These days computer cases are like cars; they can be modified and supped
up like never before, or you just go for a pre-built beauty. Only a few
years ago, the only colour a computer came in was beige, now cases come
in a range of colours, materials, and shapes.
High end case design
and case modding is big business, and unfortunately it is quickly moving out of the realm of the average
computer geek where it originally began. You can buy factory premodded cases from almost every
major manufacturer for a reasonable price, but of course being factory built they
don't garner the same level of attention as case which has been carefully modded
by its owner. still, it's nice to break out of the 'white box' world
and have something attractive to look at.
When it comes to high end cases there are only a few
manufacturers that quickly come to mind; Antec, Kingwin, Lian Li and
CoolerMaster. That's right CoolerMaster
is right up there with the big
boys, and I'm sure that anyone who has played with their cases
will agree, CoolerMaster's quality is top notch!
The front of the WaveMaster is very elegant,
and high gloss paint job the rest of the case has received certainly
makes the case stand out. Most everything in the case is attached with
handy thumbscrews, making upgrades, or even just showing off your gear
a breeze. The use of steel thread inserts in areas where there is frequent use is
a good testament to the level of build quality we found throughout the WaveMaster. Those
tiny little thread insert will certainly extend the useful life expectancy of this case.
The inside
of the Coolermaster WaveMaster case is very easy to work with, and there are no
sharp edges to slice you... Keeping internal temperatures nice and cool is taken
care of with the help of two 80mm intake fans in the front, and one 80mm
rear exhaust fan.
There's not much to complain about this case, except
perhaps that issue with the front door and devices which stick to far out of the CDROM bay. Installing floppy/CD-ROM devices is a bit difficult because there
are no drive rails to guide them in flat, but with a bit
of screwdriver wrangling that gets sorted out quickly. The sticky motherboard tray
guide was also a little bit annoying, but a good
swift kick will get that sucker in easily enough. ;-)
With a retail price of $212
CDN ($160 US) the CoolerMaster WaveMaster is very
aggressively priced, and damn fine looking. Many aluminum cases around here run in
the $250-300 CDN range, so I would definitely gravitate towards Coolermaster's WaveMaster given what they
are asking for it. It's a good deal, and I think this case should serve you well for
years to come if you decide to get it.
Find out about this and many other reviews by
joining the Weekly PCstats.com Newsletter today!
Related Articles
Here are a few other articles that you might enjoy
as well...
1. AOpen A600
Aluminum ATX Case Review
2. Coolermaster ATC-201B SXT Aluminum Case Review
3. Aopen QF50A Budget
Case Review
4. Raidmax Scorpio
Silver Aluminum Case
5. Antec Plus 1080AMG
File Server Case
RSS Newsletter
