Corsair iCUE 5000X RGB Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Smart Case (Four Tempered Glass Panels, Corsair RapidRoute Cable Management System, Three Included 120mm RGB Fans, Smart RGB Lighting) Black

Product Information

For the old case, we found that the CPU idled at 32 C while the GPU was at 27 C. Under load, we observed the CPU move between 52-72 degrees on average with a maximum temperature of 81 C. The GPU performed between 47-55 C. All of the same components were then transferred over to the Corsair case in the same positioning. The CPU still idled at 32 C, but the GPU was down to 23 C. Under load, we observed the CPU move between 52-66 degrees on average with a maximum temperature of 75 C. The GPU performed much better as well, shifting to a stable 40-41 C. For as long as I can remember, I've had love of all things tech, spurred on, in part, by a love of gaming. I began working on computers owned by immediate family members and relatives when I was around 10 years old. I've always sought to learn as much as possible about anything PC, leading to a well-rounded grasp on all things tech today. In my role at PCMag, I greatly enjoy the opportunity to share what I know. Again, the core chassis is still the same here. You get the same interior design, mounts, shrouds, guards, etc. However, that’s where the similarities end. This case features four tempered glass panels, three Corsair SP RGB Elite 120mm fans, and the iCUE Lighting Node Core hub. The CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB is a mid-tower ATX case that shows off your PC, and not its cables, behind four stunning tempered glass panels. Easily route major cables through a single channel for clean builds with the CORSAIR RapidRoute cable management system and 25mm of routing depth. A wealth of flexible cooling options let you build your PC your way, including room to mount up to 10x 120mm fans or multiple 360mm radiators, and a motherboard tray with customizable side fan mounts. Three included 120mm SP RGB ELITE fans deliver enhanced cooling and vibrant lighting. Complete with room for four storage drives and a modern front I/O panel including a USB-C port, the 5000X RGB makes for a clean build that keeps its cool.”– Corsair Price and Availability

Corsair iCue 5000X RGB - Review 2021 - PCMag UK Corsair iCue 5000X RGB - Review 2021 - PCMag UK

Behind the glass is a steel swing door — completely and easily removable for better building — that hides cabling, SSDs, HDDs, PSU, lighting nodes, and anything else housed behind the motherboard panel. With the panel closed and the glass in place, you'd never know there's anything there. Some might remove the swing door completely if they're particularly proud of their cabling, but others (including myself) will appreciate the relative mess it hides. through a single hidden channel, with an easy-access hinged door and a roomy 25mm of space behind the It’s now time to get to one of the most impressive aspects of this case. That thing I went on about in the first paragraph. The Corsair iCue 5000x hits its stride where many tempered glass cases fall short, because it manages to blend sleek looks with function. Corsair uses angles to channel the air around the glass front panel and to the fans, with the same design providing heat removal via the roof vent. Usually, intakes are far too restricted to provide the necessary volumes of air needed to cool components properly. I thought that would be the case for the front and top panels, but I actually didn’t see any temperature differences when testing my system under full load with the panels off. Corsair clearly spent a lot of time testing the spacing here to get almost identical results to the Airflow D version of this case. Inside the main compartment of the case is the motherboard mounting tray and a raised lip, which isn't for cables as you might think (more on this later). There are cutouts all along the motherboard tray to let cables pass through where needed, which helps make for a tidy finished build. Adding fans can almost double the price of this case if you fill all slots with matching RGB fans to get good cooling results.

The Building Experience

Overall though, you can see both the normal and the airflow model have the same core features as each other, as does the next one we will be taking a look at. Key Features Modern Front Panel I/O: Puts your connections within easy reach, including a USB 3.1 Type-C Port, 2x USB 3.0 Why launch one PC case when you can launch three! That’s exactly what Corsair is doing today, and they’re coming out swinging with one of the most interesting and advanced cases to date. Now, the 5000 series keeps things surprisingly simple too, as they’re all the same case at their core, and offer pretty much all of the same features. However, you have three variations to choose from, the 5000D, the 5000D Airflow, and the 5000X. Corsair 5000D Despite adding a bunch of noise (46.8 dB total system noise) the side intake did help reduce the CPU temperature by 2 degrees Celsius and the GPU temperature by about 4 degrees C. The part that causes the most trouble is the cable shroud that sits on the front right side of the motherboard covering the rubber grommets; presumably to minimize how much cable is shown. Not only that, but the screws and screw holes for it seemed somewhat worn after just one build in this case, which is worrying when you consider future builds outside of the first one. It doesn’t help that these covers feel a bit flimsy and bendable, so keep it in mind to have a gentle hand when removing and reattaching them.

Introducing the 5000T RGB. The most RGB we ever put in a case!

With the drive cage in its starting position in the middle of the case, however, adding a power supply is nearly impossible. For this build, I used SilverStone's fully modular ST75F-PT power supply, and ran into trouble almost immediately. Without moving the cage, I could fit the power supply without any cables attached to it into position, but the space between the PSU and cage was too cramped for me to then add cables to the PSU. Of course, how valid are these standardized tests really without taking into account the side panel, and its added intake? We added three fans ML120 here, ran them at about the same speed as the intake case fans, and observed the changes. High-Airflow Front Panel: An optimized steel front panel delivers massive airflow to your system for maximum With everything put together and the glass side panels reinstalled, the case looks stunning. It's tinted just enough to show off only what really matters. I ran the PC under load for about 30 minutes with an outside ambient temperature of about 21 degrees Celsius to see how cool it runs. Keep in mind I added a rear exhaust fan (which you should definitely do as well no matter what) and two top exhaust fans. Temperatures inside the case hit 30 degrees Celsius at the motherboard while the system sat idle. The CPU hovered around 35 degrees Celsius while idling.It seems unfair to call the 5000D the base model, as it’s still brimming with features. It has the classic Obsidian series look to it. With the monolithic front panel design and indirect airflow to help reduce system noise. You still get plenty of tempered glass and durable steel construction here though. There are two 120mm fans, but no RGB hardware on this model.