Corsair FRAME 5000D PC Case Review
Conclusion
A solid case, but it could be so much more
Corsair’s FRAME 5000D is a solid PC case, but it has its shortcomings. In my mind, Corsair’s FRAME 4000D was one of the company’s best cases in years. With the FRAME 5000D, I cannot help but feel that the case needed a little more time in the oven.
If you want a larger version of the FRAME 4000D, the FRAME 5000D is undoubtedly the case for you. That said, we believe that this case’s cable routing could have benefited from a bit more thought, and that Corsair needs to deliver on what they promised with their FRAME concept.
When it comes to airflow and cooling performance, the FRAME 5000D excels. Its UK pricing is also attractive, with the case’s baseline model costing £124.99. Not bad for a case of this side and this level of modularity. Users can remove the motherboard tray and a huge number of the case’s other parts. This makes the 5000D perfect for modding and customisation.
Some of the decisions made with the FRAME 5000D are a letdown. The placement of this case’s 8-pin CPU power cutout was not well thought out. It needs to be closer to this case’s motherboard. As it stands, some users may need cable extensions for their PSU cables to be long enough. That wouldn’t be an issue if Corsair’s cutout were an inch or so lower. For our build, we needed to use other cutouts to fit our 8-pin CPU power cable. Furthermore, cable routing at the top of this case requires a little more work. Adding more cutouts would significantly enhance this case’s cable routing options for fans, lighting, and other components. As it stands, the case’s cable routing options feel needlessly restrictive. That said, Corsair’s cable covers do make creating a clean-looking PC an easy process, mostly.
Will Corsair follow through with its FRAME series promises?
When Corsair launched its FRAME 4000D, the company showcased a range of new front panel options and other upgrade options. So far, these options have not been available to purchase online. The FRAME 4000D has been available for months, but its supporting parts remain unavailable. Right now, a core part of the FRAME concept is missing in action.
Above, you can see a teaser for Corsair’s 5000D, showcasing a range of upgrades that have been made possible through this case’s modular nature. As it stands, we cannot consider these parts and options with this review. The promised parts for Corsair’s FRAME 4000D remain unavailable, so why should we consider the FRAME 5000D’s options as anything more than unsubstantiated hype? Corsair needs to release these upgrade parts and do it quickly. As it stands, we have no faith that Corsair’s FRAME concept will live up to its hype. The FRAME 5000D is being sold as a case to mod, adapt, and grow over time. Corsair’s lack of commitment to the FRAME 4000D doesn’t set a good precedent for the 5000D.
It’s time Corsair committed to its FRAME concept
The FRAME 5000D is a case that we want to like. We could overlook its minor issues if we had any confidence that Corsair would release the necessary parts to deliver on the FRAME concept. As it stands, the FRAME 5000D is a solid case with some annoying issues. If Corsair delivers on its promises of swappable and upgradable components, the FRAME 5000D would become something much greater. That said, don’t be a fool and buy this case in the hope that Corsair releases new parts for it. Corsair needs to prove that it is committed to the concept it advertised.
We can only review cases that are in our office. We can’t review future promises. If Corsair delivers, its FRAME 5000D would move from being good to being incredible. As it stands, the D in FRAME 5000D stands for disappointing. Corsair, we know you can do much better than this.
You can join the discussion on Corsair’s FRAME 5000D PC case on the OC3D Forums.
