A Closer Look - Outside

Taking a first look at the Corsair iCUE 220T RGB out of the box, I was a bit surprised by the color choice. While most brands tend to offer either all-white or white-with-black-accents, Corsair mixed white with gray while still having several black elements within the case. The overall design of the chassis is great, and the cover in the front is made out of steel, which gives it a nice feel.


Looking at the front, the metal cover is perforated with an asymmetrical pattern and holds a small Corsair logo on the bottom half. The design is not only meant to look good, but also offers ample access to fresh air on top of being solid steel. You may easily pull it off to reveal a removable dust filter in front of the three pre-installed SP120 RGB PRO fans.


Viewing the iCUE 220T RGB from the main side reveals a completely clear glass panel. This is probably the one achilles heel in the design of the chassis. While clear and untinted is great to show off all your hardware nicely, Corsair should have really framed the window with a white edge. Without it, you can see all the screws and rivets of the case frame, which diminishes the overall look of the case somewhat. On the upside, the iCUE 220T RGB has been designed with a window in mind and thus, the bare case frame is cleaner than most. A nice touch is the fact that the window is held in place by silver screws to match the front of the chassis. On the opposite side, you will find a white, solid metal panel held in place by black screws.


In the rear, the bottom of the case holds the PSU. There are two sets of mounting holes, so you are free to choose how to position the unit within the chassis. Above that are the seven standard expansion slots. Each of them is protected by individual, reusable covers in black. In the very top, you may install a 120 mm fan. There are elongated mounting holes, which gives you the flexibility to align the fan perfectly with your CPU cooler for good airflow.


Even though Corsair has sprinkled some black bits and pieces throughout the white iCUE 220T RGB variant, the magnetic dust filter on top is actually gray to match the front-panel elements. Below it, you will find mounting holes that allow for up to two 120 or 140 mm fans. You may also opt to install a radiator of up to 240 mm size instead, and thanks to the mounting holes being offset, you should clear any larger elements on the motherboard even when going for liquid cooling. The I/O on top of the chassis is basic, but functional, consisting of two USB 3.0 and the usual audio plugs. Naturally, you will also find the power and reset buttons here. Of interest is that Corsair has done away with the HDD activity LED. That is generally fine, but with the rise of SSDs, that indicator could come in handy to see if your system is frozen or just hard at work loading a game or large file.


An easily removable dust filter on the underside of the chassis may be pulled out through the back for cleaning, so you will not have to tip over your system to reach it.