Corsair Obsidian 550d?

grambo said:
All the fans are plugged into headers on my motherboard in the following config:

2x CPU heatsink fan (3-pin) -> 3-pin Y-splitter -> MB header 1
Front two intakes (3-pin) -> 3-pin Y-splitter -> MB header 2
Bottom intake (PWM) -> MB header 3
Rear exhaust (3-pin) -> MB header 4

Then I use the Asus Ai Suite Fan Xpert 2 module to set a fan curve graph for each fan (bound to CPU temperature) which ramps up the fans quickly as temps rise, and then lets them slowly spin down after (to prevent rapid spin up/down which sounds annoying). The Fan Xpert 2 software is one of the main reasons I paid more for the P8Z77-V Pro instead of the Gigabyte UD5H or ASRock offerings.

I was letting all the fans full turn off when CPU temp is under 35C, but noticed the CPU and motherboard temperatures were slowly building up over time and wasn't comfortable with that. I now have the fans spin down to their minimums which is pretty much silent. The only slightly annoying thing is the stock 550D case fans only seem to provide a 1000rpm minimum according to Fan Xpert 2, while my CPU and PWM fan can go down to around 400rpm which is truly silent. Might replace the stock 550D fans at some point if I get keen.
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Thank you for sharing your setup.
I didn't know that Asus mobo has better fan software. It sound much better than my ASRock.
Just to let you know, the stock fan from 550d can go lower than just 1000rpm.
At least according to my ASRock's Extreme Tuning Utility. When I set the fan to target level 1, the fans are spinning on around upper 300 rpm, closer to 400 rpm.
 
What fans comes with the Corsair 550D? and one more thing what is the diffrense between Corsair AF120 Quiet Edition and Corsair SP120 Quiet Edition?
 
denkan said:
What fans comes with the Corsair 550D? and one more thing what is the diffrense between Corsair AF120 Quiet Edition and Corsair SP120 Quiet Edition?
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Per Corsair product representative:

550D 120mm fan: 1100 RPM, 37.93 CFM, 21 dBA, 0.8 mmH2O

To learn about the differences about the 2 types of Corsair Air Series fans go to this page and start reading below the image of the fan with the blue ring:

http://www.corsair.com/us/blog/introducing-corsair-air-series-fans

To sum up the basics - use the AF (Air Flow) edition as a case fan especially when there isn't much airflow restriction. Use the SP (Static Pressure) edition for radiators, heatsinks, and as a case fan if the airflow is restricted.
 
I'm looking into buying this case to replace my P182. Can anyone tell me if the top 5 1/2 inch bays can accept 3.5" hard drives or can the case hold 6 hard drives max?
 
Hi everybody, could you please tell me if a 120mm fan fits here:


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I'm gonna watercool this baby, and that's the last thing I need to know :D

(Yeah, that's my case, but I'm in Europe right know.)



Sorry, no translation here.
 
FUCK YEAH.

Wait for the pics, I'll be back :D (not before September tough...)

Thanks :.:.:
 
Can anyone show me a mAtx board that is placed inside the 550d? I just want to see how big will it look like and imagination just wont do well for me. :D
 
Can anyone show me a mAtx board that is placed inside the 550d? I just want to see how big will it look like and imagination just wont do well for me.
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Oh my mFíng Gawd, WHY?



Well, whatever - here:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5708/corsair-obsidian-550d-starting-to-specialize/3


In case you're wondering about my exasperation, we were just ripping on reviewers dropping Mini-ATX mobos in ATX cases the other day.

What is the point of testing them that way? Typically, ATX case buyers use ATX mobos. They want to see cable routing examples, CPU and GPU clearance distances, etc.

There's nothing wrong with installing a Mini-ATX mobo in an ATX case - just don't use it as the example to show everyone this new product and how it works. It's not the default configuration - it is the alternate.

One explanation given was that they couldn't afford multiple test rigs but I have a hard time believing that they can't score an ATX board for free from a vendor - hell, even a used one.

BTW - the site I linked to isn't the only one guilty of this bizarre behavior...
 
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So what's the consensus on rattling noise from the side panels? Nothing to worry about? Or something to worry about down the line?
 
Everything is fine here, but yeah, you can push and pull the side panel even when closed. Not a big problem though.
 
stratosrally said:
Oh my mFíng Gawd, WHY?



Well, whatever - here:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5708/corsair-obsidian-550d-starting-to-specialize/3


In case you're wondering about my exasperation, we were just ripping on reviewers dropping Mini-ATX mobos in ATX cases the other day.

What is the point of testing them that way? Typically, ATX case buyers use ATX mobos. They want to see cable routing examples, CPU and GPU clearance distances, etc.

There's nothing wrong with installing a Mini-ATX mobo in an ATX case - just don't use it as the example to show everyone this new product and how it works. It's not the default configuration - it is the alternate.

One explanation given was that they couldn't afford multiple test rigs but I have a hard time believing that they can't score an ATX board for free from a vendor - hell, even a used one.

BTW - the site I linked to isn't the only one guilty of this bizarre behavior...
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I see, looks ugly.. I'll go for a full atx then. Thanks! Any news if there will be a new corsair case?
 
bloodyredd said:
I see, looks ugly.. I'll go for a full atx then. Thanks! Any news if there will be a new corsair case?
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AFAIK, Corsair never announces a product before a press release, nor do they comment on rumors / speculation...

Or at least that's what I read on their foums all the time!
 
Howie said:
So what's the consensus on rattling noise from the side panels? Nothing to worry about? Or something to worry about down the line?
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I returned my first case as one of the panels rattled a lot (I have a post in this thread with a YouTube video, was posted in March or April I think), I never assembled a system in it.

Replacement has 1 totally solid panel and 1 that I could rattle very slightly when the case was bare (behind the MB), but with my system built and cables tucked behind the mobo tray, it no longer rattles at all.
 
Hi guys,
After months of having my 550D chilling in the cupboard I finally went ahead and built my PC (first ever PC build too :p). Overall I'm quite happy with it except that it isn't as quiet as I expected (mainly the fans I think). Would you guys be able to suggest some good quiet fans for this case?
 
Noctua fans are usually recommended if you want high quality and low noise fans. But I would like to recommend Be quiet fans specifically silent wings 2. Its on par with noctua and vritually performs the same. I'm leaning towards be quiet due to its color. You may google noctua and be quiet for more info.
 
BigDirtyNoob said:
Hi guys,
After months of having my 550D chilling in the cupboard I finally went ahead and built my PC (first ever PC build too :p). Overall I'm quite happy with it except that it isn't as quiet as I expected (mainly the fans I think). Would you guys be able to suggest some good quiet fans for this case?
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The Noctuas are an option, also commonly recommended are Cougar Vortex (cheaper) and Corsair have new PWM fans out as well that have had pretty good reviews.

What motherboard are you running? One option (that I use) is to use the motherboard fan headers to control all your fans, and ramp them down (or even shut them off) when the system is idle/cool to reduce noise. I can barely hear my PSU (mostly GPU fans) at idle, it only ramps up during load (typically gaming).
 
Thanks for the responses bloodyredd and grambo! Just had a look at the Noctua's and they seem to be getting quite good reviews. I think the only off putting thing is the colour haha :p

I'm running on an ASUS P8Z77-V PRO. I just had a look at the bundled software from ASUS and there's one called Fan Xpert 2. It doesn't let me fine tune the settings of the fans all that much (it's pretty much just on or off - can't vary RPM I think because the fans are not PWM :S?).

I'll have a play around with Fan Xpert 2 and see if I can get a good profile up and running (that said, I'd still like to opt for new fans). Aside from the Noctua's, I had a look bloodyredd's suggestion (the Silent Wings) and unfortunately they're not available here in Australia. I was able to find the Cougar fans and Corsair's new fan series though.
 
Anyway I suggest that you wait! Surprisingly, noctua has a new range of fans and improvements that will be released by october or november.
 
Just had a play around with Fan Xpert 2 and basically I have now set it up to turn the fans on after 35C. Seeing as my comp usually stays below the 30C mark, they're pretty much always off :p

Thanks for the tip bloodredd, I'll be looking forward to seeing how those fans are received :)
 
BigDirtyNoob said:
Just had a play around with Fan Xpert 2 and basically I have now set it up to turn the fans on after 35C. Seeing as my comp usually stays below the 30C mark, they're pretty much always off :p

Thanks for the tip bloodredd, I'll be looking forward to seeing how those fans are received :)
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Looks like you've figured it out, but yep you can use Fan Xpert to turn the fans on/off at certain temps, and also control the ramp up/down speed (I like to have a long down-ramp so they aren't constantly spinning up/down around the threshold temps). With the fan curve graphs, you have quite a lot of flexibility :). I decided not to bother with replacing the stock fans, I get adequate cooling at load and it's silent at idle thanks to Fan Xpert 2.
 
Still unavailable in Croatia. Argh. On the upside, other hardware I have to buy is only going to get cheaper while I wait...
 
I'm pretty bummed over this case. I bought a fractal R3 for my server and other than it weighs a ton it's been great. I bought this 550D for my gaming rig and while the case is pretty fantastic in every respect. The noise dampening could be better, but its OK. It fails miserably at cooling though. My GPUs overheat and crash every time.
3570k, z77 Extreme4 & xfire R6970 Lightnings.
I didn't think I was being unrealistic (maybe too optimistic?) when I bought this hoping to shut up these screaming cards during game play. No only does it not really help much to quiet things down, but it now starves them for cool air. I opened the covers no change other than its a bit louder. I added a 140mm fan to the side panel, it doesn't really help. It takes a few minutes longer to overheat now, but not really a solution.
So now I'm faced with adding more fans to this case and it's no quieter than the V1000 I had before.

My options at this point are...
* Add more fans open all covers and suck it up buttercup
* Swap this case and my fractal and hope the fractal can handle the task
* Fire Sale this POS and go back to the V1000
* Solicit [H] for some advise on how to improve air flow

Current fan config is
2x 120 stock @ front intake
1x 120 stock on the floor intake
2x 120 @ rear for H50 exhaust
2x 140 @ door intake

Is this a salvageable situation?

*Update* I added 2x 140mm intakes to the side panel and 2x 120mm exhausts on the top it plays but temps still creep up over 90*c
 
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I'm guessing your system as a whole is pretty toasty too since those Lightning cards don't look like they really force hot air out the back? Either way I'd dump the 550D if I were in your position. My 680's get toasty but not enough to crash them.

Last ditch efforts would include rigging a 120 on the HDD bay to really push air across and in between your cards and/or experimenting with removing the front door and panel to increase airflow. This basically defeats the purpose of keeping the system quiet, so like I said - I'd personally look for another case.

Edit: Thought of mentioning fan profiles for your cards, but again - defeats the purpose of getting a silent case.
 
Yep, not a great case if you are running SLI/CF on two internal exhausting cards (especially max OC versions like Lightnings). SLI 670/680 could work because of the lower power usage/heat output, but no way on something like 6970's or 480's.
 
So the 550d is not that good? I was hoping it would be a good quiet case. Do you guys know any other quiet cases that is on par with the 550d?
 
It's great, just not so much for dual video cards or more - especially if they aren't rear exhaust.

It trades off a bit of cooling for better noise-cancellation characteristics.

What GPU(s) will you be using? How many?
 
bloodyredd said:
So the 550d is not that good? I was hoping it would be a good quiet case. Do you guys know any other quiet cases that is on par with the 550d?
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It is an excellent case for it's stated purpose: quiet computing with powerful parts. With the stock fans, it's not realistic to expect to run 2+ power hungry, hot, internal exhausting video cards.

Any current generation parts (NV 6xx, AMD 7xxxx) are fine, even in 2 card SLI (external exhausting cards) in this case, especially if you use a lower power CPU like Ivy Bridge. Pretty sure I've seen pics of people running SLI 680s with the side/top panels still on, just with upgraded intake/exhaust fans.
 
Yeah its a great case. Just not for these particular cards. I ran it with a single card in there just to test it out and while I still couldn't have all of the panels closed up I only needed a single 140mm fan exhaust on the side. If I run it on a 1080 monitor it was fine all closed up. This PLP setup needs both cards for a decent frame rate.
I was skeptical but tried it anyway. I think I was realistic in expecting it to handle the heat from the cards based on all the reviews and from owners out there. Corsair touts the airflow and cooling aspects of it, as well. Just thought I would put it out there in case someone with a hot rodded non h20 setup wants to use this case. Don't. For an average gaming system its a solid case.
I ended up picking up a fractal midi on the cheap. But it was tough to not use the 550D as my server case.
 
You will have to wait a bit, I messed up with my order, forgot to add the Tygon...

I hope I will receive all the rads, fans and res tomorrow though.

Watch this space :)
 
Yeah, I can't wait for the 30 centimeters of Tygon missing :D

I know the build is quite ugly, but watercooling is fucking expensive. I could not afford to spend my bucks on a beautiful motherboard, High End fittings and all that crap.

I will give you the temps as soon as I can boot.

Feel free to ask any questions also, if you are going for custom too :)

And sorry for grammar.
 
cdtf said:
Yeah, I can't wait for the 30 centimeters of Tygon missing :D

I know the build is quite ugly, but watercooling is fucking expensive. I could not afford to spend my bucks on a beautiful motherboard, High End fittings and all that crap.

I will give you the temps as soon as I can boot.

Feel free to ask any questions also, if you are going for custom too :)

And sorry for grammar.
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I've seen much worse as far as uglyness goes for watercooling setups. and considering the limited amount of space you have in the case for water cooling you did a good job if keeping things tidy. The only fault I can really find is the picture quality is really kinda crappy :p
 
Blame HTC.

And my skills.

But HTC more :D

Well. About the build, someone on another website told me the radiator in the top left is useless if taking its air from the inside of the case. Cause the air, already high on temperature will not refresh the water. SO.

18AHEl.jpg

HLySWl.jpg

68l8Kl.jpg


Goodbye, sweet dream of a fully closed case....
 
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