Final Thoughts
The MasterBox 5 just like the MasterCase 5 we took a look at last year is a very well thought out case. It is a case for builders, and that is really the important thing. As great as a case looks if it is not functional and easy to build in it is not going to be fun for anyone. The MasterBox 5 is extremely easy to build in and on top of that if down the line you are going to upgrade your hardware it is going to be easy as well. One thing I really like about this case is that it can fit some pretty large hardware inside like E-ATX motherboards, graphics cards up to 410 mm and CPU coolers up to 167 mm!
One of Cooler Master’s taglines with this case is “You Decide The Inside” and that is really true. You can move the SSD and hard drive positions around, add 5.25-inch drive bays, add a bracket to increase cooling capacity at the front of the case, add water cooling and more. You can really design the inside the case how you want and you really do not feel limited.
Cooler Master has also added some very convenient things with this case. The front part of the case is completely removable, which means you can install fans without having to remove the actual entire front bezel. This also makes installing watercooling up front quite easy. The expansion slots are completely cut out, so you don’t have spacers in the way of anything. They have also included their StormGuard expansion slot cover which keeps your gaming peripherals safe.
There really is not much to not like about this case. There is no top cooling support though, and the expansion slot covers do not have thumbscrews, but those are far from deal breakers here.
At the end of the day you have a solid and very functional case in the MasterBox 5. It is currently selling for $69.99 at our favorite online retailer, in both black and white versions. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Cooler Master MasterBox 5 a 9 out of 10 score and our Recommended Award!
Pros:
– Easy installation & extremely functional
– Supports motherboards up to E-ATX
– Supports graphics cards up to 410 mm and CPU cooler up to 167 mm
– Price
– Lots of room behind the motherboard tray
Cons:
– No top cooling
– No thumbscrews on the expansion slots
