CM Praetorian 730 & Musketeer 3

Conclusion - Praetorian 730

The 730 is certainly a solid case. As we pointed out in the 731 review, Cooler Master really isn’t bringing a whole lot of new spin to the lineup. What mainly differentiates it from other models are a few attempts at functional changes (the top input window and the “splat vent”) and some aesthetic zing. While these updates to the design somewhat keep it fresh and different, I can’t help but notice the lack of certain features we fell in love with in other Cooler Master models, primarily, the drive locking feature.

Having a full motherboard tray is what I consider one of the most sought after features in a case. You will be hard pressed to find one of higher quality than the one used in the Praetorian. Major kudos to fitting in the 120mm intake fan in the front of the case (if only we could fit one on the motherboard tray, CM would have a hat trick). The thermal qualities of the case are excellent with plenty of ventilation using the entire front of the case through the door. For my particular setup used here, the side panel vent came pretty close to the location of my CPU. I was able to run the fan on a very quiet speed and still retain really good core temperatures - which is fortunate, since when I had the fan on high, the funnel actually serves as a megaphone! Should it not match up your configuration well, you will want to remove it.

Overall, the Praetorian does not lack in quality. The few design risks they have taken are fairly cool but at the same time, they are not anything dramatically new.

If there's one thing I really love about this case it's the anodized black finish and the rock-solid build quality. Solid construction means you will use it for a long time and that translates to value. Because Cooler Master didn’t overdo their tweaks on the case, it lends itself well for a modder's imagination to take it to a higher level. At $149 MSRP ($145 for Silver), the Praetorian is a good value for the money.

Conclusion - Cooler Master Musketeer 3

In the end, the Musketeer is just a cool visual for your audio enjoyment. I do appreciate that this newest incarnation actually does something to improve, albeit subjectively, the quality of sound. The sacrifice in output power is negligible from my point of view. When I first saw the Musketeer 3, I desperately wanted to see it in a case that it was designed to match the overall look. Now that I’ve used it, I really want to see it mounted in a quality black aluminum HTPC case, I think it would make an excellent addition to the front panel providing better sound, cool looks and convenient volume control.

The look conflicts a bit with the blue theme Cooler Master sets with all the blue and black. The amber LED fits the feel of an old analog valve but is night and day against cold black aluminum and blue LED fans.

The bottom line is you need to decide if this style of visual flash is what you want on your system. It adds a bit of class and some welcome tones to your audio which may or may not fit in with the look of your system. If it does, it would be a cool addition, especially for the audiophiles out there wanting a little more. At around $50, you probably really need to like the look of the thing more than anything else - because I don't think it provides $50 of sound experience. However, there's nothing else out there like it and I'm leaving it in my system.