Introduction

Since 2013, we’ve reviewed over three-dozen cases, and for a long time, our favorite cases came from Corsair, particularly the amazing Carbide 500R that we reviewed back in 2014. It combined great performance, quality construction, and eye-catching style all at a reasonable price. Well, Corsair has released a whole lot of cases since then, changing branding, features, and style, among other things. In this review, we check out the first new case for 2021, and it will be interesting to see what Corsair’s case team is bringing to the table. Will it be our new favorite? You’ll find out soon enough!

Special thanks to be Corsair for providing us a sample of the iCUE 5000X RGB Case.

TBG’s Video Review

Going forward, all of TBG’s reviews will be released exclusively on YouTube, as video provides far more opportunity to offer details and insight into production design and functionality than a written review ever could.

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Conclusion

Corsair has definitely brought back some serious style with the 5000X, and we think it has looks that anyone can appreciate. It also adds some great new features like extra headroom for radiators up top and a side-mounting option for radiators as well. This shows that Corsair understands what enthusiasts are using in their systems today. The fact that the hard drive cage is completely unusable is another sign of the times… it’s pretty clear Corsair knows no one is going to use it, and that other features (like that radiator side mount) take precedence! The main issue we have with the case is that Corsair has chosen form over function in its choice of fan placement and front panel material. As much as we like the look, we do not like the performance. It’s simply not good enough for a case in this price range. Luckily some very inexpensive tweaks can make this case climb to the top of the charts, so if you like the overall look but want actually good performance, pick up the airflow front panel once it becomes available (it should be around $10-$15), plus a fan for the rear of the case (Corsair or otherwise). Then you’ll have a case that offers it all: great performance, quality construction, and eye-catching style… just like the Carbide 500R that we tested seven years ago!

The Corsair 5000X is available for $204.99 as of our latest update.