Corsair 300r or 230t?

[Deerhunter113]

I have no idea which one to choose, but the 230t is, in my opinion, better looking, but only just. They are both around the same price (in the UK). Advice is appreciated.

[qazzaq2004]

I've personally worked with the 300R before and I found it a bit too cramped for my own liking.
After taking a look at some reviews it seems like the 230T might be a better buy and looks to have better interior.
If they are identical in price I'd grab a 230T.

[Deerhunter113]

Thanks for the info, I guess that the 300r is a bit overrated, but oh well. I know this is a bit off topic, but do you know if the fractal design arc midi r2 is worth the price? It is 10 pound more than the 300r, and 5 pound more than the 230t, but it comes with lots of stuff like 8 hhd cages and whatnot.

[capa06]

I will pick 230t, the mesh window of 300r is easy to catch dust and a little bit of ugly.

[Phaydze]

Go with the 230t. It looks nicer (especially with LED fans in the front) and (of what I've heard) is better for cooling.

[MrRockliffe]

I much prefer the look of the 200r. Both are good cases, so I'd go with whatever one you prefer, or look at other cases.

[Brian224]

Having just migrated to the 230T I found a few issues:

The SSD cages do not hold slim drives firmly. They won't fall out but rattle without a screw.
The feet are very shallow, I have placed a couple of tiles under mine so carpet doesn't block the PSU intake. (My PSU has an awful LED fan so I didn't want it facing up).
The massive top vent is a dust magnet and because it extends past the fan mounts it will be difficult to fit a filter.
The cable routing fixings are in line with the holes, making it hard to route the cables out of sight.
The price does not include a USB2-USB3 adaptor for older motherboards.
There are no supports for the front edge of compact ATX motherboards.

To be honest, I would recommend it despite these faults, it looks great, has excellent airflow, plenty of room for cables, filters on the front and PSU intakes, and I have never had such an easy build. I was dubious about the plastic HDD cage but it works really well. With its fans at maximum speed (my motherboard only has PWM for the CPU fan) the case is whisper quiet, so with proper fan control it should be near-silent.

[Ttaskmaster]

Unless size is an issue, I'd personally save up a bit longer and buy the 400R or 500R.
I have the 500R, myself - Bags of internal space, loads of bays for SSDs/HDDs and 5.25" devices, great cable routing and a ton of features that should see you effortlessly through any future expansion you might have in mind.

[djsarcher]

I prefer the looks of the 230T, my only gripe is that you cant put a 240mm radiator in the top exhaust as there isn't enough room. Not sure if you can with the 300r.

I suspect both will get as dusty as each other due to the unfiltered fan mounts.

[Brian224]

I prefer the looks of the 230T, my only gripe is that you cant put a 240mm radiator in the top exhaust as there isn't enough room.

Because the 120mm mounts are offset to the left, a 240mm radiator and fans would be clear of my motherboard heat sinks, and 12V cable but the memory would restrict me to low profile fans. I had wondered about trying this, but don't know if the Scythe Slipstream would produce enough pressure for a radiator.

[MrRockliffe]

It's a brilliant case and if you like it and can afford it I would say yes.

[djsarcher]

Because the 120mm mounts are offset to the left, a 240mm radiator and fans would be clear of my motherboard heat sinks, and 12V cable but the memory would restrict me to low profile fans. I had wondered about trying this, but don't know if the Scythe Slipstream would produce enough pressure for a radiator.

That's interesting. Would one normal fan fit above the cpu, even if a low profile fan doesn't fit by the memory, or would the memory obstruct both fans?

[Brian224]

With my motherboard (Gigabyte Z68AP-D3) both fans would obstruct the memory as there is only 45mm from the fan mounts to the RAM. However it is only 215mm deep rather than the usual ATX 244mm and doesn't use the third row of spacers, so my memory may be closer to the rear of the case than normal. Probably best to give you the dimensions so you can check against your own MB. (With the usual disclaimers)

The upper set of mounting points is 34 mm below the fan mounts, and with the fans under the radiator, the rear fan would reach 180mm forward from the IO shield. The fan mounting holes are 42 mm above the motherboard tray, giving a clearance of just over 20mm for heatsinks and the 12V socket. I am afraid all these measurements are +/- 1 or 2mm, I wish I had measured it before building the PC

I am tempted to give it a try with low profile fans, as my son is planning a new build, and if the radiator doesn't work he may buy it from me. (Just need to find a way to persuade my wife it is necessary)

Should have added that there are slot mounts for the 140 fans through which the fan cables could be passed, but I am damned if I am going to buy a bright orange case and stick fans on the outside.

[djsarcher]

Should have added that there are slot mounts for the 140 fans through which the fan cables could be passed, but I am damned if I am going to buy a bright orange case and stick fans on the outside.

I saw a review where they mounted the fans on the outside. Just looks wrong!

I guess the better option then might be a 120mm radiator at the rear of the case?

[Brian224]

I saw a review where they mounted the fans on the outside. Just looks wrong!

I guess the better option then might be a 120mm radiator at the rear of the case?

There certainly looks like plenty of room for a rear radiator. As far as fans on the outside is concerned - maybe with a 70s muscle car "shaker scoop" on top, but only on "Rebel Orange". Even then, only with a Magnum moustache and flares

[djsarcher]

maybe with a 70s muscle car "shaker scoop" on top, but only on "Rebel Orange". Even then, only with a Magnum moustache and flares

That actually sounds awesome, future mod maybe!