Montech is Targeting Thermalright: Cheap Air Coolers, Sky 3 Case, Micro-ATX, X5, & MoreMay 26, 2025Last Updated: 2025-05-26We take a look at several of Montech’s upcoming cases and coolers, which the company showed off at Computex 2025The HighlightsMontech is preparing to launch new air coolers to battle Thermalright, especially when it comes to pricingMontech is trying to take over the space that DeepCool left in the US marketMontech is releasing several new cases in the coming months that include the Sky 3, King 45, King 15, X5 budget case, X5M, the "ten," and moreTable of ContentsAutoTOC Grab a GN15 All-Over Print Component Mouse Mat for a high-quality mousing surface that'll fit your keyboard & mouse. These mouse mats use a high-quality yellow rubber underside, a blue stitched border for fray resistance, and are covered in PC parts. This is the best way to support our work and keeps us ad-free to support consumer-first reviews!IntroEvery single cooler company we talk to does not understand how Thermalright can have the prices that they have. The only thing we can think of is their factory relationships, but the point is that it’s become a serious challenge for others to compete on price. Montech is trying to compete with Thermalright on price and attempting to replace DeepCool’s spot in the market. Before DeepCool got kicked out of America, which is a hell of a thing to put on your resume, the company really started dominating in the cooler market before Thermalright came in and kicked their ass on price. Where DeepCool was able to compete was in build quality. So, Montech is looking at that and they want to take that part of the market.Editor's note: This was originally published on May 17, 2025 as a video. This content has been adapted to written format for this article and is unchanged from the original publication.CreditsHost, WritingSteve BurkeVideo Editing, CameraMike GaglioneVitalii MakhnovetsWriting, Web EditingJimmy ThangMontech specifically told us that its objective is to sort of compete with Themalright, which is everybody’s objective.  NX400 CPU CoolerLooking at one of Montech’s new CPU coolers, the NX400, the company pointed out that its fan is 28mm, which should help with pressure and performance. Pricing on the single-tower NX400 (non ARGB) is supposed to be $25.90. When you’re down to the 10 cent mark, that’s how you know there is zero margin left in the product.  The cooler uses a 2-post mount. It has a C-shaped bracket for the actual board. There is no offset mounting for AM5. The one thing we’re curious about is how much an offset mount might or might not matter for the 4-heat-pipe approach. The cooler is supposed to sort of be as cheap as possible while still actually being kind of good. This is a very fiercely fought over category right now, which is a good thing. Again, Montech is using 28mm fans. Typically fans are 25mm, but that has been scaling upwards. The reason for this is to increase static-pressure performance. When you stick a fan onto a fin stack, you introduce a ton of resistance behind it. This is the nature of a heat sink as opposed to a fan on the front of a case, where it’s basically accessing the open air and the only thing it’s fighting is whatever’s in front of it to filter the dust or perhaps glass. As the cost for larger fans starts to come down (as more people make them) then we should see the prevalence of more, larger fans. We asked Montech if they’ve done a comparison testing of a 25mm fan vs 28mm one and the company told us it did. Montech says that on the NX400, there was about a 1 to 2 degree difference in favor of the larger fan, which makes sense and is actually a large difference for an air cooler.    Again the non RGB NX400 will cost about $26 whereas the ARGB variant will cost about $30. NX600 CPU CoolerThe NX600 is a 6-heat-pipe version of the NX400 that uses a 2-tower approach to its design. Its price is currently TBD, but it sounds like it may be in the $40-$50 price range from what we’ve heard. It will also use 30mm-thick fans but there are 2 of them. Its cold plate uses an enclosed nickel-plated copper base plate with 6 heat pipes going through it.   Montech X5 and X5M CasesWe originally talked about how Montech used a “molex centipede” for its X3 case, which was a bunch of daisy-chained molex connectors, but that’s gone with the company’s X5 case, which is supposed to kind of replace that series. The X5 is targeting $75.It has a wavy mesh front panel. Montech is experimenting with either painting or placing a sticker on the case to make it look like carbon fiber. They kind of did that with a wood veneer in the past. It’s not real carbon fiber, but that shouldn't be expected out of a $75 case. They tended to do pretty well overall thermally despite using cheaper quality fans. Hopefully the company will be able to deliver on that front again because the below $80 case market is largely dead. The 4000D was supposed to be a case around $80 and that was kind of the last major one that was really successful. So, it’s nice seeing a $75 case, especially if it’s not made out of scrap metal. Internally, the case comes with 3x140mm fans in front and 1x120mm on the back. The reason the X3 was so interesting was the amount of fans it provided for the price. As a matter of fact, we started paying attention to Montech due to their super cheap cases coming with a lot of fans. Looking at the back, we can see that they colored all of the wires white in an attempt to match the rest of the case. The plastic isn’t the same white exactly, but that’s apparently hard to do across all of the different materials like metal, plastic, and rubber. On a $75 case, that isn’t as big of a deal, though.  Looking at the PSU shroud, there’s an option to mount 120mm fans, though there isn’t a ton of room against the power supply. There is some ventilation on the side, however, which might help the GPU.  The case also has an integrated GPU support. Otherwise, the case is simple and cheap. The X5M, which is smaller and aimed at MicroATX, is targeting $60. Pricing is higher than what Montech wanted to target as a result of cost increases and potential tariffs, etc.Montech Sky Case Grab a GN15 Large Anti-Static Modmat to celebrate our 15th Anniversary and for a high-quality PC building work surface. The Modmat features useful PC building diagrams and is anti-static conductive. Purchases directly fund our work! (or consider a direct donation or a Patreon contribution!)The thing that jumps out to us about this case is its canted tray for its 2 bottom fans, which are reverse blade ones that act as intake. On the back of the case, it has large ventilated holes both vertically and horizontally. Taking the back panel off, one thing we’d like to see is refinement on the magnetic filters. Currently, they’re not done yet but you can see a lot of metal ending up in the hexagon-shaped cut-outs. If they could punch out larger holes or use a finer mesh and get rid of the dust filter or something like that, that would help a lot with thermal performance and letting air through. Looking at the glass side panel, we can see an alternative to traditional Pogo pins, which are used to power the case’s light strip. This design is supposed to be more resilient to damage and it’s located towards the front corner of the case and Montech says this design was incorporated to avoid breaking. Overall, we have some critiques to the case, but it's finalized. The biggest ones we have for this case include the aforementioned side-panel ventilation and the fact that when the fans are oriented towards the front bottom of the case, the drive cages underneath end up blocking potential air intake from underneath the chassis, but then again, there’s not a lot of space for air to come in through the bottom to begin with. As a result, the bottom fans don’t have much access to intake aside from small ventilated areas.  In terms of pricing, it’s supposed to be $80 for the mesh-fronted version and $100 for the glass version. The case will come with 3 fans. HS02 3DAnother case we looked at is one that we’ve already reviewed, the HS02, but the biggest difference with the unit we saw at Computex is that it has glass on the back. Montech is calling it the HS02 3D.Montech TenMontech’s Ten case kind of reminds us of Lian Li’s O11 DYNAMIC MINI, where the case can be rotated and modified into 3 different configurations. The Ten can be flipped, pulled apart, and users can swap around all of its panels. Montech tells us that it takes about 5-10 minutes to do this. The case has excellent side panels. They are basically giant pieces of mesh and also provide air access to the GPU, which is great. Using a glass-side panel in front of the GPU would really suffocate the card. The challenge with the case’s design is that flow-through video cards will dump heat to the power supply fan, which is fine as the PSU can take it. The question becomes where does the air go after that?We think Montech might want to pull down a wall under the power supply to block re-circulation. Other than that, it’s an all-mesh box, which is hard to complain about. Externally, it represents about 27 liters of volume when you factor in the feet. ITX is an option and Montech is calling that the I3. There’s also an mATX variant, which is being called M1 or M2, which designates whether it’s flipped or not.  The Ten is supposed to start at $90 but that’s not finalized yet. King 15 and King 45The King 15 and King 45 are just continuations of the existing King series. They already have the King 95 and King 65, and we reviewed the 65 somewhat recently. The 15 and 45 both still have the curved glass to their fronts, making them very familiar overall.   One thing worth pointing out is that its bottom fans are sunken into the bottom, which means they’re pretty close to the floor and the intake is primarily relegated to the back side panel of the case, where there’s a bit of an angle which should help with intake a little, but it’s still somewhat boxed in.  For the King 15, they are targeting 3x120mm fans and a 1x140mm fan at $110. Without fans, they are looking at $90. Air 2000 Visit our Patreon page to contribute a few dollars toward this website's operation (or consider a direct donation or buying something from our GN Store!) Additionally, when you purchase through links to retailers on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Moving on to the Air 2000, we saw a black one with a glass front and a white one with a mesh front. The case has a digital display panel on the side. It tells you the fan speeds but also provides controls as well. Each button press up or down targets 10% increments in control. There’s also a button that defaults to the motherboard’s controls. Looking at the backside of the display panel, it’s just one big PCB coupled with a wire that connects to the fan hub. The upside to this approach is that no software is required. This has been done before by a couple of companies, but it isn’t that common. Being able to control fan speed externally is a nice feature, especially if it doesn’t require software.The Air 2000 is supposed to be $100 with 4x140mm fans and that is with the screen. They will also have a screenless variant as well. Taking a look at the mesh variant, the case’s top panel has 70% whole porosity and the thickness of the steel means that it doesn’t end up being flimsy. The power supply shroud is ventilated with perforations on the top and bottom. Even the top of the drive cage has perforations, which is a nice, small attention to detail. That probably won’t matter a lot but it’s nice to see. The rest of the case has a pretty standard layout. Thermally, the case should be one of the more interesting ones, especially the mesh-fronted version.

RT CORSAIRWho says creator/AI PC builds have to be boring?Housing all of our components alongside the @NVIDIAGeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition and @ASUS ProArt X870E-CREATOR WIFI, this FRAME 4000D PROTOTYPE is adorned with a newly-designed aluminum front panel, new front I/O, and a @SingularityC Powerboard, as well as a special edition of the HX1000i SHIFT 👀With @NVIDIAStudio, GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs also provide the creative advantage in NVIDIA Studio by unlocking transformative performance in video editing, 3D rendering, and graphic design.Full Build: https://www.corsair.com/us/en/explorer/builds/computex-2025/frame-4000d-prototype-nvidia-creator-ai-pc/

Who says creator/AI PC builds have to be boring?Housing all of our components alongside the @NVIDIAGeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition and @ASUS ProArt X870E-CREATOR WIFI, this FRAME 4000D PROTOTYPE is adorned with a newly-designed aluminum front panel, new front I/O, and a @SingularityC Powerboard, as well as a special edition of the HX1000i SHIFT 👀With @NVIDIAStudio, GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs also provide the creative advantage in NVIDIA Studio by unlocking transformative performance in video editing, 3D rendering, and graphic design.Full Build: https://www.corsair.com/us/en/explorer/builds/computex-2025/frame-4000d-prototype-nvidia-creator-ai-pc/

Not at Computex? No problem.We’ve updated our Builders Showcase on Explorer to take a deeper dive into each of the special Computex builds we have on display in Taiwan.Rate our Whiteout FRAME 4000D featuring the new NAUTILUS LCD AIO from 1 - 10 👀More builds: https://www.corsair.com/explorer/builds/computex-2025

Meet the FRAME 4000D🎥: cozymaja via IG

Cases A New Best: Fractal Meshify 3 Case Review, Thermal Benchmarks, & NoiseMay 15, 2025Last Updated: 2025-05-15We analyze the Fractal Design Meshify 3’s design, specs, build quality, LEDs, and thermalsThe HighlightsThe Meshify 3 comes with 3 fans and focuses on looksAt its price category, there’s a lot of stiff competitionOverall, we like the caseOriginal MSRP: $140 to $220Release Date: May 2025Table of ContentsAutoTOC Our fully custom 3D Emblem Glasses celebrate our 15th Anniversary! We hand-assemble these on the East Coast in the US with a metal badge, strong adhesive, and high-quality pint glass. They pair excellently with our 3D 'Debug' Drink Coasters. Purchases keep us ad-free and directly support our consumer-focused reviews!IntroToday we’re reviewing the Fractal Meshify 3. It ranges from $140 to $220 depending on the level of “integrated atmospheric lighting” you want, but to be fair to Fractal, it does look good with the angular mesh front panel. The good news upfront with this review is that we actually like the case overall.Editor's note: This was originally published on May 15, 2025 as a video. This content has been adapted to written format for this article and is unchanged from the original publication.CreditsTest Lead, Host, WritingSteve BurkeTesting, WritingPatrick LathanCamera, Video EditingVitalii MakhnovetsCameraTim PhetdaraAndrew ColemanWriting, Web EditingJimmy ThangFractal's has added some interesting new features: an air guide in front of the PSU shroud that genuinely helps GPU thermals in our testing, excellent cable aligner clips, and a bizarre PSU filter that blends seamlessly into the side of the case.This case was going to launch months ago, but was quietly pulled from shelves by Fractal at the last minute because the PCIe slots were too tight. Multiple reviewers, including us, noticed that these PCIe slots were too tight for GPUs to slot properly, an issue we had recorded in our notes for the review and were about to film when Fractal sent an email that it was halting the launch. Fractal manually reworked this, meaning someone went through all the cases and shaved them down.Originally, Fractal would have launched just before the worst of the tariffs, but now is launching into a far more expensive import situation. Fractal says that, for now, its MSRP is unchanged.But we’re here to review the case. We have a 3-hour documentary about the tariffs’ impact.The case comes with 3 fans and clearly has a focus on looks with its lighting and front panel design, but also manages to make a number of mechanical choices that affect cooling.Let’s get into the Meshify 3 review.Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB OverviewThis is Fractal's third generation of Meshify cases, starting with the Meshify 3 and the larger Meshify 3 XL. We're reviewing the shallow front-to-back Meshify 3 today, which is the size equivalent of the first generation's Meshify C and the second generation's Meshify 2 Compact (watch our review). The Meshify C (watch our review) was $90 at launch in 2017, followed later by the Meshify 2 (watch our review) at $110.The Meshify 3 is launching from $140-$220 (depending on SKU). It’s not distant from Fractal’s Torrent case. We liked that case. It’s priced at around $190 to $230. The increased Meshify series cost goes towards new features.The flashiest new feature is the "integrated atmospheric lighting" in the top-tier Ambience Pro RGB SKU. Fractal also has committed to proprietary connectors for these cases, which we’re not thrilled about. Fractal additionally has a web tool for the new Adjust Pro fan and RGB hub.The cases are sold at $140 for 3x 140mm fans without LEDs, $160 for 3x 14mm RGB fans using proprietary connectors, and $220 for 3x RGB fans with a lighting control hub and additional case lighting around the front panel, shroud, and power button.Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB SpecsMeshify 3 TG3.5"/2.5" mountsUp to 2x HDD or 4x SSDDedicated 2.5" mounts2 (6 total)5.25" drive bays0Expansion slots7Motherboard compatibilityE-ATX (max 277 mm), ATX, mATX, Mini-ITXPower supply typeATXFront interface1x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C 20Gbps2x USB 3.0 5Gbps1x Combined Mic/AudioTotal fan mounts6x 120 mm or 5x 140 mm + 1x 120mmFront fan mounts3x 120/140 mm (3x Momentum 140 mm PWM/RGB Included)Top fan mounts2x 120/140 mmRear fan mounts1x 120 mmSide fan mountsN/ABottom fan mountsN/ADust filtersPSUFront radiatorUp to 280/360 mm (max 155 mm width)Top radiatorUp to 280/240 mm (max 148 mm width)Rear radiator120 mm (max 128 mm width)Bottom radiatorN/APSU max length180 mmGPU max length349 mmGPU max height176 mm (7 slot) including cablesCPU cooler max height173 mmCable routing space34.5 mmCable coverYesCable organizers3x Cable Aligners, 3x Internal Straps, 3x Rear External StrapsCaptive thumbscrewsTop Rad. Bracket, PSU BracketTool-less push-to-lockSide Panels, Bottom Filter, Front Panel, Top Panel, PSU BracketCase MaterialSteelLeft side panelTempered GlassRight side panelIndustrial SteelCase dimensions (LxWxH)423 x 229 x 507 mmCase dimensions w/o feet/protrusions/screws423 x 229 x 483 mmNet weight8.0 kgPackage dimensions (LxWxH)596 x 350 x 550 mmGross weight10.3 kgSpecs copied from manufacturer materials, please read review for our own measurements and opinionsThe BuildLet’s get into the build quality and features.Some of the exterior is similar to the Torrent, especially the way the top panel slides off. Unlike the Torrent, the top panel is mesh in the Meshify 3, although only the central portion is actually open due to the thick plastic frame underneath. The front panel pops off from the bottom like the North cases, and the top edge (in the Ambience Pro RGB) has pogo pins to connect the ambient front panel lighting.There are three plastic "cable aligners" that can be snapped over the main cable channel. We found them to be well-placed and surprisingly sturdy even with large bundles of power supply cables wedged behind them. Our only complaint is that they're keyed for no discernible reason other than preventing users from flipping the Fractal logo upside-down. The cable management space behind the motherboard is a uniform depth at just over 3cm across the entire case. There's a massive cutout above the motherboard that runs its entire length, although the cutout at the bottom is undersized and difficult to use when an ATX board is installed. Overall, cable management is above average thanks to the cable aligners and the amount of space, with some velcro straps on the back for exterior cable management. The PSU shroud terminates in a plastic "air guide" angled up towards the GPU. It reminds us a little of the NZXT toilet bowl fan from the 2022 H5 Flow (watch our review), but more so the extremely similar "PSU optional cover plate" from Corsair's old 5000D Airflow (watch our review). The 5000D Airflow's single intake fan wasn't positioned to make that part matter, though, whereas the Meshify 3's intake-heavy configuration will actually benefit.The only discrete dust filter in the case is for the PSU. It ejects from the side, which is always a plus for ease of removal, but it's also built into the leg of the case so that there's no externally visible handle. This is completely unnecessary, but it's one of those small features that shows the care that was put into the case's appearance and great attention to detail.Drives can be mounted to a set of adjustable brackets behind the motherboard tray; Fractal has provided a complicated compatibility matrix, but basically, you can either fit up to 2x 3.5" drives or 4x 2.5" drives. An additional 2x 2.5" drives can be attached directly to the floor of the case underneath the air guide, but if you use those slots, you may want to leave the air guide out to make cables accessible.The front of the case can fit either 3x 120mm fans or 3x 140mm fans. The rails rotate to switch between the two sizes and there are cutouts at specific heights for each individual fan, which means the rails don't obstruct the fans at all, but also there's little freedom to reposition fans or mix and match different sizes. All Meshify 3 SKUs ship with three front fans preinstalled, so this is less of an issue than it would be on a bare chassis. When fans are installed on the rails, the fans and rails can be removed as a single unit by undoing two screws, which is awesome.The removable top bracket is extremely easy to work with and fits radiators up to 280mm with plenty of room. Simultaneously installing a 360mm radiator at the front of the case would technically be possible using standard 30mm thick rads, but without much room left for fittings, fans, or thicker radiators, so we don't recommend it. Fractal notes that the front mount is compatible with 360mm (3x120) radiators of up to 420mm total length with the air guide or 445mm without it. Critically though, this does not mean support for 420mm (3x140) radiators.If any radiators are installed at the front of the case, the cable bar has to be shifted back, which makes it harder to route power cables. In addition, maximum GPU length in the Meshify 3 is already only 349mm, and installing a front radiator directly eats that clearance. We recommend relying on the top radiator slot or moving up to the Meshify 3 XL if you really need space for liquid cooling and especially for longer cards.Along the same lines, Fractal claims compatibility with so-called E-ATX boards up to 277mm wide, but that describes the maximum size that can be installed without completely blocking cable cutouts. Realistically, if you want to install anything even slightly larger than ATX, you should be looking at the Meshify 3 XL instead. Even with a normal ATX board, we shifted the cable bar all the way forward to leave space for the 24-pin power cable.As a finer detail point, we’re happy to see that Fractal has finally compromised by adding screw holes to the plastic tabs on the side panels. If you want to add some extra security while moving your case, you can put screws through the tabs to lock them down.The fans and LEDs are complicated and confusing, so that’ll require a whole section -- but we’ll get into the thermal testing first.Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB Thermals Grab a GN15 Large Anti-Static Modmat to celebrate our 15th Anniversary and for a high-quality PC building work surface. The Modmat features useful PC building diagrams and is anti-static conductive. Purchases directly fund our work! (or consider a direct donation or a Patreon contribution!)Fractal's review guide claims that the RGB fans are quieter, lower CFM, but higher static pressure (at max speed) than the non-RGB versions of the same fans. Our thermal results with the stock fans are representative of the RGB case SKUs, though any major physical reasons for performance would still be reflected. The standardized fan test is representative of the Meshify 3 in general.For reasons we’ll explain in the fan control section, we had no way to skip the fan hub and connect the fans directly to the motherboard as we usually would for testing. We validated that the fans reached their rated max speed of 1,800RPM +/- 10% with a laser tachometer. However, the tach signal sent back by the Fractal Adjust Pro hub doesn't line up with standard 4-pole fan behavior: HWiNFO misreports 2295 RPM when the fans are really spinning at just over 1,800 RPM in reality. Fractal's software accounts for this and reports RPM accurately.As for comparison cases, we’ll mostly focus on the Antec C8 ARGB (read our review) and Antec Flux Pro (read our review) as close matches. The closest match in appearance and function may be Fractal's own Torrent Compact RGB. We haven't added the Torrent Compact back to our charts since our testing overhaul, but in our review, it performed similarly to the larger original Torrent. That is in our charts, so we can use that as a rough equivalent.We have plenty of other cases on the charts for your own comparisons. Let’s get into the data.CPU Full Load Thermals - Noise-NormalizedWe’ll start with noise-normalized thermals. We use our hemi-anechoic chamber that we spent $250,000 building for validating the noise levels, which allows us to heavily control the noise floor and get super accurate capture.This is the chart. The Fractal Meshify 3 dominates here, planting itself as the new chart leader and within error of the prior leaders. The Meshify 3's all-core average of 40 degrees Celsius over ambient and 44 degrees for the P-cores is significantly better than previous efforts from the Meshify 2 Compact (watch our review) at 48 degrees average and the Meshify C at 54. Those two cases shared a basic design. The Meshify 3 is more of a departure; Fractal has added an airflow guide to the bottom of the case, the stock fans are higher performance, and all three stock fans are installed in the front of the case. That's an arrangement that's worked well for CPU cooling in the North XL (read our review) and Torrent using our test bench, and evidently it works extremely well in the Meshify 3, which is now the coolest case on the chart. The Torrent was a little warmer than the Meshify 3 at 42 degrees above ambient, while the Meshify 3 is instead tied with the previous best results from the Lian Li Lancool 216 (watch our review) and Lancool 207 (read our review). The Antec Flux Pro is a case that Fractal is likely specifically targeting for competition and, like the Lian Li cases, it's within one degree of the Meshify 3. This test is a weak point for the Antec C8 ARGB, which averaged 50 degrees due to its bottom intake layout.GPU Full Load Thermals - Noise-NormalizedHere’s the chart for GPU thermals when noise-normalized.GPU cooling performance in the Meshify 3 was also strong. The equivalent cases from the previous Meshify generations didn't have particularly strong stock performance, with the Meshify 2 Compact averaging 52 degrees above ambient for the GPU and the Meshify C averaging 57. This is still noise-normalized, so it's not purely a matter of more powerful fans in the Meshify 3, which averaged 43 degrees for the GPU and 46 for the GPU memory. Judging by the performance of the North XL and the Torrent here, it seems possible that the Meshify 3's air guide actually does do something. The North XL and its conventional (although ventilated) full-length PSU shroud averaged 44-45 degrees for the GPU depending on the chosen side panel, while the Torrent with its top-mounted PSU and complete lack of a shroud at the bottom of the case averaged 40 degrees. The Meshify 3 with its shroud and air guide averaged 43 degrees, right in the middle. There are more variables at work here, though, so we need another test to know for sure.As for the other highlighted competitors, the Antec C8 ARGB averaged 42 degrees and the Flux Pro averaged 41. Technically they both beat the Meshify 3's 43 degree average, but they're all among the best performing results on this chart.GPU Full Load Thermals - Full SpeedAs part of our full speed testing, we ran a test pass with a cardboard box extension taped onto the end of the PSU shroud to bring it up flush with the front intake fans. This test is at full speed case fans and controlled CPU and GPU fans.Without this extension, the GPU in the Meshify 3 averaged 41 degrees above ambient versus 45 degrees with it. That's a significant increase with the extension, and it shows that it made sense to shorten the shroud and angle it up like a skate ramp. Adding the extension also raised noise levels from a baseline of 37.5 dBA to 38.7 dBA, which we can only really confidently state is a real difference because of our investments in the hemi-anechoic chamber and our test equipment. This is a real change. Although hardly a detectable difference to the human ear, it is a real one and some people might notice it. Fractal’s new shroud design is superior to a square-edge one both thermally and acoustically.Since we've already seen that the Meshify 3 outperforms its predecessors when noise-normalized, it's no surprise at all that it outperforms them when its 1,800 RPM stock fans are maxed out. 37.5 dBA for the Meshify 3 is definitely louder than the 31-32 dBA levels from the Meshify C and Meshify 2 Compact, but thermal performance isn't even close, with the Meshify C only able to maintain GPU temperatures at 56 degrees above ambient. The C8 ARGB tied the Meshify 3's GPU temperature in this test, which is impressive for the Meshify 3 given that the C8 ARGB has bottom intake fans pointed directly into the GPU. The stock Flux Pro and Torrent remain chart toppers at 38 degrees and 39 degrees respectively thanks to their overkill stock fans; this is also evident from the noise levels, with the Torrent's powerful fans pushing it to a maximum of 42.3 dBA to the stock Meshify 3's 37.5 dBA.GPU Full Load Thermals - Standardized FansStandardized fan testing is next.All of the Meshify 3 SKUs ship with fans, so we're just going to use the standardized fan test as an opportunity to compare directly against the previous Meshify generations when they have the same loadout. The Meshify 3 has three defined 140mm fan mounting locations at the front, so rather than sticking our two 140mm intake fans somewhere in the middle, we were forced to pick either the upper two slots or the lower two.The Meshify C and Meshify 2 Compact both had GPU averages of 47 degrees above ambient, while the Meshify 3 literally bookended the chart at 41 degrees with the fans in the lower slots and 53 degrees in the upper ones. If you alter the stock fan configuration, be sure to at least keep one fan in the bottom slot at the front of the case.CPU Full Load Thermals - Standardized FansOn to CPU thermals while using standardized fans: There wasn't much difference in CPU thermals between the upper and lower slot tests; although the upper slot technically did better with an all-core average of 39 degrees, the lower slot arrangement is preferable due to the GPU thermals we just discussed. The Meshify C and Meshify 2 Compact tied at 41 degrees all-core, not that far from the Meshify 3's 40 degree average.VRM & RAM Full Load Thermals - Noise-NormalizedReturning to the noise-normalized results, the Meshify 3 tied the Flux Pro for the best VRM temperature on the chart at 27 degrees above ambient. That's significantly better than its predecessors at 35 degrees for the Meshify 2 Compact and 39 for the Meshify C. The Torrent averaged 29 degrees and the C8 ARGB with its bottom intake layout averaged 33. The ventilated case roof and airflow definitely help here.The SPD hub (or the RAM temperature average) was better, with the Meshify 3's average of 20 degrees above ambient beating all other stock case results on the chart. The Torrent at 21 degrees and Flux Pro at 22 were also high performers, while the C8 ARGB's more GPU-focused cooling left it with a warmer 24 degree average.Fans and LEDsAnd now we’re back to the topic of fans and LEDs.The Momentum RGB fans connect through daisy-chained USB Type-C connectors. Fractal describes the connector as "Proprietary USB-C," meaning that the connectors are just USB-shaped out of convenience; the fans are NOT USB devices. This part confused us, so here's a breakdown:The regular Meshify 3's fans use regular 4-pin PWM fan connectorsThe Meshify 3 RGB's fans use Fractal proprietary connectors, but they're pre-routed with an adapter that terminates in a regular 4-pin fan connector and a 3-pin ARGB connector, so the fans can be connected to a normal motherboard out-of-the-boxThe Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB has the same fans as the other RGB SKU, but they're pre-routed to Fractal's Adjust Pro hub. A "legacy splitter" cable is included for OUTput so that regular ARGB devices can be daisy-chained onto Fractal's devices, but the INput adapter cable from the Meshify 3 RGB is not included. In other words, if you get the Ambience Pro RGB, you're using the hub (or waiting for Fractal to sell an adapter cable separately)The Adjust Pro Hub can be controlled through a web tool or Microsoft's Dynamic Lighting feature. Fractal can get away with using a simple web app because the Pro Hub is just a USB device, so it doesn't need low-level access to control the motherboard's fan and RGB headers. There’s no launch-on-startup bloatware and the settings are saved locally to the hub. Currently, the app claims to be fully compatible with Chrome, Opera, and Edge (but not Firefox). A sustained internet connection isn't required for this. We were glad to see Dynamic Lighting compatibility, even if it's not perfect. For instance, if you enable Dynamic Lighting, it breaks Fractal's tool, and if you haven't activated Windows then you can't disable Dynamic Lighting without editing the registry.Fractal's software has a selection of prefab lighting patterns to show off the gen 2 lighting, but the default Northern Lights pattern may be our favorite. The indirect lighting around the edges of the front panel and across the PSU shroud are mostly striking in a dark room. It's unfortunate that such a big part of the case's appeal is limited to the $220 version.Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB Conclusion Visit our Patreon page to contribute a few dollars toward this website's operation (or consider a direct donation or buying something from our GN Store!) Additionally, when you purchase through links to retailers on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.We like the Meshify 3 overall, but we're torn on several points. As an immediate positive, as reviewers who don’t normally comment a whole lot about looks, we do think they did well to pull off the LEDs and front panel on the Meshify 3. Fractal has consistently done well to execute on this style.As for the more difficult points: First off, the Meshify C launched at $90 and the Meshify 2 Compact at $110. Those weren't the lowest prices in context. The Meshify C, however, was on the affordable end of the scale even for that time. Given that Fractal picked the Meshify 3 MSRPs well before the new tariffs, we believe there's a good chance they'll go up. The Meshify 3 isn't in the medium-budget tier you might assume based on the history of the series. If you're looking for cases in that vein, Lian Li has options like the Lancool 217 (watch our coverage), while Antec has some equivalents to the Meshify 3 RGB like the C8 ARGB and Flux Pro.That's not to say that the Meshify 3 isn't worth the money, just that it’s embattled on all sides. There are a lot of options in this price category, which is good for consumers. The build quality is on par with what we expect from Fractal based on the last few years' worth of cases like the North (watch our review) and Torrent. It’s built well. Thermal performance was extremely good, and although the specs are different for the non-RGB fans as we've explained, we can assume that the performance is also extremely good for the non-RGB case variants. Based on that, the $140 and $160 options are the most competitive.As for the $220 Ambience Pro RGB, it's basically a $60-$80 upcharge for lighting, but we really like that lighting. That is, however, a big price jump. If you're considering the Ambience Pro RGB with the extra cost for the lighting, you should be comparing it to other flagship showy cases like the HAVN HS420 (read our review) or HYTE Y70 (read our review) (if you can buy one as they can be difficult to find in the US due to the tariffs). You should also look through Fractal's documentation carefully to make sure you like the RGB ecosystem of software and connectors before you commit.You can check out the competition like the Flux Pro, C8, and Corsair’s FRAME 4000D (read our review). We have more reviews coming up, but overall, we like Fractal’s new case.

Cases Corsair Remembered How to Make a Case: Frame 4000D RS ARGB ReviewMay 13, 2025Last Updated: 2025-05-13We analyze Corsair’s FRAME 4000D’s design, specs, build quality, and thermalsThe HighlightsCorsair’s new FRAME 4000D case reprises concepts from the company’s 4000D case but completely overhauls its designThe motherboard tray, power supply shroud, and other components are modular and intended to be replaceable with 3D printable componentsThe FRAME 4000D case puts Corsair on a much better path than its other recent casesOriginal MSRP: $95-$110Release Date: January 7, 2025Table of ContentsAutoTOC Grab a GN15 Large Anti-Static Modmat to celebrate our 15th Anniversary and for a high-quality PC building work surface. The Modmat features useful PC building diagrams and is anti-static conductive. Purchases directly fund our work! (or consider a direct donation or a Patreon contribution!)IntroToday we’re reviewing the Corsair Frame 4000D and the case is modular in some interesting ways. For instance, the motherboard tray and power supply shroud/tray can come out. And that’s what gets us to the name “frame.” It’s a frame of a case and it can be reconfigured.It’s actually pretty well built. There’s some really good build quality to the case. The fan rail system at the front comes off with a pull and has what Corsair calls “3D Y-shaped patterns.” While the front panel looks flimsy, it’s actually strong due to its depth. The steel stamping for the cable management shroud area is also relatively high build quality.The reason we’re excited about this case is because Corsair lately has really sucked with some of its cases, but the Frame 4000D doesn’t and that’s encouraging.Editor's note: This was originally published on May 8, 2025 as a video. This content has been adapted to written format for this article and is unchanged from the original publication.CreditsTest Lead, Host, WritingSteve BurkeTesting, WritingPatrick LathanVideo Editing, CameraMike GaglioneCameraTim PhetdaraWriting, Web EditingJimmy ThangIn addition to the case’s modularity, it also has trademarks:The new InfiniRail(TM) fan mount is joined by Corsair’s 3D Y-pattern airflow pattern, and better yet, Corsair says this case is “50 Series Ready,” which is impressive, because not even NVIDIA was 50-series ready.This is the Corsair Frame 4000D, and overall, we like it. It’s an interesting case. The case is the successor to Corsair's long-lived and highly popular 4000D (and its 4000D Airflow and 4000X variants) which we first reviewed back in 2020 and even liked. In spite of the name, the Frame 4000D is an entirely new design, which means we're going to have to say "Frame 4000D" every single time we mention it and can’t shorten it to 4000D as that’s a different case. We suspect part of the reason for the similarity is to enable the classic reuse-the-old-Newegg-listing trick: those 1,000+ five-egg reviews are almost all for the original 4000D, not the Frame 4000D, but it gets to share them on the same listing. Corsair also occasionally refers to the "Frame 4000 Series" sans-D, so we may see a Frame 4000X at some point.The case ranges from $95 without fans to the $110 RS ARGB with 3x 120 ARGB fans. It’s targeting the modern budget range. There's a $100 middle step as well with fans but no ARGB. Based on discussion with Corsair, it sounds likely that the MSRPs will increase due to tariffs, but we don't have hard numbers for what those increased prices would be.The Frame 4000D is interesting because Corsair has gone all out with the gigantic holes in the front panel: functionally, they're close to having no front panel at all. Corsair Frame 4000D OverviewThe differentiating factor for the Frame 4000D is that it's intended to be modular, with users able to buy or 3D print alternate components. This is reiterated constantly in Corsair's marketing materials, including public blog posts: "FRAME is all about customization and we have some exciting things on the horizon. In addition to parts that will be available for direct purchase, We have modelled some blanks of the PSU shroud and motherboard tray, so you can download [...] these from Printables and customize them however you like."Corsair Frame 4000D Specs4000D Series (2019)FRAME 4000D SeriesDimensions (mm):466 x 230 x 453 mm487 x 239 x 486 mmMaterial:Steel, Tempered GlassSteel, Tempered GlassIncluded Fans:2x SP120 or 3x AF120 RGB ELITENone or 3x RS120 or 3x RS120 ARGBIncluded Controllers:NoneNoneFan Compatibility:Front: 3x 120mm, 2x 140mmTop: 3x 120mm, 2x 140mmSide: NoneBottom: NoneRear: 1x 120mmFront: 3x 120mm, 2x 140mm, 2x 200mmTop: 3x 120mm, 2x 140mm, 2x 160mmSide: 3x 120mm, 2x 140mmBottom: 2x 120mmRear: 1x 120mm, 1x 140mmRadiator Compatibility:Front: 360mm, 280mm, 240mmTop: 280mm, 240mmSide: NoneBottom: NoneRear: 120mmFront: 360mm, 280mm, 240mmTop: 360mm, 280mm, 240mmSide: 360mm, 280mm, 240mmBottom: NoneRear: 120mmExpansion Slots (Main):7 Horizontal (2 Vertical)7 Horizontal (3 Vertical)Motherboard (Main):Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATXMini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATXStorage:2x 2.5" SSDs2x 3.5" HDDs4x 2.5" SSDs2x 3.5" HDDsClearances:PSU: 220mmCPU Cooler: 170mmGPU: 360mm (335mm w/ fan)PSU: 220mmCPU Cooler: 170mmGPU: 430 mm (405 mm w/ fan)Dust Filters:Front, Top, PSU, SideFront, PSU, SideFront I/O:USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A (x1)USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (x1)Headphone/Microphone (x1)PowerResetUSB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A (x2)USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (x1)Headphone/Microphone (x1)PowerResetPower Supply:ATX (Not Included)ATX (Not Included)Warranty:2 Year2 YearThe BuildThe rotatable vertical GPU mount is one of three major features that genuinely live up to Corsair's promise of modularity, the other two being the PSU shroud and the motherboard tray (which can be removed with four screws). This is vital: being able to eventually buy or print individual components is nice, but it doesn't have anything to do with the case's design. With these three features, we're comfortable saying that the Frame 4000D is more modular than a typical case. It's also possible to swap the glass and mesh side panels to either side of the case, but this won't be useful until Corsair sells side panels individually or introduces more case SKUs.The vertical GPU mount is surprisingly quick to set up: by loosening two thumbscrews around the expansion slot covers, the entire set of seven slots can be removed and rotated 90 degrees. A riser cable can then be installed and supported by two standoffs installed on the surface of the PSU shroud. Using the built-in mounting holes, a maximum of three vertical slots are usable. Obviously Corsair intends for you to purchase a Corsair riser cable, but if you want to use your own, the holes are spaced 122mm apart.The Frame 4000D has old school pop-out fill and drain ports at the top and bottom of the chassis, which we also really appreciate. Open-loop compatibility fits well with the modular philosophy that Corsair is pushing.So far, these things are good. If we’re picking antiquated hills to die on, paper manuals will be one of them: We'd like to see a paper manual included with the case in addition to the version on Corsair's blog. The benefit of the online guide is that it can be updated; for example, the online manual now explains what the point of the strip of mylar in the accessory kit is, whereas we had to email Corsair (it covers the reverse-connector holes in the motherboard tray when they're unused). A paper manual can’t be updated, which is a downside as much as it is an upside: The upside is that a company can’t gaslight a customer if something proves incompatible and is retconned. It’s also just more convenient to build a computer with a physical manual.But then again, maybe Corsair doesn’t deserve paper manuals since its own digital manual incorrectly lists the screw count and steps for removing the power supply shroud. With a digital one, they’ll be able to make as many mistakes as they want and the only people who will know about them is everyone who read this article. For the record, it’s 3 screws, not 2. And the diagram is also incorrect.There's another, larger piece of black mylar in the kit, but the manual devotes less explanation to this one, simply saying that if you "don’t want your cables visible through the bottom mesh quarter-panel, swap the translucent insert for the color-matched blank-out insert included in the Accessory Box." The case also has a Lian Li-ish strip of mesh ventilation below the glass side panel and it ships with the translucent insert. If you install fans in the two 120mm slots on top of the PSU shroud, we'd recommend getting rid of the inserts entirely.The Frame 4000D uses the so-called "InfiniRail" system. At the front of the case, there are two metal rails that hold up to 12 plastic clips. The rails slide in and out for 120mm or 140mm mounting, and the clips slide up and down the whole length of the rails. Technically, the rails can fit 200mm fans at their maximum width, but only by forgoing the clips and mounting directly to the rails. At the top of the case, Corsair took the simpler approach of using a single sliding rail and no clips. The system is more complicated than it strictly needs to be, but our only real complaint is that there are exactly twelve clips included with the base model Frame 4000D, with no spares in case one breaks.The only significant fit-and-finish issue with our review sample was that one of the plastic pieces of the ball snap fasteners had popped out of the chassis in shipping. We were able to find it and put it back, but just like the InfiniRail clips, Corsair didn't provide any extras (like some other manufacturers do). As for build quality, construction of the Frame 4000D feels more delicate than the older 4000 series cases. This is partly a tradeoff for the more breathable mesh pattern, flexible fan mounting, and removable components. All of these things get exchanged for rigidity. Corsair apparently intends to sell Frame 4000D components individually as well, but we don't see any on the store as of this writing.On the positives for build quality, the elaborate stamped 3D pattern on the front panel is much sturdier than it looks. We'll have thermal results later in this review, but the Frame 4000D's front panel appears more open than the 4000D Airflow's (watch our review) while retaining most of its rigidity.There's a cable cover at the front of the case that can be installed in one of two positions, but as is frequently the case, we were only able to use it in the forward position because of the ATX power cable. The other position is better suited to back connect motherboards, of which ASUS BTF, MSI Project Zero, and Gigabyte Project Stealth have been validated by Corsair to work. The cable cover is extremely easy to remove, requiring only a single screw, and it's equally easy to slot the side fan mount from the accessory kit in its place. The side fan mount is another feature that will become more interesting if Corsair introduces a Frame 4000X or other variant with a sealed front panel.Cable management is good with tons of velcro straps behind the motherboard tray, but the best route for the 24-pin cable is along the cable bar, which isn't an option if the side fan mount is installed instead. Front I/O cables are neatly sleeved and the whole I/O unit pops off with two screws, so it would have been nice to allow alternate mounting locations (like in the O11D EVO), especially since having the I/O at the bottom of the case has become unusual these days. Even still, we like the modularity of it. They are delivering on that. As for storage, drives can be mounted on two plates, one behind the motherboard tray and one under the PSU shroud. Each plate can mount either two 2.5" drives, one 3.5" drive, or one "iCUE LINK System Hub controller." We'll be interested to see whether Corsair comes up with a modular solution to fit more drives, but for now, that's it.The default location of the GPU anti-sag arm is on the cable cover, too far forward to benefit anything except the longest GPUs, especially if the cable cover is shifted to its forward position.It can be moved a step further back by using the "mini mount" in the accessory kit, but there's no way to do any finer adjustment, and you should look for a different solution if you really think your GPU needs that support. Appearances are subjective. For some, a possible downside of the Frame 4000D's increased modularity is that it doesn't have the clean, uninterrupted lines of the original 4000D cases. We'll leave it at that; you can form your own opinion.Corsair Frame 4000D Thermals Visit our Patreon page to contribute a few dollars toward this website's operation (or consider a direct donation or buying something from our GN Store!) Additionally, when you purchase through links to retailers on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.The $95 base model Frame 4000D that we were sent for review didn't include any stock fans, so Corsair sent along a pack of three RS120 ARGB fans. We used these fans to match the stock configuration of the $110 Frame 4000D RS ARGB, which is how the case is marked on our charts. According to Corsair's spec sheets, the ARGB fans have the same specs as regular RS120s, so these results are also representative of the $100 Frame 4000D RS (non-ARGB)'s performance.CPU Full Load Thermals - Noise-NormalizedWe’ll start with noise-normalized thermals when using our hemi-anechoic chamber to establish the noise levels.Under full load with the case fans adjusted to hit our 27 dBA noise normalization target, CPU temperature in the Frame 4000D averaged 43 degrees Celsius above ambient, or 47 degrees on just the P-cores. That's a significant improvement over the original 4000D Airflow's average of 49 degrees (53 on the P-Cores), but that's to be expected since the older case has only two fans and splits them between the front and rear of the case.Relative to the rest of the chart, the Frame 4000D performed fairly well here. The Phanteks XT Pro Ultra is comparable in price and design, but it split the difference between the Corsair cases, with the Frame 4000D still a couple degrees cooler. The Lancool 207 (read our review) remains the budget case to beat with averages of 41 degrees across all cores and 45 on the P-Cores, while the NZXT H5 Flow 2024 (watch our review) and Phanteks G400A (watch our review) performed similarly well. The G400A remains difficult to find in the US.GPU Full Load Thermals - Noise-NormalizedMoving to GPU thermals under full load in the same noise normalized test, the Frame 4000D averaged 45 degrees above ambient, with 49 degrees for the memory and 59 for the unshown GPU hotspot. That's another victory over the original 4000D Airflow, which averaged 49 degrees for the GPU temperature, but again that's with two fans to the Frame 4000D's three.The G400A effectively tied the Frame 4000D in this test, while the H5 and XT Pro UItra didn't do as well. The XT Pro UItra averaged 47 degrees for the GPU, a couple degrees warmer than the Frame 4000D. The Lancool 207 remains near the top of the chart for cooling. To learn more about that one, you can check out our Best Cases round-up from last year or our original review for more info on that case's pros and cons.CPU Full Load Thermals - Full SpeedAt full speed, the Frame 4000D's CPU thermal performance continues to scale fairly well for its price, while the 4000D Airflow falls further behind. The Frame 4000D's noise levels and performance were essentially tied with the Phanteks XT Pro Ultra here, with the Frame 4000D averaging 40 degrees above ambient, or 43 on the P-Cores. The G400A performed similarly as well, but with a lower 37dBA noise level to the Frame 4000D's 43dBA, while the Lancool 207 remains an outlier with both lower temperatures and lower noise levels, making it a lot better here than really most of these other cases.CPU Full Load Thermals - Standardized FansThe standardized fan test has always had limited usefulness, but this is one of the places it’s useful.It’ll help us evaluate the Frame 4000D's unusual front panel by comparing it against other cases with an identical set of fans and placements including the 4000D. Average all-core CPU temperature was 40 degrees above ambient and the P-Cores were 44 degrees. That's reasonably well-matched to established mesh-fronted cases like Fractal's Meshify 2 Compact (watch our review) and North XL (read our review), and extremely close to SilverStone's recent FARA 514X (read our review). The Frame 4000D is also significantly better than the 4000D Airflow when normalizing to the same fans, reinforcing Corsair’s improvements to the chassis design itself.No matter how open the front panel is, though, the fans still have to pull air through Corsair's filter as well, so it makes some sense that some single-layer mesh designs like the Lancool 207, Pop Air RGB (watch our review), and Flux Pro (read our review) perform slightly better here, although the G400A also did fairly well with two layers.GPU Full Load Thermals - Standardized FansIn the same test, GPU temperature in the Frame 4000D averaged 43 degrees above ambient, tying it with most of the cases we just mentioned (Lancool 207, Pop Air RGB, and Flux Pro), while the XT Pro Ultra did unusually poorly with an average of 50 degrees.As a side note, GPU thermals with the 4000D Airflow were abysmal in this particular test relative to the rest of the chart. That differs from what we saw 5 years ago using our old test hardware, which demonstrates the value of retesting these cases now that we've switched to new components and a flow-through GPU design.VRM & RAM Full Load Thermals - Noise NormalizedAs a final note, the VR VCC sensor averaged 30 degrees above ambient in the noise-normalized test with the Frame 4000D. That puts it at the cooler end of what we typically see from cases, with only a couple of outliers like the Lancool 207 and Flux Pro dropping to the 27 degree mark. The same goes for the SPD Hub average of 24 degrees above ambient (which is the RAM temperature), with relatively few cases on the chart dropping below 22 degrees. Both these sensors indicate normal internal case temperatures.Corsair Frame 4000D Conclusion Our fully custom 3D Emblem Glasses celebrate our 15th Anniversary! We hand-assemble these on the East Coast in the US with a metal badge, strong adhesive, and high-quality pint glass. They pair excellently with our 3D 'Debug' Drink Coasters. Purchases keep us ad-free and directly support our consumer-focused reviews!Of the existing Frame 4000D SKUs, the Frame 4000D RS at $100 is a decent deal, especially given how tightly packed the SKUs’ prices are. Going from 0 fans to 3 fans is worth $5, and going from no RGB to ARGB may or may not be worth another $10. We need Corsair to follow through with more modular case components (like the alternate front panels it showed in the trailer) to make it really interesting, or at the absolute least offer some more printable files. The Lancool 207 remains king in terms of min-maxed price-to-performance, but the Frame 4000D is a reasonable alternative to budget Phanteks cases like the G400A and XT Pro Ultra, or potentially some Montech cases (which we'll be adding more of to the charts shortly). As a successor to the existing 4000 series, we like the Frame 4000D functionally. Some of the finer attention to detail elements like the geometric patterns and yellow accents remain, just with a more complex appearance than previously.Corsair has mentioned that it may have to increase prices, but we don’t yet have final details on what that amount might be on this case. We don't encourage panic buying, but if you've decided that the Frame 4000D is the case for you and it's currently in stock at MSRP, we wouldn't recommend waiting around for a discount. Overall, this is a job well done by Corsair. It is a much better return to form as compared to something like the 6500D (read our review) from last year.