Corsair 3500X ARGB PC Case Review
Conclusion & Video
Conclusion – Is Corsair too late to the party with this design?
Let’s face it, there are a lot of cases now that have the Corsair 3500X’s wraparound glass aesthetic. This isn’t “new” anymore. Corsair are late to the party here, and we know the reasons why. Simply put, Corsair’s time to market is loooong. Cases can take years to move from a design concept to a product on the market. Perhaps Corsair needs to streamline their processes somehow, as the new 3500X is launching into a market where this kind of design is commonplace.
The perks of Corsair’s long processes is that the 3500X is a well designed PC enclosure. Both tempered glass panels are easy to remove, making component installation easy. Beyond that, this case feels sturdy without its glass panels. Yes, there is a little flex if you force it, but I wouldn’t call it flimsy. This case is a lot more rigid than many of its competitors without its glass.
Cooling-wise, this case has plenty of options for airflow. However, we will not two things. First, that this case will work best with an AIO CPU liquid cooling (or custom liquid cooling) radiator in its roof acting as an exhaust. Additionally, we will note that the two fan mounts on this case’s PSU shroud will have little room to breathe. Yes, they will direct airflow towards your graphics card, but that air needs to get around a power supply and its cables. Perhaps this restriction will push users towards Corsair’s “Shift” series of power supplies (review here). After all, its angled cable orientation will give more space for airflow.
Should you buy the Corsair 3500X ARGB, or another 3500X model?
Overall, the Corsair 3500X is a well built case that offers users a strong aesthetic. At £89.99, its baseline model is well priced. Yes, you will need to add some fans, but we have seen similar barebones cases sell for a much higher price.
For our review, we tested Corsair’s 3500X ARGB, which comes with three Corsair RS120 Performance RGB fans. Sadly, we do not like these fans in this case. As mentioned earlier in this review, its daisy-chain cables are not long enough to be managed effectively. Yes, they can be hidden from view, but barely. Corsair should have added a little extra length to these cables, as it would make the PC building/cable management process a lot nicer. For £119.99, this model is well priced. That said, I would consider getting the baseline model and a different set of fans if you want better cable management.
The high-end model of this case is the Corsair iCUE LINK 3500X RGB. This model features three iCUE LINK RX120 Performance RGB fans and an integrated iCUE LINK System Hub (which can control up to 24 devices). This mode is much more expensive at £169.99. That said, it is the best option if you are planning to invest into Corsair’s iCUE LINK ecosystem.
Overall, we like Corsair’s 3500X series. It is well built, rigidly constructed, and leaves us with very little to complain about. That said, the PC case market is saturated with models with panoramic tempered glass windows. Sadly, this makes this new case from Corsair feel overly familiar. Even so, if you want a PC case like this, the Corsair 3500X is a great option.
You can join the discussion on Corsair’s 3500 series of PC cases on the OC3D Forums.
