Corsair Obsidian 350D Review

Performance Analysis

The complete picture of the Obsidian 350D's thermal prowess isn't something we can show given we have limited comparable testing results. But, nonetheless, what we can say is the SilverStone TJ08-E and Sugo SG09 both bettered it by a few degrees in both CPU and GPU delta T. These are amongst the best cases we've seen for this form factor, though, so it's not a bad result at all for Corsair.

For what it's worth - being as our previous test kit used a different graphics card - NZXT's Vulcan only managed a CPU delta T of 59°C, some 13°C warmer than the Obsidian 350D. The Obsidian 350D was also extremely quiet too, despite lacking Corsair's premium fans.

We'll be adding more cases to our new test line up in future, but what we feel confident in saying now is that, given the difference between the Obsidian 350D and two particularly good micro-ATX cases, it's clear this case is no slouch when it comes to air-cooling.


Conclusion

In terms of price, the Obsidian 350D's £95 price tag makes it one of the pricier micro-ATX cases we've tested. SilverStone's FT03 costs a bit more, but the likes of NZXT's Vulcan, SilverStone's SG09, SG08-E and Fractal Design's Arc Mini are all noticeably cheaper. There's also the size factor - as we've already mentioned, most micro-ATX cases we've come across are smaller than the Obsidian 350D too. Being as large as some small full-ATX cases might be considered to be defeating the object of going micro-ATX in the first place.

However, none of the above cases offer what the Obsidian 350D can in terms of water-cooling support so the extra premium isn't unreasonable. All of Corsair's current single and dual-fan all-in-one liquid coolers fit inside, and there's plenty of room for a full-height dual 140mm fan-radiator custom kit too - enough to deal with two graphics cards and an overclocked CPU. It's possibly a niche appeal as a result, but you'll be hard-pressed to fit that kind of hardware into a smaller case, yet the Obsidian 350D offers this as well as good cooling and excellent cable management.