Meanwhile, the CPU cooler height limitation stands
at the same 170mm as the 460X, which covers even
exceptionally large air coolers, such as Noctua’s NH-D15.
There’s 370mm of clearance for graphics cards too, which
means you’ll still have plenty of space even if you add a
radiator to the front of the case.
In terms of storage, there are four dedicated 2.5in SSD
trays secured using thumb screws, two of which sit behind
the motherboard tray, with an additional pair in the side of the
case at the front. These mounts, sadly, don’t include Corsair’s
tool-free system that we’ve seen on previous cases, so you’ll
need to screw your SSDs to the trays first. There’s a cage in
the bottom of the case that houses two hard disks too, which
doubles as a secondary mount for SSDs.The Lighting Node Core module
sits behind the motherboard tray as
well, with the three included 120mm
fans already hooked up to it. There
are three more spare lighting
channels, on it, and the module is
powered by a SATA connector, while
its data connection comes from a
spare USB 2 header. As the lighting
control now goes through software
rather than a bunch of buttons, the
front panel is a trimmed-down
version of the one found on the
460X. As such, there’s not much
else on the front, other than the
combined microphone/headphone
jack, plus power and reset buttons.Performance
The 465X’s CPU delta T of 56°C was average compared
with recent cases we’ve reviewed, but this figure is
undoubtedly down to the lack of a rear exhaust fan, which
we know aids cooling with tower air coolers. Cases with a
rear fan, such as the Fractal Design Define S2 and Lian Li
Lancool One, all performed slightly better. However, the
465X’s trio of front fans and improved ventilation did give
it an edge over some other cases with closed front panels,
such as the Lian Li Alpha 550X and Corsair Spec Omega
RGB. The GPU delta T benefited from those fans too, with
the 465X’s 51°C result being a few degrees lower than that
of the Fractal Design Define S2.Conclusion
With the addition of a rear exhaust fan, the iCUE 465X RGB
would offer top-notch cooling for both the CPU and GPU,
but as it stands, it’s still a good case for the cash. There’s
plenty of scope for installing AIO liquid coolers or fully
fledged water-cooling systems, and the lighting looks
fantastic.ThelattertiesintoCorsair’severimproving
software,andtheinclusionofthreepremium120mmfans
asstandardisgreattoo.
Unlikeothercasesofitssizeandprice,there’sa littleextra
CPUcoolerclearanceif you’rea fanofbigtowercoolerstoo.It
doeshavesomeshortcomings,though,includingthelackof
softwarefancontrol,limitedroomforharddrivesandthe
inabilitytoremovepartofthePSUcover.Itsfamiliardesign
is alsounremarkable,showingnotmuchinnovationsince
previousCorsaircases.However,it’sstilla goodcaseforthe
money,especiallyif youaddanexhaustfan.
ANTONYLEATHERTEMPERATURE RESULTS
OVERALLSCORE
84
COOLING
26 / 30
FEATURES
16 / 20
DESIGN
25 / 30
VALUE
17 / 20VERDICT
Software-controlled RGB lighting and plenty of cooling
options, but it’s a little unremarkable.CUE
+ Good cooling
+ Software-
controlled lighting
+ Decent water-
cooling supportQUEUE- Average storage
options - Not particularly
innovative - No software
fan control
CPUDeltaT020406080CorsairiCUE465XRGB
FractalDesignDefineS256°C
54°C
LianLiLancoolOne
NZXTH50054°C
52°C
Corsair Spec Omega RGB 62°C
Lower is betterGPUDeltaT020406080CorsairiCUE465XRGB
FractalDesignDefineS251°C
55°C
LianLiLancoolOne
NZXTH50053°C
55°C
Corsair Spec Omega RGB 55°C
Lower is better