A new two-tone mid tower based on the high-end MasterMaker 5T. MasterBox 5T targets the gamer with an aggresive design and handy features.
Product on Review: MasterBox 5T
Manufacturer & Sponsor: Cooler Master
Street Price: £75.99 GBP / $100 USD
Cooler Master are veterans in the world of computer chassis design, having been one of the forerunners stretching back as far as 1999 with their renowned all-aluminium designs courtesy of the ATC-100. Over the years, we’ve seen some expertly crafted enclosures come and go – the HAF Series, the COSMOS lineup and more. The computer case has changed quite significantly in recent years with many new brands stepping up to the plate, the arena is fiercely competitive and today Cooler Master are back with another release which seeks to steal the limelight by way of the MasterBox 5T.
The MasterBox 5T is a mid-tower chassis which delivers a two-tone design with support for the latest PC components. Inside, there is a spacious layout which lends itself to being able to host flagship air CPU coolers and high-performance graphics cards. Cooler Master also include two 120mm fans which utilise a two-speed fan controller.
About Cooler Master
Cooler Master has done its utmost to build not only tangible incentives for innovation, but also a corporate culture that embraces change and creativity. The company rewards successful risk-taking by employees, regardless of whether it is rationalization of an administrative task that speeds up workflow, or a design improvement that enhances the functionality of device product. Innovation is also encouraged in the process of finding new applications for technological breakthroughs in products and services for Cooler Master customers. In fact, the ultimate aim of innovation at Cooler Master is always aims to enable technology to actually benefit customers. To provide this level of innovation, Cooler Master has built up elite R& 
teams composed of outstanding engineers, many with advanced degrees, and including thermal, mechanical and materials engineers to provide specialized expertise in each of these fields. These superb teams take advantage of a sophisticated design process workflow that ensures efficiency and provides scope for innovations that are reflected in real-world enhancements. Strict process controls ensure maximum efficiency and quality at each step, beginning with thermal simulations, and proceeding to mechanical design, evaluation of mock-up samples, and on to experimental production runs, process testing, thermal and reliability testing, and finally pilot runs and mass production.
teams composed of outstanding engineers, many with advanced degrees, and including thermal, mechanical and materials engineers to provide specialized expertise in each of these fields. These superb teams take advantage of a sophisticated design process workflow that ensures efficiency and provides scope for innovations that are reflected in real-world enhancements. Strict process controls ensure maximum efficiency and quality at each step, beginning with thermal simulations, and proceeding to mechanical design, evaluation of mock-up samples, and on to experimental production runs, process testing, thermal and reliability testing, and finally pilot runs and mass production.Technical Specifications
Below are the technical specifications surrounding MasterBox 5T.
MasterBox 5T Video Review
For this review, we’ve produced a video review over on our YouTube channel which details all of the included features, and takes a close look at the clearance options and lighting for this case. Please check out our video review or hit play on the video below:
Thermal Performance Testing
Inside our MasterBox 5T we have a push-pull configuration using two 120mm fans – one is positioned in the lower section at the front as an intake while the other is situated at the rear as an exhaust.
To discover the thermal performance of 5T we will record idle temperatures after 20 minutes from a cold boot. We will then stress the system and temperatures will again be monitored after 30 minutes have elapsed.
For the purpose of accurate analysis, the idle and load temperatures for CPU will be recorded and the range between idle and load will be calculated to determine how efficient cooling is. The fan controller will be set to “High”.
NOTE: Ambient temperature is 20C
System Components
CPU Intel Pentium K G3258 @ 4GHz
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z87X-D3H
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Graphics NVIDIA GTX 760
Memory 4GB Kingston HyperX DDR3
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU DeepCool DQ750
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z87X-D3H
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Graphics NVIDIA GTX 760
Memory 4GB Kingston HyperX DDR3
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU DeepCool DQ750
Noise
With 5T set to “Low” the cooling fans are barely audible, while notching things up to “High” creates more noise, for obvious reasons. But, this level of noise is more than acceptable and isn’t regarded as disruptive.
Conclusion
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!
Pros
+ Blends two styles together
+ Well suited to red themes
+ Flexible storage options
+ Can house high-end kit
+ Excellent cable management features
+ Includes a two-speed fan controller
Cons
– Only 140mm support at the top
– Handle would benefit from being repositioned
– Rival cases are cheaper
+ Blends two styles together
+ Well suited to red themes
+ Flexible storage options
+ Can house high-end kit
+ Excellent cable management features
+ Includes a two-speed fan controller
Cons
– Only 140mm support at the top
– Handle would benefit from being repositioned
– Rival cases are cheaper
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
