Corsair Obsidian 350D Case Review
by Dustin Sklavos on April 25, 2013 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Corsair
- MicroATX
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Introducing the Corsair Obsidian 350D
It seems like just yesterday we were talking about Corsair's gargantuan Obsidian 900D, a behemoth designed with the single goal of housing as much computer as you can possibly imagine. The Obsidian 900D supersized the already successful 800D (along with its price tag), and judging from the comments left on the review it's exactly what a lot of the watercooling enthusiasts were waiting for.
What you may not be aware of is the fact that the 900D ran...a little late. I had one of the early review units, and it had actually been sitting in my living room for some time before the new embargo date hit and gave me a deadline. That's part of the reason why we're seeing another case from Corsair as quickly as we are; had the 900D been on time this still would've seemed like a pretty quick turnaround time. Proving someone over there has a sense of humor, though, Corsair is following up their largest case with their smallest.
I'm actually a little disappointed that the campaign around the 350D was basically subsumed by the 900D, because of the two cases I think the micro-ATX 350D is actually the more interesting one. With the 900D, the sky is really the limit as to what you can put in it (or more accurately, your wallet is the limit). The 350D, on the other hand, is a case for people who thrive on limitations. That's not to say the case has limitations, per se, but when you're confined to the micro-ATX standard you start having to make creative decisions. As you'll see, Corsair made a few of their own that make the 350D a particularly interesting specimen in what's often one of the most diverse enclosure categories.
Corsair Obsidian 350D Specifications | ||
Motherboard Form Factor | Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX | |
Drive Bays | External | 2x 5.25" |
Internal | 3x 2.5", 2x 3.5" | |
Cooling | Front | 1x 140mm intake fan (supports 2x 120mm/140mm) |
Rear | 1x 120mm exhaust fan | |
Top | 2x 120mm/140mm fan mount | |
Side | - | |
Bottom | - | |
Expansion Slots | 5 | |
I/O Port | 2x USB 3.0, 1x Headphone, 1x Mic | |
Power Supply Size | ATX | |
Clearances | HSF | 160mm |
PSU | 200mm | |
GPU | 300mm | |
Dimensions |
17.3" x 8.3" x 17.7" 440mm x 210mm x 450mm |
|
Weight | 13.3 lbs. / 6.1 kg | |
Special Features |
USB 3.0 via internal header Removable drive cages Removable filters on intakes and bottom Supports 280mm radiators |
|
Price | $99/$109 (without window/with window) MSRP |
What needs to be considered in evaluating the Corsair Obsidian 350D is that this case is pretty clearly designed capitalize on liquid cooling. While my experiences with Corsair's closed loop coolers have been inconsistent, everyone benefits from them having a 280mm cooler like the H110 in their lineup. The existence of a 280mm cooler in Corsair's portfolio doesn't necessarily demand they include a place to mount it in all subsequent case designs, but it makes a convincing argument.
The reviewer's guide makes a big deal about using the 350D for water cooling, both with Corsair's products and with custom loops. There are five total fan mounts, and all of them support radiators: the top of the case features two 120mm/140mm mounts, the front of the case features another pair of 120mm/140mm mounts (and the 3.5" drive cage is removable), and then the rear of the case features a 120mm fan mount. What does surprise me is that Corsair opted not to include an additional fan mount beneath the drive cage, in the bottom of the case. It feels like a missed opportunity.
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HisDivineOrder - Friday, April 26, 2013 - link
What you are looking for is called a NUC. Intel makes them. Gigabyte makes them. Soon, I suspect all the OEM's will make them. I imagine Corsair or Lian-Li will make a case for one and then the whole thing will explode into a new form factor.lmcd - Friday, April 26, 2013 - link
Lian-Li already seems to, I think. A couple itx cases of theirs designed for specific mobos n'stuff.just4U - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
lol..I was just on the fractal design mini review looking for the name of this case so I could look at leaked photos. As I was browsing down the photo list I caught the anand header with a R.. Was like wait a min.. there's no reveiew up yet. Than refreshed anand and sure enough.. :D
This case is what I want and if you throw in a HX or AX Corsair PSU cable management is going to look so damn good.. (rubbing hands together in glee!)
rwei - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
Nice bowl!rhx123 - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
Do they have an option for a blank side panel? I'm not a fan of windows really.Rolphus - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
Yup, as per the first page of the article - the non-windowed version is even $10 cheaper.rhx123 - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
Bah - didn't see that in the specs table - thanks.thebeastie - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
My ultimate case would only have ONE 5.25 slot, rest 3.5 bays/2.5 bays to lower total height.And stuff extra long depth as long as it fits a standard single GPU length card. Would be quite a nice small case, considering NOTHiNG like that exists I bet it would sell well.
randomlinh - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
This. It could possibly be done if you move the power supply to the front, and flip the motherboard. But thermal issues might come into play. It would certainly be interesting to see. Alternatively, can we see some new tech in the power supply market to shrink the standard?plcn - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
have you seen the silverstone sugo? might be right up your alley. not as affordable as this and the fractal mini, but definitely shorter with full length GPU compatibility.i own the fractal mini and definitely agree it wasn't entirely builder friendly, but the improved looks (i dont like seeing drive bays - who still uses those anyway?) and slightly less noise made it worth it for me. if i had to build a bunch of these though, looks like this corsair is a great way to go!