The Hyte X50 sees the current king of panoramic fishtank cases branching into a curvy new design ethos, and the result looks fantastic. Building on the legacy established by Hyte’s widely popular Y70 and Y60 chassis, with their panoramic glass and modular airflow systems, the X50 uses its mesh, colours and curves to make a bold statement. It’s a challenge to the conventionally rectangular boxes so often used to house our PCs.
Hyte X50
£149.99 / $159.99
Pros
- Room for 360mm radiators in front and side
- Space for 430mm graphics cards
- Tool-free panel removal
- Superb build quality
- Available in playful colours
- Up to 10 fan mounts in a compact case
Cons
- No fans included
- No support for top-mounted radiators or fans
- Tight PSU chamber
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How we test and review products.
What makes the Hyte X50 really stand out is its innovative approach to overall chassis design. Unlike most cases, for example, its PSU mount is in the top to avoid the chassis sprawling out into a dual-chamber design. There’s a wide variety of colour variants as well, which are a real breath of fresh air in a market dominated by black and white. Despite its modest, mid-tower dimensions, it can also still house two 360mm radiators and a 430mm graphics card.
Specifications
The Hyte X50 is available in two main designs. The standard X50 glass model reviewed here costs £149.99 / $159.99, while the X50 Air drops the tempered glass and comes in at £119.99 / $129.99. There are also six colour variants, with a choice of Snow White, Pitch Black, Wild Cherry (red), Strawberry Milk (pink), Taro Milk (purple), and Matcha Milk (green).
As you can probably guess from the photos, it’s the latter I’m reviewing here. Both the X50 and X50 Air are provided without fans, but you can buy them separately. A set of four black or white fans will cost you $39.99 / £34.99, while a four-pack of Cherry, Taro, Strawberry or Matcha Milk fans will set you back $49.99 / £39.99.
You get a surprisingly generous four-year warranty as well, which is longer than the typical period for other cases in the market.
Unboxing and product tour
First things first, let’s do the traditional unboxing. The Hyte X50 comes in a brown cardboard box that’s placed in another, larger, blank box for transportation. There’s a picture of the chassis printed on both main sides, with an image in the upper corner showing your chosen case’s colour. Meanwhile, two cutouts on the sides help you lift the package.
Inside you’ll find the manual, and if you open the chassis you’ll also find the accessories box. The latter includes some bundles of zip ties, as well as the screws to mount your PSU. There are also the usual screws for mounting your motherboard and 3.5in drives, plus M3 screws for fitting 2.5in drives. Other bits and pieces in the box include standoff socket with a Phillips-head, a spare snap system for the front panel attachment (in case one breaks), and three H-branded hook-and-loop cable straps.
Preparing the Hyte X50 for installation immediately reveals a series of thoughtful design choices focused on usability, airflow optimisation, and ease of maintenance. Opening it reveals the case’s visually soft, rounded design, with automotive-style curves and a distinctly tactile feel. Panels are attached with an entirely tool-less system, slotting into place with sliding latches and push-fit mechanisms. Meanwhile, the internal steel construction and 4mm laminated acoustic glass lend the case a reassuring weight and premium feel.
Exterior inspection
Moving to the exterior, it’s a mid-tower case measuring 485mm tall, 255mm wide, and 510mm in length. Moreover, it weighs over 11kg due to its robust steel construction and hefty tempered glass side panel. The elevated weight reflects the use of high-quality materials, which bodes well for both stability and long-term durability, even if it does mean you won’t want to move it regularly. The side panel is also fitted with regular screws that “click” into the chassis, so it’s easy to replace if you break it.
In terms of motherboard support, the X50 can hold all sorts of sizes, from mini-ITX to full-sized ATX, but it’s not designed for boards with rear connectors to help you tidy cables, such as MSI’s Project Zero designs. Additionally, it offers seven expansion slots, and graphics cards can be up to 430mm long, meaning it can support all current high-end GPUs. As for CPU air coolers, you can install a heatsink up to 170mm tall, providing plenty of room for large contraptions. The PSU, meanwhile, can measure up to 223mm long, although, as I’ll come to later, that’s an extremely tight fit.
The Hyte X50’s front and side panels are easily removable, aiding access for maintenance or upgrades. Meanwhile, the rounded mesh front cover lets plenty of air into the chassis.
Feet are rounded, matching the case’s playful aesthetic, while absorbing vibrations and keeping your rig stable. The bottom intake area also features an easily removable mesh dust filter.
Interior inspection
Inside the X50 you’ll find a lot of space for your components, as well as coloured rubber grommets to help you neatly thread your cables round the back. The independent chamber for the PSU at the top also frees up plenty of space inside, without requiring a large dual-chamber design.
As no fans are supplied with the X50 as standard, we received a four-pack of Hyte FA12 fans for this review, matching our sample’s colour. Their maximum speed is 1,500rpm, airflow is stated at 72CFM, and Hyte says they have a static pressure of 1.6mm H2O. Inside the box, you get 16 screws to mount the fans, as well as a four-way PWM splitter cable to reduce cable clutter.
There’s loads of room for fans in this case, with a highly versatile range of mounting options. You can fit three 120/140mm fans in the front, three 120mm spinners in the bottom (up to 32mm thick), and a single 120mm fan in the back. This setup gives you plenty of room for radiators as well. You can put a 360mm radiator in the front, measuring up to 105mm thick, and another one in the side if it’s no more than 70mm thick.
The I/O panel is positioned at the top-front for convenience, and includes a tactile mechanical power switch with an integrated LED. It covers all the bases for a modern PC, including a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports and the ubiquitous 3.5mm combo jack.
When it comes to storage, there are mounts for two 2.5in SSDs located behind the motherboard tray. Furthermore, there is a single 3.5in HDD cage adjacent to the PSU compartment. Storage mounts for two SSDs and one HDD sit near the bottom, where they’re still accessible without crowding the main airflow chamber. Rubber-coated grommets and Velcro ties are present for tidying up your wires, but cable channelling is less extensive than on some rival cases.
Building with Hyte X50
Here’s the list of parts I’ll be using for my complete build:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- CPU cooler: Thermaltake LA360-S ARGB
- RAM: Lexar ARES RGB 2 x 16GB 6,000MHz CL28
- Motherboard: Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
- GPU: Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3080
- SSD: Lexar NQ790 2TB
- PSU: NZXT C1500 Platinum
The result obviously doesn’t have matching colours – good luck trying to find accompanying milky-green components – but you can see how a finished rig takes shape.
Building a system inside the Hyte X50 is generally a smooth process. The most challenging part I found was mounting a PSU in the small top-mounted chamber. My NZXT C1500 is 180mm long, and Hyte says the X50 officially supports up to a 223mm unit, but it was still a tight squeeze. I would recommend caution and suggest a maximum of 180mm for your power supply here, especially since there’s no access to the PSU chamber from the top of the case.
Otherwise, component clearance is generous for a mid-tower of this size. There’s plenty of room for a massive graphics card, and space for it to breathe, as well as tall CPU coolers. You can easily get a sizeable radiator into the side mounts as well, as demonstrated by my 360mm Thermaltake LA360-S ARGB in the pictures above.
Cable management in the main chamber is easy, thanks to its numerous large cutouts. Meanwhile, multiple Velcro straps at the back help you achieve a relatively clean, professional finish. You can see the finished build below, and I think it looks great, especially with matching Hyte fans.
Performance
With some planning and care taken during assembly, the Hyte X50 enables you to build a classy, visually appealing rig. You can maximise airflow by installing up to 10 fans, while keeping cables unobtrusive (the rubber grommets help here), and proudly displaying your components. Thermal tests conducted on this case demonstrate its efficient thermal management as well. Testing with powerful hardware, such as an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and an Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, showed that the Hyte X50 can maintain low temperatures under load, even with fans running at moderate speeds, preserving a quiet acoustic profile.
Noise levels remain low up to approximately 40% fan speed, thanks to Hyte’s well-engineered FA12 fans. Running them at full speed, of course, provides additional cooling when needed. However, it also generates more noise, making it suitable only for heavy rendering sessions, or gaming with a headset on. Meanwhile, the dust filter on the bottom (and the mesh on the other sides), prevents dust accumulation within the case.
Temperature
The charts below show the Hyte X50’s thermal performance in comparison to other cases. Temperatures were recorded in an idle state, and then with 2D and 3D loads, using Cinebench 2024 and Fortnite, respectively.
As you can see, system-wide temperatures are good, especially for the CPU. I have no complaints here, as the Hyte X50 holds up really well against the competition I’ve already tested. My GPU ran a little hotter, but not much, and the temps are still fine. The GPU temperature is probably higher because there are no intake fans in the bottom of the chassis. If you want more cooling for your graphics card, that’s a good place to put some more fans.
Noise
Noise levels were recorded in a completely enclosed room with a set ambient temperature of 22°C. The lowest dBA level I can measure in this room without equipment activated is just under 30dBA. I measure system noise 40cm from the side panel. The automatic fan profile was used for testing.
At idle, my Hyte X50 test system was barely audible, though you could hear some hum from the fans under load. Where the noise noticeably ramped up was during the gaming test, when my RTX 3080 graphics card spun into action. During this test, the fans on my RTX 3080 ran faster than in other chassis I’ve recently reviewed. As with the temperature result, this is very probably due to the lack of fans in the bottom of the case. Again, if you’re using a powerful GPU, this is a good area to add some extra cooling power.
Conclusion
The Hyte X50 excels as a fun, visually arresting, and technically capable mid-tower case. Its soft curves, premium materials, and focus on airflow helps you build a distinct, attractive PC without sacrificing cooling or component support. Downsides include the lack of included fans and somewhat basic cable management. However, its versatility, tool-free access, and support for high-end hardware stand it in good stead, particularly with its distinctive looks.
For those who value unique design and technical performance, the Hyte X50 offers a compelling alternative to conventional boxy cases. It sets a visual precedent with playful colour choices and rounded shapes. That’s all while while delivering enough cooling power and room for the most powerful components on the market. You just need to make sure you mount your fans optimally.
Downsizing to a smaller case typically introduces limitations, such as losing space for radiators, CPU coolers and graphics cards, but that’s not the case with the X50. It’s only the PSU area that’s notably tight. Sadly, there’s there’s no option to install motherboards with rear connectors, so this case isn’t for you if that’s a dealbreaker, but it covers all bases for everyone else.
At £149.90 / $159.99, it’s a little pricey for what you get, especially with no fans or ARGB hardware. Comparatively, the be quiet! Light Base 500 LX has a similar price, and includes four fans and and ARGB/fan hub. However, the X50 isn’t priced unreasonably for the build quality and original design on offer. You’ll just need to make sure you budget for fans as well.
Overall, the X50 package does a great job of balancing quality, flexibility, and charming aesthetics. It’s also a lot of fun, and that’s part of the appeal of building your own PC.
