Corsair's Graphite 380T: No-Compromise Mini-ITX Case
Corsair's new Graphite series 380T enclosure is a nice case for portable Mini-ITX systems.
Editor's Note: While Computex took place last week and all of the news announcements are behind us, we're still sorting through hundreds of in-person meetings and demonstrations, picking out just a few more of the most interesting items we saw up close.
Among the vast number of new products that Corsair had on display at Computex 2014, we found a very cute little enclosure: the Graphite series 380T. Upon first sight we almost mistook the cases for lunchboxes, but upon closer inspection we found high-end gaming systems inside. Yummy!
The Graphite series 380T is a Mini-ITX case built to be able to house and cool high-end gaming hardware, and it is shaped to be very portable, with a handle built into the main frame of the enclosure. This handle is particularly impressive, and is one of the first that we've actually felt we could trust. For other implementations we often find ourselves still grasping the case at the bottom.
Internally, the layout of the case resembles that of the Obsidian series 250D. In the bottom half of the case, you can place your hard drives and PSU, while the top half of the case houses the motherboard horizontally, with room for a long graphics card of up to 290 mm on one side, and a 240 mm water cooling radiator on the other. Up front, users can mount up to a 140 mm fan; when lit (LED), it makes the case look a little less like a lunchbox.
The side panels of the case also come off easily, so quickly diving in to make adjustments or simply assembling the system shouldn't be much of a pain at all.
This is a good case worth looking at, so keep an eye out for it when it hits the streets. The case is expected to ship in August and will have an MSRP of $129.99.
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I actually own an NCase M1, and whilst I do agree that it is hands down the best Mini-ITX case there is, I disagree about it being the best LAN case -- to transport it I do not feel comfortable taking it with me as is, I need to put something around it, the box or something. I also love it too much to risk scratching it -- all factors that matter.
Also, it's pretty exclusive hardware, 200 USD and you need to be fairly well-timed or lucky to be able to get your hands on one.
As for comparisons to the NCase M1, that seems a little unfair. When you factor in shipping+import taxes (as they don't sell them locally), the M1 could cost beyond double the price on this, which means it's hardly a direct competitor. In reality, it's probably bridging the gap to the likes of Caselabs which offer a more bespoke service.
The only other logical alternative would be a 90 degree mounting system like Silverstone uses, which is in all their super hideous and overpriced cases - so they aren't really an option.
Caselabs has a horizontal case, but it is unfortunately like 360US - http://www.caselabs-store.com/mercury-s8/
I really don't understand it, this is a no brainer.
The only other logical alternative would be a 90 degree mounting system like Silverstone uses, which is in all their super hideous and overpriced cases - so they aren't really an option.
Caselabs has a horizontal case, but it is unfortunately like 360US - http://www.caselabs-store.com/mercury-s8/
I really don't understand it, this is a no brainer.
What the heck are you talking about?
ATX boards are huge compared to mini-ITX, and you're linking to one of the biggest desktop cases I've seen.
Also, you're asking about horizontal ATX cases. They've been around for years and generally called HTPC ATX cases, plus you want it to mount horizontally so as not to be too tall but link to a case that is almost 19" tall.
The only other logical alternative would be a 90 degree mounting system like Silverstone uses, which is in all their super hideous and overpriced cases - so they aren't really an option.
Caselabs has a horizontal case, but it is unfortunately like 360US - http://www.caselabs-store.com/mercury-s8/
I really don't understand it, this is a no brainer.
What the heck are you talking about?
ATX boards are huge compared to mini-ITX, and you're linking to one of the biggest desktop cases I've seen.
Also, you're asking about horizontal ATX cases. They've been around for years and generally called HTPC ATX cases, plus you want it to mount horizontally so as not to be too tall but link to a case that is almost 19" tall.
Not only that but all GPU's should be screwed into the PCB bracket anyway. Any Gpu that weighs enough to cause damage to itself or the PCI slot usually has a backplate or reinforcement plate anyway. If its fitted properly, there should be absolutely no strain on the PCI slot.