Corsair Carbide 270R Mid-Tower Chassis Review

A Closer Look – Exterior

The 270R isn’t particularly adventurous in terms of design, but it does look neat and tidy with rolled top and bottom edges on the front panel, and there’s a lovely big side panel window that’s going to give you a great way to show off your new hardware with relative ease.

The right side panel is just a blank panel, nothing fancy, but again it does look neat and tidy.

The front I/O is located on the right side towards the front, tucked just slightly out of sight to keep things looking smart, but still all within easy reach. There’s the usual power buttons, 2 USB 3.0 ports, HD audio jacks and an HDD indicator light; everything you need taken care of here.

The front panel looks great, with a bold and clean design that is only broken up by a minimalist Corsair logo at the bottom, a welcome break from many budget friendly chassis that tend to focus on more extreme looking designs. Ventilation is dealt with through two full height vents on the sides of the panel too, so airflow won’t be a problem and the solid front should dampen fan noise too.

Around the back, you’ll find a 120mm fan mount, with elongated screw mounts so you can height adjust your fan or radiator with ease. There are 7 expansion slots, each fitted with a ventilated and reusable metal cover, and finally the PSU cut-out which can support and ATX PSU with the fan facing up or down; down is better here as there’s a slide out dust filter in the base.

The top is very exposed, which does mean you’ll get a lot of passive air flow, but dust and debris could drop into the chassis, so best to take care there. One good thing though, you get room for a full rack of 120/140mm fans and comparable size radiators; handy if you’re planning a water cooled build.

On the base, four thick and durable feet with rubber pads, so it won’t slide around and they should also help reduce unwanted vibrations. There’s a good size slide out and washable dust filter for the PSU too, which is always a welcome bonus.