Corsair Obsidian 750D Case: Well Built For Water Cooling
Introduction, Features
Over the past few years, Corsair has steadily ramped up the number and types of computer chassis it manufacturers. The high-end 700D and 800D have been followed by a number of midrange products and one uber-expensive deluxe model, the massive 900D. The case we're reviewing today, the 750D, is meant to drop into the sub-$200 price bracket, where it faces competition from Corsair's own 650D mid-tower as well as a number of other chassis from manufacturers.
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Despite the name, the 750D is actually somewhat smaller than the original 700D/800D family. Those chassis were 24 inches long, 24 inches tall, and 9 inches wide, while the 750D is 21.5 inches long, 22.1 inches tall, and 9.3 inches wide.
The other major difference between the Corsair 700D / 800D and the new 750D is the weight. The 2010-era chassis came in at roughly 35 lbs empty, while the 750D is just 21 lbs. As someone who uses an 800D for his own case, whacking 14 lbs off the base weight makes an enormous difference.
Supports 1x 360mm radiator (top)
1x 280mm radiator (front)
1x 140mm radiator (rear).
Up to eight fans inside chassis (3x included, two front, 1 rear).
Up to 9x expansion slots
Up to 10 3.5" HDDs via mounted, removable drive bays.
Compatible with micro-ATX, ATX, EATX, and XL-ATX.
The other major difference between the Corsair 700D / 800D and the new 750D is the weight. The 2010-era chassis came in at roughly 35 lbs empty, while the 750D is just 21 lbs. As someone who uses an 800D for his own case, whacking 14 lbs off the base weight makes an enormous difference.
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Supports 1x 360mm radiator (top)
1x 280mm radiator (front)
1x 140mm radiator (rear).
Up to eight fans inside chassis (3x included, two front, 1 rear).
Up to 9x expansion slots
Up to 10 3.5" HDDs via mounted, removable drive bays.
Compatible with micro-ATX, ATX, EATX, and XL-ATX.
Radiator support is front and center for this case design. The 750D is designed to support up to a 360mm radiator at the top of the case, which should give you some idea what kind of buyer this case is aimed at. The vast majority of radiators on the market, including all the mass market liquid-cooling solutions, are 240mm solutions. There are a handful of 360mm radiators available, but these are designed for hardcore water-cooling enthusiasts who build their own loops, not the typical high-end PC market.
Corsair's Reviewer's Guide for the 750D promises that the chassis "dispenses with the arbitrary plastic add-ons in exchange for the beauty of brushed aluminum and steel." That's ironic, because substantial portions of this case are actually made of plastic. The brushed aluminum front panels that you can see above are actually 3mm aluminum sheets glued to a plastic frame.
Corsair's Reviewer's Guide for the 750D promises that the chassis "dispenses with the arbitrary plastic add-ons in exchange for the beauty of brushed aluminum and steel." That's ironic, because substantial portions of this case are actually made of plastic. The brushed aluminum front panels that you can see above are actually 3mm aluminum sheets glued to a plastic frame.
We're not criticizing Corsair for using plastic, particularly when the smart use of plastic and cast aluminum together is part of why this chassis weighs 21lbs compared to the 800D's 35lbs. But it's silly to market the chassis as "dispensing with arbitrary plastic add-ins", when in actuality plenty of plastic is used in its design.
