Computer cases are essential to your build for obvious reasons, but there are many different aspects that must be accounted for. They must be strong enough to last a few years, have ample room on the inside for your components, and offer a level of breathability so said components work properly. But most of all, they must look aesthetically pleasing. This is where the CORSAIR FRAME 4000D comes into play. Not only did I find this case to be great in terms of design and performance, but it is aesthetically pleasing as well. I walked away from it with mostly great impressions and minimal complaints, which I would consider to be mostly nitpicks. So, let’s take a look at the CORSAIR FRAME 4000D and dive into why this should be the next case you buy.
Construction and Modularity
Sporting a modular system, the FRAME 4000D places builders in an incredibly unique scenario. It features the basic tentpoles of what makes a good PC case with a solid mix of steel and plastics, all conformed to the right areas for extra reinforcement. What is even more impressive is how every external and internal panel can be removed. Even the motherboard tray and PSU shroud can be removed to give you easy access to other sections of the case. Routing cables is the bane of my building experience, and I found that because of the modularity, I was able to easily run cables without issue, which is rare for cases of this size.
Perforated holes are found all over the FRAME, assisting with airflow all around. These perforations could be found at the front, back, and top panels, as well as on the right-side panel. On the left side, under the tempered glass panel, there is a perforated section, also designed for promoting airflow. There is a reason for it, and it has to do with fans, but more on that a bit later. The important thing to note is how breathable this makes the FRAME. I’ve seen my fair share of breathable designs and yet this one really kicks it up a notch.
Most mid-tower cases do not offer the robust room needed for high-end components. Luckily, the FRAME is large enough to fit E-ATX motherboards as well as incredibly large graphics cards. Ensuring you have enough room was always a worry for me. These days, I’m not distressed about if the graphics card will fit inside the case. I’m more curious to see if they will fit while maintaining proper airflow, which is a factor that is becoming more imperative as components begin to generate more heat.
I’m surprised by the FRAME as there is plenty of room for graphics cards measuring up to 16.9” (430mm). That is plenty of space for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, which measures 11.9” (304mm) in length. This delta between the available space and the size of the GPU leaves us with around 5 inches of leeway. This is great if you are installing fans which typically have a thickness of 1” (25mm). This gives us enough room for air to flow properly.
Cooling
The steel construction of the FRAME is incredibly important due to Corsair’s Infinirail system. This modular concept allows you to install fans up to 200mm on the front and 140mm on the top panels. While other cases might have multiple mounting points, the Infinirail system changes this all up. Simply slide a switch over, remove some tabs, and all the mounting points expand to accommodate the larger fans.
This is a clever way of promoting airflow as sometimes parts of the fan mounting frame can hang over the sides of larger fans which could diminish a bit of the cooling capabilities. I also found it nice that the FRAME can support up to two 360mm radiators. But if you are a fan of classic and reliable air cooling like me, then you’d find that you can easily install between ten to 12 fans in varying configurations. Personally, I don’t think you need that many to be running but it is nice to know that there are multiple ways to set up your system that is pleasing to the eye.
Stand-Out Features
Aside from the overall build and cooling functionality, the FRAME 4000D has plenty of offerings with the core stock design. There is a cable shroud that I am not entirely a fan of as it makes cable routing quite difficult especially for thicker cables like the 24-pin motherboard power connector. On the other hand, it does also act as part of the support mechanism for your graphics card, so it is a necessary part of the case. If you don’t like the cable routing panel, you can outright remove it and throw in an optional fan bracket and smaller GPU holder; so there are plenty of ways to modify your system. Additionally, the case has multiple cutouts for motherboards that feature reverse connectors, so if you are thinking of a new build using that type of motherboard, you’re in great hands.
The FRAME’s choice of I/O is pretty standard with two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 and a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports alongside the 3.5mm combo audio jack and power button. While this is absolutely fine, I do have issue with where the panel is located, which is at the bottom of the case. It doesn’t mean you can’t use the I/O if you place your towers on the floor. It just makes it a bit more difficult to access over a case that has the I/O on the top. But, when I consider that the case is designed to show off your build, it makes sense. This is a case you place on top of your desk because when all is said and done, you want to look at the hard work you put into this build, and you want this to be a conversation starter when others see it.
Conclusion
I think the CORSAIR FRAME 4000D is a fantastic case and retains so much value! Even in stock configuration, the FRAME sets the bar in how cases should be, completely modular and designed for great airflow! The FRAME 4000D comes in black and white configurations and also offers versions with or without pre-installed fans. If you’re someone who likes to show off but doesn’t want one of the “fishbowl” style cases, the FRAME 4000D is perfect for that!
