A new dual-chamber case joins the Crystal Series which is touted for high-performance airflow. Is this chassis really worth the asking price though?
Product on Review: Crystal Series 680X
Manufacturer & Sponsor: Corsair
Street Price: UK: £219 US: $250 AUD: $379
Corsair are a force to be reckoned with in the broad range of sectors they are involved in but more especially the computer chassis arena. They have brought to market many successful offerings over the years and we have had the delight in putting these cases under close scrutiny. The Crystal Series is a new category for the multi-award winning brand but the dual-chamber concept is not!
Today we have Corsair latest Crystal Series 680X – a dual chamber tempered glass computer case which marries together the art of attraction and airflow. Inside this burly chassis Corsair has included a trio of RGB cooling fans which connect up with Lighting Node PRO; allowing users to synchronise all of their iCUE products and allowing Corsair to recognise 680X as a “smart case”.
Corsair on their 680X
The CORSAIR Crystal Series 680X RGB is a dual-chamber tempered glass ATX smart case boasting superb airflow and brilliant RGB lighting to efficiently cool and illuminate the most demanding systems.
Technical Specifications
Below are the technical specifications surrounding Corsair’s 680X.
Exterior
Due to the dual-chamber design which 680X boasts, the physical dimensions mean the chassis is wider and taller than the conventional computer case. There are two versions of this case available – black or white, both feature the same construction materials. The front is a mixture of matt plastic with soft-touch material and tempered glass. The front cooling fans can be seen through the semi-transparent glass – Corsair has included a trio of 120mm LL RGB cooling fans all of which are connected to Lighting Node PRO which effectively transforms this unit into a “smart case” meaning that any product which is compatible with iCUE can be synchronised – creating your very own coloured theme.
Around the back, the storage and PSU are slotted into the left chamber while on the right side we have eight horizontal PCI covers and two vertical PCI covers. Above this there is a 120mm rear exhaust cooling fan.
Located at the top of 680X we have the front panel connectivity – this consists of a power button, headphone/microphone jack, USB 3.1 Gen2 port, two USB 3.0 ports and a reset button. All of this functionality sits on the right-side while opposite we have a large piece of tempered glass with four oversized thumbscrews for easy removal. You’ll notice there is a significant gap between the glass and chassis – this is to encourage good airflow.
After removing the glass we can then gain access to the top mounting placements which allow for two 120/140mm cooling fans to be installed. Due to this, there is the possibility to install a 240/280mm radiator.
Interior
680X features a tempered glass panel on the prominent side which conveniently opens out thanks to two robust hinges. This makes gaining access to the internal much easier than having to remove screws/panels. Over on the reverse side there is a solid panel with ventilation for the power supply. After removing the side panels we’re met with a spacious internal design which can entertain ATX systems.
Not only is there plenty of space around the motherboard at the top and sides, but there are plenty of cut-outs to feed cables to and from the two chambers. The secondary chamber which features the power supply has a very generous compartment for storing cables – so much so that little care needs to be taken with cable management if this isn’t your forte.
One feature which we’re pleased to see is the inclusion of a bottom mounted filter which is detached from the side of the case – this makes removal and cleaning much easier than having to extract from the rear (which is typical of standard computer chassis).
Since the main chamber for 680X concerns key components only, the secondary chamber hosts storage and this comes in the form of support for both 2.5” and 3.5” drives.
There are three slots for 3.5” drives to be installed – drives sit on their side and are attached to a tool-less tray. Ventilation is provided at the rear of the case.
For 2.5” drives there are four slots – again tool-free cages are utilised here but these all sit in a horizontal fashion. It isn’t necessary to attach screws.
Lighting Node PRO which we mentioned earlier is found beside the storage cages and can easily be accessed when needed.
Thermal Performance Testing
Inside our 680X we have four cooling fans which are in key locations for a good, push-pull configuration.
To discover the thermal performance of 680X we will record idle temperatures after 20 minutes from a cold boot. We will then stress the system and temperatures will again be monitored after 30 minutes have elapsed.
For the purpose of accurate analysis, the idle and load temperatures for CPU will be recorded and the range between idle and load will be calculated to determine how efficient cooling is.
NOTE: Ambient temperature is 20C
System Components
CPU Intel Pentium K G3258 @ 4GHz
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z87X-D3H
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 LED Turbo
Graphics NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti
Memory 4GB Kingston HyperX DDR3
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU Corsair RM850
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z87X-D3H
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 LED Turbo
Graphics NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti
Memory 4GB Kingston HyperX DDR3
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU Corsair RM850
Noise
Attention has been placed on the airflow capabilities with this case and as such, it is possible to hear noise from the chassis due to its nature.
Conclusion
We haven’t seen many cases in this genre of dual-chamber but we can definitely see the appeal. Having the ability to separate components and compartmentalise is a venture which is welcomed by system builders who are keen to keep the configuration tidy and want easy access to their kit.
The 680X is a joy to work with from start to finish and even though it doesn’t have much depth on the physical dimensions, it is still able to accommodate high-performance kit. Storage is well catered for and straight out of the box we have four cooling fans included – all of which contribute to excellent thermal performance.
The only two concerns we really have with this case are noise and price. Since the glass panels on 680X are offset and due to airflow being its forte, noise emission comes as the trade-off. Costing a weighty UK: £219 US: $250 AUD: $379 is probably beyond the budget of many system builders. We are however reminded that 680X arrives with those four cooling fans and that this is a remarkably unique offering too.
If you can stomach the price, the 680X is a stunning dual-chamber chassis which has a lot to give. If airflow and a dazzling light show is your thing, look no further!
Pros
+ Available in black or white
+ Unique dual-chamber design
+ Features USB 3.1 Gen2 port
+ Good build quality
+ Good storage options
+ Includes Lighting Node PRO
+ Can house high-end kit
+ Fits different sized radiators
+ Great cooling performance
+ Hinged panel is convenient
+ Easy cable management
Cons
– Noise leakage
– Price
+ Available in black or white
+ Unique dual-chamber design
+ Features USB 3.1 Gen2 port
+ Good build quality
+ Good storage options
+ Includes Lighting Node PRO
+ Can house high-end kit
+ Fits different sized radiators
+ Great cooling performance
+ Hinged panel is convenient
+ Easy cable management
Cons
– Noise leakage
– Price
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