Corsair Special Edition White Graphite 600T Chassis Review

[PAGETITLE=Introduction][Top Ad] Hot on the heels of its Techgage Editor's Choice awarded Obsidian 650D, comes another case from Corsair. This time around we look at a special edition white version of the previously released Graphite 600T mid-tower. This refresh features a different paint job along with other styling and performance changes, the latter of which came about thanks to Corsair's listening to its customers. Seeing how the original 600T was not reviewed on our site, I couldn't wait to dive in and see what made it so popular and check out any improvements. Wrapped in a white cloth bag and made of steel with plastic accents that wrap around the entire frame, the white Graphite 600T is just that; white. A re-launch of the original 600T, it supports micro-ATX and ATX motherboards. This time around the two 200mm fans have been upgraded to run at 1000RPM instead of 600. From what I have read on various forums, this was the major complaint from users, so it's nice to see a company listening to what its customers have to say. Ok maestro. From the top! Well, the front really, which is made almost entirely of a metal mesh surrounded by plastic accents. At the top of the mesh area are four 5.25" drive bays. The bay covers can be removed by squeezing in on two tabs from within the drive bays. Below those is a cover that hides a 200mm white LED fan. To remove the cover, simply press in at the top to disengage the catches and lift it away. All of the drive bay covers and the fan cover feature a filter on the backside to keep dust out of the system. Just as an FYI, the front fan cannot be replaced with more, smaller fans - so what you see is what you get for this one. On the left side are two quick-release latches that have become a favorite feature of mine. Below those is a large window with black plastic trim that makes for a very clean, finished look. Where is the window you may ask? Well... Shipped with the window pre-installed, Corsair includes a mesh panel to replace it. Removing ten screws from the inside of the panel allows the window and trim to be removed. The mesh panel has tabs that insert through slots normally covered by the window trim. Bending the tabs up from the inside of the panel once they have been inserted keeps the panel in place. This panel allows for up to four 120mm fans to be installed if extra cooling is required. All of the mounting screws are included in a separate bag and rubber washers pre-installed to absorb any vibrations made by the added fans. For those who may be wondering, the window was swapped out because reflections are pain to deal with when taking product shots! My laziness aside, the back of the 600T has the motherboard I/O opening and a 120mm exhaust fan at the top. Below that are eight vented PCI slots next to two holes with pre-installed rubber grommets to run hoses for water cooling and the opening for the power supply at the very bottom. There isn't much to talk about on the right side seeing how the entire panel is solid except for the same quick-release latches found on left panel. Up on top things start to pick up with the front featuring four USB 2.0 connections to the left of a dial that can control up to four fans. To the right of that, stacked on top of each other are the USB 3.0 and IEEE 1394 connections along with the hard drive activity light beside it. The USB 3.0 port can be connected to a USB port on the motherboard I/O while the rest of the ports have connectivity provided directly from headers on the motherboard itself. A little further back are the 3.5mm headphone and microphone connections and the power and reset buttons beyond them. To keep with the white theme of the case, the power button glows white when the system is powered on as does the hard drive activity LED when a drive is accessed. The rest of the top is taken up by a removable mesh cover that hides the second 200mm white LED fan. By pressing down at the back of the cover, it can be removed for cleaning and also allows access to the fan. Unlike the front fan, this one can be replaced with up to two 120mm or 140mm fans if needed. There is also enough room to mount up to a 240mm radiator inside the case with two fans on the outside under the top cover. Also found under the top cover is a lock that ensures your components remain inside your system. Using the included keys, a quick turn flips a metal catch out, locking the left side panel in place. This should prove to be a welcome feature for those who visit LAN parties regularly. With the case upside down, the four rubber pads that make up the case feet can be found. These are attached to plastic stands that run down the sides of the case and lift it off the floor to help keep the power supply fed with fresh air. Speaking of which, the power supply has a removable filter than can be slid out the back for cleaning when needed. So it's time to get those panels out of the way and have a look at what makes this case tick. [PAGEBREAK][PAGETITLE=Interior] All of the plastic accents can be removed with the exception of the stand. There are white tabs that can be pushed in from inside the case that allow the accents to release but the stand has one way push pins. Seeing how neither obstructs the view of the interior I chose to leave them on. Starting at the lower front end is the hard drive cage. The cage is broken up into two sections, each capable of holding up to three 3.5" or 2.5" drives on plastic trays. These trays slide in and out of the cage by squeezing in on the tabs at the front. 3.5" drives can be installed without tools by snapping the drive into the trays to be held in place by metal pegs surrounded by rubber to help absorb any vibration. Installing 2.5" drives will require tools since they secure through the bottom of the tray with screws. Should extra air flow or extra clearance for a long video card be needed, the top half of the drive cage can be mounted in an alternate position on the bottom of the case or removed entirely. Just remove two thumbscrews from the left side of the cage, slide the cage out, slide it into the other position and tighten it down. Above the hard drive cage are the tool-less locking mechanisms for the 5.25" bays. Slide a drive in and that's it. The mechanism will catch and keep the drive securely in place. To remove the drive, press in on the tab at the front and the lock will disengage allowing the drive to be pulled free. The bottom of the case sports the mounting points for the top half of the hard drive cage and the opening for the power supply behind it. At the front of the power supply vent is a movable bracket that can be resized and is used to keep the unit lifted up off the case floor. This bracket negates any vertical or horizontal motion when the case is transported. Like everything else in this case, it can be moved without any tools thanks to two more thumbscrews. As is the case with all Corsair offerings, the motherboard tray features a ton of cable management areas with pre-installed grommets to keep the interior looking clean. All power and data cables can be hidden by these thanks to Corsair taking into account where the cables will be run regardless of the form factor of the motherboard. The open rectangular area next to the hard drive cage is for running power and data cables when the top half of the cage is mounted in the alternate position. Up towards the top of the tray is a large cutout to help with CPU coolers that feature back plates and up in the top left corner is a final cable management area to route the 12V power connector. There isn't much more to show on the very back panel of the interior that couldn't be seen from the outside with the exception of the thumbscrews for securing any expansion cards in place and the top PCI slot cover having a small notch cut out of it. This notch allows for the USB 3.0 cable to run through one of the PCI slots to the motherboard I/O in order to provide connectivity for the top port. At the top of the same shot is the 200mm fan and on the right side, the connectors for the fans. Each connector has a plastic cover to ensure the pins remain straight until the time comes to connect them to the controller. The hardware included with the 600T is comprehensive to say the least. Starting at the top left and moving down are additional screws for installing extra fans if the window is swapped out in favour of the mesh insert on the left side panel, screws for securing the motherboard and 3.5" drives, screws for securing 2.5" drives in place and two keys for the top lock. In the middle are the quick start guide and a product brochure that showcases some of Corsair's other products. On the far right are rubber washers to help absorb vibrations from any extra fans installed in the top of the case by the user, more screws for installing the motherboard or securing 3.5" drives and some zip ties to help with cable management. Seeing how the interior is essentially the same as the 650D, I expect the build to go much the same way, however this time around we are using our case testing system so there may be a few twists and turns. [PAGEBREAK][PAGETITLE=Installation & Testing] Before starting to install components I noticed that there were some scratches around one of the motherboard standoffs. They look like skip marks from whatever was used to install them. Chances are the tool slipped and chipped some of the paint off, which is uncharacteristic of Corsair's cases seeing how they are usually in perfect condition. When it came down to the overall build, there were no real issues. To start with, the power supply lined up perfectly and the bracket kept it snug and in place. All of the power leads were able to be properly routed as well with enough room for them to be fed from the power supply through one cable management area. The grommets that surround each area also stayed in place even when stressed by a large number of cables. One of my favorite subtle...

Corsair Special Edition White Graphite 600T Chassis Review

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