Obsidian 350DW Internal Design
Like previous Obsidian cases we've reviewed, the 350DW's internal workings are masterful. In our opinion, this is about as close to perfection as you are going to get out of a microATX case. The fan cables are black, the I/O cables are black, the fans are black and the internal paint job is – go figure – matte black. Corsair didn't cut many corners as nearly every component has been customized for this case.
Using an intelligent tool-less design, the 5.25" drive bays offer an ultra-quick and reliable way to install and remove devices. While the majority of the tool-less designs we've used are clumsy and impractical, this design actually works very well. In fact, we think Corsair's implementation is about equal with Cooler Master's.
The 3.5" drive cage supports two drives and features quick release cradles that support both 3.5" and 2.5" drives. Given the price tag, we hoped these bays were hot-swappable, but this isn't the case, sadly.
There is a massive 7.6" by 6" rectangular hole in the motherboard tray located where the CPU would be positioned, offering easy heatsink installations and removals. As we've said in previous reviews, this is becoming somewhat of a mainstay for all enthusiast-grade chassis, so it's no shock to see it here.
Perhaps the Obsidian 350DW's biggest advantage is its first class cable management. Folks with a meticulous penchant for cleanliness will love Corsair's Obsidian series as it's virtually unrivalled in this department.
Surrounding the motherboard tray is half a dozen rectangular holes with rubber grommets that improve cable management by allowing all the excess cables to be tucked away safely behind the motherboard tray.
The Obsidian 350DW offers a great deal of support for expansion with room for two 3.5", three 2.5" drives, two 5.25" devices, and five PCI expansion slots.
Corsair has also made sure there is plenty of room for users wanting to install Crossfire or SLI graphics cards, with a maximum GPU length of 380mm on offer. The maximum CPU cooler height is also quite generous allowing for 160mm of headroom, which is enough to accommodate massive high-end air-coolers such as the Prolimatech Megahalems.
There is also plenty of cooling on offer for a small case, with a 120mm rear exhaust fan and a 140mm front-mounted intake fan.
The 350DW has been designed with the intention of installing the power supply at the bottom of the case and Corsair has provided more than enough room to install PSUs upwards of 1000W with 180mm of headroom.