Corsair Crystal Series 460X RGB Mid-Tower Chassis Review

1. Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing
2. Packaging
3. Corsair Crystal 460X RGB Mid-Tower Chassis
4. Inside the Crystal 460X RGB
5. Inside the Crystal 460X RGB Continued
6. Hardware & Documentation
7. Case Build & Finished Product
8. Final Thoughts

TweakTown's Rating: 97%

The Bottom Line

Corsair's Crystal Series 460X RGB takes tempered glass cases to a whole new level! If not for a couple of minute things, this could easily have received our Editor's Choice award. Still though, the 460X RGB is in our top five mid-tower cases we have ever seen.

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

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Part two of this three piece saga of cases is now upon us and brings us to a whole new series of cases to be held within the Corsair lineup. At this point, initially, we would like to introduce the Crystal Series of cases. As the name implies, this is an instance in where Corsair adapts to the trend of tempered glass used in chassis design. As of late, we have seen a few make the switch to using 3mm thick, chemically tempered, glass panels in some way shape or form, which started way back from InWin, but has taken quite a bit of time to become widely accepted by the market. Being one of the largest names when it comes to most things PC related, it seems like a smart move for Corsair right from the word go.

What you are about to see may bring flashbacks of the past, or that feeling of Déjà vu, and do not feel weird if these happen to you, as your eyes are not playing tricks on you. As the first attempt to bring forth a chassis to take on glass panels, Corsair took the Carbide 400C back to the table, and they thought to themselves, how can we make this chassis better aesthetically? The exterior of this latest design brings forth an all new look to anything Corsair has presented in the past, and to add even more pizzazz to the design, they even included RGB fans in this model to raise the looks factor as well. Though, if you are going to offer a chassis with glass panels, why not dress it up as much as possible, and give your customers something to look at?

The chassis in question is the Corsair Crystal Series 460X RGB Compact ATX chassis. This is a mid-tower design with a bit of marketing spin to make it seem larger than it is when comparing other cases labeled as mid-towers. While there is plenty of room inside for all of the things associated with multiple card setups, water cooling, and a clear path for air to flow through this chassis, the main features described above are what will sell this chassis. Obviously "RGB all the things" is quite the rage right now, and if your mouse, keyboard, and possibly your monitors LED kit are all showing their various colors, why not have the same thing in your case as well? This is where Corsair steps in and one-ups the tempered glass cases we have seen in the recent past and offers something that will attract many more potential customers with the implementation of these new fans used in the Crystal 460X.

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Along with our guide for reviewing this chassis, we were also sent the specifications chart. In it, we start off with the 464mm height, the 220mm width, and the 440mm depth, and the only indication of its weight is the 22 pounds listed on the shipping label, but that includes the packaging as well. We then see that this mid-tower offers not a single bay in the front of the chassis, yet still affords room for storage, but it is kept behind the motherboard tray. There, you can find a plastic rack which will house up to three 2.5" drives, and near the front of the chassis, there you can find a hidden HDD cage with two trays for 3.5" drives. Near the bottom of the chart we see that there are seven expansion slots in the back, and we can also see the clearances for the CPU cooler, PSU, and graphics cards.

In the front of the 460X, you will find three 120mm SP120 RGB fans cooling the interior of this case. As for any other fans in this chassis, that is up to you, as the top and rear of the chassis do not include a fan or fans out of the box. There are options for air cooling built into this case, where you can also use a pair of 140mm fans in the front if desired. The rear of the case offers a location for a 120mm fan, while the top of the chassis can support a pair of 120mm or 140mm fans.

When it comes to water cooling, the front of the chassis can take on a 360mm radiator or a 280mm one. The top of the chassis can take on a 240mm radiator but not a 280mm due to the offset, and you can also stick a single radiator in the back as well. Making the use of the RGB fans easier on the end-user, Corsair uses a couple of hidden boxes for wiring and control of the fans, but in the front I/O panel with the usual suspects, there are three new buttons to use with them.

There is a lot here they do not list. First of all, we would have made sure to list in the specifications that there are two glass panels in this design, one on the front, and the other being the entire left side of the 460X. We might have mentioned it was 3mm in thickness, or maybe that it is tinted, and possibly that it is chemically tempered. We may have also listed that this chassis is built of steel, and both the inside and outside are painted black. Then again, we also would have mentioned that there is a PSU cover in this design. We do not need to ponder in the exclusions much at all, as we will be covering everything we see with the 460X, leaving nothing to chance or speculation.

While we are writing this before the actual embargo being lifted for these cases, we were given the price point. Just as a point of reference, we did just check on the Carbide 400C which is currently listed for slightly less than $100 depending on where you shop. With the Crystal 460X, we see the pricing has been raised, and with the point of reference in mind, the $139 pricing does not seem bad at all. Considering the expense associated with tempered glass panels, as well as adding in RGB fans, the hardware needed to run it and adding switches to ease their usage, we feel Corsair is on the right path, and the Crystal Series 460X RGB could be wildly successful.

Chad's Chassis Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD4-B3
• CPU: Intel Core i7 2600K (buy from Amazon)
• Cooler: Corsair H80i GT (buy from Amazon)
• Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws F3-12800CL6D-4GBXH
• Video Card: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 970 AMP. Extreme Edition (buy from Amazon)
• Storage: SuperSpeed 128GB SSD
• Power Supply: SilverStone SST-ST85F-G (buy from Amazon)
• OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (buy from Amazon)

Packaging

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As a lot of cases do, this one also arrives with plain brown cardboard and black printing used to show what it is. On the front panel, we see a rendering of the case with its description off to the right. Then, across the bottom, this is where we find the Crystal Series 460X RGB naming, and its compact ATX classification.

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While the shipping label is covering the model number and serial number sticker, we can still see the second sticker noting this should have clear glass panels, and that the fans are RGB. Three specifications charts run across the middle of the panel, and at the bottom is a pair of renderings showing the front and inside the left panel.

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As Corsair typically does, just under the naming, we see an exploded diagram of the chassis contained in the box. The major components are labeled and along the bottom these parts are mentioned as to what they are.

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The last side of the box is a copy of what we saw on the other skinny side panel. The only difference between the two is the lack of stickers at the top, and that the three specifications charts are offered in new languages.

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Because tempered glass is used in this chassis, packaging has been stepped up. While you will find plastic stuck to the outside of the glass panels, and that the entire thing is wrapped in a plastic liner, it is the use of dense foam to virtually surround the case that allows it to arrive in terrific condition. Not only is the front and back of the chassis covered and supported with it, but a third piece is added to cover the left side of the chassis as well, ensuring nothing can get to that glass side panel.

Corsair Crystal 460X RGB Mid-Tower Chassis

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The front of the 460X RGB is mostly covered with glass, which easily shows off the fans behind it. There is a thin plastic strip around the edges and the frame which holds the glass panel is also plastic. To keep the panel with the etched Corsair logo at the bottom in place, rubber pads and thumbscrews are used to hold here.

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At the top of the chassis, just being the bezel is the front I/O panel. Behind the panel, the majority of the top is take up with a ventilated area covered with a magnetic dust filter. There is a bit of steel around the edges, but just enough to be structurally sound, and not make a heavy presence.

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The front I/O panel starts off on the left with the lighting controls. There you will find a button to change the colors, a button to adjust the timing of the mode in use, and the third button cycles through the modes offered. It is then we find the rest button, the HDD activity LED, the HD Audio jacks, the pair of USB 3.0 ports, and the backlit power button on the right.

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There is a length of steel exposed along the top, while at the bottom of the large tempered glass panel, all we see are the feet. The sides of the bezel are open wide to allow air to flow into the chassis, and along with the thumbscrews holding the glass in place, we find the top and bottom of the glass has been painted black to close off the view of the frame behind it.

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The motherboard sits high in the chassis and is why the rear I/O area and optional fan location are where they are. There are seven ventilated expansion slots with passive ventilation next to them, leaving room at the bottom for the PSU. Also due to the use of glass on the left side of the case, there are thumbscrews here only for the right side panels removal.

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The right side of the case, while the panel is still installed, is a flat expanse of textured black paint. The panel covers the same area as the glass does, leaving just a bit of the top panel exposed, and the feet along the bottom, but we do see that the bezel is fully vented on this side too.

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Beneath the 460X, we find big rectangular plastic feet which have rubber pads on the bottom so that this chassis will not slide around. There is a dust filter offered under the PSU area at the back, and near the front, we see a tab which is part of the HDD cage, and the tab helps to hold it into place.

Inside the Crystal 460X RGB

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To get the front of the chassis open, you must remove the thumbscrews holding the glass in place, and the bezel is released with it. Keep in mind, at this point, the glass panel is not held in place. We managed to keep it together just for this image. Behind the bezel is a full-length dust filter which is magnetically held into place so that it can be easily removed and cleaned.

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This image is where the Déjà vu starts, as we look inside of the 460X RGB. Your mind is not playing tricks on you; this is the 400C interior. The air flow from front to back is unimpeded in this open interior, and we can see that the wiring is tied up, so it does not contact the glass or anything else for that matter.

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While the trio of SP120 RGB fans look normal for a white bladed black framed fan, there is more wiring involved with them. There is plenty of room to add in water cooling here, and there is an option to replace these to support a pair of 120mm fans, but keep in mind, you will lose the RGB aspect of this design in doing so.

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The motherboard tray is labeled to allow for Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, or ATX motherboards to be placed here. There are eight holes in which to pass wiring, three of them with grommets in place, and 14 tie points in this motherboard tray, along with a good sized CPU cooler access hole.

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Below the motherboard tray is a two-piece plastic PSU cooler. In the front of it, you can see the side of the HDD cage, on top we find a hole for wiring the motherboard from the I/O panel or passing VGA power wires. We also see near the back of the case, that Corsair has added their logo to it, so it shows through the tempered glass side panel.

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Inside of the back panel, we do not see a fan, as one is not placed here from Corsair. What we do see is the use of thumbscrews for the expansion slots, and also holes are drilled in the frame rail to make accessing them possible.

Inside the Crystal 460X RGB Continued

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The view behind the motherboard tray shows us that there is plenty to address here. We can spot the LED light controller at the left, the plastic spring loaded rack for 2.5" drives running across the middle, and the RGB lighting hub below it. To the left of the main fan hub, there is a square to pass PSU wiring to the back of the case, and even further left is the dual-bay rack for 3.5" drives, the top of which contains the hardware for the 460X RGB.

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This two bay HDD cage is fully removable, but the PSU cover needs to be removed first to do so. Removing the thumbscrew from above the cage, and sliding the cage across the floor to the left side, it can them be lifted out of the chassis. Keep in mind too; these trays are drilled for 2.5" drives too, so you may not want to remove them unless the size of your PSU comes into play.

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With the RGB fans comes this controller for the lighting. While there is a cable that connects this to the front panel, you can also use this trio of buttons to adjust the speed, color, or the mode of the three 120mm fans installed in the front of the case.

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The other half of this system is found in this box. The RGB LED cables that come from the fans all run to this point. There are three ports at the top taken by the 120mm fans, but you can also add three more to this system. The wire to the right connects this hub to the control panel we saw in the last image.

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For the size of the case, the front I/O wiring is long and does help to get around the things hidden behind the motherboard tray, and still reach their points of connection to the motherboard. There is a native USB 3.0 connector on the left, the HD Audio cable in the middle, and thin wires for the reset and power buttons, as well as the power and HDD activity LEDs.

Hardware & Documentation

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The screw sets offered with the 460X RGB cover all of your fundamental needs, and some you may need in the future. There are long fan screws provided in a set of four, and we also get 16 standard fan screws, and the last bag at the top holds 16 6/32 screws for the motherboard and PSU installations. The bottom row of bags presents the 16 M3 countersunk screws for installing 2.5" drives into the HDD cage. There are four more M3 screws we find no obvious use for and a standoff to replace the helper standoff already installed inside of the 460X RGB.

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To help with wire management, Corsair has provided six zip-ties to do this. There is a good chance that these are enough for a basic build, but if you have wiring to deal with associated with water cooling, or if adding more RGB fans, you will need more for a clean and tidy build.

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The installation guide shows what hardware you should have to get the build completed and then progresses to a step-by-step guide on installing the main components. This manual covers seven languages, and each section offers great renderings to aid you along, even if you cannot read any of them. There is also an insert about the terms and conditions of the warranty that comes with this chassis.

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While the three fans in the front do come pre-wired to the controller and the hub, Corsair does send a manual along in case you need to make changes. Even if you were to gut the cooling system completely, this guide will show you how to get it all connected back up so that it will all function as it should.

Case Build & Finished Product

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Just like with the Carbide 270R, the Crystal 460X is just as sleek and attractive looking as it was fresh out of the box. There is nothing to block the view of these fans through the front, except for maybe a finger print or two from the build process.

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Since there was no exhaust fan, we stuck the AIO in that location after getting the motherboard installed. The video card is nearly level with a little sag to it, and the finished result inside is clean and tidy. We also like that there is a PSU cover, but the hole arrangement in the two halves can complicate the build, not only in needing both parts in place to pass wires through it but that it is hard to reach once the PSU cover is in place too.

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The dust shield snapped right into its location, and we had no issues installing the AIO or adjusting the height of it. The video card went right into place, and the holes in the frame rail make screwing them in much easier. Even when it came to the PSU, it can be set in once the cover is removed, and then screwed securely into the chassis.

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There is still plenty of room off to the left to allow the 24-pin lead and all of the front I/O wiring to run and stay out of the way. We did remove the HDD cage to make things easier to wire to the PSU and gain access to pass wires through the PSU cover. We should also mention that there is a SATA power lead for the fan controller, and along with its connection, we also hid the 8-pin lead inside of the frame.

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While the images previous to this do show this 460X in a good light, once the build was completed and we gained perspective from this angle, we like what we see here even more. Of course, this chassis looks sleek and sexy, and the view of all of the hardware is excellent, but we still have one thing to show you about the Crystal 460X RGB.

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When we added power and booted the test system, the Crystal 460X RGB comes to life. While we are only showing green LED light from the fans at this time, you also can choose between white, red, orange, yellow, blue, violet, or cycling through all of the colors. For the various modes you can choose, the Breathing and Flicker, Static, Breathing, or Flicker modes, and with the third button, you can adjust the rate in which the lights breathe or flicker the LEDs. This can be done from either the controller behind the motherboard tray or within the front I/O panel.

Final Thoughts

While at the bottom of it all, this is essentially the Carbide 400C in new clothes, the outfit Corsair chose for the Crystal 460X RGB is well-appointed garb for today's market. Tempered glass panels are all the rage in cases today, and the implementation Corsair chose with this case is as good as all of the rest we have seen to date. Although there is still one thing that Corsair has up their sleeves, where others have failed to take advantage.

This is the fact that they have added RGB lighting to the fans behind the glass, taking the Crystal 460X RGB to a level above the competition at this time. The chassis is solid, the feature set is rich, the design is slightly modular, there is a PSU cover, there is a fan hub system to simplify fan controls - as an entire package, it is hard to deny the stunning looks of the 460X RGB, powered on or not. The best part about it is even when the fans are all aglow and fully powered, we only heard 27dB of noise out the back of the 460X RGB, without the AIO there.

Where there is a full list of reasons to go out and buy the Crystal 460X RGB, we did find two things that stood out to us. With all of the control offered in this chassis for the RGB end of the fans, we feel Corsair could have easily added a third unit to the kit to act as a fan hub for power. Even without a switch, as PWM control would be a superb option, we feel they missed the mark considering you have to power up to six fans with the gear we did get. The second thing that stood out to us was the use of the two-piece PSU cover. While it was cool and all that when we first saw it some time ago, we do not like the pass-through wire system, it delivers with this design. It is tough to reach, near impossible if the HDD cage is left installed, and let's be honest, they could have gone with steel and maybe added a light up Corsair logo to the side of it. Outside of these two small things that stuck out, the rest of the chassis is everything you would want in a mid-tower chassis.

With availability uncertain at the time we are writing this, we do feel that if there is any delay in stock arriving at the store, people will be in line with money waiting for a case like this. The looks are above average right out of the box, but once your chassis matches the mouse and keyboard lighting, and the whole office is now in sync, it can change the whole ambiance of what you are used to seeing. While fingerprints and dust can be a long term issue with a design like this, in our experience regular maintenance solves this, and you are left with something that will be the envy of all of your friends or anyone who gets to see images of your build.

Corsair may not have been the first to produce a chassis with tempered glass panels, but boy, when they did, they came out swinging for the fences. The Crystal Series 460X RGB Compact ATX mid-tower chassis does cost $139 to obtain, but in our mind, it is worth every penny.

Chad's Chassis Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD4-B3
• CPU: Intel Core i7 2600K (buy from Amazon)
• Cooler: Corsair H80i GT (buy from Amazon)
• Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws F3-12800CL6D-4GBXH
• Video Card: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 970 AMP. Extreme Edition (buy from Amazon)
• Storage: SuperSpeed 128GB SSD
• Power Supply: SilverStone SST-ST85F-G (buy from Amazon)
• OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (buy from Amazon)