Corsair One i500: Two-minute evaluate
The Corsair One i500 is not essentially probably the most highly effective gaming PC on the market, it is not very upgradeable, and by way of model, it is the form of product that can encourage some very robust opinions — together with my very own.
Its specs are such that it’s a straightforward contender for the best gaming PC of 2024 simply by way of efficiency, and its worth is completely according to the sorts of gaming rigs I’ve seen operating Core i9-14900Ok and RTX 4080 Super or RTX 4090 GPUs.
Starting at $3,599.99 / £3,499.99 (about $5,220), this is not a cheap gaming PC, however for what you are getting by way of specs, you’d usually be getting a regular mid-tower PC case, normally in black, with massive RGB followers with a tempered glass facet displaying off much more RGB trim, and also you’d nonetheless be paying practically $3,500 or extra for the privilege.
That is to say, most gaming PCs in the present day lean so closely on RGB to outline their model, that ‘model’ is not actually even an element when contemplating which one to purchase. The circumstances would possibly differ, they could have a wraparound glass panel to point out off the insides extra absolutely, however the basic design precept of ‘showcase the parts’, that are lit up like a carnival, stays the identical it doesn’t matter what PC you purchase.
The Corsair One i500, in the meantime, would not even have Corsair iCue, the corporate’s proprietary RGB management software program. It does have RGB, specifically within the two trim traces that flank the case’s wood entrance panel, nevertheless it’s restricted in comparison with different gaming PCs. Instead, the Corsair One i500 makes use of a wood entrance panel and cloth facet panels to outline its aesthetic, together with the aluminum case beneath that is available in both black or silver.
Depending on the case colour, you will get a special wood entrance panel (a walnut colour for the black case and a pine colour for the silver), and each price the identical, so you will not need to pay a premium for one over the opposite. The PC additionally comes with a headphone hanger attachment that may match onto both facet of the case, and there are greater than sufficient ports for no matter peripherals you may have.
More than something, this PC jogs my memory of the Atari 2600 from my childhood, geared up because it was with a wood panel alongside the highest edge like the whole lot else was within the early 1980s. That rapidly gave option to exhausting black plastic in later fashions and shortly consoles and later PCs left behind pure textures for futuristic flash and kinds that persist as much as the current. It’s on this milieu that the Corsair One i500 seems like one thing dropped into the gaming PC market out of a flying Delorean. After so a few years of RGB and aggressive gamer aesthetic, it is nonetheless surprising how one thing as easy and retro as a wooden panel on the entrance can really feel so refreshing.
It’s not all constructive, although. If there may be something that may be thought-about a unfavorable with this PC, it is its lack of simple upgradability. The small type issue case goes to restrict what you may slot in it, however the GPU AIO cooler additionally signifies that any GPU upgrades sooner or later usually are not going to be so simple as dropping in a brand new graphics card in a couple of years. You can extra simply improve the SSD and RAM, nonetheless.
But this is not actually a gaming PC for builders or tinkerers. This is way more a gaming PC for individuals who need one of the best with out messing with the cables and parts, however who additionally need their new gaming PC to mirror their important funding. In that, the Corsair One i500 is unmatched.
Corsair One i500: Price & availability
- How a lot is it? Starting at $3,599.99 / £3,499.99 (about $5,220)
- When is it obtainable? Available May 6, 2024
- Where are you able to get it? You can get it within the US and the UK at launch, with Australia availability in June 2024.
The Corsair One i500 is accessible within the US and UK now, beginning at $3,599.99 and £3,499.99, respectively. It will likely be obtainable in Australia in June, however official pricing hasn’t been launched for the APAC area but.
Both configurations obtainable at launch include an Intel Core i9-1400Ok processor and 2TB NVMe storage, and the bottom configuration comes with an Nvidia RTX 4080 Super and 32GB DDR5 RAM, whereas the max configuration comes with an Nvidia RTX 4090 and 64GB DDR5 RAM for $4,699.99 / £4,699.99.
This is dearer than one thing like the present Alienware Aurora R16, which maxes out at an Intel Core i9-14900KF, RTX 4090, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB PCIe NVMe storage for $4,049.99 / £3,919. In Australia, the Aurora R16 maxes out at AU$5,772.80 for an Intel Core i9-14900KF, an Nvidia RTX 4080 Super, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB storage.
Other gaming PCs just like the Acer Predator Orion 7000 and HP Omen 40L will promote for roughly the identical because the Aurora R16, so the Corsair One i500 goes to be dearer than the competitors, however its competitors additionally options a lot of the identical model as each different gaming PC you have seen in a Best Buy or Curry’s for the previous decade. Whether the Corsair One i500’s model is price the additional premium will likely be as much as you, however after all of the gaming PCs I’ve reviewed over time, I imagine it is completely well worth the premium.
Corsair One i500: Specs
- Up to an RTX 4090 with AIO liquid cooling
- Not simply upgradable
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Base configuration | Max configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,599.99 / £3,499.99 (about AU$5,220) | $4,699.99 / £4,699.99 / $4,AU$5,772.80 |
| CPU | Intel Core i9-14900Ok | Intel Core i9-14900Ok |
| GPU | Nvidia RTX 4080 Super | Nvidia RTX 4090 |
| Memory | 32Gb DDR5 | 64GB DDR5 |
| Storage | 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD | 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD |
Corsair One i500: Design
- Gorgeous small form-factor case
- Ample cooling followers
- Fabric facet panels would possibly get grimey over time
The Corsair One i500’s largest enchantment is its model.
I have not seen a wood-paneled gaming machine because the Atari 2600, and that machine was launched after I was a toddler. That’s been sufficient time, I believe, for a wood-paneled machine to be cool once more, and given the state of PC gaming {hardware} for the previous a number of years, seeing one thing new is extra than simply refreshing.
I am unable to say that the Corsair One i500 will remodel PC gaming tradition to maneuver past its decade-old Decepticon-inspired PC circumstances with over-the-top RGB lighting, however I hope it evokes a brand new paradigm for what firms can do with a gaming PC. The market desperately wants it.
In phrases of particular design notes, that is technically a small type issue gaming PC, although it’s larger than one thing just like the Asus ROG G22CH. Taller than it’s extensive or deep, that is extra like a gaming console than a standard gaming PC. If you have been searching for a lounge PC, this may match proper in with a lounge aesthetic.
If you spend this a lot cash on a gaming PC, you need to hopefully have the ability to improve to an Nvidia 5000 series graphics card in a couple of years, however the small type issue case goes to restrict what dimension GPU you may match.
On high of that, the graphics card on this case is unshrouded, counting on an AIO GPU cooler to handle warmth dissipation. You might clearly take the entire followers and heatsink off of any future graphics card you purchase and match it into this PC, however understandably, this can be a pretty superior modification for a GPU.
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On high of the internals, there are a selection of distinct design options that you just will not actually discover wherever else.
First, the facet panels are coated in a gentle, breathable cloth. This creates a really cool look to the PC, however cloth in tech units are inclined to discolor and gunk up over time, particularly in the event that they cowl a fan blowing mud out of a PC case.
Still, the material panels are a wonderful design contact. Another very cool function is the tap-to-activate gentle on the bottom of the case, which you’ll be able to faucet to gentle up the backports when you’re plugging in peripherals and different cables. It’s a small contact, however on condition that the bottom of a gaming PC can usually be forged in shadow, having a straightforward option to illuminate the realm in query is extremely helpful.
Taken all collectively, the Corsair One i500 is the good prebuilt gaming PC I’ve ever used, and it is all of the extra spectacular given how far it stretches previous the ‘accepted’ gamer aesthetic into one thing new. I’m certain lots of people will not just like the design of this PC, however I do not care. The incontrovertible fact that Corsair took the danger to make a dramatically completely different form of PC earns 5 stars in my ebook.
Corsair One i500: Performance
- Fantastic gaming 4K efficiency
- You can in all probability get the identical form of efficiency for cheaper in case you do not thoughts much less interesting aesthetics
Now, pretty much as good because the Corsair One i500 appears, this can be a gaming PC, so its efficiency issues as a lot as — if no more than — its aesthetics. In this regard, you will not be dissatisfied with this PC.
Its beginning GPU, the RTX 4080 Super, is among the best 4K graphics cards in the marketplace, second solely to the Nvidia RTX 4090, which is an elective improve for the Corsair One i500. So regardless of which GPU you get, you can get 4K@60FPS on nearly any title in the marketplace, particularly in case you allow Nvidia’s DLSS 3 in video games like Cyberpunk 2077 and any recreation that options ray tracing.
The RTX 4090, nonetheless, is the one graphics card I’ve ever examined that may get you near 60 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing maxed out with out upscaling, so in case you’re trying to play 4K at native decision, you do not less than have the choice of going with the RTX 4090.
Given the {hardware} right here, that is additionally a really competent inventive performer, so those that wish to get some work achieved will like what’s on supply right here, however I would not name this one of the best workstation PC going. This is a gaming PC via and thru, and it is right here that this PC excels.
Should you purchase the Corsair One i500?
| Category | Verdict | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Value | While this is not an inexpensive gaming PC, in comparison with equally speced competitiors, the value is fairly respectable for such a high-end gaming PC. | ★★★★☆ |
| Specs | While you will get a number of the greatest specs attainable proper now, upgradeability is way more restricted than with different gaming PCs. You nonetheless get a water cooled GPU, which is fairly superior. | ★★★★★ |
| Design | OK, so I believe this can be a stunningly attractive gaming PC that takes dangers and does one thing radically completely different. You won’t like its aesthetics, nevertheless it will get full marks for bravery even when some would possibly hate the way it appears. | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | The RTX 4080 Super mannequin I examined is a implausible performer, however choosing the RTX 4090 mannequin will get you one of the best of one of the best efficiency in the marketplace. | ★★★★★ |
| Total | Capable of maintaining with probably the most highly effective gaming PCs in the marketplace with an plain model, that is simply one among a handful | ★★★★★ |