A Closer Look - Outside

Looking at the chassis right out of the box, it is really edgy and quite wide for a tower enclosure. Cooler Master chose this bulky, menacing look, but tried for a timeless feel. I have to say it does work well and should appease all sorts of enthusiast users. The simplest Mastercase 5 variant, which we have here, comes with two handles on top, which makes moving it short distances a lot easier.


The front has a metal mesh panel, framed inside smooth, solid plastic. The entire front panel comes out quite far, which means that any ODD you will install will not need as much space inside the case. In the rear, everything looks pretty traditional for a modern chassis, with the PSU bay on the bottom.


Both sides of the standard Cooler Master Mastercase 5 are completely solid out of the box. You will, as such, have to go out and buy the windowed side panel if you want one.


Taking a closer look at the front, the bottom part of the metal mesh may be removed with a firm tug, which reveals the 140 mm fan behind it. Above it are the two 5.25" drive bays with their own metal-mesh covers.


The PSU bay in the rear comes with a mounting frame, so you will have to slide the PSU in through the back of the enclosure as you assemble your system. Above that are the seven motherboard expansion slots with their own removable covers. Cooler Master also included a special one that allows you to route mouse and keyboard cables through it as a anti-theft measure. The interesting part here is that the opening for all seven expansion slots is one big hole, not seven individual openings. You will find a second all-black 140 mm fan in the very top. It is set to push hot air out of the chassis.


You will find the I/O on top, on a flat, angled panel. It consists of two black USB 3.0 ports, the usual audio plugs, and a power button. Behind it is a top-cover for two 120 mm or 140 mm fans. Interestingly, there is a bit of room between the sets for the 120 mm fans, which makes installing a 240 mm radiator properly impossible. The whole panel is secured with four flat screws for easy removal and comes with a metal-mesh dust filter.


In the rear, you will also find a dust filter below the PSU bay to protect the unit from any dirt and grime. Tipping the chassis over, the floor does not hold any surprises, as it is completely solid aside from that aforementioned air vent for the power supply.

Extra Parts Installed - Outside

We used the parts Cooler Master gave us to "transform" the Mastercase 5 by exchanging the flat top-panel with the mounting bracket for 120/140 mm fans or thick radiator of up to 280 mm in size. However, you will first have to remove the plastic cover of the rear handle to do so, before sliding the solid top panel across the chassis's entire depth. Here, no screws are required as the piece is supposed to hold in place by what clinching force its plastic shape provides. While this is great as it makes for a very simple addition, it also does not hold in place too well.


We also received the windowed side panel. Its bottom has been blackened out to hide the bottom compartment with the PSU and the optional HDD bracket, which keeps both out of view. The two extra parts add to the Mastercase 5 rather nicely, but you may even go a step further by replacing the front with a solid panel, for example, should you not need the 5.25" drive bays. We did not receive such a part for this review, however.

For the rest of the review, we will use the Cooler Master Mastercase 5 as intended: in a modified state to go with the "Make It Yours" slogan.