Page 4 – Installation and Conclusion
The computer building process was extremely enjoyable with the Cooler Master MasterBox 540. It was easy to work with since everything was laid out in a pretty standard manner. I first installed the power supply into the PSU chamber. The power supply used in this computer was the NZXT C650 650W, which has a 120mm fan. Thanks to the grille, it is possible to have enough airflow for the PSU. When I installed the PSU, I found that the drive cage was a little bit too close to the power supply, which left little room for connecting the cables. I felt it was easier to just remove the storage cage first before plugging things into the PSU. A Reeven Justice RC-1204 CPU cooler was mounted on my Gigabyte GA-H170-D3HP motherboard. The position of the motherboard tray opening of the MasterBox 540 matches perfectly with the CPU socket, therefore my heatsink can be installed without any trouble.
After connecting all the cables needed for the installation, I put the storage cage back into the lower chamber. I did not have any hard drives to install, since I just had one M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, the Western Digital Black SN750 NVMe SSD 500GB on the motherboard. I put the storage cage back in simply because I did not want to lose it. The rest of the installing process was really smooth. Since there is no fan installed behind the front dust filter, I have to find one 120mm fan so I can have a basic cooling set up for my computer. The big opening beside the motherboard tray was very handy. As you can see from the above picture, the thick motherboard power cable can be fitted into the opening in my case. There is still plenty of room for other cables.
After everything has been installed properly, it is time to press the power switch. As you can see from the above photo, the power switch can light up thanks to a white LED at back side of the switch. However, there is no light for HDD activity even though I do remember I have connected the HDD light connector to the motherboard, which is strange. After the power is on, the MasterBox 540 looks really good with the automotive lighting-inspired ARGB LED strips with a front diffuser on the front, behind the darkly tinted translucent DarkMirror plastic panel. I can also change the lighting effects by pressing the reset button with the included ARGB controller.
I am the kind of person who really cares about the noise level of my computer. In this build, I had three fans running in the case. As it turned out, my computer was really quiet thanks in part to the thick tempered glass panel. On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is totally silent and 10 is a jet taking off, I would rate my system at 2.0/10 regarding noise emissions during normal operation. Please note the fan speed control on the motherboard can further bring down the noise level by reducing the RPM of the fans when the computer is not under a high load.
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After several days of using the Cooler Master MasterBox 540, I find myself really enjoying using this product in my bedroom, especially at night when all the lights are turned off. Even just with the included ARGB lighting controller from the factory, I can really have a "game in a new light" per the company, or let us say, "work in a new light", kind of experience. The automotive lighting-inspired ARGB LED strips with a front diffuser on the front behind the darkly tinted translucent DarkMirror plastic panel is quite a sight to behold. Connecting the reset switch to the internal ARGB LED control box allowed me to change the lighting effect without opening the case or using any software. In other words, the ARGB lighting feature of this product is really easy to use. As for the cooling, the design of this case really gives us the possibility to achieve ultimate potential. Specifically, we can have a 360mm radiator with triple fans mounted on the removable top panel or front panel for system cooling. Aside from the good engineering design, I think the other thing that is worth mentioning about this case is the build quality. The overall build quality of the MasterBox 540 is fantastic. I found all the gaps are small and even. I have no doubt about the durability of the whole product. The only thing I would like to see improved on is to use a plastic frame-reinforced PSU dust filter instead of a thin plastic mesh. In terms of the cable routing experience, the 20mm of cable space at the back is not roomy, but it is enough. As for the price, it is listed at $140 USD at press time. The design, material, and build quality for this product are of a high standard, but with this price tag, I would expect things like at least one other 120mm ARGB fan and a sturdier PSU dust filter included from factory.
Cooler Master provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 7.6/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
If you want a computer case that can light up like the latest high-end sports car from the factory, then the Cooler Master MasterBox 540 is the one to buy.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
