Corsair Obsidian 450D Review

Corsair Obsidian 450D Review

Manufacturer: Corsair
UK price (as reviewed): £91.99 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $120 (ex Tax)

As a case manufacturer, Corsair's quest is now complete. Just recently it filled out its product stack with a mini-ITX model, the 250D, meaning the company now offers a full range from mini-ITX, through micro-ATX (350D) and ATX (750D) to E-ATX (900D) all of which fall under its Obsidian brand. However, while technically complete that doesn't mean there's isn't room for a few more additions. Step forward the Corsair Obsidian 450D. This latest addition to the lineup is, arguably, what should have been the first model of the bunch: a sub-£100 standard ATX model.

What makes this addition particularly important, is that Corsair has won an award with every Obsidian case we just mentioned, so the 450D has a tough act to follow.



Price-wise it appears to be on the money - just. You'll get a wad of change from £100, yet the case is solid, sturdy and the perforated front grille adds a little pizazz to the usual understated, sleek Obsidian exterior - it's the only case in the range to do so too and we'd argue it looks better for it as well and goes a long way to giving it a more premium look and feel compared to much of the competition.


The grille actually pops off from the front, allowing easy access to the fans and the filter sandwiched inside it for quick cleaning. If you're familiar with other recent Obsidian cases then the rest of the exterior will sound fairly familiar too. The over-sized brushed metal 5.25in fascias sit below a fairly standard front panel sporting two USB 3.0 ports, a large power button at the top, a reset button plus the usual minijacks. The large side window gives a great view of the internals although you can see bits of both internal drive cages.


There's another large filter in the roof, this time a magnetic one that sits neatly above the top fan mounts. An equally massive one resides on the underside and simply pops off. In short, this should be an easy case to maintain and also one that's free of dust on the inside.

At 210mm it's actually relatively narrow, with the 750D being 235mm wide. The latter is also nearly 5cm longer and 6cm higher too. Indeed the 450D is more compact than most other small ATX towers such as the NZXT Source 530 and Antec P100.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 210 x 497 x 494 (W x D x H)
  
• Material Steel
  
• Available colours Black
  
• Front panel Power, reset, 2 x USB 3, stereo, microphone
  
• Drive bays 2 x external 5.25in, 3 x internal 3.5in/2.5in, 2 x 2.5in (additional 2.5in/3.5in cages available separately)
  
• Form factor(s) ATX, micro-ATX, mini-itx
  
• Cooling 2 x 140mm/120mm front fan mounts (2 x 140mm fan included), 1 x 120mm rear fan mounts (1 x 120mm fan included), 2 x 140mm/3 x120 roof fan mounts (fans not included), 2 x 120mm bottom fan mounts (fans not included, only by removing/relocating drive cage)
  
• CPU cooler clearance 165mm
  
• Maximum graphics card length 430mm
  
• Extras Removable magnetic dust filters, optional modular drive cages