Cooler Master’s new HAF 500 PC Chassis is taking GPU Cooling Seriously
Cooler Master’s new HAF 500 PC Chassis is taking GPU Cooling Seriously
While Cooler Master has confirmed that ” a flagship HAF product is also in the works”, the HAF 500 appears to be everything that most PC builders would want from a new airflow-optimised enclosure, promising to deliver ample cooling performance for even the hottest PC hardware.Â
Sadly, the release timeframe and pricing of Cooler Master’s HAF 500 remain unknown, but that doesn’t mean that the chassis itself is a mystery. You can see for yourself that this enclosure will feature a left-mounted tempered glass side panel, Black and White options, a large mesh front panel and two beastly front-mounted 200mm ARGB fans.
Based on the image below, we can also see that the top plate of the HAF 500 is designed to be removable, a factor that will make the installation of liquid cooling radiators and fans a simple process. This will be especially true for PC builds where motherboards and other components are already installed.Â
Cooler Master doesn’t appear to be making many mistakes with these new HAF case designs. The company has stated that this enclosure design is the result of “Community Collaboration”, where Cooler Master has sought feedback from their “community of builders, reviewers, and TechTubers”. This case is designed by PC enthusiasts for PC enthusiasts.    Â
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Dedicated GPU Cooling is a key design feature of the HAF 500
Modern graphics cards consume a lot of power, with the latest GPUs from both Nvidia and AMD pushing TDPs beyond normal limits on the high-end. These heightened power requirements call for stronger GPU cooling solutions, and Cooler Master has taken note of this.Â
With their HAF 500, Cooler Master has added an internal 120mm fan to their enclosure to allow users to direct more airflow into their graphics card. In theory, this dedicated GPU airflow channel will help modern graphics cards achieve lower thermals under load, potentially allowing them to run quieter and at higher performance levels through technologies like Nvidia’s GPU Boost.Â
Cooler Master is focusing on the Airflow aspect of their HAF design philosophy, and that is great news for consumers. Should TDPs rise again with the next-generation offerings of AMD and Nvidia, the HAF 500’s dedicated GPU airflow feature will become an even larger selling point for the enclosure.  
Cooler Master’s HAF 500 appears to be the perfect case for today’s PC market, focusing on airflow and cooling at a time where performance is critical, and the TDP of high-end products appears to be rising. Only time will tell of Cooler Master has been able to achieve its design goals with the HAF 500, but so far, things are looking good for the HAF series. Â
You can join the discussion on Cooler Master’s new HAF 500 PC Case on the OC3D Forums.Â
