Overclock.net banner

Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-03 Red Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case Model CC-9011052-WW

667 views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  Overclock Reviews 
#1 ·
Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-03 Red Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case Model CC-9011052-WW

Description:
Features
Tons of fan mounts:
Front -2 x 140/120mm (2 x 120mm Red LED included)
Top -2 x 120mm
Rear -120mm (included)
Bottom -120mm

2 x USB 3.0 front ports with internal connector

Large side panel window

Cable routing and CPU cooler backplate motherboard cutouts

Seven PCIe slots with room for long graphics cards up to 426mm long

Install up to three 3.5" and two 2.5" drives simultaneously - tool free.

Dust filters for front and PSU intake.

Details:
DetailValue
BindingAccessory
BrandCorsair
EAN0843591047265
FeatureSteel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower
3 Internal 3.5" Drive Bays
Cooling System 120mm Fans 6 140mm Fans 2
LabelCorsair
ManufacturerCorsair
ModelCC-9011052-WW
MPNCC-9011052-WW
PublisherCorsair
StudioCorsair
TitleCorsair Carbide Series SPEC-03 Red Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case Model CC-9011052-WW
UPC843591047265
Item Height17.32 inches
Item Length7.28 inches
Item Width17.52 inches
Package Height9.45 inches
Package Length22.2 inches
Package Weight13.27 pounds
Package Width18.82 inches
PackageQuantity1
PartNumberCC-9011052-WW
ProductGroupPC Accessory
ProductTypeNameNETWORKING_DEVICE
UPCList - UPCListElement843591047265
Item Weight12.46 pounds
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#2 ·
This case is great

review by usmcrd

Pros: The front cables come all blacked out, except for the audio cable. The case is really light if you take the side doors off. I removed the hard drive cage to get an idea for liquid cooling build and theres plenty of space for like 2 radiators in the front with fans on it and have no problem if you want to try that I guess. Also the front power and reset button are awesome because you do have to push a little harder then most power buttons and its great if you have pets or kid nearby that like hitting your power button.

Cons: The fans are cheap and look like Corsair knock off fans. (See Other Thoughts) Fan Model Number is (A1225M12S) if you want to see google images for these cheap looking fans.
People are being misleading with the paint chipping, I scratched every panel and no paint chipped or scratched so either Corsair fixed it or they just got a bad one out of the bunch, but I had to use my philips head screw driver and then it scratch so dont worry about chipping.
The front dust filter isn't a dust filter, It is just not fine enough to catch dust and plus its made out of metal, Last time I check dust filters should not be metal.

Other Thoughts: I took this case apart as soon as I got it to find there flaws and also be able to give a better review for you guys on this case. For a company this big I would assume that Corsair would throw in some nicer fans. I will not be using these fans as I am disappointed, But I am going to grab some Arctic Cooling fans as they come in a pack of 5 fans for $30 and Corsair fans have leaks because the way there made.

ProsCons
Lots of room in this caseOptical Drive isn't removable and came with cheap fan

Ratings
Overall5
 
#3 ·
Perfectly acceptable, but not perfect.

review by tohru rokuno

I bought this case to use as a replacement for my original 3 year old Milwaukee PC case. I wanted something with more cooling options and that wasn't a full-height ATX tower. The Corsair delivers, but it had small issues that keep it simply in the middle of the road. I do recommend this case, but it has issues.

The motherboard standoffs come pre-installed in an ATX configuration, tighter than what you can remove by hand. Since my P7H55D-M EVO is a microATX, I had to remove two standoffs and put them in the proper place for my board. In removing the second one, my socket scratched the interior finish.

This case is USB 3.0 ONLY, and since there's no included USB 3.0 - 2.0 adapter cable, I had to buy an adapter.

The thumbscrews for the side panels require a screwdriver, since you'll never get them to line up right to just hand-tighten them.

The tool-less mount for the 5.25" drive is single-sided only. You'll have to install at least one screw in the other side to hold the drive in place when installing the front panel.

There's no path to cable manage the 8-pin CPU cable.

If you use a watercooler like a Corsair H70 in the standard rear exhaust, you can't fit a fan in the top rear position. If you're using an H100, it will only fit in the top of the case unless you remove the HDD drive bays. Also, the H100 won't fit if you try to run push/pull fans.

The lower front 120mm/140mm fan mount can only use 25mm or thinner fans - a 38mm won't fit.

There's no handles on it - you can mount standard cabinet handles to holes in top mesh, but the spacing is off enough that the handles have to be at an angle.

Other than what I've specifically mentioned, everything else about this case I like. It has good styling, top-mounted buttons and USB's, it can accept a PSU with intake-up or intake-down, it has lots of room for fans, the tool-less bays for HDDs/SSDs are sturdy, and the lack of a tool-less system for expansion slots means it's easy to install multi-slot GPU's. It's leaps and bounds superior to my old case, with the exception that the old one had a handle.

I do recommend this case, but read through the list of cons first before buying. If what bothered me about it doesn't bother you, then you'll be quite happy with it indeed.

ProsCons
Sturdy and well-made, room for cable management, toolless design for HDD/ODD/SSD, easy to mount aftermarket coolersFinish scratches easy, no USB 3.0 adapter, cramped when running H70 or H100 exhaust, cheap side panel thumb screws

Ratings
Overall3
 
#4 ·
Perfectly acceptable, but not perfect.

review by tohru rokuno
I found that when using a standard M-ATX and standard ATX board the 8 pin CPU cable can be routed behind the motherboard tray to the top of the case. It's a tight fit, but it will work.
 
#5 ·
Great features, great price

review by xylonjay

This review is for the SPEC-02 which is identical to the SPEC-03 except for the front bezel. I actually preferred the cleaner look to the SPEC-02 over the SPEC-03 (see my signature rig photos).

The Corsair Carbide SPEC-02 is an exceptional value for anyone building on a budget. This case had everything I was looking for without having to shell out $100+. I wanted a case with great airflow, build quality, cable management, side window, USB 3.0, SSD mounts, tool-less design and a cutout for the CPU cooler. This case had it all and then some!

It is roomy enough for full ATX motherboards and large graphics cards. It also is roomy enough to route and house all your unsightly power supply cables b ehind the motherboard. This was made possible due to the side panel being widened out about a half an inch where you need it. This actually adds to the aesthetic of the case by giving it a wider, bulkier look while still keeping a narrow footprint.

The SPEC-02 also has 6 different mounting locations for your case fans and also plenty of room for your tower air coolers (I am using a 212 EVO). It also has a couple different options for AIO set-ups and even the ability to run a custom loop if so desired.

I am extremely satisfied with this case. The build quality is top notch as there are no sharp edges and everything fits together nicely; the paint job is also very well done inside and out. I picked this case up at Microcenter for the very meager price of only $55. You'd be hard pressed to find anything else with this feature set for $100 let alone half that price.

If your looking for a solid, well thought out, feature packed case for your next build; look no further!
thumb.gif


ProsCons
Price, fit /finish, roomy, great air flow, cable management, windowed, lots of great features not found in other cases at this price pointOnly one that I can think of, the rear thumb screws.

Ratings
Overall5
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top