4000D Airflow vs 4000D RGB Airflow vs 4000X RGB: What's the difference?

You are planning to build a new gaming rig and you have your heart set on the CORSAIR 4000 series of mid tower cases, but you are not sure which one to choose? Let's help you make an informed decision and choose between the 4000D Airflow, 4000D RGB Airflow and 4000X RGB.

All 4000 Series cases are the same size and have the same upgrade capabilities. Three basic configurations are available. The 4000D Airflow, which comes with 2 standard fans, one in the front and one in the rear, and a perforated metal front panel. The 4000D RGB Airflow, which comes with 3 AF120 ELITE RGB fans in the front and the perforated metal front panel. Last but not least, the 4000X RGB, which has the same fan configuration, but with 3 SP120 RGB ELITE fans in the front, and instead of a metal Airflow front, it comes with a glass front to give you the best view of these fans.

There is one detail that sets the 4000D RGB Airflow apart from the other models in the series. You will notice that although each case is available in black or white, only the 4000D RGB Airflow in white has all the accents, namely the frame around the front and the feet of the case in the same white shade as the rest of the case. The 4000D Airflow and 4000X RGB use gray parts.

4000D AIRFLOW comes with two Airflow type fans with AirGuide technology that connect via 3-Pin plug directly to your motherboard. These fans are DC voltage regulated. You can control the speed on most motherboards within your BIOS or, if available, via a software from the motherboard vendor. The manual of your motherboard will tell you more on where to connect and on how to control the fans’ speeds.

iCUE 4000D RGB AIRFLOW includes three AF120 RGB ELITE fans. These fans connect via a 4-Pin PWM type connector straight to your motherboard. You can control the speed on most motherboards within your BIOS or, if available, via a software from the motherboard vendor. The manual of your motherboard will tell you more on where to connect and on how to control the fan speeds of the fans. The RGB side for these fans is already connected to a RGB Fan hub paired with a Lighting Node Pro controller. Once you've connected the RGB Fan hub and Lighting Node Pro controller to SATA-power and the controller to an available USB2.0 Header of your motherboard, all you need to do is download and install the CORSAIR iCUE Software and you can start configuring the lighting effects.

iCUE 4000X RGB AIRFLOW includes three SP120 RGB ELITE fans. These fans connect via a 4-Pin PWM type connector straight to your motherboard. You can control the speed on most motherboards within your BIOS or, if available, via a software from the motherboard vendor. The manual of your motherboard will tell you more on where to connect and on how to control the fan speeds of the fans. The RGB side for these fans is already connected to a Lighting Node CORE controller. Once you've connected the Lighting Node CORE controller to SATA-power and the controller to an available USB2.0 Header of your motherboard, all you need to do is download and install the CORSAIR iCUE Software and you can start configuring the lighting effects.

All 4000 series cases support vertical mounting of your graphics card. You will need an optional riser cable, such as the CORSAIR Premium PCIe 4.0 x16 Extension Cable, 300mm to ensure full compatibility with the case. The mounting slot is limited to dual slot cards only.

Depending on your processor, you have several options. If your build has an AMD Ryzen 7800X3D or a 5800X3D, or an Intel Core i7 14700K or Core i5 14600K you can install a 240mm radiator in the top like the iCUE H100x RGB ELITE Liquid CPU Cooler. If liquid cooling is not your thing, we also have the CORSAIR A115 Twin Tower CPU Air Cooler that can easily handle all these processors and more.

With this core setup, you are ready to configure all available fan mounts and still have the space for extensive builds and proper cable management. The 4000 series is the perfect place to start your build. Most of the parts are still available for purchase in our web store, should you want to change your build at some point.