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  • zappb - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    Oh yea
  • Death666Angel - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    it just doesn't look very pleasing to me. Too much "1337 gamz0r pwn4g3".
    But that's just me. :-)
  • ReachTheSky - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    I'd be proud to own that. I'm honestly getting a bit tired of minimalism. There's not a whole lot of flashy "HEY LOOK HOW BADASS I AM!" cases that are also functional.
  • Death666Angel - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    Like I said, just my own opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. And "badassness" and "functionality" are also very subjective, I wouldn't give this case high marks in either category, much less so considering the price. :-)
  • michaelheath - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    Agreed. This case is aimed at the crowd of people who pay through the nose for features that accomodate the other components they paid through the nose for. As a person who lives within his means and requires no more case than what provides room for a modest gaming/entertainment machine, the Cosmos II is pretty overboard in most aspects, and I could put $350 to better use.
  • Sabresiberian - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link

    Actually, I think this case is made so people like you can get swelled heads about how well you manage your money.

    I have a suggestion: give up your gaming/entertainment altogether. After all, it's really nothing you actually require. It's not only a waste of money because you spend it on things you don't need, it's even more a waste of money because it takes up your time, as well, time you could be using to make money instead of spend it.

    ;)
  • aguilpa1 - Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - link

    At this price I honestly expected it to have an integrated liquid cooling radiator with dual fans not just holes for one. I like to buy high end stuff but I still expect to get my money's worth. This isn't it.
  • ZeDestructor - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    You'd like the Lian Li PC-A71F then. Its a big, black monser of a case that I'm planning to build my next rig in, complete with dual watercooling radiators...
  • Tetracycloide - Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - link

    The thing is, it's really not that flashy in many respects. They basically took an ostentatious design and painted it matte black. Why they wouldn't go with cleaner lines or a color scheme that better accents the lines it currently has I have no idea. I think it fails on the aesthetic front by trying to split the difference between minimalism and snazzy, never quite reaching either and attempting to appeal to two tastes that are fundamentally opposites.
  • Tetracycloide - Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - link

    Now that I've looked at it a little more and seen some additional close up shots from other review sites I've decided to change my mind. The case is flashy but in tasteful way although the tastefulness is largely left up to the builder. The mesh areas have a unique polygonal design layered into them that's almost fractal. With the matte black brush aluminum finish and the right color backlights (blue was the wrong choice IMO) the case could be very beautiful. Personally I'm thinking amber LEDs myself. Without backlighting many of the aesthetics of the case are lost IMO and it just looks like minimalism in areas that don't make sense because the other areas aren't very interesting without lights so the minimalist areas don't contrast with them enough. If you can imagine those areas backlit with LEDs it's a completely different case. The unlit pictures don't do it justice I think.
  • tzhu07 - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    Ridiculously large (in a very bad way) and ugly. Completely unrefined in every way. Look, I don't expect everyone to have great industrial design and precision like Apple, but this case is just tacky as hell, and you might as well label any owner of it as a person who has bad taste in aesthetic composition on a general level.

    Who cares about its features and performance when it looks like that monstrosity.
  • nevertell - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    Well, I for one, don't care about the look. The PC will sit underneath the table, all I care about is noise and cooling. There is nothing worse than having insomnia due to lengthy file transfer because you skimped on the case a while back :(
  • Death666Angel - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    In the end though, the case is just the last part in determining the noise of a PC. The component choice (CPU heatsink+fans, graphics card+fans, case fans and fan control) are much more important. :-)
  • TGressus - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    This case is part of the Cosmos series from Cooler Master. The design should be no surprise to anyone who follows the industry.

    http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/category.php?categ...

    The priorities you express don't align with the intended market of the product. You have wasted electricity by superfluously posting.
  • Death666Angel - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    So if you don't like something you have to shut up because it was obviously not meant for you? Can you be more condescending?....
  • Tetracycloide - Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - link

    In his defense that's just returning in kind. The OP was a pretty condescending ass too. Probably more so than TGressus actually.
  • Tetracycloide - Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - link

    I see, so it's an absolutely perfect case for the people who think it's perfect. That makes total sense.
  • Stewox - Friday, February 3, 2012 - link

    pretty much what i had in mind

    The Apple guy who thinks this case looks bad is probably not in this category of hardcore enthusiast PCs ...

    Cooler Master made a gread job and im very pleased with the effort that went into this, just like Western Digital making those Hard Drives with a window ... it was a marvelous technological achivement , it was made for the enthusiasts who know to appreciate and see the quality, obviously those glass HDDs wouldn't bring WD tons of new customers and brand popularity, and Cooler Master in this case doing in the same way as any great company would. In this case Apple is a crap company, they put out budget shit that is sold for premium and they never make enthusiast products that push the limits of tech, they don't even design anything except the packaging, the looks and color and their software, everything under-the-hood is all customized PC or Mobile parts which are made with over 200 suppliers and assembled at suicide-infested Foxconn in china. What do you think the MAC is ... it's a console with PC hardware, a closed system, it's a disgrace in morality, PCs are supposed to be open - ofcourse people found a way to delete MAC OSX and install other systems ... but then you don't need a MAC anyways, DIY custom PC hardware part-by-part is cheaper , a lot cheaper.

    I would go to the grosery store and make a hamburger:
    (optimal example)

    - cheapest
    - modest
    - medium
    - great
    - Best

    Me: (optimal financially, not hardcore setup)
    - i pick a great ham
    - i pick a great chese
    - i pick a great salad
    - i pick a great ketchup and mayo
    - i pick a medium bread
    - paper bag package
    - i would pay 10$

    Apple: ...
    - would pick the cheapest chese (GPU)
    - would pick the modest ham (CPU)
    - would pick the cheapest salad (RAM)
    - would pick the cheapest ketchup/mayo (storage space)
    - would pick the best and most expensive bread ever (ex Casing)
    - would package it in a super glossy shiny flashy silver plate package
    - + bonus a FREE ticket to download of your item of choice on iTunez
    - attach a price for 15,99 $

    Which would you eat, the manual/custom hamburger or Apple hamburger ?

    It's really sad to see many newer generation people who are complete ignorants how this works and this should not even be a debate here, the debate should have been about the Case and it's total win. I have always wanted handles for a case and they just fit on this design so nicely, it's not a thrown-up thing it's really part of the design.

    And i don't know what wouldn and Apple fanboy be doing here talking shit about PCs. get out and go to your own wonderland.
  • Stewox - Friday, February 3, 2012 - link

    Who cares about an apple fanboy not having idea about PCs.

    If you even are a PC enthusiast, and you would not buy the a hardcore case just because how it looks, is probably a very shallow reason and excuse.

    Second, Apple looks so shiny and nice to attract noobs and tech-gadged buzz people who aren't technical people at all.

    If you aren't in this category of enthusiasts please stop posting useless comments and go away, plenty of people will find this case a must buy, plenty of them also hate apple as they should.

    Tech people will always hate Apple, that's because we know the inside of wha Apple does, they sell overpriced shiny packaged shit.
  • Death666Angel - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    With aluminum finish, you seem to just refer to the steel having texture as opposed to just being glossy/smooth, right? If that is the case and since aluminum can have a different texture as well, shouldn't you use different words? :-)
  • JarredWalton - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    I assumed Dustin meant something more like a steel frame for the doors and hinges, with aluminum sheeting for the main side cover. But perhaps he can clarify. :-)
  • Death666Angel - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    Ah, so that would mean everything that has a functional purpose is steel while the outside is an aluminum sheet. Not as I assumed just all steel with an aluminum textured surface. :-) I wouldn't mind a clarification. :D
  • JarredWalton - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    Chatting with Dustin, it sounds like the above is correct -- except some of the exterior is plastic as well, and the bars around the main body are steel. Actually, I think the main body is steel, the frame/inside of the doors is steel, and only the outside of the side panels is aluminum.
  • Rick83 - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    I have an original Stacker, and while it has its weaknesses, it's still one of the best cases when it comes to keeping a lot of HDDs installed with decent cooling or hot-plugging.
    While 5.25" bays are dying out, so has the Stacker died a few years ago - something that I am a bit sad about, as it's a simple, efficient, large case made from top materials. Also it comes with wheels :D

    I think the Cosmos is in some way supposed to be a modern replacement for it, and while its price point is slightly elevated compared to what a stacker sold for back in the day, you do seem to get some very nice features, and decent stock fans.

    Clearly, the test program is not suited to really differentiate between high end enclosures, and I'd like to see a multi-card setup, ideally of silent, open circulation cards. Radial fans are so noisy, that the noise performance of the case is directly correlated with the RPM of the GPU-fan.

    Additionally, if you want to run that big radiator, the cosmos 2 becomes more of a value proposition, and it keeps the mostly restrained looks of the CM case family (with the exception of many things HAF). The lack of wheels is disturbing, as with a full complement of drives and heat sinks, you could easily hit 40 kg for the entire machine. Lugging that about is quite a chore. And the Stacker faces the same issue as the Cosmos: there's nowhere really to grab a good hold of it, especially as all the weight is where you can't grab it.

    Finally, bringing a µATX-comparison isn't really apt. Firstly, SB-E is all about PCIe-lanes, which µATX negates completely. So a Gene-Z is a reasonable proposition, but X79 is what XL-ATX is made for. With X79 you want multiple graphics cards, which is where big cases come in, as usually the need arises to water cool these things, as otherwises the kW of heat coming out of four cards can't be managed - enter the 360mm radiator mounting capability.
    This case has a market, and that market clearly does not comprise the reviewer - it would have been interesting to see more aspects that actually interest the targeted users, such as actually mounting that radiator, and whether the case offers rooms for pumps and reservoirs, etc. A 350$ case would never appeal to a mainstream audience.
  • Death666Angel - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    We had the radiator discussion already, but if you want to cool multiple GPUs and a high end 6 core CPU quietly, you need more than this case offers. Offering one 360mm radiator space is not that impressive.
    For a quick reference on what cases provide that minimal kind of water cooling functionality see here: http://www.aquatuning.de/download/Gehaeuse-Radiato...
    And if you talk about water cooling, the TJ07 can easily fit a 420mm radiator in the lower part of the case, it is really a common sight. :D Also, in this price range, you start bumping against caselabs cases: http://www.caselabs-store.com/cases/ which has all the radiator space you need without modding. Or you just go external solution. :D

    But this case will find it's buyers.
  • Kristie - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link

    The Cosmos II comes with the brackets needed to take out the 6 HDD bays and install a 240mm radiator in the bottom area. There's people who've installed two 240mm radiators in there too and I don't think that'll take much modding work. The only downside is that for the 360mm radiator space at the top, there isn't enough clearance for a radiator thicker than 5cm.
  • Risforrocket - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    "I have an original Stacker...

    I think the Cosmos is in some way supposed to be a modern replacement for it...

    Clearly, the test program is not suited to really differentiate between high end enclosures, and I'd like to see a multi-card setup, ideally of silent, open circulation cards. Radial fans are so noisy, that the noise performance of the case is directly correlated with the RPM of the GPU-fan.

    Additionally, if you want to run that big radiator, the cosmos 2 becomes more of a value proposition, and it keeps the mostly restrained looks of the CM case family (with the exception of many things HAF)...

    Finally, bringing a µATX-comparison isn't really apt. Firstly, SB-E is all about PCIe-lanes, which µATX negates completely. So a Gene-Z is a reasonable proposition, but X79 is what XL-ATX is made for. With X79 you want multiple graphics cards, which is where big cases come in, as usually the need arises to water cool these things, as otherwises the kW of heat coming out of four cards can't be managed - enter the 360mm radiator mounting capability.
    This case has a market, and that market clearly does not comprise the reviewer - it would have been interesting to see more aspects that actually interest the targeted users, such as actually mounting that radiator, and whether the case offers rooms for pumps and reservoirs, etc. A 350$ case would never appeal to a mainstream audience."

    What he said.
    There is a market for this case and it's not for the smaller motherboards.
    Good try, Mr. Sklavos, but not everyone want's everything small.
  • KoolAidMan1 - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    I recommend "expensive" cases like the Corsairs and Silverstones, but even I have a hard time swallowing $350 for this. I'd recommend a Raven, Fortress, 800D, or 600T over this. All are great in the same ways that the Cosmos II is, but with lower price tags.
  • ggathagan - Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - link

    While I certainly agree that it's overpriced, you do have admire the sheer over-size of it.

    The cases you list are good cases, but none of them have have more than 8 expansion slots.

    I really like my FT02, but consider it a major design flaw that they not only limited it to 7 expansion slots, but placed the 5.25" bays so close to the motherboard that you are severely restricted in your choice of optic drives.
  • Juddog - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    It would be awesome to see an extended test of this case to see how it performs with the top setup with a 360mm radiator and a 240mm radiator at the bottom (with the hard drive brackets removed).
  • Rictorhell - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    I am a big fan of this site and I read the reviews and articles all of the time and I find them very informative and useful, but, I have a request.

    When a review is written, particularly about a certain smartphone or tablet, it is mentioned whether the device has an SD card slot and you always tend to differentiate between whether it is a “full-sized” SD slot or a “micro”SD slot. That is useful to know, but there are several actual types of SD cards available, each with a different maximum storage capacity, and you don't specify in your reviews which types of SD cards are actually supported by the device being reviewed and I think that is a bit of an oversight.

    To the best of my knowledge, standard SD cards only have a maximum capacity of up to 2gb, while SDHC cards can go up to as high as 32gb, and SDXC cards, while only available right now in sizes up to 128gb, are supposed to theoretically be able to be manufactured in sizes up to 2tb.

    There is a huge difference in size between 2gb, 32gb, and 128gb. Given that smartphones and tablets have substantial built in limits as far as storage capacity, I think it would be very helpful to know which type of SD card is supported by which device, if that is possible.

    If I read two reviews about two different Android tablets and both reviews mention that both cards have a full-size SD card slot, as a user with a lot of media files, I'm going to be interested to know if one of those tablets can support SDXC cards while the other one cannot.

    I consider that to be a major feature, to me, just as important as battery life. If you do reviews of tablets and smartphones, or even ultrabooks, and neglect to specify how much storage potential these devices have or do not have, you are making it very easy for the hardware manufacturers to simply put in second rate storage and format support, knowing that it will not be covered in reviews by sites like Anandech. Not only is this going to stunt the evolution of these devices but it's also going to mean less options for consumers.

    Anyway, thank you for your time.
  • ExarKun333 - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    Huh? Everything you said is not relevant to this review at all.
  • Sladeofdark - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    if the USB front panel was facing up like the Cosmos S it would be PERFECT! But i still cant wait to purchase this case to replace my Cosmos S. It has all the improvements ive been wanting in a Chassis for YEARS.. serious cable management, and Serious consideration for hard drive placement. It is like they finally made a case that was not only about making the price point.
  • sviola - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    Agree with you. I too have the Cosmos S, and I wish it would have some of the improvements here like the drive cage facing the side of the cage (but I prefer the red leds on the S model, a bit of the change from the blue led theme that seems to flood the industry).
  • Solidstate89 - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    After I've had my full of my current build in my Silverstone FT02B case, I'm definitely buying this case and building a behemoth of a system in it. Combined with Windows 8's Storage Spaces, you don't even need a separate Home Server anymore, and that's where all those drive bays will especially come in handy.
  • Risforrocket - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    It's for a build with lots of drives, I agree.

    I have 4 drives in RAID 10 and am wanting 6 and then the SSD (or two) for the OS. That's 8 drives right there. Lol, I love this case.
  • Tetracycloide - Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - link

    Or a build with a radiator. You loose all of the drive bays in the PSU chamber if you mount a radiator and some pumps down there. I'd argue that's what the chamber was designed for and the bay cages are just tact on so the space still looks useful if you're not water cooling (although it's still wasted space if you don't have all the drive slots filled).
  • Bonesdad - Monday, January 23, 2012 - link

    have to agree with some other posters here, this case, though top of the line functionally is big, ugly and fugly. Just my opinion, but no way would I ever own this. I don't think I could even be friends with anyone who owns this.
  • whitehat2k9 - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    The Maximus IV Gene is a Z68 board. Perhaps you meant the upcoming Rampage IV.
  • ggathagan - Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - link

    Which doesn't change the overarching point that you can get a fully packed motherboard in the m-ATX form factor, diminishing the need for the full ATX size board in a large majority of situations.
  • Xajel - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    This is one of the best designs I saw !!

    but I'm seeing it as very huge !!. I hope CM will make a smaller version of it... but not too small... the original Cosmos was the biggest I can think of as a case, so same size will be nice..
  • dac7nco - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    Jesus Christ you are a pussy. Go to the gym or something. In every review you comment about being frail, small or skinny. Review servers, eat pasta-roni and gain some bulk.

    Daimon
  • dac7nco - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    I love your case reviews, by the way... I am just a jerk. I bought a TJ-08 because of you.

    Daimon
  • fausto412 - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    This case is HUGE and PRICEY. I wouldn't buy this but if someone game me one for free I would use it.
  • tecwiz816 - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    I have the original Cosmos X for the past 4 years now and I love it.
  • ven - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    first of all very massive case,and i think instead of having this much amount of 3.5 drive bays CM could have left some place there with mounts so that a 360mm radiator can be fitted there vertically i would prefer for obsidian 800D.And as pointed out earlier with previous cosmos line the handle gives the case a alien species look but it's look nice. a windowed side panel(or door in these case) will also be nice update feature.
  • Etern205 - Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - link

    The massive size of this case even makes that ATX board look like a mini.
    Still have the very first Cosmos RC1000 and I still remember the day when it arrived in that gigantic
    card board box. But I could of sworn it didn't look that big in the picture.
    Cooler Master even let you build the original yourself (paper craft version) :)

    http://www.coolermaster.com/microsite/Cosmos/
  • Stas - Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - link

    As an owner of the original Cosmos, I must say - this is disheartening on CM's part.
    CM Cosmos was large, quiet and beautiful; very elegant and easy on the eyes. I admit, it did lack in cooling performance for large video cards (I ran 5 HDDs in it and a volt-moded HD3870). When Cosmos S came out, I thought it was the perfection in its class - all of the great things from the Cosmos + cooling tweaks. Unfortunately, the "S" lost the padded side panels :(
    This is very different from what I would want to see in CM's classy flagship. Flashy, unrefined, almost pretentious. Yes, it has performance to back it up, and surely quality, too. But it just doesn't have that sophistication of the former model. Besides, I paid $220 for my case... wtf did extra $130 go? A couple of extra fans? o.O
  • johnpombrio - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link

    I believe that the reason for a separate LED power connector going to the mobo is to use it to FLASH the LED when the computer is in sleep mode. Don't be so quick to diss something that I find extremely useful.
  • Captain Zero - Monday, January 30, 2012 - link

    This reviewer is an embarrassment. What did he expect to be reviewing, an ipad? Of course it's big. The Cosmos is the tractor trailer of cases, not a Mini Cooper but he complains that it doesn't perform like a spots car. Moron. The comments here are equally dippy. These cases are large and exceedingly well-built and worth every penny. No self-respecting builder would put top-tier components in a cardboard box or complain about price. If you want a solid, robust case that's outrageously versatile with room to grow, you can't best the Cosmos line of cases.

    And for you pussies that think it's heavy, go ask your mom for help.
  • GoGamerPro - Tuesday, February 7, 2012 - link

    I have games and computers for sale at http://gogamerpro.com
  • arijit.ray81 - Sunday, July 28, 2013 - link

    The X-Dock DOES NOT take up 2 (TWO) 5.25" bays. It takes up about 1.5 (One & Half) of them. I know we can swap them out. However, I'm looking for suitable front panel replacement to put in there. I cant find anything that will fit in that slot. Any suggestions?
  • arijit.ray81 - Friday, October 3, 2014 - link

    How much spacing is there between the motherboard & top? Can we mount a H110?

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