Introduction
With Coolermaster's ATCS case division parting the company in recent times to form a new company, they've pushed forward with completely new designs that don't borrow from the old ATCS style.
While CM still sell an ATCS-inspired design in the Praetorian, chassis output from Cooler Master post-ATCS has focussed on the Wave Master and Centurion designs, with the Cavalier about to join them.
I covered the black version of the Wave Master recently, with Craig taking care of the silver version a few weeks before. With the Cavalier being based on the high-end aluminium Wave Master aesthetic, the Centurion forms the basis for Cooler Master's budget range.
In a break from their usual aluminium output, the Centurion range is a mostly steel affair, cheap to produce and cheap for the end user. However that doesn't mean it has to be bland, Cooler Master seeking to imbue the Centurion range with their obvious design flair.
Clever use of aluminium front bezels and steel sides and chassis define the Centurion range, the front of the case giving the illusion of aluminium everywhere. The Centurion 1 and 2 designs are over-styled to my tastes, slighty ugly, with four 5.25" and two 3.5" external bays.
The Centurion 5 drops the over-styling and 4+2 configuration for a flat, clean aesthetic using perforated aluminium and a 5+1 drive setup. It's the 5 that's the focus of this article, the CAC-T05 with blue detailing, so let's take a closer look.