Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-OMEGA Case Review

Corsair SPEC-OMEGA Overview

With the case removed from its protective packaging, we can see that our review sample is the white version of the SPEC-OMEGA. This case is also available in an all-black with red lighting scheme, as well as a black and red scheme with red lighting. The white version of the case sports a white lighting accent. Being part of the Carbide series of cases, the SPEC-OMEGA features quite a few dramatic angles on the plastic top and front panels. The steel frame of the case is black inside and out, and the build quality is what we would expect to see from a case with a price right around $100.

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Starting on the left side of the case, we are presented with a slightly tinted tempered glass side panel. The top and bottom edges of the panel feature a black masking, something we are seeing on more and more tempered glass side panels. This black masking helps hide some of the case’s frame, but we would have liked to see the masking on all sides of the SPEC-OMEGA’s side panel, as the front and rear edges show quite a bit of the case’s steel frame. From this viewpoint, the glass side panel makes up the rear and bottom edges of the case, while the top and front sides are bordered by removable panels which we will comment on later. Corsair also employed an angular design to the case feet, as the feature an aggressive design that almost resembles some sort of spacecraft landing gear.

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Keeping the aforementioned tempered glass side panel in place are four low-profile screws. We have seen numerous mounting mechanisms for tempered glass side panels over the last few years, and if screws are the chosen method, we really like the design Corsiar used. Instead of a thumbscrew-type design, the SPEC-OMEGA makes use of a hex screw and provides an allen wrench to aide in the removal and installation of said screws. Also of note is that the rubber grommets typically found on the mounting studs of cases have actually been installed in the glass panel itself.

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The right side of the case is as basic as they come, with two thumbscrews keeping the side panel in place. While the left side features white plastic on the top and bottom panels, the right side is all black.

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Up front we get the first real look at the angular, non-symmetrical design element of the SPEC-OMEGA. With a white and black color scheme, the plastic front panel is laid out in a pretty cool way. The left portion is pretty basic, with a large section of white plastic while the right side is home to a small tempered panel that gives a bit of a view into the front of the case. It is here that we can see one of the included 120mm fans, a white LED version in our case. A frosted Corsair sails logo is found towards the bottom center of this front glass section. A really subtle light strip is positioned between the black and white portions of the front panel, and has a really nice white glow when the SPEC-OMEGA is powered on.

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At the bottom of the front panel is a small triangular cutout with a mesh material doing a bit of work to keep a little dust out of the case. This small opening is the only place on the front panel that air is able to enter the case, and is definitely not large enough to provide enough flow to the possible three front-mounted 120mm fans.

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With the front panel removed from the frame of the case, we can really see how free flowing the interior front panel is. A large opening that supports either three 120mm fans or two 140mm fans, as well as 360mm and 280mm radiators, provides plenty of options for cooling solutions, both air and liquid in nature. There is no filtering here, aside from the small triangular mesh section on the bottom of the front panel, so dust may be more of an issue with this case, depending on your fan setup.

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The front I/O options are pretty standard, with two USB 3.0 Type A ports, as well as a headphone and microphone jack. An illuminated Power button sits at the top of the stack, and a hard drive light indicator and reset button is found below the aforementioned ports. Corsair chose not to include any USB 2.0 options, which we think is a perfectly fine move going forward, but we would have liked to see a Type C connector here for another connection option. Hopefully the option of providing a Type C port will come down in price in the near future, as many current motherboards offer a header for this type of connection.

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At the rear of the SPEC-OMEGA is a pretty standard mid-tower layout, save for the two thumbscrews at the top that can be removed to allow the top panel to come off of the case. We also find a single 120mm fan mount, which Corsair has already populated with an SP120, and there is a decent amount of flexibility with regards to exactly how high on the case the fan is mounted. Seven expansion slots are present beneath the motherboard’s I/O ports, and their vented slot covers can be removed from the inside of the case via thumbscrews. A vented section next to the expansion slots offers a bit of passive airflow, but does not offer the option of vertically mounting a videocard. The power supply portion at the bottom of the case allows for your standard top or bottom-facing fan orientation.

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Looking at the top of the case, we are reminded of the front panel’s design; a black and white plastic composition, but this time with two mesh covered ventilation cutouts. As noted earlier, removing two thumbscrews at the back of the case will allow this top panel to slide back and off of the case with ease, providing access to the fully vented upper chassis panel.

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The upper panel of the SPEC-OMEGA is ventilated across nearly the entire surface, and offers mounting options for both 120 and 140mm fans, as well as a 240mm radiator. Corsair does not provide any fans in the top portion of the case, but the top panel still functions as a passive exhaust for hot air inside the case.

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Taking a look below the SPEC-OMEGA gives us a look at a relatively simple layout. A removable mesh filter is present below the power supply location to help keep dust from entering the case, and a single thumbscrew can be removed to assist with removal of the interior 3.5″ drive cage. Four plastic feet at the corners of the case raise the case up from its surface by nearly an inch and a half, and each foot sport a rubber pad to keep the case in place.

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