CoolerMaster Centurion 530 (cont'd)

Inside the Centurion 530 is room for five 5¼” drives, something that none of the other cases in our roundup offer. Optical drives simply screw in, but the easily removable side panels make this a very minor complaint. The interior is nice and roomy, and the case seems sturdy enough to keep itself and the parts that it's holding in good shape throughout several years of use.


Click to enlarge.

While the case's drive cages aren't removable, the fact that up to three HDDs can be side-loaded is a major plus. Two more internal 3½” bays sit above the side-loading cage, allowing for a total of five HDDs and one floppy, or just six hard drives.

To use the side-loading drives, plastic rails are simply pushed onto the sides of the disk and then it slides in and locks in place. This is one of our favorite tool-less designs as it's a quick, simple, and secure method.

Another tool-less design can be found on the expansion slots, where CoolerMaster has chosen to use plastic locks that push out the back of the case in a rotary fashion, then push back in against expansion cards to hold them in place.


Click to enlarge.

It's a bit of a shame that the CoolerMaster only comes with one 120mm fan, but if one already has any sized case fan on hand, they can use it to improve the rather poor, out-of-the-box cooling offered by this case.

Fully installed, this is what the chassis looks like with our test bed placed inside. The cases that leave even a tiny amount of space between the power supply and motherboard are always easier to work in, and that extra space was easily appreciated, considering the placement of the main power connector on our motherboard.

One last shot showing off the included blue LED 120mm fan lit up - a perfect amount of "bling" for someone not quite willing to get a case with a full-fledged window.


CoolerMaster Centurion 530 Antec Sonata II
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  • Phantronius - Friday, September 9, 2005 - link

    My P180 is the last case I'll ever buy. I love you Antec!!!
  • leviathan19 - Friday, September 9, 2005 - link

    the 1200 is deeper yes but is still mid tower class it fixes the psu problems and more space is always better for work with it
  • Zepper - Friday, September 9, 2005 - link

    Re. cases that come with PSUs. Either rate the PSU too or deduct the portion of the price that the PSU represents from the case price so you are comparing apples to apples price wise.
    . And I don't care for the looks of a lot of the cases on the market either. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My case is a Silverstone Berserker which many think is fugly...

    .bh.
  • kmmatney - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    I don't see why people make such a big deal out of aluminum cases. In my experience, they are flimsier and louder than steal cases, and more prone to rattle. I don't see why anyone would pay so much money for one...
  • at80eighty - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    DRTFA yet, so forgive me if its been covered

    You guys have any leads on cases with more fans?

    with the new VGA's and CPU's i think a cooler case than a cooler-looking case is a better investment..

    any pointers people?
  • johnsonx - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    RTFA, and no forgiveness for you!

    The Antec P180 is a quiet cooling dream I think. I looked at one on display over at Fry's and just about wet myself. Then I looked at the price tag and decided to stick with my old, free, boring, beige case. But if the price is no objection, I can't imagine purchasing anything else.
  • at80eighty - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    thanx mate! the p180 looks pretty sweet! the price is OK (just about) for me :)

    plus it doesnt have that HEY LOOK AT ME IM AN ATTENTION WHORE!!! look.

    /hope this case shows up in my part of the world :-(
  • Cygni - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    I saw one case that i would even consider putting next to my desk.

    If you are supporting the case mfts making these hideous beasts by buying them, i personally hate you.
  • leviathan19 - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    why they used this one the 1200 is a better version and fix the psu problem...

    there is missing the pc75b and the TT shark those are nice cases too
  • OvErHeAtInG - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    The 1200 is much deeper, for extended-atx boards I think. Definitely not something I would get except for a big duallie rig.

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