**Corsair Obsidian 550D Case Review**

The Corsair Obsidian 550D is a new addition to the company's range of enclosures, designed to provide enthusiasts with a powerful and quiet build. The case boasts an excellent build quality, featuring a sleek and sturdy design that is reminiscent of previous Corsair models.

**Design and Build Quality**

One of the standout features of the Obsidian 550D is its exterior design. The case has a redesigned panel layout that prioritizes sound dampening over airflow. This results in a chassis that is remarkably quiet, with a focus on minimizing noise pollution. The exterior panel also features a thick layer of noise-absorbing foam, which helps to muffle any external sounds. The build quality of the case is exceptional, with a sturdy and durable construction that will withstand even the most demanding builds.

**Cable Management**

The Obsidian 550D features excellent cable management options, making it easy for enthusiasts to keep their setup tidy and organized. The top panel has a cover for the fans, which helps to minimize dust intake. Additionally, there is a magnetic dust filter on the front of the case that makes cleaning easy. However, removing the side panels can cause some clearance issues with the USB ports.

**Optical Drives and Hard Drive Cages**

The four optical drives in the Obsidian 550D use a toolless mounting mechanism, making installation quick and easy. The two hard drive cages are also removable, with only a couple of thumb screws required to secure them in place. This makes it simple for enthusiasts to add or remove storage as needed.

**Fan Mounts and Cooling Options**

The case features four fans that can be installed in the rear of the case, providing excellent airflow options. However, installing these fans requires removing the side panel, which defeats the purpose of the sound dampening design. Additionally, the top fan installation is a must, which limits the full potential of the cooling system.

**Power Supply and IO Slots**

The Obsidian 550D features an elevated power supply with a dual slot dust filter, keeping the interior clean and free from dust. There are also eight PCI expansion slots available for enthusiasts who want to add additional components to their build.

**Internal Layout**

The internal layout of the case is similar to previous Corsair models, with no significant changes in terms of motherboard tray size or cable management options. However, the slightly higher top panel does provide more room for installation of standard radiators and fans without interfering with the motherboard.

**Overall Performance and Conclusion**

In conclusion, the Corsair Obsidian 550D is a solid addition to the company's range of enclosures. The sound dampening design is effective in keeping noise levels down, but it also limits airflow options. Enthusiasts who want both silent operation and good cooling will find this case somewhat restrictive. However, for those looking for a powerful and quiet build with excellent cable management options, the Obsidian 550D is certainly worth considering.

**Pros and Cons**

* Excellent build quality

* Sound dampening design prioritizes noise reduction over airflow

* Cable management options are excellent

* Four optical drives use toolless mounting mechanism

* Two hard drive cages are removable

* Eight PCI expansion slots available

* Limited airflow options due to sound dampening design

* Installing fans requires removing side panel

* Top fan installation is a must, limiting cooling potential

**Recommendation**

The Corsair Obsidian 550D is recommended for enthusiasts who want a powerful and quiet build. However, users may need to compromise on airflow options in order to achieve optimal silent performance. The case's sound dampening design makes it an excellent choice for those looking to minimize noise levels, but its limitations on airflow will require some creative problem-solving.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enCorsair has been fairly active within the enclosure market with the release of new series Target towards a specific Niche with the obsidian series sort of losing the flagship status to the more affordable carbide and graphite Series so we take a look today at the most recent addition to the obsidian series The 550d corsair's approach towards a new chassi is not to redesign something that works but rather incorporate something they have been missing on all of their previous cases and that is sound isolation and noise reduction the two features that are the highlights of this product the chassis is priced at $150 and when compared to cases offering similar features the pricing is actually pretty competitive and being one of the obsidians you are to expect the premium quality on the exterior the case is fairly simple it is constructed out of rugged steel and a plastic accent for the top panel the front panel is made of aluminum definitely adds the elegant factor to the enclosure and on the inside noise dampening foam is placed and so depending on the location of the case the panel can be switched to open in either direction at 180° a really smart way to utilize the front panel without compromising its usability and since the panel is attached with plastic Clips which may wear out with use corer includes four additional Clips in case you need to replace them and starting with the front panel connectors we have a really sturdy power button and the recent button audio ports that match the color theme for the front panel the USB 3 ports with the USB 2 adapter and keep in mind if you have anything plugged into those USB ports opening the panel to the left may cause some clearance issues and the same goes for the audio ports next up the case has four Optical drives below which the front intake fans are located behind this removable cover with an extra layer of noise absorbent and check this out a magnetic dust filter that's an absolute breze to remove for cleaning notice also there is some ventilation around the front panel to allow for the air flow taking a look at the side panel corser gives the users two options either to keep the cover on for silence or optimize the air flow with the extra fans and a nice little touch by Corsair are these AIC gromets for the fan mounts to minimize vibration and finally a dust filter for the side panel that conveniently removes with ease at the back we have two buttons to remove the side panels a regular exhaust fan and IO slot eight PCI expansion slots and some water gling holes and a bottom mount of power supply with a dual slot dust filter the case is elevated by these rubber feet which would also contribute to minimizing the overall noise the top panel also has a cover for the fans including the noise absorbing material and another magnetic dust filter so you see the 550d is fully dust proof with hassle free cleaning options so getting inside the case is super easy just push the button and pull off the side panel and as with all the covers we've seen so far a thick layer of noise dampening foam is attached to both side panels now looking at the actual internals not much has changed in the layout resembles that of the first carbide series cases the only difference we can notice is the slightly higher top panel which would allow a standard radiator and one set of fans to be installed without interfering with your motherboard the four Optical drives use a toolless mounting mechanism and the two hard drive cages are removable no need to take out the toolbox just a couple of thumb screws and you're good to go removal of the top hard drive cage allows for installation of longer V cards and just get better clearance for the front intake but the hard drive cage can also be mounted solo on the top which would leave room in the bottom for a potential water cooling configuration the tooless mounting bracket are extremely easy to work with and have SSD support that can now be placed in the middle of the bracket without any clearance issues in each of the cages came Mount 120 mm fan and Corsair provides the appropriate screws to do so and moving on the CPU cutout is fairly large should accommodate most motherboards with quality rubber grommets around the motherboard tray to do all your cable management with black front panel connectors that makes you jump even easier in total of 10 fans can be installed for an optimal a flow but the side and top covers must be removed for the air to move otherwise they will choke the fans it would be nice to see a chassis that can fully optimize its cooling potential without compromising on the selling point of this case at the back there's a fair bit of room to work with for your cable management however since the side panel is flat most of your cables will be concentrated behind the hard drive cage and not behind the motherboard and after everything's in place the 550d is no surprise it Breeze to work with and cleans up all the cables without any hiccups and with the hard drive cage removed graphics cards in length of 17.8 in are supported but is really meant to direct the airflow towards the main components as high in graphics cars today don't really exceed the 12 in Mark so to conclude the obsidan 550d is really just a new facelift it doesn't bring anything new to the table from the inside just corser as usual standard with excellent build quality it is the obsidian after all Cable Management internal Hardware options and full dust cover all extremely well designed to work with enthusiasts and the highlight of the chassis is the redesigned exterior that has only one goal and that's sound dampening it does a really good job keeping the noise in and for enthusiasts who want the powerful but quiet build this is defin definitely an item to consider the chassis still offers plenty of airf flow options throughout but removing the noise dampening side and top panels sort of defeats the purpose and that's the major flaw with this chassis you have to choose between silence or airflow or something in the middle it's installation of fans of the top is a must and putting the cover on completely chokes the fans overall the chassis Stacks up well within the enclosure Market as it is priced competitively corsair's attempt at a silent the closure was a good try but when the user has to choose between airflow or silence it is a major drawback and limits the full potential we were expecting and that is it for this review thank you guys for watching and we'll see you next oneCorsair has been fairly active within the enclosure market with the release of new series Target towards a specific Niche with the obsidian series sort of losing the flagship status to the more affordable carbide and graphite Series so we take a look today at the most recent addition to the obsidian series The 550d corsair's approach towards a new chassi is not to redesign something that works but rather incorporate something they have been missing on all of their previous cases and that is sound isolation and noise reduction the two features that are the highlights of this product the chassis is priced at $150 and when compared to cases offering similar features the pricing is actually pretty competitive and being one of the obsidians you are to expect the premium quality on the exterior the case is fairly simple it is constructed out of rugged steel and a plastic accent for the top panel the front panel is made of aluminum definitely adds the elegant factor to the enclosure and on the inside noise dampening foam is placed and so depending on the location of the case the panel can be switched to open in either direction at 180° a really smart way to utilize the front panel without compromising its usability and since the panel is attached with plastic Clips which may wear out with use corer includes four additional Clips in case you need to replace them and starting with the front panel connectors we have a really sturdy power button and the recent button audio ports that match the color theme for the front panel the USB 3 ports with the USB 2 adapter and keep in mind if you have anything plugged into those USB ports opening the panel to the left may cause some clearance issues and the same goes for the audio ports next up the case has four Optical drives below which the front intake fans are located behind this removable cover with an extra layer of noise absorbent and check this out a magnetic dust filter that's an absolute breze to remove for cleaning notice also there is some ventilation around the front panel to allow for the air flow taking a look at the side panel corser gives the users two options either to keep the cover on for silence or optimize the air flow with the extra fans and a nice little touch by Corsair are these AIC gromets for the fan mounts to minimize vibration and finally a dust filter for the side panel that conveniently removes with ease at the back we have two buttons to remove the side panels a regular exhaust fan and IO slot eight PCI expansion slots and some water gling holes and a bottom mount of power supply with a dual slot dust filter the case is elevated by these rubber feet which would also contribute to minimizing the overall noise the top panel also has a cover for the fans including the noise absorbing material and another magnetic dust filter so you see the 550d is fully dust proof with hassle free cleaning options so getting inside the case is super easy just push the button and pull off the side panel and as with all the covers we've seen so far a thick layer of noise dampening foam is attached to both side panels now looking at the actual internals not much has changed in the layout resembles that of the first carbide series cases the only difference we can notice is the slightly higher top panel which would allow a standard radiator and one set of fans to be installed without interfering with your motherboard the four Optical drives use a toolless mounting mechanism and the two hard drive cages are removable no need to take out the toolbox just a couple of thumb screws and you're good to go removal of the top hard drive cage allows for installation of longer V cards and just get better clearance for the front intake but the hard drive cage can also be mounted solo on the top which would leave room in the bottom for a potential water cooling configuration the tooless mounting bracket are extremely easy to work with and have SSD support that can now be placed in the middle of the bracket without any clearance issues in each of the cages came Mount 120 mm fan and Corsair provides the appropriate screws to do so and moving on the CPU cutout is fairly large should accommodate most motherboards with quality rubber grommets around the motherboard tray to do all your cable management with black front panel connectors that makes you jump even easier in total of 10 fans can be installed for an optimal a flow but the side and top covers must be removed for the air to move otherwise they will choke the fans it would be nice to see a chassis that can fully optimize its cooling potential without compromising on the selling point of this case at the back there's a fair bit of room to work with for your cable management however since the side panel is flat most of your cables will be concentrated behind the hard drive cage and not behind the motherboard and after everything's in place the 550d is no surprise it Breeze to work with and cleans up all the cables without any hiccups and with the hard drive cage removed graphics cards in length of 17.8 in are supported but is really meant to direct the airflow towards the main components as high in graphics cars today don't really exceed the 12 in Mark so to conclude the obsidan 550d is really just a new facelift it doesn't bring anything new to the table from the inside just corser as usual standard with excellent build quality it is the obsidian after all Cable Management internal Hardware options and full dust cover all extremely well designed to work with enthusiasts and the highlight of the chassis is the redesigned exterior that has only one goal and that's sound dampening it does a really good job keeping the noise in and for enthusiasts who want the powerful but quiet build this is defin definitely an item to consider the chassis still offers plenty of airf flow options throughout but removing the noise dampening side and top panels sort of defeats the purpose and that's the major flaw with this chassis you have to choose between silence or airflow or something in the middle it's installation of fans of the top is a must and putting the cover on completely chokes the fans overall the chassis Stacks up well within the enclosure Market as it is priced competitively corsair's attempt at a silent the closure was a good try but when the user has to choose between airflow or silence it is a major drawback and limits the full potential we were expecting and that is it for this review thank you guys for watching and we'll see you next one\n"