The Cooler Master Mastercase H500 is the base model of the fully sized H family, as the lack of a letter after its model number also shows. It is what Cooler Master envisions the pure mass-market unit to be. Its comparatively low price tag really shows this as well, as the case tends to sell for as little as US$100, while the fancier models go as far as coming in at well over US$200.

While the case may look a little basic from the back, the extremely solid construction quality across all areas of the chassis ensures you won't ever feel that the money was not well spent, and Cooler Master has done a good job of transporting the design elements of the H series over to the Mastercase H500.

In regards to functionality, there are no real surprises. We expected excellent liquid-cooling support with a chassis of this size and bulk and are not disappointed as you can install such units in the ceiling and the front easily. On top of that, cable management is excellent, resulting in a very tidy interior, which is important as Cooler Master has been confident enough to provide a glass side panel with very little tint that shows everything off inside clearly. It is also nice to see that you get a solid cover to make the case your own a little bit at least. On top of that, the design gives you that handle at the top, but Cooler Master rates it for up to 20 kg, which in my humble opinion is not a lot at all. The case clocks in at 9.22 kg on its own, so hitting 20 kg is not unrealistic.

Besides a few annoyances, one big drawback for a smaller group of users may be the low number of hard-drive mounting possibilities, but those users will probably be alright opting for a higher-end H-series case anyways.

Overall, the Cooler Master Mastercase H500 is a well-positioned mass-market case for those who still want to end up as part of the family without spending the usual premium on the fancier variants.