Really wish Corsair would produce a more expensive premium line of cases

burningrave101

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Corsair has been coming out with some great designs in their Obsidian series cases with features that I really like but the thing that keeps me from purchasing one of their cases like the 650D or 550D is just the fact that I'm used to the higher premium cases with primarily aluminum chassis from Silverstone and Lian Li and so regardless of how great the design and features are in Corsair's cases most of them are a step down in looks and build quality since the chassis is built around primarily steel and lesser quality aluminum materials.

For the Corsair reps that read these boards, have you considered or do you have any plans in adding a more expensive premium aluminum case line for enthusiasts to go along with your more affordable series of cases? I'd love to get a case that rivals the Silverstone FT02 or Lian Li V series in build quality and looks while having the great layout and features provided by Corsair.
 
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I was wishing the same thing. Seems like if they did, it would be the ultimate case.

Because they dont though, I just bought a TJ07 this morning for $150 (too good of a deal to pass up).
 
FT02 isn't full aluminum.

As for aluminum, we'll use it where it makes sense. Adding a ton of cost just to make the case have more aluminum in it is silly. I think the 800D is one of the most structurally sound cases out there, and has very good build quality (same with the 650D) and they're steel chassis with aluminum front panels.

I think the answer is to make cases with good build quality - if that requires 100% aluminum, we'll do it. But usually, in order to get the same build quality as steel, you have to get very thick and expensive aluminum, which means you either have to raise the cost or sacrifice features elsewhere. The V series is decent build quality, but there are lots of features missing compared to a standard case that costs significantly less.

I'm not willing to sacrifice feature set OR build quality for materials. We have cases in development that use more aluminum, and some that use none.

Aluminum is not inherently better than steel for case building. It's much more expensive, it can be lighter, and it can sometimes look cooler, but aluminum is a very soft metal, so when it comes to stripping screws, scratching panels, etc, it's much less resilient than steel.
 
I can see the OP's point, but I think Redbeard hit the nail on the head so to speak. I recently downsized from a CoolerMaster Stacker 830 to a Lian Li V700. The V700 wasn't everything I wanted, but it was the only one to fit most of my needs, absolutely no plastic and light. (needed the weight down to keep on top of my desk). I thought really hard about the 550 and 650 but I just couldn't accommodate the weight and plastic. I'm far in the minority in my requirements though.
 
FT02 isn't full aluminum.

As for aluminum, we'll use it where it makes sense. Adding a ton of cost just to make the case have more aluminum in it is silly. I think the 800D is one of the most structurally sound cases out there, and has very good build quality (same with the 650D) and they're steel chassis with aluminum front panels.

I think the answer is to make cases with good build quality - if that requires 100% aluminum, we'll do it. But usually, in order to get the same build quality as steel, you have to get very thick and expensive aluminum, which means you either have to raise the cost or sacrifice features elsewhere. The V series is decent build quality, but there are lots of features missing compared to a standard case that costs significantly less.

I'm not willing to sacrifice feature set OR build quality for materials. We have cases in development that use more aluminum, and some that use none.

Aluminum is not inherently better than steel for case building. It's much more expensive, it can be lighter, and it can sometimes look cooler, but aluminum is a very soft metal, so when it comes to stripping screws, scratching panels, etc, it's much less resilient than steel.

All very good points. I am a huge fan of corsair products. I have a 600T right now and wanted something with more water cooling options. The TJ07 just turned out to be nice size in between the 800D and 650D. I think some newer products between the 800 and 650 sizes would make for a good seller.
 
FT02 isn't full aluminum.

As for aluminum, we'll use it where it makes sense. Adding a ton of cost just to make the case have more aluminum in it is silly. I think the 800D is one of the most structurally sound cases out there, and has very good build quality (same with the 650D) and they're steel chassis with aluminum front panels.

I think the answer is to make cases with good build quality - if that requires 100% aluminum, we'll do it. But usually, in order to get the same build quality as steel, you have to get very thick and expensive aluminum, which means you either have to raise the cost or sacrifice features elsewhere. The V series is decent build quality, but there are lots of features missing compared to a standard case that costs significantly less.

I'm not willing to sacrifice feature set OR build quality for materials. We have cases in development that use more aluminum, and some that use none.

Aluminum is not inherently better than steel for case building. It's much more expensive, it can be lighter, and it can sometimes look cooler, but aluminum is a very soft metal, so when it comes to stripping screws, scratching panels, etc, it's much less resilient than steel.

I can see your point to an extent but as stated there are a lot of users out there that do look for more premium aluminum cases over ones that are primarily steel or plastic which is why Silverstone and Lian Li are able to market their $200-$300+ cases to the enthusiast builder crowd and those that have more money to blow to get the best.

And yes you're correct that the Silverstone FT02 is not fully aluminum but the parts that matter in terms of looks which is the thick unibody outer frame and the side panels are all aluminum. The only part that's not aluminum is the plastic piece on the top and the steel interior which is fine because it provides a more solid chassis while still having the looks where it matters.

I've worked with a half a dozen FT02's and have had them set up side by side with cases from Corsair like the 650D and 500R and while I'm not knocking the build quality that you get from Corsair for the price, the quality of the materials used and the overall look of the chassis just isn't up to the same standards, nor would I expect it to be since these Corsair cases are $50-$100+ less.

There is a reason why Apple with all of their market research continues to ship fully aluminum chassis for their MacBook Pro, Air, iMac, and Mac Pro line even though it's much more expensive to produce and its because in a higher class business environment or just with end users that want a product that displays the look of quality and worth the aluminum chassis sets them apart from their competition. It's one of the biggest reasons I pay the premium for Apple's MacBook Pro's over cheaper alternatives from Dell, HP, Lenovo, ect that provide the same internal hardware for sometimes half the price because I'm one of those business professional users that will pay extra for looks and quality. It's also why other manufacturers have started to catch on to what Apple is doing and are releasing products like the HP ENVY to try and steal some of their market.

My interest in a more premium line of cases from Corsair wasn't in hopes that you guys could release something at the same price point as your current cases while not sacrificing build quality or features. I would fully expect to pay more for this type of chassis, in fact I'm even asking to pay more, because I'm not currently satisfied with the looks and build quality of the current Corsair line of cases to want to own one over the cases I've been used to working with from Silverstone and Lian Li.

At the same time I'm also becoming less satisfied with the features that Silverstone and Lian Li are putting into their new cases and would be very much interested in a competitor like Corsair releasing a line that offers the best of both worlds.

If that's not something you guys feel is worth pursuing since I know it's a smaller market segment than your target audience who are used to only paying <$80-$180 for a case then I can understand that, but I just thought I would ask if you guys had any plans on offering a more expensive series of cases down the line that are built more towards the user looking for that premium look and build quality found in the higher-end Silverstone and Lian Li aluminum chassis.
 
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Apple's a bit different, because they have something like $100 billion in the bank, sell millions of units a month, and can buy aluminum by the boatload. When Apple goes to buy aluminum, their suppliers can cut a check for thousands of tons of the stuff, and they own a lot more manufacturing than we do. Kind of like comparing David's headband to Goliath.

I'm not saying there aren't differences in build quality - I know there are. And the FT02 is a great case for what it is. Lots of aluminum. But look at the RV02 - literally the exact same case for plastic and steel with a different design on the front and top, and it costs almost $75-$80 less.

Now you can argue that the RV02 doesn't look as good as the FT02, but performance wise, they're pretty much identical. So what if they took the RV02 and put a clean aluminum front on it? Flattened out the top to the FT02 piece? Kind of hybridized the RV02/FT02 for the best of both worlds? It'd be cheaper than the FT02 ($250) but a bit more expensive than the RV02 ($170). My guess? It'd be around the price of a 650D. And have a very similar cost structure.

So now you know why the 650D isn't 100% plastic, and why it doesn't have aluminum side panels and an aluminum top panel. Because I didn't think it was worth the extra $50 retail to have absolutely no performance or usability benefit.

But there are other guys in the case business - and I'm sure they'll disagree. This is what's awesome about building your own PC - there's always as many products as there are opinions, and if I do something right, you guys like my stuff. And if somebody else does something right, I can watch you guys tell each other how much you like it and figure out why.
 
How much better build quality do you need? I've got a 500R and its build quality is superb. I'm not seeing how using more expensive aluminum would make it any better other than shaving off a few pounds for lugging it around to LAN parties. 99% of the time my case is just sitting there so unless you're using it to hold up one end of your computer desk, I don't see why you'd need any more beef in the existing Corsair lineup.

Besides, not sure how much market there is out there for $300+ cases.
 
As for aluminum, we'll use it where it makes sense.

It would make sense for an mATX Obsidian.
I chose the FT02 over the 800D. It ran cooler and didn't require additional fans, which also increases the initial cost of a case.
I see greater value in cases that doesn't need an additional $50-80 in fans to bring cooling on par with cheaper cases.

At $200+, either it's primarily built with aluminum or high performance fans and features are included if it's steel.
The Cosmos II is not worth the money IMO, because of ridiculous fit and feature oversights for a $300+ case.

I'm not saying there aren't differences in build quality - I know there are. And the FT02 is a great case for what it is. Lots of aluminum. But look at the RV02 - literally the exact same case for plastic and steel with a different design on the front and top, and it costs almost $75-$80 less.
The FT02 was originally projected to be a $199 case, until Tony said due to manufacturing cost for unibody aluminum frame, the price had to be increased to $240.
I did rage for a while but when I received the case, the extra cost was worth it.

I don't think of Corsair as a uber high-end case maker. The 800D was near $300, but the TJ07 and V series still cost more at the time.
Silverstone, Lian Li and CaseLabs are here for the high end buyer, the same goes for Cooler Master and Antec for price sensitive consumers.
Corsair is inbetween. For a few bucks more, a low end buyer can have the quality of a $200+ case. I think that's what Redbeard and the gang is aiming for.
 
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It would make sense for an mATX Obsidian.

Why? If a steel mATX weighs 9 lbs and an aluminum one weighs 7 lbs, but costs $30 more (say, $89 vs $119), why would you buy the aluminum one? Saving 2 lbs isn't a big deal. Especially when it scratches easier and is less durable. For a potentially portable chassis, aluminum isn't a great idea for the exterior - it's a much better idea to reverse it.

Make the skeleton lightweight aluminum, and the external pieces powder-coated steel for durability purposes.

I chose the FT02 over the 800D. It ran cooler and didn't require additional fans, which also increases the initial cost of a case.
I see greater value in cases that doesn't need an additional $50-80 in fans to bring cooling on par with cheaper cases.
On the other hand, the 800D can fit a triple 120mm radiator without modding, has hot-swap bays, better cable routing and more room for long cards and PSUs - it's all about what you want a case to do.

Comparing the FT02 to the 800D is kind of silly, as they're designed to do very, very different things. But the FT02 is the superior aircooling chassis for blower-style GPUs, I'll acknowledge that.

At $200+, either it's primarily built with aluminum or high performance fans and features are included if it's steel.
The Cosmos II is not worth the money IMO, because of ridiculous fit and feature oversights for a $300+ case.


The FT02 was originally projected to be a $199 case, until Tony said due to manufacturing cost for unibody aluminum frame, the price had to be increased to $240.
I did rage for a while but when I received the case, the extra cost was worth it.

I don't think of Corsair as a uber high-end case maker. The 800D was near $300, but the TJ07 and V series still cost more at the time.
Silverstone, Lian Li and CaseLabs are here for the high end buyer, the same goes for Cooler Master and Antec for price sensitive consumers.
Corsair is inbetween. For a few bucks more, a low end buyer can have the quality of a $200+ case. I think that's what Redbeard and the gang is aiming for.

The TJ07 was one of my favorite cases, but it's extraordinarily expensive and somewhat old now.

I personally used a TJ09 (still one of the most attractive cases on the market in my opinion) for a long time, before we started making cases. I have a ton of experience with Silverstone, and Lian Li. In my opinion, the usability of a case is paramount.

So that's my main goal - make the case easy to build in, easy to upgrade, and easy to tweak to your preferences. Other people's cases sometimes have interesting ideas but done in half-assed ways, or completely negated by build quality problems and fit and finish issues.

A lot of the more popular new guys get a pass on this stuff because people don't know what to expect, but I have some of the products from some of our newer competitors and while they're intriguing, man, I would have turned them down at the prototype stage if they had the tooling and fitment problems these have.
 
Comparing the FT02 to the 800D is kind of silly, as they're designed to do very, very different things. But the FT02 is the superior aircooling chassis for blower-style GPUs, I'll acknowledge that.

With the availability of 180mm based radiators the FT02 is also better for watercooling now too. I sold my original FT02 for a TJ07 because it offered more watercooling options. Now that 180mm radiators are out I just bought a brand new FT02 to move my rig into.

I wish Corsair cases had rounded metallic corners. Right now the obsidian series reminds me of an upscale case that lacks character and elegance. Imagine a grand piano with beautiful finish, but constructed of only right angles... I've always felt the curved window on the 800D looked really out of place. Everything is a right angle on that case except for the window.

All of Corsair's cases have certain elements about them that I really like, but no Corsair case combines enough of those elements together, and thus the trade-offs push me away from buying them.
 
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With the availability of 180mm based radiators the FT02 is also better for watercooling now too. I sold my original FT02 for a TJ07 because it offered more watercooling options. Now that 180mm radiators are out I just bought a brand new FT02 to move my rig into.

We'll probably agree to disagree here. I've built a loop in an FT02, and though you can fit the radiator, push/pull was an issue, as was routing the tubing, pump, an internal reservoir...it's a very tight fit comparatively. It can be done, but I didn't find it to be quite as easy at the end.


I wish Corsair cases had rounded metallic corners. Right now the obsidian series reminds me of an upscale case that lacks character and elegance. Imagine a grand piano with beautiful finish, but constructed of only right angles... I've always felt the curved window on the 800D looked really out of place. Everything is a right angle on that case except for the window.

All of Corsair's cases have certain elements about them that I really like, but no Corsair case combines enough of those elements together, and thus the trade-offs push me away from buying them.

See, and I hear just as many people saying exactly the opposite. That the "rounded corners" are weird looking, and they like the monolith/obelisk style appearance of the Obsidian Series cases. I think there's room for different design elements.

Personally, if you like somebody else's cases, I'm not offended by it. I understand that not everyone agrees on stuff like this. Cases are highly subjective, and the things we're willing to endure on designs we like more than others are interesting and frequently outweigh the objective measurements.

I know that the 500R has better GPU cooling, stock, than my 650D. But I use my 650D at home because I don't care about the 3C temp increase, and I like the appearance and the built-in hot-swap dock and roomier interior.
 
My last 2 cases were a Lian Li and a Silverstone TJ09, but I just decided to give in and get a Corsair case this time, I liked all the components of it. It's not that much heavier than my old Silverstone, though it was always fun picking up that feather light case out of the box. I definitely like having the air filters on the 600T and being steel allowed me to throw on a magnetic air filer too in the rear, wouldn't have stuck on aluminum. :)
 
Why? If a steel mATX weighs 9 lbs and an aluminum one weighs 7 lbs, but costs $30 more (say, $89 vs $119), why would you buy the aluminum one? Saving 2 lbs isn't a big deal. Especially when it scratches easier and is less durable. For a potentially portable chassis, aluminum isn't a great idea for the exterior - it's a much better idea to reverse it.

I'm a high-end case buyer, so I will always purchase the best of the two. I would pay more for a better looking exterior and less weight.
Now if you're thinking about the average consumer that probably doesn't care about the appearance of their PCs as I do, then cost and durability will be important.

Your build philosophy seems like it's function over form, which works for the majority of consumers and great for business.
High-end buyers like myself are form over function. We're willing to sacrifice a feature or two for the overall appearance of our PC. We're paying more to be different.

I purchased the 800D because it was different, every Corsair case released after that I didn't since it was more of the same.
The same goes for the FT02, X1000 and V354 cases I purchased . They were all different from the norm.

Things were going in the right direction with the 800D. It became a go to case for watercooled builds. It had a primary function. Most $200+ cases are like that.
The cases made after that became a jack of all trades, competing with lesser case manufactures.
The X1000/2000, V-series, TJ07 or FT02 can't be compared to anything on the market. They are very unique cases that buck the trend. I'll pay more for that.
 
RedBeard, I am very happy to see you in here talking with us. Lord knows it is impossible to please every customer, and most consumers "think" they know how to run a business, an incredible amount of them have no idea.

Id like to share with you my buying process and mentality when I recenetly built my new gaming rig and why I made the case decision that I did.

I was in the market for something with high end water cooling in mind. I was looking for something that could accomodate a triple and a double 120mm rad. While looking at the display models at Frys in Anaheim, CA, I immediately went to the 800D. I was thrilled that it would accomodate the triple 120 rad up top with no mods, but disappointed that I had no place to mount my double rad.

I ended up looking at the NZXT Switch 810 and found the mixture of steel and plastic a bit clunky, but i couldnt pass up the fact that I could mount my triple and double rads with 0 modifications. The price diference between the two cases was also a factor to me. Paying more for full aluminum but not being able to use my 2 rads made the obvious choice the Switch 810... HOWEVER I will add that the quality of the 800D was breathtaking and had Corsair offered someting of the same quality that could accomodate both rads, I would have done so without hesitation.

I do also recognize that I am probably a minority in that I am using a triple and double rad which is not a common combo in rad choices for high end water cooling. Perhaps one day Corsair will offer some sort of stop-gap case that fits my needs. Regardless, I am a fan of Corsair and will always be watching.
 
I have both the ft02 and the 800D. I would say that the 800D is a better quality case in some aspects. The flimsy tool-less bay locks on the ft02 are quite crappy. The hard drive cages are flimsy but get the job done and the cover for the top usb 3.0 ports on mine is very stiff and hard to move. The 800D has great HD cages, especially the hot swap cages and the tool-less locks are very good. The ft02 does have a very sturdy exterior with the thick steel. If the 800D had better air cooling I would stick with that because of how roomy and easy to work with it is (ft02 isin't even much lighter )
 
I agree that the 800D has by far the best build quality out of any of Corsair's cases and stacks up well against the competition. The 800D was a step forward in innovation and at release offered great potential for water-cooling setups that other cases on the market at that time didn't so it gained instant popularity as the go to option for water-cooling builds. My lack in interest in the 800D myself though has more to do simply with the size of the case and the poor air-cooling performance rather than the build quality although I'm not a real huge fan of the square boxy look Corsair went with.

Where Corsair's build quality in materials used and innovation in new features started to fall off is in all the cases they have released since their big debut of the 800D. Cases like the 650D and 600T and more recent cases like the 400R/500R and 550D. Others here on HardOCP commented on it as well when the 650D was released about how you weren't just getting a smaller 800D but also a noticeable difference in build quality.

That is to be expected I guess when you're looking for ways to reduce the cost of the case and take your case sales more mainstream to reach a wider audience of end users that don't want to spend $200+ on a case but at the same time there are users like myself and others who have posted here who are looking to pay more for a premium product that offers high build quality materials used such as thick attractive aluminum styling for an exterior shell and more features that revolutionize the computer case market like what you first began with the 800D.

I know others obviously feel differently but to me mostly every case that Corsair has released since the 800D has simply been a copy of the 800D with reduced cost and build materials with no real major changes in features and no big improvement in cooling performance which is where Corsair's cases struggle the most compared to cases like the Silverstone FT02.
 
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Your build philosophy seems like it's function over form, which works for the majority of consumers and great for business.
High-end buyers like myself are form over function. We're willing to sacrifice a feature or two for the overall appearance of our PC. We're paying more to be different.

You're 100% right. I'm 100% function over form. I will do my best to NEVER sacrifice a feature for a cosmetic concern. If there's a way to make the thing work better, make it easier to build in, and make the experience and price better for most users, I will attempt to ALWAYS make that decision.

I think you might be putting words in the mouth of a lot of high-end buyers, though. A lot of high-end buyers spend the money because they get function AND form. And while you don't feel our designs are high end, thousands and thousands of others do. The 800D is one of the most popular $250+ cases of all time, when it comes to raw sales numbers. It did things no other case had done at the time - like cable routing with grommets, built in triple 120mm radiator support, push button side panel release - all of which have been copied afterwards, to varying degrees of success.

If we ever decide to do a next-gen Super Tower (900D? 1000D?) then it'll be more of the same - high quality materials, great ease of use, tons of watercooling options, and better aircooling options.

I won't sacrifice these features for cosmetics. I think you can have both.

Good discussion, by the way. I appreciate the feedback.
 
You're 100% right. I'm 100% function over form. I will do my best to NEVER sacrifice a feature for a cosmetic concern. If there's a way to make the thing work better, make it easier to build in, and make the experience and price better for most users, I will attempt to ALWAYS make that decision.

I think you might be putting words in the mouth of a lot of high-end buyers, though. A lot of high-end buyers spend the money because they get function AND form. And while you don't feel our designs are high end, thousands and thousands of others do. The 800D is one of the most popular $250+ cases of all time, when it comes to raw sales numbers. It did things no other case had done at the time - like cable routing with grommets, built in triple 120mm radiator support, push button side panel release - all of which have been copied afterwards, to varying degrees of success.

If we ever decide to do a next-gen Super Tower (900D? 1000D?) then it'll be more of the same - high quality materials, great ease of use, tons of watercooling options, and better aircooling options.

I won't sacrifice these features for cosmetics. I think you can have both.

Good discussion, by the way. I appreciate the feedback.

I purchased two 800Ds for the reasons you stated. It changed the game.
All black exterior/interior and I/O cables, rubber grommets and matte powdercoated interior.
Never done before.

I was ready to buy the 650D, until I saw the design changes.
Semi Gloss interior, raised rectangular window, handles on doors and large 200mm fans.
Done repeatedly by Cooler Master and Antec.

I'm not looking for another super tower case from Corsair or improvements over the competition.
I want Corsair to take the same risk they did on the 800D. Build something unique.

I've only been in PC gaming for 3 years now. But I've owned over 20 cases during that time.

My favorites are:
1. Silverstone FT02
2. Corsair 800D
3. Lian Li V354
4. Lian Li Z70B
5. Lian Li V1020R

Two of the greatest cases of all-time, the TJ07 and 800D, are primarily watercooling cases that can become aircooled with "extra" fans. High-end cases are one trick ponies because often they run into form issues. Lian Li designs their cases with flat panels that can be modded by the user for watercooling, which helps maintain the form of their designs. The TJ11 for example is a rare case that excels at air and water cooled options. But, the form leaves something to be desired. Air vents in the panels ruined the sleek form of the TJ series, similar to the handles and window on the 650D.

If I chose a case I would like Cosair to add their touch to, the NZXT Switch 810 would be an excellent starting point.
They copied the grommets from Corsair, but their balance between water and air is the best I've seen yet. Sub $180 at that.
 
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Good discussion, by the way. I appreciate the feedback.

Here is some more feedback:

I recently bought the 650D. After quite a bit of shopping around, I more or less settled on either the 650D or 550D.

One of the reasons I went with the 650D was the "hot swap" bay for easily mounting a drive pulled from another computer. If I could have found an acceptable 5.25 inch bay solution that allowed for easily mounting both 3.5 and and 2.5 sizes that would have negated that benefit, but all the solutions I saw supported only a single drive size, or otherwise had misfeatures like a set of front panel audio ports. I have absolutely no use for 2 sets of front panel audio ports!

I was also willing to consider the 550D for its silent running capabilities. If however I later decided that I wanted to use the case in high-airflow mode, the case would no longer look nearly as nice, and I'd need to figure out where to store the removable panels.

In the end I went with the 650D. Overall the case is very nice, but a few things bothered me.

The routing area would be much improved if it were even a quarter of an inch deeper. I've seen several people ask for an extra inch, but that would basically require making the case larger. A quarter inch could probably have been borrowed from the other side without causing any space issues.

This next one is something I've never seen mentioned before, but the front/top panel wiring bugs me. There are basically just too many cables, especially since 3 of the front panel cables have outer insulation which make them stiffer and harder to route. There is no place to route then to the back without either using the long non-grommeted hole which makes them visible, or modding the case. The hot swap bay's SATA power connector basically requires that it be connected via an end connector on a PSU cable, because using a middle connector makes it too thick to stay in the cable routing area.

I also would have appreciated some form of tie-down points on the 3.5 drive bay area, and along the edge channels of the case. My cable management area is a royal mess, and that would have helped it a fair bit.

And of course, the most famous bit of feedback for this case: it would be nice if the front USB 3.0 ports used the header rather than a pass-through. (I used an internal adapter, so it does not bother me much, but it would have helped with cable management.
 
There is a reason why Apple with all of their market research continues to ship fully aluminum chassis for their MacBook Pro, Air, iMac, and Mac Pro line

And that reason is..... Their customers (myself included) are willing to pay 2.2k for a fully loaded 15" notebook.

Though, I might add... Had an 800D, sold it due to weight :p. My PC-a04 is much, much lighter now :D.
 
I bought the 650D case the first week it hit Newegg and I've been very happy with the case. First off, I really like the design of the case, imho I actually find it more aesthetically pleasing than the Silverstone FT02 (which is still an amazing product) and I was happy it did NOT have a door like many of Lian Li's cases. I also really like the geometric, right angled "boxy" edges. I hope Corsair NEVER changes this as it gives the Obsidian a very sleek and minimalistic look which imho is unrivaled outside of Lian Li. I almost did buy a Lian Li case, but I had heard that many of their new cases use very thin aluminum and feel quite "flimsy".

My only real complaints with the 650D is I do feel the build quality is not quite up to par with the 800D. I'm not terribly wild about the handles on the side panels, I think the 800D has a nicer design. I also agree with one of the above posters that the case NEEDS an extra quarter of an inch in the cable routing area.

The Mac Pro case is easily my case of choice but it isn't ATX, behind Apple my top 3 are Corsair, Lian Li, and Silverstone. :)
 
As a high end PC builder I would just like to say I will always take function over form in my cases (hence why I decided to build my own ;) ) However as someone who has owned a TON of big cases the 800D is one of my all time favs for how a case should look, feel and function. Keep up the great work Redbeard and when the 1000D comes out I will be there to give it a shot.
 
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