Cooler Master COSMOS S

Below are the specs of our testing machine today:

• CPU: AMD64 5000+ Black Edition
• Motherboard: DFI LanParty UT NF590 AM2
• Memory: OCZ PC2-6400 SLI Edition
• Power Supply: Cooler Master Real Power PRO 1000W
• Video: eVGA 7900GS SLI
• Sound: ASUS Xonar D2
• Hard Drive: Western Digital 500GB
• DVD: Samsung 18X Dual Layer DVD Burner
• Case: Cooler Master COSMOS S

Installation was very straight forward and quite nice considering all the free space. It was surprised when I first looked in at the system at just how small a full form factor ATX system looked.

As you can see, most of the wiring is easily routed through the slots in the case through the back making it very nice to control cable management. They included A LOT of wire clips and zip ties, and there was even a 12″ 8-pin CPU power cable extension if needed.

At first glance, the hard drive cage which allows three DVD bays to hold 4 hard drives was a nice touch. They even put a fan on the front of the cage to draw cool air over your drives. I have so say I was somewhat disappointed with the flimsiness of the cage and it was somewhat difficult to reinstall after removing it to install the drives into it. Once it was reinstalled, it was solid. For the most part, the benefits far exceeded the faults.

Once assembled and ready to go, it was time to power up the system. One of the features of this case is the biometric power button. There is no mechanical push button on this case. It uses a sensor that all you need to do to activate it is place your finger over it. It glows red once you power up the system as do the labels for the 4 external USB, single Firewire, E-SATA and sound ports. I wasn’t too crazy about the flush sliding door which was somewhat hard to get moving, but once you do it is easy enough to slide back and forth.

Testing and Final Thoughts

Testing a case is really more of an exercise of determining sound levels and air flow. I have been running this configuration inside the Antec 900 case so I feel I have a good base level of both to go by. I personally prefer quiet over anything else in my computer and I feel that today’s enthusiasts are demanding better cooling with less noise. Cooler Master was able to deliver on both fronts with the COSMOS S.

Noise levels were near silent for both PC’s. The Antec case fans were all run at their lowest speeds while the COSMOS fans, which are non-adjustable, were run their stock speeds. I also liked the fact that the COSMOS allowed the power supply’s fan to face down and draw fresh air through the bottom of the case instead of warm air from inside. I was honestly expecting to hear more noise from the COSMOS considering the amount of mesh used. The fans selected were quite capable and well chosen. It would have been nice to see more fans included however since there was only 1 case pre-mounted to the top and a single front and rear fan.

For me, silence is all important. I am willing to accept higher temperatures, less style and less functionality as long as my computer is a quiet as possible. I not only use PC for gaming, I also enjoy listening to music and I do most of my work on it as well. The droning of multiple fans just turns me right off. On that note, I do score the COSMOS quite high. When set up and used out of the box with the included fans, it met all my expectations. There is also room for upgrading and further customizing. Job well done here.

I am also an avid enthusiast and overclocker. Again, airflow and size play a huge role in selecting a case when these factors are taken into consideration. Cooler Master did well to address out needs here. Having the ability to internally mount a triple radiation is quite a feature. There are even holes in the rear with runner grommets for another external radiator. I also very much liked the bottom intakes, especially with the filters. Another job well done.

Finally, overall size and weight are the final deciding factors. If you are planning to stuff this case into a desk or some other smaller area, forget about it. It is just plain massive. Considering it is a full tower conforming to the eATX standard, this shouldn’t surprise you. But it is something you need to consider. Building it with an all aluminum chassis did keep the weight down. 30lbs empty is quite impressive for a case this size.

Pros
• Open and airy
• Well-thought-out cable control measures
• Ability to fit any cooling solution
• Lightweight Aluminum Construction
• Priced very competitively

Cons
• Brushed aluminum side panels hard to keep clean
• Hard drive cage somewhat flimsy and not easy to install
• Would like to see more fans included
• Might be too big for some

I must say, I did enjoy using this case. I have always loved to customize my own and am just getting used to buying pre-modded cases. If you are in the market for a full tower, you must take a second look at the COSMOS S. It has some very impressive features and it is sure to please your ears too. I would also consider it a very stylish alternative to the normal square box full towers that so many companies seem to push out in droves. A solid two thumbs up is what this case deserves on all fronts.

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