Today we take a look at one of Coolermaster's Centurion cases currently on the market in the budget arena of the midi ATX chassis'. Find out why it's all smiles when we talk about the 532!
Introduction
Coolermaster are a company that have been on the scene for many years offering a wide range of solutions in various sectors like power supply units, cpu coolers, and cases. They are a reputable company with a passion for producing quality cooling solutions for PC enthusiasts.
Today we are going to look at just one of the midi-cases, the Centurion 532. There are many cases that feature in this “Centurion” range, they are targeted at the value for money priced product line. Although this case is valued at those on a budget, we will quickly learn that this case is far from being ‘cheap’.
Technical Specifications
Available Color: Black
Dimension (W / H / D) W235 x H460 x D495mm
Weight 10kg
Material Aluminum bezel, SECC chassis
Motherboards ATX: 12, Micro-ATX
5.25" Drive Bay 5(Exposed)
3.5" Drive Bay 1(Exposed); 4(Hidden)
I/O Panel USB 2.0 x 2, MIC x 1, SPK x 1, IEEE 1394 x 1
Cooling System One 120 x 120 x 25mm rear fan 1200 rpm, 22dBA (Exhaust (Option)
Expansion Slots 7
Power Supply Standard ATX PS2, 380W support LGA 775 (optional)
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Exterior
The Centurion 532 is a solid case. Both side panels are removable via thumbscrews. The first thing you will notice is that the front is completely mesh. This mesh is not plastic but metal which gives the case a slick look and quality feel. In total there are 5.25” drive bays. So plenty of space for other optical drives or even additional cooling. You will notice from the images that there are two brushed aluminium bars on the front of the case which are connected to a USB/Firewire/Audio control hub. This is positioned on the top of the case so that it can be accessed easily unlike on other cases where these controls are down the side or even at the bottom in some cases where the dust and dirt can be an issue. On the front bezel of the case there is a Centurion emblem which is also brushed alu. Behind this emblem sits an intake Coolermaster fan which had blue LED’s, when powered up the fan illuminates the background giving a pleasant blue glow.
The main side panel of the case that is used to access the internals, features a fan duct which acts as a heat extraction for cpu coolers. With the stock intel cooler which was used in this review this complements the setup greatly, but with different after-market coolers which are significantly larger in size, this air duct will more than likely need to be removed which can easily be done. If this is required, there is still mesh behind the duct so that heat can dispel from a cpu cooler.
The rear section of the case is fairly standard in its layout. There is a large 120mm cut out for a case fan, this was unfortunately not included with the case. From the images you can see that there are clips to lock PCI devices into rather than have screws which tend to after time become threaded. This is a valued solution as it saves time and effort having to find yourself a screw/screwdriver and secure the device. These are the type of features that have slowly become standard on low-end cases although on many cases that are in the same range as the 532 this is lacking. Commendations to Coolermaster for including this with this case. Tool free endeavours are highly regarded in the market with the latest cases.
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Interior
Inside the case, there is plenty of room. As mentioned earlier this case would easily house a larger after-market cooler but would need the duct removing. Similarly you would be able to fit a 8800GTX/HD3870 X2 inside this case but it would require having the FDD bay clear of any devices. (8800GT/S or HD3870 would fit easily fit inside).
The tool free trend continues with all 5.25” bays featuring a unique securing mechanism that eliminates the need for having to get the Phillips screwdriver out again.
The only negative thing that would be said of this case is the placement of the HDD cage. The intake case fan which is placed just behind where the HDD is seated is obstructed by the design of the case. It limits the airflow in the case which is an important factor when keeping temperatures down and heat flushed out. This would have been perhaps better positioned the opposite way around or closer to the FDD case area. The cage can of course been removed but then the HDD cannot be placed anywhere else unless you have brackets at the ready. That said, this is the only negative thing to mention in regard to the case design. This is a small issue and should not affect the buyer.
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Installation
It must be said that the installation was made very easy by the fact that all of the devices plugged into this case were done so using the tool free mechanisms. The first device installed was the DVD optical drive. To do this the front bezel had to be removed, simply remove both side panels from the case and unclip one side of the bezel at a time and slide the front bezel panel out. As mentioned earlier there are 5 bays, for this review the top bay was removed simply by unclipping from the fascia. The front bezel panel was then secured back onto the case via the clips and the DVD optical drive slid right into the case along a set of rails and when in position secured by the tool free mechanism at the side. A simple task should be simple, and that’s just how it is with the 532. With other cases a simple task like this can become loathsome. This took just a few minutes to do, as it should.
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Another device which is secure tool less is the HDD. This sits in front of the intake fan inside a cage, on first impression you will see that the HDD is much too small in width to fit inside this cage. Along with the manual you will find a set of brackets, these brackets plug into the screw holes of your HDD and the clips slide straight into the cage. Once again… easy!
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Cable management is a factor that irritates some of us. But more importantly good cable management can reduce temperatures inside a case significantly if it is done properly. This case lends itself to aiding cable management with the front bezel panel and framework being designed in the way it has been. Un-needed cables can be secured away from components and where airflow is needed. Being a cable management fan, this worked well for me. I found it very useful.
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Cooling
For this small cooling test an additional fan was required. This was fitted to the rear of the case where there is sufficient space as an exhaust. Overal system temperatures were monitored for 10 minutes, whilst the systems were idling. So the temperatures in the chart are for three cases, using the same case fan's. As you can see the temperatures are very similar. The Lian Li having the superior cooling, followed closely by the Coolermaster and Akasa cases.
Conclusion
Overall, this case is superbly built. It is strong and is very well made. It looks good and airflow is generally pleasing. To improve airflow 5.25” brackets could be given to the HDD to move it up and thus the cage removed. This would aid airflow but again, this is just being particular.
All said and done this case is amongst the best in its price range and should be considered for those on a budget looking for a good looking, strong case.
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Score