Gadgetory

the Corsair obsidian 800 deep released fall 2009 it revolutionized the high-end computer chassis market it paired a relatively simple but sleek look with an interior design that catered directly to the computer enthusiasts the case we're looking at now the obsidian 700d is virtually identical in almost every aspect but it attempts to reduce cost by doing away with a few of the novelty editions we saw with the original the 700d became available as of spring 2010 and at the time of release it sits at around 249 dollars so with Corsair reducing the price of the case we have to ask the question have they compromised on quality well let's take a look the construction is the exact same as the 800 d with a solid metal frame and body and classy brushed aluminum front panel there is no change in the weight or dimensions it still tops the scale at a little over 35 pounds at the front you'll notice a lack of the hot swappable drive bay door and then five external drive bays front connections are hidden behind a plastic panel and include reset firewire for USB and audio connections along with power and activity LEDs along the top we have this perfect space for ventilation with room for 320 millimeter fans making it the ideal place to put a water cooling radiator and for those who aren't fans of the side window the 700d has just a plain black side but that's alright because the paint job throughout the case is absolutely exceptional rotating to the back we have the panel quick release tubing holes 140 millimeter exhaust fan motherboard i o arian 7 PCI slots along with some bottom venting and then an area at the bottom for the power supply the case sits raised about an inch off the ground and the bottom holes are protected from dust by this very easy to remove dust filter the quick tool list design means no screws to open it up just push the button and lift in our bottom compartment the power supply sits on raised rails there's additional space for air flow and there is space at the front for two additional hard drives that can now be accessed without taking off the front panel the most prominent change that has been made is the ousting of the hot swappable drive trick this eliminates the access door on the front leaving a smooth face and they've moved in to use a screw --less caddy system for the hard drives the trays are now positioned perpendicular to the case with the top four line vertically so that they won't cause problems with air flow they've also slipped this 140 millimeter fan underneath the top drives so it works with the compartmentalized air flow designed the top half of the case is divided by a metal barrier which has tubing holes for water cooling and a hundred and forty millimeter intake fan at the back while there is only seven PCI slots they have included an exhaust point underneath this is in case you want to put a video card in your bottom motherboard expansion slot we also have the 140 millimeter exhaust fan the motherboard tray supports all typical sizes including EA TX and the back plate opening works for all of them now you'll also notice a large amount of space between the top of the motherboard and the case this makes it perfect amount in internal radiator with fans without having to do any sort of modifications and at the front B screw list five and a quarter inch drive base here's what really sets this case apart it's what Corsair has done for wiring they've cut out openings all around the edges of where a typical motherboard would sit and installed rubber grommets this allows your wires to run up the back and cleanly out to the front in order to minimize as much clutter as possible they've designed it with plenty of room in the back so you can have a clean system really without a lot of effort our smaller the normal motherboard does look a little lost in the giant case but check it out when we wire it all up aside from a little color you barely notice the wires are there the stalling drives is very simple no screws just clip it in on the sides and it's secure slide it in and it's locked into place now the great thing about having a case so big is that larger Hardware will never be a problem our footlong HD 5970 fits in with a ton of room to spare as we've touched on a few times unless your water cooling the 700d isn't going to feel completely at home this is one of the very features Corsair has designed for you have the ability to install larger interior or exterior radiators you can hide other things like pumps or reservoirs in the bottom chamber and the space inside where everything else is fantastic for this purpose alone it is one of the best cases on the market and that wraps up our look at the Corsair obsidian 700d our summary is much the same as it was with the 800 deep Corsair has produced an exceptional computer case they have a well researched design that builds on exactly what consumers and enthusiasts are looking for the cable management is by far the best and will work for virtually any size or difficulty of system you want to throw in it and to top it off it has the renowned coarse air quality and support as far as the specific changes with the 700d go it's more matter of personal preference and this is where the only sort of criticism comes in with the difference in cost being only around $30 saving money doesn't seem like it's going to be a make-or-break decision for this case so we have to ask was there a need to produce a whole new case many manufacturers produce simply a windowed or non windowed version of the same part number or they just have the opposite side panel available separately and given that getting rid of the hot swap bays only saved us the price of a couple lunches did people really not like the original case that much because of them now don't get me wrong I love the 700d and the fact that Corsair has given consumers more choices to get exactly what they want so it receives the hardware connects damn good award so until next time this has been a hardware connect sporadic showcase thanks for watching