Cooler Master Master Case Maker 5T Review
Cooler Master Master Case Maker 5T Review
Published: 30th December 2016 | Source: Cooler Master | Price: £229 |
Cooler Master Master Case Maker 5T Review
When Cooler Master originally launched their MasterCase series of PC enclosures we found that their upgrade options were a little lacking, though since then the company has taken our criticisms to heart and has unleashed a huge range of upgrade options and accessories.
Today there is an insane number of accessories and add-ons available for the Cooler Master Master Case series of cases, including tempered glass windows, GPU supports, vertical GPU mounts and additional HDD trays. This allows users to do whatever they wish with the MasterCase and truly allows the series to deliver on its promise to make a case to suit almost any user.
Alongside these upgrade options for their existing MasterCase and MasterCase Maker owners, Cooler Master has now released their new Master Case Maker 5T, a new chassis design that acts as the flagship model for Cooler Master's Master Case Series. This new case comes with some sexy red accents, a heavy duty carry handle, two tempered glass side panels and internal red LED illumination.
Internally the Master Case Maker 5T is very similar to their existing Master Case Maker 5 chassis, though it comes with a lot of red coloured internals, a RED LED lighting strip, a GPU support mount and a sturdy case carry handle. This does a lot to differentiate this case from others in the series, but this is still the Master Case that many know and love.
Right now we know that CoolerMaster is planning to manufacture green and white LED strips, though we do not know if more Master Case 5T colour variants are on the way. Would you like to see a Nvidia Green model?
Both side panels of this chassis are made out of tempered glass, which retails for €49.95 each and are one of the main reasons why this chassis is so expensive. That being said these are easily the best Tempered glass side panels available, as they attach to the chassis easily and without the need for fiddly screws and without any concern about breaking your expensive glass panel.
The cases tempered glass side panels are removed using a lock and key mechanism, which makes the panel much easier to remove/attach than competing tempered glass solutions. Out biggest critique of this case's use of tempered glass is that the lock/key mechanism is not black like the majority of the chassis, which makes it standout needlessly and distracts viewers from the remainder of the case.
At the top of the chassis, the Master Case Maker 5T has a large carry handle, allowing this case to be carried by the user with relative ease. Sadly this chassis is very heavy at stock and only becomes heavier when a full system is built inside, making the carry handle difficult to use.
Below the handle is a red-vented section, which blocks a lot of airflow from any fans that are mounted below. This red section is also not the same colour as the other red highlights on the chassis, which will annoy anyone who has high standards when it comes to colour acuity. This plastic section can be removed from the chassis, with our video review showcasing how to remove this section of the chassis.
Built into the Master Case Maker 5T is a fan speed controller, a lighting switch and four USB 3.0 ports alongside traditional start/reset switches and audio in/out ports. This will be a lot more than what most gamers will require, though VR enthusiasts may be disappointed in the lack of a front mounted HDMI port on such an expensive chassis.
This chassis supports two 5.25-inch drive bays, two 3.5/2.5-inch internal drive bays and two dedicated 2.5-inch drive mounts, allowing users of this chassis to support pretty much any modern storage configuration.
Additional 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch drive bays can be purchased on Cooler Master's webstore as well as the option for a vertical GPU holder.
Conclusion
There are a lot of things to like about the Cooler Master Master Case 5 series of cases, coming with a wide range of both Cooler Master and 3rd party upgrades and prices ranging from £90 with the Master Case 5, £130 with the Master Case Pro 5 and £170 for the Master Case 5 Maker and £229 for the new Master Case Maker 5T.
Pricing wise the Cooler Master Master Case Maker 5T is relatively good value, at least when considering the price of each separate add-on, with the two tempered glass side panels costing €49.99 each and a GPU support bracket costing around €20.
Once you then account for the 5T's unique case handle, red coloured accents and other hardware add-ons the Cooler Master 5T actually represents great value when compared to lower end models, though the £200+ price tag will be an instant turn-off for a lot of PC builders.
Regardless of your opinions on the base chassis the Master Case design is a solid core, with upgrade options like a vertical GPU mount or dedicated GPU supports allowing PC builders to create highly customised systems without the need for in-depth modding.
In many ways the Master Case Maker 5T is a fully upgraded version of the MasterCase 5, coming with a Cooler Master Stryker/Trooper-style carry handle, two tempered glass windows, an internal GPU support mechanism and a stylish red colour scheme.
The internals of this chassis pretty much identical to other Cooler Master Master Case 5, coming with a lot of the same design problems, including difficulty mounting a 280mm AIO or water cooling radiator at the top and a lot of small niggles which we have explained in our previous Master Case 5 reviews.
A lot of these problems are fixable with small changes in Cooler Master's design, which means that the Master Case 6 or whatever their next chassis iteration is named has the potential to become a something truly iconic within the PC building industry.
None of the problems with the Master Case Maker 5T are dealbreakers, making this case worthy of consideration for anyone looking for a top-tier gaming chassis. The tempered glass side panels on the 5T are easily the best we have seen on any chassis, with a quick and easy instal method without the need for fiddling with 4-screw/washer mechanisms like other cases.
Cooler Master's Master Case Maker 5T easily makes it onto our "Approved" list of PC cases, coming with a lot of features that expert PC builders will love but with a price and colour scheme which will lower this cases mass-market appeal, which is what has to happen when you choose a specific colour scheme.
You can join the discussion on Cooler Master's Master Case Maker 5T chassis on the OC3D Forums.
Most Recent Comments
CM you were improving now you have taken about 10 steps back to making crap looking cases.Quote
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Originally Posted by King of Old School
If they got rid of the red and made it more like the other Master Cases there it would have looked good.
CM you were improving now you have taken about 10 steps back to making crap looking cases. |
interior shows lots of options and well, I have already seen modders going to town on this.Quote
At first sight, looking to the pictures of this case, I didn´t think that piece of plastic influenced so much the temperatures but the solution is simple and nice.Quote
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