Completed Build, Performance, and Conclusion

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The Carbide Air 740 has tons of room and plenty of cable routing openings for a very clean looking build. I was very impressed with the ease of component installation, and cable routing was a dream thanks to the massive rear chamber.

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With the system complete it's time to see how it performed on the test bench!

Temperatures and Noise

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The Carbide Air 740 provided the best overall CPU temperatures in this group, tied with the SilverStone PM01 for standard load temps. but pulling ahead significantly under stress loads. There is a significant airflow advantage from the Air 740's design, and stressed components are a great test for the enclosure – and it passes with flying colors.

Next we'll look at GPU temps:

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Not as dominant as the CPU temps, but still a top-three showing here with the tested GPU. Nothing to complain about here!

Now we will have a look at noise output.

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As expected, the Air 740 was not an especially quiet enclosure, being dependent almost exlusively on the components selected for total noise output. Thanks to quiet case fans it was not the loudest enclosure tested with these components, but those seeking a "silent" PC case will want to look elsewhere, as (true to its name) the Air 740 is all about airflow.

Conclusion

The Carbide Air 740 is well built, offers a roomy interior for an easy (and tidy) build, and the high-airflow design translates into great thermal performance. So are there any drawbacks? Really, just two: first, a heavily vented design like this won't block noise from louder components, so choosing a quiet graphics card and CPU cooler will be necessary if noise is a consideration for you. The second potential drawback is price, as the Carbide Air 740 retails for $149.99. This price is of course far lower than dual-chamber designs from Case Labs, but is still above many people's budget for an enclosure. The desire/need for dual-chamber is going to be user-specific, and Corsair certainly offers much more affordable options with great cooler performance as well.

Strengths

  • Roomy dual-chamber design for an easy build without obstructions
  • Cavernous cable management area
  • High quality construction
  • Hinged door a plus
  • Outstanding cooling performance

Weaknesses

  • Component noise output due to high airflow design

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If the cube-style design and dual-chamber construction meet your needs and preferences, and you have the budget for a $149 enclosure, the Air 740 is a solid option with tons of room and great cooling performance. Noise levels are going to depend on component selection due to the highly vented design, but it's hard to argue with the proven cooling performance of this high-airflow design.

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