Speeding by the Thermaltake booth at Computex and our contact showed us the new Core V1, an exciting mini-ITX case where the top, sides and bottom of the case are interchangeable. The case comes with one windowed panel and three vented panels…
Corsair went berserk with new releases today. Announcing nearly a dozen new products is somewhat shocking, even if some of them are upgrades of older successful products. The company also announced three new cases – the portable Mini-ITX Graphite 380T, the versatile Mini-ITX / Micro-ATX Carbide Air 240 and the massive Graphite 780T Full Tower case.
The very shape of the Graphite 380T and the large handle instantly give away Corsair’s intentions; the company aimed to create the ideal Mini-ITX LAN party machine. It is not the smallest Mini-ITX that we have seen but it can house a full size graphics card and advanced cooling options, allowing the creation of a compact yet rather powerful gaming system. With two fans (120 mm and 140 mm) already included, the Graphite 380T has clearly been designed with the presumption that a pretty strong gaming system will be installed inside it. Corsair will be supplying the Graphite 380T in two color combinations; black with red lighting or black/white with white lighting.
The Carbide Air 240 is like a small version of the Carbide Air 540, the very popular cubic case that Corsair released in 2013. Although it has been downsized and can now only fit Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX motherboards, Corsair claims that the Carbide Air 240 can store a lot of hardware, including full-size graphics cards and two 240 mm liquid cooling radiators. Much like its larger sibling, the drives are stored behind the motherboard tray, in the PSU compartment, although their exact number is currently unknown. Corsair announced that the Carbide Air 240 will be available in both black and white.
Last but not least, the new Graphite 780T Full Tower case is perhaps the most interesting addition to Corsair’s line up of cases. It is based on a new aesthetic concept, not an older design, which looks very interesting from the 3D renders that Corsair supplied to us. We have no clear details regarding the size of the case but Corsair claims that it can fit nine hard drives and two 360 mm liquid cooling radiators, therefore its proportions will definitely be greater than any Mid-Tower case, or even the Graphite 760T.
The MSRP and expected release dates of the new cases are summarized below.
| Product | Ship Date | List Price |
| Carbide Series Air 240 | August | $89.99 – $99.99 |
| Graphite Series 780T | September | $179.99 – $189.99 |
| Graphite Series 380T | August | $129.99 |
Our first meeting this week at Computex is with Be Quiet! and we were shown a new case aimed at low noise output, due for the market in September. The Case With No Name (they are still deciding) will be around $130 and in orange, silver and black. Both of the side panels and the front fan grill is lined with a sound absorbent foam, and the case comes with four fans preinstalled.
The side panels use a latch mechanism so users who want more air flow can open them up by about 1cm, and the case also provides room for cable management. The extra space at the bottom is to aid airflow through the power supply which is also fitted with a rubberized shim to reduce vibrations. Interestingly enough one of the hard drive combination bays can also migrate to the set of ODD bays depending on the user. There is space for a dual radiator cooler at the top, with space in the top segment to also equip the fans. The power button and USB ports are on the top, along with special vents to minimize the fan noise out of the top of the case.
On the power supply front Be Quiet! has two new models, the Straight Power 10 and the Straight Power 10 CM (cable management), featuring their new 135mm Silent Wings 3 fan. The fan has an upgraded motor to reduce the noise, and Be Quiet are working on a consumer model aside from their power supply designs. For the PSUs, they will be rated at 80 PLUS Gold and offered in 400W-700W for the Straight Power 10 and 500-800W for the Straight Power 10 CM. The later should be coming to North America, whereas the former has focus in other markets.
Our first meeting this week at Computex is with Be Quiet! and we were shown a new case aimed at low noise output, due for the market in September. The Case With No Name (they are still deciding) will be around $130 and in orange, silver and black. Both of the side panels and the front fan grill is lined with a sound absorbent foam, and the case comes with four fans preinstalled.
The side panels use a latch mechanism so users who want more air flow can open them up by about 1cm, and the case also provides room for cable management. The extra space at the bottom is to aid airflow through the power supply which is also fitted with a rubberized shim to reduce vibrations. Interestingly enough one of the hard drive combination bays can also migrate to the set of ODD bays depending on the user. There is space for a dual radiator cooler at the top, with space in the top segment to also equip the fans. The power button and USB ports are on the top, along with special vents to minimize the fan noise out of the top of the case.
On the power supply front Be Quiet! has two new models, the Straight Power 10 and the Straight Power 10 CM (cable management), featuring their new 135mm Silent Wings 3 fan. The fan has an upgraded motor to reduce the noise, and Be Quiet are working on a consumer model aside from their power supply designs. For the PSUs, they will be rated at 80 PLUS Gold and offered in 400W-700W for the Straight Power 10 and 500-800W for the Straight Power 10 CM. The later should be coming to North America, whereas the former has focus in other markets.
Diversification is an important strategy for any company that wants to continue to grow, especially if their initial market segments become saturated. We’ve seen motherboard, memory, and now graphics cards manufacturers all look to diversify into other markets, and while some results have been less impressive than others, it’s critical for companies to look for additional revenue streams. Today we’re reviewing EVGA’s effort to deliver a high performance power supply, the Supernova 850 G2. This isn’t EVGA’s first PSU, as they first started shipping PSUs over a year ago, but they’re still a relative newcomer to the PSU scene. They have a competitive product on paper, so read on to find out more about the quality, performance, and features of the Supernova 850 G2.
