Corsair 4000D Airflow review: top performance, great price

Corsair has been a major player in the PC peripherals market for years, delivering (generally) quality products at (usually) decent prices. While writing my Corsair 4000D Airflow review, I’ve come to think that Corsair has almost perfected making cases. Some small issues keep it from being flawless, but it’s still one of the best PC cases.

For the last six months, I’ve been using the 4000D Airflow as the main case in my setup, and whether I’m playing the best PC games or entering a new reality with the best VR games, I’ve never found reason to say I’m disappointed with the 4000D Airflow. I’d urge many of you reading this review to pick one up if you’re looking for a new case for your upcoming build. Better yet, the 4000D Airflow can fit any of the best graphics cards, even the monstrous 4080 and 4090 cards. 

Before we get into my full review, it’s worth mentioning that I’ve used an MSI 4080 Gaming x Trio in the case, alongside an ATX motherboard. I haven’t used an AIO cooler for my CPU, despite the Corsair 4000D Airflow having space for it, but more on that later.

Corsair 4000D Airflow specs

Corsair 4000D Airflow specs:

The Corsair 4000D Airflow’s specs aren’t anything to write home about. Admittedly, a 280mm radiator can slot in at the top of the chassis, but it’s otherwise a bit tight on space, especially with hefty DDR5 RAM modules taking up a fair amount of room.

The I/O selection is also unremarkable, with one USB-C connection, one USB 3.0 connection, and an audio in/out jack. However, the sheer amount of fan slots is plenty for most builds, and as the best SSDs go down in price, the limited number of drive bays doesn’t matter too much.

Corsair 4000D Airflow features

At the front of the Corsair 4000D Airflow, where the front intake fans live, is a dust filter that I can definitively say works well. Despite living in a fairly rural area where we often get a lot of dust build-up, the filter picks up most of the nasty stuff and it’s extremely easy to clean. After six months of use, I’ve only had to clean the inside of the PC once, and there wasn’t much dust.

On the top of the case, alongside the I/O selection, is the power button, which is a highlight. Pressing it gives a very nice click feedback that still feels satisfying. That being said, the reset button is way too sensitive, with the slightest touch causing your PC to restart. 

Most of the best PC cases feature at least one tempered glass side panel, which is a nice touch for those looking to show off their internals, and the 4000D Airflow is no exception. Unfortunately, both side panels – glass and metal – are fiddly to get off, requiring considerable force to detach. If you’re not careful enough or have a crowded setup, you could easily shatter the tempered glass panel if you try to force the issue (something that hasn’t happened yet, thankfully). 

There’s enough space in the case for a 4080 to live with a decent amount of room left at the front. I opted to pick up Corsair’s 12VHPWR PSU Power Cable due to concerns about the GPU’s socket melting, and while the braided cable seemed difficult to fit in with the glass side panel at first, since finding the right spot, I’ve found it looks wonderful in my setup. I’d recommend putting the fans in the front first before putting in the GPU though, as it may get a bit tight with bigger third-party models, especially with some 4090s.

Corsair 4000D Airflow design and performance

The Corsair 4000D AIRFLOW has yet to fail me when it comes to performance. Despite using it for 8+ hours a day during a fairly hot summer and using the included CPU cooler with my AMD Ryzen 5 7600, my PC’s internals stayed very cool. And with plenty of farms nearby, and the fact that the inside remained almost dust-free, I’m absolutely happy with the case as my main chassis for years to come. 

Whether I’m playing the likes of Fortnite, Call of Duty MW3, or Cyberpunk 2077 in Overdrive mode, or simply using my computer as a standard workstation, the Corsair 4000D AIRFLOW keeps things cool while keeping any fan noise or coil whine away. 

Before the Corsair 4000D AIRFLOW was my main setup, I had a fairly budget PC case that was flimsy, but fortunately the same cannot be said for the 4000D. The build quality is sturdy, with a premium feel and strong chassis. Unfortunately, the front panel that hides the intake dust filter comes off too easily, which is great when cleaning is a pain if you have inquisitive kids around.

If you’re used to budget builds, especially before GPUs got so big, you may find that the 4000D AIRFLOW is fairly big, despite being overshadowed by the larger 5000D AIRFLOW model. However, considering the components inside of my setup, the 4000D can fit in tight gaps, with the computer being beside my legs due to a lack of space when working from home. It’s surprisingly compact, and while there are plenty of far smaller cases, there are also many that are overwhelmingly big.

All in all, though, the Corsair 4000D Airflow is a fantastic-looking item. My first and very budget-friendly build was designed to hide away the lacking components within, while the 4000D AIRFLOW is perfect for showing off my upgraded PC parts. While I appreciate many of you may be tired of the RGB-heavy look, the 4000D AIRFLOW makes it stylish and beautiful.

Alternatives:

If the Corsair 4000D AIRFLOW isn’t for you, try: