CoolerMaster MasterBox Lite 5 Review: Modder’s Delight
Final Thoughts
CoolerMaster MasterBox Lite 5 is great on a budget case. I liked the fact that the case is structurally solid and is relatively light for the steel case. This mid tower chassis has high potential especially for modders. It has all the right features like dedicated power supply cover that keeps the system looking clean by hiding unsightly extra power supply cables. The separate compartment also allows for an isolated thermal chamber from the motherboard components with the storage and PSU component underneath. The lack of a front facing hard drive cage allows the MasterBox Lite 5 to host most of the video cards on the market and still leave a room for a radiator.
There are some areas where MasterBox Lite 5 could be improved on. One of the potential issues I see is the plastic window on the side of the case. My issue with it is that it could be easily scratched and there is nothing you can do about it. Replacing this window with tempered glass would be a big improvement, but it will also drive the price up. In fact, the cost of a tempered glass side panel upgrade from Cooler Master is $49.99 which is the same price for the entire MasterBox Lite 5. The MasterBox Lite 5’s front bezel could also be easily smudged by just touching it with your fingers due to its dark mirror finish. While it looks really good if maintained, it is not the most scratch resistant and requires some maintenance and diligence in part of the user.
Right now MasterBox Lite 5 is being sold for only $49.99 USD and I feel that it’s a fair price for what you are getting. If you are planning to completely gut this case and add your own improvements for a modding project, then this is also a good case to consider. There are not many good looking mid-tower cases priced in the same segment. Certainly none with a similar solid steel structure and good bones. The high-end component support is also a good bonus to have.
