Corsair Graphite 760T Full Tower Case Review

Back in January, we teased you with a first glimpse of the Graphite 760T during our press coverage of CES 2014. During our CES meeting with Corsair, they said to expect a release date around the end of Q1 2014 or the beginning of Q2 2014. Holding true to their word, Corsair lifts the embargo today and tells us the case should be available at North American retailers in late April 2014! This much anticipated full tower offering from Corsair has many unique features and is certain to grab the attention of the PC enthusiast crowd. So, let’s dive in and see what Corsair has in store for us!

corsair_760t (1)

Specifications and Features

Here are the specifications as provided by Corsair. As you peruse the specifications below, you’ll notice support for a variety of cooling options, the longest of graphics cards, and plenty of storage opportunities. The case also supports motherboards from mini-ITX clear up to XL-ATX in size.

Corsair Graphite 760T Specifications
Form Factor
  • Mini-ITX
  • Micro-ATX
  • ATX
  • EATX
  • XL-ATX
Dimensions H x W x D
  • 568mm x 246mm x 564mm
  • 22.4” x 9.7” x 22.2”
Drive Bays
  • External – 3x 5.25″
  • Internal –
    • 6x 2.5”/3.5” in 2 included drive cages
    • 4x 2.5” side-mounted
*Two optional cages will support 6 more 2.5”/3.5” drives
*Cages can be move to any of 4 locations
Cooling
  • Front – 2x 140mm AF140L LED fans (mount supports 120mm)
  • Top – Supports 3x 120mm / 140mm
  • Rear – 1x 140mm AF140L (mount supports 120mm)
  • Bottom – Supports 120mm with 3.5” cage removed
Radiator Support
  • Front – Up to 240mm / 280mm
  • Rear – 120mm / 140mm
  • Top – Up to 360mm / 280mm
  • Bottom – 120mm
Expansion Slots
  • 9
I/O Port
  • 2x USB 2.0
  • 2x USB 3.0
  • Headphone and Mic
  • Fan speed toggle
Power Supply Standard
  • ATX (not included)
Clearances
  • Heatsink – 180mm
  • PSU – Any
  • Graphics – 340mm with drive cage, 460mm without

We’ll discuss these in more detail as the review progresses, but for now, here is a brief list of high-level features associated with the Graphite 760T.

  • Full side panel window showcases internals.
  • Hinged, latched, removable doors allow easy access to components.
  • Tool-free 2.5”, 3.5”, and 5.25” drive installation.
  • Side-mounted tool-free SSD trays.
  • Three 140mm fans (2 front LED, 1 rear) for excellent airflow and low noise levels.
  • Two included modular/removable drive cages support six 2.5”/3.5” drives (two optional cages add support for 6 more drives.)
  • Removable magnetic top panel allows user to close off top ventilation for a cleaner look.
  • 360mm radiator support with removable magnetic top panel.
  • Two-speed fan control.
  • Support for water cooling in a broad variety of configurations.

Packaging/Accessories/First Look

The Graphite 760T arrived in a brown box with black printing. No fancy graphics or shiny box here, which is actually the way I prefer it. A sketch of the case and a list of features grace the front of the box, while the back has an exploded view with major components highlighted. Both box sides are the same and have more drawings of the case. One side has a sticker with the color of the case printed on it – white in this instance.

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Inside the box, you’ll find the Graphite 760T well protected with heavy duty Styrofoam blocks and wrapped in a cloth bag. Both side panel are further protected with plastic film to prevent scratches.

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The accessories can be found in a box tucked away in one of the drive cage trays. There are plenty of screws to get a fully loaded system installed, and they toss in four zip-ties just for good measure.

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The Corsair Graphite 760T/Exterior Tour

The review sample we were sent is the white version of the Graphite 760T, but a black version is also available. Regardless of the color you choose, both options will come with the same transparent left side panel. The see-through side panel has a slight graphite colored tint to it, which will blend well with either of the case’s color options. You can’t really say the left side of the case has a panel with a window because in all reality, the window is the side panel. This design affords a full view of the case’s interior, front to back and top to bottom. The panel can be easily opened using the the latch near the front. Once you open the panel, it will swing from the front and pivot on two pin-style hinges located at the back of the case. The pinned hinges allow you to simply lift the panel up and off for easy removal of the entire panel. This design works fantastic, and you can literally have both side panels removed quicker than you can remove a single thumbscrew on a case that uses that method of panel retention. When the door is closed, the latch does a nice job of securing it in place; and it’s further assisted with a few well placed magnets. The right side panel is of similar design and is not transparent, which will hide the unsightly cables hidden behind the motherboard tray. It has the same latch and pin-style hinges at the back of the case, which again make for easy removal.

Left Transparent Panel
Left Transparent Panel

Left Side Latch
Left Side Latch

Left Side Pin-Style Hinge
Left Side Lower Pin-Style Hinge

Right Side Panel
Right Side Panel

Right Side Latch
Right Side Latch

Right Side Lower Pin-Style Hinge
Right Side Lower Pin-Style Hinge

The front of the Graphite 760T features a large removable mesh cover at the bottom and three 5.25″ drive bay slots at the top. The mesh cover at the bottom also serves as the filter for the two LED intake fans The fans are Corsair’s own 140 mm AF140L model and illuminate a mostly white color with just the slightest tint of blue. The mesh cover is easily removed by pressing the two top corners to release it, and then simply lifting it up and off.

The 5.25″ bay covers are plastic affairs, with the top one doubling as a spring loaded ROM drive concealment cover. One thing I’d like to have seen here is one of the other two drive bay covers having a removable center to accommodate a 3.5″ drive, such as a card reader. Or, perhaps just including such a cover in the accessory pack would be an option.

Case Front
Case Front

Lower Mesh Cover/Filter
Lower Mesh Cover/Filter

Mesh Cover Removed
Mesh Cover Removed

5.25" Drive Bay Covers
5.25″ Drive Bay Covers

Moving around to the back of the Graphite 760T, we find the opening for a bottom mount PSU, nine ventilated expansion slot covers, and two punch-out holes for water cooling tubes all located at the bottom area. Moving up, we find the opening for the motherboard’s I/O shield, the rear exhaust fan grill area, and a large ventilated area at the very top. The exhaust fan is another Corsair 140mm AF140L, but this one does not have LED lighting.

Case Rear
Case Rear

Bottom Area
Bottom Mount PSU Area

Expansion Slot Covers and Punch-out Holes
Expansion Slot Covers and Punch-Out Holes

Exhaust Fan and Additional Ventilation
Exhaust Fan and Additional Ventilation

At the top of the case, we find support for up to three 140 mm or 120 mm fans under the removable top plate. The case does not include any fans at this location, so Corsair gives you the option of using the included cover to hide the grill area for a cleaner look. The cover is held in place with magnets and gives the case a nice finished look. You’ll definitely need to remove the cover if you install fans in this location, so they get proper air flow.

At the very front of the top area are the case’s I/O ports. Here we have two each USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, the headphone/mic jacks, the power and reset buttons, and a nifty 2-speed fan control button.

Top Area
Top Area

Top Cover Removed
Top Cover Removed

Top Cover View
Top Cover View

I/O Connections
I/O Connections

The bottom of the Graphite 760T features a slide-out filter covering the PSU intake and two large feet that run the width of the case. The feet are heavy duty and do an excellent job of stabilizing the entire chassis. Each leg has two rubber pads to help keep the case from sliding around and to provide anti-vibration qualities. There is also a provision made to install an optional 120 mm fan here.

Case Bottom
Case Bottom

Bottom Filter
Bottom Filter

The Corsair Graphite 760T/Interior Tour

The predominantly black interior has many enthusiast type features that aim to please even the most discerning user. At the bottom-rear, we find the meshed area that provides the needed air flow for the PSU. Just above the opening for mounting the PSU, there are nine ventilated expansion slot covers held in place with thumbscrews. Above the expansion slot covers is the included 140 mm exhaust fan we mentioned earlier.

Interior - Full View
Interior – Full View

Bottom-Rear Area
Bottom-Rear Area

Expansion Slot Covers
Expansion Slot Covers

140 mm Rear Exhaust Fan
140 mm Rear Exhaust Fan

Under the top deck, you can see the provisions for up to 3x 120 mm or 3x 140 mm fans. Radiator support includes 360 mm, 280 mm, or smaller. There is plenty of room between the underside of the top deck and the edge of the motherboard (3-1/4″ or roughly 82 mm), so fitting many different radiator/fan types are possible.

Under Top Deck
Under Top Deck

Moving over to the interior’s forward section, at the top are the three 5.25″ drive bays. A tool-less design is used here by way of locking latches found on the left side of the bays. You have the option to further secure a drive with screws on the right side of the bays, if so desired. Below the 5.25″ bays, you’ll find the two 3.5″ HDD cages installed side-by-side at the bottom.

5.25" Drive Bays
5.25″ Drive Bays

Tool-Less 5.25" Latches
Tool-Less 5.25″ Latches

Two 3.5" HDD Cages
Two 3.5″ HDD Cages

The HDD cages are completely modular and can be arranged in any configuration you like. They can be installed on top of each other, hung under the 5.25″ bays, or even separated with one under the 5.25″ bays and one at the bottom. If you decide to install a radiator at the front of the case, you will need to install the cage(s) in the rear most location, or simply leave them out all together. The sky is the limit as to how you can configure the 3.5″ cages. Removing the cages requires accessing the bottom of the case to gain access to the screws that hold the cage’s base plates in place. The included user’s manual will lead you to believe the cages can be removed by just sliding them off their base plate, but the case’s lower frame rail will block you from removing them this way.

HDD Cages Removed
HDD Cages Removed

Single HDD Cage Installed
Single HDD Cage Installed

Stacked HDD Cages - Bottom Position
HDD Cages Stacked – Bottom Position

HDD Cages - One Top, One Bottom
HDD Cages Split – One Top, One Bottom

HDD Cageses Stacked - Top Position
HDD Cages Stacked – Top Position

Cages Removed - Room For Radiator
Cages Removed – Room For Radiator

The motherboard tray area has an extremely large hole for accessing a CPU cooler’s mounting apparatus, which can be a huge time save when swapping out coolers. Corsair paid great attention to cable management with the Graphite 760T, and it’s apparent by the amount of cable routing locations implemented into the design. There are three smaller holes along the top of the motherboard tray that can be used to pass fan wires and power cables. Additionally, there are five rubber grommet protected pass through holes for hiding cables behind the motherboard tray. Two of these are just forward of the PSU area in a horizontal position, and three more are in a vertical position along the right side of the motherboard tray. Another good sized square hole is located at the bottom-front area just for good measure. Regardless of the type of system you build in the Graphite 760T, you should find plenty of ways to keep things nice and tidy inside.

CPU Cooler Access Hole
CPU Cooler Access Hole

Three Pass-Through Holes at Top
Three Pass-Through Holes at Top

Two Bottom Pass-Through Holes
Two Bottom Pass-Through Holes

Right Side Pass-Through Holes
Right Side Pass-Through Holes

Turning the case around to have a look behind the motherboard tray, we can see the case’s wiring in a neatly tied bundle, along with a back side view of the cable management options. Speaking of cable management, one of my pet peeves with a lot of cases is the limited amount of room behind the motherboard tray and the right side panel. I’m happy to report the Graphite 760T does not have this problem and offers just over a full inch worth of space here. Love it! Just forward of the motherboard tray are four tool-less 2.5″ drive trays. Each of the four 2.5″ trays can be removed in favor of additional cable management room, if needed. About the only reason I could think of for wanting to remove them is if you stack the two 3.5″ cages and fill them up with hard drives. If you do that, you might need the room for all the cabling required for installing that many HDDs.

Back Side - Full View
Back Side – Full View

Four 2.5" Drive Trays
Four 2.5″ Drive Trays

The case’s wiring is pretty standard fare found on most cases nowadays, except for the wiring associated with the 2-speed fan controller. We have the full allotment of case switch and LED wiring along with the front panel audio and USB 2.0/3.0 cables. The fan controller wiring includes four fan extension cables and a SATA power connector. Using a SATA power connector is a smart choice as you’re likely to have SATA power connectors close by when assembling the system.

Switch/LED Case Wiring
Switch/LED Case Wiring

USB/Audio Cables
USB/Audio Cables

Fan Controller Wiring
Fan Controller Wiring

Now that we have a good idea of the design concept and features the Graphite 760T offers, let’s get a system together and see what we can come up with!

Putting it all Together

Here is the list of components I’ll be installing into the Graphite 760T.

System Specifications
APUAMD A10-7850K
MotherboardMSI A88X-G45 Gaming
MemoryAMD Radeon Gamer Series 2X4 GB DDR3-2400 MHz
SSDSamsung 840 Pro 256 GB
HDDWestern Digital Caviar Green 1TB SATA 3
VideoEVGA GTX 780 Ti Classified
PSUCorsair HX850W Professional Series 850 Watt
CoolingSwiftech H220 AIW Water Cooler

With all the possible system build options the Graphite 760T offers, you’ll definitely want to take a few minutes and figure out the best location for your components. I started by installing the motherboard with the CPU and memory pre-installed. Corsair installed all the motherboard mounting pegs at the factory and even included a “pilot” peg in the center location to aid motherboard installation.

Pilot Peg
Pilot Peg

Motherboard Installed
Motherboard Installed

Installing the HDDs and optical drive was next. The tool-less designs make this a relatively painless procedure. The 3.5″ trays are flexible enough to allow you to set one side of a drive in place and then just bend the tray slightly to engage the other side of the HDD. You can use the 3.5″ trays to install 2.5″ drives as well, as they are multi-drilled to accept either. I installed the SSD in one of the side mounted 2.5″ trays for the purpose of this build.

As far as installing 5.25″ devices, you have a few different options at your disposal. If you decide to use the spring loaded “trap” door to hide the optical drive, you’ll need to completely remove the front panel. It’s the only way you can get the optical drive installed far enough into the case for the door to clear and work properly. The panel can be removed from inside the case by pressing on several tabs located on each side of it. All four of the side mounted 2.5″ trays will need to be removed in order to gain access to the tabs on the right side of the front panel. It’s a bit cumbersome, but certainly doable. If you forgo using the “trap” door, then installation just requires sliding the drive in place and locking it down with the latch, which can be accomplished without having to remove the front panel.

3.5" Tray and HDD
3.5″ Tray and HDD

HDD Installed in Tray
HDD Installed in Tray

HDD Installed in Cage
HDD Installed in Cage

SSD Installed in Side Mount Tray
SSD Installed in Side Mount Tray

Optical Drive Installed Behind "Trap" Door
Optical Drive Installed Behind “Trap” Door

Next, I went about installing the AIO water cooling kit. The amount of room provided under the top deck simply dwarfed the 240 mm radiator and fans once they were installed. I think you’ll find water cooling support under the top deck very accommodating to a wide variety of radiator and fan combinations.

AIO Water Cooler Installed
AIO Water Cooler Installed

Once the cooler was installed, I plugged in the case wiring and dropped the power supply in place. I installed a GTX 780 Ti video card; and as you can see, it too is dwarfed by the available room when the HDD cages are left in their default locations. If you stack the HDD cages on top of each other at the front of the case, you’re still going to be able to fit any card on the market with ease. With the nine available expansion slots, you’ll even be able to install up to four long graphics cards and not worry about clearance issues.

Case Wiring Plugged In
Case Wiring Plugged In

PSU In Place
PSU In Place

Graphics Card Installed
Graphics Card Installed

From here, it was just a matter of hooking up the rest of the power leads and doing a bit of cable management. I had the typical jungle of wires to contend with behind the motherboard tray, but the amount of space back there made the process of getting the right side panel reinstalled a snap.

The Jungle of Wires
The Jungle of Wires

Right Side Panel Reinstalled
Right Side Panel Reinstalled

As you look through the pictures of the completed build, you should take note of all the unused space. While the system I put together is certainly no slouch, it’s quite obvious the Graphite 760T can handle so much more. You’re only limited by your imagination as to what you can build in this case.

Build Complete
Build Complete

Build Complete - Bottom Rear
Build Complete – Bottom Rear

Build Complete - Top Rear
Build Complete – Top Rear

Build Complete - Top Front
Build Complete – Top Front

Build Complete - Bottom Front
Build Complete – Bottom Front

Build Complete - Transparent Panel Installed
Build Complete – Transparent Panel Installed

Build Complete - Transparent Panel Installed
Build Complete – Transparent Panel Installed

Build Complete - Overhead View
Build Complete – Overhead View

Build Complete - Overhead View
Build Complete – Overhead View

Conclusion

Corsair tells us the Graphite 760T will carry a MSRP of $189, which in my opinion is a terrific value. To be honest, once I laid eyes on it and actually started building a system in it, I totally expected a price of around $229 or so. I certainly can’t complain about the price. The Graphite 760T is unique by design and very functional in nature, which will make it stand out in the crowded full tower case market. The abundance of possible system configurations this case offers is nothing short of astounding. From a simple air cooled system all the way up to the most elaborate custom water cooled system, the Graphite 760T will be up to the challenge. The uniquely designed side panels add a distinct flare to the case that should appeal to a wide variety of users. The side panels not only look good, but easily open up to allow unobstructed access to the components inside.

The interior design is well thought out and has a host of enthusiast features to enjoy. I can honestly say that installing a system in the Graphite 760T was about as easy as it comes. The tool-less drive bay designs Corsair devised make completing your build quick and easy to accomplish. Couple that with the abundant cable management opportunities, and you’re well on your way to a sharp and clean looking build.

I only have a few minor nitpicks to relay, and believe me, I really had to dig hard to come up with them. It would be nice if the HDD cages could be removed without having to access the bottom of the case. During the initial system build, this is no big deal at all. However, once the system is fully loaded with components, accessing the bottom of the case can be a chore should you want to rearrange the cages. Second is having to remove the front panel and side mount 2.5″ trays to install an optical drive behind the “trap” door bay cover. Again, easy enough during initial system build, but could be a hassle down the road. Finally, I’d really like to see a 5.25″ bay cover with a 3.5″ opening either included in the accessory pack or via a punch-out on one of the included covers. That’s about all I can come up with, and certainly none of them would be considered deal breakers.

Wrapping things up here, Corsair has definitely designed a case the checks all the boxes… and then some. Gamers, PC enthusiasts, or someone just looking for a very attractive and functional full tower case will want to take a serious look at this offering from Corsair. It’s an easy call this time around… Approved!

Overclockers_clear_approvedClick the stamp for an explanation of what this means.

Dino DeCesari (Lvcoyote)

About Dino DeCesari 230 Articles
Dino DeCesari was a pillar of the Overclockers.com community for over 13 years when he passed away suddenly in 2015. His legacy lives on through his hundreds of computer hardware reviews posted here. Dino spent time in the army as a Telecommunication Center Specialist and received a commendation medal. He had a successful 20+ year career in the automotive parts and technology industry, where he eventually bought and sold his own business. Once retired, he volunteered as tech support for a non-profit and his local school district. 

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Avatar of ivanlabrie
ivanlabrie

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6,458 messages 0 likes

This case is real neat...is that side panel transparent or translucid/smoked?

I like what I see, problem is they won't sell it here. :shrug: :rain:

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