Value and Conclusion
- The FSP CMT520 sells for US$110 excluding taxes
- Very good build quality
- Four RGB fans included out of the box
- Separate RGB controller included
- RGB controller may be moved thanks to magnetic feet
- Cable included for you to control the RGB with your motherboard
- Halo Cover is a pretty cool touch
- Magnetic dust filter on top
- Loads of space around the motherboard
- Can easily hold 360 mm radiators
- Tool-less 3.5" drive trays
- Cool glass front panel
- FSP logo on glass is nifty
- Proprietary fan RGB connectors will result in fans running at full speed via Molex when connected to motherboard 4-pin header
- Lots of openings without grommets make that ultimate clean look difficult
- Side window without any black framing - showing steel framing of case
The FSP CMT520 should not be compared to the CMT510. It does offer the same great number of fans - four to be exact - but that is where the similarities end. While it also comes with plenty of glass, the material mix does include a little plastic here and there to allow for a slightly more detailed design.
The case also has a slightly higher MSRP of US$110 instead of US$90; however, you will get a bit more for your money as well. The CMT520 offers great radiator support in the ceiling and eight full expansion slots instead of the traditional seven, On top of that, the Halo Cover is a nice touch even though it is just a visual differentiator. On the inside, the case offers loads of room, allowing you to add both large CPU coolers and long graphics cards and PSUs.
FSP has also improved the RGB controller vastly as it now comes in a sturdy housing and features magnetic feet so that you may place it in the location that suits you best for your build. To enable motherboard control of the fans, which come with proprietary "all-in-one" connectors for both fan speed power and RGB signal, you will find an appropriate adapter as well. The biggest issue I have with this implementation is the fact that fan speed cannot be adjusted dynamically. You would have to mod the Molex connector to supply 5 V, or 7 V, to reduce it in speed.
That said, the fan controller's box comes with a similar setup for power, and you will find a label on it describing how to lower the fan speed by lowering the voltage. However, the manual does not mention how to set this up.
Overall, the FSP CMT520 is a good case with much better liquid-cooling capabilities, a better implementation of the RGB fans, as well as more space when compared to the CMT510, but it also has its own quirks while costing slightly more.