Cooler Master MasterBox 5 Review

Cooler Master MasterBox 5 Review

Manufacturer: Cooler Master
UK price (as reviewed): £62.99 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $61.99 (ex Tax)

Releasing a new product into the sub-£100 case market isn't for the faint-hearted for the simple reason that it's already crammed full of excellent cases. So, if you're going to make your case stand out, we'd probably do something similar to what Cooler Master is trying to achieve with the MasterBox 5 - include some unique features to make your £60 ATX case unique.


It's a reasonably attractive case considering the price tag, although there's not much visual pizazz on the outside. You get a decent sized side window, some angled edges and a large front mesh, but otherwise things are a bit spartan, which is what you expect with an enthusiast case in this price range.


Thankfully, Cooler Master hasn't added any gimmicky features to try to artificially bolster the MasterBox 5's selling potential. There are no tempered glass side panels, which would look silly on a case in this price range. There's no lighting or childish plastic monstrosities either. The MasterBox 5 is a typical £60 PC case that is simply vying for the attention of true enthusiasts on a budget. However, it does have some interesting features on the inside, which we'll get to in a minute. In short, Cooler Master has attempted to bring some modularity to the equation, despite the budget-friendly price tag.


The front panel is fairly nondescript with two USB 3.0 ports and the usual buttons and ports. There's no fan or lighting control here. The base reveals a dust filter for the PSU, which is removable, as well as some large case feet with rubber contacts too. The rest of the case is fairly featureless, with a solid, fanless roof and standard side panels. It's a fairly compact case at 48cm high, although a few of those centimetres taken up by the large case feet so the interior doesn't feel quite as spacious.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 220 x 500 x 475 (W x D x H)
  
• Material Steel, plastic
  
• Available colours Black, white
  
• Weight 7.4kg
  
• Front panel Power, reset, 2 x USB 3.0, stereo, microphone
  
• Drive bays 2 x 3.5in/2.5in, 1 x 2.5in
  
• Form factor(s) ATX, micro-ATX, mini-ITX
  
• Cooling 2 x 140mm/120mm front fan mounts (1 x 120mm fan included) 1 x 120mm rear fan mount (fan included)
  
• CPU cooler clearance 167mm
  
• Maximum graphics card length 410mm
  
• Extras Moveable SSD and hard disk cages, PSU cover