The 6500X and 2500X series cases have been frontrunners for PC cases with a wrap-around tempered glass design, known to many PC enthusiasts as the "Fishbowl" look. As a follow-up, CORSAIR released the 3500X Series Case, which shares the same design language as the 6500X and 2500X cases. It falls under the same category, allowing for uninterrupted viewing of your PC components and making it more aesthetically appealing.
The 3500 Series has a fully open view because there's no pillar on the front corner. The tempered glass panels on the front and side seamlessly meet at the corner, making the 3500 Series an ideal choice for showcasing the components you've been able to splurge on with the money saved from purchasing this case.
Many experienced PC builders will advise you that while it's important to have high-quality components and a great-looking exterior for your build, it's equally crucial to focus on cable management. Building a PC that looks good from the front is one thing, but ensuring proper cable management on the backside is a whole different story.
Cable management is more straightforward for 3500X builds when using PC components that are iCUE LINK compatible. The time and effort required to manage the cables have been significantly reduced. This not only allows for a more efficient build process but also results in a cleaner look both in the front and back. Additionally, the 3500X case is compatible with reverse connection motherboards, such as Asus BTF and MSI Project Zero motherboards, making PC building even more effortless.
We used iCUE LINK components in this 3500X build, including the iCUE LINK LX-R RGB 120mm fans and the iCUE LINK TITAN RX RGB AIO cooler (360mm rad), paired with CORSAIR’s latest CapSwap module, Groove, to add flair to the build. Additionally, we equipped the build with the CORSAIR RMx SHIFT 1000W PSU to make cable management more convenient. The RMx SHIFT PSU has connectors on the side for easier access, as opposed to the front.
Let’s jump into the overall cable management layout of this 3500X build.
It's no surprise that when using the 3500X case with iCUE LINK components and incorporating 7x 120mm fans, cable management becomes almost non-existent. The assembly was made effortless by using an Asus BTF motherboard and an Asus BTF GPU.
Here is the backside of the build with all the connectors labeled, making it easy to see where each connector is located.
The ample space at the back of the 3500X case allows you to neatly tuck away the cables from the front I/O connectors (such as USB 3.0, USB 2.0, Audio, etc.) behind the HDD/SSD tray. Then, you can route them to their respective ports located behind the motherboard. As for the 8-pin EPS/CPU connector, simply connect it to the top right corner of the motherboard and run the cables along the backside corner of the case to hide them from view.
Thanks to Asus' BTF reverse connection design, the 24-pin connector can be plugged directly into the motherboard's 24-pin port without having to route it to the front. Similarly, the PCI-E connector for your graphics card can also be connected without needing to be routed to the front of the build, as the PCI-E port is located just below the 24-pin port.
Moving on to the lower section of the case, you will notice right away the advantage of having an RMx SHIFT power supply. All the PSU connectors can be easily accessed on the side of the PSU, as opposed to having them on the front. This makes it easier for you to swap cables if needed.
To correctly power and control the iCUE LINK LX-R RGB fans and iCUE LINK TITAN RX RGB AIO cooler, you will need the iCUE LINK System Hub. On the right side of the Hub, there is a cable for connecting the fans, and on the left side, there is a 4-way splitter for connecting the AIO cooler. To power the Hub, you need to connect it to a PCI-E (6-pin) connector from the PSU and connect the data USB 2.0 (9-pin) to the USB 2.0 motherboard header.
You will also see that the audio and front I/O connectors are all nicely routed to minimize clutter.
Building a PC using the 3500X PC case with iCUE LINK-compatible components, along with motherboards that have reverse connectors such as the Asus BTF, makes PC building much more manageable. Not only does it give your PC a cleaner look, but it also allows you to cut the time needed to manage the cables in half, giving you more time to do what you love, such as gaming, streaming, or work-related tasks. In this day and age, we shouldn't think of PC building as tedious and complicated; those days are long gone. Building a PC nowadays is fun and exciting, thanks to the innovative designs that many PC manufacturers have introduced to the industry, such as CORSAIR iCUE LINK Ecosystem, CORSAIR RMx SHIFT PSUs, and reverse connection motherboards – it simply makes life so much easier.
CORSAIR offers a wide variety of PC cases for all kinds of builds, ranging from large, full-tower cases to small form-factor cases for compact builds. You can view CORSAIR's full range of cases on their official website.
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