Image: Foundry
There’s nothing I like better than a clean PC build, and that’s what the new Corsair 2500X enclosure is all about. It’s part of the new generation of back-connection cases, which allow for motherboards with most of their power and data connections on the back to allow that rat’s nest of cables to be hidden away. Adam Patrick Murray and Will Smith are in the PCWorld studio to check out the case and give it a full build in our latest YouTube video.
The 2500X is, in technical terms, a big chunky boi. That’s because in addition to the new back connections it’s a dual-chamber design, with the power supply and storage drives completely hidden directly behind the motherboard, all the better to show off the high-end components. it also makes routing all those cables super easy, barely an inconvenience. The 2500X is the more showy version, with tempered glass on the front and side coming to a corner. The 2500D uses a mesh front panel for more performance-oriented airflow setups.
On the front I/O panel running along the top edge you get HD audio, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 type-A, another 3.2 Gen 2 type-C, and dedicated power and reset buttons. There’s also a really cool adapter in the accessories box that lets you choose between an all-in-one header connection or break it out into separate pins, very handy! Will is a big fan of the captive screws, which handily stay in the access panels.
Willis Lai/Foundry
As is becoming popular, this case mounts the front fans and/or radiator to the back of the case, parallel with the motherboard tray, which means the primary air intake comes from the right side. To help protect both chambers there’s both a rigid and flexible mesh all along that right panel, the latter of which can be removed. It’s also possible to add on a vertical GPU mounting bracket, and swap out the metal part of the front panel with some stylish wood finish options.
But one of the biggest draws is compatibility with those not-quite-standard back connector standards from Asus (BTF) and MSI (Project Zero). (Notably, it isn’t compatible with similar options from MainGear or Gigabyte.) Speaking of which, there’s one of them hanging around the office — an MSI B650M Project Zero. So it’s time to see if the new hotness in PC building lives up to the hype. For more on the latest in PC hardware, be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube!
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer
Michael is a former graphic designer who’s been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.