Corsair iCue 465x case
Smart and cool.
Everything seems to be “smart” these days: phones, home appliances and yes, even smart cars. It was only a matter of time until case manufacturers jumped on the smart product bandwagon as well. Corsair’s latest mid-tower chassis has just the right amount of RGB bling and great thermal performance as well. But how does Corsair define smart?
Measuring 467mm x 216mm x 465mm and weighing 8.16 kg, the Corsair iCue 465X RGB features steel and plastic construction with tempered glass panels on the front and left side. Painted in the buyer’s choice of white or black both inside and out, this chassis comes with a two-year limited warranty.
Build quality and thermal performance aside, the case’s biggest selling points are the new design, the Direct Airflow Path layout, tempered-glass panels and RGB lighting. The iCUE 465X RGB incorporates three of the company’s latest LL120 RGB fans powered by the included iCUE Lighting Node CORE RGB controller.
Directly below the magnetic dust filter in the top panel are mounts for two 120 or one 140mm fans. Along the uppermost edge of the plastic front panel you’ll find a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a headphone / microphone jack, plus power and reset buttons.
The front panel assembly attaches to the front of the case via long thumbscrews. A one-inch gap on both sides between the tempered glass and plastic frame provides a clear path for fresh air to be drawn into the chassis. The fan filtration system does a great job preventing most dirt and dust particles from entering your system.
Painted to match the exterior colour, the interior of the iCUE 465X RGB is very clean and well laid out. Corsair includes three installed LL120 RGB LED fans in the front, but none in the rear of the chassis. We found it a bit disappointing that Corsair didn’t include a LL120 ARGB exhaust fan (or any fan for that matter) at this price point, given this chassis’ emphasis on RGB lighting.
The Corsair iCUE Lighting Node Core controls all three included 120mm fans and has enough additional headers to power three more, all through the company’s iCUE software.
Radiators and AIO coolers can be mounted in the top, front, and rear of this case. The mounting locations in the front of the chassis support 120, 140, 240, 280 and 360mm radiators.
The large intake vents in the front of the case, combined with a trio of 120mm intake fans, provided more than enough airflow to keep the components in our test system cool. CPU temperatures levelled off at 57 degrees Celsius over ambient. Running the tests again with two fans in front and one in the rear made no noticeable difference in thermal performance. GPU temperatures maxed out at 49 degrees Celsius over the ambient room temperature.
Corsair’s iCUE 465X RGB is a greatlooking case with the performance to match. With the right components and careful planning, this chassis is a solid choice for your next system build. The lack of a USB 3.1 Type-C port and odd 360mm radiator installation issue aside, the iCUE 465X RGB is a good value, a great performer, and should be at the top of your case consideration list.
• Great cooling performance
• Stylish design
• Three RGB fans
• No USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C
• 360mm radiator/AIO may not easily fit
• No exhaust fan included