Corsair Obsidian 450D Mid-Tower Chassis Review

Introduction

We’ve heard that good things come in small packages, and today Corsair look eager to put that saying to the test with the release of their latest Obsidian series chassis, the 450D. The new chassis comes in the form of a mid-tower, sitting it quite nicely around the middle of the Obsidian range, which offers up everything from the mini-ITX compatible 250D right up to one of the greatest chassis ever made, the epic 900D. With a price tag of £91.99 the 450D is obviously not cheap, but the Obsidian series isn’t known for its low value, it’s known for its premium quality and the only way the 450D stand a chance in this market is by keeping up with the high standards that Corsair have made us accustomed to.

There is a big demand these days for feature packed PC cases, they need to be flexible to build what ever kind of system you want, while also offering a few extra features that make it suitable for future expansions. Water cooling is incredibly popular these days with system builders, especially for those looking to build an overclocked gaming rig. Having a chassis that can handle tall air coolers, as well as large radiators, pumps and other high-end cooling components is essential, especially so in a chassis that costs closer to £100. This all of course needs to be match by robust build quality, as many of you are no doubt familiar with just how heavy all that water cooling can get.

As you can see from the specifications below the chassis is packed with features; it’ll handle mini-ITX, Micro-ATX and ATX motherboards, plenty of storage in its modular bays, with the option of adding yet another bay (sold separately). Then you’ve got some class leading cooling options with extensive fan and radiators support in the top, bottom, front and back, as well as plenty of room for large graphics cards.

The box is pretty standard, featuring a nice high contrast representation of the overall design, as well as a quick run down of what comes included in the box, such as the dual AF140L front intake fans, aluminium front panel, side panel window and modular hard drive bays.

Around the back you’ll find a tear down image that shows all the major fittings and components.

There wasn’t much included in the box, just a few cable ties, some screws, bolts and a quick guide, but it is everything you’ll need to get your system put together and all major components installed.