CoolerMaster CM 690 III Review

 

Up Close:  Exterior Overview and Front

The ancestry of the 690 III can clearly be seen it’s lines harking as they do back to the 690II and the original 690.  Gone are the pronounced shoulders though, replaced instead by a bevelled edge blending back to the case sides.  The highly reflective chrome strip is still in evidence and if anything it’s slightly broader and more impressive.            

     

 

The lineage of the 690 III can also be seen in the front elevation.  Large meshed areas, with the 5.25″ bays barely distinguishable from the remainder of the meshed frontage.  The right hand side of the case is devoid of features having just a slight bulge to the side panel aiding rigidity and bestowing a few extra millimetres of cable management space.

    

 

Yes, we were also hoping for a window!  Thankfully the 690 III line up follows a similar patterns to that of it’s predecors and it is available with a window.  We’re guessing there will also be a lite version and a few different colours as the brand moves forward  In the meantime we have a non windowed, non bulged panel that has a large unfiltered ventilation area able to accommodate 2x120mm, 2x140mm 1x180mm or 1x200mm fans.  Granted that’s not bad, but we’d still rather have had a window.  Did we mention we like windows???

    

The fine mesh that covers the front of the case is actually a series of vertical rectangles as oppesoed to the practically ubiquitous hex or circular mesh.  We’ve deliberately pulled focus here to help you see the structures behind the mesh and to give you an idea of how unobtrusive it is.