Corsair Carbide SPEC-04 TG Case Review

By David Shields

Manufacturer: Corsair Components, Inc.
Product Name: Corsair Carbide SPEC-04 TG
Model Number: CC-9011117-WW
UPC: 010617319711
Price As Tested: $59.99

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Corsair.

I have had the pleasure to build with many products from Corsair, such as the H100i, Graphite 700T, Carbide 600T, Vengeance memory, HX750 and many more. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review the SPEC-04 TG, a new version of the budget SPEC-04 with a tempered glass side panel. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we’ll look at the features offered by this mid-tower design before doing a quick build and delivering a final conclusion.

Dimensions	433mm x 196mm x 484mm
Drive Bays	3 x 3.5″, 2 x 2.5″ Internal
Cooling	1x 120mm fan included
Radiator Support	Up to 2x 120mm / 1x 120 and 1x 140
Expansion Slots	7
I/O Port	USB 3.0, USB 2.0, PW/Reset, Headphone/mic
Expansion Support	170mm CPU, 225 PSU, 370mm GPU

The SPEC-04 is mostly steel with a plastic front. However, the materials feel flimsy and thin overall, and we’ll see some examples of that later in this review. In fact, before I even took the case out I was surprised by how light it was – it may be a smaller case but doesn’t feel like it was built to be especially sturdy. Depending on the model you get, each will have the same black combined with an accented vent. Our sample is red/black, but grey/black and yellow/black variants are also available. The front is the only spot on the SPEC-04 with a color other than black. While the panel does have a large cross-section for intake, it has no dust filtering.

The top features an additional pair of fan mounts…but neither has a dust filter.

The rear includes another 120mm fan mount. The expansion slots are secured by another slot on the side, as opposed to individual screws on the interior. This spot can also fit a 120mm radiator.

The back panel panel has no marks or discerning features aside from a convex area for a little extra cable room. Also shown is the I/O panel, with a USB 3.0 and 2.0 port each, along with standard power/reset buttons and audio jacks.

On the bottom of the chassis are four feet with a rubber cover, along with the only dust filter on the case (PSU filter).

Finally, a good look at the tempered panel. Despite the overall cheap feeling over the rest of the case, the panel is solid and not any more prone to reflections or debris than other panels I’ve tested.

For a $50 budget case with a different window, you get what you pay for. There won’t be stories written in the future about the SPEC-04 TG’s great build quality, but there’s not much to complain about either.

 

The interior fits an MATX or ATX motherboard, five hard drives (five 2.5″ inch drives or three 3.5″ and dual 2.5″) Above the removable hard drives cage are the dual 2.5mm mounts.The official specs say that a CPU heatsink of 170mm, a GPU of 370mm, and a PSU of 225mm can be installed. Radiator support includes up to a single 120mm, 140mm, or 240mm in the front (with HDD cages removed), and a 120mm in the back.

To the left of the cable routing channel you have 1/2″ of cable space, but to the right, only 1/4″. The motherboard cutout is 115mm x 127mm…meaning it may not allow access to some CPU cooler backplates (like my Noctua NH-D14). While there are 11 routing holes and six cable tie points, they have no rubber grommets.

A single 120mm fan is included with the SPEC-04, with a LED color determined by whatever color you ordered. On our sample, the fan is red. The chassis can fit up to five 120mm fans. As mentioned previously, the only vent with dust filtering is the PSU vent.

Again, this is a basic budget design so you’d expect to lose some of those features that are considered standard on more expensive cases, like multiple dust filters or more pre-installed fans. That being said, there are other options, some with tempered glass as well, that offer more out of the box for the same or lower price.

 

• Motherboard: GigabyteGA-990FXA-UD3
• System Memory: 2x4GB 1600MHz DDR3
• Processor: AMD FX-8350 @ 4.0GHz
• Video: Gigabyte GTX 960SC 4GB Windforce Edition
• Disk Drive 1: OCZ 120GB SSD
• Disk Drive 2: WD 500GB HDD
• Enclosure: Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Shift
• PSU: Corsair HX750W
• CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
• Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit

Below is the completed build with the above parts. Building in the SPEC-04 TG was a bit more challenging than other chassis designs, but in the end, nearly everything fit snugly, with one notable exception.

Here’s the biggest problem I ran into while building in the SPEC-04 – CPU cooler clearance. Corsair’s own specs say the compatible CPU height is 170mm…however as you can see by the photo below, the Noctua DH14 (160mm) clearly does not fit, as the spines along the heatsinks are actually protruding past the outside of the case and preventing the tempered panel from being flush with the chassis. Also, it’s clear you won’t be able to install any fans in the top unless you use a low profile CPU cooler. Finally, the motherboard cutout was to small for the backplate so I obviously had to attach the cooler before placing the motherboard in.

Given that this case is supposed to be modeled after the base SPEC-04 (150mm of CPU clearance), I find it odd that the listed dimensions are so different in the SPEC-04 TG guide. Perhaps an error on Corsair’s part? I would appreciate clarification from Corsair, as obviously I would not have installed the NH-D14 if I had known it wasn’t supported.

Cable management proved more challenging as well. The PSU cable from my HX750 is very thick to the point where the only place it would actually fit is behind the HDD trays, where a 1/2″ of space exists instead of 1/4″. A total six tie-down points are available, so it’s easy to organize – just make sure you route them through the right place.

Because of where I ran the PSU cable, the back panel is bulging out. While obviously I erred in where I ran the cable, this highlights the limited space as well as the thin material used to create the side panel, hence why I’ve included it here. Those with no modular PSU’s or a high number of thick cables will struggle with clean organization.

My previous experiences building in Corsair cases were pleasant ones. This one, not so much. My biggest gripes are the cable management options, along with the CPU cooler support.

 

I’ve reviewed quite a few “budget” cases here on techplayboy.com. Many of them manage to still include important features such as dust filters, more included fans, and better CPU support. I consider this a case for those who just have to have the cheapest tempered glass available and don’t need the features considered essential for many builders.

The base SPEC-04 is $49.99 (Amazon/Newegg), and as far as I can tell the TG variant is the exact same case with a $10 tempered glass panel (expected retail price is $59). Is that panel worth the extra money, given that cheaper cases with more features out of the box are available, or similarly priced tempered panel cases from IN WIN and DIY PC? If I was buying the base model I’d consider it a worthwhile budget purchase, but unsure about a $60 model, tempered glass or not.

The SPEC-04 features excellent cooling performance with mountings for up to five fans and two radiators, with no HDD bays blocking the front intakes. You will have to remove the 3.5″ bays to accommodate a 240mm radiator though. A shame that only one 120mm fan is included.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I personally find that the plastic front and steel panels don’t really fit the tempered panel, but hey, its not the ugliest on the market or in this price range. But as this is just a slightly more expensive base SPEC-04, there’s no PSU shroud, hidden hard drive bays, or rubber grommets for cable routing, so those who want a clean build may be turned off.

As I said before, this is the SPEC–04 with a tempered panel, so has the build quality you’d expect from a cheap $50 case, with a little extra flair. Not great, but not terrible either.

Functionally, I refer back to the fact that the dimensions and clearance measurements from Corsair seem off. That said, I wonder if Corsair is thinking buyers should use their own AIO water cooling systems…I can see potential for a 240mm radiator in front with exhaust fan in the top and rear. Being able to fit five hard drives in a case this small is a nice touch as well.

Here at techplayboy.com, we look at these products and choose to recommend them or not based on our scoring system. I think the SPEC-04 TG is a decent buy for a penny pincher who wants tempered glass, but if I had a choice I’d probably choose one of its competitors. What keeps me from ultimately recommending the SPEC-04 TG though, are two concerns – Corsair markets this as having 170mm of heatsink clearance (it clearly doesn’t, as well as implying it has multiple dust filters (only one on the PSU vent, and I don’t consider the extra front mesh a filter). Ultimately, I hope Corsair will respond and clarify the dimensions and features on this design before I can give it the fair rating it deserves.

+ Tempered glass at a very affordable price.
+ Small form factor with plentiful cooling options, good GPU and PSU support.

– Listed dimensions are not accurate (waiting for correction/confirmation by Corsair)
– Only one fan included stock.

• Performance: 8.50
• Appearance: 8.25
• Construction: 8.25
• Functionality: 8.75
• Value: 7.25