Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsAn iconic case -- but beware the HDD bracket shortage
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2019
I’ve just received this case – I’ve pulled it out of the box, but I haven’t started assembling my new computer. I’m still amassing the parts.
But I wanted to post a note here, partly for anyone considering purchasing this case, and partly for anyone with the Cooler Master corporation who might be reading these user reviews. There is a serious parts-availability problem with the current Cosmos line. This problem applies to the entire c700 series -- not just the c700p, which I purchased, but also the newer c700m. Read on and I will explain.
Without question, the Cosmos is one of the best-looking cases on the market. Everything about it screams “big and powerful.” The sleek lines, the aluminum handles at the top and bottom, and the curved tempered-glass side-panel make it a masterpiece of design. It’s a keeper. I can see myself swapping out parts as they become obsolescent, rather than buying a new case every time I build a new computer.
The Cosmos is really an iconic design. It always has been, from the original case to the current generation. Twenty years from now, when people look back on the computer hardware of our era, it will be the Cosmos that will be identified with the top-end computers of our day. I suspect this it will be regarded in the same way we see the Philco Predicta TV set of 1959-60. It looks as good when it’s turned off as when it’s on.
On initial inspection, I have noticed none of the fit-and-finish issues some users have complained of. I love the swing-out doorlike side panels, and the ability to use a non-standard layout. The exterior RGB strips on the current Cosmos line make this the perfect case for RGB builds. It’s about $100 more expensive than most full-tower cases, but I think the cost is justifiable.
But now my beefs. Cooler Master appears to recognize that the reason you buy a case like this one is to build a monster system. But not all of us who build systems like these plan to use water cooling. The reason we buy full-tower cases is so that we can install massive banks of hard drives. There isn’t enough room for a massive bank of hard drives AND a water-cooling system, so you have to choose one or the other. Personally, I have no intention of using water cooling, so this isn’t an issue for me.
The case offers the opportunity to install a large number of internal hard drives, using a bracket system. Terrific. I’ll be using six. But because Cooler Master assumes we’ll be using water cooling, the case ships with just two hard drive brackets. If you want more, you have to order them. (The part number is MCA-C700R-KOCC00.)
But just try to find them! As of this writing (Jan. 2019), the c700p has been on the market about 15 months, and I get the idea these brackets have never been made available through resellers in the U.S. The Amazon site says they are out of stock, and I doubt they have ever been “in.” At one point these brackets could be purchased through Cooler Master’s EU store, but they are sold out. I searched the entire English-speaking world, and I finally found a few at an Australian store that was willing to deal with overseas shipping. The cost was much higher than it should have been. If Cooler Master doesn’t get on the stick and stamp out some more, soon the entire world will be sold out.
Also, even though this is a case designed with RGB in mind, it ships with three plain-jane non-LED fans. You have to buy RGB fans separately. There are slots for up to 10 140mm fans – I will be using seven or eight. There is no problem finding RGB fans – they are made by many manufacturers, including Cooler Master. But I think Cooler Master is missing a bet by not shipping these cases with its own RGB fans. Anyone who builds a monster air-cooled RGB system will want to stuff the case with an RGB fan in every available slot. There are up to 10 slots available. (I’ll be using eight.) Since this is partly about looks, you’ll want every fan to match. If Cooler Master shipped this case with its own RGB fans, you’d be pretty well compelled to finish off the project with a few more Cooler Master RGB fans. As it is, you have to replace them all, so you might as well get them from any manufacturer.
One point worthy of note – all fan slots on this case accommodate either 140mm fans or 120mm fans. You might get the impression, from reading web reviews, that some of the slots accommodate only 120mm. Nope, all can take a 140mm fan.
Also, some web reviews indicate that there is only one 5.25 inch bay accessible from the front of the case. Nope, there are two. This is important if you want a system that will “do everything.” (I’ll be installing a Blu-Ray burner and a card reader/writer on the front panel.) Because of the way the front plastic panel lays over the front of the case, however, you need to be mindful of the fact that front-panel components cannot have protruding knobs.
In sum, this is a lovely case, with an iconic design that makes it suitable for years of use. When your motherboard and CPU become obsolete, you’ll probably reuse the case for your next system. Kudos to Cooler Master for redesigning this case and making it suitable for water-cooled systems. Unfortunately, Cooler Master seems to have given short shrift to those of us who plan to build systems the old-fashioned way, with air cooling and massive banks of hard drives. The problems are surmountable as long as parts can be sourced, but Cooler Master isn’t making it easy.
