Corsair 2500 & 6500 series cases – an overview
Our first look at the features of the new dual-chamber Corsair case releases
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Another year and yet another pair of interesting cases are being released by Corsair. The Corsair 2500 series and Corsair 6500 series are two similar vertically partitioned ‘dual chamber’ PC cases; they’re both built with the same design philosophy, but with the former being a bit smaller and supporting Micro ATX motherboards, whilst the latter is a Mid Tower case for PCs built around the ATX motherboards.
We were only allowed to get our hands on one of the two products due to the high demand for these cases, so the photography will be from the 2500 series, specifically the 2500X. However we’ll be talking about the features of both of these products below and will discuss the differences between them, so let’s dive in!
Corsair 2500X vs 2500D & Corsair 6500X vs 6500D
Both case sizes have two variants: the X model and the D model, or the ‘D AIRFLOW’ model to give it its full title. The 2500X and 6500X both come with tempered glass on the front and side panel, with mesh on the top and the bottom, whereas the 2500D and 6500D AIRFLOW cases have a mesh front panels to improve the (you guessed it) airflow – allowing the movement of air to run all the way through the case from front to back. These twin designs are in common with a lot of previous Corsair case releases, such as the iCUE 5000X & 5000D Airflow.
A Corsair 2500 series case sitting on top of a shelf.
A black Corsair 6500 series case sitting on a wooden table.
A black Corsair 2500 series computer case sitting on a wooden table.
A black Corsair 6500 series case sitting on a wooden table.
A close up of a black Corsair 6500 series computer case with a power button.
What is a dual chamber case and what are the benefits?
Dual chamber cases aka divided cases are split into two sizeable sections with a partition wall between them, though there’s often a gap in this wall to allow space for a radiator and/or fans. Most cases have a ‘back’ section where the cable management occurs, but on dual chamber cases it’s much larger and can house more of the cabling and components and means you don’t have to overly bend the cables (which can damage them – not good for your PC) and cram them all together in an awkward fashion. These cases have been getting increasingly popular over the last couple of years; they have the following advantages over your standard case design:
Better cable management
The main advantage of dual chamber cases is that they have ample room for cable management, and allow you to hide away the wiring as much as possible from sight. In the case of these particular Corsair cases, they’re also compatible with back-connect motherboards, which allow you to almost entirely hide all the cables from view (more on this below).
Improved airflow & cooling
The superior cable management of the cases allows for better airflow, as there’s less obstruction within the case, particularly if you opt to go with a back-connect case. Better airflow obviously means better cooling, and you can enhance this further by picking the mesh-front D models of these two Corsair cases.
Easier to upgrade
The greater separation of the components in a dual chamber case means it’s significantly easier to swap out components when upgrading your build, as they’re split in a more tidy and accessible way.
Compatible with back-connect motherboards
Back-connect motherboards, also known as reverse motherboards, are those which have cable ports that come straight out of the back of the motherboard, rather than come out of the side/front to then feed round to the back to then connect to the PSU etc. This greatly improves cable management as discussed, which itself improves cooling, but it does require a case design that is compatible – with the correct sections cut out of the motherboard tray so the cables can fit through, plus enough space to allow the cables to feed through at this angle. Both the Corsair 2500 series & 6500 series have this design.
There aren’t a great number of these back-connect motherboards available on the market, and it’s only really two brands that have come out with them: MSI’s Project Zero boards and ASUS’s BTF (Back To the Future) series – both of which can be used with this case, though you can of course utilise a regular motherboard as well, should you wish.
A Corsair 6500 series case sits on a table in front of a neon light.
A Corsair 6500 series black computer case on a wooden table with neon lights.
A black Corsair 2500 series computer case on a table with neon lights.
A black computer housed in a Corsair 6500 series case sits on a table in front of a purple light.
A black Corsair 2500 series case sitting on top of a table.
A black Corsair 6500 series case with neon lights on it.
A Corsair 6500 series case in black with neon lights on it.
Asus rtx 2080 pci-e Corsair 6500 series case pci-e pci.
A close-up of a PC with a CPU in it, housed in a Corsair 6500 series case.
A Corsair 2500 series case with a colorful fan in it.
A close up of a Corsair 6500 series case with a fan.
A close up of a Corsair 6500 series case with a purple light.
A black Corsair 6500 series computer case sitting on a table.
A black Corsair 6500 series case sitting on a wooden table.
A close up of a purple Corsair 6500 series computer case.
Other features
Fan mounts & drive bay support
The Corsair 2500D/X has the following fan mount options: 9x 120mm / 4x 140mm.
The Corsair 6500D/X supports a larger number: 12x 120mm / 8x 140mm
With the 2500X we made a build around using 120mm fans, you could fit up to three at the top, three at the bottom, two at the side, and one at the rear. You can also replace the top and bottom fans with 140mm fans.
Drive bay support includes trays for 2x 3.5” and 4x 2.5” size drives.
Aesthetics & color options
The standard color variants for both cases are black and white, which includes both the color of the mesh sections and the panelling. In addition to this though you, can purchase different color ‘accent’ panels from the Corsair site that you can replace the existing ones with fairly easily (just remove a couple of Phillip’s head screws). Available options include Satin Grey and Obsidian metal panels, plus wooden options in the form of bamboo, teak, walnut and more.
What are the differences between the Corsair 2500 series & 6500 series?
The obvious difference between the two cases is the size. Although we don’t have exact measurements for the 6500X/6500D, we do for the 2500X: 373 x 300 x 470mm (H x W x D). We certainly wouldn’t call this a small case – it’s pretty low in terms of vertical height but it’s got a fair bit of width (thanks to the dual-chamber design) and depth to it. The 6500X/6500D will be larger but we’ll have to wait until the release to know how much larger; as mentioned, the larger size allows for motherboard support up to ATX size, whereas the 2500 maxes out at Micro ATX motherboards (though both can be equipped with smaller as well).
Besides this, the 6500X/6500D has an additional two USB-A slots on the top/front of the case, which is an nice amount – more than what you’d normally see on even larger cases. The 2500X/2500D has the more conventional two USB-A slots, and both have a single USB-C port, combo audio jack, reset and power button on the top. As discussed, the larger case can support an additional three 140mm fans or four more 120mm fans.
When will the Corsair 2500 series & 6500 series be released?
Both Corsair 2500 series and Corsair 6500 series cases are both now available to buy direct from Corsair.
How much will the Corsair 2500 series & 6500 series cost?
The Corsair 2500X and 2500D AIRFLOW are both priced at $159.99 / £129.99.
The Corsair 6500X and 6500D AIRFLOW are both priced at $199.99 / £169.99.
