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Review: Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5

by Parm Mann on 10 June 2016, 15:45

Tags: Cooler Master

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qac3mn

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Conclusion

...if I had to build a high-performance, mid-tower gaming PC, I'd be tempted to build it into Cooler Master's MasterCase Maker 5.

Launching a selection of chassis with multiple modular accessories was always an ambitious feat, yet Cooler Master is close to pulling it off. The MasterCase range has been fleshed out over the course of the past 12 months to include a handful of base models, and there are now enough optional add-ons for the company's "make it yours" slogan to ring true.

The latest addition, MasterCase Maker 5, arrives as an excellent foundation for a high-end build, with an array of features well suited to the enthusiast crowd. Air or liquid cooling options are plentiful, storage is well-thought-out, the flip-down front door is a neat trick, the addition of USB Type-C on the I/O panel is handy, and the chassis looks the part, too.

A selection of optional accessories provide plenty of customisation opportunities, with the tempered glass side panel being a particularly attractive choice, and the possibility of new additions further down the line helps maintain interest. The obvious caveat, however, is cost. At £180 the MasterCase Maker 5 fetches a significant premium over many of its nearest rivals, and if you are taken by the available accessories, you can expect that figure to rise accordingly.

It's a lot of money for a case, yet you get what you pay for, and I will say this: if I had to build a high-performance, mid-tower gaming PC, I'd be tempted to build it into Cooler Master's MasterCase Maker 5.

The Good
 
The Bad
Stylish design
Well-thought-out interior
Front-facing USB Type-C
Solid build quality throughout
Good cable management
Useful carry handles
Integrated fan and LED hub
Modular customisation options
Decent cooling performance
Optional glass side panel is awesome
 
Pricey at £180
Stock fans could be better
Modular options don't come cheap
I/O panel LEDs are fixed to red



Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5

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The Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5 chassis is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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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.



*UK-based HEXUS community members are eligible for free delivery and priority customer service through the SCAN.care@HEXUS forum.



HEXUS Forums :: 10 Comments

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£180 for a case, Ok it's a nice case but it's a stupid price.

Is it really twice as good as the 690 case for £90?

It has carry handles, wow great, it weighs 12kg without the PC innards and how often do you move your tower PC around?

USB Type-C, great it's one of the first but everyone else will catch up soon and I doubt most people even have devices that need it yet.
“Decent cooling performance”

Really? For the price, performance is pretty mediocre. Meanwhile the Fractal Design Define S is around £60 to £70. I could almost buy three for the price of this.
As much as I like the Mastercase, and the Maker's features are worthwhile, I wouldn't pay asking price for them. To me the base version is a very good deal, and length of the case aside I find it personally a much more appealing choice than the h440 or the fractal cases. The pro is also I feel a worthwhile upgrade that I've been considering for future proofing incase I ever do go water cooled. The maker though, I wouldn't be using the LEDs. The enhanced IO I would make use of, the fan hub is always useful, but really I think my price limit for a case is that of the Mastercase Pro.
Well… one thing from me which is a minus for every chassis I see, no visible 5 1/4 bay for optical drive, all hidden behind something or not easy access.

Why do they not put that into the ‘The Bad’?

And it is really bad all over as I see all these great looking cases and all with all those awesome options inside, but as for one I need an optical drive BD/DVD/Burner alongside with everything else and I have to consider it a serious design flaw to not have the option.
Can't agree with this review at all. It's yet another over priced case from Coolermaster. Why would anybody waste £180 on this when you can get better cases for much less? If someone really wanted a case that looks like that then surely they would buy the Phanteks Eclipse P400 and save £130 which could be spent elsewhere. In fact any of the Phanteks cases would be a more sensible buy plus with most of them there is a huge saving to be had.