# [SOLVED] Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5



## TheRandomGuy7

Hello,

I currently have a working PC in a Cooler Master Elite 430 case. Unfortunately, this case is proving to be flimsy, the panels don't fit on properly anymore, and the fan mounts are a 30 minute hell to attach any sort of fan to. SSD's don't fit properly, I even have two 2.5" to 3.5" adapter bays but one doesn't fit the case's screw holes properly.

I want to buy a premium quality case as I'm sick of the poor build quality of the CM when I'm tinkering around in it so often. So far, I've narrowed my choice down to either a Corsair 450D or a Fractal Design Define R5.

*These are my requirements for the case:
- Under £100 in price, preferably available from Amazon.co.uk.
- Good airflow: good fans as well if possible, but I have some good spare fans of my own if not.
- Good build quality: solid metal feeling, not flimsy and poor feeling like the CM 430.
- Not too long in size (see next paragraph). Mid tower will probably be my best bet.
- It MUST have good options for SSD's and HDD's. I have 2 SSD's and 1 HDD.
- Plenty of space inside for a relatively large CPU cooler (Hyper 212 Evo) as well as 1 or 2 very long graphics cards.
- Good options for fans, both 120mm and 140mm. Easy to fit without hassle.
- Very good cable management - I have a fully wired PSU and the cables are appaling in the CM 430.
- As for aesthetics, I love the look of both the 450D and the R5. I don't mind getting either in terms of looks, but I slightly prefer the look of the R5.*

For the length of the case, I have troubles with where to put the tower. My floor has no room for it, and has thick carpet. My desk can fit a mid tower at a stretch, so I want a good compromise between a spacious case and it being not too long. If the feet of the case hang over the edge too much, I am considering placing it onto a wooden plank so it can overhang safely. Any suggestions are welcome on this.

All suggestions are welcome. Tell me which of my two choices are best, tell me if anything is better value than these. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks.


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## Masterchiefxx17

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*

I'd go with the 450D, quite a nice case and Corsair uses mainly metal in the design.

NZXT also makes great cases.

Check the measurements on the 450D before buying it.


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## TheRandomGuy7

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*

Thanks for the quick response.



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Check the measurements on the 450D before buying it.


No matter what Mid-Full tower I get, it will be slightly too large for my desk.

Even the CM 430 overhangs by about 3 inches / 8cm but its front legs are far away from the edge so it just about fits on my desk.

What do you think of me getting a wooden plank and sitting my new case on that? This would allow the case to overhang safely as its own weight would keep it firmly on the desk.

EDIT: I won't be getting an NZXT case as I dislike the more aggressive, colourful designs they use. I took the LED's of my CM 430 for this reason. I want a professional, simple design.


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## Masterchiefxx17

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*

As long as the case is well supported, wood would be fine to use.

The 450D is a strong nice looking case without any flashiness to it.


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## TheRandomGuy7

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*

Thanks for the info.

I will be getting the 450D as the extra length of the R5 will be a killer for me. I would also prefer extra airflow over quieter operation.

I just tested putting a large hardback book under the legs of my current case, and it supports the tower perfectly while hanging over the edge. The wood should indeed work fine as you said.

A final question though: which 140mm fans are used on the 450D? I have read that they use these, though I'm skeptical they would include 3 fans worth £12 in the RRP. If not, are the fans sufficient? I am planning to send back my new Noctua AF-14 (which fails to properly screw onto the poor mounts on the CM 430) to save a bit of money on the new case. How much worse than the Noctua would the included fans be?


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## Masterchiefxx17

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*

I would throw the Noctua fans in the unit if you have them. The case should support a good amount of fans as well.

The included fans will also be quality fans.


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## Rich-M

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*

The Fractal Design is really quite similar to the Corsair 450 inside but it looks like there is more room inside but for me the "kiss of death" in a case is a door that opens on the front of the case and the Fractal case has that.


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## TheRandomGuy7

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*

So do you all think the 450D would be the (slightly) better option?

As for the Noctua fan, I think I'd rather send it back as I'm pushing my wallet buying the case in the first place.

What do you dislike about the opening door, Rich? It seems pretty cool to me.


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## gcavan

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*

I prefer the Define R5. Not bothered by a front (or otherwise) door. Done several client builds with the Define R2 and R4. R5 is a slight improvement over those.

FYI: 450D comes with 2 x AF140L (front) and 1 x AF120L (rear).


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## Rich-M

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*

I have never seen on of those front hinged doors that the plastic hinges aren't broken off off within a year and then they are seriously ugly when that happens.


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## TheRandomGuy7

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*

Thanks for the responses all.

I will most likely be getting the 450D then - but I have a few questions first:

I will keep the 3 included fans, but I also have a Sharkoon SE 1000 I want to use as well. My motherboard only has 3 system fan slots. To use all four fans, what is my best option? Could I just use a Y splitter cable to get 2 in one slot/power cable? Or is the best bet to get a 4-way fan controller?

On the topic of fan controllers, what is good to get at a low price? This and this caught my eye. Are these suitable? What are the advantages of pricier ones? Will these do the job properly? Can I use them with 3 system fan slots? Also, are these designed to fit in the front panel drive bays, and would I need an adapter to do this?

The case has 2 SSD mounting slots behind the motherboard - I have 2 SSDs and will use both of these. My question is, will a regular SATA cable (the ones usually included with drives) reach behind to this slot? Or will I need to buy extra long (1M or so) SATA cables?

Sorry for the excess of (rather silly) questions, I'm very grateful for all your help.


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## Masterchiefxx17

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*



> I will keep the 3 included fans, but I also have a Sharkoon SE 1000 I want to use as well. My motherboard only has 3 system fan slots. To use all four fans, what is my best option? Could I just use a Y splitter cable to get 2 in one slot/power cable? Or is the best bet to get a 4-way fan controller?


A Y-splitter will do just fine.



> On the topic of fan controllers, what is good to get at a low price? This and this caught my eye. Are these suitable? What are the advantages of pricier ones? Will these do the job properly? Can I use them with 3 system fan slots? Also, are these designed to fit in the front panel drive bays, and would I need an adapter to do this?


The only downside is that you need to control the fans. Use a Y-splitter instead.



> The case has 2 SSD mounting slots behind the motherboard - I have 2 SSDs and will use both of these. My question is, will a regular SATA cable (the ones usually included with drives) reach behind to this slot? Or will I need to buy extra long (1M or so) SATA cables?


They should reach, no reason to buy new ones.


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## TheRandomGuy7

*Re: Best premium case - Corsair Obsidian 450D vs Fractal R5*

Sorry for the late response.

I initially purchased the 450D. All was going well until I looked at the front panel. One of the clips had snapped off during transit, so the front panel would not fit on properly. After a quick search online, it appears that many people have had the same issue with this case. Although the rest of the case seemed good, I decided to return the 450D and get the R5 instead. Amazon were exceptional in their customer service as usual.

The R5 is much heavier, and the overall build quality seems to be generally much stronger than the 450D. It feels like it is made entirely from metal, whereas the 450D had a weak, plasticky feel to it. The build inside it was a breeze and I encountered no problems. The sound dampening material has certainly made a large difference over my previous cheap case. While the 450D appeared to be a good case, from what I've seen the R5 is the better case.

Thanks for all the advice.


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## Masterchiefxx17

I'm glad to hear! At least you got a good case in the end.


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