Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5 Preview
By Olin Coles
Manufacturer: Cooler Master Technology Inc.
Product Name: MasterCase Maker 5
Model Number: MCZ-005M-KWN00
UPC: 884102027666 EAN: 4719512050224
Price As Tested: $189.99 (Newegg | Amazon)Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Cooler Master.
Do you like to tinker and build? Of course you do, and Cooler Master knows this. For over twenty years they’ve supplied PC enthusiasts with the tools and hardware to tweak and modify their otherwise boring computer systems. In this spotlight preview article for Benchmark Reviews we’ll sneak a peek at Cooler Master’s latest creation: MasterCase Maker 5 tower computer enclosure (MCZ-005M-KWN00), checking form and functionality.
The primary purpose behind Cooler Master’s new MasterCase Maker 5 series is to take hardware enthusiasts beyond the standard PC build by offering them the possibility to exchange and manipulate the case’s design and purpose with multiple interior/exterior options and customized accessories. Cooler Master utilizes a trademarked scheme they call the FreeForm Modular System to achieve this on the Maker 5 computer case.
The MasterCase series is designed to be a one-case-fits-all mid-tower solution for ATX, m-ATX, and M-ITX motherboards, and will change with the times as upgrade requirements evolve. Cooler Master’s FreeForm Modular System targets three key functions for the PC hardware enthusiast: customize, adjust, and upgrade. It achieves this largely in part to magnetic panels, and enhances it sound suppression padding.
The standard MasterCase 5 model offers a collection of the most popular FreeForm options, while MasterCase Pro 5 expands those options with additional drive cages, liquid cooling bracket, window side panel, and mesh top cover. MasterCase Maker 5 (shown above and below) is built for enthusiasts who need more, and further adds a front-panel door, solid plate top cover, fan controller, and lighting support to the overall design.
FreeForm: Customize
FreeForm’s external modularity allows easy for expansion. MasterCase Maker 5 reveals a simple yet modern style with customization options such as: magnetic top cover with plate, a padded front door for sound suppression, and an illuminated glossy I/O panel.
- Top Cover Kit
- Front Door
- Transparent Side Panel
- Tempered Glass side panel
- Maker Made Accessories
FreeForm: Adjust
With the customizable options in place, FreeForm enables easy clip and click adjustments or removal of drive cages without sacrificing the internal structure. Users may then integrate replacement accessories such as: fan brackets, water cooling reservoirs, and GPU support brackets.
Users may also adjust ventilation requirements, and MasterCase Maker 5 enables the option to install three front-mounted 140mm fans, or place a 280mm radiator for liquid cooling support by moving the hard drive trays.
FreeForm: Upgrade
MasterCase Maker 5 features a modern I/O panel with four USB ports, including a USB 3.0 Type C connection. An integrated controller board delivers advanced LED and fan control options: support for up to six fans, with speeds of High (12V) and Low (7V), as well as supporting four LED lighting strips with three modes (on, off, and breathe).
MasterCase 5 Series Specifications
Cooler Master’s MasterCase Maker 5 modular mid-tower system is available online now for $189.99 (Newegg | Amazon). For less-demanding builds, there is also the basic MasterCase 5, or mid-line Master Case Pro 5.
