We were intrigued by Corsair's Bulldog mini-ITX barebones when it debuted back at Computex, but we also wondered whether the system's assertive red-and-black paint job and angular, skeletal feet were a little much for most folks' living rooms—the turf where Corsair expects this dog to prowl. It seems others wondered the same thing, since Corsair debuted a stealthier, more refined version of the Bulldog this past weekend at PAX Prime 2015.
This groomed Bulldog ditches the red frame of its predecessor for an all-black paint job. Its angular feet are less prominent, as well. I wasn't turned off by the original Bulldog's design, but this revision looks just a little bit more classy and subtle. Pehaps this version will strike a better balance between the demands of the living room and the man cave.
Corsair now says it will sell the Bulldog in two different breeds, too. Buyers can still get a Bulldog barebones with a Z170 mini-ITX motherboard, a 600W SFX power supply, and a dedicated all-in-one liquid CPU cooler for $400, but the company will also sell the system sans motherboard for $300 to builders who would rather start from the ground up.
For even greater ease of assembly, Corsair tells us Bulldog-specific liquid-cooled graphics cards from MSI are in the works. One can also slap a Corsair liquid-cooling bracket on a compatible card and keep it chilly with a Hydro H55 all-in-one liquid cooler. The leaner, meaner Bulldog should arrive late this year, while fully built Bulldog systems will be available from "select partners" in 2016.