Corsair Obsidian 550d?

Ah, I quite like the white actually, it makes a clean look.

I've had this NZXT Apollo case for about 6 years now, the blue fans are pretty annoying. The ability to shut off the LCD lights though with a single switch is very nice, I will definitely get that option in my future case.
 
I spent the day looking at alternative cases, and just can't make myself do it. The 500D has the perfect combination of features and aesthetics for me. Like others who have posted here, I'm exceedingly, even childishly excited for this to arrive at my doorstep. Redbeard (thank you very much for keeping us even a little informed, btw) has said that Newegg will get it first; how far behind are Amazon and other major online retailers? Amazon has it listed for pre-order (at a pretty good price, too), but it doesn't even show up in searches on Newegg.
 
Argh, I wished I waited for these new Corsair cases came out before I did my build. My 800D is great may have been overkill for my needs. May be tempted to sell to switch over to this model.
 
I thought about going ahead with all my orders as well (including an i7-3820 just to tide me over until the i7-3770K is out), but I wonder about return policies in case a part ends up DOA.

If solid info were available on stocking dates, I'd go ahead and pre-order it at Amazon while everything else was being shipped. As it is, and because no other case fits the bill quite like this on, I'm hesitant.
 
You folks pre-ordering before reviews hit are adventurous. :)

I had hoped that a couple of 550Ds would have made it here in advance to select reviewers...but I suppose that we will have to wait. That said, it's way too big for me regardless.

Ru0WI.jpg


I am in the small minority that just puts in a couple of hard drives, a single GPU, and no other add-in cards. You know, that small minority that consists of 90% of the population. ;)

mATX all the way for me baby! :D
 
THAT (sizeasy.com) is an awesome site. Excellent resource!

I could, like you, easily get away with a much smaller case, but I want the expansion room in case I decide to make use of it later.

That said, the 550D is a bit bigger than I thought it would be. Good to know, so I won't be surprised.
 
THAT (sizeasy.com) is an awesome site. Excellent resource!

I could, like you, easily get away with a much smaller case, but I want the expansion room in case I decide to make use of it later.

That said, the 550D is a bit bigger than I thought it would be. Good to know, so I won't be surprised.

Redbeard said it somewhere before - most folks change their case when they rebuild. Some do tear down and swap MBs using the same case, but given that it is far from the most expensive component in a build, most folks take the opportunity to refresh the visible part of their PC when they rebuild.

Of course, if you are in the minority who may add in more cards over time, then expansion is key. That said, my mATX case supports six hard drives, SLI with full-length cards, a full size ATX PSU, two 5.25" devices, 120mm radiator, and enough fans to make it levitate..so I have room to grow. ;)

http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&prod=59

And yeah, I very much agree, sizeeasy rocks! :)
 

I picked up a Define Mini for a FreeNAS server in January, and aside from it being a little tight behind the motherboard tray for cabling (6 drives makes for lots of SATA cables), I couldn't be happier with it. So, having gone the Fractal route, I want to try the Corsair for my game/workstation.

I'm actually replacing a 7 year old laptop (Alienware Aurora m9700) with a brand new build. I've not built a desktop since the GeForce3 Ti 500 was battling it out for King of the Hill, and am really looking forward to getting all the bits I've chosen put together in one of these cases.

I don't think I'll add much in the way of expansion cards, but I just really love the understated look of this thing (as compared to other specimens out there).

"... enough fans to make it levitate." <- HA!
 
I picked up a Define Mini for a FreeNAS server in January, and aside from it being a little tight behind the motherboard tray for cabling (6 drives makes for lots of SATA cables), I couldn't be happier with it. So, having gone the Fractal route, I want to try the Corsair for my game/workstation.

I'm actually replacing a 7 year old laptop (Alienware Aurora m9700) with a brand new build. I've not built a desktop since the GeForce3 Ti 500 was battling it out for King of the Hill, and am really looking forward to getting all the bits I've chosen put together in one of these cases.

I don't think I'll add much in the way of expansion cards, but I just really love the understated look of this thing (as compared to other specimens out there).

"... enough fans to make it levitate." <- HA!

Yep, the limited space behind the MB and space available for tower coolers are what drove me to the Arc Mini instead of the Define Mini. I think they are nearly identical inside, but the acoustic foam cuts into available space on the sides.

No doubt, the 550d looks awesome and very handsome. No bling - just nice lines...without looking like the rest of the Obsidian line, which leave me fairly cold (yes, I said it...heresy I know). The push to release covers on the side and top and a similar setup to get access to the filter on the front look awesome, as does the front door that opens from either side.

Had they announced an mATX version, I would have been there...and I imagine a lot of folks who opt for the Define Mini would be with me. From what George has said elsewhere though, they don't think the mATX market is worth their time. Hard to believe that a startup like Fractal can make a business case for multiple mATX cases, but a larger and more established vendor like Corsair can't. Seems more like personal preference to me.
 
Yep, the limited space behind the MB and space available for tower coolers are what drove me to the Arc Mini instead of the Define Mini. I think they are nearly identical inside, but the acoustic foam cuts into available space on the sides.

No doubt, the 550d looks awesome and very handsome. No bling - just nice lines...without looking like the rest of the Obsidian line, which leave me fairly cold (yes, I said it...heresy I know). The push to release covers on the side and top and a similar setup to get access to the filter on the front look awesome, as does the front door that opens from either side.

Had they announced an mATX version, I would have been there...and I imagine a lot of folks who opt for the Define Mini would be with me. From what George has said elsewhere though, they don't think the mATX market is worth their time. Hard to believe that a startup like Fractal can make a business case for multiple mATX cases, but a larger and more established vendor like Corsair can't. Seems more like personal preference to me.

I'm using an mATX build with this case (er, I mean I plan to). I figure that the extra room can be filled with acoustic squares or more fans or something.
 
You folks pre-ordering before reviews hit are adventurous. :)


I am in the small minority that just puts in a couple of hard drives, a single GPU, and no other add-in cards. You know, that small minority that consists of 90% of the population. ;)

:D

Ditto here, except i've got an obsidian 800d and love it... aside from not having all the damping of the 550d, or the filters / covers for fan vents.

Nothing beats having lots of room to work in a computer case, imho.
 
Ditto here, except i've got an obsidian 800d and love it... aside from not having all the damping of the 550d, or the filters / covers for fan vents.

Nothing beats having lots of room to work in a computer case, imho.


I'd say you have more room :)

UyTJZ.jpg


I don't work inside enough that I need an extra file cabinet in the office ;)

My stuff all fit in here very easily:

RxSXP.jpg


I removed the top hard drive cage since I didn't need it. A 256 GB SSD and 2 x 2 TB HDDs will suffice for now. ;) The mess at the bottom left is the included FD fan controller, which actually works pretty nicely. That's a full-size PSU and overclocked 570 GPU...both with plenty of room to spare.

Oh well, one size does not fit all. Just wish that Corsair agreed. ;)
 
I'd be all over a fractal design case if they hadn't put that huge lettering across the whole front and right at the top. Ruins the entire thing and looks rushed.
 
Probably the one 'feature' I miss most in the 550D v. the 650D is the ability to move one drive cage back a little bit. Not only can you get a more unobstructed airflow but you could also outfit a 650D with three drive cages (think home NAS) for a total of 9 drives (13-14 drives if you convert the 5.25" bays too). Otherwise this tower is just about perfect -- looking at other manufacturers (Lian Li, Antec, Fractal, etc) and none of them (my opinion) have a product as good as what the 550D will probably be after reviews come out.

At this point I'm debating getting two 550Ds or upgrading my NAS's Antec 300 to a 650D to match my main rig.

*sigh*...Corsair needs to release a full ATX tower :D.
 
looks like a very solid all-around case at a great price point. definitely considering this one.
 
Does Newegg actually have stock of this? Redbeard said they wouldn't even hit the shores until March 10th. o_o??
 
Does Newegg actually have stock of this? Redbeard said they wouldn't even hit the shores until March 10th. o_o??

IDK...NewEgg isn't one to lie (usually). Too bad that rebate only works for a single case. I'd love $40 off of two cases. Assuming of course you actually get the rebate and it isn't denied for some arbitrary reason :p.
 
Any chance of getting rid of that Silver color and offering a model that is all Black?
 
Redbeard, I see that NewEgg has a $20 MIR for the case. Any idea if Amazon is going to offer a similar MIR?
 
Reposted from the sale thread for this case: Would a case like this fit something like a 212 Hyper plus/True Spirit? Don't think my GPU will be an issue but CPU coolers always concern me with mid-towers.
 
awesome, ordered one from the canadian Egg :)

After checkout, i noticed that the Purolator Ground has a (U.S) notation after it.

Does newegg.ca ship from the american warehouse or something? I thought newegg.ca and newegg.com warehouses were completely different?
 
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Redbeard mentioned that the cases were going to land first on the US West Coast. NewEgg's shipping from the US from the looks of it so that it can get to Canadian customers sooner.
 
Reposted from the sale thread for this case: Would a case like this fit something like a 212 Hyper plus/True Spirit? Don't think my GPU will be an issue but CPU coolers always concern me with mid-towers.

I asked a similar question over here about the Noctua NH-D14, and it was answered in the affirmative. The ND-D14 has a height of 160mm which will leave approximately 16-21mm of clearance between the cooler and the side panel. Check that height against what you're looking at.
 
If you're worried about it go support Corsair a little more and buy one of their watercoolers :p.
 
I noticed that as well. NewEgg's got it listed in the "packing" phase still and my CC cleared hours ago. It better ship today -- it is listed in stock. (Of course I'm impatient!)
 
I noticed that as well. NewEgg's got it listed in the "packing" phase still and my CC cleared hours ago. It better ship today -- it is listed in stock. (Of course I'm impatient!)

i used interac online. I've found that 'instant' payments ship faster as there's not CC delay potential, and are more convenient, FWIW.

For those that do have pendings orders, post back here (as I will) when you get a 'shipped' newegg notification for the sanity of the [H]ive :)
 
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