Review: Cooler Master MasterBox Q500L

Conclusion

Cooler Master has tweaked its existing Q300L platform to allow for a full-size ATX motherboard in one of the smallest mid-tower enclosures on the market.

The resulting case, dubbed the Q500L and priced at £50, maintains everything good about the original while offering support for the high-end gear most enthusiasts are likely to want. In addition to the choice of motherboard form factors, there's room for a powerful graphics card, liquid cooling and up to four storage drives.

Squeezing a high-performance build into a chassis as petite as this is both fun and rewarding, and though we aren't quite into small-form-factor territory, the Q500L is certainly easier to transport than the average mid-tower, and it can also sit on top of the desk, in a choice of orientation, without too much workspace infringement.

There is still room for improvement - Type-C would be nice, as would a pair of bundled PWM fans - but as a starting point for a space-saving rig, the Q500L is enjoyable to work with and an interesting choice for those looking to downsize.

Cooler Master MasterBox Q500L

HEXUS.where2buy*

The Cooler Master MasterBox Q500L chassis is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

HEXUS.right2reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.