A Closer Look - Inside

Another very nice feature of the Cosmos are the solid side panels. These are made of aluminum, but are reinforced with a steel frame. Within that, you will find a thick layer of dampening foam to keep as much noise from escaping as possible. The backside of the non-removable mainboard tray holds four large holes, which can be used to route cables. The other side gives you access to all the usual areas, after removing the large plastic air duct.


The Cosmos holds each hard drive in a seperate drawer. These should further reduce noise, as the drives are mounted on rubber spacers and then inserted into the case. Next to that, you will find a 12 cm fan which is aimed to blow air across the mainboard. Another great feature is the screwless design of the 5.25 inch bays. These actually work incredibly well and it does not get any easier than this.


Looking at the rear of the case from the inside, you can see the PSU bay. There is a large opening on the bottom, in case you wish to install the power supply with the fan facing downward. A thin foam lining should stop any vibration in their tracks. The PCI brackets can easily be removed as well, as the Cosmos features thumb screws to hold these in place. It is good to see, that Cooler Master has not "reinvented" this area, as any plastic locks do not tend to hold well, especially with large graphic cards. The rear fan is nothing out of the ordinary, as it is just a black 120 mm one with a Cooler Master label.


You will also find two 120 mm fans hidden on the ceiling of the case. These can actually be replaced with 140 mm variants if you chose. Cooler Master has also made the perfect choice in powering these fans. All of them come with mainboard headers and Molex adapters - well done! Sadly, this enthusiasm is curbed as soon as you see the mainboard connectors. While the front I/O plugs are fine, the power LED connector (the green and white cables) does not fit on the ASUS P5B Deluxe. Cooler Master should split the cable into two single connections, to accomodate such mainboards.