Cooler Master MasterBox 5 Case Review: Black with MeshFlow Front Panel Version (MCX-B5S1-KWNN-11)
Final Thoughts
Taking the American Motto E Pluribus Unum and flipping it upside down to Ex Uno Plures is essentially what Cooler Master has done with the MasterBox 5. They have their own motto for this design approach however, giving users the freedom to Decide the Inside. Provided is a functional base frame-work with upgradeable or swappable parts should the users require it later on. The base varies of course, hence Cooler Master provides at least three options for the large US market to choose from. This Free-form modular design approach is also the concept Cooler Master employs for their MasterCase series.
The default options for the US market is a curious one, with a bit more focus on vanity with the windowed panels and seamless front than function with the top exhaust and external drive bays of the Canadian model. The MasterBox 5 black with meshflow front panel version (MCX-B5S1-KWNN-11) and the white version with darkmirror front (MCX-B5S2-WWNN-01) also adds a 120mm fan for the intake to aid with airflow and for value parity with the Canadian version.
Unfortunately, the MasterBox 5’s flexibility might also be considered to be a weakness by some. While it does provide a solid base with worthy potential, the fact that certain features such as 5.25″ and additional 3.5″/2.5″ drive bays must be purchased separately is enough to give some users pause. In a purely practical sense, the Canadian model with its cooler environment and greater default component acceptance is also much more effective as well. Users looking for greater build freedom would have to cross the Northern border or be saddled with a limited binary voting option that in almost all levels except cosmetic are identical (all political parallels herein are purely coincidental).
I have already expressed most of what I thought about the MasterBox 5 case in my previous review of the Canadian model so feel free to read that and compare especially if you live outside the US and Canada since variations of these features are offered in the rest of the world market, having only different numbers of modular components bundled with the same fundamental base.
The best part is of course, the affordability. For $69.99, the MasterBox 5 is in a good competitive position aided by its conservative design in comparison to its peers. I don’t think many manufacturers realize how important that is in this price range. The key to actually standing out from the rest, is not to have a “loud” and aggressive design but one that appeals to a wider mainstream audience. Personalization happens after, not before. The user decides the inside, and in this regard, Cooler Master is correct.
