Corsair Frame 5000D Review (with $300 Elite Tray)

James was impressed by the Corsair Frame 4000D so we have high hopes for this Frame 5000D which is larger in all three dimensions and supports more cooling hardware. The key difference between 50000D and 4000D is support for a 420mm liquid cooler in the roof. Push it to the limits and Frame 5000D can accommodate 12x 140mm fans, which sounds mega.

Time stamps

00:00 Start
01:02 A quick catch up
02:35 Some configs and options
03:26 Billet aluminium motherboard tray
04:06 Prototype case from Computex
04:35 The Elite Motherboard Tray – fitting
08:08 5000D pricing and cooling support
09:21 Removing panels
11:12 Inside the 5000D
12:23 Stealth motherboard support
13:20 PSU
14:18 Installing hardware
17:00 Testing Noise and Temps
18:45 Leo’s Closing Thoughts

Main features

• Supports Reverse Connection Motherboards –Asus BTF, MSI Project Zero, and Gigabyte Project Stealth validated with plenty of connector and cable cutouts and tie-downs to keep things tidy even where you can’t see them.
• Versatile Connectivity –The FRAME 5000D offers four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C front I/O panel. The I/O ports have also been relocated to the bottom of the case to make it easy for folks with their PC on their desk to connect devices.
• Drives, Drives, Drives –Included drive trays for dual 3.5” hard drives or four 2.5” SSDs, or they can be removed entirely to make room for custom liquid cooling components and cables.
• Solid GPU Support (Literally) –Modern graphics cards are bigger and heavier than ever, which is why every 5000D comes with an included GPU Anti-sag stabilization arm.
• Just a Bit Bigger –GPUs are getting bigger and hotter, which is why the Frame 5000D was designed slightly longer and wider than most other mid-tower cases.
• Built for iCUELink –Designed from the ground up for easy iCUELINK integration, the FRAME 5000D has cable hooks, increased tie downs, and a dedicated mounting pocket for an iCUELINK System Hub (sold separately).
• Touches of Elegance –The Frame 5000D includes a number of features displaying CORSAIR's attention to detail. They include external cable management points, captive screws that won’t get lost, fully colour-matched rivets, screws, and plastic components, an attractive Frost White option, and built-in rotatable PCI slots for vertical GPU mounting fans.
• RapidRoute2.0-FRAME 5000D features the next generation of CORSAIR's cable-routing hardware, with a pegboard-style motherboard tray that allows for custom mounting points for tie-downs and buckles. It also comes with several types of cable clips, or you can 3D print your own. It includes six cinching straps and two wire loom pairs to secure extra cable lengths for a tidy interior.

Specification:

• Motherboard support: E-ATX (up to 305mm), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
• Power supply support: ATX.
• Expansion slots: 8+3.
• Included fans: 3x 140mm RS140 front intake, 1x 140mm RS140 rear exhaust.
• Fan mounts: 3x 120mm/140mm or 2x 200mm front, 3x 120mm/140mm roof, 1x 120mm/140mm rear, 2x 120mm PSU shroud, 2x 120mm/140mm floor.
• Radiator mounts: 360mm/280mm front, 360mm/420mm roof, 120mm/140mm rear, 360mm/280mm side.
• 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
• Internal drive bays: 2x 3.5-inch, 6x 2.5-inch.
• Front I/O ports: 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, audio.
• Dimensions: 542mm H x 556mm D x 250mm W.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel core Ultra 9 285K, Palit RTX 5080 and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Corsair Frame 5000D’s cooling capabilities.

Test System:

• Processor: Intel core Ultra 9 285K
• CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE Link Titan 420 RX RGB
• Motherboard: Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Pro Ice
• Memory: 48GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 8400
• Graphics card: Palit RTX 5080 Gamerock OC 16GB
• Power supply: Corsair RM1000x Shift 1000W Gold
• SSD: Corsair 2TB MP600 Elite M.2 NVMe
• OS: Windows 11 Pro

Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance Overview

You can gauge by eye that the Frame 5000D is likely to flow air well, and of course we have the knowledge that Frame 4000D works well in the cooling department. Added to that we are using the four supplied 140mm case fans and the three 140mm fans on the Corsair iCUE Link Titan 420 RX RGB, so we are working with a total of seven 140mm fans. The result is exactly as expected, which is that the Frame 5000D cools well and can be run with the fans low and slow. Ramping up fan speeds is both noisy and entirely unnecessary.

Closing Thoughts

The easiest way to compare and contrast the Corsair Frame 5000D and the Frame 4000D (review HERE) is to look at every surface where the 4000D supports 2x 140mm fans and you can be confident the 5000D supports 3x 140mm fans. The snag is that while you may assume the 5000D will support a 420mm liquid cooler in the front and side positions  this is not actually the case; 3x 140mm fans – Yes, 420mm cooler – No. You can see the result where we struggle to install a 420mm Corsair AIO in the roof where it is supported in theory but not really in practice.

The solution, in our view, is to ignore 420mm AIO coolers and radiators and to stick to tried and true 280mm and 360mm which work brilliantly well. This might make you wonder why you need a Frame 5000D in the first place and our answer is that you do not. The Frame 4000D will do everything you want and the Frame 5000D is just for lazy people who like the extra space to make life easy when they build their PC.

You can buy the Corsair Frame 5000D RS ARGB for £149.99.

Be sure to check out our revisit, with smoke testing, HERE.

Pros:

• Easy to build in with good access to everything, inc EPS cables.
• Good airflow.
• The promised accessories look interesting.

Cons:

• We need slightly more space in the roof to properly support 420mm.
• The promised accessories are not available and will likely be expensive.
• Our early sample had some teething problems.
• Turn up the fan speeds and the case gets noisy.

KitGuru says: The Frame 5000D isn’t quite large enough to deliver on its promises. But it is a very good case.

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