Final Thoughts
Corsair definitely had a lot to live up to with their 6500 Series. Their first dual compartment case (the 680X) was released all the way back in 2019 so it has been quite a while since we’ve seen a dual compartment case from them. In that time pretty much everyone has come out with a dual compartment case that allows you to show off your off your system. So Corsair couldn’t simply just come out with another cookie cutter dual compartment case, their new case had to stand out and offer different features from what was out there as well as be a definite upgrade from the original 680X.
I think with the 6500 series Corsair has for sure done that. Of course the most noticeable upgrade to this case has to be the side-mount cooling bracket. Side mount cooling of course enables you to have a tempered glass front panel, but still get good airflow coming into the case. This case is also very forward thinking. Not only are you going to get support for the largest hardware, but this case will support reverse connection motherboards like ASUS’s BTF and MSI’s Project Zero. Some other upgrades that might go overlooked with this case are ease of use. First the rubber inserts that you’ll find throughout the case have actually be engineered by Corsair so they don’t fall off when you are routing larger cables through them. This is one of the biggest headaches when it comes to doing your build. The case also ships with Corsair’s quick-turn fan screws, which are an absolute game-changer. These allow you to install and remove fans so much faster than ordinary screws. There are also plenty of tie-down points and cable hooks throughout the case that really make organizing your cables easy.
The case is definitely a larger case, but that does give you room for more cooling. This case will support up to 13 120mm fans or 9 140mm fans as well as the ability to install 360mm radiators in the top, bottom, front, and side of the case. I was a bit bummed to not see 420mm radiator support as we know of many brands that will be releasing 420mm units in 2024. Not only is the case larger than most, but it is also heavier. That is because there really is not much plastic it all on this case. Typically you’ll see a plastic front and plastic feet on a case, but here they are steel.
Our installation went off without a hitch and since the case is larger it is quite easy to build in. It would have been nice to see the front and top cooling mounts be more flexible as far as removing them to install your fans etc. The two compartment design really allows for you to hide all of your cables in the backside of the compartment, which gives the main compartment a really clean layout. I would have liked to have seen rubber inserts in the three large cable routing holes below the motherboard mount though, it just would have looked a lot cleaner.
Of course we took a look at the 6500D Airflow today which is more performance focused. Corsair will also be offering a 6500X with ditches the mesh front panel and front cooling mount for a tempered glass panel. And coming out a bit later will be a 6500X RGB, which is the 6500X, but with 3 of Corsair’s RX120 RGB fans and their iCUE LINK system hub. It would be nice if there was going to be a 6500D Airflow RGB version, but from what we know that is not happening. Both case variants will be available in both white and black and it is cool to see Corsair offer Elite Panel kits to change the overall look of the case.
Right now you can pick this case up at our favorite online retailer for $199.99, which we think is a fair price for what you are getting. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Corsair 6500D Airflow Case a 9 out of 10 score.
Pros:
– Great quality
– Easy to build in
– Lots of room for cooling
– Supports reverse connection motherboards
– Quick-turn screws and rubber inserts that don’t fall out
– Cable hooks throughout the case
– Available in both a high airflow and tempered glass versions
– Lots of optional accessories
Cons:
– Only support for 4 hard drives
– No vertical GPU support by default (You can purchase the vertical mount separately)
– Front and top cooling mounts aren’t easily removed from the case
– No rubber inserts on the three large cable routing holes below the motherboard mount
