Cooler Master MasterBox 600

[Darksaber]

The Cooler Master MasterBox 600 aims squarely at the magical $100 market, aiming to offer as much functionality as possible. This includes four fans with a built-in controller, a fine mesh front and full BTF support. The MasterBox 600 checks off all the boxes while also managing to include a few fairly unique aspects.

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[Chaitanya]

Cooler Master certainly has lost its way in recent years with mainstream cases, somehow Thermaltake has more interesting cases compared to CM.

 

[thegnome]

Cooler Master certainly has lost its way in recent years with mainstream cases, somehow Thermaltake has more interesting cases compared to CM.

Agreed.. CM hasn't been innovating anything the last 5 years in these mainstream types of cases... I'm pretty sure this case is just a previous masterbox with different front and top IO...

 

[Chaitanya]

Agreed.. CM hasn't been innovating anything the last 5 years in these mainstream types of cases... I'm pretty sure this case is just a previous masterbox with different front and top IO...

Also they added "support" for motherboards(handful of SKUs which dont seem to selling that well) but with punch out PCI brackets added in order to save pennies.

 

[#22]

I don't see anything to recommend here, especially for 100$, but maybe it's one of the cheapest options supporting inverted mobo connectors? Not that many of them still.

Not counting above, it's typical budget case: screwed side panels; not working and harder to clean metal mesh filters; removable just once and not breathing PCIe covers; not helpful cable management side. With only two nice additions being hub and USB Type C. So the case PITA from every angle to give you plenty of reasons to buy one better in the future. Combined cost of both will be bigger and the latter case worse than buying good case today. Summing it up, if you are from Third World, Master Box 600 is fine, but if not, respect yourself and buy something decent instead.

 

[SN2716057]

This feels more like a €50 ish price range case.. also break-out pci brackets, just wow.

 

[starfals]

Im still using CM haf-X lol. I just installed a 360 AIO on the top. It's been great for like 15 years now Just had to replace the old fans and boom. The new cases just don't seem needed or too amazing. They all seem badly priced too. I honestly got no idea what case to buy today lol.

 

[bonehead123]

LookzalikeaboringAFboxen....

SoundzalikeaboringAFboxen...

FeelzlikeaboringAFboxen....

Guess what: it IS (yet anutha) boringAF boxen !

Hello CM, this is 2007 calling, and we want ALL our cheap, boring AF rectangular boxen back, like, yesterday

 

[Chrispy_]

Honestly, I'm not enthused.

There are things that don't belong on a $100 case, such as the basic one-time bend-and-break slot covers, the barebones PSU dust filter that you'd expect on a $50 case, rubber grommets in only two of the eight cable-routing holes, and finally the hard styrofoam packaging is cheap and unsuitable for shipping a built PC.

I understand it was built to a price, but it seems the budget was spent of RGBLED nonsense instead of case quality. USB-C is nice, but most cases in this price segment have USB-C so I'm not counting that as a perk. Sadly, this feels like a $60 case dressed up with bling, rather than a genuine $100 case - and given Coolermaster's ubiquity it will probably get stocked all over the world as a mediocre, "it's okay I guess" case that you can get just about anywhere if you need a non-awful case in a pinch. That's not a recommendation, btw - just a statement of fact.

 

[Icon Charlie]

Im still using CM haf-X lol. I just installed a 360 AIO on the top. It's been great for like 15 years now Just had to replace the old fans and boom. The new cases just don't seem needed or too amazing. They all seem badly priced too. I honestly got no idea what case to buy today lol.

The Haf X is a good case. Again I've stated many of times that the "Mo Modern cases are nothing but a lead anchor of uselessness" Eye Candy only. I have new Corsair Carbide 400r and 500r in storage and they will be the last case I'll ever use (reason being older than dirt that is).

I use Icy Docks to hot swap out my SSD/HDD and can test programs on the fly. Also I can watch Blu Ray and do a great deal of work while listening to any of my hard copy songs/movies.

I'm not into EYE candy. EYE Candy is not functionality. EYE candy cost money then after a few years it's on Craig's List or thrown away for the next new EYE candy.

It's your money of course... But then again I always tell the people lacking common sense here in Silicon Valley on why they are so Damned broke. And of course Laugh at them all the way to the bank.

The computer case has been turned into a disposable luxury fad they people fall into that type of money trap.

 

[_JP_]

This feels more like a €50 ish price range case.. also break-out pci brackets, just wow.

Exactly. I read the review and the whole time I was feeling the same for the case that I felt for this series, back in 2008:

The series being the 'Elite'. But this didn't cost even close to 3-digits in the US or anywhere in the EU. And that was the point.

 

[Chrispy_]

Exactly. I read the review and the whole time I was feeling the same for the case that I felt for this series, back in 2008:

The series being the 'Elite'. But this didn't cost even close to 3-digits in the US or anywhere in the EU. And that was the point.

Just FYI, $100 today is equivalent to $65 in 2008 and that's only accounting for inflation alone.

On top of inflation there are better laws in China to prevent exploitation of labour. They're still short-changed in comparison to employees in Europe and the West but ultra-cheap slave labour is no longer available to Cooler Master, so stuff made in China just costs more than it used to because people aren't being exploited as badly as they were 15 years ago.

Today, a $100 case is going to roughly the same tier/quality/standard as a $50 case was in 2008. Don't be mad, that's just how the world is now.

 

[_JP_]

Just FYI, $100 today is equivalent to $65 in 2008 and that's only accounting for inflation alone.

On top of inflation there are better laws in China to prevent exploitation of labour. They're still short-changed in comparison to employees in Europe and the West but ultra-cheap slave labour is no longer available to Cooler Master, so stuff made in China just costs more than it used to because people aren't being exploited as badly as they were 15 years ago.

Today, a $100 case is going to roughly the same tier/quality/standard as a $50 case was in 2008. Don't be mad, that's just how the world is now.

Not even mad.

Though being aware of what inflation is and (most) reasons driving it, conditions being better in China is one thing, but middle-class varies a lot country for country and the reason that CM Elite case was appealing back then, was because it did help breaking the entry barrier to build a desktop, for the time, granted that your 55 or 65 bucks actually meant more then.
Since wages, well here anyway, have not inflated along with prices, actually rising very little across the board, making a purchase of a case at €100 a decidedly different affair now considering it's just the basics.
What I am inclining to say is, I know money has devalued, but taking the cost of it, you had more back then to be able to spend it. Right now, it's the same quality-tier of a product for a way greater cost.
Also, it was never cheaper to build a desktop since 2011 (% impact on your cost of living). I remember it very well.