Cooler Master Master Case 5 and Master Case Pro 5

If you build your own PCs, you have no doubt thought on at least one occasion (but probably several more than one): “This case would be great if it just had more room up top for a radiator,” or “If only I could take all of the internal drive cages out,” or “Wow, if this case had a windowed side panel, it would be perfect.” It seems like no matter how careful you are in choosing the right chassis, you always end up compromising a little. With that in mind, Cooler Master developed its new MasterCase chassis series, which currently includes the MasterCase 5 and MasterCase Pro 5. (We talked with Cooler Master’s Rajiv Kothari about the case in the July issue (page 79) and got some further insights from master modders Richard Surroz and Lee Harrington in the August issue (page 86).) Spending some time with this enclosure makes it readily apparent that experienced PC builders and modders were involved in its design. Yes, all of the standard amenities are in place, such as rubber-grommeted cable management holes, a cutout for mounting a CPU cooler, tool-less drive bays in removable cages, and so on, but that’s where most cases would call it a day. The MasterCase 5 is just getting warmed up. Cooler Master also built in a very handy vertical conduit that runs from the top of the rear of the motherboard tray to very nearly the bottom (just forward of the cable management holes) for managing cables even more neatly. This conduit makes it easy to control the sprawl of cables that run from behind the front panel, as well as others, and there are three built-in nylon and Velcro straps along the channel that keep everything where you put it. Both of the internal drive cages come out with the removal of just a few thumbscrews— this is also pretty standard these days. But if you’d rather move the two 3.5-inch drive bays in the lower cage than remove them, the MasterCase 5’s internal front rails lets you adjust their position all the way down to the shelf that separates the interior into two compartments: one for the power supply and one for the motherboard and other components. This shelf includes two more cable management openings, and on its top surface are two dedicated 2.5-inch drive mounts. If you prefer your drives out of sight, you can remove the thumbscrews that hold them in place and relocate them to the back of the motherboard tray. There’s also a single, removable 2.5/3.5-inch mount at the front end of the PSU compartment, so regardless of how you configure your MasterCase 5, you’ll have options for mounting your drive(s). The MasterCase Pro 5 takes all of the standard edition’s refinements and adds a few more through the inclusion of several additional parts. (The good news is that these accessories will be also be available soon via Cooler Master’s online store, so if you get the MasterCase 5 and then decide you’d like to upgrade, you can easily do so.) The most obvious additional parts are the windowed left-side panel and the vaulted, ventilated top panel that comes with a bracket for mounting a 240mm radiator. The MasterCase Pro 5 also includes three more 2.5/3.5-inch internal drive bays in the form of an additional cage, and more cages and 2.5-inch mounting plates are available, as well. Cooler Master didn’t neglect aesthetics when building all of this functionality into the MasterCase 5 and MasterCase Pro 5; the dark grey exterior looks great in both configurations, and the interior is fully finished, too. And both trim levels benefit from the steel handles riveted to the frame beneath their plastic cowlings; they are sturdy and make moving your system much simpler. In short, it looks as though Cooler Master—and the MasterConcept team—have thought of everything.