650D : how would u change it?

[MrSoskok]

650D is one of the very best / very large mid towers on the market.

 

However, there are a few little things that could make it the ultimate king if taken care of. Lets talk about them...

 

My personal take:

• move top grills a little towards the right side of the case ... this will eliminate any issues with thick rads in push/pull config

• front fan mounts for 2x120mm also move the hdd cages a little bit (like 5-7mils) towards the back to give us an option to install any 200mil we could possibly like

• if u do include front 120 mounts, step up and through in a 5 channel fan controller

• finally a filter for the top fan grills

[MojoVersion8]

alternative front intake mounting holes and more space for front fans would be awesome

I'd also love to see

• brushed aluminium optical drive cover
  
• 1 inch of space behind the motherboard tray
  
• some quiet features like rubber coating around the inside edge of the side panels so they don't vibrate and maybe even noise dampening material on the inside of the side panels
  

tried to stay realistic, a more adventurous feature request would be an integrated corsair link system including integrated cooling module to replace the fan controller :D

EDIT: thought of another, programmable colour for the power and disk drive LEDs

[kittysox]

* remove the top hotswap caddy.

* add 2 x 120 fan mounting to the front.

* offer an optional optical drive cover.

* remove the screen mesh in both the front and rear of the case.

 

 

But realistically most people probably do not like a case as sparce as I do. The only change to the case I think corsair even needs to consider at this time is a future revision with 2 x 120 or 2 x 140 fan mounting.

[xxking]

+get rid of the mesh in the front or make new fans that wont give out noise like they do now

+remove the top hot swap bay, this is completely unnecessary I rather have an option for another 120,140mm fan or an option to put 2x 200mm fans on the top.. as for the front, maybe a 2x 140 will do

 

+give an option for the side panel to mount another 4x 140mm fans or actually 4x 120s..

+get rid of those "tool less" latches or whatever they are called, they do not hold the whole panel in place and especially at the back, it doesnt shut down fully it pops out at the sides.. they should seriously get rid of that or use the same latches as in the 800D that look 10x better and close nicely..

 

+put the fan controller in the I/o panel

 

+more space for cable management, MUCH more space or atleast a cut out in the side panel

 

 

and i will conclude this that next year when I plan to build a new pc, i am counting on corsair to come up with a full tower obsidian case that will be both good for air and water cooling, or else i will look else where.. i am disappointed with the 650d to the point where it makes me miss my ****ty haf x, a 200 dollar case and so many problems with it that are just unbearable, the top hot swap is excuse my words - garbage that probably no one even uses... as far as material goes and interior - they should keep it.

[RAM GUY]

Thank you for all of your suggestions I will see if we can get the Case Product manager to comment on some of these suggestions!

[tomthebomb518]

-If front intake was made wider (bigger than 20mm)

-More options for front intake

-Ventilated 5.25" drive bay slots

[Fan O Water]

I really like the case, but would like the following done:

Remove metal screen between front fan and air filter - we need two screens?

Make hot swap caddy a removable drive bay item, so top could have more screen and be predrilled for a 3x120 rad

Shrink window so the bottom is slightly above a power supply - those without modular psu's and water pumps don't necessarily want to see all that stuff.

 

Keep up the good work!

[cmeeks]

I love my 650D and if you want me to upgrade from this one at all, here are the critical changes I would make. Otherwise I'm holding onto this one forever.

 

1. Remove the grill between the front fan and the removable mesh. As Fan O' Water said, what's the point in having two fan grills?

 

2. I actually kind of like the hot swap caddy, but I certainly would not complain over its absence if you chose to make room for a 3x120 / 3x140 / 2x200 instead!

 

3. For the case to be positive pressure you really need another intake fan. Perhaps hanging the 3.5 inch bays from the 5.25" bays (as can already be done with the 650D) would allow for a fan grill at the bottom of the case. Just extend the grill and filter for the PSU the full length forward and allow for another 200mm fan at the bottom. While at it, make the filter removable from the front of the case instead of the rear. This is a mod I'm already considering since I don't even have the 3.5" bays installed in the case.

 

4. I know it's just a mid-tower, but the case is just ever so slightly short of having enough room for a radiator and fans in push/pull. I don't know the reason for the extra PCI slot just above the PSU, but shifting the motherboard down just that much would have opened up the room needed on top. I like that there's not an entire attic above the mobo like in some cases, but there should be at least enough room for a standard radiator with P/P fans.

 

5. A stealth optical drive cover would be great, but could understandably cause incompatibility issues.

 

6. Even 5mm additional room behind the motherboard tray would be welcome.

 

7. Improve the fit of the side panels. This is really my only gripe! Mine overlap with the aluminum front bezel which inadvertently forces them to bow out. See pictures below to see what I mean. Everything about the 650D looks so sleek and professional and then you have these nonconforming side panels that look a little shoddy.

 

 

[Nahaz]

My suggestions would be;

 

1. Widen the case by another 1/2 and inch to allow a little more room for cable management.

 

2. Have 2 x 120mm or 2 x 140mm fans in front of case with an easy to remove/access system.

 

3. Remove the hotswappable bay from top and extend grill for 3 x 120mm or 3 x 140m, so there is enough room for a full size radiator.

 

4. I would of preferred a removal grill on the top (same design) as the one on the front. Maybe also increase the hole mesh size a little (Extra 1 mm in diameter perhaps)

 

5. Incorporate the Power/LED, USB and Headphone/Microphone jacks into one of the front sides of the front panel, freeing up the 5 1/4 inch drive bay

 

6. Should ship from factory with side window/mesh option as a standard.

 

7. If you continue with the Grill over another grill approach (See front of 600T/650D etc) then make the option of having the invisiblle grill removable for those that may not want it.

 

Overall, I love the case. Looking forward to the new Carbide series for the wife's build.

[cmeeks]

I fixed my side panel today. See photos in post #8 above. All it took was about 5 minutes of filing the slots on the side panel. I probably didn't even remove half a mm of metal, but it was just enough to allow the side panel to move back and off of the front bezel. Now it falls right into place and sits flush!

 

[kickmic]

Agree with many of the points above

 

fan size options for front (of course the holes are already there to fit a 120mm or 140mm perfectly)

fan grill for top

quality control needs to be tighter (windows and side panel fit)

add a decent SSD adapter - the current solution is very ordinary

include a speaker for the mobo!

a Lian Li like front bezel for optical drives would be flash!

 

Am super impressed with how quiet the case (not talking about fans) compared with others I have used

[MojoVersion8]

I don't mind the hot swap bay at the top, seems to me like the option for another fan instead is better suited to a full tower case

[Blue Diesel]

-lose the latches on the side.

 

-add a filter on the top fan similar to the one on the front intake. Having negative pressure in the case is a bummer.

 

-make a 5.25 drive bay filtered grill with fan mount.

 

It's already a really nice case but I think the airflow could be improved so these changes should do the thing.

[Rognin]

This is what the bottom PCI slot is for... :asskick:

 

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p61/Numbskullius/IMG_02281.jpg

My baby!

 

-As for moving the mounting holes for the top rad, yeah that is a great idea. Limitation to rad size and only a pull or push config limits the user. There is plenty of space to move the mounting a half an inch to the left. That way we could mount bigger rads and more fans. Or instead of making the top grill concave for the rads or fans, make it convex, you'll get about 5mm extra clearance which could mean a push pull config with about the same specs.

 

-Cable space on the rear panel is awesome, but missing a 1/4 inch to be that much better.

 

-YOU NEED TO MAKE A MESH SIDE PANEL TO MOUNT FANS!!! (I know it's coming) Also, make it concave, to add clearance for the fans and tubes and GPU Water cooling connectors.

 

-Get different mounting options for the front 200mm fan position. IE: 2 X 120's, 2 X 140's and standard 200mm mounting holes for crying out loud!!!!

 

-Top shroud for 140X25mm or 120X25mm fans for a push pull as an option for current users would offer a nice option for WC'ers. It would be cheaper and look good. Something that can be tied down with nuts and bolts onto the existing mesh. The whole for extra exterior cabling is already there.

 

I'll have more as I work with this wonderful case!

 

P.S. The future is in watercooling. The more you'll cater to it, the bigger the demand will become. I'd like to be able to one day say Corsair = Watercooling cases.

[cmeeks]

This is what the bottom PCI slot is for... :asskick:

No need for the :asskick:. You shouldn't be doing that at 5 posts anyway. While you managed to squeeze 4 GPUs into it, you forget that the 650D is a mid-tower! For the majority of users interested in a mid-tower, I get this funny feeling that the demand for push/pull supersedes the demand for 4 GPUs. If you really need 4 GPUs, you ought to be looking at full towers. You're talking about adding external shrouds, so you apparently concede the fact that the case is too small for what you're doing anyway.

 

I measure 70mm of free space between the grill and the top edge of my motherboard. The removal of the lowest PCI lot would allow for about 20mm more for a total of 90mm. That's enough for 2 fans in push/pull and a 40mm thick radiator without any worry whatsoever of interfering with the motherboard.

 

Stylistically, the concave grill looks really good, but it doesn't help the lack of space up top. A convex grill would look horrible. I say keep the grill as is, remove the lowest PCI slot, and shift the motherboard and IO shield down 20mm.

[Rognin]

No need for the :asskick:. You shouldn't be doing that at 5 posts anyway. While you managed to squeeze 4 GPUs into it, you forget that the 650D is a mid-tower! For the majority of users interested in a mid-tower, I get this funny feeling that the demand for push/pull supersedes the demand for 4 GPUs. If you really need 4 GPUs, you ought to be looking at full towers. You're talking about adding external shrouds, so you apparently concede the fact that the case is too small for what you're doing anyway.

 

I measure 70mm of free space between the grill and the top edge of my motherboard. The removal of the lowest PCI lot would allow for about 20mm more for a total of 90mm. That's enough for 2 fans in push/pull and a 40mm thick radiator without any worry whatsoever of interfering with the motherboard.

 

Stylistically, the concave grill looks really good, but it doesn't help the lack of space up top. A convex grill would look horrible. I say keep the grill as is, remove the lowest PCI slot, and shift the motherboard and IO shield down 20mm.

 

Hey, a fellow OCN'er =P.

 

Didn't think you'd take the emoticon personally. Sorry bud.

 

When the 2011 sockets come out it will permit you to have a quad-SLI setup just like the 1366, maybe even 5 GPU's. So that bottom PCI is needed in my opinion as you can fit 4 vid cards.

 

As for the concave/convex argument. I don't believe it would look ugly, just different from what you're use to.

 

As for the shroud, yes I concur that this case needs some modifications to do some proper WC'ing. And an adapted shroud made by corsair would be nice. You can always use a koolance shroud, but one with the corsair tag would be nice to match with the case. It would also be custom made for the 650D, which means no drilling the top part of your case to secure the shroud. It would also off a means to effectively do a push/pull with the top rad.

 

 

keep it constructive, I love debating these things things. ::pirate::

[sticks435]

Yep, agreed with most of the stuff here. I do like the hotswap bay, but wished it was somewhere else, so I could fit a 360 rad instead of having to buy a 280 and 200 or 240 and 120 or 140.

 

Another 1/4 inch on the back panel would have been perfect. there is a buldge in the middle because of all the cables, and this doesn't include the 2 USB 3's. I had to run those along the top of the mobo and out the back.

 

I also get the annoying front fan whine others have mentioned, so removing the mesh or using 30mm fans would be great. Pref both, as these fans just don't push enough air for this large of a case. My GPU temps jumped 5-6 degrees just going from a antec 900.

[newfmp3]

For a $200 case I'm actually quite disappointed with the 650d,enough so that I've had it for a week now and I want to get rid of it. I did come from a older P182 that cost LESS then this did, was quieter, less plastic too.

 

1. Way too loud. Besides the fan issues, there is no sound insulation at all. Nothing on the side panels, nothing under the power supply, nothing on the HD's, no rubber, no insulation - nothing. This is NOT a cheap case and these things are in-excuseable. It doesn't keep any noise from getting out. That being said if you do not have a esata dock, it is pretty handy, just take care when using it.

 

2. Completely tool less. I don't want to see a thumb screw. Thumb screws do not make a case tool less. Needs something for the PC slots, similar to ********'s idea. Power supply tool less thing is kind of silly too and never even worked with my Enermax Rev.

 

3. Way too much plastic inside. The hard drive trays, optical tool less mechanisms. You are competing with other $200.00 cases and most of the those are now completely Aluminum to begin with, AND all trays, rails etc are NOT plastic.

 

4. I want all aluminum. Inside and out. Reduces weight, looks better.

 

5. Top hot swap tray is actually dangerous to use. It's so stiff and difficult to get a drive out of it that you actually jerk/jolt the hard drive while doing so. Not good. Either needs a power button to turn drive off before taking out/inserting, or just get rid of it all together and add a card reader or something.

 

6. No Proper matching aluminum DVD drive Bezel or Cover!?!? Come on, this is dead obvious. Basic Design stuff. The second you stick any DVD burner in this thing it looks unprofessional and cheezy. I figured I could at least buy one but Corsair doesn't even offer one!?!? For now I popped out the little aluminum piece out of one of the drive bay covers and glued that to the front of my DVD burner tray for a stealth drive type mod. But there's still a gap. I shouldn't have to do this. Even my P160 from 2003 had a drive cover?!?! No bezel, then put a door over the optical drive area.

 

Keep the levers on both side. It so nice not needing a scew driver for either panel, even more so when you need to take both panels off for getting at the hard drives.

 

Proper USB 3.0 headers for mobo.

 

The case doesn't need to be any wider, but it does need just half an inch in back for better cable management behind mobo. Just shift the insides to the left a bit.

 

Better fans, isolate the power supply chamber maybe a side fan....it just needs better air flow somewhere.

[cmeeks]

Word to your mother

[jonainpdx]

I did alot of research befor buying this case, and I knew all the pros and cons of it befor I made my purchase. I like this case and I plan on keeping it for a long time.

 

I will be making these changes to it, with a Dremel 300.

 

Adding in a 140mm fan in the bottom to blow up onto my Video card and MB. Also I want to change this to a positive airflow.

 

 

I'm going to quiet things down with some high air flow, low niose fans. Those 200mm push well, but are way to loud.

 

 

The hot swap bay is such a good idea. If you don't think its worth anything than you havn't ever lost all your data. At least not yet. My music library is probably worth twice my hardware alone.

[newfmp3]

yeah I've used the hot swap thing a few times, it's neat idea.

[squick3n]

My biggest gripe is the front fan/drive bays. Losing a slot by moving a bay to the lower position is annoying. But what is absurd is not being able to replace the front fan w/o being down to a grand total of two 3.5" slots.

 

Something that would be a great fix is for a 2.5" bay that could go in front of the fan, for SSDs.

 

Otherwise I love the 650D. So nice looking, and so easy to make things clean and organized.

[Ginut]

A few things can make this case 100 times better:

 

1. bundle all the motherboard wires as one instead of having 5 individual wires of different lengths...

2. put a filter under the hd bays and allow the user to drop in another one or two fans as intake fans since there is more than enough room for this. (this will create a a positive pressure instead of negative just out of the box setup)

3. front fan buzzing noise is a fairly big flaw... allow customers to put a diff fan in front without moving or modifying the hd bays or fix the issue

4. make a disclaimer note somewhere stating that not all power supplies fit right out of the box since the power wires are too small to reach from the ps to top left of the case or middle of the mb when rerouted though the back...

5. make a fan kit to replace the top bays with a 120mm fan and filter which would match the bottom intake filter for those who prefer cooling with air over water (this will create a a positive pressure instead of negative just out of the box setup)

6. add a fan or the possibility of adding internal fans for better air control

7. ability or kit to add the USB 3.0 inside the case

[Mobisaurus]

Only 3 things I can think of which would improve on the design for my use and all have been mentioned to greater or lesser degrees above. Anyway, here are my views:

(1) resolve the fan noise/grill problem of front intake area.

(2) move the hard drive bay mount 1cm(when viewed from front of case) to left to make room for cable connections for HD's my WD secure sata connections will only fit if i move the top hard drive bay to the lower section mount and regular sata connectors are also problematic only angled ones fit at present

(3) more room between back of M/B tray and panel for cable management eg the power cable on my HX 850 is a very tight fit and a bit of a fight with all the other cables 0.5cm would make all the difference. Otherwise a stunning case fits well with all my corsair products including my first ever CPU liquid cooling H100, Force 3 120 ssd and Dominator 1866 memory