Corsair 6500D Airflow PC Case Review
Meet the Corsair 6500D Airflow
Reforging a Legacy – Corsair launches their dual-chambered 6500X and 6500D Airflow cases
While dual-chambered PC cases may be the new hotness amongst high-end PC case manufacturers, Corsair are one of the few companies that have a long history within this segment of the market. Building upon the legacies of their 680X, Air 740, and Air 540 cases, Corsair have created their new 6500X and 6500D Airflow cases, both of which are now available today.
For this review, we will be looking at Corsair’s 6500D Airflow chassis. To us, this is a direct successor to Corsair’s Air 740 and Air 540 cases.
One case, two looks
Corsair’s new 6500 series of cases has two models. While we are looking at the 6500D Air today, we think the 6500X is worth discussing. This case replaces the D-model’s front fan mounts and mesh with a clear tempered glass front panel. This panel neatly joins this case’s side panel window to create an almost seamless window into your system. This makes your hardware easier to showcase, but it limits your PC’s airflow options.
Corsair 6500X and 6500D Airflow Specifications and pricing
Corsair’s standard 6500X and 6500D Airflow cases will ship with no fans and cost £179.99 in the UK, $199.99 in the US, and 209.99 Euros in Europe. Corsair will also release a 6500X RGB model with three iCUE LINK RX120 fans and an iCUE LINK hub for £249.99/$259.99/289.99 Euro.
The 6500D Airflow will support up to four 360mm liquid cooling radiators. Given their lack of a front fan mounts, the 6500X will only support up to three 360mm radiators. This case does not officially support 420mm radiators, though some fan mounting locations will support up to three 140mm fans.
DIY DNA – Corsair’s customisation options for their 6500X and 6500D Airflow
PC modding can be a challenging process. If you go the full DIY route you will likely need tools, or need to speak to your local powder coater. With the 6500 series, Corsair has made modding a simple process. Most case panels are removable, making painting or powder coating an easier process, and Corsair has their own custom panel options to make PC customisation an easy upgrade option.
Below you can see some of the 6500 series’ panel upgrades, which include new metallic finishes, and several wooden designs. Corsair is investing heavily in case customisation, and that is good news for PC builders.
Alongside the 6500 series’ panel upgrade options, Corsair have also revealed a range of accessories for their 6500 series. This includes a RaridRoute Retrofit kit that adds new cable management options, a 6500 series vertical GPU mounting kit, and a 6500 series glass conversion kit. This glass conversion kit allows that 6500D Airflow to be turned into a 6500X.
MSI Project Zero and ASUS BTF (Back-Connect) motherboard Support
Corsair’s 6500 series cases will be the company’s first cases to support “back-connect” motherboards. These motherboards allow owners to create ultra-clean PCs by placing all of a motherboard’s cable clutter inside the 6500X/D’s second chamber. You can read our deep dive into MSI’s Project Zero here.
With back-connect, PC cable management is a simpler process and internal case airflow is not inhibited by cables. Right now, not many back-connect motherboards are available, though this should change as more back-connect hardware becomes available.
