Corsair iCUE 465X RGB Review

If you want to maximise your level of RGB this month then the Corsair iCUE 465X RGB is one of a couple of cases that will need to be on your shortlist. With a trio of LL120 RGB fans up front, the case can put on a dazzling light show, made even more snazzy by the full-height tempered glass front panel and super-clean interior with full-length PSU cover. It’s worth mentioning too, that the three fans alone will set you back upwards of £ if bought separately, so the price tag of around £ already seems quite reasonable compared with other cases this month.

However, peeking inside, it’s clear that the iCUE 465X RGB isn’t in the same league as the likes of the Phanteks Eclipse P600S, and is more comparable with the cheaper Thermaltake H550 TG ARGB. Both have built-in RGB controllers and can connect to your motherboard to control the RGB lighting, with the Thermaltake case also offering a button on the I/O panel to switch lighting modes. The iCUE 465X RGB, on the other hand, connects to a USB header and is

SPEC

Dimensions (mm) 216 x 467 x 465 (W x D x H)

Material Steel, plastic, glass

Available colours Black, white

Weight 8kg

Front panel Power, reset. 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x stereo/mic

Drive bays 3 x 2.5/3.5in. 4 x 2.5in

Form factor(s) ATX, Micro-ATX

Cooling 3 x 120mm/ 2 x 140mm front fan mounts (3 x 120mm fans included), 1 x 120mm rear fan mount (fan not included), 2 x 120mm/1 x 140mm roof fan mounts (fans not included)

CPU cooler clearance 170mm

Maximum graphics card length 370mm

controlled using Corsair’s iCUE software, which can also control an increasing number of motherboards’ lighting as well as Corsair’s memory and peripherals.

Our white sample looked supremely clean and allowed the lighting to play around the case, and the fans themselves were extremely bright and vibrant.

The front panel is fairly basic, though, and lacks the USB 3.1 Type-C port of many similarly priced cases this month. The side panels don’t have any swing-out hinges either, as on some of Corsair’s more premium cases.

Behind the motherboard tray is a pair of dedicated 2.5in SSD mounts, and beneath the PSU cover is a pair of 2.5/3.5in trays for hard disks and SSDs. Cable-routing options are a little limited compared with the competition, with just a smattering of holes and grommets to thread your cables through. There’s no exhaust fan included as standard, and this will hurt the case in the CPU cooling stakes, but there’s plenty of room for expansion, with the roof offering an additional pair of 120mm or single 140mm fan mounts. The front fan mounts support a 360mm or 280mm radiator without losing the hard disk cage, with space for a 240mm radiator in the roof too.

The iCUE 465X RGB managed a CPU delta T of 51’C, which was one of the better results on test and 3’C cooler than the Thermaltake H550 TG ARGB. Only the Phanteks Eclipse P600S and NZXT 510 Elite were cooler, but both the NZXT case and iCUE 465X RGB weren’t particularly quiet. The GPU delta T of 44 C was again middle of the pack, while the quieter Phanteks Eclipse P600S matched its result.

Conclusion

If you have around £ to spend on a relatively well-equipped case and you must have RGB lighting, then the Corsair iCUE 465X RGB gets our vote. It’s slightly more premium-feeling than the Thermaltake H550 TG ARGB, but costs an extra £ or so. While not the quietest case, its still much more pleasant than NZXT’s 510 Elite at full speed.

VERDICT

[sc name=”increase-convertion” ]