Page 4 - Installation and Conclusion
As with all of my installations, I began by installing my power supply in place. The GAMDIAS HELIOS P2-750G, which measures 14cm, fit well within the designated area. Cooler Master specifies a maximum length of 170mm for power supplies, although this increases to 210mm when you remove the drive cage. I opted to remove the cage, resulting in much more space to accommodate my extra cables. Since this power supply is not modular, I tucked the excess wires into the basement.
Next, I routed the necessary cables, including the motherboard and CPU ones, to their respective locations. I also directed the front I/O and fan cables to the bottom edge at this point. Finally, I installed the Toshiba OCZ VX500 512GB 2.5" drive. This involved using the four rubber holes and placing them in the correct location. Then, I screwed in the pegs onto the SSD and pushed it into place. This friction hold is generally strong enough to keep the drive securely in place.
On the other side, I installed my Intel motherboard. With the pre-installed risers in place for a standard ATX size, installation was quick and straightforward. Additionally, I installed the Noctua NH-D12L CPU cooler on top of the processor. Cooler Master mentions a maximum CPU cooler height of 170mm, which is more than sufficient for the 145mm tall NH-D12L. Moreover, there is enough clearance to install cooling on top, as the rails are offset enough to not interfere with the rest of the build. I also installed an expansion card in the top PCIe slot of the motherboard. While this slot may not be very long, Cooler Master states that expansion cards like GPUs can be installed, measuring up to 410mm or 360mm with front-mounted cooling.
As for cable management, I did not do much more than moving the cables to hide in the basement. There are some tie-down points around the back, but these are rather limited in number and spacing. I would have liked to see a few more, but part of the issue stems from so much of the backplate being cut out for access to possible connectors behind the motherboard. Nevertheless, there are a sufficient number of routing holes to pass the necessary cables at the right places. My overall building experience was quite positive, even if it feels like a budget-friendly case. The process was straightforward, and the lighter case made it easier to maneuver around.
With everything plugged in, I powered on my system, and everything sprung to life. Using our standard APH Networks sound scale, where 0 represents silence and 10 indicates loudness, I would rate the Cooler Master MasterBox 600 at a very notable 6.0/10 under full load. Unfortunately, the SickleFlow 140 fans are not quiet when spinning at their maximum speed. Additionally, the single CF120 fan at the back also spins very loudly all the time and emits a high-pitched noise in addition to the fan noise. Overall, the whole setup is quite loud. Dialing it back to under nominal loads, I would still say the system is around a 4.5/10 because of the noticeable CF120 fan at the back. If you unplug that one alone, I would drop this number closer to a 4.0/10. You could likely further tune these fans down with fan curves, but there are no noise-suppressing materials around the case either.
As you saw in my build, I did not have a graphics card in the system, so I ended up testing out the Atlas ARGB expansion card bracket on my other PC. Here, I have the EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING in its standard position. While the case this system is built in, the Thermaltake Core P3 TG Pro already has a support bar for the sorts, it is not even close to as fancy as the Atlas ARGB.
I placed the stand on top of my power supply, set the clamp in place, and secured it down. Afterwards, I plugged the addressable header into the motherboard. Overall, this is quite a stunning piece of hardware. For one, its lights are magnificently bright and shine a lot more. I really like the effect that is created with the glass. Better yet, Cooler Master has not put any branding on the glass, so it does not look like an advertisement for the company. I also appreciate the small "infinity" mirror in the middle for a neat effect.
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The MasterBox 600 aims to align with the latest PC trends, and in some aspects, Cooler Master has succeeded in this endeavor. It incorporates a good airflow design with the three intake SickleFlow 140 ARGB fans, while also including a well-implemented tempered glass panel. Internally, the MasterBox 600 offers ample space to accommodate all components with provisions for large top and front panel cooling options. It also supports a sufficient number of drives with potential expansion to add more 2.5" drives. Moreover, this will accommodate motherboards with back-facing connections, as all the borders of the motherboard are easily accessible. Importantly, Cooler Master has not sacrificed the structural integrity in spite of these openings. Building within the Cooler Master MasterBox 600 is generally straightforward, thanks to adequate cabling holes, the included fan hub, and a grouped front panel connector. However, there are some areas where corners appear to have been cut. The use of breakout expansion covers, frame-less bottom mesh filters, and foam feet are budget choices that detract from the case's appeal. Furthermore, while the inclusion of four fans is appreciated, the noise produced by the CF120 ARGB exhaust fan is consistently loud, as it seems to run at full speed at all times. Additionally, the absence of creature comforts like captive thumbscrews, a separate mesh filter at the front, and more rubber grommets over holes is notable. At its retail price of $100 at the time of the review, the Cooler Master MasterBox 600 is neither a budget nor expensive chassis, but it seems to command a price premium for supporting the newest trends. Some users may find this price too high for the compromises made. While support for early adopters is commendable, the Cooler Master MasterBox 600 falls short due to a few too many concessions.
Cooler Master provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
6/10 means A product with its advantages, but drawbacks should not be ignored before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 6.3/10
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.
The Cooler Master MasterBox 600 case may support the new trend of back-connecting motherboards, but it lacks refinement in the fundamental areas.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
