Corsair's Frame series of PC cases is testing a modular DAC/amp accessory prototype, and I'll be the first in line to buy one if it makes it to production

I have many interests, and about half of them involve my PC in some shape or form. But I moved country a few years ago, and this meant having to rebuild a decent chunk of my collection of tech. Corsair has shown off a version of one of its cases, with a DAC, which I might just have to pick up if it gets to market. An external DAC attached to a PC, that also allows you access to the trappings of a more traditional IO—sign me up.

Shown off at the Corsair booth at Computex 2025, lucky attendees (including a few of the PC Gamer team) got a glimpse of the Frame 4000D case, a case that is already available to buy, but with a brand new accessory at the bottom.

Effectively, with this new prototype, you can plug in a guitar or microphone to apply effects, record your music, or just use it as an amp.

This new DAC accessory also means you can plug it into an audio source and get better sound than you would without it. A DAC (or Digital to Analogue converter), as the name suggests, converts digital audio signals into analogue audio signals, which is to say it can better reproduce the digital sound fed to your rig.

Modern computers can convert digital audio natively, but they don't sound as good as something dedicated. Computer sound cards often come with their DAC, but it's not quite as high quality as an external dedicated DAC.

It's quite simple, really. The standard 4000D case comes with two USB Type-A ports, a Type-C USB port, and an aux jack at the bottom, whereas this new prototype comes with an audio jack, instrument cable input, one USB Type-A port, one Type-C USB port, and a gain knob. This new prototype can replace the bottom panel of the 4000D case.

The Corsair Frame 4000D is a modular case, as you might be able to guess from the fact that you can swap in this DAC prototype like a musical Lego block. It's reasonably priced, looks great, and has a rail mounting system to connect fans quickly for pointed airflow.

We don't yet have a price on this DAC accessory, as it's still a prototype and we don't have a guarantee that it will actually launch. However, it not only looks great and seems super handy, but feels like it would save on space.

My go-to interface right now is the Scarlett 2i2 (3rd gen), but it's a little over the top to use as a DAC because of its price and the space it takes up on a desk, so the idea of popping an accessory onto my PC and taking up no extra room seems perfect. One can only hope this is just the start of even more funky IO additions for the Frame 4000D.