposing the 600T.Knifeshade - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - link
I wonder if Corsair will ever bring out a "300R" mini tower (like the Fractal Define Mini, Arc Mini, Silverstone TJ08E, FT03, Lian Li V354, V600F) for people like me who prefers enthusiast builds without the bulk of mid/full tower cases.I'd love to see what Corsair can bring to the mATX table.
Malih - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - link
I second that,I love Corsair case design, especially this one, space efficient and not too heavy.
I'd like to use this same layout, remove some of the drive bays, make this case shorter into an mATX case. And workaround the fan positioning so side fan installation still allows for larger HSF.
Malih - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - link
I forgot to mention, this is coming from someone who owns the Fractal Design Define Mini.I just love mATX case with bottom mounted PSU, and I'm thinking about building another system.
And also thanks Dustin for the review as always.
C300fans - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - link
Dustin home?Earthmonger - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - link
Dustin Sklavos, the case reviewer. ("Dustin Home" is a Scand etailer, for those who don't know)Of Corsair's lineup, this is the sexiest case. Sadly no, it won't ever find a place in my home. Not until Corsair abandon plastic and steel, and make enthusiast cases.
Love the contrast of color in this case.
BernardP - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - link
I would like Corsair to come up with something sized between those mATX-only cases and their current larger gaming cases. The Antec NSK-4482 is smaller and can take a full ATX board but has ample room to work in a mATX configuration.prime2515103 - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - link
After about 9 years with a Cheiftec Dragon I upgraded to this case. The only problems I've found with it is that the 200mm fan rattles when I first start the system; it stops after awhile though (I haven't timed it but it's at least a minute or two). The only other thing is that I wish there was another few millimeters behind the hard drives. The side panel is pressing right against the cable's connectors. A speaker and a power LED would've been ok too, but I don't really miss them.C300fans - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - link
I will never spend 139$ for a vacuum cleaner.slick121 - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - link
I second this comment.