Even for their brand new Vengeance series Corsair still utilises their classic brown box. Listing all the features on one side, while an exploded view is highlighted on the back side. I'm not a PR marketeer but isn't it possible that packaging can mean a world of difference if a case is bought or not ? What's inside the box is of course more important then the box design, but a more flashy approach alike eg. Cooler Master or Xigmatek could increase sales.

Once the case is unpacked the military theme becomes crystal clear. The matte olive drab case colour leaves really no options open. The other two colours to choose from, are arctic white alike the Carbide 500R and gunmetal black. Corsair means serious bussines with the gamer/LAN party orientated Vengeance series. A smoked windowed side panel version, with optional dual fan possibility, allows to show off your precious installed hardware.

The inside gets the same rigid military look treatment. A massive cut-out for the CPU cooler is foreseen, as numerous rubber protected holes for easy cable management. On the backside it becomes obvious that Corsair took some time to enhance the build in of hardware. A spacious cut-out in the top of the motherboard panel, to route the 8 pin CPU power cable. Note cable guidance and decent hiding space ( +/- 2CM clearance between the motherboard tray and the sidepanel). Can we mention this case can be certified for builders from age 7 to 77 ?

The closer look starts off with the front panel. We can clearly distinguish the military roots of this C70 Vengeance case. The Power on button, a Reset button, two USB 3.0 ports, which are connected to the motherboard via an internal connector and the in and out audio jacks. Too bad no two extra USB 2.0 ports are integrated into the sleek design.

On a note: all front bezels are out of metal, not the usual plastic versions.

Instead of using the regular screws or thumbscrews, the Vengeance C70 utilises quick release clips. Ammunition boxes use a similar method of securing the top lid. Maybe not as easy to open as a latch equipped version, but it definitely attributes big time to the military feel of this case. The same accounts for the carrying handles, military looks for the win.

We mentioned the easy cable management on the previous page, on the two below pictures you can clearly see  two of the three clips to securely fix your cables without the need for zip ties or tape.

What would a serious gaming case be without adequate ventilation ? The C70 case has got three 120mm fans included. Two are attached to the rear of the HDD bay and not in the usual front postion. And of course the mandatory rear fan to exhaust the heat via the back.

Most gamers and especially frequent LAN party visitors like to show off their gear, hence why Corsair opted to ship the Vengeance C70 tower with a smoked window. With most Corsair cases we are getting spoiled with the little nifty details or let's call them extras. Rubber damped mounting for optional fans are pre-installed. Talking about optional fans, a total of 7 extra fans can be housed in the C70 case. Two in the front, two in the sidepanel, two in the top lid and finally one in the bottom.

The C70 is ready to house up to two 240mm radiators. But don't even think of fitting in a bulky radiator like a Thermochill rad. Of course Corsairs' own H80 and H100 will perfectly blend in.

The storage capacity of the Vengeance C70 is alike most mid tower cases: a total of 6HDD bays and three optical  5 1/2 inch bays are at your disposal. Nothing special you might think, yet the two HDD bays are removable. Either to maximise the GPU compatibility from 320mm to 420mm or allowing you to install a dual radiator in the bottom section of the C70 case. Per example we removed the top HDD bay, easily sliding out after just removing three thumbscrews.

The HDDs or SSDs can be installed in the plastic trays. For the HDD's no screws are required. However when installing a SSD a screwdriver is a must.

No fancy plastic clips to secure the optical drives, but robust steel ones that are designed do the job as adequate. The front bezel is easily removable to allow fast access to the installed dust filter.

Sadly no means foreseen to absorb PSU vibrations via rubber dampers.The PSU itself is protected by a slideable dust filter. In total two dust filters are installed in the bottom part, meaning also one for the optional bottom fan or radiator. However both don't properly lock into position and slide out far too easily. The case itself rest on two overdimensioned ultra rigid looking rubber feet.

Test Setup and Temp. Results

Due to the large and numerous cutouts, cable management is a breeze. This C70 can handle graphics cards up to 320mm length. Pretty good, even with the top HDD bay installed. Up to triple GPU setups are supported. No surprise to see perfect support for our Hydro 80 all in one liquid cooling solution.

Like mentioned before, cable management is easy with almost 2cm of space between the motherboard tray and the sidepanel. To secure the numerous PSU, USB and audio cables, Corsair has designed 3 handy plastic clips to do so. As long you don't try to bundle too many cables they clip down pretty easy.

Time for the temperature results. Since this C70 is equipped with dual front fans we had high expectations. The front fans are mounted at the rear of the HDD drive bays resulting in a bit more direct airflow onto the GPU's. However there is no direct ambient air sucked in via the front panel. Final outcome are average temperature results from what we have previously measured in mid tower cases. Don't let the below graph scare you, the hardware remains at pretty good operating temperatures. This X79 setup is just a hottie. If Corsair had included an extra top fan, this would have lowered the PWM temperatures drastically, but the C70 Vengeance leaves plenty of options to install extra fans.

Acoustic testing of the case with just the 3 case fans spinning at max speeds, resulted in 36dBa, an acceptable value, though it must be said the included fans don't move tons of air. The Corsair engineers achieved a pretty good balance between noise and performance. Wrap up time...

The Vengeance C70 case is another nice addition to Corsair's expanding case lineup. Main target Corsair has locked on too are the hardcore gamers, especially those that want a special looking case, instead of the comon designs we daily see. It might well be that people ask you how you achieved to replicate military look. The olive drab colour of our test sample is one of  three versions available. Arctic white and Gunmetal black might not add that much to the superb military look of our review sample, yet they look pretty classy too. The original locking mechanism of the sidepanels seems very robust, not that you open your case daily. Secondly the paint job seems up to the task. The carrying handles sport a look similar to ammunition boxes, but they get quite uncomfortable after a while, just like the real thing.

Like a good case should be, assembling your favourite hardware inside the C70 is child's play. Loads of space as it nicely handles our large size ASUS X79 Sabretooth Motherboard. The tool less hard drive bays and optical drive locking mechanisms make the entire storage installation a matter of minutes. The Corsair engineers did a superb job on the cable management system: numerous spacious cut outs and the plastic clips to securely fix the cables, top it all off. Maybe a small hole just above the PSU to allow routing eg the HD Audio cable would be a nice future addition.

The airflow generated by the three included fans warrant cool operation temperatures of your hardware. This Vengeance C70 is however not one the best cooling case we've tested till now. This mainly due the absence of a top cooler and the choice to install the fans at the rear of the HDD bay. The utilised 120mm fans remain pretty quiet.

Watercooling enthusiasts have room for up to two 240mm radiators. Though you need to remove the bottom HDD drive bay to allow clearance for the installation for the bottom radiator. Sadly no rubber grommets on the rear of the case, to route the tubing, so you need to acquire them seperately, some way somehow. For those that have Corsair's latest Hydro 80 or 100 units, these will fit like a glove.

Storage wise the C70 has up to 6 tool less HDD trays and space for up to 3 x 5.25 drives, more than sufficient for most. Yet it would have been nice to see a hot swappable drive like used with the Cooler Master HAF XM case, especially since this Vengeance case is in the upper price category for mid tower cases at 110 euros.

All in all this Vengeance C70 case is a nice looking case. It will attract the attention of many gamers with it's rigid military looks, but sadly the C70 has some minor shortcomings like the absence of PSU dampers and especially the design of the bottom dust filters leave room for improvement. A bit weird as Corsair usually has an eye for these little details.

If a good looking case, with ease of installation, splendid cable management and more than adequate cooling performance at a very acceptable noise level is on the top of your priority list, then this C70 perfectly fit's the bill. For it's looks and well designed military theme, Madshrimps awards the C70 Vengeance case the Novelty award.

PROS:

• Stylish military looks
• Silent fans
• Cable management possibilities
• Ease of installation
• Windowed panel for casemodders

CONS:

• No PSU dampers
• Bottom dust filters need improvement
• Extravagance has it's price

Big thanks to Gareth from Corsair for the C70 Vengeance review sample

and the mad crew at Tones.be for the years of support