Performance Analysis

We suspected that despite having two premium fans in the mix, cooling wasn't going to be a particularly strong point for the Crystal Series 280X, and we were right. The front section was clearly starving the case of cool air to some degree, but the roof fan also struggled to get the heat out of the case, with the roof and glass heating up as a result after our load testing. The fans were also fairly quiet, inaudible above the din of our graphics card and processor cooler, so while low noise is an admirable quality, what the case really needs are some powerful fans to push/pull that air around those glass panels or through the grilles.

The CPU delta T of 59°C is fairly poor, and when you look at the competition, most have a rear 120mm fan aiding the CPU fan, so the Crystal Series 280X RGB was already at a disadvantage, but the restricted intake and exhaust areas clearly make things worse. This was 10°C warmer than the Antec Cube EKWB Edition, for example, which sports a front grille and rear fan, so the evidence is fairly conclusive. However, it's still not the worst performing small case we've tested; that honour still goes to the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX (no exhaust fan at all).

The GPU delta T of 54°C was a little better and a mid-table result, likely thanks to the large vented area of the base section allowing air to be drawn in rather than relying on the intake fan. This is perhaps the saving grace for the Crystal Series 280X RGB, as a poor result here would have been met with a conclusion that didn't read favourably.

Conclusion

Putting the cooling situation to one side for a moment, this a stunning case that Corsair has dragged from 2014 and applied some very 2018 aesthetic tweaks to - and very successfully, we might add. The RGB fans of our pricier version look great through the tempered glass, and the Crystal Series 280X RGB still retains the edgy look of its predecessor and has scope for both all-in-one liquid-coolers and custom liquid-cooling too. 

However, the cooling, particularly for the CPU area, is rather poor, and this seems to be a particular issue with air coolers that point to the rear of the case like ours. Unlike the Air 240, there are now no fan mounts at the back and the mesh area is smaller as well. There are some potential fixes, though: The first is to mount your cooler in a bottom-to-top airflow alignment instead of front to rear (if possible) so it can work with that roof fan instead of at right angles to it. The second, of course, is to use an all-in-one liquid-cooler, ideally located in the roof, at which point you could transfer the LL120 RGB fan here to the bottom front fan mount, which should benefit your GPU.

It's obviously a concern, but cases aren't just about cooling. The price tag for the Crystal Series 280X is reasonable, especially for the standard version, and we still love the layout and unique look the design brings. Would we buy it? Absolutely, but not without having a plan in place to deal with its mediocre cooling. As a result, the Crystal Series 280X RGB misses out on our top award, but comes Recommended, especially if you're looking to build a liquid-cooled mini-ITX or micro-ATX rig.