Page 3 - Physical Look - Inside
Removing the side panels from the Cooler Master MasterBox NR200P MAX is a piece of cake. The side panels use a pin-and-clip method to attach to the case, so you can simply pull the side panels off. I appreciate this tool-free method, as it makes getting inside the case incredibly easy. Even the front panel is tool-free and can also simply be popped off. The bottom panel does require a screwdriver to remove, but you are not very likely going to remove this when building in the MasterBox NR200P MAX. I would have preferred sturdier panels, as the current panels are quite flexible, but this would probably affect the case weight.
With the side panels removed, we can get a better look at the interior of the NR200P MAX. There is a slight flex to the internal frames, but it is sturdy enough. Unlike the NR200, there is no multipurpose side bracket here. We can also see the pre-installed power supply and liquid cooler, which we will dive into more in a moment. Users can swap these pre-installed components out with other components of their choice, but given how neat everything is set up here and you already paid for them, I see no reason to do such a thing.
In the main area, you can see a large opening for users to mount their mini-ITX form factor motherboards. The NR200P MAX does not support mini-DTX form factors motherboards, unlike what we saw with the SilverStone SUGO 16. The black standoffs are bolted to the tray along with a large opening at the back to expose the back of the motherboard. This is useful for cooling brackets and SSD mounts on the back. We can see from the design of this case that the motherboard is meant to be placed at the rear of the chassis. This means all building be done on a single side, although you may have to wire some of the components in a specific way to reach everything. Luckily, with the pre-installed components, Cooler Master has already set up the cable management in a tidy fashion so all that is left for you to do is plug in the cables. This is also especially true as all the cables, whether it is the braided tubes of the liquid cooler or the power supply cables, are long enough to reach their respective end points.
Unlike the NR200, the rear side of the case cannot support any fans. I understand that this was not possible due to the vertical mounting bracket support for graphics cards in this case, but it also would have been nice if they kept the horizontal mounting slots like with the NR200 so users could install an exhaust fan for better airflow if they choose to. In fact, there is not a lot of options for case fan mounting with the NR200P MAX. Users have the option of fitting two 120mm and 140mm fans at the top, and two 120mm fans at the bottom if they choose not to install any 3.5" hard drives there. Given the top is occupied by the included 280mm liquid cooler, the only available fan mounting location is at the bottom of the case.
The above photo gives a clear image of the power supply bracket. Like the NR200, the Cooler Master MasterBox NR200P MAX can fit an SFX or SFX-L sized power supply. However, the MAX version comes with an SFX power supply already installed, which is the V850 SFX Gold 850W previously reviewed by my colleague Aaron Lai. I am impressed to see that Cooler Master included a quality unit in the package. The power supply is 80 Plus Gold certified, contains a fluid dynamic bearing 92mm fan, and delivers generally solid performance. The power supply is also fully modular, so you can remove unneeded cables when building into this case.
The metal enclosure that holds the power supply has many holes for users to mount up to two additional 3.5" drives. Users can also mount 2.5" drives along with custom water-cooler pumps and brackets. Like the NR200, I appreciate Cooler Master providing mounts for various components.
We can take a look at the front panel headers better from this view. This includes the HD audio plug, USB 3.2 Gen 1 header, and the front panel pins. All cables are black in color. Cooler Master has grouped all the front panel I/O connector pins into a single plug to make it easier to install. If users find this troublesome though, they can remove the plastic bracket and manually install each front pin if they wish. This can be useful if you have a motherboard that has an unconventional pin layout. The USB header has been modified to indicate which side notched when plugging it in. I appreciate that Cooler Master has kept these details.
We can also get a better look at the pre-installed liquid cooler here. Based on the details given by Cooler Master, this cooler appears to be a modified version of the excellent Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML280 Mirror reviewed by my colleague Jadon Lee. This AIO cooler has a 280mm radiator with two 140mm SickleFlow fans attached to it. The modifications, of course, comes in the form of no ARGB mirror effects on the water block and correct length tubing for this chassis, but it still keeps Cooler Master's Gen 3 pump and sleeved tubes. The Gen 3 pump is designed to enhance cooling efficiency while minimizing excess noise due to its upgraded internal impeller and housing design.
When it comes to fan specifications, the RPM has a range from 650 to 1400 RPM. The maximum airflow of these fans is 67 CFM with a maximum static pressure of 2.25 mmH2O. The fans themselves are covered by grilles, which is nice to prevent cables from getting caught in the blade, especially when working in a tight space like with this case. We will see how this pre-installed liquid cooler in the NR200P MAX performs in with our cooling tests.
The back side of the NR200P MAX is identical to the back side of the NR200, with the first similarity being the exposed hole for the power supply intake fan. A larger second hole can be seen beside it for the motherboard. This bracket had an adjustable mounting position depending if you want to swap out the pre-installed SFX power supply for and SFX-L supply. Two fabric Velcro straps can be seen underneath the bracket for holding all the cables in place, which we can see in action with the pre-installed V850 SFX Gold and case cables being held by the Velcro straps. Like with the NR200, this is useful for cable management, as there is no room at the back of the case to manage the cables. Tightening the Velcro straps should be able keep the cables clear of the expansion slot area, which is where your graphics card will extend into.
The front panel is as easy to remove as the side panels, that being to simply pull off the front panel hard enough to unclip the pins. The exposed front side of the NR200P MAX is nearly identical to the exposed front of the NR200. All the front connections and necessary cable to plug in can be seen at the top. Below are two mounting slots for 2.5" drives, making for a maximum of three drives that can be placed inside this chassis. Like the NR200, one of these areas can be used for mounting a pump in a custom liquid loop. There is a large cutout at the bottom designed to give more clearance space for longer graphics cards. It is nice to see Cooler Master accommodating for this given the size of current graphics cards.
Since the Cooler Master MasterBox NR200P MAX is unique product, a unique bundle is included with this chassis. Going from left to right, we first have all the mounting equipment for the pre-installed liquid cooler. This includes mounting brackets, screws, and thermal paste. Next, we have the typical zip ties you would find in any case for cable management along with screws for mounting the motherboard. A PCIe 4.0 MasterAccessory Riser Cable is included for vertical mounting of your graphics card. I really appreciate Cooler Master included this item given that this case only has vertical expansion slots. Finally, we have an AC power cord and an additional modular cable for the PSU to provide SATA and Molex power connections.
Overall, I am quite happy with the build quality of this case. All the edges are smooth and clean with all the openings being appropriately placed. I am also satisfied with all the accessories Cooler Master included with the MasterBox NR200P MAX.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation
5. Cooling Test Results
6. Conclusion
