Corsair Forgot How to Make a Case: 6500D Airflow & 6500X Review

Gamers Nexus
27 May 202429:29

Summary

TLDRThis video review critiques the design and functionality of Corsair's 6500 series cases, highlighting several flaws. The review points out issues such as incompatible drive cage and motherboard designs, loose-fitting filters, and poor material choices leading to sagging mesh panels. Despite some positive design elements and customization options, the cases fail to impress overall. The video concludes that while Corsair aims for versatile and long-lasting designs, these cases fall short compared to other available options in the same price range, making them less appealing choices for buyers.

Takeaways

  • 🤔 The Corsair 6500 series cases are described as 'unfocused' with multiple shortcomings and a mix of good and bad design choices.
  • 🔧 Compatibility issues are noted with backconnect motherboards, indicating a lack of integrated design planning for such motherboards.
  • 📏 The case has a mix of sturdy and cheap materials, with mesh panels that are particularly flimsy and prone to sagging.
  • 💨 The air filters are large and loosely fitted, lacking sufficient support, and there's an aftermarket plastic structure to prevent them from being sucked into the fans.
  • 💡 The case design features a 'valley effect' with heavy steel on top but uses cheap plastic for the mesh panels, leading to a sagging issue.
  • 🔨 Some aspects of the case show attention to detail, such as the yellow accents on USB ports and washers, but these are inconsistent and sometimes appear as mistakes.
  • 📄 Documentation for the case is scattered and inconsistent, with some features like open-loop hardware support being undocumented.
  • 💰 The Corsair 6500 series cases are priced at $200 each without included fans, positioning them in a competitive market segment.
  • 🛠️ Corsair is praised for keeping the affordable case market alive with the 4000D and 5000D, but the 6500 series seems to lack the innovation seen in previous models.
  • 🔄 The case's side panel has a design flaw causing it to sag, with a metal strap added as a guide to help align it correctly when attached.
  • 🛑 The overall sentiment is that while there are some positive features and touches, the Corsair 6500 series cases fail to excel in any particular area and have notable design and material quality issues.

Q & A

  • What is the main criticism of the Corsair 6500 series cases?

    -The main criticism is that the cases feel unfocused, with design elements that seem to have been added in isolation, leading to compatibility issues and a lack of cohesion in the overall design.

  • How does the drive cage design in the Corsair 6500 series affect motherboard compatibility?

    -The drive cage was designed without consideration for backconnect motherboards, resulting in a compromised design where the EPS 12V cable cutout interferes with the drive cage, eliminating a drive cage mount.

  • What issues were found with the air filters in the Corsair 6500 series cases?

    -The air filters are large and loosely fitted without sufficient support, leading to a design flaw where a large piece of plastic is needed to prevent the fans from sucking the filter in, and the mesh panels are flimsy and prone to sagging.

  • How does the Corsair 6500 series compare to other dual chamber cases in terms of weight?

    -The Corsair 6500 series cases are quite heavy for a case, with much of the weight coming from the swappable steel panels, which can be exchanged for lighter aluminum panels to reduce weight.

  • What is the problem with the documentation provided with the Corsair 6500 series cases?

    -The documentation is inconsistent and scattered, making it difficult to find specific information. Additionally, support for open loop hardware is technically there but not well documented.

  • What are some of the positive features of the Corsair 6500 series cases?

    -Positive features include the yellow accent on the USB ports and washers for some screws, the availability of add-on kits like the rapid route kit and elite panel kits, and the ease of removing the bar between the power supply chamber and side fan mount.

  • How does the Corsair 6500 series cases perform thermally compared to other cases?

    -The Corsair 6500 series cases have varying thermal performance depending on the configuration, with the bottom intake configuration generally performing better for both CPU and GPU thermals, and being quieter.

  • What is the price range of the Corsair 6500 series cases?

    -The Corsair 6500 series cases are priced at $200 each, with no fans included.

  • What alternatives to the Corsair 6500 series cases are mentioned in the script?

    -Alternatives mentioned include the Lian Li DK-01 Dynamic Evo series, the Hades Y60 and Y70, the Montech K95 Pro, and the Antec C8 AR ARGB.

  • What is the general sentiment towards the Corsair 6500 series cases in the script?

    -The general sentiment is critical, with the script highlighting several design flaws and shortcomings, despite acknowledging some positive features and the case's potential.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ Design Flaws and Compatibility Issues

The Corsair 6500 series case is criticized for being unfocused, with design elements that appear to be an afterthought. The drive cage and backconnect motherboard compatibility are poorly integrated, leading to a loss of a drive cage mount due to a pass-through hole for cables. The case's filters are described as large and loosely fitted, requiring an aftermarket plastic structure to prevent them from being sucked into the fans. The use of heavy steel in some areas contrasts with cheap-feeling mesh panels that sag, indicating a lack of reinforcement. The case also has inconsistent documentation and lacks clear support for open-loop hardware, despite Corsair's own line of such products. The 6500 series is positioned as a safe, timeless design that fits industry trends but is seen as a departure from Corsair's earlier innovative approach to case design.

05:00

📈 Market Strategy and Design Philosophy

Corsair's strategy with the 6500 series is to create a case that remains relevant and salable over several years, spreading R&D and tooling costs. This approach is typical for larger companies and has benefits, despite sometimes being criticized. The 6500 series is seen as a spiritual successor to the Corsair 680 but with improvements. Corsair is commended for keeping the affordable case market alive with the 4000D and 5000D models. The company's design philosophy now seems focused on creating cases that fit with current trends rather than setting them, a shift from their earlier aggressive market positioning with distinctive designs like the C70 and 780T. The 6500 series is part of Corsair's move towards more mainstream, safe designs that can maintain their appeal over time.

10:02

🔍 Detailed Critique of Design Elements

The script delves into specific design criticisms of the Corsair 6500 series, including issues with backconnect motherboard compatibility that feels like an afterthought, awkward gaps, and a hard drive cage that interferes with power supply mounting. There's also mention of the case's heavy weight due to swappable panels, and the contrast between sturdy materials and cheap, poorly assembled parts. Small oversights, such as the lack of vibration damping for the 3.5-inch mounting and the sagging mesh panels, are highlighted. The case's filters are criticized for being bulbous and loosely fitted, requiring additional structures to prevent them from being sucked into the fans. The script also notes the case's heavy steel components and the availability of various add-ons, such as cable management kits and elite panel kits, which are seen as interesting ideas but not necessarily essential.

15:03

📐 Design and Functionality Concerns

The script discusses concerns with the case's design and functionality, such as the side panel's lack of rigidity leading to a sagging appearance and the potential for paint scratches. It also mentions the case's trademarked fan screws, which are a nice touch but indicative of a broader issue where attention to detail is inconsistent. The accessory kit is praised for its color-matched splitter and I/O cables, as well as the well-designed rubber grommets. However, the ease of removing the bar between the power supply chamber and side fan mount is highlighted as a manufacturing letdown. The case's thermal testing methodology is explained, with the 6500 series showing variable performance depending on fan configuration and intake direction. The case's thermal performance is compared to other dual-chamber cases, with some configurations performing better in terms of noise and temperature.

20:06

🌡️ Thermal Performance and Comparison

The script provides a detailed analysis of the Corsair 6500 series' thermal performance, comparing it to other cases in the market. It notes that the 6500 series performs well in certain configurations, particularly with bottom intake, but lags behind competitors like the Lian Li O11D Evo XL and the Fractal Torrent in terms of GPU thermals. The importance of fan placement and type is highlighted, with the Corsair cases generally being louder and hotter compared to the Torrent. The script also discusses the impact of removing panels on thermal performance, showing significant improvements when airflow paths are unobstructed. The 6500 series is positioned as a mid-range option that offers decent thermals but does not lead the pack in this aspect.

25:08

🏁 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

The final paragraph summarizes the overall impression of the Corsair 6500 series, describing it as unfocused and a product of a committee-driven design process. It suggests that Corsair has lost its way in recent years with case design, trying to accommodate too many features without excelling in any particular area. The script recommends other cases in the same price range that offer better value or are more thoughtfully designed, such as the Lian Li PC-O11D, the INWIN F5, and the Montech K95. It concludes by stating that while there are aspects of the 6500 series that are interesting, there are too many good alternatives available that make it a less attractive option for purchase.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Backconnect motherboards

Backconnect motherboards refer to a design where the cables exit from the back of the motherboard, allowing for a cleaner cable management and aesthetic. In the script, the case's compatibility with backconnect motherboards is discussed as a feature, but it is criticized for being an afterthought in the design process, leading to awkward gaps and a non-intuitive implementation.

💡Drive cage

A drive cage is a framework within a computer case that holds storage drives such as hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs). The script mentions a design flaw where the drive cage was seemingly designed in isolation from other components, causing issues with cable management and storage options, particularly with backconnect motherboards.

💡Corsair 6500 series

The Corsair 6500 series refers to a line of computer cases from Corsair, a company known for its PC components and peripherals. The video script reviews two models within this series: the 6500 X with a glass front panel and the 6500 D with a mesh front panel for better airflow. These cases are the central focus of the video, with their design, features, and performance being critiqued.

💡Dual chamber design

A dual chamber design in computer cases separates the area for the power supply and storage drives from the main compartment where the motherboard, CPU, and GPU reside. This design is intended to improve airflow and reduce clutter. The script mentions that Corsair was not a follower but a pioneer in this design trend with its previous Carbide Air 540 model.

💡Mesh panels

Mesh panels in a computer case are perforated sheets that allow air to pass through for cooling while also providing a certain level of aesthetic. The script criticizes the mesh panels on the Corsair 6500 series for being flimsy and sagging, which is a departure from the otherwise sturdy construction of the case.

💡Thermal Grizzly

Thermal Grizzly is a brand known for its thermal pastes used for CPU cooling. The script mentions Thermal Grizzly's aeronaut and hydronaut thermal pastes, which are used to improve heat transfer between the CPU and its cooler. The mention serves as an advertisement and is part of the video's introduction.

💡ATX BTF (All-in-One Battle Tested Frame)

ATX BTF refers to a type of motherboard that is designed to be part of a larger, integrated system. The script discusses the limited compatibility of the Corsair 6500 series with such motherboards, suggesting that the case could have been better designed to accommodate these specialized components.

💡Radiator mounts

Radiator mounts in a computer case are the locations where liquid cooling radiators can be installed. The script notes that the 6500 series cases have radiator mounts that can support 360mm radiators without conflict, which is a positive feature for users interested in liquid cooling solutions.

💡Side fan mount

A side fan mount is a location on a computer case designed to hold a fan for improved airflow. The script mentions that the side mount in the 6500 series is limited to 120mm fans only, which could be a limitation for users who prefer larger fans for better cooling.

💡Noise normalized thermal results

Noise normalized thermal results refer to a testing methodology where the fan speeds are adjusted to achieve a consistent noise level, allowing for a fair comparison of thermal performance across different cases. The script uses this method to compare the thermal performance of the Corsair 6500 series cases with others.

💡Open loop hardware

Open loop hardware refers to custom liquid cooling systems where the components are not part of a sealed unit, allowing for greater customization and potentially better cooling performance. The script notes that the Corsair 6500 series cases appear to have mounting holes for open loop hardware but lack clear documentation or support for it.

Highlights

The case has design problems, particularly the drive cage designed in isolation from motherboard compatibility.

Corsair's filters on the case are large and loose-fitting without sufficient integrated support.

Corsair used heavy steel on the top with a thick structure, but went cheap with the mesh panels, resulting in sagging.

The documentation for the case is inconsistent and scattered, making it difficult to find specific information.

The Corsair 6500 cases are $200 each and do not include fans.

The styling of these dual chamber cases feels familiar to other cases like the Montech K95 and the Antec C8 AR ARGB.

Corsair has a history of unique case designs, such as the Carbide Air 540, but has shifted to safer, trend-following styles recently.

The drive cage and back-connect motherboard support were designed in isolation, causing compatibility issues.

Corsair's open loop hardware is technically supported but not well documented.

The mesh panels on the case are fragile and prone to sagging over time.

Corsair included several add-ons for the 6500 series, like the rapid route kit, glass kits, and vertical GPU mount kits.

The side fan and radiator mount is well-designed but limited to 120mm fans.

The case lacks included fans, but Corsair provides their trademarked 'quick turn' screws, which are easier to use.

The accessory kit includes color-matched splitter for the front panel connections and double-shot molded rubber grommets.

Thermal testing shows the case performs well with standardized fans, but the front intake configuration is the best for CPU thermals.

Transcripts

00:00

in one word this case is unfocused it

00:03

has a few problems it's got a mess of

00:05

solutions and one of them is that it

00:08

seems like the drive cage was designed

00:10

in isolation from the back connect

00:13

motherboard compatibility so for example

00:17

because this case is trying to support

00:19

those boards that have cables going into

00:21

the back they've carved out this pass

00:24

through hole in the back wall of the

00:27

motherboard tray that then has to pass

00:29

through through the drive cage which

00:32

then passes through the drive cage sled

00:35

if you want to keep it in there and

00:37

eliminates a drive cage Mount so it's

00:39

like the two were designed in isolation

00:41

of each other but that's not the only

00:43

shortcoming here additionally corsairs

00:45

filters on the case are large and loose

00:48

fitting without sufficient integrated

00:49

support as you can see here and they've

00:52

got this huge piece of aftermarket

00:55

plastic structure that we've branded

00:58

corsair's oh moment of product

01:01

design where they already got through

01:02

and designed everything else and needed

01:04

a solution to stop the fans from sucking

01:07

this large loose filter into the

01:11

fans God damn it of course I also used

01:14

heavy Steel on the top with this thick

01:16

structure to create this exaggerated

01:18

Valley effect down the center but went

01:21

really cheap with the mesh panels like

01:24

that nice bending effect uh but that's

01:28

because they've reinforced all of the

01:30

mesh panels with instead of Steel and

01:33

metal like they have ample amounts of up

01:36

here plastic and the end result is that

01:39

every mesh panel on this case sags this

01:41

is as charitable as possible cuz I'm not

01:43

going to hold it up this is the normal

01:46

orientation and it's got quite a radius

01:49

on it bending like a banana as can pin

01:52

would say in fact even the top panel

01:54

does this where if we hold this

01:57

one you can see the SAG right in the

02:00

middle there it's like Corsair saw what

02:02

they were doing with video cards and

02:04

thought they'd jump in except there's

02:07

not like four pounds of heat sink

02:08

attached to this of course there has

02:10

some nice touches on this case like the

02:11

yellow Accent on the USB ports and on

02:14

the washer for some of the screws but

02:16

they didn't follow this through like

02:17

they've done in years past so typically

02:20

they've also done a yellowing on the

02:22

pull tab or in some other small areas of

02:25

the case that show an intentional

02:27

attention to detail and by on the front

02:30

of the case really only showing it in

02:31

those USB ports has the opposite effect

02:34

where they make it look like a mistake

02:36

like it's some left over Port from the

02:38

9s there's also a documentation problem

02:41

with the case where one it's not

02:42

consistent between its materials uh two

02:44

they're kind of scattered but it's a

02:46

good idea it just wasn't executed well

02:48

and then three open loop Hardware is

02:51

technically supported it's just not

02:53

documented very well so these are the

02:55

Corsair 6500 cases one's the 6500 x with

02:58

the glass one is the 65 500d airflow

03:01

with the mesh front panel today we're

03:03

reviewing them these are $200 each no

03:05

fans included in either one of these

03:07

before that this video is brought to you

03:08

by thermal Grizzly's aeronaut and

03:10

hydronaut thermal pastes aeronaut is

03:12

thermal Grizzly's entry-level thermal

03:14

solution marketed as resistant to curing

03:16

and for long-term endurance hydronaut is

03:19

thermal Grizzly's Next Step Up targeted

03:21

for overclocking and higher performance

03:23

applications we've used hydronaut on a

03:25

lot of our systems internally over the

03:27

years you can learn more at the link in

03:29

the description below the styling of

03:31

these dual chamber cases feels familiar

03:33

to the family another 0d a montech

03:37

k95 uh the game Max hype the another 01

03:43

the antec

03:45

C8 AR argb

03:47

[Music]

03:49

Edition but despite fitting in with this

03:52

trend corser isn't actually a follower

03:54

here it actually came before all of

03:56

these and it was with the carbide air

03:58

540 and they had others that were dual

03:59

chamber as well I wrote about the air

04:01

540 in 2013 and it's been a few years

04:07

but about 10 to 12 years ago Corsair was

04:10

fighting fiercely in the case Market the

04:12

Corsair C70 and its edgy military

04:14

theming had some highlights like a flip

04:16

up button cover and heavyduty panel

04:18

latches Corsair had the bulbous 600t and

04:22

the popular 780t lately they've moved

04:25

away from styling and featured

04:26

development in the case industry and

04:28

these days cors strategy seems to be to

04:31

make safe styles that follow or fit in

04:34

with Trends in the industry the Corsair

04:36

4000d gets huge credit though for

04:38

keeping the more affordable case Market

04:40

alive and the 5000d remains available

04:42

and was corsair's last mid-range case

04:44

launched in 20121 it seems like

04:46

corsair's strategy with the 4,000 5000d

04:49

7000d and with these is to build and

04:52

design a case that is relatively

04:54

Timeless for an era something that's

04:56

safe so they can launch the market and

04:59

in 3 years

05:00

they can still sell it for roughly the

05:01

same price that allows them to spread

05:03

the R&D and tooling cost over more years

05:05

and it's a big company move of course

05:08

there's a big company now it's somewhere

05:10

around three times the size it was

05:12

minimally for employee account compared

05:14

to when the air 540 came out it's

05:16

different now but big company moves

05:19

despite being sometimes character at

05:21

list can have their advantages as well

05:23

so the 6500 series it feels like a

05:25

spiritual successor in some ways to the

05:27

Corsair 680 but improved before we get

05:29

into more detail on it we need some

05:31

Alternatives alternatives to this case

05:32

include the lean lee1 Dynamic Evo series

05:35

the height y60 and y70 non-touch that we

05:37

just reviewed on the channel if you want

05:38

to check it out the k95 pro from montech

05:41

the antec C8 AR argb and that's just

05:44

some of the recent dual chamber cases

05:47

all in the same general form factor and

05:49

price category and we've got fresh data

05:51

for each of those from our recent height

05:52

y70 review to compare that we'll look at

05:54

today in our new ATX case testing

05:56

methodology and looking big picture

05:58

first this case is pretty heavy for a

06:01

case everything I'm showing today are

06:03

very heavy and a lot of that weight

06:05

comes from these swappable panels so the

06:08

front and the top here can be exchanged

06:10

they've got a couple variants one of

06:12

them is aluminum this just by default is

06:15

steel and swapping this if you look at

06:18

how thick that steel is swapping that

06:21

for an aluminum panel actually has a

06:23

meaningful weight reduction if you

06:25

needed an example of why companies will

06:28

often go to aluminum for weight this is

06:31

the perfect one the 6500 though it's

06:33

interesting because it feels like this

06:36

combination of sturdy and relatively

06:38

quality feeling materials in assembly

06:40

with really cheap and really bad

06:43

materials in assembly let's start with

06:45

some of the small weirder oversights the

06:46

first weird one is compatibility with

06:48

backconnect motherboards corsair's

06:50

trying to satisfy this demand but the

06:52

whole thing feels like an afterthought

06:53

that started partway through design

06:55

maybe for corporate political Capital to

06:57

please their Partners in the ecosystem

06:58

Corsair included a full set of cutouts

07:00

for normal ATX boards and back connect

07:02

Mini ITX Micro ATX and ATX motherboards

07:04

from both Asus and MSI Corsair is pretty

07:07

confident in its abilities in this

07:09

regard re-engineering is such a crucial

07:11

part of case design for entirely new

07:13

standards without compromising something

07:15

else obviously isn't easy but at the

07:18

same time we are Corsair so it was

07:21

absolutely fine so the problem with all

07:22

this unfolds here there's an awkward Gap

07:25

underneath where the power supply mounts

07:26

it mounts here it doesn't make much

07:28

sense feels like just kind of a

07:31

byproduct of something they were trying

07:33

to do rather than intentional the hard

07:35

drive

07:36

cage gets in the way so you've got this

07:40

cutout through the hard drive cage for

07:42

the EPS 12vt cables and back connect

07:44

boards but if we bring the camera down a

07:46

little bit you'll see the normal cutout

07:48

for the normal EPS 12vt that doesn't get

07:51

in the way this is why cors are punched

07:53

what seems like an otherwise completely

07:55

random hole through the hard drive cage

07:56

which isn't discussed in the manual at

07:58

all they have two 2 and A2 for 3 and 1/2

08:00

in Sleds on the drive cage and two 2 and

08:01

1/2 in mounts on the side which Corsair

08:03

calls quote expansive storage options

08:06

but if you use one of corsair's rotated

08:08

shift power supplies which has been

08:09

specifically sh at the 6500 series the

08:11

hard drive cage must be removed

08:13

completely eliminating all official

08:15

drive support from the case all of it no

08:17

drives except nvme or whatever you lay

08:20

on the floor of the case if you just

08:22

route CPU power cables through the cage

08:24

but without a shift power supply one of

08:26

the sleds is unusable there's another

08:28

spot in the bottom of the case where you

08:29

could Force One of the 2 and 1/2 in

08:31

mounts with some bending but it's not

08:32

officially supported we recommend using

08:34

the sleds inside the drive cage first

08:36

since cabling for the mounts on the side

08:38

can press against the side panel and

08:40

you've already seen how flimsy that is

08:42

the 3 and 1/2 in mounting is tooless but

08:44

it lacks vibration damping so another

08:46

place for improvement so they designed

08:47

for drives and they designed for back

08:50

connect motherboards but they didn't

08:52

design for both of them at least not

08:55

properly not in a way that seems like it

08:56

was all intentional they're made an

08:58

isolation of of each other where one

09:01

causes compromises with the other and

09:03

yet there's all this extra space in the

09:05

backside that seems like it just could

09:07

have been used more thoughtfully for

09:09

open Loops there appear to be pump or

09:11

Reservoir mounting holes next to the

09:12

expansion slots and a drain hole at the

09:14

bottom of the case we say appear to be

09:16

because corser doesn't mention these

09:18

features in the online manual there's no

09:20

physical manual at least not with ours

09:22

or the reviewer guide or the jumble of

09:25

tagged posts on their website that tries

09:27

to be a extra manual or something this

09:30

is a premium case with showcase glass

09:33

panels as they say made by a company

09:35

that has its own line of open loop

09:37

Hardware but corsair's only

09:39

acknowledgement of op Loop Hardware in a

09:41

6500 is in this video and the article

09:44

that accompanies it Corsair needs to

09:47

organize its materials there are

09:49

genuinely helpful blog posts for this

09:51

case but finding specific information is

09:54

a chore let's bring it back to the

09:55

filters so the 6500 series it's got

09:57

filters in a couple places for the

09:59

there's one in the mesh front panel with

10:01

the mesh itself so there's that metal

10:03

layer then this really fine almost kind

10:05

of invisible nylon style filter except

10:08

it's not invisible because you can see

10:10

that it is it is bulbous it's like the

10:14

precursor to Bulbasaur or something

10:16

there's another filter over here on this

10:18

side there's one in the top there's a

10:20

pullout filter in the bottom which is a

10:22

little more standard these panels are

10:24

already all kind of bowed I mean you can

10:25

see this one pretty clearly as we talked

10:28

about earlier but you've got the extra

10:30

problem of such a large piece of mesh

10:32

with no reinforcement whatsoever and

10:35

then as we said earlier this piece is

10:37

designed to move around which is

10:39

interesting uh maybe that for the power

10:41

supply over here or something but in

10:44

either case uh this is clearly to stop

10:48

that filter from just getting sucked

10:50

into the side mounted fans and causing

10:52

new problems so uh all of these seem

10:55

like they are going to Sag with time and

10:57

we like airf flow and we like Corsair

10:58

trying ventle Motif but the mesh panels

11:01

are unpleasantly fragile it's a strange

11:04

contrast with the complete Overkill

11:06

armor plating another areas where you've

11:08

got steel it seems like it could stop a

11:09

bullet since all the panels snap into

11:11

place removing them requires prying them

11:14

up on one side which unavoidably curls

11:17

them interestingly Corsair also has

11:19

quite a few add-ons available for the

11:20

6500 and we actually don't hate all of

11:23

them there's some interesting ideas here

11:24

there's a rapid route kit of cable

11:26

channels and velcro ties that cost $15

11:29

there's a glass kit to convert the 6500d

11:31

airf flow to a 6500 X that's $35 a

11:35

vertical GPU mount kits available with a

11:37

riser cable for 75 bucks there's a

11:39

wooden Elite panel kit and then the

11:42

black or silver aluminum Elite panel

11:44

kits which are $100 the wood one at 75

11:47

we'd like to see the rapid route kit

11:49

included with the case we noticed that

11:51

some of the included twist ties are the

11:53

type that disintegrate like you get on a

11:55

bag of bread the elite panel kits

11:57

replace four plates on the 6500d air

11:58

flow three on the 6500 X the stock

12:00

plates are extremely heavy they're 3.2

12:02

mm thick steel the single plate that the

12:05

io attaches to weighs 1.3 Kg on its own

12:08

while its aluminum equivalent weighs 0.4

12:10

kg fresh out of the box the 6500 X

12:12

weighs 14.5 kg and the 6500d air flow

12:15

weighs 14.8 kg with the non-structural

12:19

plates making up a large share of those

12:20

numbers the case is pretty heavy now if

12:22

you're watching this and you're like

12:24

that's a lot of kilograms I don't know

12:26

what those are you can do like one of

12:27

our commenters did previously and

12:29

unironically say why do you hate Freedom

12:31

use inches and to that I would say we

12:34

have a full blog post that will give you

12:37

the measurements in cubits furons Reams

12:40

and choirs hopefully one of those is

12:42

useful to

12:43

you I didn't write a blog post you can

12:45

just go to Google and convert it but

12:48

those are all real measurements

12:49

installing an elite panel kit isn't

12:51

complicated although it's hard to access

12:53

the screws on the front plate it is

12:54

pretty straightforward though the

12:56

tolerances on our sample were tight with

12:58

minimal gaps between the plates and

12:59

around the io ports this is great and

13:01

one of the better places of attention to

13:03

detail from cor a despite the

13:05

shortcomings the side fan and the

13:06

radiator Mount is held in with a single

13:08

screw and the tray can be screwed down

13:10

without being hooked into place properly

13:12

which stood out to us as one example

13:14

where corser manufacturing rather than

13:16

its design let us down on the case this

13:19

Mount is 120 mm only but there would

13:21

have been space to fit a 140mm mount

13:24

without expanding the case on to the

13:26

less negative features of the case so uh

13:28

the side and bottom mounts for radiators

13:31

can both support 360 mm radiators

13:35

without being in conflict with each

13:36

other which is great installing fans and

13:38

a radiator in the bottom mount will

13:40

reduce access to the bottom of ATX

13:42

motherboards but Corsair has oriented

13:44

the cable cutouts in this location so

13:46

that they can't be blocked that's also

13:48

excellent the front mount in the 6500d

13:51

airf flow does have some overlap with

13:53

the bottom mount so we recommend

13:55

focusing on the bottom and the side for

13:57

liquid coolant some positives with the

13:59

right side panel as well for both of

14:00

these first of all the gap between the

14:03

front and the Side Glass here these two

14:05

pieces is really well done the

14:08

tolerances are super tight they fit

14:10

together really flly that's good also on

14:13

the back over here there is a screw to

14:18

hold things in place so we like seeing

14:20

that it is lacking a way to fully secure

14:22

the panel so it can still swing open but

14:24

at least they've got something basic in

14:26

there now there are some downsides to

14:28

the side panel so as a quick aside point

14:33

out

14:33

the just I mean I I don't even know just

14:36

look at it I guess I don't need to say

14:38

anything this is when it's not socketed

14:41

clearly and it's just it's lacking some

14:43

of that structure that rigidity to help

14:45

bring it up to stay level and it

14:48

actually looks like as pointed out by

14:51

vital behind the camera this is

14:53

something that Corsair became aware of

14:55

during the design process because they

14:57

strapped this piece of ch hampered metal

14:59

to the bottom so that when it starts to

15:03

approach it will collide with that

15:05

bottom lip and then guide it up and in

15:10

in case the user is just pushing without

15:13

much thought so as you can see it

15:15

eventually gets it there definitely just

15:18

a weird place to have a cheaper feeling

15:21

so while it's a positive that they have

15:22

a guide if it gets misaligned it's a

15:24

negative that they need one and as it

15:26

sags more and more it could just scratch

15:28

the paint anyway there are no fans

15:30

included with the two less expensive

15:32

6,500 SKS that we're covering here but

15:34

even so Corsair has included fan screws

15:36

and they're

15:37

trademarked they trademarked

15:40

screws allow me to introduce the new one

15:44

twist quick turn registered TM where

15:49

quick is spelled

15:51

wrong it's a screw just to be clear it's

15:56

trademarked has a name we're mentioning

15:58

them though because corser went through

15:59

the trouble of painting the screw heads

16:01

which is actually nice if they spent

16:03

that level of attention on other places

16:05

it would be a much better case the

16:07

positive is that these are much faster

16:09

to use and again they include them

16:11

anyway the accessory kit also includes a

16:13

color matched splitter for the front

16:15

panel Connections in case your

16:16

motherboard doesn't have the usual

16:18

layout the I/O cables are all color

16:20

matched as well with our white case

16:22

which is another touch that we liked and

16:24

the rubber grommets are double shot

16:25

molded with the inner portion made from

16:28

a more Flex ible material while the

16:30

outer Rin is rigid enough to keep the

16:32

grommet from popping out this works and

16:34

it's excellent attention to detail but

16:36

it also means that the white grommets

16:38

are slightly different for shade around

16:40

the edges we overall like this element

16:42

of detail though finally the bar between

16:44

the power supply chamber and the side

16:45

fan Mount is extremely easy to remove

16:48

and it's well designed the entire front

16:50

panel comes off without much effort

16:51

although that's another thing you'll

16:52

need to dig through the coair blogs for

16:55

now for thermal testing this is with all

16:57

of our new methodology which we've been

16:58

really excited about so we showed the

17:00

most recent version of it in our height

17:02

y70 non-touch review it's on the channel

17:04

you should check it out lay some of the

17:06

groundwork we made some changes from the

17:07

fractal North XL methodology basically

17:10

the changes were we wanted to increase

17:11

the heat load make it a little more

17:13

challenging for the cases and so we've

17:15

done that uh for this so since it

17:17

doesn't come with any fans we've used

17:19

our standardized set of fans this is the

17:21

solution we've chosen when a cases

17:23

fanless we use the same ones for all of

17:25

them and for all of the fanless cases

17:28

that is and then we do have a chart that

17:30

uses only standardized fans none of the

17:32

included ones that's all explained as we

17:34

walk through The Thermals this case is a

17:35

little different though the exception is

17:37

that the side mount only fits 120 mm

17:39

fans so for side intake tests we changed

17:41

out the usual two noct 140 fans for two

17:44

Arctic p12 Max fans we'll start with

17:47

noise normalized thermal results which

17:48

are gathered by lowering the case fan

17:50

speeds for the included fans until the

17:52

total noise level hits 27 DBA measured

17:55

in our Hemi anic Chamber from 1 M

17:58

directly in front of the case we leave

18:00

the CPU and the GPU fan speeds

18:02

undisturbed for all cases now we noise

18:04

normalize configuration separately but

18:06

there was only a tiny difference in

18:08

noise levels between the 6500 x with

18:10

side intake and the 6500d airflow with

18:13

side intake so those two configurations

18:15

used the same fan speed for CPU thermals

18:17

amongst the Corsair cases and using the

18:19

standardized fans since these don't

18:21

include any the straightforward front

18:23

intake configuration for the 6500d

18:25

airflow came out on top at 48° C above

18:28

ambient for the average all core CPU

18:30

temperature and 52° for the Pees alone

18:33

the two cases were warmer with side

18:35

intake with both averaging about 49° all

18:38

core and 53 for the Pees bottom intake

18:41

in the 6500 X was the worst among them

18:43

since incoming air was blocked by the

18:45

GPU in total though the bottom to top

18:48

range between all the Co Air

18:50

configurations for all core CPU average

18:52

was less than 3° within the 6500 series

18:55

The Bottom intake configuration directed

18:57

less noise towards our microphone for

18:59

testing which meant the fan speeds

19:01

didn't need to be reduced as much to hit

19:03

the noise normalized threshold this is

19:05

actually awesome because this is a huge

19:07

advantage of the change we made with the

19:11

noise chamber we wouldn't have been able

19:12

to identify these types of really minor

19:14

differences before and now we can and so

19:17

we get to see a a different picture of

19:19

things which is that because the bottom

19:20

int configuration now as measurable as

19:22

not directing as much noise towards the

19:24

mic we're able to see that it helped out

19:25

the performance here to have that

19:26

slightly higher RPM but still hit noise

19:28

normalized both of these 6500 SKS are

19:30

$200 which puts them close to the $220

19:32

height y70 for CPU thermals the 6500 x

19:35

with bottom intake tied the y70 with

19:37

bottom intake and both 6500s with side

19:39

intake nearly tied the y70 with side

19:42

intake the y70 isn't capable of front

19:44

intake so the 6500d airflow has an

19:46

advantage in being able to more directly

19:48

Target the cooler with this specific

19:51

test bench it's going to change a little

19:52

bit so if you have like a massive aiio

19:54

different scenario among our dual

19:56

chamber case results the St leyd Evo XL

20:00

did best at 43° all core and 47p core

20:03

and both it and the montech k95 pro beat

20:06

all of the 6500 series results the anex

20:09

C8 AR argb with its stock bottom intake

20:11

configuration performed nearly the same

20:13

as the y70 and the 6500 a with bottom

20:15

intake ignoring dual Chambers the

20:17

fractal torrent Remains the goat here

20:20

this chart is for GPU load thermals with

20:22

the stock case fans or those we've added

20:24

to empty cases at full speed the 6500 X

20:27

averaged 45 celsus above ambient on the

20:30

GPU with bottom intake while the 6500d

20:32

air flow with front intake averaged 49°

20:35

both of these results were gathered with

20:37

the standard noctua fans uh there aren't

20:39

any p12 Max results on this chge the

20:42

bottom intake configuration benefits GPU

20:44

thermals as well as noise levels from

20:45

the front with the 6500 X running both

20:47

cooler and quieter at 35.6 DBA versus

20:50

the 6500d air flow at 40.8 remember the

20:53

last chart though CPU cooling was better

20:55

with front intake front intake with a

20:57

6500d air flow made it louder than the

20:58

rest of the dual chamber cases on the

21:00

chart all of which were tested with side

21:02

or bottom intake but didn't put it up at

21:04

the same level of GPU performance as the

21:05

similarly loud 42.3 DBA torrent the

21:08

torrent remains unbelievably good here

21:10

keeping in mind that this is with

21:12

included fans and it has an advantage

21:14

there but even from a noise efficiency

21:16

standpoint it's doing well from the

21:17

perspective of GPU thermals the 6500d

21:20

was both hot and Loud during this test

21:22

the 11d Evo XL was about 1 DBA quieter

21:24

and 1° cooler while the ca AR argb and

21:27

the y70 with side intake were both at

21:30

least 1 DB louder and at least 4° cooler

21:33

this chart covers our standardized fan

21:35

test where all cases use the same set of

21:37

noct to fans at full speed these are not

21:39

noise normalized but they do use the

21:41

same fan speeds throughout the case

21:42

bottom intake in the 6500 X was still

21:44

worse for CP thermals than front intake

21:46

in the 6500d at 47° all core versus 41

21:49

it's a big difference it makes sense but

21:51

it is a large difference removing the

21:53

front panel from the 6500d showed what a

21:55

difference an unobstructed airflow path

21:57

can make with an all core average of

22:00

37° and P core average of 41 that's

22:03

cooler than any other logged results for

22:04

both metrics this is noteworthy because

22:07

we've removed all of that double

22:08

filtering so an improvement of say 4° is

22:11

relatively large from the impedance of

22:13

those filters and the mesh double

22:15

stacked sorted by CPU thermals the best

22:17

results for course there are with front

22:19

intake then side intake then bottom

22:21

intake and then there's almost no

22:23

deviation from that order competing

22:25

cases without removing panels would have

22:26

been the lean Le 11d Evo

22:29

as advantaged as with the Evo XL and the

22:32

torrent also advantaged even without its

22:34

huge 180 mm fans back to the original

22:36

noise normalized results but focusing on

22:38

GPU thermals rather than CPU the bottom

22:41

intake configuration for the 6500 X was

22:43

the clear winner at 44° above ambient on

22:46

average with the two side intake results

22:48

again within variance of each other

22:50

around 45° and front intake in last

22:52

place at 47 the C8 argb was the clear

22:55

winner among dual chamber cases at 42°

22:57

average and an impressive result and

22:59

attributable to antech decisions on its

23:01

fan placement and type the bottom in

23:03

take y70 configuration came close to the

23:05

6500 X at 45° back to the standardized

23:08

fan chart the 6500 series's GPU thermals

23:11

didn't compare as well as all the fans

23:14

matched and running at full speed the

23:16

6500 X bottom intake result at 45 Dees

23:18

above ENT was the best among the 6500

23:21

series which is beaten by the o1d Evo XL

23:23

and the y70 bottom intake at 44° and the

23:26

kid 95 Pro and anex 8 at 43° the y70

23:31

with side intake also did unusually well

23:32

here at 41° average Fe M thermals for

23:35

the 6500 X fell within a tight 33 to 35

23:37

degree range above ambient for the most

23:39

part with the bottom intake 6500 X on

23:41

the cool end and the two side intake

23:43

results tied at the high end the SPD Hub

23:45

thermals from memory were also tied with

23:47

the two side intake configurations and

23:49

front and bottom intake results were

23:50

within variance of each other the anex

23:52

C8 remains a strong competitor here with

23:55

its default configuration when noise

23:57

normalized and it does do well for both

23:59

RAM and vrm thermals ahead of that monx

24:01

k95 Pro benefits from a fan count

24:03

blanketing the board with airor despite

24:05

that not working as well in general for

24:07

CPU and GPU thermals with noise

24:08

normalized but still fine overall

24:09

starting with the comparison just

24:10

between these two cases so the 6500d and

24:12

the 6500 X don't have a ton of

24:14

differences between them thermally uh in

24:16

our testing especially when noise

24:18

normalizing and that's for some pretty

24:20

obvious reasons which is that it's not

24:21

like the old days where it was only a

24:23

solid or an airflow front panel and no

24:25

other options for intake now there's

24:27

side bottom options everything else so

24:29

they're pretty similar the key

24:31

differences are the mesh variant does

24:33

have an extra spot of course to mount

24:36

fans and that's because it's got a mesh

24:38

front so that gives some more 140

24:41

millimeter fan mounting options that

24:43

kind of changes things it comes down to

24:44

basically personal preference do you

24:46

value that glass panel versus the 140

24:49

mil mounting locations uh additionally

24:51

on top of what's already in there on the

24:53

side now if you need an ATX BTF or a

24:57

project zero or a mgrc had to check the

25:01

name in for that one again compatible

25:03

case then the list is extremely short

25:06

and it really feels like Corsair should

25:08

have focused we come back to that first

25:10

word that we attributed to these two

25:12

cases which is unfocused if Corsair had

25:15

focused a little more and made it either

25:17

just a this is going to be our back

25:20

compatible cabling whatever they call it

25:22

case then that would have resolved some

25:26

of the shortcomings or at least if they

25:28

had had started the design with that

25:30

plan but they didn't do that because

25:33

then they would sell three cases so the

25:35

other option would be to design ground

25:37

up something that can support the normal

25:39

motherboards and the back connect

25:40

motherboards but not try to I mean it

25:42

seems like they retrofitted this uh mid

25:44

design and if they didn't and people

25:46

from Corsair are watching they're like

25:48

no that's wrong we started with this

25:50

plan then that's even worse that's like

25:53

actually embarrassing because there's

25:54

just there's a lot of wasted space where

25:57

it doesn't make sense the way it was

25:59

designed anyway there's not a lot of

26:00

options for back connect so this is

26:02

maybe one of them for you the Corsair

26:04

6500 series is joined by the jonesb tk3

26:06

the inwin F5 as maybe the most visible

26:09

options made by Third parties not by

26:10

Asus or MSI but if you don't need

26:12

compatibility with the back connect

26:14

motherboards there are cheaper dual

26:15

chamber cases the montech k95 costs as

26:19

little as $90 without fans we've seen

26:21

discounts even lower and it includes an

26:24

optional mesh front panel and the antec

26:26

C8 argb should be available soon for

26:28

less than $200 including those fans for

26:31

the argb variant for that matter all of

26:33

the other dual chamber cases that we've

26:35

tested recently are close to Falling

26:37

within the $200 budget even the lean Le

26:40

Evo XL and the height wise 70 non-touch

26:43

there are things we want to like about

26:44

this case for me personally this case

26:47

different aspects of it feel like

26:49

designed by committee big company things

26:52

let's have multiple meetings and talk

26:54

about design and try to accommodate

26:56

every possible thing that might gener

26:58

generate one sale and squeeze it all

27:00

into a box and call that a product and

27:04

maybe that is maybe I'm ascribing that

27:07

to Corsair just because they're a big

27:08

company so I'm assuming they behave that

27:11

way but at the end of the day that's how

27:12

it feels when it comes out of the box

27:14

and it's sort of inarguable you look at

27:17

it they try to accommodate everything

27:19

they don't do a particularly good job at

27:21

any big picture stuff even though

27:23

there's a lot of like really small

27:25

interesting details like this velcro

27:27

strap the back of the case I've been

27:29

looking at some of the yellow washers on

27:31

the screws on the back stuff like that

27:34

where it's just

27:35

like did apply that everywhere apply

27:38

that to the big picture stuff or a side

27:40

panel where it doesn't look like it's

27:42

something you would find growing on a

27:44

banana tree because that's the curvature

27:46

we've got of that bend it's a hell of a

27:48

Bend I mean this is like Intel CPU IHS

27:52

under clamping levels of Bend that's

27:55

impressive it normally takes a$2 billion

27:58

Fab to do that kind of curvature and

28:00

corser threw it onto a mesh panel so

28:03

again there's there's things that are

28:04

really interesting about this the

28:05

swapping the panels is a nice gimmick a

28:08

gimmick here not used in a denigrating

28:10

way but in a genuine this is a marketing

28:13

tool to generate sales and say Here's a

28:14

different way you can present the case

28:16

it's a nice way to try and do that and

28:18

accommodate some different styles it's

28:19

not enough it's not enough to save the

28:21

case um it's one of those where uh I

28:25

don't hate the whole case I just really

28:27

hate specific parts of it and that's

28:29

enough for if I'm buying a case right

28:31

now there's too many good options in the

28:34

same price category where I'm probably

28:36

not considering this one uh I think

28:39

Patrick feels largely the same way with

28:42

things like the C8 the1 series The Y

28:45

series from height uh The Mont k95 being

28:48

cheaper less lower quality materials in

28:51

some areas but simultaneously better put

28:54

together in a lot of ways so Corsair has

28:57

uh somewhat lost it way over the years

28:59

with case design and they're they're

29:02

trying to design things for longevity

29:04

and they need to focus on just making

29:06

things that are good uh now like in the

29:09

immediate so that's it for this one

29:11

thanks for watching as always subscribe

29:13

for more we have a ton of case reviews

29:14

coming up because we're getting back

29:15

into the swing of things we've got the

29:18

fractal North XL that was with a

29:21

revisional step of our new methodology

29:23

and then we fully deployed it with the

29:25

y7 nonou so go check those out and we'll

29:27

see you all next time

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Related Tags
PC Case ReviewCorsair 6500Design AnalysisThermal TestingDual Chamber CasesBackconnect CompatibilityMesh Front PanelFan MountingATX BTFCase Comparison