Review: Cooler Master MasterBox MB511

by Parm Mann on 30 August 2018, 14:00

Tags: Cooler Master

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qadwv4

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Conclusion

...mesh frontage and half-a-dozen fan mounts ensure that it will cool your hardware more effectively than most rivals in its class.

The Cooler Master MasterBox MB511 is a solid choice for users seeking immense airflow potential at minimal cost.

Available at around the £55 mark, the mid-tower enclosure employs plenty of mesh on the top and front panels, and these are outfitted with two or three fan mounts, respectively. Installing a couple of large radiators is child's play, and the case has more than enough room for a high-end ATX build, with graphics card support at up to 410mm.

Maximum airflow is the key selling point, but other value adds consist of a compartmentalised PSU area and an acrylic side panel that does a good job of showing off the internal hardware. There are, of course, limitations at this price point, and these include an absence of rubber grommets on cable holes, no RGB LEDs, and only a single bundled fan, but we don't consider them to be deal-breakers.

Bottom line: the MasterBox MB511 might be short on finesse, yet the mesh frontage and half-a-dozen fan mounts ensure that it will cool your hardware more effectively than most rivals in its class.

The Good
 
The Bad
Available for just £55
Full-size acrylic side panel
Mesh front geared for airflow
Very easy to build into
Room for a couple of large radiators
 
Front fascia is an acquired taste
Only one bundled fan
No rubber grommets on cable holes



Cooler Master MasterBox MB511

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The Cooler Master MasterBox MB511 chassis is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.



*UK-based HEXUS community members are eligible for free delivery and priority customer service through the SCAN.care@HEXUS forum.



HEXUS Forums :: 6 Comments

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Whaddya know, yet another Coolermaster Masterbox…
Sorry what? You have to install the drives before you install the motherboard?

To me this looks like a complete joke of a design. A mesh front sounded interesting instead of the usual anti-air-flow design that everybody loves, no RGB is a winner too, but a complete fail for practicality.

And yes, I'd agree, the design is terrible. Keep it simple, with premium looking materials. But I guess I'm a dying breed of computer user who prefers efficient running over what light display I can get my case to do.
I wish they'd stop messing with these Master boxes and just release a new revision of the 690.
Dashers
Sorry what? You have to install the drives before you install the motherboard?

To me this looks like a complete joke of a design. A mesh front sounded interesting instead of the usual anti-air-flow design that everybody loves, no RGB is a winner too, but a complete fail for practicality.

And yes, I'd agree, the design is terrible. Keep it simple, with premium looking materials. But I guess I'm a dying breed of computer user who prefers efficient running over what light display I can get my case to do.

I have one of those double-wide Corsair jobbies which makes building, cleaning, repairing and so on incredibly easy. I don't move my PC around aside from when I move house so I don't care about the size. It sits on the floor out of the way and when I need to do something, it is genuinely the 5 minute job you think it's gonna be before you realise the Jenga-like deconstruction exercise you need to perform to get to the bits you need to play with.

My only complaint is it has a giant window in the side and I really don't care to see how dusty it has got in there.

EDIT: That said, the dust does help cover the silly lights that Creative and Nvidia insisted on adorning their cards with.
I would like to see a vertical GPU mount being introduced more often on the cheaper models. Even if you have to go and buy the accessory parts to do so, just having the capability would be soo handy.
Especially when some graphics cards are weighing close to 1.5kg and having the heatsink/fan assembly taking up 3 PCIe slots (like mine).
The added couple of dollars required to design this into the case would be well worth it.