Back in September, Corsair launched its 4000 series—three new compact mid-tower cases that shared the same design and only varied in terms of front panel and included fans. This kind of modularity allowed consumers to choose between solid, airflow, and tempered glass models.
Now the company has followed up with a 5000 series, which both upsizes and upgrades the 4000D, 4000D Airflow, and 4000X. As you’ll see in our video above, these bigger mid-towers offer more room (66 liters versus 48 liters) and additional modular pieces to aid in personalizing a build.
The 5000D, 5000D Airflow, and 5000X have picked up a second swappable panel, a power supply shroud with a removable section, a new fan bracket next to the motherboard tray, and an interior hinged compartment that hides cables. These mid-towers also sport a modified right-side panel that features an airflow vent at the front; these come in steel for 5000D cases and tempered glass for the 5000X. The white 5000X in particular seems like a prime showcase for artistic expression, given its clear glass. (The black 5000X’s side panels have a dark tint.)
Alaina Yee / IDG
A hungry cat made for a curious cat during our examination of the 5000D Airflow—and a helpful aid for showing scale. (Cat weighs approximately 15 pounds.)
Given how much room you have to work with, building in this case should be a cinch. The front can easily accommodate both hulking graphics cards and thick radiators. While you can’t populate both the side fan bracket and the front fan bracket with radiators at the same time, you can still fit a lot of cooling into this case—up to 10 120mm fans, if you so chose, or a slightly reduced assortment of both 120mm and 140mm fans.
The 5000 series cases can be a little fiddly when removing and installing the power supply shroud accessories, as well as the cable bar pre-installed in the case. But overall, Corsair’s current approach to modularity is smart and a win for both the company and consumers—the ability to mix and match panels means you can lean more pragmatic (solid panels or airflow panels for the top or front to deal with noise or temperatures) or showy (tempered glass panels for the top or front) as your circumstances change.
For more details on this new lineup of cases, along with building tips and a side-by-side comparison with the 4000 series, be sure to watch the video. The Corsair 5000D, 5000D Airflow, and 5000X are available in both black and white starting January 14, with an MSRP of $165 for the 5000D models and $190 for the 5000X.