Corsair is one of the most famous names on the market, and they’re known for producing PC peripherals like RGB fans, gaming headsets, CPU liquid cooling, and more. Today, in our Corsair iCUE 465X RGB review, we’re going to take a look at their latest offering of smart cases.
This smart case under the iCUE line is Corsair’s newest mid-tower chassis that’s mid-priced, has a good amount of RGB, and performs very well. It’s also a case perfect for people who love its aesthetics.
Inside the Package
The Corsair iCUE 465X RGB comes in a simple cardboard box that’s almost bare, save for a few things. Even if this is the case, it’s still sturdy and thick enough to prevent the case from acquiring damages.
In front, you’ll see an example of the chassis with its name on the box’s lower-left area, and it also states that the product is a mid-tower smart chassis. Corsair notes that the case is compatible with iCUE, which is on the box’s lower-right area.
The sides of the box give you different information: one portion shows you a few mechanical illustrations of the case, a list of its parts and accessories, while the other side gives you a list of the Corsair iCUE 465X RGB’s crucial specifications. The back has a bigger image of the case, displaying all of its essential components.
Inside the box, you will find the Corsair iCUE 465X RGB protectively wrapped in plastic. There are also soft foam end caps surrounding the case to guarantee full protection to the product.
Corsair iCUE 465X RGB Review
The mid-tower Corsair iCUE 465X RGB measures 465 (H) x 467 (W) x 216 (D) mm and is integrated with the iCUE Lighting Node CORE controller. It lets you get into the iCUE ecosystem, allowing software controls on the case’s RGB fans.
Speaking of the LL120 RGB fans, they’re an upgraded version of the SP120 RGBs that are on the original 460X case. What’s cool about the LL120 is that they have 16 customizable LEDs available.
The exterior of the iCUE 465X sports a clean and functional design, having a glass material to cover all of the chassis’ panels. It has that nice, neat, and practical look. Since the glass is also slightly tinted, it looks great with the black iCUE 465X chassis that we have.
Although the case appears to be very simple, Corsair focused most of its design elements on the fans. In front of the chassis is a removable X-shaped dust filter that conceals each of the cooling units.
The rear of the case has a standard look with its PSU fixed on the base. The main side panel displays a sizeable tinted glass panel, while the opposite side has a solid metal panel that covers all the possible cable mess there.
At the back of the chassis, its PSU has enough space on both sides because of the chassis’ width. Above, there are seven vertical expansion slot brackets, and 2 “breakout” horizontal expansion slot brackets available.
What’s interesting is that the case lets you install two 120mm fans or a 140mm fan on its ceiling, which is something uncommon for this type of setup. You can also connect a 240mm liquid cooling setup with the chassis. The front edge of the case is where you’ll find a set of standard I/Os with two extra USB 3.0 and an audio combination plug. On each side, the power or reset button hugs all the plugs, plus a dust filter on the underside of the chassis.
In-Depth Look at the iCUE 465X RGB
This part of our Corsair iCUE 465X RGB review will give you insights about what’s inside the Corsair chassis. First, you’ll need to remove all the screws to access the chassis’ interior. After, the first thing you’ll see is a metallic shroud that covers the PSU and drive bay.
The rear part of the board’s tray shows a big opening along the CPU socket’s back, and this is important for a more convenient CPU-cooling setup. Since this is an iCUE case, its Lighting Node CORE has a total of 6 headers for fan RGB controls. There are two 3.5in plastic trays under the metal shroud, and above these are 3 LL120 RGB Corsair fans. Also, you can install radiators that measure up to 360mm.
The PSU bay on the rear part rests on foam bumps, while above these are seven expansion slots and two vertical ones that let you set up the GPU with the fans facing the windows. All cables in the chassis are colored black and standard, and these go perfectly with the entire case.
You can do the conventional way of installing the motherboard within the chassis by utilizing screws and spacers. At the bottom edge of the case, you’ll find a tight space; however, there are well-placed holes that keep the cables concealed and organized. Installing an SSD is also easy since you can detach one of the metal trays before setting your drive. To return it, place the metal tray using the linked metal thumbscrew.
Installing the 3.5″ drives only requires snapping it into place, and then sliding the plastic tray back until you hear a click to ensure that it’s securely placed. To set the power supply, you will need to use a set of screws. With the well-placed grommets and openings on the motherboard’s tray, the interior of the iCUE 465X RGB looks neat and organized once assembled.
The standard design of the iCUE 465X RGB becomes a visual support factor for its three front fans. The RGB-equipped cooling units allow the chassis to have minimalistic looks with a pop of stunning colors. When the system is up and running, the power button also lights up white.
If you look at the chassis’ front, you’ll notice the tinted glass that makes the fans pop out more, which enhances the case’s overall look. The X-shaped dust filter also adds to the chassis’ aesthetic. Its side features a glass panel where you can easily view the hardware. Because of its clean look, you won’t have to conceal any cabling mess. The iCUE 465X RGB has a simple, classic internal arrangement.
The Lighting Node CORE is an excellent touch to this chassis. It allows you to adjust the fans’ colors and modes in the software through Windows. Also, it syncs everything via the iCUE app, which makes it useful for managing multiple products from the Corsair ecosystem.
Specifications
Here on our Corsair iCUE 465X RGB review, we’ll now focus on the chassis’ specifications. It supports motherboards such as ATX, micro-ATX, mini-ITX boards, and comes with 7+2 expansion slots. The case has three 120mm LL120 RGB front intake fans, but you can install additional ones because of the extra fan mounts on the chassis.
There are three 120mm | two 140mm mounts in front, two 120mm | 140mm mounts on the roof, and a 120mm mount on its rear. There’s also a 360mm | 280mm radiator mounts in front, a 240mm mount on the roof, and one 120mm mount on the rear. Lastly, there are two 3.5in | 2.5in & four 2.5in internal drive bays as well. Overall, it measures 465 (H) x 467 (D) x 216 (W) millimeters.
Now, let’s proceed to the next portion of our Corsair iCUE 465X RGB review and learn more about this product’s key features.
Features of the Corsair iCUE 465X RGB
Boundless Potential with Intelligent Control
The iCUE 465X RGB is a mid-tower ATX chassis with three LL120 RGB fans, and it also features controllable lighting via the iCUE software. With the iCUE Lighting Node CORE, you can manage up to six RGB fans without a fan hub; plus, it allows for brilliant lighting effects via Corsair iCUE software.
Edge-to-Edge Side and Front Tempered Glass Panels
Since it’s made of steel with two tempered glass panels, you can showcase your high-end components in the Corsair iCUE 465X RGB. It comes with RGB fans that add to the case’s aesthetic while providing ventilation for your rig.
Versatile Options for Cooling
The Corsair iCUE 465X RGB provides room for up to six 120mm fans or multiple radiators measuring 360mm.
Corsair LL120 Fans
For powerful airflow, Corsair included the LL120 fans in the iCUE 465X RGB chassis. These fans reach up to 1,500 RPM and feature customizable RGB LEDs.
Neat, Clean, and Organized
Well-placed tie-downs and cable routing allow for quick and simple cabling. It also helps allow better airflow and cooling for its components. Additionally, the Corsair iCUE 465X RGB has three dust filters on its front, floor, and roof to keep your rig protected from particles.
Direct Airflow Path
The chassis’ obstruction-free layout provides cool air to keep the temperature of your system’s components low.
iCUE Software
iCUE Software is a utility where you can manage all your iCUE-supported components and devices. It offers a wide range of settings so you can configure its RGB lights and more.
With the Corsair iCUE 465X RGB, you can set advanced RGB lighting effects and sync the LEDs with other compatible devices. These settings allow you to improve the aesthetics of your entire build.
When you configure the LEDs of the chassis’ fans, you can set the modes and download other users’ profiles for additional patterns. The basic profiles you can choose from include Rainbow, Rainbow Wave, Spiral Rainbow, Visor, Arc, Rain, and Sequential.
The device settings is where you’ll find the Lighting Node CORE and the H100i. These flash the firmware or make changes to the display information.
Performance
This portion of our Corsair iCUE 465X RGB review is all about performance, and we are going to see how good it is in terms of cooling and the sound levels.
The front portion of the iCUE 465X provided the right amount of airflow because of its large intakes and three 120mm fans. Everything inside stayed cool during the tests, and even after going through a couple of tasks and gameplays. Above room temperature, the CPU only reached 56℃, while the GPU was only 48℃. Though the temperature did not drop, the Corsair iCUE 465X RGB, was able to retain the cool temperature of its components.
For the sound pressure tests, we set the fans at 1,400RPM, which is close to its max RPM. On idle mode, the sound did not go over 30dBa, so everything was still inaudible unless you put your ear next to the case. Under heavy loads, the sounds increased, but it still did not go over 33dBa, so it is still considered quiet. With that, we can say the iCUE 465X RGB has the lowest noise levels among all the other cases we have tried, and that is pretty cool.
All in all, this smart PC case performed notably, and we’re happy with how well it worked. It delivered high performance by keeping its sound levels at bay, and it kept the temperatures from going higher. With that, the Corsair iCUE 465X RGB gets five stars from us.
Conclusion
Corsair has done an excellent job with the design of the iCUE 465X RGB. It keeps everything in your build cool by allowing more airflow, and it features dust filters to protect your components and lengthen their lifespan. With all of these features, you can see that the company received users’ feedback and applied all the necessary improvements on this chassis.
Additionally, the excellent layout and cable routing make the building process smoother and easier. With that, we were able to have an organized chassis that has a great overall appearance, allowing us to appreciate the RGB light show.
Since Corsair also continues to improve the iCUE software, we were able to further customize our entire build. Overall, we were delighted with the Corsair iCUE 465X RGB, and we highly recommend it for straightforward building and excellent cooling.
If you want to purchase this chassis after reading our Corsair iCUE 465X RGB Review, check out the store locator on the company’s official site. Choose your region to see the available retailers and resellers in your location.
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