Specification and chassis tour
| Specification - Cooler Master HAF 922 | |
|---|---|
| Available Colour | Black |
| Material | Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel |
| Dimension (W / H / D) | Main Unit: 253mm x 502mm x 563mm Box: 285mm x 550mm x 605 mm |
| Weight | 8.7kg net / 10.9kg gross |
| Motherboards | ATX / Micro-ATX |
| 5.25" Drive Bay | 5 Exposed (one could convert to 3.5" drive bay) |
| 3.5" Drive Bay | 5 Hidden, 1 Exposed (converted from one 5.25" drive bay) |
| I/O Panel | USB 2.0 x 2, MIC x 1, Audio x 1 (support HD / AC97 Audio), eSATA x 1 |
| Expansion Slots | 7 + 1 |
| Cooling System | Front: Red LED 200mm fan (700RPM, 19dBA) Top: 200mm (700RPM, 19dBA) Rear: 120mm (1,200RPM, 17dBA) Bottom: 120 / 140mm fan (optional) Side: 200mm fan (optional) |
| Power Supply | ATX PS2 / EPS 12V (optional) |
A quick look at the specification doesn't reveal anything out of the ordinary, but then this is a chassis and innovation in this field isn't an everyday occurrence.
What Cooler Master is offering is a generous serving of everything. Looking at the spec, we've an ample number of drive bays, plenty of room for expansion, a well-equipped I/O and a tri-fan cooling system that should be more than adequate for most users.
Measuring 253mm x 502mm x 563mm, it's 10mm thinner and 58mm shorter than the big ol' HAF 922. The size reduction will, of course, bring with it a slimming of features - and we'll get to those shortly - but the smaller dimensions will appeal to those who value their space - or some of it, at least.
So, with so many chassis now offering similar functionality at a similar price, the make or break factor can be just aesthetics. Unfortunately for the HAF 922, it's something of a love-it-or-hate-it affair. HEXUS.community members have been quick to call the chassis ugly, but we disagree.
It's hard to get a good idea of the chassis from images alone, but in person, we reckon it looks a well-built, solid and formidable solution. It looks worthy of its £90 price tag, and as a user who generally stays as far away as possible from garish gaming systems, I find the HAF 922 somehow manages to express a sense of sophistication. In person, its largely-symmetrical lines give it a surprisingly sleek finish. Honest.
Looking at it head on, we've a largely-mesh front and the five 5.25in drive-bay covers are equipped with useful dust filters. Sadly, Cooler Master hasn't extended that anti-dust philosophy throughout the chassis as the 200mm red-LED fan at the front isn't filtered. Similarly, filters aren't supplied for the optional bottom and side fans, either.
At the top-most side of the front, we find the HAF 922's I/O panel.
A pair of USB ports, audio ports and eSATA make up the panel - that's almost everything the average user may need, but multimedia users in particular may miss the lack of FireWire. There's also no cover, and a simple pull-up flap could have made the case even sleeker, we reckon.