Introduction

With the smaller form factor PCs being all the rage these days, more and more people are switching to using media center PCs for watching TV and movies. However, the smaller the case, the more heat it must dissipate. Depending on the setup, this could cause more ambient noise than one would want while trying to relax and binge on Game of Thrones or nap while their wife watches some random romantic comedy. What if there was a completely silent chassis? One where you didn’t have to worry about fans and noise. We’d like to thank the good people over at Streacom for providing us with the FC9 Alpha fanless chassis for this review as well as the 150 watt Nano Power Supply. But can this chassis really offer great cooling and a completely silent experience? Let’s find out!

About Streacom

Their Mission

“To design, engineer, manufacture and supply a range of computer products and accessories that push the boundaries of form, function, quality and value.”

Their History

Streacom was founded in 2010 by a small but experienced team that shared a common vision of producing uniquely designed and engineered computer cases. With our head office in Holland and manufacturing base in China, we entered the market by focusing on SFF and passive cooled products all made from premium grade aluminum. This combination of premium quality and compact design has established Streacom as a global player in the PC component market and earned us a reputation for making stylish well-crafted products.

Specification and Features

• Material: Premium Grade (6063) All Aluminum, 4mm thick Extruded Panels
• Available Colors: Silver or Black
• Motherboard Support: Mini-ITX or Micro ATX
• Optical Bay: Slim Slot Loading (FC9 Optical Version Only)
• Hard Drive Support: up to 3 3.5” or 2.5” HDD or SSD
• Expansion Slots: 3 low profile expansion slots 156mm max length
• USB Ports: 2 x USB 3.o
• Cooling: Heat pipe Direct Touch 4 Pipes – Recommended CPU TDP 65W, Max TDP 95W**
• External Dimensions: 348 x 289 x 100mm (W x D x H, 109mm including feet)
• Internal Dimensions: 288 x 280 x 93mm (W x D x H)
• Power Supply: ZF240 or Nano Series PSU (Not Included)
• Remote Control: FLirc or IRRC Solutions (not Included)
• Net Weight: 4.4KG

Features

The FC9 Alpha is constructed entirely out of premium grade 6063 aluminum and is one solid piece of machined beauty. Its cooling system consists of 4 copper heat pipes and has a recommended CPU TDP 65W and a max TDP 95W. However, with proper ventilation and air flow, it can handle. The model I have supports a slim slot loading optical drive as well as an infrared remote control, both of which are sold separately. The FC9 Alpha sports 2 USB 3.0 headers. One on the left and the other on the right side of the chassis. If your board doesn’t support USB 3.0, you can buy a USB 2 to USB 3 convertor. Aside from the USB 3, the FC9 Alpha has a spot for a slot loading slim DVD or Blu-Ray drive. You can also use a universal remote controlusing the FLirc or IRRC Solutions which are sold separately as well as is the optical drive. The FC9 Alpha can support up to 3 x 3.5” hard drives and 3 x 2.5” hard drives or SSDs. The FC9 Alpha requires a ZF240 or Nano Series power supply. However, they are sold separate. This chassis offers 3 low profile expansion slots. These are perfect for low end GPUs or a TV tuner card. 

Packaging

The Front and back view of the outer sleeve of the FC9 Alpha are the same

The manual is what you first see when the box is first opened

Once removed, the manual reveals the hardware that comes with the FC9 Alpha

Under the hardware, the actual chassis is packed in soft foam and a protective cloth bag to prevent scratching

The FC9 Alpha in the cloth bag

The FC9 Alpha removed from the package

The FC9 Alpha comes packed in a brown box with a convenient carrying handle covered by an attractive black sleeve sporting the Streacom logo and the FC9 Alpha branding. When first opened, you see the FC9 Alpha manual attached to a foam tray with a plastic band.  This foam tray holds the heat pipes, mounting bracket for both AMD and Intel, mounting hardware to mount the heat pipes, CPU block, 2 tubes of thermal paste, a small allen wrench, and about 12 bags of screws and other mounting hardware. This tray sits in the middle of the top piece of soft protective foam. Once removed, you see the chassis in a white cloth bag, seated inside a second piece of soft protective foam. All in all, the FC9 Alpha is packed very well and arrived to me completely undamaged.

The manual and the included hardware

All the hardware that comes packed with the FC9 Alpha

A Closer Look and Installation

The top panel has plenty of ventilation

The bottom of the chassis offers more ventilation as well as mounting screws for hard drives and SSDs

The slot for the slim slot loading optical drive

Here you see the IR sensor for a remote

These are the optional IR solutions for a remote control

The power button has a bright blue LED above it to show when the PC is on

The front view of the FC9 Alpha

The rear view of the FC9 Alpha including the 3 low profile expansion slots

The retention bar for the low profile brackets is removable for easy access

Here you see the front USB 3.0 port and the unused screw holes for mounting the heat pipes to the wall

Installation Continued

Here is the FC9 Alpha as is looks with no motherboard

The DVD sled is removed to gain access to the hard drive tray

The DVD drive tray removes and flips over to reveal SSD and HDD mounting locations

This small mounting brackets attach to the bottom of the motherboard using small stickers

Here is closer look at the mounting brackets that replace an actual backplate

The FC9 Alpha come with standoffs installed for an ITX motherboard and extra standoffs as well

These are the screws for mounting the motherboard

The hard drive tray can slide back a couple inches to allow for better access to the motherboard standoffs

This is the bracket that allows the hard drive tray to slide back and forth

Here is a closer look at the bracket that allows the hard drive tray slide back and forth

The FC9 Alpha uses a Nano Power Supply

The external power brick came with both American and European plugs

The Nano power supply is essentially a 24 pin connector with a PCB mounted on it

The plug attaches to the rear of the chassis here

This is what the plug looks like from the inside

Once the ram and CPU are installed, it’s time for the CPU cooling to be installed

The FC9 Alpha is an absolutely stunning design. Coming in both black or silver, you can get one to match your home theatre set up. The front is simple yet beautiful, showing only the IR sensor, optical slot, power button and power LED. There are 4 screw, 2 on either side of the chassis that you unscrew to remove the top of the case. Once the top is removed, the inside is revealed. The first thing I noticed was the sled for the slim, slot loading optical drive. This sled is mounted to a hard drive tray that flips over and allows you to mount 2 2.5“hard drives or SSDs with 2 3.5” hard drives on top of them. Once this tray is flipped over, it can be slid back a bit for better access to the motherboard standoffs for an MATX board. If you decide to use an M-ITX board, you can mount both SSDs or Hard Drives on the floor of the chassis. I can also say that any gaming style boards, with heatsinks along the top of the board, Will Not work in the FC9 Alpha. The heat sinks will be directly in the way of the CPU heat pipes that mount on the side of the chassis. On the rear of the chassis are 3 low profile expansion slots, a spot for the rear IO shield, as well as a plug for the power brick for the Nano power supply that is used with the FC9 Alpha, however, the Nano power supply is sold separately. On both the top and the bottom of the plug for the power supply are 2 small screws. When taken out, these screws remove the plug for the Nano power

supply. This is because if your power supply supports it, you can install a traditional 3 prong plug on the FC9 Alpha. One either side of the outside of the chassis, the chassis looks similar to a heat sink. This is due to the fact that the chassis actually is a heat sink.

Here is All the parts needed for mounting the CPU cooling

The CPU block has thermal paste on both the bottom of the block and the top where the heat pipes go

Once the CPU block it mounted to the CPU and the heat pipes are installed, the cover plate is then installed

Finally, the heat pipes are affixed to the wall of the chassis that works as a heat sink.

I ended up using an MATX Gigabyte FM2+ board with an A8-6600k APU from AMD. I had numerous issues attempting to use M-ITX boards in the FC9 Alpha, so much so that it held up the publication of this review. It was all little things, and no fault of Streacom at all. It was more the placement of certain things on the boards I choose. First one had the 24 pin in the way of the heat pipes that mount on the side wall of the chassis. Second board, the 24 pin was too close to the ram slots, and there for the Nano Power Supply wouldn’t plug in. These were all things that I could have easily avoided by simply paying attention before I began building. This is why I decided to use the MATX board. To mount is, I had to add in the additional The CPU mounting hardware comes with 4 heat pipes, the actual CPU block, a cover plate for the CPU block, 3 mounting brackets and a series of different size screws. After applying the included thermal paste, I attach the CPU block to the CPU. I then added thermal paste to the grooves in the block meant for the heat pipes. I then screwed down the top plate, but not all the way in case the heat pipes need adjusting, which they did. Once they are aligned right, I added thermal paste to the opposite end of the heat pipes that attach to the wall of the chassis. I then use the mounting brackets to sandwich the heat pipes to the side of the chassis. The mounting brackets get attached by screwing through the outside of the chassis into a series of holes down either side of the FC9 Alpha. For a small chassis, there was a surprisingly good amount of room on the sides of the motherboard for cable management. I would have liked to have seen a similar kind of bracket to the mounting brackets for the heat pipes to use for cables. Only for the reason both sides have the same screw holes on them for these brackets. It would have made it that much cleaner inside. But I’m just being picky at this point. With a few Zip ties, the inside was neat and clean.

Testing

System

• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H
• Processor: AMD A8-6600k
• Ram: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8 gb
• 150 watt Streacom Nano Fanless Power Supply
• Storage: 240 gb San Disk SSD and 500 gb WD Blue
• OS: Windows 10 Pro

The FC9 Alpha has a recommended TDP of 73 watts. However, with proper ventilation, an open area, and a decent ambient temperature, it can handle up to a 95 watt TDP. TDP or Thermal Design Power, is used todetermine the amount of heat a CPU generates as well as the type cooling system that’s will be needed to dissipate that heat. When testing for temperatures, there are three things to look at, the ambient temperature, or temperature of the room, the actual temperature and the Delta, or Delta T. The Delta is the difference in the temperature. For example, with an ambient temperature of 20°c and a CPU temperature of 50°c, the Delta T would be 30°c. Since this is meant to be a media center PC, I didn’t test it for gaming. I recorded idle temps in a room with a 22°c ambient temperature. The FC9 Alpha was places on a table, not in an entertainment center, with plenty of ventilation. I first booted to the desk top and left the system idle for 30 minutes. I then recorded an idle temperature of 55°c and a Delta T of 33°.Given this is a completely passively cooled system, I feel this isn’t a bad temp to have reached. I then began watching Netflix in full 1080p. After watching a couple episodes of the Walking Dead, I recorded a temperature of 69°c. Since it’s still the same ambient temperature, the Delta T went up to 47°c. For a fanless system under any kind of load, I feel these are really good temps. Although the A8-6600k has an unlocked multiplier, I didn’t feel like this was the kind of system you’d overclock with. Especially since when I ran Prime95, the system blue screened.  However, as I said, this isn’t the kind of system that overclocking and stress testing is really meant for. This is meant to strictly be a media center PC, that’s it.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

The FC9 Alpha is solid aluminum and absolutely beautiful

Overall, the Streacom FC9 Alpha was a pleasure to build in a well as have sitting on top of my entertainment system. It is extremely easy to build in, with plenty of room to spare in side. The passive cooling system means complete silence, which is perfect for a media center PC.  With space for upwards of 3 hard drives and 3 SDDs, there is more than enough room for storing movies and TV shows. With the edition of the FLirc or IRRC Solutions for a remote control and a slot loading Blu-Ray drive (or DVD), the FC9 Alpha will make the ultimate media center PC. The combination of beauty and functionality makes this case a must have for any enthusiast building a media center PC. If you’re the kind of person that just must have the best of the best, the Streacom FC9 Alpha is the chassis for you, even at the NewEgg price of $295.00. Even at this price, I feel you are getting your money’s worth. The build quality and attention to detail is second to none. For this reason, I’m happy to award the Streacom FC9 Alpha the Proclockers Editor’s Choice Award. If you decided to pick up this case for your next media center PC, I promise you will not be disappointed!

Introduction

SilverStone is one of the most renowned and respected brands when it comes to computer cases. Their RAVEN and Temjin series were just some of the popular cases for PC enthusiasts and builders alike. Here come a new series from SilverStone, the Primera Series cases and today we will be checking out the first model under this series, the Primera PM01 ATX chassis.

We would like to thank SilverStone Technology for sending us a sample of their Primera PM01 chassis for us to review today.

SilverStone's Take on the PM01

Primera is the Spanish word for “first” or “first class.” Cases in this series are designed for those seeking to build PCs with rich feature set and trend-setting aesthetics.

The Primera PM01 is an incredible computer case that fuses eye-catching styling and functionality in a package rarely seen in the PC world. It utilizes high quality, piano-like finish with oversized intake mesh panel inspired by sports car intake grill for unusually sleek exterior. Paired with an elaborate lighting system consists of LED fans and built-in adjustable LED strips, the PM01 can project the feel of a luxurious supercar on a highly customizable computer case. The roomy interior layout supports a variety of large, high end components that are designed to be cooled efficiently and quietly by the included three 140mm LED intake fans and an 140mm exhaust fan. True to SilverStone tradition, the PM01 also has excellent dust protection thanks to implementation of easily removable filters and positive pressure airflow setup. Novice users will find this case a pleasure to build with and maintain while advanced users will find details such as support for two 360mm radiator mounting positions and water tank mounting holes to be highly useful for building beautiful liquid cooled PCs.

Features and Specifications

• Includes three 140mm LED fans and built-in LED strips for stunning visual impact
• Oversized front panel mesh design inspired by supercar intake grill
• Support two 240/280/360mm radiator for AIO liquid cooler or custom water cooling
• Reserved water tank mounting holes for water cooling setup
• Removable filters with positive air pressure design for dust reduction
• Built-in 4-segment LED light controller to adjustable brightness and modes
• Super clean internal look with PSU and drive bay cover
• Includes 10 in 1 fan hub for fan cable management

Specifications

Models:

• SST-PM01BR-W (black with red LED + window)
• SST-PM01CR-W (matte black with red LED + window)
• SST-PM01WA-W (white with blue LED + window)

Material:

• Plastic outer shell, steel body

Drive Bay:

• External: None
• Internal: 2.5" or 3.5" x 4, 2.5" x 5

Cooling System:

• Front: 3 x 120mm / 140mm fan slot (includes 3 x 140mm LED fan)
• Rear: 1 x 120mm / 140mm fan slot (includes 1 x 140mm fan)
• Side: N/A
• Top: 3 x 120mm fan slot or 2 x 140mm fan slot
• Bottom: N/A
• Internal                : N/A

Radiator Support:

• Front: 120mm / 240mm / 280mm / 360mm x 1
• Rear: 120mm / 140mm x 1
• Top: 120mm / 240mm / 280mm / 360mm x 1
• Bottom : N/A

Expansion Slot:

• 7

Front I/O Port:

• USB 2.0 x 2
• USB 3.0 x 2
• Audio x 1
• MIC x 1

Power Supply:

• Standard PS2 (ATX)

Expansion Card:

• Support graphics card up to 16.5", width restriction - 6.88"

Limitation of CPU cooler:

• 180mm

Limitation of PSU:

• 240mm

Net Weight:

• 9 kgs

Dimension:

• 220mm (W) x 571mm (H) x 560mm (D), 70.3 Liters

Packaging and Unboxing

The SilverStone Primera PM01 chassis comes in a colored box packaging with two different models featured back to back. One features the black-red model while the other features the white-blue model.

On the sides of the box, you can read the features and specifications of the Primera PM01 chassis.

The Primera PM01 is protected by a sheet of plastic and Styrofoam inside the box.

Upon taking out the Primera PM01 from the box, the acrylic window and plastic components of the chassis are protected by a sheet of plastic as well. The model we acquired is the SST-PM01BR-W (black with red LED + window) which has a glossy surface and not matte, and probably why SilverStone decided to cover it with a sheet of plastic to protect it from the smallest scratch during transport.

Closer Look: Exterior

Here's a look at the SilverStone Primera PM01 from an elevated angle. The shape doesn't look like a typical chassis with it having round edges and curves which I personally find appealing.

The Primera PM01 has a glossy "piano-like finish" which is certainly eye-catching which I could liken to a sports car. The top shroud side vent looks like those of a Lamborghini.

This is the Primera PM01 with the power and LED lighting on. The three 140mm red LED lighted fans in the front of the chassis looks flashy. The red LED lighting that's located at the bottom and top of the PM01 also gives a cool accent. There's also a red LED module on the vent-looking thing on top of the chassis.

Here's a look at the rear of the Primera PM01. There's a pre-installed 140mm fan as exhaust at the rear. Perhaps the focal point of the rear is the top portion that shows the top vent of the chassis.

Here's the top-rear of the Primera PM01 chassis. The airflow going through the triple fan mount on top of the chassis which you can also mount a radiator on would lead to this vent. It also looks cool with the red LED lighting on.

Here's a look at the top panel of the Primera PM01. It is plastic and it has a smooth and glossy surface. All the air that would be pushed upward goes out to the rear-end of the chassis as shown in the images above.

There are two pairs of USB ports; a pair of USB 2.0 ports and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. There's also the typical set of audio jacks which are all near the LED button which changes the LED effects. LED effects include four; off, high brightness, low brightness, and breathing effect.

This small button is the power and HDD LED button. Unfortunately, the SilverStone Primera PM01 doesn't have a reset switch. It is debatable if it is really required to have a reset switch but I would be on the side that prefer having one.

The last portion of the externals is the bottom. The Primera PM01 has four small rubber pads as case feet. It does have a good elevation above the ground which isn't very obvious much like a sports car's low profile chassis. At the power supply bay is a removable dust filter for easy cleaning.

Also included with the Primera PM01 chassis are a pack of screws, 2x 2-way fan header splitter and a user's guide.

Closer Look: Front and Top Interior

Here's the front interior of the SilverStone Primera PM01 without the front mesh panel. It reveals the three 140mm red LED fans pre-installed in the case. There are no ODD bays on the PM01 unlike some of the RAVEN series cases which has a slim slot-loading ODD bay.

Here's a look at the top panel I/O ports once again without the top panel on.

Removing the top panel will reveal the top radiator/fan mounting area. The radiator would have to be installed inside the chassis chamber though since there's no way tubes can pass through the mesh unless modified. Also, fans would also need to be installed inside as the 3-pin fan headers doesn't fit any hole on the top mesh panel unless again modified but clearly the design seems to enable the builder to mount the fan outside the chassis chamber. You could do so but that would mean either making a hole for the fan cable to pass through or to remove the 3-pin fan header, route the cable and install the header back again.

Closer Look: Left-Side Interior

Here's a look at the interior of the SilverStone Primera PM01 on the left-side. The first thing you'd notice is the power supply shroud at the bottom of the chassis and also the huge open space in the motherboard area. You'd also be wondering about the inexistent drive cage behind the front-end of the PM01 which is very common in desktop cases. The huge motherboard cutout is also noticeable and the numerous cable routing holes on the middle and bottom of the motherboard tray area.

There's nothing behind the front panel fan mounts which means fresh cool air can be fed inside the chassis without any obstacle. Hence, this is also a very favorable radiator mounting spot of the PM01 chassis.

The top does support up to 360mm radiators. The mounting on top is also not centered and has some distance away from the motherboard area to provide better clearance with components.

Mounting a 360mm radiator in front of the PM01 would have some width or thickness limitations due to the power supply shroud and the radiator opening on it. Note that the power supply shroud is riveted into the chassis and is not removable unless the rivets are removed. The power supply shroud is also a sheet of aluminum and not plastic. I'd be using a EK Waterblocks CoolStream 360 radiator with a thickness of 45mm which barely gives extra space on this window. Anything thicker than 45mm would likely be hard to fit or would require modification. Later we will look into the watercooling options and limitations of the Primera PM01.

At the bottom portion of the motherboard area are cable routing holes ideal for the headers commonly located at the bottom of the motherboard as well. These would be the USB port headers, I/O switch headers, audio header and others. These would really help create a neat cable management later as well install our system on the Primera PM01.

This routing hole on the power supply shroud is ideal for the PCIe power cables to pass through for your system's graphics cards. Also notice the SilverStone logo on the power supply shroud. It does look great on the case's overall aesthetics but it would be a lot better if that was a LED lighted logo just to go along the LED lighting effects of the chassis.

Closer Look: Right-Side Interior

Here's the right-side or back-end of the Primera PM01. There's around 20mm more or less of space for cable management. It may not be the most generous of all cases but it is workable enough based on my experience with the chassis. There are some noticeable features you can find on the chassis at this portion as well which we will discuss further below.

Below the motherboard cutout hole are two 2.5-inch drive bays.

Here's a look at the power supply bay below the Primera PM01. You could say that the bottom chamber comprises of the power supply and drives at the front.

There's also an included fan hub behind the PM01 which can accommodate 10 fans and other devices with a 3-pin fan header.

There's also an included Velcro strap on the Primera PM01 case for tidier and quick cable management.

There are three slots on the drive cage at the bottom of the case. The mounting bracket can house both a 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard drive.

There are unique screws that go into the drive mounting brackets for the 3.5-inch hard drives. The included smaller screws will do for the 2.5-inch drives.

Build and Installation: Air Cooling Setup

We will do two builds with the SilverStone Primera PM01 chassis. We will start with a typical air cooled CPU setup with a massive air cooling unit like the Noctua NH-D15S.

Setup

• Motherboard: MSI 970 Gaming AM3+
• Processor: AMD FX 8370 8-Core CPU
• Memory: Kingston HyperX Beast 16GB Kit (2X8GB) 2400Mhz @ 2133Mhz
• Graphics Card: MSI GTX 960 2G
• CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15S
• Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 1200W with Primochill ModSmart Braided Cables
• Drives: 2 x 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue / 1 x 120GB Kingston HyperX SSD
• Chassis: SilverStone Primera PM01

The SilverStone Primera PM01 is certainly spacious and a simple single GPU setup even with a massive CPU cooler will still feature the space of the chassis. Cable management in the business end of the case is really easy and neat thanks to the smart locations of the cable routing holes with grommets. The number of exposed cables can be minimized by routing them on the nearest routing hole.

I did a setup with the least amount of cables required which was to use the bottom drive bays since using the 2.5-inch drive bays on the motherboard tray would result to adding another SATA power cable in my power supply.

The most challenging part of the cable management would have to be the SATA power and SATA cables. If these do not have a 90-degree angle header, it would require some force to make it fit and clear the side panel. It would have been good if the drive bay is pushed a bit deeper into the cavity but the given space does work even with straight SATA power headers.

Even with the air cooling setup, the three massive 140mm fans pre-installed in the front of the Primera PM01 is enough to feed cool air inside the chassis and through our NH-D15S air cooler. There were no additional fans added to the setup. Now let's see what we can do with the case when it comes to building a system with custom water cooling in mind.

Build and Installation: Custom Liquid Cooling Setup

We certainly cannot pass the challenge of building a custom liquid cooling setup with the Primera PM01 given the very favorable space and radiator mounting options present.

Setup

• Motherboard: Gigabyte Z170X Gaming 6
• Processor: Intel Core i7-6700K
• Memory: Team Group Delta DDR4 3000Mhz 16GB Kit (2x8GB)
• Graphics Card: Gigabyte GTX 970 Xtreme Gaming
• Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 1200W with Primochill ModSmart Braided Cables
• Drives: 2 x 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue / 1 x 120GB Kingston HyperX SSD
• Chassis: SilverStone Primera PM01
• Water Cooling:
  
  • CPU Water Block: EK Water Blocks Supremacy EVO RED Edition
  • Radiator: EK Water Blocks CoolStream 360
  • Pump: EK Water Blocks DCP 2.2
  • Reservoir: Barrow 150mm Cylindrical Water Tank
  • Fittings: Monsoon Chain Gun
  • Tubing Size: 3/8" ID ,1/2" OD

Fitting two 360mm radiators on the SilverStone Primera PM01 is easy without any modification needed.

Note that here I had one that is 45mm thick and on top is 30mm thick 360mm radiator. Thickness limitations would be much larger if you plan to use two 240mm radiators or 280mm radiators. Hence this was just to point out the largest possible combination of radiators the PM01 can accommodate. As mentioned earlier, the front would have a limitation of 45mm more or less due to the power supply shroud and window. However, the top certainly has more clearance and could support thicker radiators like the Alphacool NexXxoS Monsta radiators.

Here's the Primera PM01 with our custom liquid cooling setup.

Here's a shot of the bottom area of the motherboard where you can barely see some of the front panel I/O cables routed and plugged to the motherboard, thanks to the routing holes found at the power supply shroud of the PM01.

Here's the build without the side panel on and with the system running.

Here's the build with the side panel on and system running.

Even with our custom water cooling setup, the pre-installed fans were enough to feed cool air into the radiator and inside the chassis. We could do a push-pull and add two 120mm fans on the upper-rear of the radiator for increased cooling performance, perhaps if you have overclocking in mind. Overall, building a custom water cooling loop with the Primera PM01 was rather easy thanks to the favorable mounting options even for the pump and reservoir. There was no modification to the chassis required at all.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

The SilverStone Primera PM01 has a lot of impressive features we found out. Let us break it down to several points below.

Aesthetics

The aesthetics of the Primera PM01 is intended to make it standout. The huge window on the side panel, curvy top panel, huge meshed front panel and vents that look like those of a sports car are all there saying "look at me". Even the layout is built for easy and clean cable management, to showcase all the good in PC hardware and hide the things unnecessary to be seen. The case may not have the RAVEN style looks but this certainly has the same level or even better kind of appeal.

Layout and Flexibility

The layout of the Primera PM01 is certainly spacious and smart. It has routing holes to places where it will be needed. Even to the portion where the I/O audio connector tends to be routed, there's a routing hole there. The layout is also very generous when it comes to water cooling support. It is not common to find a case that supports two 360mm radiators natively. The layout also supports good air flow design having huge intake in front, exhaust on the rear and top. The drive and power supply chamber also gets a sufficient amount of cooling have around 80% of the bottom 140mm fan feeding it with cool air. The layout is also very flexible when it comes to length and size restrictions. The Primera PM01 can pretty much house the longest graphics cards available today. It even housed a large 1200-watt power supply in our review. Drive bays and mounting locations are also plenty and are all unseen from the business end.

I personally find the SilverStone Primera PM01 complete and without lacking anything. The four pre-installed fans are sufficient to provide cooling for your system and it does go with the overall theme of the case. At a price of $109.99 at Neweggand Amazon, I feel that the Primera PM01 is reasonably prices for all the features it offers. We are proud to give the Primera PM01 our Editor's Choice award!

Likes

• Aesthetics
• Layout and Flexibility
• Bundling and Price

Dislikes

• None

Introduction

If there is one thing everyone who considers themselves an enthusiast in the PC community loves, its having the ability to customize your system to fit your personality. With things like case modding growing in popularity, Cooler Master decided to take advantage of the communities ever growing demand for customization with the release of their MasterCase series. First was the MasterCase Pro 5 and the MasterCase Maker 5. Now, with the release of the MasterCase Pro 3, Cooler Master has brought full modularity and customization to the smaller form factor. However, does their FreeFormModular System truly give you the ability it “Make it Yours?” We’d like to thank Cooler Master for sending us the MasterCase Pro 3 for this review.  Now let’s go in-depth with the MasterCase Pro 3 and see if its worth of the name.

About Cooler Master

“We're all about the things that make building a PC such a rewarding experience. The sense of achievement. The joy of making and creating something uniquely yours in form and function. The freedom that comes from complete control. And of course, the thrill of bringing your creation to life without melting your components”

Cooler Master is a computer hardware manufacturer from Taiwan. Founded in 1992, the company is an aftermarket brand for computer chassis, PSU, coolers, cooling pads, and other accessories. Aside from their own aftermarket cooling solutions, Cooler Master is also an OEM vendor for different brand names such as Nvidia, AMD and EVGA. They produce GPU coolers, CPU coolers and Heatsinks for the various companies.  In recent years the company expanded its brand exposure into gaming communities by sponsoring major events such as KODE5 and a case modding competition. They have also won awards such as the iF product design award.

Specifications and Features

Specifications

• Color: Black interior, Dark, metallic Grey Exterior
• Form Factor: MATX, ITX’
• Materials: SECC, Plastic
• Dimensions (WxHxD): 467 x 235 x 505 mm. 18.4 x 9.3 x 19.9 inches
• 5.25” Bays: 0
• 3.5” Bays: 2
• 2.5” Bays 2+2
• Expansion Slots: 5
• Front IO
  
  • USB 3.0 x 2
  • Audio in and out (supports HD Audio)
• Radiator Supports
  
  • Front: 120mm, 1420mm, 240mm, 280mm
  • Rear: 120mm, 140mm
  • Top: 120mm, 140mm, 240mm
• Power Supply: Bottom Mount, ATX PS2 (Max length: 200mm)
• Max CPU Cooler Height: 190mm, 7.48”
• Max GPU Length:
  
  • With 3.5” cage 296mm, 11.7”
  • Without 3.5” cage 412mm, 16.22”
• Weight: 10.7 kg, 23.6 lbs.
• Warranty: 2 Years
• Accessories: Accessory Kit, User Manual

Features

With the MasterCase Pro 3, there is a focus on customizability and modularity.  The Master Case Pro 3 comes with 2 140mm fans pre-installed. However, this MATX chassis has room for a total of up to 5 140 or 120mm fans. There are many features that make the MasterCase Pro 3 stand out for the crowd. One of, if not the most prominent feature of the MasterCase series is the FreeForm Modular System. This system allows you to Customize the look and functionality of the chassis, but also adjust the inside to fit your build. You can also upgrade the case as you see fit. The MasterCase Pro 3 offers many of the features of the MasterCase Pro 5, just in a smaller form factor. Like many cases, the MasterCase Pro 3 has a side panel window, so you can display your build. There is a removable mid-plate that can hide the power supply. This is something more and more companies are doing and I love this feature. Just about everypart of this chassis ie either moveable or removeable. The FreeForm Modular System is one of the best concepts when it comes to PC cases in recent memory.

Packaging

Here you see the front of the box of the MasterCase Pro 3

The rear of  the box shows a blown out view of the MasterCase Pro 3 as well as the main features in a number of languages, and a description of the FreeForm Modular System.

The right side of the box depicts the MasterCase Pro 3.

The left side of the box displays all of the specifications of the MasterCase Pro 3.

Here is the top view of the box.

When first opened, you’ll see the small accessory and the user manual set in the very thick, hard foam.

The MasterCase Pro 3 was delivered to me is excellent condition. This was due to the very hard and thick protective cardboard on all of the outter edges of the box and secured by shrink wrap. The front of the box depicts the front of the MasterCase Pro 3 as well as the side of the case with the side panel removed. Along with that it has the Cooler Master logo and the “Make It Yours” slogan above the product branding on the right side of the front of the box. The rear of the box also has the product brandingon the top right, and the Cooler Master logo and slogan on the top left. Below that is a description of the FreeForm Modular System and a blown out picture of the actual case. Under this are the main features of the MasterCase Pro 3 in a number of different languages. The left side of the box lists all f the specifications of the MasterCase Pro 3. The right side simply displays a picture of the front of the case at a slight angle, showing off the rear side panel. The top of the box displays the product branding, logo and things such as the UPC code and mdel number. When first opened, yousee, seated in hard grey foam, a small accessory box and user manual. I’m usually not a huge fan of hard foam. However, this was very thick and sturdy foam and didn’t break in transit. Once the top layer of hard foam was removed, you see the case wrapped on a light foam bag of sorts. Once you remove the case from the box, you see the other piece of hard foam that protected the bottom of the case. Along with the user manual was the accessory kit. In the kit you’ll find a few zip ties, a bag of hardware, screws, standoffs, etc. Also in the small accessory box were a couple 4-pin molex to 3-pin connectors for the fans. These came in very handy due to the fact I was using a Mini-Itx motherboard with only 2 fan headers. The user manual came in a small plastic bag and also contained the warranty information.

Here is the the small accessory box that includes the zip ties, Molex to 3-pin adapters and all the screws and standoffs

Here you see the user manual

Here is what the internal packaging looks like.

A Closer Look: Exterior

The side panel window comes with a layer of protective plastic to prevent any scratches during shipping.

Here is a view of the rear side panel.

The front mesh panel is sporting the Cooler Master logo.

Although there is no 5.25” bay, there is a 5.25” bay cover.

The front IO has the power and reset buttons, the HDD LED indicator, 2 USB 3.0 and 2 3.5mm jacks. One for a mic and the other for headphones.

As a part of the MasterCase family, the MasterCase Pro 3 looks great. Its almost identical to Pro 5, just a bit smaller. The front intake is a hard mesh, removable panel sporting the classic Cooler Master logo. Right above the front mesh panel is a 5.25” bay cover, although there is no 5.25” bay. Thes two pieces make up one larger, also removeable front panel. This panel is removed to gain access to the front fans as well as the bracket that holds them in place. Above the front panel is the front IO. The Front IO is made up of 2 USB 3.0 ports, 2 3.5 mm audio in and out jacks, the power and resert buttons and an LED indicator for the hard drive LED. Moving up the is an air intake that doubles as a handle. Also on the top, there is a mesh vent that also has a removeable cover. For my build the cover will remain off due to the radiator mounted in the top of the case. For easy access to the coolinbg solution on the top, if any, the mesh vent is completely removable. This makes cleaning the filter and radiators as well as swapping fans out much easier. When this cover is removed, you can also see the handle on the top rear of the case.

The top of the also has a mesh dust cover.

You can also keep the cover on if there is no cooling on the top of the case.

The top dust cover can also be removed for easy access to either the fans or radiator.

Here you see the the rear IO, 5 expansion slots, rear exhaust, and power supplt mounting bracket.

The rear of the case is like many other cases. There’s a spot for the motherboards IO shield. Right next to that is the exhaust for the case. Here you can fit up to a 140 mm cooling solution. What the Pro 3 has that you don’t really see muchm is instead of having just screw holes, there are tracks in the place of holes. This allows you to either raise or lower the fan or radiator to your liking. Under the exhaust, there are 5 expansion slots for adding graphics cards,  PCIe SSDs, sound cards, etc. This is pending that your motherboard has room for that many expansions. As we make our way done the rear of the chassis, we come to the spot for the power supply. This is another feature where the MasterCase series stands out, the power supply bracket. Mounted to ther rear of the case with thumb screws, this bracket allows you to remove the power supply through theback of the chassis. You will no longer need to remove the side panel to access the power supply. Great feature! Just below the power supply is the dust filter for the power supply. The underside of the case is kept up off the surface by its solid steel legs that stretch from side to side on the front and rear of the case. These legs also have rubber feet to prevent any surface it sits in frim scratching. The rear panel is a solid steel panel held on by two thumb screws. The front panel is also held on by two thumb screws, however, the front panel has a a window. The window has one smal strip of black plastic near the bottom of the window. This is so if you keep the mid-plate in, you can’t see the power supply and cables. This makes for a much cleaner looking build.

With the power supply bracket, you can remove the power supply through the rear of the chassis.

Directly below the power supply bracket is a dust filter for the power supply.

The MasterCase Pro 3 has massive steel feet with rubber feet.

Here is a shot of the under side of the chassis.

A Closer Look: Interior

For an MATX case, the MasterCase Pro 3 has a massive amount of space.

The MasterCase Pro 3 comes stock as a dual chamber with a removeable mid plate.

The case comes with 2 3.5” drive cages  pre-installed that can be removed and relocated.

The drive cages can be relocated using this mounting bracket.

Behind the bracket is the adjustable plate for radiators, VGA holders etc.

The Pro 3 has 3 spots for mounting SSDs. One on the motherboard tray and two in the mid plate.

Here you see the mid plate removed.

There are a number of rubber grommets on the back of the motherboard tray and on the mid plate

The rear exhaust comes with support for either a 140 or 120 mm fan or radiator.

The MasterCase Pro 3 has support for up to 16” graphics cards.

The front and top brackets can be removed to install either fans or radiators up to 280mms in length.

The front view of the radiator bracket

Here is a view of the entire back of the case.

The rear of case has 3 velcro straps that come screwed to the rear of the motherboard tray. They take care of the bulk of the cable management

With the mid plate installed, you can hide the power supply completely.

Here you see the front panel completely removed

Much like an apple pie, the inside of the MasterCase Pro 3 is what makes this case so sweet! The FreeForm Modular System truly allows you to completely customize not only the look, but also the function  of the case.With the FreeFormModular System, you can remove and relocate interior parts for maximum compatibility for components of all shapes and sizes.Like with the exterior, we’ll begin on the front of the chassis. Once the front panel is removed, it reveals one of two radiator brackets. The removable brackets allow installation of fans and liquid cooling radiators outside of the system. These brackets are held in place by thumb screws and support up to a 280mm radiator or up to 2 x 140mm fans. The other radiator bracket is on the top of the case, under the removable dust filter. The brackets are also removeable for easy install and removal of fans and radiators. When I removed the side panel, it was so much less of a chore than any other case I’ve ever used before. The bottom edge of the side panel has a lip that slides over a track on the edge of the case. Then on the top edge of the case, there is a latch that locks in plase on the side of the case. Much easier to put on and remove the panels than the traditional way case manufacturers have used for years. The rear panel has the same feature as well. Once you remove the windows side panel, You’ll start to see the true beauty and modularity of the MasterCase Pro 3. As it comes, the Pro 3 is a dual chamber case with a removeable mid plate separating the power supply chamber from the rest of the chassis.The removable mid-plate allows either a dual-chamber design or it can be removed for more room for watercooling components, larger video cards, etc. Also nest to the powersupply is a 3.5” drive cage that holds 2 x 3.5” hard drives or 2 x 2.5” SSDs. Like everything in the Pro 3, the drive cage is not only removeable, but the FreeForm Modular System allows them to be relocated to fit the builders needs. Along the outter edge of where the front radiator bracket mounts, there is a series of screw holes small slip and clip pockets. These are for raising and lowering the 3.5” drive cage. One the back wall of the case is Cooler Masters new and improved “Clip and Click” panel. Although this panel is not removeable, it is adjustable. Measuring approximately 267 x 51mm, or 10.5 x 2”, this panel runs along the back wall, on the right side of the case and ends at the mid-plate. This asdustment of this panel allows you to install thicker radiators on the front of the chassis. It’s designed to hold such accessories as extra drive cages, fan brackets, reservoirs, and the MasterAccessories VGA holder. Another feature of the MasterCase Pro 3 are the “Slip and Clip” pockets for SSD mounts. There are 3 to be exact. The fisrt is on the back wall, under the motherboard tray.This one can be installed on either side of the motherboard tray. The second and third are on the mid-plate. So if you remove the mid-plate, you’ll lose the mounting spots for 2 SSDs. On top of the already crazy amount of customization already available, there are a number of accessories you can purchase on top the what comes with the MasterCase Pro 3. Some of these accessories include SSD Pockets, 3.5” Drive Cages. A Universal VGA Holder, Top Panel Dust Cover, and my personal favorite, a Tempered Glass Side Panel. A panel which I have already purchased for my case.  Adding some or all of these accessories can give your case an all new look and feel.

The frame of the chassis with the rediator bracket, front and side panels removed

Here is a close up of the bottom lip on the side panel

The side panel slips over a track on the side of the chassis

The top of the side panel then locks into this groove on the top edge of the chassis

Here is a blown out diagram of the MasterCase Pro 3

Build and Installation

The completed build.

The System

• I5 4690k clocked @ 4.0GHz
• EVGA Z97 Stinger Mini-Itx MotherBoard
• GTX 1080 Founders Edition
• 16gb of Corsair Vengeance Pro @ 1866 MHz
• Lepa EXllusion 240 expandable AIO cooler with Thermal Take Ring fans
• Corsair RM850 with white sleeved cables
• 128gb Samsung 850 Pro Boot Drive
• Windows 10 Professional

The front of the chassis with the mesh dust filter removed.

Here you see the front panel removed and the 2 front 140 mm fans installed.

The power supply  and hard drives mounted under the mid plate

The MasterCase Pro 3 offers plenty of room for cable management.

Here is a shot of the inside front of the case with the complete build.

The rear view of the inside of the case.

The 8-pin power connector was managed through the power supply chamberm through the mids plate.

The rear of the case with the complete build in it.

The power supply mounting bracket with the power supply installed.

The fan or radiator on the exhaust cane be adjusted. It can be either raised or lowered to fit your needs.

To begin, I overclocked the i7 4690k to 4.2GHz @ 1.21 volts. The room was at a rather cool 21°c.  After booting, I let the system idle for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, I recorded an idle temperature of 24 °c, only 3c above the ambient temperature. Not bad for a smaller case. I then ran Cinebench R15 a total of 3 times. On the third run, I recorded a max temp of 51°c on the hottest core. Even though Cinebench R15 hits 100% laod, it is by no means a stress test.  Its just to give us an idea of the temps during a moderate load.  The exceptional amount of air flow through the case definitely helps out with the temperatures.

The rear of the Pro 3 has ample room for cable management

There is even a decent amount of room next to the power supply for excess cables to be tucked away.

A straight on view of the rear, behind the motherboard tray.

The included velcro straps offer more than enough room for the majority of the cables that need to be managed.

The 120 mm AIO did a great job cooling the 4690k

A shot from the rear of the PC running with side panel removed.

A shot from the rear of the PC running with side panel on.

For being an MATX case, there is a massive amount of room in the case, especially for cooling solutions.  I installed 3 x 140mm Thermal Take ting fans and 2 x 120mm. The front and the rear had trhe 3 140mm fans and the top had the 2 120mm fabns mounted on the radiator. I chose to use a Mini-Itx board. However, an MATX board woiuld have fit as well and, potientially given more fam headers. Luckily, the MasterCase Pro 3 came with a couple Molex to 3-pin fan adapters.  I mounted the Lepa EXllusion 240 on the top of the case in a pull configuration. Although, there would have been more than enough romm to set it up in a push pull configuration. Since I wasn’t setting up a custom loop, I deceded to keep the mid-plate in. There for, I I was able to mount the 2 SSDs I used on the mid-plate. I was also able to take advantage of the rubber grommet on the mid-plate for cable management, I ran the 8-pin power adapter through the grommet on the mid-plate for the graphics card. This helped by saving a little more room behind the motherboard tray. Speaking of which, there is ample room behind the motherboard tray for cable management. There are also a number of loops for running zip ties through, as well as 3 velcro straps attached to the back via screws to manage the bulk of your cable with. With the mid-plate installed, there is plenty of room in front of and next to the power supply to neatly wrap up and store any access cables you may have once the build is complete. Once everything was all connected, the rear panel slid on as easily as it did when the case was empty. All and all, this case is an absolute pleasure to build in. The only gripe I had at all was due to my choice of motherboard and the placement of SATA ports on the board. I can honestly not find one thing wrong with the MasterCase Pro 3 at all.

The 5 installed fans offered great airflow and temperatures. They also look amazing.

A shot from the front of the PC running with the side panel off.

Final Thought and Conclusion

The MasterCase Pro 3 has been an absolute pleasure to build in and review. There are very few cases out there I’d calssify as fun to work with, this is by far one of those cases. The customization can give you the feel of building in a new case each and every time you do a build in it. We’ve all come to the point in a build where we wish a psrt of a case wasn’t in the way. Well, with the MasterCase Pro 3, you can more than likely move that part. From a basic PC, to a custom loop with 2 radiators, to a file server with up to 10 hard drives, there’s nothing this case can’t handle. At the time of this review, there still isn’t a link to pruchase the MasterCase Pro 3. However, I do know that when it is available, it’ll cost $99.99 and you’ll be able to purchase it at online retailers such as Amazon, Newegg, and The Cooler Master Store as well as brick and mortar stores such as Microcenter in the US. With the combination of customization, modularity and an excellent price, I’m happy to award the Cooler Master MasterCase Pro 3 the Proclockers “Editors Choice Award.”  If you’re planning on an MATX or Mini-Itx build, I honestly feel that the MasterCase Pro 3 is the best case you can buy, especially for the price. With the MasterCase Pro 3, you can truly Make it Yours. 

Introduction

No matter how amazing the individual components in your computer are, the case you house them in is the most visible part the first thing everyone sees. As the home of everything except your monitor and peripherals, it’s often the first thing many builders pick out when planning a build. If you pick the container before you pick the contents, you often find yourself limited in one way or another on what you can and can’t install. With the Cougar Panzer MAX, that won’t ever be a problem! With room and flexibility to fit almost any combination of hardware and cooling you can come up with from a tiny air cooled mini-ITX to a monster Extended-ATX with quad GPUs, Cougar has you covered.

Pro Clockers would like to thank Cougar for sending us the Panzer MAX to check out, so let’s dive in and see what all the fuss is about!

Cougars Take on the Panzer Max

Panzer Max is a full tower gaming case that has been designed with gamers, overclockers, modders and professional level computer lovers in mind. It provides you with unprecedented levels of freedom when designing your system and choosing its components, has superb cooling capabilities and sports an attractive, professional looking design that will enhance any area you put it in.

Superior Expandability: Panzer MAX brings you unprecedented levels of freedom when designing your system. Its support for six different motherboard form factors and up to four double slot 390mm graphics cards allows you to install all the computing power you need, while the possibility to host up to six storage devices will provide plenty of space for your files.

Superior Cooling: Plenty of cooling is a key factor for gamers, overclocking and PC enthusiasts in general, and Panzer Max offers all they could ask for. With support for up to eight fans and four water cooling radiators, you will enjoy more than enough cooling horsepower to keep even the most advanced components safe from overheating. To complement this, its intelligent cable management system will keep all the cables behind the motherboard tray, allowing Air to flow unobstructed and dissipate the internal components' heat.

Superior Design: It doesn't matter where you install it: a computer built in Panzer Max is an impressive sight. With a metallic-like military inspiration design with a big side window, this case can both be a professional looking armored style build or a flamboyant LED fan equipped spectacle: the decision is yours. The easily removable covers and the orifices on all four sides make modding much more convenient, and allow you to transform it into whatever you want it to be. Other features such as the keyboard tray to free desktop space, the headphone hook, the four USB plugs and the two handles will contribute to make your life easier.

About Cougar

Created in Germany in 2007 by a group of engineers, COUGAR has been devoted since its first day to a single objective: to endow every single product with a superb quality, a rich functionality and a distinctive design. As a group of gamers, with successful products right out of the gate, Cougar jumped into the gaming gear market to counter the flood of poor quality and gimmicky gaming devices. Their first keyboard and mouse, the 700K and 700M respectively spent 3 years in development and landed well received on the market garnering many positive reviews and awards, including the prestigious iF Product Design Award in 2014. Cougar has since worked closely with Pro Gamers to completely fulfill the needs of gamers everywhere and in less than a decade has risen to be a global leader in gaming hardware, “Real gear for real gamers”.

Features & Specifications

Specifications

Features

• Military Metallic Style with Big Side Window
• Headphone Hook: Convenient location for your headphones that saves you desk space.
• Keyboard Tray: Liberate your desktop when you’re not using your computer.
• 35kg Handle Support: easy transportation
• Tool-less opening and removal of all covers: easy installation
• Easily moddable
• 4 USB Ports (including 2 USB 3.0 ports): Extended connectivity

Contents & Packaging

Cougar doesn’t waste money on colorful boxes, opting instead for a simple monochrome design over the cardboard box. With a simplified drawing of the Cougar Panzer MAX case taking up a 3rd of the front, the case highlights can be found near the bottom with the cougar logo, motto and case name taking up the remainder of the clean design.

The back of the box expands upon the features list with some diagrams indicating the interior layout and maximum hardware support, including fans and radiators.

The side of the box gives the full specifications as well as another clean picture of the case and the cougar logo and motto: “Real Gear for Real Gamers”.

Inside, we find the chassis wrapped in a soft cloth bag and cradled in heavy Styrofoam blocks to protect from any damage during shipping.

You probably saw the torn handle and crinkled corners on the outer box in the pictures above, none of that trauma was transferred to the case itself. Being supported on all six sides by Styrofoam over an inch thick has its advantages.

Removing the cloth bag, we get our first look at this awesome chassis! Notice the window is covered by a scratch protective film.

A Closer Look: Exterior

The striking military-esque style frame around the Cougar Panzer MAX case comes to a head at each corner with a carbon fiber appearance. The corners look like you could easily strap on a cargo parachute and air drop your rig right into the middle of a battle.

The top front edge holds the angled front panel. Two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 (type-A) ports surround the 3.5mm headphone and microphone jacks. The Power and reset buttons as well as the controls for an integrated fan speed controller surround the gold Cougar logo.

Just under the front panel we find two mesh covered 5.25” bays. Not everyone has given up optical drives, and there are many other devices that can occupy these bays, from Reservoirs to Fan controllers to VR access panels, so we’re glad to see these here. The rest of the front of the case is mesh, providing plenty of unrestricted airflow to the interior. The right side of the case is occupied entirely by a single easily removable door with quick release handle.

Pressing the mesh grill inwards on the front allows it to pop out and be removed for cleaning or installing fans. The 5.25” bays can be removed allowing up to 3 x 140mm fans or a 360mm radiator to be installed in the front. There is room between the front mesh and fan mounts to install normal 25mm thick fans or possibly a thin radiator so you don’t lose that space inside. The front comes with two cougar 120mm fans pre installed.

The top of the Cougar Panzer MAX case has a similar design, about 2/3rds of the case top is a mesh panel, and the rest is broken up into a smaller solid panel. Two fixed handles can be found on top of the case, and both are extremely heavy duty, rated to 35 kg or around 77 pounds, enough to have complete confidence, even with a very heavy and fully loaded build.

Similar to the front, the top panel is two pieces, one mesh and one solid that can be pressed in and popped out to access cooling gear below. Up to three 120mm or two 140mm fans can be installed here between the grills and the steel chassis. There are also a few large cable pass through to handle all necessary wiring.

The rear of the case is fairly typical, you have eight I/O slots as opposed to the usual seven, that way, four dual-slot GPUs can be used without blocking any ports. You get three pass through knock outs you can open up to run hoses to external water-cooling gear, a 120mm fan space with a Cougar fan pre installed, and the usual ATX power supply mount. Like the rest of the case, the rear is also recessed in a way that nothing extends beyond the exterior rails. In this scenario, you can push this case right up to a wall or desk back and your cables will be somewhat protected from getting smashed.

A Closer Look: Interior

Taking the windowed door off, we get our first glance of the roomy interior of the Cougar Panzer MAX case and the power supply cover. The power supply cover can keep even the worst nest of extra cables from a non-modular power supply at bay, and ensures the best looking build with minimal effort. The front of the cover is notched to allow fans or a radiator to extend down into the front of the power supply bay, keeping a small amount of heat away from critical components. There is also a 240mm tall air scoop to route some cool air behind the motherboard tray for your drives.

A simple diagram indicates how to remove the PSU cover. The sticker can be removed before showing off your build. The cover was initially hard to remove, but we later found a large piece of foam wedged in the lower compartment to keep this cover secure during transport.

The back of the Cougar Panzer MAX case reveals four tool free sleds for solid state drives, as well as two sleds for 3.5” or 2.5” drives depending on your needs. All six drives can be installed with no tools, but each tray can be removed from the case if you need. We also find that 2.5” bays are angled to allow the front air scoop to direct some much needed air over heavily worked drives. The 3.5” drive sleds have vibration absorbing mounts to keep noise to a minimum.

Six thumb screws later, all of the drive trays can be removed.

The front dual 5.25” bays use a quick release mechanism for easy drive or front panel device mounting.

If you don’t have front bay devices, a few screws can be removed to allow up to three fans or a triple radiator in the front of the case for extreme cooling. It’s nice to see flexibility, this is a huge perk for custom cooling enthusiasts.

Inside a rather nondescript cardboard box twist tied to the rear of the case, we find the manual, accessories like the awesome headphone hanger that can be installed in eight locations on the exterior of the case. All screws needed along with a few zip ties for cable management are in another bag for convenience. The front fan controller can be expanded to control another four fans via two included 1 to 3 three pin splitters. If two triple radiators are not enough cooling for you, the three knockouts on the rear of the case can be protected with included grommets to feed cooling lines to external gear.

System Build & Installation

Build Specs:

• Case: Cougar Panzer MAX
• CPU: Intel Core i5-4690k, cooled by EKWB Supremacy Evo block
• GPU: 3x EVGA GTX 980 SC, cooled by EKWB Full cover blocks with back plates.
• Motherboard: Gigabyte G1.Sniper 5
• Ram: 16GB G.Skill Snipper series 1866Mhz
• PSU: Corsair RM1000, with custom yellow/grey/carbon extensions by Cable Guy Mods.
• Drives: Four Corsair GT 240GB + 2 SanDisk Ultra Plus 256GB
• Rad: Phobya 360mm + 240mm
• Res/pump: XSPC Photon 170 DDC
• Fluid: Mayhems Sunset Yellow Pastel
• Fittings: Primochill Revolver SX series + Monsoon 90 degrees.
• Headphones: Corsair VOID RGB Wireless YellowJacket Edition

The Cougar Panzer MAX case is a pleasure to build in, I was able to install all the major components in short order. I installed the radiators inside the case with the fans installed between the radiators and the outer covers. I could easily squeeze a fourth GPU in the build, but the power supply cover would be nearly as close to the bottom GPU as the cards are to each other, so air cooling may run a little warmer than some would like.  Even with full length graphics cards installed, there is still plenty of room between the GPUs and front radiator to stick a reservoir.

The top and bottom most ‘slots’ on the outer rails on both sides, front and back are solid with threaded holes for mounting the included headphone hanger.

With a very full system, I had a huge amount of cables to route, and there is plenty of room around the drive sleds, and case edges to handle many times more than I have here.  The majority of the PSU cables are hidden under the power supply cover.  Here you can see a pair of Corsair VOID RGB Wireless headphones hanging from the mounted hook. The four USB ports on the top panel give you a convenience for wireless receivers and USB storage drives.

The four front SSD mounts allow you to just slide the drive in until the front tool free catch snaps into place. The drive sleds only work for 2.5” drives 9.5mm and under, with the unique airflow scoop in the front directing a log of air here, it would be nice to so 12.5 or even 15mm thick drives supported for cheap, large capacity, high-RPM mechanical drives such as Western Digital Velociraptors which are still more affordable to many enthusiasts than a pile of SSD’s.

Installing the top covers after mounting the radiator and fans, I discovered the front section of the removable top plate is very close to the front most fan a few millimeters only. This doesn’t allow great air-flow for this one fan, so I would love to see cougar offer a vented cover piece for this section when a triple radiator is installed in the top of the case.

This is such a heavy duty looking case, and the build quality matches the looks. Subtle gold and carbon fiber accents give just the right amount of contrast without going over the top. This is the completed build with the side door removed.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

I wanted to save my favorite shot of the Cougar Panzer MAX build for last. Here you get a good view of the subtle but elegant cougar logo etched into the side window.  Unlike some cases, Cougar chose to keep their logo down where it does not block your view of the system.

Overall, the Panzer MAX case is an affordable case that is a dream for many builders. The utilitarian aesthetics stand out from the crowd and will look awesome with nearly any build inside. The included headphone hook is a blessing and solves a problem many gamers have but haven't really acknowledged. Hanging your favorite cans over your monitor, or on the edge of your desk is just asking for trouble, but that won’t be the case here. Air flow is well thought out, the front is often used as an intake and much of this warmed air is rerouted away from your critical components. The large amount of flexibility gives enthusiasts the reigns to do what they need to do to get the ideal build without resorting to heavy modding.

Subjectively, I LOVE this build, I hate to tear it down later. For a case that retails for around $150, you would be hard pressed to find the same quality and flexibility for the same price point and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this case was to build in. I was a little disappointed in the fan clearance for the front most top fan, but covering half that fan may not make much difference in cooling power in the long run. The Cougar Panzer MAX receives our Highly Recommended Award!

Introduction

With VR becoming more & more popular every day, we knew it wouldn’t be long before someone came along and built a chassis with the use of VR in mind, and first in line was NZXT with their new S340 Elite chassis. Although The S340 has been around for a couple of years, but NZXT has added some new features to an already remarkable case, such as a tempered glass side panel, along with the top I/O panel which has been optimized with a HDMI port and extra USB ports to help some with your VR experience, along with some other goodies that we will be taking a look at in today’s review.

Pro Clockers would like to thank NZXT for sending us the S340 Elite chassis.

NZXTs Take on the S340 Elite Chassis

S340 Elite, the most refined and elegant S340, that expands upon the mid-tower’s renowned durability and improves PC gaming usability with added connectivity. The S340 Elite features a tempered glass side panel to showcase builds with breathtaking clarity, an optimized IO panel with an HDMI port and additional USB ports for convenient VR experiences, and a magnetic cable management puck to easily store VR and audio headsets for fast and flexible access.

Giant Tempered Glass Window: The S340 Elite’s 4mm thick tempered glass panel makes building in NZXT’s popular mid-tower chassis even more rewarding. Crisp in clarity, the new tempered glass panel enhances the award-winning all-steel construction design of the S340 by highlighting all builds with uncompromised beauty.

Enhanced with Virtual Reality Gaming: Getting VR up and running with the S340 Elite is a snap with the HDMI and USB-port connectivity readily available from the top panel. The innovative magnetic cable management puck allows users to wind up VR and audio headset cables with ease, or split the puck apart for longer cable coverage.

The Cleanest Mid-Tower Interior: The S340 features an open-interior design with a steel cable management bar that splits the front intake from the rest of the case. A new clamping system has been added behind the cable management bar and along the rear, enabling users to achieve a clean and hassle-free build with minimal efforts.

No Corner Left Untouched: Fully-filtered intakes, steel-plated audio jacks, captive thumb screws, and cable management solutions are just a few of the design features that keeps every build looking sleek inside a compact chassis.

Water Cooling Ready: There’s no sacrificing performance with this small mid-tower case that boasts full compatibility with NZXT’s entire line of Kraken Series liquid coolers.

About NZXT

NZXT is a leading computer hardware manufacturer with a diverse product portfolio that equally values design and function. Their award-winning products empower hardware enthusiasts to build some of the most beautiful and imaginative computer systems in the world. By offering exceptional customer service to new and veteran builders alike, the company also prides itself on

energizing the PC DIY community with content that is educational, resourceful, and inspiring.

Features & Specifications

Packaging & Unboxing

As you can see NZXT made all sides of the S340 Elite box very enticing to make sure it catches your eye with a certain amount of sex appeal.

Moving on to the packaging, the S340 Elite was very well packaged, with two thick Styrofoam inserts on the top and bottom of the chassis, as will as a clear plastic bag to help keep fringer prints as well dust from getting on the tempered glass side panel and the rest of the case.

The accessories package that came with the S340 Elite was kind of on the small side, the only things included was the S340 Elite manual, a Sata cable extension, 10/ 6 inch zip ties, and 4 small plastic zip bags containing M3/ 5 flat screws, two standoffs, 6/32 Hexagon screws and 6 / 32 flat screws as shown in the photo below, basically everything you need to get your build started.

The next two photos show the new NZXT magnetic cable management puck which can be used to hold your VR headset, however if you’re not into VR yet, It does a really great job with your audio headset. The puck is magnetized and comes in two pieces, there’s also channeling in the center to wrap the cord from your headset.

Side view showing the channel for wrapping your headsets cable around the magnetized puck which can be split into two pieces.

A Closer Look

Exterior

Let’s take a look at the exterior of the S340 Elite chassis, starting with the right side showing the new tempered glass side panel which happens to have a 2 inch black boarder on the right side front, the rest has a 3/4 inch black border. The panel is held in place by 4 studs with rubber bushings & 4 knurled threaded caps.

The front bezel of the S340 Elite does not open, which means you’re out of luck if your used to installing a DVD or CD burner, even you’re fan controller can no longer be installed.

Moving along to the top of the chassis we see the top I/O , if your see something different added, it’s because NZXT decided to add a HDMI with VR support. Also NZXT decided to go with a single 120m fan up top which can be changed to a 140mm.

Time to see what’s happening on the right side as well as the rear of the S340 Elite chassis. Other than the puck, which can also be moved to the front panel. There’s nothing else really happening , but there’s plenty of room to add your favorite graphics and make your rig really stand out.

Moving over to the rear of the S340 Elite, we see all the regular players, Rear I/O cutout, Fan grill, as well as 7 expansion slots and the PSU bay cut out.

Taking a look at the bottom of the S340 Elite, the first thing you notice is the removable fan filter which sits directly below the PSU and is easily removed for cleaning. The 4 rubber feet do an excellent job holding the chassis in place.

Interior

Once the tempered glass side panel has been removed, you can see just how spacious the S340 Elite interior is, and the back plate cutout is large enough to work with almost all cooler or water block back plates. Also shown is the NZXT cable management bar.

Let’s talk about the tempered glass panel, as I mentioned earlier the clear tempered glass panel does have a black border going around it. The border on the left side plus the top and bottom of the panel is ¾ “ wide, with the right side coming in at 2”. The panel measures 17 ½ “ high by 17” long and is held in place by 4 studs with threaded ends, and a rubber bushing which fits over each stud.

Once the panel is installed 4 threaded knurled caps which also have a Phillips head must be lightly tightened to hold the panel. The next 3 photos will show you what we just talked about.

Here’s a close up of one of the four threaded studs which already has the rubber bushing installed.

Let’s take a look at the four knurled and threaded caps, which also have a Phillips head, although It would be best to use your fingers to tighten each cap.

Moving on to the front of the chassis, both side panels must be removed to have access for removing the front panel, once that has been done we can now remove the fan filter and see what we can mount in front as far as a radiator.

With the fan filter dropped down it looks like either a 240mm or 280mm radiator would work, so let’s take a look at our next photo with the filter completely out of the picture.

Looks like the new NZXT X62 AIO CPU Cooler would be an excellent choice for the S340 Elite build, seeing as I’ll be using a X99 motherboard with an overclocked 5930K . Time to get on the phone and see if NZXT can send us a X62 for our build!

While we’re waiting to hear back from NZXT let’s get on with the rest of this review. Taking a look at the inside front you can get a better idea of the mounting possibilities.

Moving on to the PSU cover, you will find mounting for three SSD’s Two on the top and one front right, which turns out to be great news for our planned build, seeing as we will be installing three OCZ Vector 180 960GB SSDs! W reviewed the Vector 180 960GB SSD drive for OCZ back in May!

The inside rear of the S340 Elite shows a 120mm fan mounted up top, and a 140mm fan on the rear panel. The I/O shield cut out as well as 7 expansion slots.

Next, we see the NZXT cable management bar, this has been a welcome addition in the last 4 chassis I have reviewed for NZXT, and does a great job hiding ugly cables and helps you do a really nice clean looking build.

Moving over to the right side of the S340 Elite chassis and with the right side panel removed , we have a good view as to what’s going on back here that was once hidden by the side panel. There’s a pretty decent cut out for installing cooler back plates, but we need to get a closer look at the NZXT cable clamps, but first, lets not forget about the bottom front drive cage which can hold at least two more drives.

I have to wonder why NZXT decided to stop at four when we could have used six, maybe more in different areas of the chassis.

Installation & Configuration

For the NZXT S340 Elite build, I’ll be using the following hardware:

• ASRock: X99-Extreme6/3.1 motherboard
• G.Skill: Ripjaws 32GB DDR4 2133MHz 4GB x 8
• Intel: Core i7-5930K
• Gigabyte: GTX1080 Founders Edition x 2
• OCZ: Vector 180 960GB SSD X 3
• NZXT: Kraken X62 CPU Cooler
• Corsair: AXi Series AX1200i PSU
• Custom Sleeved Cable Kit for the AX1200i
• NZXT: S340 Elite Chassis.

Lets go back and take a look at the front of the S340 Elite with the Kraken X62 CPU Cooler installed. The two 140mm fans look huge. The next two photos will show the front section as well as the interior front.

Here’s the second photo of the S340 Elite interior showing the NZXT Kraken X62 CPU Cooler installed in the front section. 

Let’s move on to the photos of our X99 SLI build.

Left side with the tempered glass side panel & the puck attached on the front panel. With the roomy interior of the S340 Elite, installing our build as wel as the Kraken X62 was a breeze.

Left side front angle shot with our G.Skill Headset mounted on the magnetic puck. Even with this large headset and extra long cable, the magnetic puck did an amazing job holding the headset in place.

Right side panel removed showing nice and clean looking routed cables. Nothing make a build look worse than having a rats nest of messy cables.

NZXT S340 Elite rear panel after we finshed our X99 SLI build.

Here we see the right side to front.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

NZXT has done an amazing job updating a chassis that was already one of their best selling mid towers. The overall build quality of the S340 Elite excellent, plus the addition of the tempered glass side panel really pushes the sex appeal of the S340 Elite chassis through the roof. 

Cable management is now a breeze thanks to three things, the award winning power supply shroud, the cable management bar, and now the welcomed addition of the four cable clamps which help you keep your cables nice and neat, giving you a very clean looking build. The top I/O panel of the S340 Elite has been optimized with an HDMI port as well as additional USB3.0 ports for a streamlined VR experience, add in the magnetic cable management puck to conveniently store your VR or audio headsets with fast and flexible mounting access. The pack can be used on either the front panel or right side panel. 

As far as storage, NZXT has added mounting for three SSDs on the PSU shroud, 2 of the mounts are on the top of the shroud, with the 3rd on the right front side of the shroud, giving you fast & easy access to all 3 SSD’s. Lets not forget the additional drive cage which is mounted up front on the right interior side .

The S340 Elite has full support for all of their Kraken Series coolers up to 280mm so there’s not mush more you could ask for from such a remarkable chassis, but lets not stop here, NZXT also added two removable and washable filters, one up front and one on the bottom of the chassis. Both filters make sure your prize build stays free from dust and pet hairs. If I had to complain about anything, it would have to be not adding support for a 240mm – 280mm radiator up top. The single top mounted 120mm FN V2 fan looks out of place on such a beautiful case.

If your in the market for a mid tower chassis, the NZXT S340 Elite should be on your short list. Considering everything you get $99.99, you really shouldn’t have to think twice! Because of all these great features and the great price, we have decided to give the NZXT S340 Elite the ProClockers Editor's Choice Award.

Introduction

Do you ever wish you had a chassis that would be very easy to work with and made things so much easier to do your build? If so, Cooler Master might have the perfect case for you with their new MasterCase Maker 5t Full Tower Chassis. The 5t is a modular case with tinted tempered glass side panels, plus the chassis is fully modular making it the perfect case for doing your new high-end build. ProClockers would like to thank Cooler Master for sending us the MasterCase Maker 5t full tower chassis for review.

About Cooler Master

“We're all about the things that make building a PC such a rewarding experience. The sense of achievement. The joy of making and creating something uniquely yours in form and function. The freedom that comes from complete control. And of course, the thrill of bringing your creation to life without melting your components”

Cooler Master is a computer hardware manufacturer from Taiwan. Founded in 1992, the company is an aftermarket brand for computer chassis, PSU, coolers, cooling pads, and other accessories. Aside from their own aftermarket cooling solutions, Cooler Master is also an OEM vendor for different brand names such as Nvidia, AMD and EVGA. They produce GPU coolers, CPU coolers and Heatsinks for the various companies. In recent years, the company expanded its brand exposure into gaming communities by sponsoring major events such as KODE5 and a case modding competition. They have also won awards such as the iF product design award.

Cooler Master's Take on the MasterCase Maker 5t

 “Make of It What You Will”

MODULAR MEETS TURBO: In a new aggressive outlook, you still get all of the goodies of our MasterCase Maker line with the FreeForm™ Modular System. Don't get in the driver's seat – just stand and admire the metallic red finish, dual tempered glass panels, Trooper-inspired rubber handle, and red LED glow.

ADJUSTABLE LAYOUT: Whether you're going for 4k, 144Hz displays with high frame rates, or you just want to build a stunning rig, there's plenty of ways to get there by customizing the internal layout. Quickly slide, clip, rearrange or remove parts to support up to 6 fans, 10 HDDs.

MasterAccessories List: Each case comes with a different number of MasterAccessories, from our MasterCase 5 with its basic package, to our MasterCase Maker 5 coming with a wider range of accessories. Buying a basic package always leaves you freedom to enhance your case by buying additional accessories in the future.

Features & Specifications

Packaging & Unboxing

The front of the box is nicely done with a partial photo of the left hand side of the chassis as well as another photo showing the front panel including the front I/O panel. The words MASTERCASE Maker 5t seem to jump out at you making it easy to notice. Also towards the bottom front we find the words “With Free Form Modular System “and below that we have “Customize. Adjust. Upgrade”.

Moving on to the backside of the box right hand side, you can see a photo of the MasterCase Maker 5t chassis in its modular form and above that the Cooler Master Logo with the words “Make it Yours” listed under the logo.

On one of the sides of the MasterCase Maker 5t retail box you will find the chassis Specifications listed which we will get to a little later in this review.

The opposite side of the box lists the chassis name on the left side along with the Cooler Master logo placed on the upper right side along with a photo of the chassis on a front to right side angle.

Let’s open the top of the box and see how well this beautiful chassis is packed. The little cutout toward the rear was made for the tin accessories box. It would be nice if every company would follow Cooler Master’s idea for a tin box to keep the chassis accessories in, we will get back to the accessories package shortly.

Now that the packaging and chassis have been removed from the retail box. We can get a better idea of how far Cooler Master went to protect your investment.

Besides the Styrofoam packaging on each end of the chassis, Cooler Master also placed the chassis in a cloth bag to keep it free of dust, and fingerprints. It was nice finding the case covered in a cloth bag instead of a standard plastic bag.

Earlier we talked about the tin box that held the accessories package for the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t accessories, so now it’s time to take a closer look at the accessories box.

The MasterCase Maker 5t accessories package includes includes a little bit of everything to help you install your system, right down to the cable ties and the keys needed to unlock and remove both side panels.

A Closer Look

Let’s get the MasterCase Maker 5t chassis out of the bag so we can see what we have to work with for this review, the next 3 photos should give you a pretty good idea how beautiful this case is starting with the left side.

Our next photo shows you the top of the chassis including the left side. I did find that the tint that was used on the tempered glass side panels was perhaps a little too dark. As this photo shows the left side almost looks black, but in all fairness the way I took this photo could be contributing to the darkness.

The rubber coated carry handle that Cooler Master added to the 5t chassis was a really nice touch. It’s not only soft but being made from rubber will help your hand from slipping if it gets wet.

It’s time to take a look at the top panel from the front of the chassis, including the front I/O panel which has 4 x USB3.0 ports, Audio In & Out which also supports HD Audio. Fan Speed Control H/L. Power Button and the LED Light Control Button which covers Light on, Breathing light, and Light off.

Moving toward the rear of the top panel, we find a mesh panel that looks like it opens, our next photo will show if it does open or if it’s just for letting cool air in.

Well, what do you know, not only does it open but it can also be removed.

With the cover removed its now easier for the fans to bring in some nice cool air to help our Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 AIO keep the 6700K which is overclocked to a stable 4.8GHz running cool.

Getting back to the front of the MasterCase Maker 5t, you must admit that it’s fierce looking but being honest I’m not too crazy about the way it opens will take a look at that in our next photo.

The cover on the front panel does not open to the right or left, instead it swings down towards you revealing a mesh cover that runs from the two top 5.25” bays all the way down over the front fans. It only opens enough to get a couple of optical dive installed, or perhaps a two bay Pump / Res combo.

This photo shows the bottom of the cover where it meets the front panel.

The right side of the chassis also has a tempered glass side panel and basically looks like left side. As you can see, once again the tinting on the tempered glass side panel seems to be a little dark.

Moving on to the rear of the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t, it’s just like the rear of many other chassis we have reviewed, so there’s nothing special going on back here.

Let’s take a look at the bottom of the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t. As you can plainly see there are two metal legs and each one has a couple of rubber strips attached to stop the chassis from moving. There is also a removable fan filter that slides out under the PSU bay for cleaning. I would like to mention that the filter is also washable.

Let’s remove the left temper glass side panel and see when we have waiting for us. The first things we notice is 5 cable routing holes with rubber grommets, also a huge cutout for CPU cooler back plates or a CPU block back plate.

You might have also noticed the mounting for a couple of SSDs as well as a LED light bar. The light bar has magnetized backing so you can mount it anywhere you want to.

The light bar has a Cooler Masters Logo on one end, as you can see from our next photo the case has been stamped saying “ Designed By Cooler Master “.

The front inside of the interior has a dual 5.25” bay cage that can be used for mounting a couple of optical drives, or perhaps a dual bay Pump/Res combo. The bottom front can support either two 120mm fans or two 140mm Fans, also a 240mm or 280mm radiators or AIO CPU coolers.

Also in towards the front and inside back of the chassis, we found one of the best VGA support systems we have ever seen, and to add more it’s fully adjustable just buy turning a thumb at the end of each support and sliding it either up or down.

We now take a look at the rear interior of the chassis, which shows us once again just how big that cut out is. You can also see a total of 7 expansion slots, plus the SSD mounting and part of the PSU bay is shown below.

Seeing as the SSD mounting has shown up more than twice, I think it’s time to get the SSDs mounted and out of our way, what do you think? Here we take a look at our Kingston HyperX Savage 960GB SSDs and the mounting brackets. For the final install we may switch over to two OCZ Vector 180 960GB SSD drives, mainly due to to much red in the interior.

Now we can show you the SSDs installed two different ways, however once the SSD on the left is installed you would no longer be able to see it, all you would actually see is the top of the SSD tray. The one on the right would give you the full view of the drive.

Time to move on to a photo showing you the side of the PSU bay, we only showed you a partial view before.

In the next photo we see the removable PSU bay filter extended, this filter can be completely removed and even washed.

The PSU bay with the filter completely removed for cleaning.

Lets move over to the right side and see what Cooler Master has going on over there. As we can see Cooler Master added a channel running the full length of the Motherboard tray, so you can tuck your cables away and the 3 Velcro cable holders help keep them there. It would have been great if they had added 5 Velcro straps instead of 3.

Lets take a look at the fan control panel, from here it looks like it controls up to six fans and also has connections for four LEDs. The plastic cover for the control panel can be easily removed and put back in place. The panel is held in place with two small screws.

Moving along to the top panel, lets see how much work it would be to remove the top panel so we can install a Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 AIO CPU Liquid Cooler.

In step one, we have to loosen, not remove, the two Phillips heads screws shown in the photo that hold the handle down. There are 4 screws that hold the handle in place. Once the rear screws have been removed the handle must slide backwards to be removed.

In step 2, there are a total of 4 thumb screws. 2 on each side holding the fan cage in place, all 4 thumb screws must be removed, we started with the screws towards the front of the fan cage.

In step 3, I removed the last two thumb screws towards the rear of the cage.

In the 4th step I had to remove the last two Phillip head screws holding the handle in place and slide the handle towards the rear of the chassis to be able to remove both the carry handle and the fan cage.

Now that that the front two Phillip head screws have been loosened and the four thumb screws from the fan cage as well as the last two Phillip head screws, I can safely remove the carry handle and the fan cage. Here’s what they look like removed.

Lets take a look at the top of the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t with top panel removed so we can install our AIO CPU cooling unit.

The next photo shows a side view of the MasterCase Maker 5t with the top panel removed. Although the radiator cutout looks large enough for a 360 radiator, only a 280mm radiator can be used or a 240mm.

Here we see the Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 AIO installed in the MasterCase Maker 5t Installing the Pro 240 up top was fast and easy.

With the carry handle added we can now finish the adding the last piece of the top panel and move on to installing our new build.

Installation & Configuration

For this build we will be using the following components:

• Gigabyte: Z170X-Designare motherboard
• Intel: 6700K CPU
• Kingston HyperX Fury 64GB USB Flash Drive
• Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 AIO CPU Cooler
• Gigabyte: GTX1080 x 2
• 2x Kingston Savage 960GB SSD
• 2x OCZ Vector 180 960GB SSD
• EVGA Super Nova 1300W PSU

Throughout this review, you heard be mention how the GPU support system is one of the best I have ever used, it does an amazing job supporting the weight of both GPUs and with no sagging it helps you with a really great looking build.

Here’s a close up of the GPU support system.

I was amazed at how fast I was able to do this build and as you can tell with graphic cards getting longer and heavier, most times they put too much weight on the PCIe slots which results in the card sagging at one end. This is where the MasterCase Maker 5t GPU support system comes in to play and save the day.

The cable channel on the right side as well as the 3 Velcro straps also helps leave you with a very neat looking right side, which is the way it should be when a chassis has tempered glass side panels.

The next 2 photos shows both tempered glass side panels installed on our finished build.

Here’s one last photo of the rear of the MasterCase Maker 5t with our full build installed.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

Cooler Master has hit the ball out of the park and scored a grand slam with the fully modular MasterCase Maker 5t. It’s everything any real PC enthusiast could want or ask for in a PC chassis. It looks awesome, it’s a dream to build in, it has an adjustable GPU support system that makes card sagging a thing of the past. Let’s not forget that for those of you that are into custom water cooling or just using a AIO CPU Cooler, the MasterCase Maker 5t supports 240mm and 280mm radiators in the front section as well as up top. The right side is setup the way ac chassis should be so there’s room to hide all of your cables. Then there are the tempered glass side panels, which I did find the panels a tad too dark for my taste, but most likely it will not matter to most.

Now let’s talk about the price, at $249.99 a lot of you will find that price hard to swallow. You do get a lot in return that’s for sure, but it’s still very expensive for a PC chassis, but if you have the cash to burn, we would have to give the go ahead and say make your purchase, you will not be sorry putting your hard earned cash into the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t. That's why we are giving the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t the ProClockers Editor's Choice Award. You will be able to get your hands on the MasterCase Maker 5t at your favorite online retailers starting on December 20th.

Introduction

Cases today are adapting to new technologies every time. One technology in particular that’s becoming a mainstream today is the Type-C port coming from both USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 interfaces. Both offer fast data transfer rates making it ideal for those that move around large media content from device to device. Gladly, SilverStone always adopts the latest technologies and incorporate it to their latest cases, one of which is going to be tested today. Follow us as we take a look at the SilverStone Redline Series RL05 chassis that sports a USB 3.0 Type-C port in front and two 140mm LED fans in front for superior cooling.

The SilverStone Redline Series RL05 Chassis

The Redline series RL05 was created with the goal of exceeding user experience and expectation for affordable PC chassis by offering punchy styling and features reserved often for more expensive models. RL05 includes two 140mm LED fans as intakes to inject large amount of air flow through filter for SilverStone’s signature positive pressure setup that not only provides great cooling but also minimal dust buildup. PSU and drive bay areas have covers to clearly section off individual components inside for separate cooling zones while also letting users hide cables for pristine look on the interior. Lastly, a USB 3.0 Type-C port is located in the front I/O cluster to provide convenient connection to this reversible plug-in technology. For enthusiasts looking to build a PC with top-notch features and styling on a budget, the RL05 is an outstanding choice.

Watch the Redline Series RL05 overview video below:

Features and Specifications

• Includes front mounted USB 3.0 Type-C port
• Includes two 140mm LED fans designed to generate positive pressure
• Super clean internal look with PSU and drive bay cover
• Quick access filters for easy cleaning
• Motherboard back plate opening for quick CPU cooler assembly
• All black painted interior for stylish look
• Supports graphics cards up to 14.7" (373.4mm)

Model No.

• SST-RL05BR-W(black with red trim + window)
• SST-RL05BB-W(black with black trim + window)
• SST-RL05BW-W(black with white trim + window)
• SST-RL05WR-W(white with red trim + window)

Material: Plastic panel, steel body

Motherboard: ATX (up to 12" x 10.2") , Micro-ATX

Drive bay:

• External: 5.25" x 1
• Internal: 2.5" or 3.5" HDD x 2, 2.5" x 2

Cooling system:

• Front:120/140mm fan slot x 2 (includes 140mm LED fan x 2), 80mm slot x 1
• Rear: 120mm fan slot x 1
• Side: --
• Top: 120/140mm fan slot x 2*
• Bottom: --
• Internal: --

Radiator support:

• Front: 120mm x 1 / 240mm x1
• Rear: 120mm x 1
• Top: 120mm x 1 / 240mm x 1 / 280mm x 1
• Bottom: N/A

Expansion slot: 7

Front I/O port:

• USB 3.0 Type-A x 2, Type-C x 1
• Audio x 1
• MIC x 1

Power supply: Standard PS2(ATX)

Expansion card: Support graphics card up to 14.7" (373.4mm), width restriction - 6.4" (162.6mm)

Limitation of CPU cooler: 165mm

Limitation of PSU: 220mm

Net weight: 5.9kg

Dimension:

• 210mm (W) x 465mm (H) x 450mm (D), 44.9 Liters
• 8.27" (W) x 18.31" (H) x 17.72" (D), 44.9 Liters

Packaging and Closer Look

The SilverStone RL05 chassis comes in a typical packaging.

The RL05 is protected with a plastic sheet and Styrofoam. The huge acrylic window is also protected with a sheet of plastic you can remove after unboxing.

The SilverStone Redline Series RL05 is a mid-tower chassis that’s on the more compact size but it does offer superior cooling given that it includes two 140mm LED fans pre-installed. For those that still use a 5.25-inch ODD or a fan controller or probably thinking of mounting a 5.25-inch bay reservoir for custom liquid cooling, the RL05 does have one bay for you to use.

At the top, you can see the ventilation holes wherein you can mount two 120mm fans beneath.

Closer Look at Interior

The SilverStone Redline Series RL05 case has a built-in power supply shroud at the bottom which is riveted into the chassis. You can also see the two pre-installed 140mm LED fans in front of the case which offers great cooling for the hardware inside even without you adding more fans. There’s also one 5.25-inch ODD bay which is great for builders that would be using an optical disk or some other device to be mounted on it.

On an angled view, you can notice the huge motherboard cutout hole which makes it easy to install and remove back plates of CPU cooling solutions.

At the bottom of the aluminum shroud are 2.5-inch drive mounting holes and screw holes for what I believe are for custom water cooling hardware like pumps and reservoirs.

At the rear of the RL05 are two hidden 2.5-inch drive mounts and at the bottom are two 3.5-inch drive mounts and of course the power supply bay.

At the narrowest portion of the rear, there’s around an inch of space for routing cables including the space for the 2.5-inch drives to be mounted on the hidden mounting spots.

For the power supply bay, getting a PSU shorter than 20 cm would be ideal. Anything longer would be tough even though the specifications say it can be as long as 22 cm. It would be hard to route cables by then particularly non-modular PSUs with stiff cables.

Build and Installation

To review the SilverStone RL05 chassis, I used the following hardware below.

• CPU: AMD FX-8370 8-Core Processor
• Motherboard: MSI 970 Gaming AM3+ Motherboard
• Memory: Kingston HyperX Beast 16GB Kit
• Graphics Card: Gigabyte GTX 770 OC
• CPU Cooler: Cryorig H7
• PSU: Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 850W
• Drive: GALAX Gamer 120GB SSD

From this view, you can clearly see the wide open space between the motherboard and other parts and the front of the chassis wherein the two intake fans are installed which gives the hardware good direct cooling without much obstruction. You could easily fit a 240mm AIO watercooling in front as well with push and pull fan configuration very easily.

At the back, I could really minimize the use of cable ties and just tuck the excess cables under the PSU shroud of the RL05.

Using the bottom 2.5-inch hidden drive mounting space does pose some difficulty depending on the cables of your power supply but it can be done.

As for the 8-pin ATX power cable routed to the top of the case, there’s not much obstacle to go through considering also the size of the routing hole available, the 8-pin ATX power cable header can pass through with ease. You can also notice the rear back plate of our cooler is totally free of any obstruction if ever it needs to be replaced or removed, it can be done without removing the entire motherboard on the case.

With the side panel installed, the acrylic window does give a very visible look inside so if you want your build to look good, it would be necessary to keep everything neat and simple or build it with a lot of lighting and shiny hardware inside.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Enthusiasts and even average users today are really keen in having a neat and visually appealing setup. Also, having a functional case with helpful features is also preferred. In balancing all these demands, we find the SilverStone Redline Series RL05 chassis pretty much an ideal solution without being too hefty for your budget. Having the USB 3.0 Type-C port will help you future-proof your computer for future and existing devices that use the Type-C USB port. I also like the fact that it also offers the ‘old-school’ 5.25-inch ODD bay solution.

When it comes to aesthetics, the LED fans that come with the chassis are good for LED lighting enthusiasts and the huge acrylic window will spark your creativity in making the interiors looks good whether it’s neat cabling and installation or with the use of fancy lighting and custom water cooling. The SilverStone RL05 offers a good balance of aesthetics and function at a very reasonable price. Cooling performance and cooling hardware support is superb as well. At a price of $59.99 at Amazon for the same model with reviewed which has the Black and Black front (RL05BB-W), I find it hard to beat such offerings from SilverStone. If you want a more aggressive look with the Black and Red front and LEDs, you can find the RL05BR-W model for $69.99 at Amazon.

Likes

• USB 3.0 Type-C Port
• Two included 140mm LED fans
• Huge acrylic window for a great inside view
• One 5.25-inch ODD bay
• Two hidden 2.5-inch drive mounts at the rear
• Excellent cooling and hardware compatibility

Dislikes

• None

Introduction

The PC Case has morphed over the years from a simple beige colored steel box designed to do nothing more than hold components, to a bold statement in and of itself that sets each build apart from the rest. As showmanship and modding have become more prevalent, PC component manufacturers have put considerable effort into making things like Motherboards and GPU’s look as well as they perform. Due to this, it’s getting harder and harder to find a case WITHOUT a window in the side, but why would you want one? What if you want to go more the other direction? Instead of leaning down to peak through a tiny window to see your parts, what If you want almost everything to be visible from all angles? We aren’t quite to the point where every component is wireless and just floats in a bubble near your desk, but Thermaltake has gotten as close as anyone with the Core P3 chassis. Visibly open from 5 of the 6 sides, it provides just enough structure to hold your system while keeping nearly everything visible. You can even mount it on a wall instead of just sitting on your desk (although you can do that too). As many enthusiasts like to be unique, The Core P3 can be configured dozens of different ways, and coupled with limitless hardware combinations out there, you can build the ultimate and still unique system you’ve always wanted.

ProClockers would like to Thank Thermaltake for sending us the Core P3 chassis to check out!

Thermaltake’s Take on the Core P3 ATX Wall-Mount Chassis

Bring out the modder within you. The Core P3 SE Snow Edition Open Frame chassis sets a new benchmark in groundbreaking open frame chassis design. With full support for liquid cooling – the Core P3 is built from the ground up to make even the most advanced PC customization and modification effortless and hassle free, making it a dream to build with. The open frame panel design is protected with a clear acrylic panel – behind which sits the chassis frame, with supports the latest PC hardware, AIO and DIY liquid cooling solutions. Specially designed dual GPU and PSU layouts, plus a 3-way stand placement (wall mountable, horizontal laying and vertical standing) allow users to position the chassis any orientation – and appreciate your artwork status worthy build.

Features & Specifications

Features

Tt LCS Certified

Tt LCS Certified is a Thermaltake exclusive certification applied to only products that pass the design and hardcore enthusiast’s standards that a true LCS chassis should be held to. The Tt LCS certification was created so that we at Thermaltake can designate to all power users which chassis have been tested to be best compatible with extreme liquid cooling configurations to ensure you get the best performance from the best features and fitment.

Built for Makers

By practicing and incorporating the idea of “maker movement” as well as 3D printing, Thermaltake designs the open frame panoramic viewing chassis as anyone can access and do his/her own mods as well as print out his/her own ideas using available liquid cooling components and manuals without boundaries.

Users can download 3D printing accessory files on 3D Makers Microsite, printing them out to do a special mod.

Maker’s Website: http://3dmakers.thermaltake.com

DMD – Dismantlable Modular Design

The Core P3 open frame chassis enables user to freely build the system from the ground up with given modular panels, racks, brackets, and pre-design mounting arrays. No more unreachable screw corners or gaps and enjoys installation in a breeze with Dismantlable Modular Design.

3-Way Placement Layout

The Core P3 is designed for use in three different ways: Wall-mount, vertical, and horizontal placement. Built for customization that reflects the makers’ personality, it allows for adjustments to the chassis for the best viewing presentation while ensuring outstanding cooling performance.

Users can hang it on the wall as decoration, take it to wherever they want and display the nice builds vertically or horizontally.

Believe in Seeing

The open frame structure with unique Panoramic Viewing design advanced the Core P3 visual presentation, that permit users to show off their dedication and skill set unlike any other cases on the market.

Versatile GPU & PSU Orientation

Show off your graphic card and power supply with our special design bracket. The Core P3 has included a riser cable for you to choose the way you want to build the system. Further, the Core P3 also has the support for vertical PSU layout when ITX motherboard is applied.

Native AIO Support

The Core P3 is natively supported for all types of All-In-One liquid cooling solution without the need for extra bracket.

Supreme Hardware Support

The Core P3 offers the most flexible mounting option with the special designed mounting array which not only supports up to four by 120mm or 140mm fans or radiators, it also supports the mounting of 3.5” and 2.5” storage devices. Further, two 3.5”/2.5” drive trays are included and hidden in the back panel that offers 45mm of cable management space.

Core P3 Wall-Mounting Support

It’s an optional feature that wall-mounting parts are not included.

Packaging & Unboxing

You certainly can’t say the Thermaltake Core P3’s box isn’t colorful. A full color picture of a sample build dominates the front of the box next to a large Tt LCS badge for Thermaltake’s Liquid Cooling System Certified gear.

The rear of the box gives an exploded view of the chassis and shows most of the huge pile of parts included to help you assemble this flexible chassis in any configuration you desire.

Opening up the box you are greeted with a massive block of Styrofoam.

If you’ve unboxed a few monitors before, you expect to have little pockets on the outside that might hold parts as you remove it from the box, but that is not the case here. Everything is contained securely inside the monolithic white block.

Cracking open the clam shell, you get your first look at some of the parts.

The top half of the shell contains most of the smaller parts such as the window support bars, the Pump Mount, PSU brackets, Case feet, rear I/O Brackets and a pretty impressive assortment of screws and hardware.

The bottom of the packing cradles the main chassis itself, separated from the top half by a thin piece of foam to protect from scratching.

Under the chassis you find the case window. The window is protected from scratches by thick paper on both sides, which usually denotes a cell cast acrylic which is optically superior to cheaper extruded plastic that usually comes with a plastic masking.

After digging everything out of its individual spot in the foam block and unwrapping it all, you are left with the following mountain of parts and hardware.

A Closer Look

The Thermaltake Core P3 Snow edition’s bare chassis might not seem like much before assembly, but it offers quite a list of possible configurations to suit nearly any build.

The rear, or underside of the case if used in a test bench configuration, doesn’t have much on it. A Large vented area mirrors the radiator mounting area on the front. A VESA compatible mounting pattern for 75x75mm, 100x100mm, or 200x100mm mounting with M6 screws gives a secure place to bolt your own wall mounting hardware. Six thumbscrews secure the rear cover to the main chassis.

Inside the rear panel hides a washable magnetic dust filter. If you wall mount or configure the Thermaltake Core P3 case as a test bench, you may be able to move this to the outside of the case for easy access for cleaning as needed.

Wall mounting brackets attach through the rear door to this heavy bracket located inside the chassis. Like nearly everything else on the Core P3 Case, it can be removed for more space if not needed.

Directly behind the motherboard area inside is two removable drive sleds for either 3.5” or 2.5” drives. One thumb screw keeps them in place and the bracket they snap into can be removed to open up a larger cutout area behind the motherboard if needed.

Each of the four corners of the case is reinforced with a very heavy duty bracket. The front window support rods bolt through this bracket, as well as the case feed bolting to both lower brackets. This makes for one very sturdy case no matter what configuration it is used in. Here you can also see one of the 3 spots in the radiator mounting area that can hold a 2.5” drive to display from the front.

The Front I/O Panel is mounted to the front of the case with 2 screws. Two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, audio and the usual power switch and indicator LED’s can be found. The wiring for the front panel is quite long for such a small case and offers plenty of routing options.

The front I/O Panel connections to the motherboard are pretty typical and should be supported on nearly any build.

One thing stood out on unboxing, how heavy the front window support bars are. Weighing in at a hefty 15.6 oz each means, using these adds nearly 4 pounds to the weight of the build.

While not included in our review sample, we did happen to have the PCIe X16 flexible riser from a Core P5 chassis lying around, so we will be using it with this review since it is also compatible with the Core P3 case.

Build & Installation

Build Specs

• Mobo: ASUS Maximus Viii Impact
• CPU: Intel Core i7-6700k
• RAM: 16GB G.Skill TridentZ 3200Mhz
• SSD: 2x Corsair Force GT 240GB
• GPU: Galax 1070 HOF
• Case: Thermaltake Core P3
• PSU: Corsair RM1000 with Corsair White cable set
• Rad: Alphacool 360mm
• Res/Pump: Monsoon MMRS with D5 Pump
• Fittings and Tubing: Monsoon
• Fans: Corsair HD120 3-pack

Unlike some cases, The Core P3 does take a few thoughts about planning before you begin building due to the possible configurations. Are you going to use a full size Motherboard or an ITX? Are you going to mount your GPU’s like normal or vertical? Are you going to mount the PSU flat to the case or horizontal?

For our build, we are doing an ITX based build with one vertical mounted GPU on a free standing case. Per this, our first steps were to install the feet and the appropriate brackets for a horizontal PSU per the manual.

Next we installed the motherboard and Horizontal I/O tray to see if the flexible riser would reach. No worries here, the riser will reach from the ITX’s PCIe slot to the position closest to the window like we wanted.

There is plenty of room for even large graphics cards such as our Galax 1070 HOF in this build, but as well matched as that heat sink assembly is to the Snow Edition P3, we are going to rip it off and water-cool it.

We could be biased, but everything looks better water cooled doesn’t it?

With the GPU mounted vertical, the power supply has to be mounted horizontal. It tucks in right below the GPU tray with enough room for good airflow with the GPU fan pointed up. With this build being water-cooled, we choose to install it with the fan opening down just in case there happened to be a leak.

Two Corsair Force GT 240GB SSD’s in RAID-0 should make a speedy array for this build.

With a full system built, there is tons of room inside the chassis for cable management, fan controllers and anything else you need.

The complete build took about 2 hours. Bending hardline and bolting everything together was the majority of that. Mounting the main components was faster than normal due to the extremely open design.

And the first full power up! There are so many possibilities with this case, it would be easy to do dozens of builds in the same case and not feel like it’s the same build.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

The Thermaltake Core P3 Snow Edition offers flexibility only matched by its smaller and larger siblings in the Core P series lineup. The selection of wall mountable cases on the market is already slim, but none of the others can also stand in as a free standing desktop AND a horizontal test bench. Able to be reconfigured from a standard ATX build with quad GPU’s to an ITX build with that shows off your GPU in all its glory, all while handling enough water-cooling gear to satisfy all but the most radiator happy enthusiast means this affordable chassis can adapt just as fast as you can. The slightly smaller stature than its larger P5 sibling makes using All-in-One cooling solutions more of a possibility without running into tubing length limitations.

Overall build quality is spot on, the case is very solid with almost no flex, and that’s important with all of your expensive components on display and potentially even literally hanging on the wall. The window support rods are a bit too heavy for my liking at nearly a pound a piece, but they do act as a roll cage of sorts so it works out well. If you plan to hang your build on the wall, please use a quality TV mount as opposed to a lighter duty monitor mount as the case can get quite heavy when fully loaded. If the nearly limitless options still aren’t enough for you, there is a ‘maker’ community offering up 3D Printable models to add even more flexibility and options for you.

If you can never really make up your mind what you want to do, or you change your mind and rebuild often, the Core P3 should be at the top of your list. For its quality and nearly infinite options, we have to give it our highly recommended award! Great job again Thermaltake!

Check out the Thermaltake Core P3 Snow on the Thermaltake website:

Also make sure to check out the Thermaltake Makers website:

Buy the Thermaltake Core P3 Snow now at Newegg and Amazon:

Introduction

A case is one of the hardest components to select for a new build, and also one of the most important. Not only does it house your components, but it very much determines what you can, and too often, can’t use for a build. One, maybe two radiators, 2 or 4 drives, and many other seemingly little limiting factors often have a builder searching endless lists for a case with the right combination that can hold what they actually need. Too often you have to change plans to make it all fit, and that is unacceptable. In traditional In Win style, the 509 breaks that mold. Capable of handling the largest E-ATX motherboards, 3x 360mm radiators as well as a few smaller ones at the same time, 9 drives, and more fans than you know what to do with, the 509 can handle anything you can throw at it without compromise. Wrapped in tempered glass and dressed in black with a subtle hint of grey, or a bold ROG Certified red, the In Win 509 can look good doing it too.

A separate cooling compartment in the front holds up to three 360mm radiators and is vented externally on the front via a filtered intake and out the right side to keep the warmed air away from your important components. Combine this with a flexible interior and some extras like hot swap drive bays and an RGB capable front logo and you have the makings of the ultimate case. Let’s see how it stacks up!

ProClockers would like to thank In Win for sending us the 509 to review.

Specifications & Features

Packaging & Unboxing

The front of the box is plain brown cardboard like most of InWin’s boxes, with only the 509 Logo visible as well as the In Win website and slogan visible.

The top of the box is also plain brown cardboard with the In Win logo and ‘InWin’ on the two flaps.

The side of the box has much more to see. Full specifications cover half of this side with some pictorials and the In Win logo taking up most of the right side. The 509 Logo is also visible here, albeit under some minor damage to the cardboard from shipping.

The Other side of the box lists off the features under the 509 logo, as well as the color selection inside. Our sample is the black and red ROG certified edition. A UPC sticker and some shipping pictorials are readily visible to alert the carrier to the fragile contents inside.

Opening up the box, we are greeted with the usual In Win packaging. The case is wrapped in a heavy cloth bag and support on every corner by a thick block of Styrofoam. A heavy-duty clear zipper bag is also laying in here with the instruction manual and various screws and accessories needed to assemble the case.

Carefully lifting the case out of the box gets you the 509 chassis, fully wrapped in the heavy cloth bag that prevents any scratches or dust from getting on the case. It also prevents the accessory bag that is loose in the box from doing any damage.

Inside the clear, reusable accessory bag you get the following. The full color manual in several languages, 10 zip-ties, the 4 anti-slip feet for the case that were surprised were not already attached, a baggie with 2 of InWin’s universal GPU support brackets, assorted hardware needed to mount everything in the case such as motherboard standoffs and fan and drive screws, as well as an adapter to power the front RGB In Win logo red if your system does not have an RGB controller such as the ASUS AURA Lighting system. Now, let’s go check out the case itself!

A Closer Look - Exterior

The front of the In Win 509 ROG edition is very sleek. A tinted and tempered glass panel dominates the front of the case. Above this is a brushed aluminum front panel. Sporting quad USB 3.0 ports and a pair of 3.5mm headset ports, you also get a 5.25” bay with a matching cover. While not as many people use optical disks any more, there are still quite a few who just can’t give this bay up due to fan and lighting controllers, and Audio or VR front panel devices, so it is still nice to see in full size cases.

The Right side of the case is smooth with the exception of a large vented area stamped in InWin’s signature hex pattern found on many of their more recent cases such as the 303. This vented area lines up with the front section that can contain a rather large selection of water cooling gear, and can act as intake or exhaust depending on your needs.

The red painted vented rear I/O expansion slot covers really stand out against the black chassis, it’s sad we’ll have to remove most of them to install GPU’s. A large 120/140mm fan spot above the Motherboard I/O area can handle AIO coolers or a fan as needed. Your power supply can be installed facing up or down thanks to the universal mounting screw locations.

If you do choose to install your power supply with the fan facing down, In Win has thoughtfully provided a washable filter for the lower intake area that protects not only your power supply, but also one 120/140mm lower intake fan if you install one after moving or removing the hot sway drive bays in the bottom.

The bottom of the case is dominated by the fan filter and 4 feet. Oddly, the rubber anti-slip pads do not come installed.

Luckily, the feet come in the accessory bag and can be placed in the pocket on each foot assembly to complete the build.

The business side of the case is nearly one unbroken sheet of tempered glass. The lower corner towards the front carries the ASUS ROG Certified badge.

A Closer Look - Interior

After removing the thick tempered glass side, we get our first look at the interior of the In Win 509 ROG edition case. The bright red framework and rear expansion covers set this edition apart from its grey sibling. The main chamber is in a traditional layout with support for all common motherboard standards up to E-ATX.

The ATX power supply resides at the bottom of the case and can handle nearly any length power supply on the market. Longer than average high-wattage PSU’s may require the hot swap drive tray to be moved or removed which can be done with a single screw. The Corsair RM1000 shown here is 180mm long, and there is plenty of room for cable routing still with the drive cage in place.

The glass side panel hangs on 4 rubber posts that absorb vibration and protect the glass panel.

In Win didn’t miss a single detail with the glass side panel itself. Every edge is beveled and ground smooth including the 4 mounting holes. There are zero sharp edges to worry about.

The edges of the front glass panel are also perfectly smooth. The glass is spaced away from the front far enough to allow plenty of airflow into the case, as well as room for the RGB enabled In Win logo. 3 clips like the one shown near the top of the picture allow the front panel to be unclipped and removed with no tools.

Popping the front cover off the case reveals another tool free fan intake filter. The white panel visible above is the RGB lighting module that illuminates the In Win logo behind the front glass panel.

Just above the main chamber is two tool free drive bays supporting 3.5” or 2.5” drives.

The drive trays themselves are also fully tool free for 3.5” drives with vibration absorbing mounts, but 2.5” drives must be screwed to the sleds.

The lower drive bays are fully hot swap capable when connected to compatible ports on your motherboard. As with the top bays, they lower bays support both 3.5” and 2.5” drives.

The hot swap bays are powered from dual SATA style power connectors, and have standard SATA cables for each tray. The cables are fairly short, but will comfortably reach the SATA ports on most motherboards from the position in the main chamber.

With a single screw removed, you can relocate the entire assembly to the front area of the case. The cables may not reach smaller motherboards from this location.

If you don’t want to use the hot swap capable feature, you can remove the power and data connections from the drive cage from some or all 3 bays.

One of the outstanding features of the 509 case is the universal GPU support brackets. Each comes with a plastic piece to stick on to prevent scratches and shorts from contact with your GPU.

The case comes with 2 brackets that can be placed anywhere along the 4 mounting locations stamped into the motherboard tray.

Lastly is the front panel I/O cables. Two USB 3.0 plugs provide the four front ports. Standard HD Audio plugs along with the power and reset switch. A hard drive activity LED connector is also present, but the normal power LED connection is absent. A 4 pin RGB plug feeds the In Win logo from your motherboard RGB ports. If you don’t have these connections available, an adapter is included to light the In Win logo in red from a SATA power connection.

System Build & Configuration

Main Components

• Case: Inwin 509 ROG Certified
• Motherboard: MSI X99A XPower Gaming Titanium
• CPU: Intel Core i7-5960X
• GPU: 3x EVGA GTX980 SC
• RAM: 32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum SE Chrome
• PSU: Corsair RM1000
• Storage: 2x Corsair Force GT 240GB SSD’s in RAID-0

Cooling

• CPU Block: EKWB Supremacy EVO X99
• GPU Block: EKWB GTX980 Full Cover
• Radiators: 2x EKWB PE360
• Resevoir: Monsoon MMRS
• Pump: EKWB D5 Vario
• Fittings: Monsoon rotary 90’s and Economy Hardline Compression
• Fans: 6x Corsair HD120

As you can see, we fit one 360mm radiator in the front compartment with it exhausting out the vented side panel of the case. The 2nd radiator was mounted on the middle divider with the fans blowing over the main area to provide a little case air flow for passively cooled components such as the Ram and VRM’s on the motherboard. To fit the radiator and fans in the main compartment side of the center divider, we had to remove the hot swap drive tray. The two drive bays at the top provided plenty of room for the storage we choose for this project, so not a big loss.

Mounting the two SSD’s in the top hot swap bays was very easy. We did have to remove one anti-vibration mount on each sled in the corner where the SSD sits. It is for 3.5” drives and serves to purpose with a 2.5” solid state drive anyway. 4 included screws into each drive later, we were ready to slide them back into the case.

The rear of the case offers plenty of room for cables and controllers, but the case overall doesn’t offer many places to hide excess wiring. The large size uses up most of it anyway so this won’t present too much of problem compared to much smaller cases.

The GPU braces are easy to install, but with this large E-ATX motherboard, they actually block a few of the right angle SATA ports. Not a big deal for this build, but keep it in mind if you use lots of storage devices.

Since these blocks don’t cover the full graphics card, the GPU brace just barely catches the waterblock here. This is preferable to holding the PCB in this case. Even though the plastic protector is installed here to prevent shorts, the brace would rest on some components of the card rather than bare PCB. You should be able to use these braces with any air cooled card without worry though as the air coolers usually extend the full length of the card and the fans do not stick out beyond the cooler.

Last up is the Front RGB enabled Logo. The Logo lights up a nice red color when using the SATA power adapter, but connected to MSI’s onboard RGB header, we can make it nearly any color imaginable. We get a little reflection of the black drop cloth on the glass front panel here, but you can see how it looks in Yellow, Red, Blue, Green and Purple. You can easily make it any color to match your build or mood.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

Overall the In Win 509 delivers a great value for the modest $180 price tag. The usual In Win build quality is here, everything feels rock solid and even with a heavy build installed and there is pretty much zero flex in the case moving it around to take pictures. While you can technically install three 360mm radiators in here at the same time, there would not be enough rough to comfortably install fans and tubing around them in our opinion. There is a ton of flexibility here that would appeal to many builders and the options for modding are nearly unlimited.

Some of the standout features of this case are the GPU support brackets, also found on several other In Win Case models, and the removable Hot-swap drive bay. It takes 4 thumb screws to get the glass side panel off, but once you do, the hot swap and tool free bays are nice to have. The RGB front Logo is a nice touch without being too over the top like many RGB enabled devices have gotten the last year or so and add just the right splash of color to the front.

The only complaint with the case is the clips that hold the front panel on. They are just a bit too fragile, for our liking. We did manage to crack one of them taking the front panel off, which is required to access the front intake filter any time you want to clean it. This ultimately led to the cooling configuration pictured in the system build here, we did not want to use the front as an air intake so as to avoid having to remove the front panel for cleaning. It’s not a bad system, you just have to be a little more careful than usual taking it off and putting it back on. Even with this minor ding, we still highly recommend this case.

Overall, Great job In Win!

Check out the In Win 509 ROG on the In Win Website

Introduction

A case can easily be the hardest part of a build to select. If you go too large, you need a mountain of gear to make it look good. If you go too small, you may not fit everything you want, or may be limited on upgrades later. Some cases can even cost more than major components of your build. You don’t want a cheap tinfoil case that may collapse under its own weight, but you’d rather not take your specs down a notch to afford a good case. What’s a builder to do? Riotoro might just have the answer for you. Cases designed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, without all those pesky details like cheap materials or fine print. Riotoro’s CR280 case is made for space conscious builders with its ITX form factor, but manages to still handle full size graphics cards, power supplies and even water cooling in a sleek windowed box. The specs look impressive, but can a case from a manufacturer you may not be familiar with (yet) handle you? We are about to dive in and find out!

Pro Clockers would like to thank Riotoro for sending us the CR280 ITX case to review, as well as the Bifrost 120 Cooler and Onyx 650 power supply used in this review which will be covered in upcoming reviews.

About Riotoro

“Founded in 2014, Formed by Enthusiasts, for Enthusiasts, RIOTORO manufactures the best Performance PC Hardware, Peripherals, and Accessories in the industry with a goal of providing complete satisfaction for high performance seekers who build their own personal computers.” –Riotoro.com.

Features & Specifications

Packaging & Unboxing

Riotoro Uses a monochromatic color scheme, black on a plain brown cardboard box. The front is covered by a picture of the case, with the Riotoro Logo at the top, the signature ‘T’ at the top corner, and the Model down the side.

The rear of the box shows a few more pictures of the case, the front, inside layout and top, as well as the two included Riotoro Fans. The bottom quarter of the box lists the full specifications.

One side of the box is nearly all black with the signature ‘T’ front and center.

The other side also shows the ‘T’, but smaller to make room for shipping labels.

Once we open the box, we find the case is wrapped in a plastic bag and cradled in 2 large Styrofoam blocks, one on each end. A baggie with the installation guide is also in the box.

Pulling the case free of the box shows the foam blocks almost entirely encompass each end of the case. It would be pretty hard to protect the case any better than this.

While taking the foam blocks off and removing the plastic bag, we did have a thumb screw fall out of the case that was rolling around inside. Looking at the hardware list, it appears to be one of the 4 included PSU mounting screws.

A Closer Look - Exterior

Riotoro’s CR280 case has a mesh front that starts with small holes at the top they grow larger as the go to the middle, and then shrink back down again. The Riotoro logo at the top is a very bright, almost florescent red. Two USB 3.0 Type A ports, 3.5mm headphone and microphone ports, a disk activity indicator, and the power and reset buttons are arranged symmetrically along the bottom edge of the case.

The right side of the case is a smooth black panel with the signature ‘T’ stamped into the top corner closest to the front. The side panel is held in place with a single thumb screw on the rear.

The top of the CR280 is a mesh similar to the front of the case, but has holes to install the included grommet’s and fan screws to add two additional 120mm fans to the top of the case.

The rear of the case is pretty typical. The Motherboard I/O cutout is next to a 120mm fan location, and it does come with a 120mm fan set up for exhaust. Below these is the double slot for GPU’s, and a screw cover panel. The bottom of the case has the cutout for the power supply, set up to be able to install the PSU facing up or down as you see fit.

Removing the single thrum screw next to the GPU slot covers gives you access to the mounting thumb screws that will keep your GPU secure.

On the underside of the case right at the front we find a hidden LED strip.

This LED strip will serve as a power on indication as well as provide an under glow accent effect. It’s not bright enough to be distracting and we think it looks quite nice!

Towards the rear of the case on the bottom is a filtered intake for your power supply.

The screen can be squeezed a bit and popped out of the holding tabs to be cleaned.

The main side panel has a window covering nearly half the panel. The outside has a scratch protection film on it, shown here partially peeled off. Unfortunately, the inside of the window does not have this film and appears to have suffered some scratching from the loose thumb screw bouncing around inside during shipping. We typically leave this film in place until the build is nearly complete to avoid leaving any accidental scratches ourselves.

A Closer Look - Interior

For an ITX case, the Riotoro CR280 has a rather spacious interior comprised of one large compartment. The power supply goes in the very bottom of the case with the motherboard and GPU in the traditional orientation just above.

Here is a good shot of the shallow scratches the inside of the window suffered from the loose hardware. The bright photo lights give very high contrast showing the scratches much better than your naked eye does. With the system assembled, they are not nearly as visible.

The top of the case supports two additional 120mm fans if you need your system in a wind tunnel. A mesh filter is also present, held in place by several push pins.

The push pins for the fan filter are tiny, and made of two pieces. The first piece goes through the case and filter, while the second slides down inside it and causes the underside to fan out to secure the filter. It secures the filter well, but requires high dexterity to maneuver such small pieces.

With the filter removed we can see how fine the mesh is.

Already mounted inside the case, we have two 120mm fans from Riotoro, rated 3.6 watts or 0.3 Amps at 12V/

The front panel is held in place by four metal spring clips, one in each corner.

Thankfully, the front panel is mounted only with metal, no fragile plastic clips to worry about.

Once the front panel is out of the way, you get access to the two fan filters. We also discovered here the Riotoro logo lets light through. It would be quite easy to light it up as a simple mod.

The filters simply slide to the left for removal for cleaning and fan mounting.

The rear of the case is pretty straight forward. The only thing back here to mention is the 3.5” drive mount, just behind the power supply. There are also several wire management locations where you can use the included zip-ties to secure extra cable. There are two on the rear of the motherboard tray towards the rear of the case, and 3 of them right in the middle. The front I/O wiring here is secured to the lowest of the 3 in the middle.

Speaking of the front I/O Wiring, the cables are pretty standard fare, Power and Reset Switches, power and disk activity LED’s, HD-Audio, and a single USB 3.0 header cable.

Towards of the front of the case are two 2.5” drive mounting locations. There are already vibration absorbing grommets in place to quiet down mechanical drives, but they work just as well with dual SSD’s as shown here.

The 3.5” drive mounting location has a box clamped in it with all of the hardware for the case. Out box was slightly open, which explains where the loose thumbscrew came from.

Once we take the box out, we can line a real drive up with the lower pins that slide into the screw holes for the rear and middle and pop the drive into place.

With the drive aligned, the top bracket slides down to engage the top two pins into the drives mounting holes, and the thumb screw is tightened to secure the drive.

System Build & Configuration

Dry Fitting the parts, we discover that the rear socket cutout is off just a bit for this particular motherboard, so we had to install the cooler to the board outside of the case.

To leave room for the GPU, we took the factory installed front 120mm fan off, and installed the Riotoro Bifrost 120 cooler in its place, and mounted the motherboard. The Factory 120mm fan was then reinstalled below the Bifrost cooler. The dual 2.5” SSD’s were then slid behind the cooler and secured from the rear side.

We moved the factory installed fan down to the lower spot to make room for the Bifrost 120 cooler, but the Riotoro CR280 case also supports a 240mm radiator in the front.

With the core of the system in place, we then installed the GPU and PSU and ran the wiring. The Nvidia GTX Titan-X is a large GPU, but there was about 1cm of clearance from it to the lower 120mm fan in the front. There is plenty of room for even the largest PSU below the graphics card. After the PSU was in place, we ran the PSU cables.

An ITX case can be challenging to find somewhere to hide all of the extra cables. There is a large than normal space behind the motherboard tray to hide cables, and lots of spots to secure them. The motherboard tray itself has four zip tie rings stamped into the steel for convenience. This is using nearly every cable the PSU comes with as the SSD’s and HDD are far apart enough to need a cable to each, as well as a molex cable for a fan splitter since the ASUS Maximus Viii Impact board didn’t have enough fan headers for the pump and 4 fans installed in this system.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

Riotoro’s CR280 Mini-ITX Case is great little box with a layout supporting a full size ITX build with no compromises. Full size Graphics cards and full size power supplies are supported along with a 240mm cooler and more fans than most ITX cases. The right selection of components would certainly allow even a full custom loop in this case, something that can’t be said for most compact builds. Support for dual 2.5” drives and a single 3.5” drive should work for most users, and if you haven’t made the jump to solid state, all of the drives have vibration absorbing mounts to keep high speed platters from making a ton of noise.

Build quality is great; the solid steel construction feels solid and there are no sharp edges or overlooked details. The side panels are easy to slide into place, and the front snaps on and off easily. The fan filters are a great addition at this price point, but the filter at the top of the case can take a bit of patience to get reinstalled with the little push pins. The red LED underglow in the front was nice surprise, adding just a touch of style without being over the top. Small cases can be a headache for cable management, so the handful of zip tie rings stamped into the motherboard tray made securing all of the extra cable a breeze. Our only complaint with this case was the lack of scratch film on the inside of the window. The loose thumbscrew during shipping made some very noticeable scratches to the window that would have been easy to prevent.

Overall for the cost, this is a great case, and easily earns our ‘Best Value’ award. Great Job Riotoro!

Checkout the CR280 on Riotoro's website

Introduction

WHEN MODULARITY MEETS SIMPLICITY

Cooler Master has recently launched their FreeForm™ Modular System with their MasterCase line up of cases. My first experience with one of these cases was with the MasterCase Pro 3, the MATX beauty we recently reviewed. Constant innovation of their fully modular system has brought us some amazing cases such as the MasterCase Maker 5 and 5T. Well, Cooler Master has just released their next mid-tower chassis in the MasterCase line-up, The MasterCase Pro 6. With their including their FreeForm™ Modular System and many of the same features that made the MasterCase line-up so popular, the MasterCase Pro 6 is set to be yet another amazing case. However, it has some big shoes to fill. Let’s get to it and see if this is truly a Master Case.

About Cooler Master

“We're all about the things that make building a PC such a rewarding experience. The sense of achievement. The joy of making and creating something uniquely yours in form and function. The freedom that comes from complete control. And of course, the thrill of bringing your creation to life without melting your components”

Cooler Master is a computer hardware manufacturer from Taiwan. Founded in 1992, the company is an aftermarket brand for computer chassis, PSU, coolers, cooling pads, and other accessories. Aside from their own aftermarket cooling solutions, Cooler Master is also an OEM vendor for different brand names such as Nvidia, AMD and EVGA. They produce GPU coolers, CPU coolers and Heatsinks for the various companies. In recent years, the company expanded its brand exposure into gaming communities by sponsoring major events such as KODE5 and a case modding competition. They have also won awards such as the iF product design award.

Features & Specifications

Features

• FreeForm™ Modular System
• Cooler Master’s FreeForm™ Modular System allows for complete customization of the case, both inside and out. You can customize, adjust and upgrade the case over time, instead of replacing it.
• Discreet Air Vents
• Air vents on the four corners provide ventilation for the case. However, pop up the top and pop out the front panel to increase airflow through the case.
• Flush I/O
• USB and audio ports are hidden by a cover that blends with the top panel, to give the top a seamless look.
• Cable management, at the back of the case?
• Back cover for extra cable hiding. Fit your cables into the holes of the rear cover a better look and better cable management.
• Two LED colors to choose from
• The MasterCase Pro 6 comes in 2 versions:
  • Blue LED fan & strip
  • Red LED fan & strip

Packaging & Unboxing

The front packaging shows off the front of the case as well as the inside.

Like other products in Cooler Masters “Master” line-up of products, the packaging is beautiful. On the front of the box, they have the Cooler Master “Make It Yours” logo. Below that is the MASTERCASE PRO 6 product branding. Along the bottom, they make note of the FreeForm modular system and its motto, “Customize, Adjust, Upgrade.” To the right of the package, there is a depiction of the front of the MasterCase Pro 6. To the left and behind the product branding, you get a glimpse of the internals of the chassis.

Three of the packaging shows a blown-out view of the MasterCase Pro 6, a description of the freeform modular system and a list of the main features of the case in several languages.

The right side of the box has a depiction of the MasterCase Pro six. This is also where you find out the color of the LEDs either red or blue.

The left side of the packaging lists the specifications for the case. This is also one spot where you can find the UPC code, model number and serial number.

The rear of the package is packed with information. On the top left corner, you find the MASTERCASE PRO 6 product branding. Below the MasterCase Pro 6 product branding, we find a brief description of what the freeform modular system is. On the top right corner, we find the Cooler Master “Make It Yours” logo. Below that is a blown-out diagram of the MasterCase Pro 6. Along the bottom, they have the key features of the MasterCase Pro 6 listed in several languages.

The top of the case also displays the UPC code, model and serial numbers. Along with that there is the Cooler Master “Make It Yours” logo, as well as the MasterCase Pro 6 product branding.

The left side of the box lists all the specifications of the MasterCase Pro 6. Above the specifications is the MasterCase Pro 6 branding and the Cooler Master “Make It Yours logo.” Near the bottom as we find the UPC code, model and serial numbers. The UPC code, model and serial numbers are also on top of the box, along with the Cooler Master Make It Your logo and MasterCase Pro 6 branding. The right side has the logo and product branding above a depiction of the MasterCase Pro 6. The right side also tells you whether the case has red or blue LEDs.

When the box was first opened, it revealed handles to a very large bag

The MasterCase Pro 6 comes with a very convenient, and large carrying bag. This is a great touch and made removing the case from the box much easier. Good call Cooler Master!

The MasterCase Pro six comes wrapped in a foam bag impact in hard form.

When I first open the package, I was amazed to see a very large gray bag with the actual case inside. The bag has two handles to make it very easy to remove the case from the box. Once removed from the box, you see that the carrying bag also has the cooler master logo printed on the side. Inside the bag, we find the MasterCase Pro 6 with hard form strapped around the case. The hard form in this packaging was fully intact not cracked or broken at all. This tells me that the case was handled with care during shipping. This is also a plus for system builders who ship completed builds because the same form can be used again. When the hard form is broken, it is essentially useless. Once the form is removed you find the MasterCase Pro 6 wrapped in protective a Styrofoam wrapping. The acrylic side panel has protective film on either side, in the accessories are packed in a small box in one of the 3.5” bays.

The accessory box comes conveniently stored in a 3.5” bay.

The accessory box is rather small, about the size of your average hard drive.

The accessory box contains the ties, all screws and standoffs, 2 moles to 3-pin fan adapters.

A Closer Look: Exterior

The MasterCase Pro 6 has a simple, but beautiful design.

Much like other cases in the MasterCase lineup, the MasterCase Pro 6 is simply beautiful. One of the main features of the MasterCase Pro 6, is Cooler Masters freeform modular system. This gives users the ability to upgrade their case over time, as opposed to replacing the case. With accessories, such as a tempered glass side panel, universal graphics card holders, horizontal SSD cages, vertical graphics card holder and SSD trays, you can truly make the MasterCase Pro 6 yours. Essentially every part of the interior is removable. This includes the hard drive bays, SSD trays and more.

The back panel sits flush with the rest of the case and looks simple, yet sleek.

You can see the air vents on the front part of the case. You can also see the lid to reveal the front panel I/O.

The lid to the front panel I/O is held in place by a magnet and has a rubber hinge. The front panel consists of the power and reset button, audio in and out, two USB 3.0 in the hard drive indicator light.

This picture shows the top panel raised, with the discrete air vents opened.

Both front and the back of the case, there is ventilation for airflow. However, both the top panel in front panel pop up and out to reveal discrete air vents. When these bins are open it greatly helps increase airflow through the system. On the top panel, near the front of the case, underneath a small flap is where you find the front panel I/O for the case. The I/O consists of two USB three, audio in and out jacks, power and reset button, as well as the hard drive indicator light. When open the lid to the flush I/O folded back to reveal a rubber hinge. This rubber hinge is a great feature and will prevent the lid from breaking off. When you close lid is held in place by small magnets and you can hardly tell it’s there.

The front and side panels can fold out and stay in place.

The front panel folds down to reveal to 5.25” bays, the four magnets that hold the front panel in place and allow the discrete air vents to open, as well as a mesh panel that covers the 2 x 140 mm fans that come pre-installed on the front of the case. The front panel can be completely removed to greatly improve airflow. However, I feel the MasterCase Pro 6 looks much better with the front panel installed. When the front panel is removed though, you can see the pre-installed LED strips that come with the MasterCase Pro 6.

The MasterCase Pro 6 comes with either red or blue LED strips installed on the bottom of the front panel.

The MasterCase Pro six with the front and side panel removed. Along the bottom, you can see the blue LED strips that come installed.

Here’s one of the magnets that hold the front panel in place and allow for it to pop up to reveal the discrete air vents.

With the front mesh panel removed you see the 2 x 140 mm fans that come installed.

Moving around to the rear of the case, you see a single 140-mm fan preinstalled, seven expansion slots in the mounting bracket for your power supply. One of my favorite features of the MasterCase Pro 6 must be the back cover. This back cover not only covers up all the thumbscrews for the side panels, but it also gives you a place for cable management on the rear of the case. This is an excellent feature in allows for a very clean build. All the cables can be tucked into the side of the back panel and hardly even seen. When the back panel is removed, you have access to the dust filter underneath the power supply. This case also has a removable power supply bracket. This allows you to remove the power supply from the rear of the case, without having to remove the back-side panel. The rear exhaust fan has tracks for the screws as opposed to just holes. This allows you to install either a 140-mm fan, or a 120-mm fan and adjust its height on the back of the case. If you are running an air cooler, you could potentially adjust the exhaust fan to line up perfectly with the fans on the cooler.

Here you can clearly see the tracks for both 140 and 120 mm fans.

Here you see the rear of the case with the back cover on.

With the back cover removed you have access to the dust filter under the power supply.

The MasterCase Pro 6 as a removable power supply bracket.

There is also a removable dust filter underneath the power supply.

The dust filter can be completely removed for easy cleaning.

A Closer Look: Interior

The interior of the MasterCase Pro 6 is very spacious and easy to work in.

One of my favorite things about all the MasterCase cases is just how customizable the interior is. How often have you purchased a case that you love the look of only to find out that there are hard drive bays that are just in the way. This is not an issue with any of the cases in the MasterCase line up from Cooler Master due to their freeform modular system. If something is in the way, does a very good chance you can remove or just move it.

The interior of the case is very spacious and easy to work in.

There is a mid-plate that divides the basement for the power supply in the motherboard tray. On top of this mid plate there are two SSD sleds that come preinstalled.

Below the mid plate there is a track to hold the power supply in place and raise it above the vent just a bit.

Also below the mid plate are 2 x 3.5”/ 2.5” bays which are both removable.

Above the mid plate there are another 3 x 3.5”/2.5” bays. The height on these bays can be adjusted using the track on the back of the case or they can be removed altogether. The 2 x 5.25” bays are also removable.

There are two tracks that the removable hard drive bays slot into. One on the rear of the case in the other on the front where the drives screw into the track.

There are several rubber grommets for cable management. There are three along the motherboard tray as well as to on the mid plate. This gives you plenty of cable management to make your build nice and clean. Next to the rubber grommets for drive bays and other accessories. This track is where you would also install [the hard drive support bracket. Closer to the front of the case is another track in which accessories such as hard drive bays will screw into. This allows you to place them where is convenient for you. For example, if you have a longer than average graphics card you can either lower or just remove these bays. The 5.25” bays are also removable. This could allow you to install a taller than average reservoir, if doing a custom loop. In this case is perfect for a custom loop. With support for up to 280 mm radiator in the front, 280 mm radiator in the top, and a 140-mm radiator near the exhaust, there is plenty of room for cooling.

This case came with a single blue LED 140 mm fan installed in the exhaust.

The top panel, like the front, is held on by magnets on Springs. There is also a removable bracket that can hold up to a 280-mm radiator, or two 140 mm fans.

Here you see the magnets on Springs that hold the top panel in place and allow the discrete air vents to open.

The removable radiator bracket as for thumbscrews attached. This prevents you from losing the thumbscrews when the bracket is removed.

Here you see the radiator bracket removed from the case. Instead of having just fan holes, it has tracks. This allows you to adjust the placement of the fans or radiator if need be.

Here you can see the top of the case with the radiator bracket removed.

The piece a test that looks like a handle is the rear air vent.

With the top panel removed you can see the removable radiator bracket. This bracket makes installing either fans or radiator much easier. There are four thumbscrews at either corner of the bracket that you unscrew to simply remove bracket. I must say, that installing the H220 X2 I used in this build was a breeze. There is one thing I hate is trying to install a radiator, with fans in a push configuration at the top of the case. The removable bracket at the top of the MasterCase Pro 6 made this process simple and much less time-consuming.

The rear of the MasterCase Pro 6 is spacious and great for cable management.

The front of the interior of the case is great. However, behind the motherboard tray of the case can make or break the case. I’m happy to say that the rear of the MasterCase Pro 6 is great for cable management with plenty of room to tuck cables away as well as plenty of little loops for zip ties. I must say that my favorite feature, along with the preinstalled Velcro straps, is the track that the front panel cables come tucked into. There was also plenty of room for any other cables I installed to be tucked into this trap as well.

Here you can see the track designed for tucking cables into on the back of the motherboard tray. This is possibly my favorite feature of any case ever. I hope going forward all Cooler Master cases, or cases in general, implement this or something similar.

The motherboard tray has a very large cutout. This will prevent you from having to remove the motherboard to swap back plates for coolers.

A Closer Look: The Build

System Specs

• AORUS X270 Gaming 5 Motherboard
• AMD RYZEN 7 1800x
• 16 GB G.SKILL RIPJAWS V DDR4 2400 MHz
• GIGABYTE XTREME GAMING GTX 1080
• CORSAIR RM750 PSU
• SWIFTECH H220 X2 DRIVE SERIES AIO COOLER
• 240 GB PATRIOT HELLFIRE NVME M.2 SSD

As I previously mentioned, building in this case was great. Very spacious and easy to move around in, with plenty of cable management room behind the motherboard tray. The removable radiator bracket on the top of the case made installing my all-in-one cooler a breeze. Overall, I’d have to say this was the best mid tower chassis I’ve had the privilege to build and in the 23 years I’ve been building computers. I’ve even built in full power cases that gave me more difficulty than this mid tower. The fans that came preinstalled are excellent. They’re very quiet and move plenty of air. Overall this system at idle ran in around 32 dB in around 40 or so while gaming. Keep in mind that this was with the discrete air vents open. Due to the lack of temperature probes and third-party monitoring support for RYZEN, I was unable to get an accurate temperature reading.

The I/O shield stepped in very easily with almost no force.

The MasterCase Pro 6 comes with mounting holes for ATX, MATX, and Mini- ITX motherboards.

I use the 240gb Patriot Hellfire NVME SSD as the boot drive in the RYZEN 7 1800x as the processor.

I chose the Swiftech H220 X2 as the cooler, because I had an AM4 mounting bracket for it.

I used a 240-mm all-in-one cooler for this build. However, there is support for up to a 280-mm radiator.

There’s plenty of room for cable management in the rear of the case.

I was very happy with how the completed build came out.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

There is no doubt in my mind, that the MasterCase Pro 6 lives up to the name. Like other cases in the MasterCase lineup, the MasterCase Pro 6 is a privilege to work in. You can tell that there was plenty of thought and time put into the development of this case. It’s simple yet beautiful design will look great in a modern competition, on a gamers desk, or even in an office environment. With the amount of customization you can do to this case could have everything from a dual custom loop to a massive file server full of hard drives. There are few cases with this many options. With an array of accessories that you can buy to add on, the MasterCase Pro 6 has the potential to be the last case you could ever buy. At the time og writing this review, there is no Amazon or Newegg listing of this case. We do know that this case is coming in at a price of $159.99, and you will pay a premium for the MasterCase Pro 6. However, with the amount of potential this case has, I personally think it’s an excellent price. The MasterCase Pro 6 is at this point, at the top of my best case of 2017 list. For that in many other reasons that have been listed in this review, I’m very happy to award the Cooler Master, MasterCase Pro 6 the Proclockers “Editor’s Choice Award” this is hands down, one of, if not the best mid-tower case I’ve ever built a system in. If you’re in the market for a new case in 2017, do yourself a favor and pick up the MasterCase Pro 6. You will not be disappointed.

The blue LED strip on the front of the case looks great when illuminated. As does the fan at the exhaust.

Introduction

SilverStone is one of the most renowned and respected brands when it comes to computer cases. Their RAVEN and Temjin series were just some of the popular cases for PC enthusiasts and builders alike. Here come a new series from SilverStone, the Primera Series cases and today we will be checking out the first model under this series, the Primera PM01 ATX chassis.

We would like to thank SilverStone Technology for sending us a sample of their Primera PM01 chassis for us to review today.

SilverStone's Take on the PM01

Primera is the Spanish word for “first” or “first class.” Cases in this series are designed for those seeking to build PCs with rich feature set and trend-setting aesthetics.

The Primera PM01 is an incredible computer case that fuses eye-catching styling and functionality in a package rarely seen in the PC world. It utilizes high quality, piano-like finish with oversized intake mesh panel inspired by sports car intake grill for unusually sleek exterior. Paired with an elaborate lighting system consists of LED fans and built-in adjustable LED strips, the PM01 can project the feel of a luxurious supercar on a highly customizable computer case. The roomy interior layout supports a variety of large, high end components that are designed to be cooled efficiently and quietly by the included three 140mm LED intake fans and an 140mm exhaust fan. True to SilverStone tradition, the PM01 also has excellent dust protection thanks to implementation of easily removable filters and positive pressure airflow setup. Novice users will find this case a pleasure to build with and maintain while advanced users will find details such as support for two 360mm radiator mounting positions and water tank mounting holes to be highly useful for building beautiful liquid cooled PCs.

Features and Specifications

• Includes three 140mm LED fans and built-in LED strips for stunning visual impact
• Oversized front panel mesh design inspired by supercar intake grill
• Support two 240/280/360mm radiator for AIO liquid cooler or custom water cooling
• Reserved water tank mounting holes for water cooling setup
• Removable filters with positive air pressure design for dust reduction
• Built-in 4-segment LED light controller to adjustable brightness and modes
• Super clean internal look with PSU and drive bay cover
• Includes 10 in 1 fan hub for fan cable management

Specifications

Models:

• SST-PM01BR-W (black with red LED + window)
• SST-PM01CR-W (matte black with red LED + window)
• SST-PM01WA-W (white with blue LED + window)

Material:

• Plastic outer shell, steel body

Drive Bay:

• External: None
• Internal: 2.5" or 3.5" x 4, 2.5" x 5

Cooling System:

• Front: 3 x 120mm / 140mm fan slot (includes 3 x 140mm LED fan)
• Rear: 1 x 120mm / 140mm fan slot (includes 1 x 140mm fan)
• Side: N/A
• Top: 3 x 120mm fan slot or 2 x 140mm fan slot
• Bottom: N/A
• Internal                : N/A

Radiator Support:

• Front: 120mm / 240mm / 280mm / 360mm x 1
• Rear: 120mm / 140mm x 1
• Top: 120mm / 240mm / 280mm / 360mm x 1
• Bottom : N/A

Expansion Slot:

• 7

Front I/O Port:

• USB 2.0 x 2
• USB 3.0 x 2
• Audio x 1
• MIC x 1

Power Supply:

• Standard PS2 (ATX)

Expansion Card:

• Support graphics card up to 16.5", width restriction - 6.88"

Limitation of CPU cooler:

• 180mm

Limitation of PSU:

• 240mm

Net Weight:

• 9 kgs

Dimension:

• 220mm (W) x 571mm (H) x 560mm (D), 70.3 Liters

Packaging and Unboxing

The SilverStone Primera PM01 chassis comes in a colored box packaging with two different models featured back to back. One features the black-red model while the other features the white-blue model.

On the sides of the box, you can read the features and specifications of the Primera PM01 chassis.

The Primera PM01 is protected by a sheet of plastic and Styrofoam inside the box.

Upon taking out the Primera PM01 from the box, the acrylic window and plastic components of the chassis are protected by a sheet of plastic as well. The model we acquired is the SST-PM01BR-W (black with red LED + window) which has a glossy surface and not matte, and probably why SilverStone decided to cover it with a sheet of plastic to protect it from the smallest scratch during transport.

Closer Look: Exterior

Here's a look at the SilverStone Primera PM01 from an elevated angle. The shape doesn't look like a typical chassis with it having round edges and curves which I personally find appealing.

The Primera PM01 has a glossy "piano-like finish" which is certainly eye-catching which I could liken to a sports car. The top shroud side vent looks like those of a Lamborghini.

This is the Primera PM01 with the power and LED lighting on. The three 140mm red LED lighted fans in the front of the chassis looks flashy. The red LED lighting that's located at the bottom and top of the PM01 also gives a cool accent. There's also a red LED module on the vent-looking thing on top of the chassis.

Here's a look at the rear of the Primera PM01. There's a pre-installed 140mm fan as exhaust at the rear. Perhaps the focal point of the rear is the top portion that shows the top vent of the chassis.

Here's the top-rear of the Primera PM01 chassis. The airflow going through the triple fan mount on top of the chassis which you can also mount a radiator on would lead to this vent. It also looks cool with the red LED lighting on.

Here's a look at the top panel of the Primera PM01. It is plastic and it has a smooth and glossy surface. All the air that would be pushed upward goes out to the rear-end of the chassis as shown in the images above.

There are two pairs of USB ports; a pair of USB 2.0 ports and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. There's also the typical set of audio jacks which are all near the LED button which changes the LED effects. LED effects include four; off, high brightness, low brightness, and breathing effect.

This small button is the power and HDD LED button. Unfortunately, the SilverStone Primera PM01 doesn't have a reset switch. It is debatable if it is really required to have a reset switch but I would be on the side that prefer having one.

The last portion of the externals is the bottom. The Primera PM01 has four small rubber pads as case feet. It does have a good elevation above the ground which isn't very obvious much like a sports car's low profile chassis. At the power supply bay is a removable dust filter for easy cleaning.

Also included with the Primera PM01 chassis are a pack of screws, 2x 2-way fan header splitter and a user's guide.

Closer Look: Front and Top Interior

Here's the front interior of the SilverStone Primera PM01 without the front mesh panel. It reveals the three 140mm red LED fans pre-installed in the case. There are no ODD bays on the PM01 unlike some of the RAVEN series cases which has a slim slot-loading ODD bay.

Here's a look at the top panel I/O ports once again without the top panel on.

Removing the top panel will reveal the top radiator/fan mounting area. The radiator would have to be installed inside the chassis chamber though since there's no way tubes can pass through the mesh unless modified. Also, fans would also need to be installed inside as the 3-pin fan headers doesn't fit any hole on the top mesh panel unless again modified but clearly the design seems to enable the builder to mount the fan outside the chassis chamber. You could do so but that would mean either making a hole for the fan cable to pass through or to remove the 3-pin fan header, route the cable and install the header back again.

Closer Look: Left-Side Interior

Here's a look at the interior of the SilverStone Primera PM01 on the left-side. The first thing you'd notice is the power supply shroud at the bottom of the chassis and also the huge open space in the motherboard area. You'd also be wondering about the inexistent drive cage behind the front-end of the PM01 which is very common in desktop cases. The huge motherboard cutout is also noticeable and the numerous cable routing holes on the middle and bottom of the motherboard tray area.

There's nothing behind the front panel fan mounts which means fresh cool air can be fed inside the chassis without any obstacle. Hence, this is also a very favorable radiator mounting spot of the PM01 chassis.

The top does support up to 360mm radiators. The mounting on top is also not centered and has some distance away from the motherboard area to provide better clearance with components.

Mounting a 360mm radiator in front of the PM01 would have some width or thickness limitations due to the power supply shroud and the radiator opening on it. Note that the power supply shroud is riveted into the chassis and is not removable unless the rivets are removed. The power supply shroud is also a sheet of aluminum and not plastic. I'd be using a EK Waterblocks CoolStream 360 radiator with a thickness of 45mm which barely gives extra space on this window. Anything thicker than 45mm would likely be hard to fit or would require modification. Later we will look into the watercooling options and limitations of the Primera PM01.

At the bottom portion of the motherboard area are cable routing holes ideal for the headers commonly located at the bottom of the motherboard as well. These would be the USB port headers, I/O switch headers, audio header and others. These would really help create a neat cable management later as well install our system on the Primera PM01.

This routing hole on the power supply shroud is ideal for the PCIe power cables to pass through for your system's graphics cards. Also notice the SilverStone logo on the power supply shroud. It does look great on the case's overall aesthetics but it would be a lot better if that was a LED lighted logo just to go along the LED lighting effects of the chassis.

Closer Look: Right-Side Interior

Here's the right-side or back-end of the Primera PM01. There's around 20mm more or less of space for cable management. It may not be the most generous of all cases but it is workable enough based on my experience with the chassis. There are some noticeable features you can find on the chassis at this portion as well which we will discuss further below.

Below the motherboard cutout hole are two 2.5-inch drive bays.

Here's a look at the power supply bay below the Primera PM01. You could say that the bottom chamber comprises of the power supply and drives at the front.

There's also an included fan hub behind the PM01 which can accommodate 10 fans and other devices with a 3-pin fan header.

There's also an included Velcro strap on the Primera PM01 case for tidier and quick cable management.

There are three slots on the drive cage at the bottom of the case. The mounting bracket can house both a 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard drive.

There are unique screws that go into the drive mounting brackets for the 3.5-inch hard drives. The included smaller screws will do for the 2.5-inch drives.

Build and Installation: Air Cooling Setup

We will do two builds with the SilverStone Primera PM01 chassis. We will start with a typical air cooled CPU setup with a massive air cooling unit like the Noctua NH-D15S.

Setup

• Motherboard: MSI 970 Gaming AM3+
• Processor: AMD FX 8370 8-Core CPU
• Memory: Kingston HyperX Beast 16GB Kit (2X8GB) 2400Mhz @ 2133Mhz
• Graphics Card: MSI GTX 960 2G
• CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15S
• Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 1200W with Primochill ModSmart Braided Cables
• Drives: 2 x 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue / 1 x 120GB Kingston HyperX SSD
• Chassis: SilverStone Primera PM01

The SilverStone Primera PM01 is certainly spacious and a simple single GPU setup even with a massive CPU cooler will still feature the space of the chassis. Cable management in the business end of the case is really easy and neat thanks to the smart locations of the cable routing holes with grommets. The number of exposed cables can be minimized by routing them on the nearest routing hole.

I did a setup with the least amount of cables required which was to use the bottom drive bays since using the 2.5-inch drive bays on the motherboard tray would result to adding another SATA power cable in my power supply.

The most challenging part of the cable management would have to be the SATA power and SATA cables. If these do not have a 90-degree angle header, it would require some force to make it fit and clear the side panel. It would have been good if the drive bay is pushed a bit deeper into the cavity but the given space does work even with straight SATA power headers.

Even with the air cooling setup, the three massive 140mm fans pre-installed in the front of the Primera PM01 is enough to feed cool air inside the chassis and through our NH-D15S air cooler. There were no additional fans added to the setup. Now let's see what we can do with the case when it comes to building a system with custom water cooling in mind.

Build and Installation: Custom Liquid Cooling Setup

We certainly cannot pass the challenge of building a custom liquid cooling setup with the Primera PM01 given the very favorable space and radiator mounting options present.

Setup

• Motherboard: Gigabyte Z170X Gaming 6
• Processor: Intel Core i7-6700K
• Memory: Team Group Delta DDR4 3000Mhz 16GB Kit (2x8GB)
• Graphics Card: Gigabyte GTX 970 Xtreme Gaming
• Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 1200W with Primochill ModSmart Braided Cables
• Drives: 2 x 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue / 1 x 120GB Kingston HyperX SSD
• Chassis: SilverStone Primera PM01
• Water Cooling:
  
  • CPU Water Block: EK Water Blocks Supremacy EVO RED Edition
  • Radiator: EK Water Blocks CoolStream 360
  • Pump: EK Water Blocks DCP 2.2
  • Reservoir: Barrow 150mm Cylindrical Water Tank
  • Fittings: Monsoon Chain Gun
  • Tubing Size: 3/8" ID ,1/2" OD

Fitting two 360mm radiators on the SilverStone Primera PM01 is easy without any modification needed.

Note that here I had one that is 45mm thick and on top is 30mm thick 360mm radiator. Thickness limitations would be much larger if you plan to use two 240mm radiators or 280mm radiators. Hence this was just to point out the largest possible combination of radiators the PM01 can accommodate. As mentioned earlier, the front would have a limitation of 45mm more or less due to the power supply shroud and window. However, the top certainly has more clearance and could support thicker radiators like the Alphacool NexXxoS Monsta radiators.

Here's the Primera PM01 with our custom liquid cooling setup.

Here's a shot of the bottom area of the motherboard where you can barely see some of the front panel I/O cables routed and plugged to the motherboard, thanks to the routing holes found at the power supply shroud of the PM01.

Here's the build without the side panel on and with the system running.

Here's the build with the side panel on and system running.

Even with our custom water cooling setup, the pre-installed fans were enough to feed cool air into the radiator and inside the chassis. We could do a push-pull and add two 120mm fans on the upper-rear of the radiator for increased cooling performance, perhaps if you have overclocking in mind. Overall, building a custom water cooling loop with the Primera PM01 was rather easy thanks to the favorable mounting options even for the pump and reservoir. There was no modification to the chassis required at all.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

The SilverStone Primera PM01 has a lot of impressive features we found out. Let us break it down to several points below.

Aesthetics

The aesthetics of the Primera PM01 is intended to make it standout. The huge window on the side panel, curvy top panel, huge meshed front panel and vents that look like those of a sports car are all there saying "look at me". Even the layout is built for easy and clean cable management, to showcase all the good in PC hardware and hide the things unnecessary to be seen. The case may not have the RAVEN style looks but this certainly has the same level or even better kind of appeal.

Layout and Flexibility

The layout of the Primera PM01 is certainly spacious and smart. It has routing holes to places where it will be needed. Even to the portion where the I/O audio connector tends to be routed, there's a routing hole there. The layout is also very generous when it comes to water cooling support. It is not common to find a case that supports two 360mm radiators natively. The layout also supports good air flow design having huge intake in front, exhaust on the rear and top. The drive and power supply chamber also gets a sufficient amount of cooling have around 80% of the bottom 140mm fan feeding it with cool air. The layout is also very flexible when it comes to length and size restrictions. The Primera PM01 can pretty much house the longest graphics cards available today. It even housed a large 1200-watt power supply in our review. Drive bays and mounting locations are also plenty and are all unseen from the business end.

I personally find the SilverStone Primera PM01 complete and without lacking anything. The four pre-installed fans are sufficient to provide cooling for your system and it does go with the overall theme of the case. At a price of $109.99 at Neweggand Amazon, I feel that the Primera PM01 is reasonably prices for all the features it offers. We are proud to give the Primera PM01 our Editor's Choice award!

Likes

• Aesthetics
• Layout and Flexibility
• Bundling and Price

Dislikes

• None

Introduction

If there is one thing everyone who considers themselves an enthusiast in the PC community loves, its having the ability to customize your system to fit your personality. With things like case modding growing in popularity, Cooler Master decided to take advantage of the communities ever growing demand for customization with the release of their MasterCase series. First was the MasterCase Pro 5 and the MasterCase Maker 5. Now, with the release of the MasterCase Pro 3, Cooler Master has brought full modularity and customization to the smaller form factor. However, does their FreeFormModular System truly give you the ability it “Make it Yours?” We’d like to thank Cooler Master for sending us the MasterCase Pro 3 for this review.  Now let’s go in-depth with the MasterCase Pro 3 and see if its worth of the name.

About Cooler Master

“We're all about the things that make building a PC such a rewarding experience. The sense of achievement. The joy of making and creating something uniquely yours in form and function. The freedom that comes from complete control. And of course, the thrill of bringing your creation to life without melting your components”

Cooler Master is a computer hardware manufacturer from Taiwan. Founded in 1992, the company is an aftermarket brand for computer chassis, PSU, coolers, cooling pads, and other accessories. Aside from their own aftermarket cooling solutions, Cooler Master is also an OEM vendor for different brand names such as Nvidia, AMD and EVGA. They produce GPU coolers, CPU coolers and Heatsinks for the various companies.  In recent years the company expanded its brand exposure into gaming communities by sponsoring major events such as KODE5 and a case modding competition. They have also won awards such as the iF product design award.

Specifications and Features

Specifications

• Color: Black interior, Dark, metallic Grey Exterior
• Form Factor: MATX, ITX’
• Materials: SECC, Plastic
• Dimensions (WxHxD): 467 x 235 x 505 mm. 18.4 x 9.3 x 19.9 inches
• 5.25” Bays: 0
• 3.5” Bays: 2
• 2.5” Bays 2+2
• Expansion Slots: 5
• Front IO
  
  • USB 3.0 x 2
  • Audio in and out (supports HD Audio)
• Radiator Supports
  
  • Front: 120mm, 1420mm, 240mm, 280mm
  • Rear: 120mm, 140mm
  • Top: 120mm, 140mm, 240mm
• Power Supply: Bottom Mount, ATX PS2 (Max length: 200mm)
• Max CPU Cooler Height: 190mm, 7.48”
• Max GPU Length:
  
  • With 3.5” cage 296mm, 11.7”
  • Without 3.5” cage 412mm, 16.22”
• Weight: 10.7 kg, 23.6 lbs.
• Warranty: 2 Years
• Accessories: Accessory Kit, User Manual

Features

With the MasterCase Pro 3, there is a focus on customizability and modularity.  The Master Case Pro 3 comes with 2 140mm fans pre-installed. However, this MATX chassis has room for a total of up to 5 140 or 120mm fans. There are many features that make the MasterCase Pro 3 stand out for the crowd. One of, if not the most prominent feature of the MasterCase series is the FreeForm Modular System. This system allows you to Customize the look and functionality of the chassis, but also adjust the inside to fit your build. You can also upgrade the case as you see fit. The MasterCase Pro 3 offers many of the features of the MasterCase Pro 5, just in a smaller form factor. Like many cases, the MasterCase Pro 3 has a side panel window, so you can display your build. There is a removable mid-plate that can hide the power supply. This is something more and more companies are doing and I love this feature. Just about everypart of this chassis ie either moveable or removeable. The FreeForm Modular System is one of the best concepts when it comes to PC cases in recent memory.

Packaging

Here you see the front of the box of the MasterCase Pro 3

The rear of  the box shows a blown out view of the MasterCase Pro 3 as well as the main features in a number of languages, and a description of the FreeForm Modular System.

The right side of the box depicts the MasterCase Pro 3.

The left side of the box displays all of the specifications of the MasterCase Pro 3.

Here is the top view of the box.

When first opened, you’ll see the small accessory and the user manual set in the very thick, hard foam.

The MasterCase Pro 3 was delivered to me is excellent condition. This was due to the very hard and thick protective cardboard on all of the outter edges of the box and secured by shrink wrap. The front of the box depicts the front of the MasterCase Pro 3 as well as the side of the case with the side panel removed. Along with that it has the Cooler Master logo and the “Make It Yours” slogan above the product branding on the right side of the front of the box. The rear of the box also has the product brandingon the top right, and the Cooler Master logo and slogan on the top left. Below that is a description of the FreeForm Modular System and a blown out picture of the actual case. Under this are the main features of the MasterCase Pro 3 in a number of different languages. The left side of the box lists all f the specifications of the MasterCase Pro 3. The right side simply displays a picture of the front of the case at a slight angle, showing off the rear side panel. The top of the box displays the product branding, logo and things such as the UPC code and mdel number. When first opened, yousee, seated in hard grey foam, a small accessory box and user manual. I’m usually not a huge fan of hard foam. However, this was very thick and sturdy foam and didn’t break in transit. Once the top layer of hard foam was removed, you see the case wrapped on a light foam bag of sorts. Once you remove the case from the box, you see the other piece of hard foam that protected the bottom of the case. Along with the user manual was the accessory kit. In the kit you’ll find a few zip ties, a bag of hardware, screws, standoffs, etc. Also in the small accessory box were a couple 4-pin molex to 3-pin connectors for the fans. These came in very handy due to the fact I was using a Mini-Itx motherboard with only 2 fan headers. The user manual came in a small plastic bag and also contained the warranty information.

Here is the the small accessory box that includes the zip ties, Molex to 3-pin adapters and all the screws and standoffs

Here you see the user manual

Here is what the internal packaging looks like.

A Closer Look: Exterior

The side panel window comes with a layer of protective plastic to prevent any scratches during shipping.

Here is a view of the rear side panel.

The front mesh panel is sporting the Cooler Master logo.

Although there is no 5.25” bay, there is a 5.25” bay cover.

The front IO has the power and reset buttons, the HDD LED indicator, 2 USB 3.0 and 2 3.5mm jacks. One for a mic and the other for headphones.

As a part of the MasterCase family, the MasterCase Pro 3 looks great. Its almost identical to Pro 5, just a bit smaller. The front intake is a hard mesh, removable panel sporting the classic Cooler Master logo. Right above the front mesh panel is a 5.25” bay cover, although there is no 5.25” bay. Thes two pieces make up one larger, also removeable front panel. This panel is removed to gain access to the front fans as well as the bracket that holds them in place. Above the front panel is the front IO. The Front IO is made up of 2 USB 3.0 ports, 2 3.5 mm audio in and out jacks, the power and resert buttons and an LED indicator for the hard drive LED. Moving up the is an air intake that doubles as a handle. Also on the top, there is a mesh vent that also has a removeable cover. For my build the cover will remain off due to the radiator mounted in the top of the case. For easy access to the coolinbg solution on the top, if any, the mesh vent is completely removable. This makes cleaning the filter and radiators as well as swapping fans out much easier. When this cover is removed, you can also see the handle on the top rear of the case.

The top of the also has a mesh dust cover.

You can also keep the cover on if there is no cooling on the top of the case.

The top dust cover can also be removed for easy access to either the fans or radiator.

Here you see the the rear IO, 5 expansion slots, rear exhaust, and power supplt mounting bracket.

The rear of the case is like many other cases. There’s a spot for the motherboards IO shield. Right next to that is the exhaust for the case. Here you can fit up to a 140 mm cooling solution. What the Pro 3 has that you don’t really see muchm is instead of having just screw holes, there are tracks in the place of holes. This allows you to either raise or lower the fan or radiator to your liking. Under the exhaust, there are 5 expansion slots for adding graphics cards,  PCIe SSDs, sound cards, etc. This is pending that your motherboard has room for that many expansions. As we make our way done the rear of the chassis, we come to the spot for the power supply. This is another feature where the MasterCase series stands out, the power supply bracket. Mounted to ther rear of the case with thumb screws, this bracket allows you to remove the power supply through theback of the chassis. You will no longer need to remove the side panel to access the power supply. Great feature! Just below the power supply is the dust filter for the power supply. The underside of the case is kept up off the surface by its solid steel legs that stretch from side to side on the front and rear of the case. These legs also have rubber feet to prevent any surface it sits in frim scratching. The rear panel is a solid steel panel held on by two thumb screws. The front panel is also held on by two thumb screws, however, the front panel has a a window. The window has one smal strip of black plastic near the bottom of the window. This is so if you keep the mid-plate in, you can’t see the power supply and cables. This makes for a much cleaner looking build.

With the power supply bracket, you can remove the power supply through the rear of the chassis.

Directly below the power supply bracket is a dust filter for the power supply.

The MasterCase Pro 3 has massive steel feet with rubber feet.

Here is a shot of the under side of the chassis.

A Closer Look: Interior

For an MATX case, the MasterCase Pro 3 has a massive amount of space.

The MasterCase Pro 3 comes stock as a dual chamber with a removeable mid plate.

The case comes with 2 3.5” drive cages  pre-installed that can be removed and relocated.

The drive cages can be relocated using this mounting bracket.

Behind the bracket is the adjustable plate for radiators, VGA holders etc.

The Pro 3 has 3 spots for mounting SSDs. One on the motherboard tray and two in the mid plate.

Here you see the mid plate removed.

There are a number of rubber grommets on the back of the motherboard tray and on the mid plate

The rear exhaust comes with support for either a 140 or 120 mm fan or radiator.

The MasterCase Pro 3 has support for up to 16” graphics cards.

The front and top brackets can be removed to install either fans or radiators up to 280mms in length.

The front view of the radiator bracket

Here is a view of the entire back of the case.

The rear of case has 3 velcro straps that come screwed to the rear of the motherboard tray. They take care of the bulk of the cable management

With the mid plate installed, you can hide the power supply completely.

Here you see the front panel completely removed

Much like an apple pie, the inside of the MasterCase Pro 3 is what makes this case so sweet! The FreeForm Modular System truly allows you to completely customize not only the look, but also the function  of the case.With the FreeFormModular System, you can remove and relocate interior parts for maximum compatibility for components of all shapes and sizes.Like with the exterior, we’ll begin on the front of the chassis. Once the front panel is removed, it reveals one of two radiator brackets. The removable brackets allow installation of fans and liquid cooling radiators outside of the system. These brackets are held in place by thumb screws and support up to a 280mm radiator or up to 2 x 140mm fans. The other radiator bracket is on the top of the case, under the removable dust filter. The brackets are also removeable for easy install and removal of fans and radiators. When I removed the side panel, it was so much less of a chore than any other case I’ve ever used before. The bottom edge of the side panel has a lip that slides over a track on the edge of the case. Then on the top edge of the case, there is a latch that locks in plase on the side of the case. Much easier to put on and remove the panels than the traditional way case manufacturers have used for years. The rear panel has the same feature as well. Once you remove the windows side panel, You’ll start to see the true beauty and modularity of the MasterCase Pro 3. As it comes, the Pro 3 is a dual chamber case with a removeable mid plate separating the power supply chamber from the rest of the chassis.The removable mid-plate allows either a dual-chamber design or it can be removed for more room for watercooling components, larger video cards, etc. Also nest to the powersupply is a 3.5” drive cage that holds 2 x 3.5” hard drives or 2 x 2.5” SSDs. Like everything in the Pro 3, the drive cage is not only removeable, but the FreeForm Modular System allows them to be relocated to fit the builders needs. Along the outter edge of where the front radiator bracket mounts, there is a series of screw holes small slip and clip pockets. These are for raising and lowering the 3.5” drive cage. One the back wall of the case is Cooler Masters new and improved “Clip and Click” panel. Although this panel is not removeable, it is adjustable. Measuring approximately 267 x 51mm, or 10.5 x 2”, this panel runs along the back wall, on the right side of the case and ends at the mid-plate. This asdustment of this panel allows you to install thicker radiators on the front of the chassis. It’s designed to hold such accessories as extra drive cages, fan brackets, reservoirs, and the MasterAccessories VGA holder. Another feature of the MasterCase Pro 3 are the “Slip and Clip” pockets for SSD mounts. There are 3 to be exact. The fisrt is on the back wall, under the motherboard tray.This one can be installed on either side of the motherboard tray. The second and third are on the mid-plate. So if you remove the mid-plate, you’ll lose the mounting spots for 2 SSDs. On top of the already crazy amount of customization already available, there are a number of accessories you can purchase on top the what comes with the MasterCase Pro 3. Some of these accessories include SSD Pockets, 3.5” Drive Cages. A Universal VGA Holder, Top Panel Dust Cover, and my personal favorite, a Tempered Glass Side Panel. A panel which I have already purchased for my case.  Adding some or all of these accessories can give your case an all new look and feel.

The frame of the chassis with the rediator bracket, front and side panels removed

Here is a close up of the bottom lip on the side panel

The side panel slips over a track on the side of the chassis

The top of the side panel then locks into this groove on the top edge of the chassis

Here is a blown out diagram of the MasterCase Pro 3

Build and Installation

The completed build.

The System

• I5 4690k clocked @ 4.0GHz
• EVGA Z97 Stinger Mini-Itx MotherBoard
• GTX 1080 Founders Edition
• 16gb of Corsair Vengeance Pro @ 1866 MHz
• Lepa EXllusion 240 expandable AIO cooler with Thermal Take Ring fans
• Corsair RM850 with white sleeved cables
• 128gb Samsung 850 Pro Boot Drive
• Windows 10 Professional

The front of the chassis with the mesh dust filter removed.

Here you see the front panel removed and the 2 front 140 mm fans installed.

The power supply  and hard drives mounted under the mid plate

The MasterCase Pro 3 offers plenty of room for cable management.

Here is a shot of the inside front of the case with the complete build.

The rear view of the inside of the case.

The 8-pin power connector was managed through the power supply chamberm through the mids plate.

The rear of the case with the complete build in it.

The power supply mounting bracket with the power supply installed.

The fan or radiator on the exhaust cane be adjusted. It can be either raised or lowered to fit your needs.

To begin, I overclocked the i7 4690k to 4.2GHz @ 1.21 volts. The room was at a rather cool 21°c.  After booting, I let the system idle for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, I recorded an idle temperature of 24 °c, only 3c above the ambient temperature. Not bad for a smaller case. I then ran Cinebench R15 a total of 3 times. On the third run, I recorded a max temp of 51°c on the hottest core. Even though Cinebench R15 hits 100% laod, it is by no means a stress test.  Its just to give us an idea of the temps during a moderate load.  The exceptional amount of air flow through the case definitely helps out with the temperatures.

The rear of the Pro 3 has ample room for cable management

There is even a decent amount of room next to the power supply for excess cables to be tucked away.

A straight on view of the rear, behind the motherboard tray.

The included velcro straps offer more than enough room for the majority of the cables that need to be managed.

The 120 mm AIO did a great job cooling the 4690k

A shot from the rear of the PC running with side panel removed.

A shot from the rear of the PC running with side panel on.

For being an MATX case, there is a massive amount of room in the case, especially for cooling solutions.  I installed 3 x 140mm Thermal Take ting fans and 2 x 120mm. The front and the rear had trhe 3 140mm fans and the top had the 2 120mm fabns mounted on the radiator. I chose to use a Mini-Itx board. However, an MATX board woiuld have fit as well and, potientially given more fam headers. Luckily, the MasterCase Pro 3 came with a couple Molex to 3-pin fan adapters.  I mounted the Lepa EXllusion 240 on the top of the case in a pull configuration. Although, there would have been more than enough romm to set it up in a push pull configuration. Since I wasn’t setting up a custom loop, I deceded to keep the mid-plate in. There for, I I was able to mount the 2 SSDs I used on the mid-plate. I was also able to take advantage of the rubber grommet on the mid-plate for cable management, I ran the 8-pin power adapter through the grommet on the mid-plate for the graphics card. This helped by saving a little more room behind the motherboard tray. Speaking of which, there is ample room behind the motherboard tray for cable management. There are also a number of loops for running zip ties through, as well as 3 velcro straps attached to the back via screws to manage the bulk of your cable with. With the mid-plate installed, there is plenty of room in front of and next to the power supply to neatly wrap up and store any access cables you may have once the build is complete. Once everything was all connected, the rear panel slid on as easily as it did when the case was empty. All and all, this case is an absolute pleasure to build in. The only gripe I had at all was due to my choice of motherboard and the placement of SATA ports on the board. I can honestly not find one thing wrong with the MasterCase Pro 3 at all.

The 5 installed fans offered great airflow and temperatures. They also look amazing.

A shot from the front of the PC running with the side panel off.

Final Thought and Conclusion

The MasterCase Pro 3 has been an absolute pleasure to build in and review. There are very few cases out there I’d calssify as fun to work with, this is by far one of those cases. The customization can give you the feel of building in a new case each and every time you do a build in it. We’ve all come to the point in a build where we wish a psrt of a case wasn’t in the way. Well, with the MasterCase Pro 3, you can more than likely move that part. From a basic PC, to a custom loop with 2 radiators, to a file server with up to 10 hard drives, there’s nothing this case can’t handle. At the time of this review, there still isn’t a link to pruchase the MasterCase Pro 3. However, I do know that when it is available, it’ll cost $99.99 and you’ll be able to purchase it at online retailers such as Amazon, Newegg, and The Cooler Master Store as well as brick and mortar stores such as Microcenter in the US. With the combination of customization, modularity and an excellent price, I’m happy to award the Cooler Master MasterCase Pro 3 the Proclockers “Editors Choice Award.”  If you’re planning on an MATX or Mini-Itx build, I honestly feel that the MasterCase Pro 3 is the best case you can buy, especially for the price. With the MasterCase Pro 3, you can truly Make it Yours. 

Introduction

No matter how amazing the individual components in your computer are, the case you house them in is the most visible part the first thing everyone sees. As the home of everything except your monitor and peripherals, it’s often the first thing many builders pick out when planning a build. If you pick the container before you pick the contents, you often find yourself limited in one way or another on what you can and can’t install. With the Cougar Panzer MAX, that won’t ever be a problem! With room and flexibility to fit almost any combination of hardware and cooling you can come up with from a tiny air cooled mini-ITX to a monster Extended-ATX with quad GPUs, Cougar has you covered.

Pro Clockers would like to thank Cougar for sending us the Panzer MAX to check out, so let’s dive in and see what all the fuss is about!

Cougars Take on the Panzer Max

Panzer Max is a full tower gaming case that has been designed with gamers, overclockers, modders and professional level computer lovers in mind. It provides you with unprecedented levels of freedom when designing your system and choosing its components, has superb cooling capabilities and sports an attractive, professional looking design that will enhance any area you put it in.

Superior Expandability: Panzer MAX brings you unprecedented levels of freedom when designing your system. Its support for six different motherboard form factors and up to four double slot 390mm graphics cards allows you to install all the computing power you need, while the possibility to host up to six storage devices will provide plenty of space for your files.

Superior Cooling: Plenty of cooling is a key factor for gamers, overclocking and PC enthusiasts in general, and Panzer Max offers all they could ask for. With support for up to eight fans and four water cooling radiators, you will enjoy more than enough cooling horsepower to keep even the most advanced components safe from overheating. To complement this, its intelligent cable management system will keep all the cables behind the motherboard tray, allowing Air to flow unobstructed and dissipate the internal components' heat.

Superior Design: It doesn't matter where you install it: a computer built in Panzer Max is an impressive sight. With a metallic-like military inspiration design with a big side window, this case can both be a professional looking armored style build or a flamboyant LED fan equipped spectacle: the decision is yours. The easily removable covers and the orifices on all four sides make modding much more convenient, and allow you to transform it into whatever you want it to be. Other features such as the keyboard tray to free desktop space, the headphone hook, the four USB plugs and the two handles will contribute to make your life easier.

About Cougar

Created in Germany in 2007 by a group of engineers, COUGAR has been devoted since its first day to a single objective: to endow every single product with a superb quality, a rich functionality and a distinctive design. As a group of gamers, with successful products right out of the gate, Cougar jumped into the gaming gear market to counter the flood of poor quality and gimmicky gaming devices. Their first keyboard and mouse, the 700K and 700M respectively spent 3 years in development and landed well received on the market garnering many positive reviews and awards, including the prestigious iF Product Design Award in 2014. Cougar has since worked closely with Pro Gamers to completely fulfill the needs of gamers everywhere and in less than a decade has risen to be a global leader in gaming hardware, “Real gear for real gamers”.

Features & Specifications

Specifications

Features

• Military Metallic Style with Big Side Window
• Headphone Hook: Convenient location for your headphones that saves you desk space.
• Keyboard Tray: Liberate your desktop when you’re not using your computer.
• 35kg Handle Support: easy transportation
• Tool-less opening and removal of all covers: easy installation
• Easily moddable
• 4 USB Ports (including 2 USB 3.0 ports): Extended connectivity

Contents & Packaging

Cougar doesn’t waste money on colorful boxes, opting instead for a simple monochrome design over the cardboard box. With a simplified drawing of the Cougar Panzer MAX case taking up a 3rd of the front, the case highlights can be found near the bottom with the cougar logo, motto and case name taking up the remainder of the clean design.

The back of the box expands upon the features list with some diagrams indicating the interior layout and maximum hardware support, including fans and radiators.

The side of the box gives the full specifications as well as another clean picture of the case and the cougar logo and motto: “Real Gear for Real Gamers”.

Inside, we find the chassis wrapped in a soft cloth bag and cradled in heavy Styrofoam blocks to protect from any damage during shipping.

You probably saw the torn handle and crinkled corners on the outer box in the pictures above, none of that trauma was transferred to the case itself. Being supported on all six sides by Styrofoam over an inch thick has its advantages.

Removing the cloth bag, we get our first look at this awesome chassis! Notice the window is covered by a scratch protective film.

A Closer Look: Exterior

The striking military-esque style frame around the Cougar Panzer MAX case comes to a head at each corner with a carbon fiber appearance. The corners look like you could easily strap on a cargo parachute and air drop your rig right into the middle of a battle.

The top front edge holds the angled front panel. Two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 (type-A) ports surround the 3.5mm headphone and microphone jacks. The Power and reset buttons as well as the controls for an integrated fan speed controller surround the gold Cougar logo.

Just under the front panel we find two mesh covered 5.25” bays. Not everyone has given up optical drives, and there are many other devices that can occupy these bays, from Reservoirs to Fan controllers to VR access panels, so we’re glad to see these here. The rest of the front of the case is mesh, providing plenty of unrestricted airflow to the interior. The right side of the case is occupied entirely by a single easily removable door with quick release handle.

Pressing the mesh grill inwards on the front allows it to pop out and be removed for cleaning or installing fans. The 5.25” bays can be removed allowing up to 3 x 140mm fans or a 360mm radiator to be installed in the front. There is room between the front mesh and fan mounts to install normal 25mm thick fans or possibly a thin radiator so you don’t lose that space inside. The front comes with two cougar 120mm fans pre installed.

The top of the Cougar Panzer MAX case has a similar design, about 2/3rds of the case top is a mesh panel, and the rest is broken up into a smaller solid panel. Two fixed handles can be found on top of the case, and both are extremely heavy duty, rated to 35 kg or around 77 pounds, enough to have complete confidence, even with a very heavy and fully loaded build.

Similar to the front, the top panel is two pieces, one mesh and one solid that can be pressed in and popped out to access cooling gear below. Up to three 120mm or two 140mm fans can be installed here between the grills and the steel chassis. There are also a few large cable pass through to handle all necessary wiring.

The rear of the case is fairly typical, you have eight I/O slots as opposed to the usual seven, that way, four dual-slot GPUs can be used without blocking any ports. You get three pass through knock outs you can open up to run hoses to external water-cooling gear, a 120mm fan space with a Cougar fan pre installed, and the usual ATX power supply mount. Like the rest of the case, the rear is also recessed in a way that nothing extends beyond the exterior rails. In this scenario, you can push this case right up to a wall or desk back and your cables will be somewhat protected from getting smashed.

A Closer Look: Interior

Taking the windowed door off, we get our first glance of the roomy interior of the Cougar Panzer MAX case and the power supply cover. The power supply cover can keep even the worst nest of extra cables from a non-modular power supply at bay, and ensures the best looking build with minimal effort. The front of the cover is notched to allow fans or a radiator to extend down into the front of the power supply bay, keeping a small amount of heat away from critical components. There is also a 240mm tall air scoop to route some cool air behind the motherboard tray for your drives.

A simple diagram indicates how to remove the PSU cover. The sticker can be removed before showing off your build. The cover was initially hard to remove, but we later found a large piece of foam wedged in the lower compartment to keep this cover secure during transport.

The back of the Cougar Panzer MAX case reveals four tool free sleds for solid state drives, as well as two sleds for 3.5” or 2.5” drives depending on your needs. All six drives can be installed with no tools, but each tray can be removed from the case if you need. We also find that 2.5” bays are angled to allow the front air scoop to direct some much needed air over heavily worked drives. The 3.5” drive sleds have vibration absorbing mounts to keep noise to a minimum.

Six thumb screws later, all of the drive trays can be removed.

The front dual 5.25” bays use a quick release mechanism for easy drive or front panel device mounting.

If you don’t have front bay devices, a few screws can be removed to allow up to three fans or a triple radiator in the front of the case for extreme cooling. It’s nice to see flexibility, this is a huge perk for custom cooling enthusiasts.

Inside a rather nondescript cardboard box twist tied to the rear of the case, we find the manual, accessories like the awesome headphone hanger that can be installed in eight locations on the exterior of the case. All screws needed along with a few zip ties for cable management are in another bag for convenience. The front fan controller can be expanded to control another four fans via two included 1 to 3 three pin splitters. If two triple radiators are not enough cooling for you, the three knockouts on the rear of the case can be protected with included grommets to feed cooling lines to external gear.

System Build & Installation

Build Specs:

• Case: Cougar Panzer MAX
• CPU: Intel Core i5-4690k, cooled by EKWB Supremacy Evo block
• GPU: 3x EVGA GTX 980 SC, cooled by EKWB Full cover blocks with back plates.
• Motherboard: Gigabyte G1.Sniper 5
• Ram: 16GB G.Skill Snipper series 1866Mhz
• PSU: Corsair RM1000, with custom yellow/grey/carbon extensions by Cable Guy Mods.
• Drives: Four Corsair GT 240GB + 2 SanDisk Ultra Plus 256GB
• Rad: Phobya 360mm + 240mm
• Res/pump: XSPC Photon 170 DDC
• Fluid: Mayhems Sunset Yellow Pastel
• Fittings: Primochill Revolver SX series + Monsoon 90 degrees.
• Headphones: Corsair VOID RGB Wireless YellowJacket Edition

The Cougar Panzer MAX case is a pleasure to build in, I was able to install all the major components in short order. I installed the radiators inside the case with the fans installed between the radiators and the outer covers. I could easily squeeze a fourth GPU in the build, but the power supply cover would be nearly as close to the bottom GPU as the cards are to each other, so air cooling may run a little warmer than some would like.  Even with full length graphics cards installed, there is still plenty of room between the GPUs and front radiator to stick a reservoir.

The top and bottom most ‘slots’ on the outer rails on both sides, front and back are solid with threaded holes for mounting the included headphone hanger.

With a very full system, I had a huge amount of cables to route, and there is plenty of room around the drive sleds, and case edges to handle many times more than I have here.  The majority of the PSU cables are hidden under the power supply cover.  Here you can see a pair of Corsair VOID RGB Wireless headphones hanging from the mounted hook. The four USB ports on the top panel give you a convenience for wireless receivers and USB storage drives.

The four front SSD mounts allow you to just slide the drive in until the front tool free catch snaps into place. The drive sleds only work for 2.5” drives 9.5mm and under, with the unique airflow scoop in the front directing a log of air here, it would be nice to so 12.5 or even 15mm thick drives supported for cheap, large capacity, high-RPM mechanical drives such as Western Digital Velociraptors which are still more affordable to many enthusiasts than a pile of SSD’s.

Installing the top covers after mounting the radiator and fans, I discovered the front section of the removable top plate is very close to the front most fan a few millimeters only. This doesn’t allow great air-flow for this one fan, so I would love to see cougar offer a vented cover piece for this section when a triple radiator is installed in the top of the case.

This is such a heavy duty looking case, and the build quality matches the looks. Subtle gold and carbon fiber accents give just the right amount of contrast without going over the top. This is the completed build with the side door removed.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

I wanted to save my favorite shot of the Cougar Panzer MAX build for last. Here you get a good view of the subtle but elegant cougar logo etched into the side window.  Unlike some cases, Cougar chose to keep their logo down where it does not block your view of the system.

Overall, the Panzer MAX case is an affordable case that is a dream for many builders. The utilitarian aesthetics stand out from the crowd and will look awesome with nearly any build inside. The included headphone hook is a blessing and solves a problem many gamers have but haven't really acknowledged. Hanging your favorite cans over your monitor, or on the edge of your desk is just asking for trouble, but that won’t be the case here. Air flow is well thought out, the front is often used as an intake and much of this warmed air is rerouted away from your critical components. The large amount of flexibility gives enthusiasts the reigns to do what they need to do to get the ideal build without resorting to heavy modding.

Subjectively, I LOVE this build, I hate to tear it down later. For a case that retails for around $150, you would be hard pressed to find the same quality and flexibility for the same price point and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this case was to build in. I was a little disappointed in the fan clearance for the front most top fan, but covering half that fan may not make much difference in cooling power in the long run. The Cougar Panzer MAX receives our Highly Recommended Award!

Introduction

With VR becoming more & more popular every day, we knew it wouldn’t be long before someone came along and built a chassis with the use of VR in mind, and first in line was NZXT with their new S340 Elite chassis. Although The S340 has been around for a couple of years, but NZXT has added some new features to an already remarkable case, such as a tempered glass side panel, along with the top I/O panel which has been optimized with a HDMI port and extra USB ports to help some with your VR experience, along with some other goodies that we will be taking a look at in today’s review.

Pro Clockers would like to thank NZXT for sending us the S340 Elite chassis.

NZXTs Take on the S340 Elite Chassis

S340 Elite, the most refined and elegant S340, that expands upon the mid-tower’s renowned durability and improves PC gaming usability with added connectivity. The S340 Elite features a tempered glass side panel to showcase builds with breathtaking clarity, an optimized IO panel with an HDMI port and additional USB ports for convenient VR experiences, and a magnetic cable management puck to easily store VR and audio headsets for fast and flexible access.

Giant Tempered Glass Window: The S340 Elite’s 4mm thick tempered glass panel makes building in NZXT’s popular mid-tower chassis even more rewarding. Crisp in clarity, the new tempered glass panel enhances the award-winning all-steel construction design of the S340 by highlighting all builds with uncompromised beauty.

Enhanced with Virtual Reality Gaming: Getting VR up and running with the S340 Elite is a snap with the HDMI and USB-port connectivity readily available from the top panel. The innovative magnetic cable management puck allows users to wind up VR and audio headset cables with ease, or split the puck apart for longer cable coverage.

The Cleanest Mid-Tower Interior: The S340 features an open-interior design with a steel cable management bar that splits the front intake from the rest of the case. A new clamping system has been added behind the cable management bar and along the rear, enabling users to achieve a clean and hassle-free build with minimal efforts.

No Corner Left Untouched: Fully-filtered intakes, steel-plated audio jacks, captive thumb screws, and cable management solutions are just a few of the design features that keeps every build looking sleek inside a compact chassis.

Water Cooling Ready: There’s no sacrificing performance with this small mid-tower case that boasts full compatibility with NZXT’s entire line of Kraken Series liquid coolers.

About NZXT

NZXT is a leading computer hardware manufacturer with a diverse product portfolio that equally values design and function. Their award-winning products empower hardware enthusiasts to build some of the most beautiful and imaginative computer systems in the world. By offering exceptional customer service to new and veteran builders alike, the company also prides itself on

energizing the PC DIY community with content that is educational, resourceful, and inspiring.

Features & Specifications

Packaging & Unboxing

As you can see NZXT made all sides of the S340 Elite box very enticing to make sure it catches your eye with a certain amount of sex appeal.

Moving on to the packaging, the S340 Elite was very well packaged, with two thick Styrofoam inserts on the top and bottom of the chassis, as will as a clear plastic bag to help keep fringer prints as well dust from getting on the tempered glass side panel and the rest of the case.

The accessories package that came with the S340 Elite was kind of on the small side, the only things included was the S340 Elite manual, a Sata cable extension, 10/ 6 inch zip ties, and 4 small plastic zip bags containing M3/ 5 flat screws, two standoffs, 6/32 Hexagon screws and 6 / 32 flat screws as shown in the photo below, basically everything you need to get your build started.

The next two photos show the new NZXT magnetic cable management puck which can be used to hold your VR headset, however if you’re not into VR yet, It does a really great job with your audio headset. The puck is magnetized and comes in two pieces, there’s also channeling in the center to wrap the cord from your headset.

Side view showing the channel for wrapping your headsets cable around the magnetized puck which can be split into two pieces.

A Closer Look

Exterior

Let’s take a look at the exterior of the S340 Elite chassis, starting with the right side showing the new tempered glass side panel which happens to have a 2 inch black boarder on the right side front, the rest has a 3/4 inch black border. The panel is held in place by 4 studs with rubber bushings & 4 knurled threaded caps.

The front bezel of the S340 Elite does not open, which means you’re out of luck if your used to installing a DVD or CD burner, even you’re fan controller can no longer be installed.

Moving along to the top of the chassis we see the top I/O , if your see something different added, it’s because NZXT decided to add a HDMI with VR support. Also NZXT decided to go with a single 120m fan up top which can be changed to a 140mm.

Time to see what’s happening on the right side as well as the rear of the S340 Elite chassis. Other than the puck, which can also be moved to the front panel. There’s nothing else really happening , but there’s plenty of room to add your favorite graphics and make your rig really stand out.

Moving over to the rear of the S340 Elite, we see all the regular players, Rear I/O cutout, Fan grill, as well as 7 expansion slots and the PSU bay cut out.

Taking a look at the bottom of the S340 Elite, the first thing you notice is the removable fan filter which sits directly below the PSU and is easily removed for cleaning. The 4 rubber feet do an excellent job holding the chassis in place.

Interior

Once the tempered glass side panel has been removed, you can see just how spacious the S340 Elite interior is, and the back plate cutout is large enough to work with almost all cooler or water block back plates. Also shown is the NZXT cable management bar.

Let’s talk about the tempered glass panel, as I mentioned earlier the clear tempered glass panel does have a black border going around it. The border on the left side plus the top and bottom of the panel is ¾ “ wide, with the right side coming in at 2”. The panel measures 17 ½ “ high by 17” long and is held in place by 4 studs with threaded ends, and a rubber bushing which fits over each stud.

Once the panel is installed 4 threaded knurled caps which also have a Phillips head must be lightly tightened to hold the panel. The next 3 photos will show you what we just talked about.

Here’s a close up of one of the four threaded studs which already has the rubber bushing installed.

Let’s take a look at the four knurled and threaded caps, which also have a Phillips head, although It would be best to use your fingers to tighten each cap.

Moving on to the front of the chassis, both side panels must be removed to have access for removing the front panel, once that has been done we can now remove the fan filter and see what we can mount in front as far as a radiator.

With the fan filter dropped down it looks like either a 240mm or 280mm radiator would work, so let’s take a look at our next photo with the filter completely out of the picture.

Looks like the new NZXT X62 AIO CPU Cooler would be an excellent choice for the S340 Elite build, seeing as I’ll be using a X99 motherboard with an overclocked 5930K . Time to get on the phone and see if NZXT can send us a X62 for our build!

While we’re waiting to hear back from NZXT let’s get on with the rest of this review. Taking a look at the inside front you can get a better idea of the mounting possibilities.

Moving on to the PSU cover, you will find mounting for three SSD’s Two on the top and one front right, which turns out to be great news for our planned build, seeing as we will be installing three OCZ Vector 180 960GB SSDs! W reviewed the Vector 180 960GB SSD drive for OCZ back in May!

The inside rear of the S340 Elite shows a 120mm fan mounted up top, and a 140mm fan on the rear panel. The I/O shield cut out as well as 7 expansion slots.

Next, we see the NZXT cable management bar, this has been a welcome addition in the last 4 chassis I have reviewed for NZXT, and does a great job hiding ugly cables and helps you do a really nice clean looking build.

Moving over to the right side of the S340 Elite chassis and with the right side panel removed , we have a good view as to what’s going on back here that was once hidden by the side panel. There’s a pretty decent cut out for installing cooler back plates, but we need to get a closer look at the NZXT cable clamps, but first, lets not forget about the bottom front drive cage which can hold at least two more drives.

I have to wonder why NZXT decided to stop at four when we could have used six, maybe more in different areas of the chassis.

Installation & Configuration

For the NZXT S340 Elite build, I’ll be using the following hardware:

• ASRock: X99-Extreme6/3.1 motherboard
• G.Skill: Ripjaws 32GB DDR4 2133MHz 4GB x 8
• Intel: Core i7-5930K
• Gigabyte: GTX1080 Founders Edition x 2
• OCZ: Vector 180 960GB SSD X 3
• NZXT: Kraken X62 CPU Cooler
• Corsair: AXi Series AX1200i PSU
• Custom Sleeved Cable Kit for the AX1200i
• NZXT: S340 Elite Chassis.

Lets go back and take a look at the front of the S340 Elite with the Kraken X62 CPU Cooler installed. The two 140mm fans look huge. The next two photos will show the front section as well as the interior front.

Here’s the second photo of the S340 Elite interior showing the NZXT Kraken X62 CPU Cooler installed in the front section. 

Let’s move on to the photos of our X99 SLI build.

Left side with the tempered glass side panel & the puck attached on the front panel. With the roomy interior of the S340 Elite, installing our build as wel as the Kraken X62 was a breeze.

Left side front angle shot with our G.Skill Headset mounted on the magnetic puck. Even with this large headset and extra long cable, the magnetic puck did an amazing job holding the headset in place.

Right side panel removed showing nice and clean looking routed cables. Nothing make a build look worse than having a rats nest of messy cables.

NZXT S340 Elite rear panel after we finshed our X99 SLI build.

Here we see the right side to front.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

NZXT has done an amazing job updating a chassis that was already one of their best selling mid towers. The overall build quality of the S340 Elite excellent, plus the addition of the tempered glass side panel really pushes the sex appeal of the S340 Elite chassis through the roof. 

Cable management is now a breeze thanks to three things, the award winning power supply shroud, the cable management bar, and now the welcomed addition of the four cable clamps which help you keep your cables nice and neat, giving you a very clean looking build. The top I/O panel of the S340 Elite has been optimized with an HDMI port as well as additional USB3.0 ports for a streamlined VR experience, add in the magnetic cable management puck to conveniently store your VR or audio headsets with fast and flexible mounting access. The pack can be used on either the front panel or right side panel. 

As far as storage, NZXT has added mounting for three SSDs on the PSU shroud, 2 of the mounts are on the top of the shroud, with the 3rd on the right front side of the shroud, giving you fast & easy access to all 3 SSD’s. Lets not forget the additional drive cage which is mounted up front on the right interior side .

The S340 Elite has full support for all of their Kraken Series coolers up to 280mm so there’s not mush more you could ask for from such a remarkable chassis, but lets not stop here, NZXT also added two removable and washable filters, one up front and one on the bottom of the chassis. Both filters make sure your prize build stays free from dust and pet hairs. If I had to complain about anything, it would have to be not adding support for a 240mm – 280mm radiator up top. The single top mounted 120mm FN V2 fan looks out of place on such a beautiful case.

If your in the market for a mid tower chassis, the NZXT S340 Elite should be on your short list. Considering everything you get $99.99, you really shouldn’t have to think twice! Because of all these great features and the great price, we have decided to give the NZXT S340 Elite the ProClockers Editor's Choice Award.

Introduction

Do you ever wish you had a chassis that would be very easy to work with and made things so much easier to do your build? If so, Cooler Master might have the perfect case for you with their new MasterCase Maker 5t Full Tower Chassis. The 5t is a modular case with tinted tempered glass side panels, plus the chassis is fully modular making it the perfect case for doing your new high-end build. ProClockers would like to thank Cooler Master for sending us the MasterCase Maker 5t full tower chassis for review.

About Cooler Master

“We're all about the things that make building a PC such a rewarding experience. The sense of achievement. The joy of making and creating something uniquely yours in form and function. The freedom that comes from complete control. And of course, the thrill of bringing your creation to life without melting your components”

Cooler Master is a computer hardware manufacturer from Taiwan. Founded in 1992, the company is an aftermarket brand for computer chassis, PSU, coolers, cooling pads, and other accessories. Aside from their own aftermarket cooling solutions, Cooler Master is also an OEM vendor for different brand names such as Nvidia, AMD and EVGA. They produce GPU coolers, CPU coolers and Heatsinks for the various companies. In recent years, the company expanded its brand exposure into gaming communities by sponsoring major events such as KODE5 and a case modding competition. They have also won awards such as the iF product design award.

Cooler Master's Take on the MasterCase Maker 5t

 “Make of It What You Will”

MODULAR MEETS TURBO: In a new aggressive outlook, you still get all of the goodies of our MasterCase Maker line with the FreeForm™ Modular System. Don't get in the driver's seat – just stand and admire the metallic red finish, dual tempered glass panels, Trooper-inspired rubber handle, and red LED glow.

ADJUSTABLE LAYOUT: Whether you're going for 4k, 144Hz displays with high frame rates, or you just want to build a stunning rig, there's plenty of ways to get there by customizing the internal layout. Quickly slide, clip, rearrange or remove parts to support up to 6 fans, 10 HDDs.

MasterAccessories List: Each case comes with a different number of MasterAccessories, from our MasterCase 5 with its basic package, to our MasterCase Maker 5 coming with a wider range of accessories. Buying a basic package always leaves you freedom to enhance your case by buying additional accessories in the future.

Features & Specifications

Packaging & Unboxing

The front of the box is nicely done with a partial photo of the left hand side of the chassis as well as another photo showing the front panel including the front I/O panel. The words MASTERCASE Maker 5t seem to jump out at you making it easy to notice. Also towards the bottom front we find the words “With Free Form Modular System “and below that we have “Customize. Adjust. Upgrade”.

Moving on to the backside of the box right hand side, you can see a photo of the MasterCase Maker 5t chassis in its modular form and above that the Cooler Master Logo with the words “Make it Yours” listed under the logo.

On one of the sides of the MasterCase Maker 5t retail box you will find the chassis Specifications listed which we will get to a little later in this review.

The opposite side of the box lists the chassis name on the left side along with the Cooler Master logo placed on the upper right side along with a photo of the chassis on a front to right side angle.

Let’s open the top of the box and see how well this beautiful chassis is packed. The little cutout toward the rear was made for the tin accessories box. It would be nice if every company would follow Cooler Master’s idea for a tin box to keep the chassis accessories in, we will get back to the accessories package shortly.

Now that the packaging and chassis have been removed from the retail box. We can get a better idea of how far Cooler Master went to protect your investment.

Besides the Styrofoam packaging on each end of the chassis, Cooler Master also placed the chassis in a cloth bag to keep it free of dust, and fingerprints. It was nice finding the case covered in a cloth bag instead of a standard plastic bag.

Earlier we talked about the tin box that held the accessories package for the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t accessories, so now it’s time to take a closer look at the accessories box.

The MasterCase Maker 5t accessories package includes includes a little bit of everything to help you install your system, right down to the cable ties and the keys needed to unlock and remove both side panels.

A Closer Look

Let’s get the MasterCase Maker 5t chassis out of the bag so we can see what we have to work with for this review, the next 3 photos should give you a pretty good idea how beautiful this case is starting with the left side.

Our next photo shows you the top of the chassis including the left side. I did find that the tint that was used on the tempered glass side panels was perhaps a little too dark. As this photo shows the left side almost looks black, but in all fairness the way I took this photo could be contributing to the darkness.

The rubber coated carry handle that Cooler Master added to the 5t chassis was a really nice touch. It’s not only soft but being made from rubber will help your hand from slipping if it gets wet.

It’s time to take a look at the top panel from the front of the chassis, including the front I/O panel which has 4 x USB3.0 ports, Audio In & Out which also supports HD Audio. Fan Speed Control H/L. Power Button and the LED Light Control Button which covers Light on, Breathing light, and Light off.

Moving toward the rear of the top panel, we find a mesh panel that looks like it opens, our next photo will show if it does open or if it’s just for letting cool air in.

Well, what do you know, not only does it open but it can also be removed.

With the cover removed its now easier for the fans to bring in some nice cool air to help our Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 AIO keep the 6700K which is overclocked to a stable 4.8GHz running cool.

Getting back to the front of the MasterCase Maker 5t, you must admit that it’s fierce looking but being honest I’m not too crazy about the way it opens will take a look at that in our next photo.

The cover on the front panel does not open to the right or left, instead it swings down towards you revealing a mesh cover that runs from the two top 5.25” bays all the way down over the front fans. It only opens enough to get a couple of optical dive installed, or perhaps a two bay Pump / Res combo.

This photo shows the bottom of the cover where it meets the front panel.

The right side of the chassis also has a tempered glass side panel and basically looks like left side. As you can see, once again the tinting on the tempered glass side panel seems to be a little dark.

Moving on to the rear of the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t, it’s just like the rear of many other chassis we have reviewed, so there’s nothing special going on back here.

Let’s take a look at the bottom of the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t. As you can plainly see there are two metal legs and each one has a couple of rubber strips attached to stop the chassis from moving. There is also a removable fan filter that slides out under the PSU bay for cleaning. I would like to mention that the filter is also washable.

Let’s remove the left temper glass side panel and see when we have waiting for us. The first things we notice is 5 cable routing holes with rubber grommets, also a huge cutout for CPU cooler back plates or a CPU block back plate.

You might have also noticed the mounting for a couple of SSDs as well as a LED light bar. The light bar has magnetized backing so you can mount it anywhere you want to.

The light bar has a Cooler Masters Logo on one end, as you can see from our next photo the case has been stamped saying “ Designed By Cooler Master “.

The front inside of the interior has a dual 5.25” bay cage that can be used for mounting a couple of optical drives, or perhaps a dual bay Pump/Res combo. The bottom front can support either two 120mm fans or two 140mm Fans, also a 240mm or 280mm radiators or AIO CPU coolers.

Also in towards the front and inside back of the chassis, we found one of the best VGA support systems we have ever seen, and to add more it’s fully adjustable just buy turning a thumb at the end of each support and sliding it either up or down.

We now take a look at the rear interior of the chassis, which shows us once again just how big that cut out is. You can also see a total of 7 expansion slots, plus the SSD mounting and part of the PSU bay is shown below.

Seeing as the SSD mounting has shown up more than twice, I think it’s time to get the SSDs mounted and out of our way, what do you think? Here we take a look at our Kingston HyperX Savage 960GB SSDs and the mounting brackets. For the final install we may switch over to two OCZ Vector 180 960GB SSD drives, mainly due to to much red in the interior.

Now we can show you the SSDs installed two different ways, however once the SSD on the left is installed you would no longer be able to see it, all you would actually see is the top of the SSD tray. The one on the right would give you the full view of the drive.

Time to move on to a photo showing you the side of the PSU bay, we only showed you a partial view before.

In the next photo we see the removable PSU bay filter extended, this filter can be completely removed and even washed.

The PSU bay with the filter completely removed for cleaning.

Lets move over to the right side and see what Cooler Master has going on over there. As we can see Cooler Master added a channel running the full length of the Motherboard tray, so you can tuck your cables away and the 3 Velcro cable holders help keep them there. It would have been great if they had added 5 Velcro straps instead of 3.

Lets take a look at the fan control panel, from here it looks like it controls up to six fans and also has connections for four LEDs. The plastic cover for the control panel can be easily removed and put back in place. The panel is held in place with two small screws.

Moving along to the top panel, lets see how much work it would be to remove the top panel so we can install a Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 AIO CPU Liquid Cooler.

In step one, we have to loosen, not remove, the two Phillips heads screws shown in the photo that hold the handle down. There are 4 screws that hold the handle in place. Once the rear screws have been removed the handle must slide backwards to be removed.

In step 2, there are a total of 4 thumb screws. 2 on each side holding the fan cage in place, all 4 thumb screws must be removed, we started with the screws towards the front of the fan cage.

In step 3, I removed the last two thumb screws towards the rear of the cage.

In the 4th step I had to remove the last two Phillip head screws holding the handle in place and slide the handle towards the rear of the chassis to be able to remove both the carry handle and the fan cage.

Now that that the front two Phillip head screws have been loosened and the four thumb screws from the fan cage as well as the last two Phillip head screws, I can safely remove the carry handle and the fan cage. Here’s what they look like removed.

Lets take a look at the top of the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t with top panel removed so we can install our AIO CPU cooling unit.

The next photo shows a side view of the MasterCase Maker 5t with the top panel removed. Although the radiator cutout looks large enough for a 360 radiator, only a 280mm radiator can be used or a 240mm.

Here we see the Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 AIO installed in the MasterCase Maker 5t Installing the Pro 240 up top was fast and easy.

With the carry handle added we can now finish the adding the last piece of the top panel and move on to installing our new build.

Installation & Configuration

For this build we will be using the following components:

• Gigabyte: Z170X-Designare motherboard
• Intel: 6700K CPU
• Kingston HyperX Fury 64GB USB Flash Drive
• Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 AIO CPU Cooler
• Gigabyte: GTX1080 x 2
• 2x Kingston Savage 960GB SSD
• 2x OCZ Vector 180 960GB SSD
• EVGA Super Nova 1300W PSU

Throughout this review, you heard be mention how the GPU support system is one of the best I have ever used, it does an amazing job supporting the weight of both GPUs and with no sagging it helps you with a really great looking build.

Here’s a close up of the GPU support system.

I was amazed at how fast I was able to do this build and as you can tell with graphic cards getting longer and heavier, most times they put too much weight on the PCIe slots which results in the card sagging at one end. This is where the MasterCase Maker 5t GPU support system comes in to play and save the day.

The cable channel on the right side as well as the 3 Velcro straps also helps leave you with a very neat looking right side, which is the way it should be when a chassis has tempered glass side panels.

The next 2 photos shows both tempered glass side panels installed on our finished build.

Here’s one last photo of the rear of the MasterCase Maker 5t with our full build installed.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

Cooler Master has hit the ball out of the park and scored a grand slam with the fully modular MasterCase Maker 5t. It’s everything any real PC enthusiast could want or ask for in a PC chassis. It looks awesome, it’s a dream to build in, it has an adjustable GPU support system that makes card sagging a thing of the past. Let’s not forget that for those of you that are into custom water cooling or just using a AIO CPU Cooler, the MasterCase Maker 5t supports 240mm and 280mm radiators in the front section as well as up top. The right side is setup the way ac chassis should be so there’s room to hide all of your cables. Then there are the tempered glass side panels, which I did find the panels a tad too dark for my taste, but most likely it will not matter to most.

Now let’s talk about the price, at $249.99 a lot of you will find that price hard to swallow. You do get a lot in return that’s for sure, but it’s still very expensive for a PC chassis, but if you have the cash to burn, we would have to give the go ahead and say make your purchase, you will not be sorry putting your hard earned cash into the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t. That's why we are giving the Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5t the ProClockers Editor's Choice Award. You will be able to get your hands on the MasterCase Maker 5t at your favorite online retailers starting on December 20th.

Introduction

Cases today are adapting to new technologies every time. One technology in particular that’s becoming a mainstream today is the Type-C port coming from both USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 interfaces. Both offer fast data transfer rates making it ideal for those that move around large media content from device to device. Gladly, SilverStone always adopts the latest technologies and incorporate it to their latest cases, one of which is going to be tested today. Follow us as we take a look at the SilverStone Redline Series RL05 chassis that sports a USB 3.0 Type-C port in front and two 140mm LED fans in front for superior cooling.

The SilverStone Redline Series RL05 Chassis

The Redline series RL05 was created with the goal of exceeding user experience and expectation for affordable PC chassis by offering punchy styling and features reserved often for more expensive models. RL05 includes two 140mm LED fans as intakes to inject large amount of air flow through filter for SilverStone’s signature positive pressure setup that not only provides great cooling but also minimal dust buildup. PSU and drive bay areas have covers to clearly section off individual components inside for separate cooling zones while also letting users hide cables for pristine look on the interior. Lastly, a USB 3.0 Type-C port is located in the front I/O cluster to provide convenient connection to this reversible plug-in technology. For enthusiasts looking to build a PC with top-notch features and styling on a budget, the RL05 is an outstanding choice.

Watch the Redline Series RL05 overview video below:

Features and Specifications

• Includes front mounted USB 3.0 Type-C port
• Includes two 140mm LED fans designed to generate positive pressure
• Super clean internal look with PSU and drive bay cover
• Quick access filters for easy cleaning
• Motherboard back plate opening for quick CPU cooler assembly
• All black painted interior for stylish look
• Supports graphics cards up to 14.7" (373.4mm)

Model No.

• SST-RL05BR-W(black with red trim + window)
• SST-RL05BB-W(black with black trim + window)
• SST-RL05BW-W(black with white trim + window)
• SST-RL05WR-W(white with red trim + window)

Material: Plastic panel, steel body

Motherboard: ATX (up to 12" x 10.2") , Micro-ATX

Drive bay:

• External: 5.25" x 1
• Internal: 2.5" or 3.5" HDD x 2, 2.5" x 2

Cooling system:

• Front:120/140mm fan slot x 2 (includes 140mm LED fan x 2), 80mm slot x 1
• Rear: 120mm fan slot x 1
• Side: --
• Top: 120/140mm fan slot x 2*
• Bottom: --
• Internal: --

Radiator support:

• Front: 120mm x 1 / 240mm x1
• Rear: 120mm x 1
• Top: 120mm x 1 / 240mm x 1 / 280mm x 1
• Bottom: N/A

Expansion slot: 7

Front I/O port:

• USB 3.0 Type-A x 2, Type-C x 1
• Audio x 1
• MIC x 1

Power supply: Standard PS2(ATX)

Expansion card: Support graphics card up to 14.7" (373.4mm), width restriction - 6.4" (162.6mm)

Limitation of CPU cooler: 165mm

Limitation of PSU: 220mm

Net weight: 5.9kg

Dimension:

• 210mm (W) x 465mm (H) x 450mm (D), 44.9 Liters
• 8.27" (W) x 18.31" (H) x 17.72" (D), 44.9 Liters

Packaging and Closer Look

The SilverStone RL05 chassis comes in a typical packaging.

The RL05 is protected with a plastic sheet and Styrofoam. The huge acrylic window is also protected with a sheet of plastic you can remove after unboxing.

The SilverStone Redline Series RL05 is a mid-tower chassis that’s on the more compact size but it does offer superior cooling given that it includes two 140mm LED fans pre-installed. For those that still use a 5.25-inch ODD or a fan controller or probably thinking of mounting a 5.25-inch bay reservoir for custom liquid cooling, the RL05 does have one bay for you to use.

At the top, you can see the ventilation holes wherein you can mount two 120mm fans beneath.

Closer Look at Interior

The SilverStone Redline Series RL05 case has a built-in power supply shroud at the bottom which is riveted into the chassis. You can also see the two pre-installed 140mm LED fans in front of the case which offers great cooling for the hardware inside even without you adding more fans. There’s also one 5.25-inch ODD bay which is great for builders that would be using an optical disk or some other device to be mounted on it.

On an angled view, you can notice the huge motherboard cutout hole which makes it easy to install and remove back plates of CPU cooling solutions.

At the bottom of the aluminum shroud are 2.5-inch drive mounting holes and screw holes for what I believe are for custom water cooling hardware like pumps and reservoirs.

At the rear of the RL05 are two hidden 2.5-inch drive mounts and at the bottom are two 3.5-inch drive mounts and of course the power supply bay.

At the narrowest portion of the rear, there’s around an inch of space for routing cables including the space for the 2.5-inch drives to be mounted on the hidden mounting spots.

For the power supply bay, getting a PSU shorter than 20 cm would be ideal. Anything longer would be tough even though the specifications say it can be as long as 22 cm. It would be hard to route cables by then particularly non-modular PSUs with stiff cables.

Build and Installation

To review the SilverStone RL05 chassis, I used the following hardware below.

• CPU: AMD FX-8370 8-Core Processor
• Motherboard: MSI 970 Gaming AM3+ Motherboard
• Memory: Kingston HyperX Beast 16GB Kit
• Graphics Card: Gigabyte GTX 770 OC
• CPU Cooler: Cryorig H7
• PSU: Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 850W
• Drive: GALAX Gamer 120GB SSD

From this view, you can clearly see the wide open space between the motherboard and other parts and the front of the chassis wherein the two intake fans are installed which gives the hardware good direct cooling without much obstruction. You could easily fit a 240mm AIO watercooling in front as well with push and pull fan configuration very easily.

At the back, I could really minimize the use of cable ties and just tuck the excess cables under the PSU shroud of the RL05.

Using the bottom 2.5-inch hidden drive mounting space does pose some difficulty depending on the cables of your power supply but it can be done.

As for the 8-pin ATX power cable routed to the top of the case, there’s not much obstacle to go through considering also the size of the routing hole available, the 8-pin ATX power cable header can pass through with ease. You can also notice the rear back plate of our cooler is totally free of any obstruction if ever it needs to be replaced or removed, it can be done without removing the entire motherboard on the case.

With the side panel installed, the acrylic window does give a very visible look inside so if you want your build to look good, it would be necessary to keep everything neat and simple or build it with a lot of lighting and shiny hardware inside.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Enthusiasts and even average users today are really keen in having a neat and visually appealing setup. Also, having a functional case with helpful features is also preferred. In balancing all these demands, we find the SilverStone Redline Series RL05 chassis pretty much an ideal solution without being too hefty for your budget. Having the USB 3.0 Type-C port will help you future-proof your computer for future and existing devices that use the Type-C USB port. I also like the fact that it also offers the ‘old-school’ 5.25-inch ODD bay solution.

When it comes to aesthetics, the LED fans that come with the chassis are good for LED lighting enthusiasts and the huge acrylic window will spark your creativity in making the interiors looks good whether it’s neat cabling and installation or with the use of fancy lighting and custom water cooling. The SilverStone RL05 offers a good balance of aesthetics and function at a very reasonable price. Cooling performance and cooling hardware support is superb as well. At a price of $59.99 at Amazon for the same model with reviewed which has the Black and Black front (RL05BB-W), I find it hard to beat such offerings from SilverStone. If you want a more aggressive look with the Black and Red front and LEDs, you can find the RL05BR-W model for $69.99 at Amazon.

Likes

• USB 3.0 Type-C Port
• Two included 140mm LED fans
• Huge acrylic window for a great inside view
• One 5.25-inch ODD bay
• Two hidden 2.5-inch drive mounts at the rear
• Excellent cooling and hardware compatibility

Dislikes

• None

Introduction

The PC Case has morphed over the years from a simple beige colored steel box designed to do nothing more than hold components, to a bold statement in and of itself that sets each build apart from the rest. As showmanship and modding have become more prevalent, PC component manufacturers have put considerable effort into making things like Motherboards and GPU’s look as well as they perform. Due to this, it’s getting harder and harder to find a case WITHOUT a window in the side, but why would you want one? What if you want to go more the other direction? Instead of leaning down to peak through a tiny window to see your parts, what If you want almost everything to be visible from all angles? We aren’t quite to the point where every component is wireless and just floats in a bubble near your desk, but Thermaltake has gotten as close as anyone with the Core P3 chassis. Visibly open from 5 of the 6 sides, it provides just enough structure to hold your system while keeping nearly everything visible. You can even mount it on a wall instead of just sitting on your desk (although you can do that too). As many enthusiasts like to be unique, The Core P3 can be configured dozens of different ways, and coupled with limitless hardware combinations out there, you can build the ultimate and still unique system you’ve always wanted.

ProClockers would like to Thank Thermaltake for sending us the Core P3 chassis to check out!

Thermaltake’s Take on the Core P3 ATX Wall-Mount Chassis

Bring out the modder within you. The Core P3 SE Snow Edition Open Frame chassis sets a new benchmark in groundbreaking open frame chassis design. With full support for liquid cooling – the Core P3 is built from the ground up to make even the most advanced PC customization and modification effortless and hassle free, making it a dream to build with. The open frame panel design is protected with a clear acrylic panel – behind which sits the chassis frame, with supports the latest PC hardware, AIO and DIY liquid cooling solutions. Specially designed dual GPU and PSU layouts, plus a 3-way stand placement (wall mountable, horizontal laying and vertical standing) allow users to position the chassis any orientation – and appreciate your artwork status worthy build.

Features & Specifications

Features

Tt LCS Certified

Tt LCS Certified is a Thermaltake exclusive certification applied to only products that pass the design and hardcore enthusiast’s standards that a true LCS chassis should be held to. The Tt LCS certification was created so that we at Thermaltake can designate to all power users which chassis have been tested to be best compatible with extreme liquid cooling configurations to ensure you get the best performance from the best features and fitment.

Built for Makers

By practicing and incorporating the idea of “maker movement” as well as 3D printing, Thermaltake designs the open frame panoramic viewing chassis as anyone can access and do his/her own mods as well as print out his/her own ideas using available liquid cooling components and manuals without boundaries.

Users can download 3D printing accessory files on 3D Makers Microsite, printing them out to do a special mod.

Maker’s Website: http://3dmakers.thermaltake.com

DMD – Dismantlable Modular Design

The Core P3 open frame chassis enables user to freely build the system from the ground up with given modular panels, racks, brackets, and pre-design mounting arrays. No more unreachable screw corners or gaps and enjoys installation in a breeze with Dismantlable Modular Design.

3-Way Placement Layout

The Core P3 is designed for use in three different ways: Wall-mount, vertical, and horizontal placement. Built for customization that reflects the makers’ personality, it allows for adjustments to the chassis for the best viewing presentation while ensuring outstanding cooling performance.

Users can hang it on the wall as decoration, take it to wherever they want and display the nice builds vertically or horizontally.

Believe in Seeing

The open frame structure with unique Panoramic Viewing design advanced the Core P3 visual presentation, that permit users to show off their dedication and skill set unlike any other cases on the market.

Versatile GPU & PSU Orientation

Show off your graphic card and power supply with our special design bracket. The Core P3 has included a riser cable for you to choose the way you want to build the system. Further, the Core P3 also has the support for vertical PSU layout when ITX motherboard is applied.

Native AIO Support

The Core P3 is natively supported for all types of All-In-One liquid cooling solution without the need for extra bracket.

Supreme Hardware Support

The Core P3 offers the most flexible mounting option with the special designed mounting array which not only supports up to four by 120mm or 140mm fans or radiators, it also supports the mounting of 3.5” and 2.5” storage devices. Further, two 3.5”/2.5” drive trays are included and hidden in the back panel that offers 45mm of cable management space.

Core P3 Wall-Mounting Support

It’s an optional feature that wall-mounting parts are not included.

Packaging & Unboxing

You certainly can’t say the Thermaltake Core P3’s box isn’t colorful. A full color picture of a sample build dominates the front of the box next to a large Tt LCS badge for Thermaltake’s Liquid Cooling System Certified gear.

The rear of the box gives an exploded view of the chassis and shows most of the huge pile of parts included to help you assemble this flexible chassis in any configuration you desire.

Opening up the box you are greeted with a massive block of Styrofoam.

If you’ve unboxed a few monitors before, you expect to have little pockets on the outside that might hold parts as you remove it from the box, but that is not the case here. Everything is contained securely inside the monolithic white block.

Cracking open the clam shell, you get your first look at some of the parts.

The top half of the shell contains most of the smaller parts such as the window support bars, the Pump Mount, PSU brackets, Case feet, rear I/O Brackets and a pretty impressive assortment of screws and hardware.

The bottom of the packing cradles the main chassis itself, separated from the top half by a thin piece of foam to protect from scratching.

Under the chassis you find the case window. The window is protected from scratches by thick paper on both sides, which usually denotes a cell cast acrylic which is optically superior to cheaper extruded plastic that usually comes with a plastic masking.

After digging everything out of its individual spot in the foam block and unwrapping it all, you are left with the following mountain of parts and hardware.

A Closer Look

The Thermaltake Core P3 Snow edition’s bare chassis might not seem like much before assembly, but it offers quite a list of possible configurations to suit nearly any build.

The rear, or underside of the case if used in a test bench configuration, doesn’t have much on it. A Large vented area mirrors the radiator mounting area on the front. A VESA compatible mounting pattern for 75x75mm, 100x100mm, or 200x100mm mounting with M6 screws gives a secure place to bolt your own wall mounting hardware. Six thumbscrews secure the rear cover to the main chassis.

Inside the rear panel hides a washable magnetic dust filter. If you wall mount or configure the Thermaltake Core P3 case as a test bench, you may be able to move this to the outside of the case for easy access for cleaning as needed.

Wall mounting brackets attach through the rear door to this heavy bracket located inside the chassis. Like nearly everything else on the Core P3 Case, it can be removed for more space if not needed.

Directly behind the motherboard area inside is two removable drive sleds for either 3.5” or 2.5” drives. One thumb screw keeps them in place and the bracket they snap into can be removed to open up a larger cutout area behind the motherboard if needed.

Each of the four corners of the case is reinforced with a very heavy duty bracket. The front window support rods bolt through this bracket, as well as the case feed bolting to both lower brackets. This makes for one very sturdy case no matter what configuration it is used in. Here you can also see one of the 3 spots in the radiator mounting area that can hold a 2.5” drive to display from the front.

The Front I/O Panel is mounted to the front of the case with 2 screws. Two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, audio and the usual power switch and indicator LED’s can be found. The wiring for the front panel is quite long for such a small case and offers plenty of routing options.

The front I/O Panel connections to the motherboard are pretty typical and should be supported on nearly any build.

One thing stood out on unboxing, how heavy the front window support bars are. Weighing in at a hefty 15.6 oz each means, using these adds nearly 4 pounds to the weight of the build.

While not included in our review sample, we did happen to have the PCIe X16 flexible riser from a Core P5 chassis lying around, so we will be using it with this review since it is also compatible with the Core P3 case.

Build & Installation

Build Specs

• Mobo: ASUS Maximus Viii Impact
• CPU: Intel Core i7-6700k
• RAM: 16GB G.Skill TridentZ 3200Mhz
• SSD: 2x Corsair Force GT 240GB
• GPU: Galax 1070 HOF
• Case: Thermaltake Core P3
• PSU: Corsair RM1000 with Corsair White cable set
• Rad: Alphacool 360mm
• Res/Pump: Monsoon MMRS with D5 Pump
• Fittings and Tubing: Monsoon
• Fans: Corsair HD120 3-pack

Unlike some cases, The Core P3 does take a few thoughts about planning before you begin building due to the possible configurations. Are you going to use a full size Motherboard or an ITX? Are you going to mount your GPU’s like normal or vertical? Are you going to mount the PSU flat to the case or horizontal?

For our build, we are doing an ITX based build with one vertical mounted GPU on a free standing case. Per this, our first steps were to install the feet and the appropriate brackets for a horizontal PSU per the manual.

Next we installed the motherboard and Horizontal I/O tray to see if the flexible riser would reach. No worries here, the riser will reach from the ITX’s PCIe slot to the position closest to the window like we wanted.

There is plenty of room for even large graphics cards such as our Galax 1070 HOF in this build, but as well matched as that heat sink assembly is to the Snow Edition P3, we are going to rip it off and water-cool it.

We could be biased, but everything looks better water cooled doesn’t it?

With the GPU mounted vertical, the power supply has to be mounted horizontal. It tucks in right below the GPU tray with enough room for good airflow with the GPU fan pointed up. With this build being water-cooled, we choose to install it with the fan opening down just in case there happened to be a leak.

Two Corsair Force GT 240GB SSD’s in RAID-0 should make a speedy array for this build.

With a full system built, there is tons of room inside the chassis for cable management, fan controllers and anything else you need.

The complete build took about 2 hours. Bending hardline and bolting everything together was the majority of that. Mounting the main components was faster than normal due to the extremely open design.

And the first full power up! There are so many possibilities with this case, it would be easy to do dozens of builds in the same case and not feel like it’s the same build.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

The Thermaltake Core P3 Snow Edition offers flexibility only matched by its smaller and larger siblings in the Core P series lineup. The selection of wall mountable cases on the market is already slim, but none of the others can also stand in as a free standing desktop AND a horizontal test bench. Able to be reconfigured from a standard ATX build with quad GPU’s to an ITX build with that shows off your GPU in all its glory, all while handling enough water-cooling gear to satisfy all but the most radiator happy enthusiast means this affordable chassis can adapt just as fast as you can. The slightly smaller stature than its larger P5 sibling makes using All-in-One cooling solutions more of a possibility without running into tubing length limitations.

Overall build quality is spot on, the case is very solid with almost no flex, and that’s important with all of your expensive components on display and potentially even literally hanging on the wall. The window support rods are a bit too heavy for my liking at nearly a pound a piece, but they do act as a roll cage of sorts so it works out well. If you plan to hang your build on the wall, please use a quality TV mount as opposed to a lighter duty monitor mount as the case can get quite heavy when fully loaded. If the nearly limitless options still aren’t enough for you, there is a ‘maker’ community offering up 3D Printable models to add even more flexibility and options for you.

If you can never really make up your mind what you want to do, or you change your mind and rebuild often, the Core P3 should be at the top of your list. For its quality and nearly infinite options, we have to give it our highly recommended award! Great job again Thermaltake!

Check out the Thermaltake Core P3 Snow on the Thermaltake website:

Also make sure to check out the Thermaltake Makers website:

Buy the Thermaltake Core P3 Snow now at Newegg and Amazon:

Introduction

A case is one of the hardest components to select for a new build, and also one of the most important. Not only does it house your components, but it very much determines what you can, and too often, can’t use for a build. One, maybe two radiators, 2 or 4 drives, and many other seemingly little limiting factors often have a builder searching endless lists for a case with the right combination that can hold what they actually need. Too often you have to change plans to make it all fit, and that is unacceptable. In traditional In Win style, the 509 breaks that mold. Capable of handling the largest E-ATX motherboards, 3x 360mm radiators as well as a few smaller ones at the same time, 9 drives, and more fans than you know what to do with, the 509 can handle anything you can throw at it without compromise. Wrapped in tempered glass and dressed in black with a subtle hint of grey, or a bold ROG Certified red, the In Win 509 can look good doing it too.

A separate cooling compartment in the front holds up to three 360mm radiators and is vented externally on the front via a filtered intake and out the right side to keep the warmed air away from your important components. Combine this with a flexible interior and some extras like hot swap drive bays and an RGB capable front logo and you have the makings of the ultimate case. Let’s see how it stacks up!

ProClockers would like to thank In Win for sending us the 509 to review.

Specifications & Features

Packaging & Unboxing

The front of the box is plain brown cardboard like most of InWin’s boxes, with only the 509 Logo visible as well as the In Win website and slogan visible.

The top of the box is also plain brown cardboard with the In Win logo and ‘InWin’ on the two flaps.

The side of the box has much more to see. Full specifications cover half of this side with some pictorials and the In Win logo taking up most of the right side. The 509 Logo is also visible here, albeit under some minor damage to the cardboard from shipping.

The Other side of the box lists off the features under the 509 logo, as well as the color selection inside. Our sample is the black and red ROG certified edition. A UPC sticker and some shipping pictorials are readily visible to alert the carrier to the fragile contents inside.

Opening up the box, we are greeted with the usual In Win packaging. The case is wrapped in a heavy cloth bag and support on every corner by a thick block of Styrofoam. A heavy-duty clear zipper bag is also laying in here with the instruction manual and various screws and accessories needed to assemble the case.

Carefully lifting the case out of the box gets you the 509 chassis, fully wrapped in the heavy cloth bag that prevents any scratches or dust from getting on the case. It also prevents the accessory bag that is loose in the box from doing any damage.

Inside the clear, reusable accessory bag you get the following. The full color manual in several languages, 10 zip-ties, the 4 anti-slip feet for the case that were surprised were not already attached, a baggie with 2 of InWin’s universal GPU support brackets, assorted hardware needed to mount everything in the case such as motherboard standoffs and fan and drive screws, as well as an adapter to power the front RGB In Win logo red if your system does not have an RGB controller such as the ASUS AURA Lighting system. Now, let’s go check out the case itself!

A Closer Look - Exterior

The front of the In Win 509 ROG edition is very sleek. A tinted and tempered glass panel dominates the front of the case. Above this is a brushed aluminum front panel. Sporting quad USB 3.0 ports and a pair of 3.5mm headset ports, you also get a 5.25” bay with a matching cover. While not as many people use optical disks any more, there are still quite a few who just can’t give this bay up due to fan and lighting controllers, and Audio or VR front panel devices, so it is still nice to see in full size cases.

The Right side of the case is smooth with the exception of a large vented area stamped in InWin’s signature hex pattern found on many of their more recent cases such as the 303. This vented area lines up with the front section that can contain a rather large selection of water cooling gear, and can act as intake or exhaust depending on your needs.

The red painted vented rear I/O expansion slot covers really stand out against the black chassis, it’s sad we’ll have to remove most of them to install GPU’s. A large 120/140mm fan spot above the Motherboard I/O area can handle AIO coolers or a fan as needed. Your power supply can be installed facing up or down thanks to the universal mounting screw locations.

If you do choose to install your power supply with the fan facing down, In Win has thoughtfully provided a washable filter for the lower intake area that protects not only your power supply, but also one 120/140mm lower intake fan if you install one after moving or removing the hot sway drive bays in the bottom.

The bottom of the case is dominated by the fan filter and 4 feet. Oddly, the rubber anti-slip pads do not come installed.

Luckily, the feet come in the accessory bag and can be placed in the pocket on each foot assembly to complete the build.

The business side of the case is nearly one unbroken sheet of tempered glass. The lower corner towards the front carries the ASUS ROG Certified badge.

A Closer Look - Interior

After removing the thick tempered glass side, we get our first look at the interior of the In Win 509 ROG edition case. The bright red framework and rear expansion covers set this edition apart from its grey sibling. The main chamber is in a traditional layout with support for all common motherboard standards up to E-ATX.

The ATX power supply resides at the bottom of the case and can handle nearly any length power supply on the market. Longer than average high-wattage PSU’s may require the hot swap drive tray to be moved or removed which can be done with a single screw. The Corsair RM1000 shown here is 180mm long, and there is plenty of room for cable routing still with the drive cage in place.

The glass side panel hangs on 4 rubber posts that absorb vibration and protect the glass panel.

In Win didn’t miss a single detail with the glass side panel itself. Every edge is beveled and ground smooth including the 4 mounting holes. There are zero sharp edges to worry about.

The edges of the front glass panel are also perfectly smooth. The glass is spaced away from the front far enough to allow plenty of airflow into the case, as well as room for the RGB enabled In Win logo. 3 clips like the one shown near the top of the picture allow the front panel to be unclipped and removed with no tools.

Popping the front cover off the case reveals another tool free fan intake filter. The white panel visible above is the RGB lighting module that illuminates the In Win logo behind the front glass panel.

Just above the main chamber is two tool free drive bays supporting 3.5” or 2.5” drives.

The drive trays themselves are also fully tool free for 3.5” drives with vibration absorbing mounts, but 2.5” drives must be screwed to the sleds.

The lower drive bays are fully hot swap capable when connected to compatible ports on your motherboard. As with the top bays, they lower bays support both 3.5” and 2.5” drives.

The hot swap bays are powered from dual SATA style power connectors, and have standard SATA cables for each tray. The cables are fairly short, but will comfortably reach the SATA ports on most motherboards from the position in the main chamber.

With a single screw removed, you can relocate the entire assembly to the front area of the case. The cables may not reach smaller motherboards from this location.

If you don’t want to use the hot swap capable feature, you can remove the power and data connections from the drive cage from some or all 3 bays.

One of the outstanding features of the 509 case is the universal GPU support brackets. Each comes with a plastic piece to stick on to prevent scratches and shorts from contact with your GPU.

The case comes with 2 brackets that can be placed anywhere along the 4 mounting locations stamped into the motherboard tray.

Lastly is the front panel I/O cables. Two USB 3.0 plugs provide the four front ports. Standard HD Audio plugs along with the power and reset switch. A hard drive activity LED connector is also present, but the normal power LED connection is absent. A 4 pin RGB plug feeds the In Win logo from your motherboard RGB ports. If you don’t have these connections available, an adapter is included to light the In Win logo in red from a SATA power connection.

System Build & Configuration

Main Components

• Case: Inwin 509 ROG Certified
• Motherboard: MSI X99A XPower Gaming Titanium
• CPU: Intel Core i7-5960X
• GPU: 3x EVGA GTX980 SC
• RAM: 32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum SE Chrome
• PSU: Corsair RM1000
• Storage: 2x Corsair Force GT 240GB SSD’s in RAID-0

Cooling

• CPU Block: EKWB Supremacy EVO X99
• GPU Block: EKWB GTX980 Full Cover
• Radiators: 2x EKWB PE360
• Resevoir: Monsoon MMRS
• Pump: EKWB D5 Vario
• Fittings: Monsoon rotary 90’s and Economy Hardline Compression
• Fans: 6x Corsair HD120

As you can see, we fit one 360mm radiator in the front compartment with it exhausting out the vented side panel of the case. The 2nd radiator was mounted on the middle divider with the fans blowing over the main area to provide a little case air flow for passively cooled components such as the Ram and VRM’s on the motherboard. To fit the radiator and fans in the main compartment side of the center divider, we had to remove the hot swap drive tray. The two drive bays at the top provided plenty of room for the storage we choose for this project, so not a big loss.

Mounting the two SSD’s in the top hot swap bays was very easy. We did have to remove one anti-vibration mount on each sled in the corner where the SSD sits. It is for 3.5” drives and serves to purpose with a 2.5” solid state drive anyway. 4 included screws into each drive later, we were ready to slide them back into the case.

The rear of the case offers plenty of room for cables and controllers, but the case overall doesn’t offer many places to hide excess wiring. The large size uses up most of it anyway so this won’t present too much of problem compared to much smaller cases.

The GPU braces are easy to install, but with this large E-ATX motherboard, they actually block a few of the right angle SATA ports. Not a big deal for this build, but keep it in mind if you use lots of storage devices.

Since these blocks don’t cover the full graphics card, the GPU brace just barely catches the waterblock here. This is preferable to holding the PCB in this case. Even though the plastic protector is installed here to prevent shorts, the brace would rest on some components of the card rather than bare PCB. You should be able to use these braces with any air cooled card without worry though as the air coolers usually extend the full length of the card and the fans do not stick out beyond the cooler.

Last up is the Front RGB enabled Logo. The Logo lights up a nice red color when using the SATA power adapter, but connected to MSI’s onboard RGB header, we can make it nearly any color imaginable. We get a little reflection of the black drop cloth on the glass front panel here, but you can see how it looks in Yellow, Red, Blue, Green and Purple. You can easily make it any color to match your build or mood.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

Overall the In Win 509 delivers a great value for the modest $180 price tag. The usual In Win build quality is here, everything feels rock solid and even with a heavy build installed and there is pretty much zero flex in the case moving it around to take pictures. While you can technically install three 360mm radiators in here at the same time, there would not be enough rough to comfortably install fans and tubing around them in our opinion. There is a ton of flexibility here that would appeal to many builders and the options for modding are nearly unlimited.

Some of the standout features of this case are the GPU support brackets, also found on several other In Win Case models, and the removable Hot-swap drive bay. It takes 4 thumb screws to get the glass side panel off, but once you do, the hot swap and tool free bays are nice to have. The RGB front Logo is a nice touch without being too over the top like many RGB enabled devices have gotten the last year or so and add just the right splash of color to the front.

The only complaint with the case is the clips that hold the front panel on. They are just a bit too fragile, for our liking. We did manage to crack one of them taking the front panel off, which is required to access the front intake filter any time you want to clean it. This ultimately led to the cooling configuration pictured in the system build here, we did not want to use the front as an air intake so as to avoid having to remove the front panel for cleaning. It’s not a bad system, you just have to be a little more careful than usual taking it off and putting it back on. Even with this minor ding, we still highly recommend this case.

Overall, Great job In Win!

Check out the In Win 509 ROG on the In Win Website

Introduction

A case can easily be the hardest part of a build to select. If you go too large, you need a mountain of gear to make it look good. If you go too small, you may not fit everything you want, or may be limited on upgrades later. Some cases can even cost more than major components of your build. You don’t want a cheap tinfoil case that may collapse under its own weight, but you’d rather not take your specs down a notch to afford a good case. What’s a builder to do? Riotoro might just have the answer for you. Cases designed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, without all those pesky details like cheap materials or fine print. Riotoro’s CR280 case is made for space conscious builders with its ITX form factor, but manages to still handle full size graphics cards, power supplies and even water cooling in a sleek windowed box. The specs look impressive, but can a case from a manufacturer you may not be familiar with (yet) handle you? We are about to dive in and find out!

Pro Clockers would like to thank Riotoro for sending us the CR280 ITX case to review, as well as the Bifrost 120 Cooler and Onyx 650 power supply used in this review which will be covered in upcoming reviews.

About Riotoro

“Founded in 2014, Formed by Enthusiasts, for Enthusiasts, RIOTORO manufactures the best Performance PC Hardware, Peripherals, and Accessories in the industry with a goal of providing complete satisfaction for high performance seekers who build their own personal computers.” –Riotoro.com.

Features & Specifications

Packaging & Unboxing

Riotoro Uses a monochromatic color scheme, black on a plain brown cardboard box. The front is covered by a picture of the case, with the Riotoro Logo at the top, the signature ‘T’ at the top corner, and the Model down the side.

The rear of the box shows a few more pictures of the case, the front, inside layout and top, as well as the two included Riotoro Fans. The bottom quarter of the box lists the full specifications.

One side of the box is nearly all black with the signature ‘T’ front and center.

The other side also shows the ‘T’, but smaller to make room for shipping labels.

Once we open the box, we find the case is wrapped in a plastic bag and cradled in 2 large Styrofoam blocks, one on each end. A baggie with the installation guide is also in the box.

Pulling the case free of the box shows the foam blocks almost entirely encompass each end of the case. It would be pretty hard to protect the case any better than this.

While taking the foam blocks off and removing the plastic bag, we did have a thumb screw fall out of the case that was rolling around inside. Looking at the hardware list, it appears to be one of the 4 included PSU mounting screws.

A Closer Look - Exterior

Riotoro’s CR280 case has a mesh front that starts with small holes at the top they grow larger as the go to the middle, and then shrink back down again. The Riotoro logo at the top is a very bright, almost florescent red. Two USB 3.0 Type A ports, 3.5mm headphone and microphone ports, a disk activity indicator, and the power and reset buttons are arranged symmetrically along the bottom edge of the case.

The right side of the case is a smooth black panel with the signature ‘T’ stamped into the top corner closest to the front. The side panel is held in place with a single thumb screw on the rear.

The top of the CR280 is a mesh similar to the front of the case, but has holes to install the included grommet’s and fan screws to add two additional 120mm fans to the top of the case.

The rear of the case is pretty typical. The Motherboard I/O cutout is next to a 120mm fan location, and it does come with a 120mm fan set up for exhaust. Below these is the double slot for GPU’s, and a screw cover panel. The bottom of the case has the cutout for the power supply, set up to be able to install the PSU facing up or down as you see fit.

Removing the single thrum screw next to the GPU slot covers gives you access to the mounting thumb screws that will keep your GPU secure.

On the underside of the case right at the front we find a hidden LED strip.

This LED strip will serve as a power on indication as well as provide an under glow accent effect. It’s not bright enough to be distracting and we think it looks quite nice!

Towards the rear of the case on the bottom is a filtered intake for your power supply.

The screen can be squeezed a bit and popped out of the holding tabs to be cleaned.

The main side panel has a window covering nearly half the panel. The outside has a scratch protection film on it, shown here partially peeled off. Unfortunately, the inside of the window does not have this film and appears to have suffered some scratching from the loose thumb screw bouncing around inside during shipping. We typically leave this film in place until the build is nearly complete to avoid leaving any accidental scratches ourselves.

A Closer Look - Interior

For an ITX case, the Riotoro CR280 has a rather spacious interior comprised of one large compartment. The power supply goes in the very bottom of the case with the motherboard and GPU in the traditional orientation just above.

Here is a good shot of the shallow scratches the inside of the window suffered from the loose hardware. The bright photo lights give very high contrast showing the scratches much better than your naked eye does. With the system assembled, they are not nearly as visible.

The top of the case supports two additional 120mm fans if you need your system in a wind tunnel. A mesh filter is also present, held in place by several push pins.

The push pins for the fan filter are tiny, and made of two pieces. The first piece goes through the case and filter, while the second slides down inside it and causes the underside to fan out to secure the filter. It secures the filter well, but requires high dexterity to maneuver such small pieces.

With the filter removed we can see how fine the mesh is.

Already mounted inside the case, we have two 120mm fans from Riotoro, rated 3.6 watts or 0.3 Amps at 12V/

The front panel is held in place by four metal spring clips, one in each corner.

Thankfully, the front panel is mounted only with metal, no fragile plastic clips to worry about.

Once the front panel is out of the way, you get access to the two fan filters. We also discovered here the Riotoro logo lets light through. It would be quite easy to light it up as a simple mod.

The filters simply slide to the left for removal for cleaning and fan mounting.

The rear of the case is pretty straight forward. The only thing back here to mention is the 3.5” drive mount, just behind the power supply. There are also several wire management locations where you can use the included zip-ties to secure extra cable. There are two on the rear of the motherboard tray towards the rear of the case, and 3 of them right in the middle. The front I/O wiring here is secured to the lowest of the 3 in the middle.

Speaking of the front I/O Wiring, the cables are pretty standard fare, Power and Reset Switches, power and disk activity LED’s, HD-Audio, and a single USB 3.0 header cable.

Towards of the front of the case are two 2.5” drive mounting locations. There are already vibration absorbing grommets in place to quiet down mechanical drives, but they work just as well with dual SSD’s as shown here.

The 3.5” drive mounting location has a box clamped in it with all of the hardware for the case. Out box was slightly open, which explains where the loose thumbscrew came from.

Once we take the box out, we can line a real drive up with the lower pins that slide into the screw holes for the rear and middle and pop the drive into place.

With the drive aligned, the top bracket slides down to engage the top two pins into the drives mounting holes, and the thumb screw is tightened to secure the drive.

System Build & Configuration

Dry Fitting the parts, we discover that the rear socket cutout is off just a bit for this particular motherboard, so we had to install the cooler to the board outside of the case.

To leave room for the GPU, we took the factory installed front 120mm fan off, and installed the Riotoro Bifrost 120 cooler in its place, and mounted the motherboard. The Factory 120mm fan was then reinstalled below the Bifrost cooler. The dual 2.5” SSD’s were then slid behind the cooler and secured from the rear side.

We moved the factory installed fan down to the lower spot to make room for the Bifrost 120 cooler, but the Riotoro CR280 case also supports a 240mm radiator in the front.

With the core of the system in place, we then installed the GPU and PSU and ran the wiring. The Nvidia GTX Titan-X is a large GPU, but there was about 1cm of clearance from it to the lower 120mm fan in the front. There is plenty of room for even the largest PSU below the graphics card. After the PSU was in place, we ran the PSU cables.

An ITX case can be challenging to find somewhere to hide all of the extra cables. There is a large than normal space behind the motherboard tray to hide cables, and lots of spots to secure them. The motherboard tray itself has four zip tie rings stamped into the steel for convenience. This is using nearly every cable the PSU comes with as the SSD’s and HDD are far apart enough to need a cable to each, as well as a molex cable for a fan splitter since the ASUS Maximus Viii Impact board didn’t have enough fan headers for the pump and 4 fans installed in this system.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

Riotoro’s CR280 Mini-ITX Case is great little box with a layout supporting a full size ITX build with no compromises. Full size Graphics cards and full size power supplies are supported along with a 240mm cooler and more fans than most ITX cases. The right selection of components would certainly allow even a full custom loop in this case, something that can’t be said for most compact builds. Support for dual 2.5” drives and a single 3.5” drive should work for most users, and if you haven’t made the jump to solid state, all of the drives have vibration absorbing mounts to keep high speed platters from making a ton of noise.

Build quality is great; the solid steel construction feels solid and there are no sharp edges or overlooked details. The side panels are easy to slide into place, and the front snaps on and off easily. The fan filters are a great addition at this price point, but the filter at the top of the case can take a bit of patience to get reinstalled with the little push pins. The red LED underglow in the front was nice surprise, adding just a touch of style without being over the top. Small cases can be a headache for cable management, so the handful of zip tie rings stamped into the motherboard tray made securing all of the extra cable a breeze. Our only complaint with this case was the lack of scratch film on the inside of the window. The loose thumbscrew during shipping made some very noticeable scratches to the window that would have been easy to prevent.

Overall for the cost, this is a great case, and easily earns our ‘Best Value’ award. Great Job Riotoro!

Checkout the CR280 on Riotoro's website