Corsair Obsidian 350D Review

Corsair Obsidian 350D Review

Manufacturer: Corsair
UK price (as reviewed): £94.99 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $104.99 (ex Tax)

We've been waxing lyrical about small form factor hardware for a few years now and for very good reasons. Motherboards such as Asus' Maximus V Gene proved some time ago that micro-ATX motherboards offer just as many features and and are just as overclocking-friendly as full-size motherboards. While it and other mATX boards may lack a couple of PCI-Express slots, you can still use a discrete sound card and even splash out on a dual-graphics system.

Following this trend, we've seen a few micro-ATX cases recently, and in fact there's a move towards even smaller hardware, with mini-ITX now a viable option, with both some cracking motherboards and cases.

Corsair is usually one to be quick off the mark with new products such as all-in-one liquid coolers, but the latest addition to its Obsidian case range, and the first Obsidian micro-ATX case, is only Corsair's second in this dinky form factor. There's also the glaring omission of mini-ITX too - a hole that pretty much every other case manufacturer has covered. We digress, but thankfully Corsair is looking to cement its place in the micro-ATX category, just as it did recently in the super-high end arena with its flagship water-cooling case, the Obsidian 900D.


The Obsidian 350D isn't exactly small. It's taller and wider than the Fractal Design Core 3000, which supports full-size ATX motherboards, and NZXT's micro-ATX Vulcan is significantly smaller all round.

Perhaps the reason for this is the design choice - it looks like a mini Obsidian 900D, with a near-identical front panel and chunky frame. There are two external 5.25in bays, with the third cover providing access to a large removable dust filter. The power button is located just below the front lip of the case, between the usual mini jacks and two USB 3 ports, which sit above the top 5.25in bay.


Two models were available at launch - one with a side window and one without, although the cost difference is negligible. As some of you picked up in the Obsidian 900D review, Corsair is perhaps being a little overzealous with the size of the side panel, with the Obsidian 350D again showing a couple of drive cages through the window, though it's a little less glaring than the Obsidian 900D. However covering these areas up would mean the window would end up being little more tham a vertical slit as it's not a deep case, plus as bit of judicial modding can easily cover the exposed drive bays with something more attractive.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 210 x 450 x 440 (W x D x H)
  
• Material Steel, aluminium
  
• Available colours Black (reviewed)
  
• Weight 6kg
  
• Front panel Power, reset, 2 x USB 3, stereo, microphone
  
• Drive bays 2 x external 5.25in, 2 x internal 3.5in, 3 x internal 2.5in
  
• Form factor(s) Micro-ATX, Micro ATX
  
• Cooling 2 x front 120/140mm fan mounts (1 x fan included), 2 x top 120/140mm fan mounts (fans not included), 1 x 120mm rear fan mount (fan included)
  
• CPU cooler clearance 180mm
  
• Maximum graphics card length 350mm
  
• Maximum PSU length 200mm
  
• Extras Removable dust filters