[nextpage title=”Introduction”]
The 550D is the latest mid-tower case within Corsair’s Obsidian series, with an aluminum front door, eight expansion slots, noise dampening foams, and several other interesting features. Let’s check it out.
Figure 1: Corsair Obsidian 550D case
Figure 2: Corsair Obsidian 550D case
Both the left and top panels of the Corsair Obsidian 550D have a lid that covers the mesh available for optional fans. These lids are easily removed by simply pushing them. This lid has a noise dampening foam, and the mesh features a magnetic air filter. The left panel supports the installation of two 120 mm or 140 mm fans or one 200 mm fan. The case comes with rubber rings for the installation of these fans, in order to absorb vibration and, thus, reduce the noise level produced by them.
Figure 3: Left panel
[nextpage title=”The Front Panel”]
The Corsair Obsidian 550D comes with an aluminum front door. Front doors can be troublesome, depending on how they are implemented. For example, some manufacturers put the case on/off button and the USB ports behind the door, which is very annoying, as you need to open the door whenever you want to turn on your computer or install a USB device. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen with the Corsair Obsidian 550D. Another common problem with doors is the direction they open, which may not match the location where the case is installed on your workplace. For example, if your case is installed against a wall or a desk to its right, you want the door to be opened from the left side of the case, not from the right. Most cases that come with a door don’t allow you to change the direction the door is opened. Another highlight of the 550D is that its door can be opened either from the left or from the right, without any additional configuration, and you can also simply remove the door if you don’t like it, by pulling it off the case. The door comes with a dampening foam sheet on its inner side.
Figure 4: Front door
The front panel of the case has four external 5.25” bays.
Figure 5: Front panel
The case comes with two 120 mm fans on its front panel. They are protected with a lid that has a dampening foam sheet on it, just like the lids located on the left and top panels, and they also have a magnetic air filter. The fans pull air from the sides and bottom part of their compartment, as the front lid is solid. These fans use standard three-pin fan power connectors, but no technical specifications for these fans are provided.
Figure 6: Front fans
The case comes with two USB 3.0 ports and the traditional audio jacks on the top part of the front panel. As already mentioned, the door doesn’t cover them. The USB 3.0 ports use an internal USB 3.0 connector, and the case comes with an adapter for you to install them on a USB 2.0 header on the motherboard in case your motherboard doesn’t have a USB 3.0 header.
Figure 7: Buttons and connectors
[nextpage title=”The Top, Bottom, and Rear Panels”]
The top panel comes with a lid similar to the one used on the left and front panels, which you can push to open the meshes for the optional fans. This lid also comes with a dampening foam. You can install two 120 mm or 140 mm fans on the top panel, and it comes with a magnetic air filter. The case comes with rubber rings for the installation of these fans, in order to absorb vibration and, thus, reduce the noise level produced by them. You can also install a 240 mm radiator for liquid cooling solutions on the top panel of this case.
Figure 8: Top panel
Figure 9: Top panel
The bottom panel has an air filter for the power supply fan and for the optional bottom fan. This filter is removed from the rear panel.
Figure 10: Bottom panel
The rear panel and the interior of the Corsair Obsidian 550D are painted black.
On the Corsair Obsidian 550D, the power supply is installed at the bottom of the case.
The case comes with a 120 mm fan installed on its rear panel, with a standard three-pin fan power connector. Again, the manufacturer doesn’t publish technical specifications for this fan. You can replace this fan with a 140 mm model or install a 120 mm or 140 mm fan/radiator from a maintenance-free liquid cooling solution.
This case has eight expansion slots with vented covers.
There are four holes for hoses of liquid cooling solutions, protected with rubber covers. These holes measure 0.8” (21 mm) in diameter.
Figure 11: Rear panel
Let’s now take a look inside the Corsair Obsidian 550D.
[nextpage title=”Inside the Corsair Obsidian 550D”]
Both panels are attached to the chassis using tool-less mechanisms. To release them, you need to push a button located on the rear panel.
Figure 12: Button for releasing the left-side panel
The side panels have a dampening foam installed on them.
Figure 13: Noise dampening foam on the side panel
The motherboard tray has a huge hole for you to access the backplate of the CPU coolers without having to remove the motherboard from the case, several holes protected with rubber covers for you to route cables behind it, and several clips for you to fasten cables using cable ties.
Figure 14: Overall look
Figure 15: A view behind the motherboard tray
[nextpage title=”Inside the Corsair Obsidian 550D (Cont’d)”]
In Figure 16, we get another overall look inside the case. As already mentioned, it supports the installation of 240 mm radiators for liquid cooling solutions on its top panel. Expansion cards are fastened using black thumbscrews. The Corsair Obsidian 550D supports video cards up to 12.2” (310 mm) long on its default configuration, but if you remove the top hard drive cage, this clearance is increased to 17.8” (452 mm).
Figure 16: Overall look
You can install two 120 mm fans on the disk drive cages to cool down the interior of the computer.
Figure 17: Place for installing two optional 120 mm fans
The power supply is installed at the bottom of the case. It can be installed with either its bottom fan facing up or facing down, so you can decide if you want the fan of your power supply pulling air from inside the case or from outside of it. As you can see in Figure 18, the case comes with a rubber frame that stays between the power supply and the rear panel in order to reduce noise.
There is space for installing an optional 120 mm or 140 mm fan on the bottom panel. If a 140 mm fan is installed, you can only install power supplies that are up to 6.3” (160 mm) deep. With a 120 mm fan installed, you are able to install a power supply up to 7.1” (180 mm) deep. If you have a power supply deeper than that, you won’t be able to install a fan on the bottom panel.
As already discussed, the case comes with an air filter for the power supply fan and the optional bottom fan.
Figure 18: Power supply compartment
[nextpage title=”The Disk Drive Bays”]
The Corsair Obsidian 550D has four external 5.25” bays and six internal 3.5”/2.5” bays in two cages, featuring tool-less installation mechanisms, except for 2.5” devices that must be installed using regular screws.
Figure 19: Disk drive bays
The two disk drive cages are removable. The top one can be removed if you want to install longer video cards, as previously discussed. The bottom cage can be removed if you want to install components for a liquid cooling solution. The case comes with four thumbscrews on its bottom panel for this installation.
Figure 20: Case with the top cage removed
Figure 21: Case with both cages removed
Figure 22: One of the cages
Each 3.5”/2.5” bay is actually a small drawer. See Figure 23. The pegs that hold 3.5” hard drives in place have rubber rings to absorb vibration and, thus, reduce noise.
Figure 23: One of the 3.5”/2.5” bays
[nextpage title=”Main Specifications”]
The main specifications for the Corsair Obsidian 550D include:
- Style: Mid-tower
- Application: ATX, and smaller form factors
- Material: Zinc-coated steel (SECC) body with aluminum door
- Power supply: Doesn’t come with the product
- Available colors: Black
- Side panel: Solid with plastic lid covering a ventilation mesh
- Dimensions: 19.5 x 8.7 x 20.9 inches (480 x 221 x 531 mm) (H x W x D)
- Net weight: 21 lbs (9.6 kg)
- Gross weight: 25.5 lbs (11.4 kg)
- Bays: Four external 5.25” bays and six internal 3.5”/2.5” bays in two removable cages
- Expansion slots: Eight
- Maximum video card length: 12.2” (310 mm) or 17.8” (452 mm), if the top drive cage is removed
- Maximum CPU cooler height: NA
- Fans: Two 120 mm fans on the front panel and one 120 mm fan on the rear panel
- Optional fans: Two 120 mm or 140 mm fans or one 200 mm fan on the left panel, two 120 mm or 140 mm fans on the top panel, one 120 mm or 140 mm fan on the bottom panel, and two 120 mm fans on the disk drive cages
- Extra Features: Noise dampening foam
- More Information: https://www.corsair.com
- Average Price in the U.S.*: USD 140.00
* Researched at Newegg.com on the day we
published this review.[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]
The Corsair Obsidian 550D provides the best of both worlds. In its default configuration, it is a case targeted to silence, with only three fans and several features to reduce noise. However, if you want to improve cooling performance, you can, as this case supports up to 10 fans. We simply couldn’t find any flaw with this case, and we think the price is right for the number of features it brings. The Obsidian 550D will please users paranoid about noise as well as users looking for a case full of features to build a high-end system.
Strong Points
- Door opens either to the left or to the right without any additional configuration or you can simply remove it
- Meshes for optional top and left fans come closed with plastic lid and dampening foam
- Air filters for the top, left, front, bottom, and power supply fans
- Comes with three fans, supports up to 10 fans
- Anti-vibration rubber rings for the fans
- Eight expansion slots
- Vented slot covers
- Support for 240 mm radiators on the top panel
- Supports video cards up to 12.2” (310 mm) long in its default configuration or up to 17.8” (452 mm) long if the top drive cage is removed
- Thumbscrews for fastening expansion cards
- Anti-vibration mechanisms for the hard drives
- A huge hole in the motherboard tray for accessing the backplate of the CPU cooler
- Holes protected with rubber covers for routing cables behind the motherboard tray
- Clips for fastening cables using cable ties
Weak Points
- None
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