A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the Cooler Master HAF 700 EVO is one massive beast. Even without all the packaging, it weighs around 25 kg, which is not simply due to the size. For one, Cooler Master employs thick real glass spacers in the front for quality over function as the same could be achieved with far lighter and cheaper acrylic, for example.


That front has six such blades with a circular LCD embedded at the center, and it looks fantastic. You may pry the whole cover off without detaching any wires since Cooler Master has engineered it with pins that act as connection points for the screen and ARGB elements. Behind it, you will find two 200 mm SickleFlow fans, but of the Performance Edition without any ARGB elements. Looking at the rear of the Cooler Master HAF 700 EVO, it looks like the layout is somewhat reminiscent of dual-chamber enclosures like the Lian Li Dynamic series, but with vastly more vertical height and general depth.


The main side panel is mostly made of glass. Unlike the Cosmos series, where Cooler Master actually bent glass at a high rate of failure during manufacturing, this case comes with a straight piece attached to a corner followed by another straight piece. While fine, a single piece would have been far more beautiful, but obviously costlier. The other side panel is made of metal because of the various vents the chassis needs to give all the internal components and layout access to fresh air. Our sample had some pronounced residue along the top and bottom of the chassis. Surely, if your store-bought HAF 700 EVO side panel was not perfect, Cooler Master would ship you a new one in a jiffy, just let them know, but something like this should not be an issue in the first place.


The display is the the visual centerpiece of an already great-looking front. It is circular and utilizes a USB interface for both data and power. Cooler Master has split the I/O on the HAF 700 EVO between the right consisting of four USB 3.0 ports and a single USB-C connector and the left consisting of the reset and power buttons and audio plugs.


In the rear, the bottom half looks a lot like some other side-by-side cases we have seen, with some notable unique elements. On the right, eight horizontal expansion slots are held in placed securely by a spring-loaded latching mechanism so no screws or tools are required. It will be interesting to see how well this works during the assembly process. Below this is plenty of room to install floor-mounted cooling or radiators without motherboard interference. To the left of that is a full-size ATX bay with two captive thumb screws, which once again makes this completely tool-less—a first for power supply installation.


In the top half are two 120 mm exhaust fans in an area where every other chassis provides a single unit. This just goes to show the sheer size of the HAF 700 EVO. To the left of those is not much besides the cutout for the motherboard backplate and lots of venting.


In the top is a metal cover with a mesh insert that comes with an emboss as a design element. Pull it off the case to reveal a massive air vent that may hold up to two 360 radiators or equivalent fans. Alternatively, we will fit those two 200 mm SickleFlow units into our build here.


On the underside is a large dust filter that may be pulled out of the side of the chassis once you remove the side panel. This is a deliberate decision as you don't have to reach around the back or even topple over the massive Cooler Master HAF 700 EVO to get to it.