Final Thoughts
I think that the 280X is a great addition to Corsair’s Crystal series. Again, the Crystal Series is the more flashy series in Corsair’s line of cases. I think that the Micro-ATX form factor is coming back, especially since at most people are doing single-card builds and Micro-ATX allows for a smaller footprint.
Since this is a Crystal Series case you expect tempered glass panels and on this case you find three, one on the top, one of the front, and of course the tempered glass side panel. These look great and Corsair has designed the case to allow for ventilation for top and front cooling solutions.
I am a big fan of the dual compartment design in this form factor. While we are trying to show off our hardware it is a hard thing to do especially if you want a functional case. That is why Corsair designed the rear compartment to be functional rather than shown off, hence why you don’t have a 4th tempered glass panel on the other side of the case. Here you have your hard drive trays and room to hide all of your cables.
The case is quite easy to build in and we really did not run into any issues there. Also you have room inside for great hardware, up to 5 hard drives, 5 fans, watercooling, and the front, top, bottom, and rear side all have filters. Corsair has really thought this case out and you can tell by how easy hardware goes in and how your finished product looks.
Talking about the finished product, if you do get the RGB version of the case it comes with two of Corsair’s LL120 RGB fans and the Lighting Node Pro RGB controller. With this and Corsair’s iCue software you can individually control each of the 16 LEDs on the fans. The controller supports up to six fans too, so if you wanted to add more to your build you can!
Corsair will be selling the Crystal Series 280X RGB for $159.99 and the non-RGB version (just 280X) for $109.99. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Corsair Crystal Series 280X RGB Case a 10 out of 10 score and our Recommended Award!
Pros:
– Sleek design
– Three tempered glass side panels
– Two LL120 RGB fans and Lighting Node Pro RGB controller included
– Easy hardware installation
– Room for 5 fans and watercooling
Cons:
– None that I found
