Corsair Obsidian 350D Case Review
by Dustin Sklavos on April 25, 2013 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Corsair
- MicroATX
Testing Methodology
For testing Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX cases, we use the following standardized testbed in a stock configuration as well as with add-on graphics cards to get a feel for how well the case handles heat and noise. As we've retired our Micro-ATX board from the testbed, Micro-ATX enclosures will be using the Mini-ITX testbed.
| Mini-ITX Test Configuration | |
| CPU |
Intel Core i3-2120 (65W TDP) |
| Motherboard | Zotac Z68ITX-A-E |
| Graphics Card |
Intel HD 2000 IGP Zotac GeForce GTS 450 Eco ASUS GeForce GTX 560 Ti DCII TOP |
| Memory | 2x2GB Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer DDR3-1600 |
| Drives | Kingston SSDNow V+ 100 64GB SSD |
| CPU Cooler | SilverStone NT07-1156 with Cooler Master ThermalFusion 400 |
| Power Supply | SilverStone Strider Plus 1000W 80 Plus Silver |
Each case is tested with just the Core i3's integrated graphics as well as with a discrete graphics card. The system is powered on and left idle for fifteen minutes, the thermal and acoustic results recorded, and then stressed by running four threads in Prime95 (in-place large FFTs) on the CPU, and OC Scanner (maximum load) is run when the dedicated GPU is installed. At the end of fiteen minutes, thermal and acoustic results are recorded. If the enclosure has a fan controller, these tests are repeated for each setting. Ambient temperature is also measured after the fifteen idle minutes but before the stress test and used to calculate the final reported results.
We try to maintain an ambient testing temperature of between 22C and 24C. Non-thermal test results aren't going to be directly comparable to the finest decimal point, but should be roughly comparable and give a broader idea of how the enclosure performs.
Thank You!
Before moving on, we'd like to thank the following vendors for providing us with the hardware used in our testbed.
- Thank you to Puget Systems for providing us with the Intel Core i3-2120.
- Thank you to Zotac for providing us with the Z68ITX-A-E motherboard and GeForce GTS 450 Eco.
- Thank you to Crucial for providing us with the Ballistix Smart Tracer memory.
- Thank you to Kingston for providing us with the SSDNow V+ 100 SSD.
- And thank you to SilverStone for providing us with the power supply and NT07-1156 heatsink/fan combo.
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HisDivineOrder - Friday, April 26, 2013 - link
What you are looking for is called a NUC. Intel makes them. Gigabyte makes them. Soon, I suspect all the OEM's will make them. I imagine Corsair or Lian-Li will make a case for one and then the whole thing will explode into a new form factor.lmcd - Friday, April 26, 2013 - link
Lian-Li already seems to, I think. A couple itx cases of theirs designed for specific mobos n'stuff.just4U - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
lol..I was just on the fractal design mini review looking for the name of this case so I could look at leaked photos. As I was browsing down the photo list I caught the anand header with a R.. Was like wait a min.. there's no reveiew up yet. Than refreshed anand and sure enough.. :D
This case is what I want and if you throw in a HX or AX Corsair PSU cable management is going to look so damn good.. (rubbing hands together in glee!)
rwei - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
Nice bowl!rhx123 - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
Do they have an option for a blank side panel? I'm not a fan of windows really.Rolphus - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
Yup, as per the first page of the article - the non-windowed version is even $10 cheaper.rhx123 - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
Bah - didn't see that in the specs table - thanks.thebeastie - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
My ultimate case would only have ONE 5.25 slot, rest 3.5 bays/2.5 bays to lower total height.And stuff extra long depth as long as it fits a standard single GPU length card. Would be quite a nice small case, considering NOTHiNG like that exists I bet it would sell well.
randomlinh - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
This. It could possibly be done if you move the power supply to the front, and flip the motherboard. But thermal issues might come into play. It would certainly be interesting to see. Alternatively, can we see some new tech in the power supply market to shrink the standard?plcn - Thursday, April 25, 2013 - link
have you seen the silverstone sugo? might be right up your alley. not as affordable as this and the fractal mini, but definitely shorter with full length GPU compatibility.i own the fractal mini and definitely agree it wasn't entirely builder friendly, but the improved looks (i dont like seeing drive bays - who still uses those anyway?) and slightly less noise made it worth it for me. if i had to build a bunch of these though, looks like this corsair is a great way to go!