Test System

Assembly

Installing a motherboard inside the Mastercase H500P is done by traditional means, with the use of spacers and screws. There is loads of space alongside the top and front edges, which should make connecting everything possible.


Installing an SSD within the chassis is done the same way as in the Cosmos C700P, which also explains why the trays within the Cosmos are of a different color than the rest of the chassis: they are colored to match the H500P, not the C700P. Simply install the drive within the bracket and put that whole contraption back in its place.


In addition to the default positions, you may also install the tray on top of the 3.5" hard-drive cage or behind the motherboard tray, where two such units may fit.


Adding a 3.5" drive actually gives us a bit of a throwback to older Cooler Master cases since we have seen similar trays in the past - including the HAF family of cases from 2008, which could be considered the inspiration for the H500P. Cooler Master has updated them slightly with new rubber elements holding the metal pins in place, but it has essentially remained unchanged in nearly a decade. This, on one hand, shows the longevity of well-designed elements as it still works fine to this day, but does, on the other, feel a bit out of place in the Cooler Master Mastercase H500P. Users will have to remove the glass side panel, the opposing solid side panel, and the inner metal cover just to get to the screws holding the shroud in place - so that they may add or switch up a 3.5" drive.


To get to the PSU bay, you will have to go one step further and remove the second part of the shroud. However, as one is less likely to swap this element within a system out, the complexity of access may be forgiven. There is plenty of space - you are free to install a long and potent power supply if you like.


With everything installed, the Cooler Master Mastercase H500P makes an incredibly clean impression. Not only the interior of the case has essentially no visible cables with the exception of the necessary GPU PCIe leads. In the rear, the covers hide all but a few leads. In fact, one could route the audio, USB 2.0, and RGB cables differently, too, to hide them perfectly as well.

Finished Looks

Once turned on, the Cooler Master H500P makes a menacing, but beautiful impression. The two 200 mm fans light up red as they are connected directly to the MSI motherboard, but you may change them to any of the usual colors available in the RGB spectrum to match your system colors through the OS or BIOS of the motherboard. The power button, which is shaped like a Cooler Master logo, comes with a white power light, which is a nice touch as well.


Looking at the front, you can clearly see the two massive fans, which are surprisingly quiet due to their low rotational speed of just 800 RPM. As the RGB element is powered separately, you will be able to adjust the speed without the dimming effect usually present with LED-equipped fans. Looking into the side and top, you can clearly see the insides of the system alongside any lighting elements, like the RGB-equipped ADATA DDR4 memory.