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CORSAIR 3000 VS 4000 cases: What's the difference?

Are you planning your new build and trying to decide between the 3000 Series or 4000 Series of CORSAIR cases? Don't worry, we're going to have a look at both in this article to make your decision making process a bit easier.

4000d_rgb_af_wht_af120rgbfans_01
3000D_RGB_AF_WHITE_RENDER_01

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS COMPARED

Case Series CORSAIR 4000 Series CORSAIR 3000 Series
Variants 4000D, 4000D AIRFLOW, 4000X RGB, 4000D RGB AIRFLOW, 4000D RGB AIRFLOW QL Edition 3000D AIRFLOW, 3000D RGB AIRFLOW
Colors Black, White, True White (RGB AIRFLOW, RGB AIRFLOW QL Edition) Black, White
Chassis Type ATX Mid Tower ATX Mid Tower
Motherboard Support Mini ITX, Micro ATX, ATX, E-ATX (305mm x 277mm) Mini ITX, Micro ATX, ATX
Expansion Slots 7 + 2 Vertical 7
Maximum Video Card Length 360mm 360mm
Maximum CPU Cooler Height 170mm 170mm
Internal Drive Bays 2x 3.5in/2.5in combo drive cage with two trays (removable), 2x2.5in 2x 3.5in or 2x2.5in combo drive cage with two trays (removable)
Chassis Dimensions (D x W x H) 453mm x 230mm x 466mm 462mm x 230mm x 466mm
120mm Fan Mounting

Front: 3x 120mm
Top: 2x 120mm
Rear: 1x 120mm

Front: 3x 120mm
Top: 2x 120mm
Rear: 1x 120mm
PSU Shroud: 2x 120mm
140mm Fan Mounting

Front: 2x 140mm
Top: 2x 140mm

Front: 2x 140mm
Top: 2x 140mm
Radiator Support
  • Front: 360mm / 280mm
  • Top: 240mm / 280mm w/ Low-Profile RAM
  • Rear: 120mm
  • Front: 360mm / 280mm
  • Top: 240mm / 280mm w/ Low-Profile RAM
  • Rear: 120mm
Included Fans

4000D/AIRFLOW: 2x AirGuide Fans (1 front, 1 rear)
4000x RGB: 3x AirGuide RGB Fans (front)
4000D RGB AIRFLOW QL Edition: 4x iCUE QL120 RGB Fans

3000D AIRFLOW: 2x SP120 Elite AirGuide Fans (1 front, 1 rear)
3000D RGB AIRFLOW: 3x AR120 RGB Fans (Front) w/ ARGB Adapter included

Included Fan / Lighting Controllers

4000D/AIRFLOW: None
4000D RGB AIRFLOW: iCUE Lighting Node PRO + RGB Fan Hub
4000X RGB, 4000D RGB AIRFLOW QL Edition: iCUE Lighting Node CORE

3000D AIRFLOW: NONE
3000D RGB AIRFLOW: NONE

Front I/O

USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A (x1)
USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C (x1)
Headphone/Microphone (x1)
Power
Reset

USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A (x2)
Headphone/Microphone (x1)
Power
Reset

 

4000 SERIES CASE VARIANTS AND FANS EXPLAINED

The 4000 Series has seen multiple variants over time which can lead to some confusion. To help you better understand what each variant is, let’s have a closer look.

4000D TEMPERED GLASS MID-TOWER ATX CASE
4000D_WHITE_01

4000D Black

- Solid front panel with spacing on sides to accommodate airflow

- 2x black fans with AirGuide technology (3-pin DC connection for power)

4000D White

- Solid front panel with cutouts on sides to accommodate airflow

- 2x black fans with AirGuide technology (PWM connection for power)

4000D_AF_BLACK_01
4000D_AF_WHITE_01

4000D AIRFLOW Black

High airflow front panel

2x black fans with AirGuide technology (PWM connection for power)

4000D AIRFLOW White

High airflow front panel

2x black fans with AirGuide technology (PWM connection for power)

4000D and 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 fan speeds of the fans.

4000D_RGB_AF
4000d_rgb_af_wht_af120rgbfans_01

iCUE 4000D RGB AIRFLOW Black

- High airflow front panel

- 3x AF120 RGB Elite fans with AirGuide technology (PWM connection for power, RGB through included controller)

- iCUE Lighting Node PRO Controller + RGB Fan Hub for up to 6 RGB fans of the same type

- iCUE Ready

iCUE 4000D RGB AIRFLOW True White

- High airflow front panel

- 3x fans with AirGuide technology (PWM connection for power, RGB through included controller)

- iCUE Lighting Node PRO Controller + RGB Fan Hub for up to 6 RGB fans of the same type

- iCUE Ready

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 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.

4000X_BLACK_01
4000X_WHITE_01

iCUE 4000X RGB Black

- Glass front panel with spacing on sides to accommodate airflow

- 3x SP120 RGB Elite fans with AirGuide technology (PWM connection for power, RGB through included controller)

- iCUE Lighting Node CORE controller for up to 6 RGB fans

- iCUE Ready

iCUE 4000X RGB White

- Glass front panel with spacing on sides to accommodate airflow

- 3x SP120 RGB Elite fans with AirGuide technology (PWM connection for power, RGB through included controller)

- iCUE Lighting Node CORE controller for up to 6 RGB fans

- iCUE Ready

4000D_RGB_AIRFLOW_QL_01

iCUE 4000D RGB AIRFLOW QL Edition – True White

- High airflow front panel

- 4x QL120 RGB fans (PWM connection for power, RGB through included controller)

- iCUE Lighting Node CORE controller for up to 6 RGB fans

- iCUE Ready

3000 SERIES CASE VARIANTS EXPLAINED

3000D_AF_BLACK_RENDER_01
3000D_AF_WHITE_RENDER_01

3000D AIRFLOW - Black

- High airflow front panel

- 2x SP120 ELITE (PWM connection for power)

3000D AIRFLOW - White

- High airflow front panel

- 2x SP120 ELITE (PWM connection for power)

HOW DO YOU CONNECT THE INCLUDED FANS IN THE 3000 CASE SERIES?

The two fans that are included with the 3000D AIRFLOW are of the SP120 ELITE variant and 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 3000D RGB AIRFLOW does come with AR120 RGB ELITE fans and connect for power via a 4-Pin PWM type connector straight to your motherboard. You can control the fan speed in the same way as outlined in the paragraph above. Additionally, the RGB can be controlled on these via an included adapter. All three supplied fans connect directly to the 3-port adapter which converts the connection to single ARGB header of your motherboard. Read the motherboard’s manual to find an appropriate ARGB header and for information on how to control the RGB lighting.

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