Corsair's 6500X and 2500X cases are about cooling and customization

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By Christopher Harper
Contributions from
Matt Safford
 published

Corsair's new Cases will be led by the release of new Fans and even Corsair's second-ever air cooler

A look at a white version of Corsair's upcoming 6500X Mid Tower Case.
A look at a white version of Corsair's upcoming 6500X Mid Tower Case. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Among the many PC hardware manufacturers showing off their latest and greatest at CES 2024, Corsair is proudly flaunting a pair of new PC cases, new case fans, and even their upcoming second-ever CPU air cooler. 

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Photography of Corsair's 2500X MATX dual chamber PC case, with its upcoming A115 Air Cooler inside.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

First, we have the Corsair 2500X. This is a micro ATX, dual chamber PC case with compatibility for reverse-connection motherboards (like Project Zero or BTF) and swappable panels. This means if you would prefer it with a mesh front panel for increased airflow, that option is available. (It's unclear if the case comes with multiple  types of front panels or if they will be sold separately). The 2500X has a nice wooden aesthetic, akin to the Fractal Design North.

The Corsair 2500X is due for a release on February 27, with pricing yet to be announced.

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Shots of Corsair's upcoming Mid Tower, Dual Chamber 6500X Case.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Corsair's mid tower 6500X case is pretty much just a larger version of the 2500X. That means you still get the dual chamber design and ability to swap front panels, but the increased height also serves to increase the number of intake fans on the wall-mount and clearance for a larger AIO radiator on the top-mount. 

Like the 2500X, you'll be able to swap panels or get a version with a mesh front panel, as well. The mid tower 6500X releases on February 27— the same day as its smaller sibling. We're waiting for prices on this one, too.

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A close-up shot of Corsair's upcoming RX120 fans, which launch ahead of the new cases.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The Corsair RX Series Case Fans (specifically RX120 in use on the show floor), are due to release about a month ahead of the new cases— on January 26. These 120 mm fans (there will presumably be larger variants as well, hence "Series") offer full iCue Link compatibility, though non-RGB versions will also be available. According to Corsair, these should be their best-performing fans on launch.

There are also some thicker fans in development at Corsair that you can expect after the cases have launched. These new case fans also come alongside Corsair's new single-turn screws, which serve as a nice little quality of life improvement for builders.

You may also notice that the 2600X photos above. show a build using an air cooler. That's actually Corsair's upcoming A115 Air Cooler, which will be their second-ever air cooler. It's slated for a release on January 16, with pricing at $99.99.

Christopher Harper
With contributions from
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7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Neilbob
    I don't mean to be cynical (actually I'm lying, I really do mean it), but every one of these cases I'm seeing here over the last few days seems more hideous than the last.

    Just a plain black box. That's all I want or need. Don't need lights or to see what's going on inside, just need it to have sufficient cooling capabilities.

    I know, I have plenty of bland options to pick from and I'm a boring fart, but who doesn't like to have a good old rant from time to time?
    Reply
  • vanadiel007
    That and stuffing a case full of fans does not guarantee good cooling. Just guarantees a lot of noise.
    Reply
  • pixelpusher220
    Neilbob said:
    Just a plain black box. That's all I want or need. Don't need lights or to see what's going on inside, just need it to have sufficient cooling capabilities.

    Same. I personally don't get the fishbowl setup...especially the ones where the front ports are along the bottom. Basically requires a desktop placement and it can't be against the wall because of the side mounted fans.

    Getting time to build my next rig and it's been a minute. Can't imagine the drone of 8 fans and mesh.
    Reply
  • pdegan2814
    There's also no denying that the fishbowl aesthetic is very popular these days, it's not surprising that Corsair wanted in on the O11 lookalike contest. I too am not a fan of all the tempered glass. But the new cases do look nice, and I like some of the features they're introducing with them. I'm really intrigued by Asus BTF and MSI Project Zero, so having Corsair offer cases that support them is really cool. KitGuru's video about them also mentioned integrated iCUE Link ports for connecting external devices. I'm very curious to see what Corsair has coming up to make use of that. KitGuru's video also mentioned that Corsair's leaning into selling cases like these with no fans preinstalled, which I'm a BIG fan of. More than the cases, I'm pleased to see the RX series fans for iCUE Link. I really dig the iCUE Link ecosystem, but the QX fans are so pricey. I'm glad to see new fans for the system coming out at lower price points. Still hoping for a fully non-RGB version down the road. Though I'm still a fan of the Elite Capellix XT AIOs with the built-in Commander Core hubs, so the upcoming AF Max fans sound quite intriguing.
    Reply
  • DavidLejdar
    Yeah, cases like that are nice for improved cooling.

    Broad cases like these may still seem unusual, but they do have their advantages. Primarily, PSU is moved to the side, which leaves unhindered air flow intake onto the GPU - which is quite a biggie in itself.

    Fans on the side means (among other), that the noise from there goes away from where one sits. Or if one wants the rig to be as quiet as possible, then it is also about custom cooling for the GPU - and a case like that is useful to set it up, leaving the option to have i.e. AiO for the CPU as well.

    Either way, with GPUs and partially also CPUs pushing the wattage, and NVMe SSDs also needing some cooling, it does need space for intake/outake fans. Which is why I went with the case I have, as that offers some options in that regard. Tempered glass is not that a biggie for me. It is nice to be able to see though, when a LED on the mainboard pops up - and AiO for the CPU I will eventually get me one showing the temperature.
    Reply
  • Phaaze88
    You get an O11, and you get an O11... EVERYONE GETS O11s!!!

    Can't blame other vendors for making lookalikes/copies. The design is attractive(subjective) and functional.


    vanadiel007 said:
    That and stuffing a case full of fans does not guarantee good cooling.
    Yeah, there's been this trend(or belief?) floating around that filling all the optional spaces in one's case leads to the 'best cooling'... and when a case supports like 10 fans, hoo-boy...
    Reply
  • M0rtis
    This new reverse mounted motherboard trend needs to vanish. Why would anyone want a clear side panel to look at an empty case ? And why shift the hot stuff to a smaller rear compartment.
    I dont know about everyone else but the whole deal with clear side panels is to see all your stuff.
    Reply