CoolerMaster MasterCase 5 Review

[djdestiny]

This is a review I was supposed to do weeks back but I had health issues. One threatened my thumb the other my stomach.

The CoolerMaster Maker 5 - The first in the line within "Make it yours" I will get to that later.
This is a case they're really touting as a fully customizable case and it is, you can buy parts to add on to the standard case. There is a few niggles I want to address later though. But for now let's take a look at the

Exterior, why not.

The exterior is quite humdrum actually rather uninteresting to note of. But for the first time the bottom mesh is removable!
This case doesn't have a side window and that is quite a oversight, might be because of a marketing decision but I'll add a poll just for the sake of it.

Note the odd spacing between the fan holes, yes it doesn't support 240 radiators. Again, this is tied in with the lack of a side window. Anyone here buys a full tower not to install a 240 AIO? Not me.
As my friend said, they'll probably tell you "It's modder friendly" when you ask why it doesn't have ability to install a 240 by default.

I'm not exactly impressed by the quality of the top panel even though it's removable. Check out the curvature on that. It FLEXES that much.

I/O is pretty ordinary, I would have loved to see more USB ports, just good old USB 2.0 ports because we have so many extra and we would use those older ports for 2.0 devices (of which there are plenty!) because of compatibility issues of some 2.0 devices in 3.0 ports
I love that it is a bigger power button and a flushed tiny reset button so you can't accidentally press reset. Some people hate it but it's rare to use it once you've set up for use everyday.

 

[djdestiny]

Speaking of setting up for use everyday, let's move on to the

Interior

The interior is where everything's at in this case (pun intended). It is the defining feature of this case.
It's weird how they say it's modder friendly but the corners are all riveted. Not impressed.
The midplate is something that's absolutely lovely. Never seen one a mid-range case have one before apart from PSU covers (NZXT H440 and Phanteks Enthoo Pro)

The hard drive bays actually "clip" into the holes in the case and can be pretty damn anywhere you want it to go, yes in the basement too into that hdd bracket near the power supply.
You can install a 360 radiator once you move the hdd bracket to the left or if you don't need hdds just take out the HDD cage and the bracket entirely.
Again, there are no fan holes in the bottom. That's a real shame.

The side panel is also well designed, it slides off and doesn't just come off it hangs there before coming off. The use of a removable top is also quite good in a sense since you get more access to install a motherboard from the top side if you want to.

The "ODD" 5-1/4" bays are removable as well with the removable of 4 thumbscrews, 2 per side. This facilitates 360 radiator installation.

It wasn't easy to get to if I'm honest.

Now we're done talking about the interior we have to build it right? ... Yeah, we do. Obviously.

Nope. That's not fitting in. It turns out a 360mm radiator that's 45mm won't fit at all. And it even damaged the paint job on my rad!

And when you get a 360 radiator to fit it doesn't fit properly. Yes, the screw holes are too deep for most rad screws. You need at least 35mm screws to use any radiator and when you do the top mounts that you remove the 5.25" cage for isn't exactly fitting very well is it.

This FSP Aurum PT 1200 which is 220mm long fits in there with some space to spare. Well, it is a full tower after all.

This case is a mix and match of all the great inventions CM has done over the years, the most lovely feature is the use of a PSU bracket! Probably required since it's impossible to put in a power supply when it's got a midplate no taller than the PSU itself.

 

[djdestiny]

Default fans are humdrum 140mm CoolerMaster fans. Quite weedy when I tested them, my suggestion is to replace them with say, Phanteks PH-F140MPs.

For the SSD you can either choose to install it in the bracket or outside the bracket? Me? I chose to install it outside.
It comes with velcro cable hoops in the back like I've seen in the phanteks enthoo pro, only not so many of them but the SSD "Slip and click" trays also mount in the rear which is very nice.
The thumbscrews are mostly captive apart from the thumbscrews for the 5-1/4" bay.
There are also cable routing holes for the bottom of the chassis and right above the power supply. The best thing about this case is whatever that can be symmetrical is symmetrical. Nice. But there aren't enough cable routing holes in the top, just not enough.

System specs of what I would suggest anything to build in a MasterCase Pro 5 :
CPU : Intel i5-6600k
Motherboard : Gigabyte Z170 Gaming 3
RAM : G.SKILL Ripjaws V 2400MHz 16GB
GPU : AMD R9 Fury X (Unfortunately I don't have one)
SSD : Samsung SM951 128GB
Secondary SSD : OCZ Vertex 460A 480GB
Cooling : Deepcool Lucifer V2
Fans : CoolerMaster Silencio 120 or Phanteks PH-F140MP or Gentle Typhoon B6 2150rpm
Power Supply : Superflower Leadex Gold 650/750

I don't really enjoy building in this case because of some quirks and there is no installing of a 240 radiator on the top. And some portions of it made me spend 2 hours building it, mainly the inability to fit a 360 radiator. (It's an AIO that managed to fit!)

Much less do I enjoy the price tag. This base model is quite a astounding 169$ and although it's better value than a H440 and far more flexible I don't think the looks will do. It's not love and hate it's just very boring. The model with rad mount up top and side window (with a black portion on the bottom of the side panel) is a full 209$
Really? My suggestion is just to buy a Phanteks Enthoo Pro. Besides a Phanteks Enthoo Pro fits a 360 on the top and with a bit of ingenuity a 360 fits in the front as well

Is it good value? Yeah, definitely, compared to the NZXT H440. Is it as good value as it can be? No. The Phanteks Enthoo Pro is also built well.
Is it really that modder friendly? Nope. This is not a case yet for modders. Don't count on it to be a modder's case.
Is it lovely? Yeah, definitely. It has a factor that brings all the great things of coolermaster cases over the years. AND DAT TWO HANDLE.

But this is is all I need to say for now. I think it's a good case if some niggles can be ironed out. Over and out.

 

[monikernemo]

The correct name should be Mastercase 5?

Anw the pro version (for additional 40) has the top mount for radiator, yeah the front rad clearance is sorely lacking

 

[Jian19]

Gotch window side panel I think..must order de

 

[Toby88]

Turnip! Because it goes with everything (according to Linus's strawpoll results).

Jokes aside, I think it will take off when there are more support, e.g. more customisable parts and different range of MasterCases (like full tower and such).

 

[djdestiny]

Yeah, MasterCase 5 my bad.

The correct name should be Mastercase 5?

Anw the pro version (for additional 40) has the top mount for radiator, yeah the front rad clearance is sorely lacking

Needs a bigger cutout...

Gotch window side panel I think..must order de

Why pay when they should have had one in the first place, waste time. It is a must for mid-range cases these days.
Who doesn't want to show off 2000$ worth of hardware?

Turnip! Because it goes with everything (according to Linus's strawpoll results).

Jokes aside, I think it will take off when there are more support, e.g. more customisable parts and different range of MasterCases (like full tower and such).

You know I watch LTT when my reviews are rather unbiased lol.

Yeah. Absolutely. The time's not right.

 

[muddle]

You can't call a case "full tower" if the biggest motherboard it can support is only atx.

I'd say the enthoo luxe is more feature complete with supplied pwm fan hub and integrated rgb led controller on top of an already impressive feature list.

 

[djdestiny]

You can't call a case "full tower" if the biggest motherboard it can support is only atx.

I'd say the enthoo luxe is more feature complete with supplied pwm fan hub and integrated rgb led controller on top of an already impressive feature list.

I classify cases by size. Not what it can take. A case that can really take EATX tends to be HUGE but this one doesn't take EATX because of the drives mounting otherwise it would be able to take EATX.

Some mid towers can also take EATX, are they full towers as well? Of course not.

Enthoo luxe is pretty dam awesome.

 

[royfrosty]

Its definitely a grey area on how manufactures grade their chassis size.

For example Corsair grade Obsidian 750D as Full Tower Chassis.

While on the other hand there is an Obsidian 900D grade under Super Tower Chassis.

But one thing in common is that usually when they grade Full Tower and Super Tower, it is always big. Big as in real big. With proper everything including a 10pcie bracket slots.

Some classified only Full tower but cant support eatx nor is there even 8 slot pcie brackets.

 

[commach]

Title changed, requested by TS.

Have a nice day.

 

[ondooy]

i'd rather get the pro version for only 40$ more...

 

[muddle]

Or wait for mastercase maker. With integrated pwm hub, glass side panel and solid front cover.

 

[MoneyFace =p]

So many shortcomings. Don't really think it fits the Master title.

 

[GegeV2]

Still prefer my ATCS840....

But cannot compare i guess.

Would have hoped for CM to revive and modernize ATCS instead

 

[djdestiny]

Title changed, requested by TS.

Have a nice day.

Thank you commach sorry for the mistake

 

[djdestiny]

i'd rather get the pro version for only 40$ more...

Yeah totally ...

So many shortcomings. Don't really think it fits the Master title.

Well, every case has it's shortcomings and there aren't exactly none on the enthoo pro I'm using either.

Still prefer my ATCS840....

But cannot compare i guess.

Would have hoped for CM to revive and modernize ATCS instead

Whoops.

 

[djdestiny]

Still prefer my ATCS840....

But cannot compare i guess.

Would have hoped for CM to revive and modernize ATCS instead

Previous reply was done when I was half-dead.

That is basically just a aluminum case. If CM wanted to rehash a modern ATCS they'll just be called as "no creativity"

Or wait for mastercase maker. With integrated pwm hub, glass side panel and solid front cover.

$$$. And the front cover to stay symmetrical is quite hideous honestly ...

So many shortcomings. Don't really think it fits the Master title.

Honestly it isn't the engineering team's intention but rather the marketing team ...
How can you not have 240 mounts in a case designed for "makers" or even a side panel.

This is not even close to a "silence optimized" case so I don't get why they did so.

But, stack it against the competition and perhaps the S340 does look even more boring and it isn't particularly well-priced either ... And the glossy paint. gosh. And it has plenty of shortcomings too.

Yes the S340 RE fixes it but it's a freakin' Razer Edition and it costs as much as the H440 so why bother?
That's why I adore my Enthoo Pro.

 

[alifffresto]

so the poll is for? request cm to make side panel?

 

[djdestiny]

so the poll is for? request cm to make side panel?

They already make a side panel but that's a costly almost 30$ option for the MasterCase 5 and that top panel also costs 20$+

My request to them is to offer the side panel on the MC5 as well. And at least, have 240 mounts but not need the extended roof thing. It pisses me off as installing a 120 on top left or right is also a PITA in the case...