Corsair Obsidian 550d?

Vithar said:
yeah I was referring to software fan control actually since I doubt the fans would be running at 100% all the time, I just wanted to know their potential and see if I should get some $10 CM Sickleflows or stay stock.
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The included fans are rated at 1100 RPM +/- 10%.

They're decent for noise/airflow ratio. Of course you could buy better, but if those "sickleflows" are the same design as the Akasa Apache fans, then there are better options out there. The weird S-curve fan blade design introduces a significant amount of noise.
 
Okay let me rephrase question #2:

Can you plz measure the distance from the motherboard to the Side Panel top fan mounting area (That spot right by the CPU cooler on the side panel)?
 
Vithar said:
Okay let me rephrase question #2:

Can you plz measure the distance from the motherboard to the Side Panel top fan mounting area (That spot right by the CPU cooler on the side panel)?
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With any luck I'll be transplanting my PC to the new 550D tonight, assuming UPS actually does their job. If I get that far in the build I'll post the measurements tonight.
 
Mine arrived today about half an hour ago, along with the rest of my components, save a conversion kit for the cpu cooler.

It is with a sad, yet not despairing heart that I must say that I'm the recipient of a "Rattling Side Panel". I think, as other have noted, that it's an easy fix using some soft spacers or bumpers, I just have to find the right contact points.

Other than that, I'm very pleased with it. I was originally of the mind that the front panel was attached by magnets, but think the hinges as they are feel very solid, as does everything else about the case.

I'm more than anxious now to populate it with the components in my .sig, and have at!

On a side note, I've not built a system since the Athlon K7 was bleeding edge. CPU coolers are ridiculously large these days... :)
 
Redbeard said:
The included fans are rated at 1100 RPM +/- 10%.

They're decent for noise/airflow ratio. Of course you could buy better, but if those "sickleflows" are the same design as the Akasa Apache fans, then there are better options out there. The weird S-curve fan blade design introduces a significant amount of noise.
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Well I was told they are are silent, heres a link , but they do lack rubber grommets and other stuff, so what fan do you think would provide better airflow to this case without making it significantly louder.
 
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Vithar said:
Well I was told they are are silent, heres a link , but they do lack rubber grommets and other stuff, so what fan do you think would provide better airflow to this case without making it significantly louder.
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AP-15s :D
 
btw I looked at some photos and noticed something on the side panel fan mounts, does the case include rubber grommets for the side panel fans (those little circular rubber things)?
 
I will be receiving my today and I will have a look at it after work tonight.
 
Vithar said:
btw I looked at some photos and noticed something on the side panel fan mounts, does the case include rubber grommets for the side panel fans (those little circular rubber things)?
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Yes, it does. They're attached to the side panel.
 
Please try the stock fans first in the 550d. It would be a shame to spend $60-$80 on three replacement fans when what's included meets your needs. I'm thinking you'll be surprised at how much airflow / how little noise they produce. You might just be making a mountain out of a mole hill here to be honest.

I'm not going to get into the fan debate re: AP-15's VS everything else, other than to say that the reason they are back ordered everywhere is because you "apparently" have to order 5,000 if you want to order them at all from the manuf., and the lead-time for delivery is ~6-months. Yikes. No wonder the price is so high, demand is there based on reputation, which is fueled by the low supply.

If, after you've tried the stock fans and aren't happy with the results, here's a few alternatives.

Cougar CFV12HP. Noctua NFP12. Noiseblocker 120mm high end fans (forget the model).

I own the noctua, both pwm and non pwm, and the cougar. the cougar moves more air and has more static pressure, but is slightly louder. I don't own the noiseblockers.

These are all at least $18usd, or as much as $27usd for the noiseblockers. If you are in Canada and have trouble finding the cougars, check cablesalescanada dot com. That's where i got mine when newegg had none.

These are all very high quality fans with built in rubber corner mounts (only the newer PWM noctua NF-P12 have these i think, so check before ordering) that move decent amounts of air and do so very quietly.

Forget rated CFM, Db, static pressure, etc. Way too much smoke and mirrors there from pretty much every manufacturer, andzero standardization to boot.

Sorry if i came across as ranting, just trying to help a fellow [H] reader with my experience with these fans :)

Vithar said:
Well I was told they are are silent, heres a link , but they do lack rubber grommets and other stuff, so what fan do you think would provide better airflow to this case without making it significantly louder.
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Momo I actually liked those Cougar fans I was considering them until I saw Silverstone's FM121 which is 110 CFM for the same price but that thing lacks the rubber mounts and can get loud at higher speeds. BTW i'm in USA so I can get them from Newegg, though Amazon has the Silverstone for less.
Or
I could just keep the stock fans they should suffice and just get a really powerful side fan for the GPU, how's that sound?
 
110cfm? you're kidding right? that would be extremely loud :)

if you want quiet, you're going to get a LOT less CFM than what is 'rated' at full speed for any fan.

Like i said, all the fans i mentioned move a good amount of air and are very quiet. At full speed you can hear them, depending on location in a case etc. and your case grilles too, but they are probably your best bet.

Don't consider anything until you get the case and try the stock fans Vithar, honest.
... unless i missed a post, and you have the case / have tried the fans / don't find they meet your needs? :eek:
 
I may be a bit premature on this, but it looks like my 550D is going to be delayed a bit. UPS seems to have lost my package :mad:. It was supposed to be on a truck today for delivery, yet it is not marked as 'out for delivery' on their tracking system. UPS customer service, as expected, was useless when I called them.

Customer service was less than optimistic that the package would be delivered today; I was advised to call NewEgg tomorrow morning to have a trace put on the package.

I'll update my post if/when I can. In the meantime I'm not seeing too many pictures of completed 550D systems...post some damn pictures :D!
 
night_2004 said:
I may be a bit premature on this, but it looks like my 550D is going to be delayed a bit. UPS seems to have lost my package :mad:. It was supposed to be on a truck today for delivery, yet it is not marked as 'out for delivery' on their tracking system. UPS customer service, as expected, was useless when I called them.

Customer service was less than optimistic that the package would be delivered today; I was advised to call NewEgg tomorrow morning to have a trace put on the package.

I'll update my post if/when I can. In the meantime I'm not seeing too many pictures of completed 550D systems...post some damn pictures :D!
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I hate this kind of situation. I watch the delivery schedule like a hawk. I get really mad if they don't meet the proposed schedule. :mad:
 
tinate said:
I hate this kind of situation. I watch the delivery schedule like a hawk. I get really mad if they don't meet the proposed schedule. :mad:
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Shoot...only 15 minutes after posting (and 20 after calling UPS) the truck driver shows up. For some reason they can't track packages properly...:rolleyes:.

EDIT: Ha ha ha. Tracking shows "Delivered" with a note that the package was "Left with man". Wow...umm...glad that man was me.
 
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night_2004 said:
Shoot...only 15 minutes after posting (and 20 after calling UPS) the truck driver shows up. For some reason they can't track packages properly...:rolleyes:.
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The guy loading the truck didn't scan your package. It happens sometimes. I would say every third package or so I get from UPS never shows up as "Out for Delivery".

Anyway I got my system installed in my case and I am very happy with it. The case does an absolutely fantastic job of silencing my 7200rpm drives. The fans are also sufficiently quiet. However I have a few issues with this case.

1. The interior black paint is super easy to scratch. There are a couple .5 cm scratches in my case already, however I am not really concerned about this since this case doesn't have a window. It would have been nice if the interior finish was a bit more resilient.

2. The 8 pin CPU connector hole is not long enough horizontally for some motherboard/PSU combos. My mATX motherboard has the 8pin located in the center of the board, rather than on the left side near the hole and my 650TX 8pin will not reach.

3. My side panel also rattles.

4. I didn't get any motherboard screws lol. Cmon man!

Again I am very happy with the case. I don't have a camera atm so I can't take any pics, but it looks great.
 
What is a better manufacturing process to make the inside paint more resilient to scratches?
 
Mysticode said:
What is a better manufacturing process to make the inside paint more resilient to scratches?
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I have no idea, nor do I know what manufacturing process Corsair used for this case. I have no prior experience with a case with black interior so I can't really compare it to anything. It might not be any easier to scratch than any other case.
 
I am then very interested to hear from others if this kind of scratching is normal or not :)
 
Momo said:
110cfm? you're kidding right? that would be extremely loud :)

if you want quiet, you're going to get a LOT less CFM than what is 'rated' at full speed for any fan.

Like i said, all the fans i mentioned move a good amount of air and are very quiet. At full speed you can hear them, depending on location in a case etc. and your case grilles too, but they are probably your best bet.

Don't consider anything until you get the case and try the stock fans Vithar, honest.
... unless i missed a post, and you have the case / have tried the fans / don't find they meet your needs? :eek:
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No I don't have the case, but that makes great sense, about the high cfm high noise. Thx.
 
FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Just a few first impressions of my case.

* The side of my case also rattles. It, like all the other reports I've read, is on the motherboard side of the case.
* The fan panels on the side and the top are ever so slightly bent inwards a bit and are not flush with the rest of the case. Its only 1mm or so and does not affect the functionality of the case, but it does seem odd.
* One of the clasps on the door was broken upon arrival. These were the posts that Redbeard may wear out over time. I've got two spares -- I'll be down to one in a little bit.
* One of the six hard drive bays are bent slightly. It's enough that the bay was out of place and it is pretty loose. Maybe it'll be a non-issue once I get hard drives in them.
* The door seems difficult to open. Not sure if it was because the case was damaged or a design issue. Might wait to decide that until I get a replacement case.

Overall this case seems very impressive.

DAMAGED CASE

One more major concern. It is difficult to capture in a picture, but the door with the side fan panel is bent inwards by about 1mm and a corner of it is ever so slightly bent out of alignment. When I compare the edges of the door to those of the motherboard side door, the motherboard side door's edges are flush with the rest of the case. The other panel is not. That makes four components that are slightly bent right out of the box and one (easily replaceable) component broken on delivery. Not sure if the chassis is bent either but it does at least seem okay.

There's no way I'm sending in for the rebate now -- I'm not cutting the barcode label off the box and loosing my ability to return this case and wait for another revision. Not sure if I'm going to ask for an exchange, replace the affected components, or return the case.

Can't say if it was a shipping issue or a Corsair issue. The box was torn up along the front edge that corresponds to that side of the case (it's a 50/50 chance I know but I thought it was interesting).

MAKING NEWEGG RMA REQUEST

I'm on the chat line with NewEgg now. Their phone number doesn't work -- I'm getting a busy signal -- that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I've been told shipping a replacement is going to take at least a week because they have to process a damaged package claim, get the return, and process a replacement order. That puts it really damn close to loosing the rebate.

I'm asking NewEgg if there is any way to cross ship. I'll update the post when I can.

NEWEGG RMA REQUEST NOT GOING WELL

They refuse to process an advanced replacement right now; because of the need to place another $140 hostage on my CC as a temporary hold they can only process such requests by phone. Their phone lines are down for the rest of the day because of some sort of technical issue so now I have to call tomorrow. With the time frames I was given for when they could process a normal RMA or an advanced RMA it looks more and more likely that I will only have a few days to evaluate a replacement case before I have to send the rebate in (and obviously lose my ability to RMA the case if need be). I'll sleep on it -- tomorrow when I call in I'll either be setting up an advanced replacement or, since this is my third negative customer service experience in a row with NewEgg -- returning my order and waiting for Amazon to receive stock. I'll probably give them another chance since they might be able to overnight me a replacement. We'll see.

NEWEGG SHIPPING A NEW CASE

Just got off the phone with NewEgg (finally, the number worked!) and they are sending me a new case. It will be here tomorrow so I'll get a chance to look at another sample. Redbeard, are there any comparison pictures (like the side panel) I should snap for Corsair that might help track down any production issues? There will be a day or so where I'll have both cases so I thought I should ask.
 
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i also noticed that the front door is a little too firm in opening ... I can only imagine that it will get a little easier with use?

I also noted that the 2x120mm fan covers on the side panel sit 'flush' in the middle where the clasp is, but not out towards either side, they stick out from the cases's side panel maybe... 0.5mm ... it's noticable though. It might have been more, i'll check when i'm at my brother in law's place later this week.
 
If any of you guys have issues that your reseller isn't taking care of, PM me, and I'll take care of it for you directly. We don't have our 550Ds in stock in our US warehouse yet (Newegg's shipped first) but we will in a week or so. If you need a replacement chassis or part, we'll take care of you.
 
... in the product packaging, there's this bright orange pamphlet that says "do not return this to your retailer! call corsair first.." or was that only for the corsair HX750 psu i opened last night? i swear it was for both...


Redbeard, for those with rattling side panels, will there be a panel replacement or latch replacement option? (i'll try a DIY bump-stop temporarily, and ask my brother-in-law if he wants to get a new panel/latch under RMA)
 
I've got the build nearly complete, with the exception of mounting the CPU Cooler. The Noctua NH-D14 requires a conversion kit for the LGA2011 socket, and that's still in the mail. That didn't stop me from getting the rest of it together, though... Pics are here.

A couple of things to note:

The ASRock Game Blaster card simply will not sit straight. It's just a bit crooked. Along those lines, the HD7970 sags towards the front of the case. I suspect this is just weight, as it's fully installed and straight near the back of the case.

My motherboard-side panel rattles some, but with the addition of the cables behind it, the rattle is greatly reduced to the point where I don't think I'll need to apply any spacers. I was looking at it, and in my case, it looks like the sound dampening material is compressed at the top where the rattle is. I can't help but wonder if that's the culprit.

I sure do hope that cooler isn't so heavy it pulls the motherboard apart. Back in the day when I was building a new rig every couple of years, coolers were 1/5th the size, and didn't come with a written suggestion to remove them if you were moving the case around, due to the weight! At least now I know there's room for it.

IMG_1531.JPG
 
Momo said:
Redbeard, for those with rattling side panels, will there be a panel replacement or latch replacement option? (i'll try a DIY bump-stop temporarily, and ask my brother-in-law if he wants to get a new panel/latch under RMA)
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I don't know the root cause of the rattle yet, until manufacturing comes back with their audit results, we won't know what specifically causes the rattle and what the specific fix is. It could be as simple as a thicker piece of noise dampening tape for the top mount location, or as complex as a whole new case. I really have no idea now, sorry.
 
what, you havent torn apart the one that rattles at your office yet, as you have nothing else to do? lol

thanks for the reply redbeard, you guys @ corsair really do rock :)
 
I just got my case from newegg and am loving it. I have a slightly rattling side panel, but unlike others mine is on the GPU side.

I tried placing the motherboard panel on the GPU side and the rattling noise was gone. For some reason the front right corner of the GPU side panel is not sitting flush and has a slight rattle.

Redbeard - let me know if you want me to take a youtube video or need any additional info.

Thanks!
 
Side note - Did anyone else notice that the top 3 holes for the motherboard dont' have stand-off's? It looks like they're just directly from the case. Am I missing something or is it kosher to screw directly to those raised areas?
 
xenogear74 said:
Redbeard - let me know if you want me to take a youtube video or need any additional info.
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I don't know about Redbeard, but I'd like to see what you did there.

I just added some Master felt pads to the top edge of the sound dampening foam, and though that side panel is a little bit tight now because the pads are a little too thick, there's no more rattling to speak of.
 
Momo said:
... how did you move the motherboard to the gpu side? i'm confused :)
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I apologize for the amazing description :)

What i meant to say was I put the left panel (motherboard) on the right side of the case, and the right panel (GPU) on the left side of the case.
 
Can someone tell me the distance from the motherboard to the right side panel so I know whether an intake fan will fit there with a CPU cooler. Specifically, a 25mm thick intake fan and a 105mm high CPU cooler.
 
xenogear74 said:
Side note - Did anyone else notice that the top 3 holes for the motherboard dont' have stand-off's? It looks like they're just directly from the case. Am I missing something or is it kosher to screw directly to those raised areas?
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i do beleive that any motherboard has these three holes ... err... now i'm not sure. LOL

wonder if it's some kind of structural brace type idea / mobo screw hole combo...
 
xenogear74 said:
Side note - Did anyone else notice that the top 3 holes for the motherboard dont' have stand-off's? It looks like they're just directly from the case. Am I missing something or is it kosher to screw directly to those raised areas?
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That's normal, yeah. The top three "standoff" areas are molded into the steel of the case.
 
Momo said:
I also noted that the 2x120mm fan covers on the side panel sit 'flush' in the middle where the clasp is, but not out towards either side, they stick out from the cases's side panel maybe... 0.5mm ... it's noticable though. It might have been more, i'll check when i'm at my brother in law's place later this week.
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Seems like that was not damage from shipping then. Between the side panel not lining up right and the door piece being broken I still think it might have been damaged in shipping.

Redbeard said:
If any of you guys have issues that your reseller isn't taking care of, PM me, and I'll take care of it for you directly. We don't have our 550Ds in stock in our US warehouse yet (Newegg's shipped first) but we will in a week or so. If you need a replacement chassis or part, we'll take care of you.
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That's good to know you've got our backs. At least with my case I'll be trying to get NewEgg to ship me a new case ASAP. Upon closer examination my side panel is actually bent -- UPS did a good number to this package for sure so that isn't a tooling issue.

It's entirely possible my flaws in the case are a result of poor shipping. When 550D-take-2 arrives (assuming Amazon doesn't magically show up with stock tonight I'll be exchanging the case with NewEgg, but either way probably by Friday?) I'll re-examine.

It does seem like a slightly curved fan blocking panel and rattling door panels are features multiple people are experiencing. Anything else I noted in my case I'll blame on UPS until further notice. My side panel was dented on the leading edge and has a "wavy" pattern near the top that indicates the metal was compressed at some point. UPS pulled a pretty good number on this case. The more I look at it the more pissed I get at UPS. In the meantime NewEgg absolutely fails at setting up an advanced RMA :mad:. I should have just waited until Amazon had stock and ordered there -- at least they're willing to set up advanced RMAs without holding your CC hostage with temporary holds and give you next-day shipping on the replacement.
 
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If possible use newegg's will call program where you go to the warehouse and pick up your stuff at least that way you don't have to worry about the carrier damaging your merchendice
 
Vithar said:
If possible use newegg's will call program where you go to the warehouse and pick up your stuff at least that way you don't have to worry about the carrier damaging your merchendice
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I would except for the fact that it is about a 2000 mile drive to Industry, CA. Given that this is the third time in a year I've had trouble with NewEgg's customer service after receiving wrong, damaged, or non-functional products I think I'm done -- permanently -- with NewEgg when this is all over. Next time I'll gladly wait for Amazon to get a product in stock.
 
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