Performance
A Core i5-3570K processor overclocked to 4.4GHz shouldn't be a problem for any of these enclosures and, as expected, they're all able to keep the CPU running well within its thermal limit. Corsair's inverted layout doesn't throw up any surprises thus far.
GPU temperature is slightly higher than anticipated, mind. Our dual GeForce GTX 970 graphics cards reached 80ºC when gaming but with fan speeds rising to 50 per cent were able to keep running at a useful 1,367MHz throughout the entire test.
The Carbide Series 600C is a chassis in which the type of GPU cooler is likely to make a genuine difference to performance, and we wonder if cards designed to vent air out of the enclosure would fare better than those with multiple downward-firing fans.
High-performance and low noise is a catch-22 situation. With GPU fan speed exceeding 2,200RPM, system noise becomes noticeable when gaming and the 600C struggles to keep our test platform quiet. Like the idea of an inverted PC but intent on building something that's barely audible? The 600Q would be the better bet.