It’s certainly been a while since we last observed a computer chassis from Cooler Master. In fact, the last case we evaluated was the renowned CM 690 III. Having been away from CM’s chassis development team for three years, it’s been interesting to see what they have to bring to the table in today’s new MasterBox 5T.

In the arena of enclosures there are generally two avenues which designers opt for – the sleek delights of minimalism or the gaudy exterior of the gamer. The MasterBox 5T actually combines both styles by giving us a smooth, classy front bezel but delivers LED lighting to the underside, with eye catching aesthetics in certain areas. The black and red theme is an interesting route to take, because in some regards it confines system builders to using a specific theme. But, if the majority of components are blacks/greys (as most are nowadays) then this hardware will coordinate well. There is also the potential to create a slick red-theme from this chassis, which many will no doubt pursue.

Within 5T there is lots of space regardless of the classification of the hardware. Large CPU coolers can be accommodated, as can oversized graphics cards of the SLI and Crossfire variety. The generous space extends to other areas of 5T by offering excellent room for cable management on the reverse of the motherboard tray – we only wish Cooler Master had used the additional space behind the motherboard tray for attaching the included SSD bracket/adapter as an alternative option. Nevertheless, the storage options which are presented supply plenty of flexibility due to the possibility of installing the storage cages at different heights at the front of the chassis.


So overall, MasterBox 5T is a good mid-tower to opt for but there are a few areas to make note of. At the top, there is a limitation of attaching just a single 140mm fan – this obviously removes the ability to attach a 240/280mm closed loop solution which are a popular choice in which to cool the CPU. Another point, which by no means renders the chassis inadequate is the design of the handle at the top – when this handle is held in the hand the centre of gravity makes it tricky to manoeuvre the unit once the chassis is populated with a full set of components.

Originally Cooler Master had set MasterBox 5T at a cost of £90 GBP ($100 USD) but after taking on board some of our feedback they adjusted this pricing to the much better figure of £75.99 GBP. As we pointed out in our video review 5T would have struggled severely at the higher sum based on the feature-set and competition. This new figure will certainly help but there are still some superb computer cases in the £60 price-range which offer very similar space, features and build quality.

The MasterBox 5T is a stylish two-tone mid-tower which boasts a spacious internal layout to support a wide-range of computer hardware. System builders will be pleased to know that this case excels in cable management!




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