Introduction
Corsair is a well know enthusiast Company known for no compromise performance products from memory to power supplies, and from last couple of years they have made quit a name in computer chassis world from covering from M-ATX to Ultra Tower cabinets.
But there was always a spot missing, but not anymore Corsair have finally released their Obsidian 250D Mini-ITX Gaming case, with all the features you expect from a Corsair Obsidian line of cabinet and perhaps something more. Coming at an MRP of Rs. 6,550/- does it do enough
To make a mark at this new and growing ITX Cabinet market? Let’s find out.
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Warranty | Two years |
| Dimension | 13.8 x 10.9 x 11.4 inches |
| MB Support | Mini ITX |
| Expansion Slots | 2 |
| Form Factor | Mini ITX |
| Material | Black steel and anodized black aluminum front fascia |
| Drive Bays | (2) 3.5”/2.5” drive bays (2) 2.5” drive bays (1) 5.25” optical drive bay |
| Cooling | Front: 200mm, 140mm (140mm included) Side: Dual 120mm (single 120mm included) Rear: Dual 80mm (optional) |
| Front I/O | (2) USB 3.0 (1) Headphone (1) Microphone |
| Power Supply | ATX (Not Included) |
Unboxing and close look
Corsair ship the cabinet in a simple box with specs and other information about 250D
Obsidian 250D comes packed in a really nice thick soft foam insuring least risk of damage during shipping, loaded with hardware or not.
The trademark Obsidian look in the front with premium brushed aluminum plating have a really elegant and classic look and feel to it.
Front cover can be removed by pressing two marked points on the left and right ends to show an 140mm fan with mounting option for a 200m fan as well and a fan filter
Left side panel of Obsidian 250D have a big mesh with magnetic dust filter which gives ample breathing room to graphics card. A window would have been really good since you can show the graphics card and its design at its full glory.
On the back of Obsidian 250D you find two expansion slots, dual 90mm fan mounts, power supply mount with a unique metal securing bracket and a very smart hard drive slots.
And what is this? Yes Obsidian 250D have a 3rd window on top of the case with a smocked acrylic window showing of entire motherboard section of the case.
On the right side of the Obsidian 250D front we find 2 USB 3.0 and front audio ports. You also have a single well covered 5.25” bay.
On the left side of Obsidian 250D you find power and reset button with white LED on the power button.
On the right side of Obsidian 250D you find a 1200mm included fan with mounts for another 120mm fan or a 240mm radiator, I was hoping for an option for thicker radiators but sadly it will only take your regular up to 30mm radiator.
With left side panel opened of Obsidian 250D you find 200mm front fan all the front IO front cables and a really ample space between front fan and motherboard tray to hide away any cables.
A look at Obsidian 250D with top panel reveals a 5.25” mounting plate which cab removed to add in options for things like a tube reservoir.
Obsidian 250D comes with a genius back loading 4 hard drive bays with two 2.5” trays and two 3.5”. On right is the power supply mounting space with a fan filter.
Bottom of Obsidian 250D have a PSU fan filter and four feet with rubber on the bottom to keep it hooked at and reduce the vibration noise.
250D package comes with all the needed screws and zip ties.
Obsidian 250D all stripped out.
Building System inside Obsidian 250D
Components used for Obsidian 250D Test build:-
Motherboard- Gigabyte GA-z77N-wifi
CPU- Intel 3770k
Graphics Card- Saphire HD 7770
Power Supply- Corsair GS 800
Hard drives- two 2.5” SSDs and one 3.5” HDD
CPU Cooler- Intel stock cooler
I would say I had a lot of expectations going into this build and most of it were fulfilled with a few issues, but we will get to those soon. So let’s get into build pictures and details.
Let’s start with installation of power supply. Obsidian 250D might be a Mini ITX case but it can hold even a full ATX power supply. For today we are using GS 800 and as you can the metal part which was surrounding the power supply mount
Comes off and after getting the power supply in becomes a holding bracket. Getting this non modular power supply needs some pushing and some cable arrangements beforehand. And you want the power supply fan facing down to make use of fan filter and the fact that there is a motherboard directly on top of the power supply.
A view from the top with power supply installed. As you can see you can very easily hide away cables in the spacing between front fan and motherboard tray, so even a non-modular power supply can look good and be managed very easily in 250D.
After getting the power supply installed we get on to installing a motherboard. With motherboard installed you have enough space on both the right and left of 250D, if it be a dual slot graphics card or a radiator with enough space for cables. As you can see I have a Intel stock cooler installed but I was planning to go with a custom water build but sadly I only had 60mm 240mmradiator with me and 250D can only take the regular 30mm or less radiator option of thicker radiator would have been really sweet and could have given a very strong plus point for water cooling enthusiasts but you still have an option of installing a thicker radiator in the front of 250D.
A look at the back of 250D with motherboard installed.
Installing a graphics card was really easy in 250D, with enough space for any graphics card out there. And a clever lock in clip for securing graphics card.
Installing hard drives in Obsidian 250D took some work, as you can see the 2nd SSD in just hanging out there since I had a regular power supply with those thick SATA power cables I could not get cables to bend enough to get the SSD in it’s slot just a minor issue which can be solved by using power supply with thinner cables, also 250D does not do much about noise or vibrations made by mechanical drives.
Other than that, the back mounting of hard drives really works and makes a sense in 250D letting you connect all the need cables To drives outside and then letting you slide them in with ease. But a thinner mesh on drive access cover would have been really good or a dust filter.
A look after installing all the components inside Obsidian 250D.
As you can see on the left side the 5.25” drive tray also helps in hiding all those cables even with the top panel removed. Getting the SATA ,front IO and 24pin ATX With ease while looking good and neat.
A look from top 250D acrylic window.
the Corsair Obsidian 250D sitting quietly on my table.
Conclusion and Final thoughts
Corsair says Obsidian 250D “Mini ITX without any compromise” and they are not wrong. Although 250D those not really look like your regular Mini-ITX cabinet it is on a rather larger side is not something you might hide in your living room near your TV,
It’s a case for those wanting really beefed out Mini-ITX system with no compromises on hardware and really good options not just for all in one coolers but also a very high end custom water cooling option. So who is 250D for? It’s for those that want a
Compact and silent yet a really powerful system for gaming or work at a very strong price point.
Pro:-
- Solid build quality
- Holds tops of hardware
- Options for a fairly high end custom water system or AIOs
- Tool free storage bays
- Good air cooling potential
- Multiple dust filters
- Price
Cons:-
- Kind of big for a MINI-ITX case
- Mechanical hard drive can make a lot of noise
- A better cover for storage bay would have been nice
In the end corsair delivers a gem with Obsidian 250D, we are giving Corsair Obsidian 250D a 9/10!
CloudVII