Test System

Assembly

We currently use MSI Z270 boards with ADATA memory for all our case reviews. Installing the mainboard within the Cosmos II is done by traditional means. Simply place the spacers in their appropriate locations and screw the board down onto them. There is plenty of space around, which means even the biggest graphics cards and CPU coolers will easily fit. Thanks to the numerous openings, cable management should be a breeze.


Installing the hard drives is quite easy, as placing a 3.5-inch unit inside the provided trays does not require any screws or tools. Each of the plastic units may also hold a 2.5-inch variant, which needs to be secured with tiny black screws.


Once filled, simply slide the trays into the cage of your choice and secure things by pushing down the front cover until it snaps into place. For those who are still worried about it coming loose, it is also possible to use screws to attach the trays.


Installing a 3.5" drive inside the hot-swap bay is incredibly easy. Simply unlock the door, swing it open, and push the drive into place. The door also secures the drive with an anti-vibration pad, so that it won't end up being noisy as it operates.


Adding an optical drive is quite simple as well, as each of the covers is easily removable. However, we mentioned in the original Cosmos II review that they feel a bit cheap for a chassis of this price, and that still holds true today. I would have liked to see a spring-loaded mechanism, for example. Once removed, just push the drive into place and press the big button to lock it down. It actually holds quite well without the use of any screws, but Cooler Master does give you the option use screws on one side.


Due to the frame that extends beyond the rear of the chassis, you need to prepare the PSU first to then slide the whole contraption into place. It can be pushed in easily, and there is plenty of space for even longer units. For those employing the longest PSUs, things may get a tad tight, though.


Once everything is installed, the chassis makes a great impression. As you can see, the big cable mess is hidden nicely behind the motherboard tray. Due to the glass panels, you want to invest a bit more time into making the routing look clean, and makes sure to use the many cable hooks to hold any loose cables in place.

Finished Looks

Once fully assembled, the updated Cooler Master Cosmos II looks as beautiful as it did five years ago, which goes to show that good design is timeless. Thanks to the slide-up cover, the drives are covered nicely, which means they do not disturb the overall look of the case.


Looking at the front, with the cover down, you can see how well the black drive fits within the chassis, even with the silver elements. In the rear, everything is where you would expect to see it. With the PSU bay poking out a bit, any power plug means that you will not be able to push the chassis back as far against the wall, but that is a small price to pay for the ability to install long and potent units.


The glass side panel looks amazing on the chassis, but you can see a bit too much of the wiring behind the motherboard tray because of the black and silver contrast between cables and the tray itself.