Cooler Master CM690 PC case

Need a new case? You could do a lot worse than this design from CoolerMaster.

If this case were to accidentally slip into a gap in the space time continuum and end up in front of a crowd of ancient Byzantines, they’d probably deify it. It would end up being surrounded with baskets of fruit and covered in sacrificial blood as they sought from it a source of all inspiration and insight into the deeper workings of our universe.

On your desk however, this towering obelisk is mean, eat-your-face-off nasty. A solid matte black, silver lined frame encases a black mesh grill that wraps over the lid as well. The generous use of mesh assists in cooling by creating a greater ease of airflow throughout the case. In an insignificant departure from stereotype, the USB, Firewire, headphone and microphone jacks, as well as an eSATA port, are located on the lid. This move can’t help but be seen as a purely aesthetic, blatant disregard for functionality. Looks good, though!

The sidepanels allow for both removing by hand and tool fastening. The CM690 has two 120mm fans preinstalled, located on the rear (exhaust) and left panel (intake). The option for two more fans to be retrofitted is available on the right panel (cleverly placed behind the processor) and on the base, underneath the power supply. Five 5.25in bays sit above an identical number of 3.5in HDD bays in the standard front-of-case positioning. The latter sports tool-less installation trays which, despite initially feeling flimsy, should provide a reasonable amount of vibration reduction. Running in a strip down the side of the 5.25in bays are all the screws needed for fitting drives, an ingenious addition which removes the possibility of ending up paddling ankle deep in screws – none of which fit. Two rubber sockets on the rear panel, round off the case with water cooling options.

The case is structurally solid; it should come away from any time travel with no adverse results. The mesh may not hold up so well against table corners, though, as the material is known to be prone to dinging. Two monstrous rubber feet should keep the thing stable even on a greased-up waterslide, and also provide additional vibration absorption.

A great looking case, backed up by a clever design, prove this is a timeless choice for any PC builder.