Building With The Obsidian 550D
Corsair packs its Obsidian 550D with a full range of screws, zip ties, and even a USB 3.0-to-2.0 header adapter. Half the screws aren’t necessary, but are included nonetheless for optional fans and/or liquid coolers.
Corsair’s cable pack is clean and simple, lacking the clutter of any AC'97 or USB 2.0 connectors. HD Audio has been the standard for as long as most of us care to remember, and there is always the included USB 3.0-to-2.0 header adapter for motherboards lacking internal USB 3.0.
Two-and-a-half-inch drives can be installed in the center of each tray, or offset to either side. Center mounting is easiest, since offset mounting requires you to remove one of the 3.5” drive pins. But offset mounting also gives Corsair the option to include a hot-swap backplane, like the one found in its higher-end Obsidian 800D, in future versions of the 550D’s chassis.
The area of the Obsidian 550D’s motherboard tray that contains the cable management grommets is raised. This prevents the installation of motherboards wider than 10.5”. It also blocks access to the lower row of SATA ports on our 10.5”-wide test motherboard. Since standard ATX is 7/8” narrower than this specific platform, we at least know the 550D should be compatible with most ATX boards.
On the plus side, the raised portion around the motherboard increases space for cable management under the motherboard tray. It most likely also adds rigidity to the overall structure of the chassis.
The Obsidian 550D’s power button lights up when the system is turned on. Unfortunately, reflections against the button’s silver finish completely obscure the blue case light in our photos.
