Review: Corsair Obsidian Series 450D

Conclusion

For the past couple of years, Corsair has enjoyed success in the mid-tower chassis market with award-winning enclosures such as the Graphite Series 600T and Obsidian Series 650D. Both options continue to have plenty to offer, but the £140 price tag is overshadowing the company's earlier efforts.

Right now, it's the £90-£100 price bracket that manufacturers are targeting, with chassis such as the Fractal Design Define R4 and NZXT H440 leading the charge. This is an area of the market that Corsair needs to address, and after a lukewarm reception to the Vengeance C60, the firm is bolstering its portfolio with the performance-focussed Obsidian Series 450D.

Doing away with many of the extras available to the older 650D - including quick-release side panels, integrated fan control and an external hot-swap SATA bay - the new 450D trims away the excess to deliver a competitively-priced enclosure that is all about maximising airflow. With eight available fan mounts and support for multiple radiators, this is a mid-tower frame that's tailor-made for a couple of large Hydro Series coolers.

Sleek, all-black aesthetics and good overall build quality add to the appeal, and though the 450D may be lacking some of the sparkle that once made the Obsidian Series feel special, this remains a smart-looking enclosure with huge performance potential.

The Good

Room for multiple radiators
Competitive $119 price tag
Good build quality throughout
Easily accommodates high-end hardware
Tool-free drive bays
Large side window

The Bad

Notched side panels
Optical bays look awkward in use
Not as feature-packed as the 650D

HEXUS.awards

Corsair Obsidian Series 450D

HEXUS.where2buy

The Corsair Obsidian Series 450D chassis is available to purchase from Scan Computers*.

HEXUS.right2reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.