Right side panel: Unscrew the locking screws and swivel the mesh side panel off the tabs in the front of the case.
Left side panel: To remove the glass side panel, grip the bottom left corner and swivel the window on the hinge. Remove the door by unscrewing the locking screw at the top of the hinge.
FRONT PANEL REMOVAL
6500X: Remove the two screws on the side of the front panel to release and hinge off the entire front portion from the chassis.
6500D Airflow: Remove the two screws on the side and four screws on the front to release and hinge off the entire front portion from the chassis.
TIP: Hinging off the front panel by removing the screws provides additional space for building in X models and facilitates easier radiator installation in the D AIRFLOW variant.
Since all 6500 Series parts are interchangeable, you can switch between 6500D AIRFLOW and 6500X configurations with reconfiguration kits available from the CORSAIR webstore.
TIP: 6500 Series parts are not interchangeable with 2500 Series parts.
INSTALLING THE MOTHERBOARD
The 6500 Series supports mITX, mATX and ATX motherboards, including ASUS BTF and MSI Project Zero motherboards with reversed connections. Before installation, ensure your motherboard I/O plate/shield is in place, if required.
Align your motherboard with the standoffs for your motherboard type and secure it using the provided motherboard screws.
TIP: If standoffs don't align, uninstall unused ones and relocate them to the open standoff slot in the motherboard tray for your specific motherboard.
INSTALLING THE FRONT PANEL I/O CABLES
Connect the FPANEL plug directly to your motherboard front panel I/O pins, following the keyed connector.
INSTALLING A NON-STANDARD MOTHERBOARD
For non-standard Intel or AMD motherboards, use the included adapter to connect from the FPANEL plug to the individual pins.
TIP: If your PC experiences issues or doesn't turn on with the FPANEL plug, consider trying the adapter cable.
FRONT PANEL I/O EXPLANATION
A. Reset button
D. HD audio jack
B. 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A
E. Power button / LED
C. 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C
INSTALLING PCI DEVICES
The 6500 Series fits most modern graphics cards horizontally out of the box.
After installing the motherboard, remove screws in the PCI covers for card accommodation.
TIP: The vertical mounting accessory kit (sold separately) allows you to install your GPU vertically, away from the glass for better thermal performance. It includes the required bracket and a shortened (175mm) PCIe 4.0 Riser card.
Slide the card in until the PCIe retention clicks on the motherboard.
Align screws in the PCIe shield and secure the expansion card into the case.
TIP: Add the GPU as one of the final steps for ease in PC building.
INSTALLING A RADIATOR
The 6500 Series features three or four 360mm radiator mounts on top, bottom, side and front (6500D AIRFLOW only), along with a smaller 120mm / 140mm radiator mount in the rear.
For AIOs, choose between top, side or front (6500D AIRFLOW only) for your radiator placement.
TIP: Ensure the radiator is higher than the pump for expected noise/thermal performance and reliability. Avoid installing an AIO in the bottom 360mm mount to prevent premature pump wear, reduced thermal performance, and increased noise.
Top mounting provides optimal noise performance, but other mounts can be utilized based on your build preferences.
TIP: The side fan mount is fully removable for easier fan or radiator installation, with two bracket positions for a concealed or forward look.
Front
6500X
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6500D AIRFLOW
360mm / 280mm
Top
360mm / 280mm
Bottom
360mm / 280mm
Rear
140mm / 120mm
Side
360mm
INSTALLING THE FANS
Hold your fan at fan mount, use the included QuikTurn screws and install your fans quickly with a Phillips-head screwdriver.
TIP:Don’t overtorque the fan mount screws. When the screw stops spinning freely, your fan screw is seated.
Front
6500X
---
6500D AIRFLOW
3x 120mm / 2x 140mm
Top
3x 120mm / 3x 140mm
Bottom
3x 120mm / 3x 140mm
Rear
1x 120mm / 1x 140mm
Side
3x 120mm
INSTALLING A POWER SUPPLY
INSTALLING AN ATX POWER SUPPLY
The 6500 series supports standard ATX power supplies in the side chamber.
Insert the power supply from the side with the fan facing out towards the side panel, so it is intaking from outside the case, filtering through the side panel, and exhausting out of the rear of the power supply.
INSTALLING A CORSAIR SHIFT SERIES POWER SUPPLY
TIP:Before installation, ensure you’ve removed the HDD/SSD cage, as the cage will unfortunately interfere with the modular board’s connections in most cases.
The 6500 Series also fully supports CORSAIR’s patented SHIFT power supplies that have the modular board rotated to the side for easier cable management.
Installation is identical to a standard PSU installation, with the final position allowing the power supply fan to intake from outside the case.
INSTALLING HARD DISK AND SOLID STATE DRIVES
The 6500 Series supports 2x 3.5” HDDs in the removable hard drive cage.
Remove the drive caddy, secure the drive to it using the included HDD screws, and slide it back into the case.
For SSDs, the 6500 Series accommodates 2x 2.5” SSDs on the hard disk drive bay.
TIP: Repurpose 3.5” drive caddies to carry extra 2.5” drives, allowing for a total of 4x on the hard drive cage.
MAINTENANCE
CLEANING YOUR CASE FILTERS
The 6500 Series features nylon mesh filters on the side, bottom, and front (6500D AIRFLOW only).
TIP: Clean with air or water, ensuring filters are fully dry before reinstalling.
* The bottom filter pulls out from the front.
CABLE MANAGEMENT TIPS
The 6500 Series includes various cable management features like zip tie points, iCUE LINK loops, hook & loop straps, doubleshot grommets, and an optional RapidRoute strap kit (sold separately).
Zip tie points are strategically placed for routing power cables to specific devices.
iCUE LINK loops in the top panel, near the rear fan, and on the removable fan mounting tray securely hold iCUE LINK cables without additional attachments.
Use the hook & loop strap on the rear for efficient cable management, consolidating external cables into a single braid at the chassis base.
Doubleshot grommets feature a dual-hardness rubber design for a secure mount in the grommet hole and easy cable passage.
The optional RapidRoute kit includes 4 extra hook & loop straps and 2 metal cable guides for faster, easier, and less permanent cable management.
WARRANTY
All CORSAIR computer cases have a 2-year warranty.
