Although Corsair were one of the first to cater to EATX motherboard users in the high-end Obsidian 800D, new cavernous designs have been a relative rarity as the rest of the sector caught up with less pricey implementations. So it's probably a relief to some of their fans that CES 2014 also sees the announcement of the brand new Graphite 760T and 730T chassis models at a market position less likely to break the bank.
Thus far the only Graphite enclosures released have been the 600T and 230T, ATX-compatible cases available in a range of colours and aesthetically closer to the Carbide range than the monolithic Obsidian designs. You can certainly see similar design cues in the 730T and 760T through the use of a mesh front panel and softer curves than you would expect from any other Corsair case range. Like the 600T the 760T is available in white and black, whereas the lower priced 730T is a black-only design.
The party trick of Corsairs new cases is the implementation of hinged, swing-open side panel doors. Allowing unfettered access to the case interior, these doors will still close flush every time with less of a fiddle required than removable panels. Almost the entirety of system installation is tool-free.
Unsurprising cooling is another area where Corsair aim to excel. Both cases are compatible with 360mm and 280mm radiators in the top for water cooling, although there is no word on the radiator thickness limitations (if there are any), as well as 280mm/240mm in the front and 140mm in the rear. To accommodative these radiators most of the HDD bays are modular and removable, allowing for some combination of up to twelve 2.5" and 3.5" drives installed without wasting space.
Nine expansion slots mean compatibility for EATX motherboards, although there's no indication if the slightly taller XL-ATX standard is supported by the frame.
Each case comes with three AF140L high-airflow 140mm fans, two of which are the LED variant. A hi/low fan controller on the front of the 760T model allows stock variation between 12V and 7V operation, further reducing noise without the need for additional outlay.
Differences between the 760T and 730T are fairly minor. Both are based on identical layouts and installation guides and have the same hardware compatibilities, however the 760T also includes a windowed side panel, fan controller and white paint option. Naturally the pricing also differs, and in this case quite substantially - MSRP for the Graphite 730T is $139.99, whereas the Graphite 760T will retail for $179.99 (black) or $189.99. Both compare reasonably well with other fully-featured EATX-compatible cases currently on the market.
Both Graphite 730T and 760T models will be available in February and can be seen this week at the CES show in Las Vegas. For more information on the full range of Corsair cases visit Corsair.com.
