Cooler Master Masterbox TD500 ATX
Review of the Cooler Master TD500 Max ATX case Very cleverly done, but not fully considered
We have previously tested a Cooler Master “Max” case here at the beginning of the year, but that was for small systems with an ITX mainboard. The same partially-prepared method is used in a different case that follows today, but it concerns ATX. Although this isn’t really my style, their case specialist Alexander needs time off, and I’m hoping that passing the NCORE 100 Max exam will allow me to fill in for him. So let’s examine what Cooler Master is entering in this race together.
Delivery area and packaging
The two handles on the left and right help to make the large box easy to carry even though it weighs a good 14 kg, which also pleases the letter carrier. In the unlikely event that a transport company employee has a bad day and throws package into the delivery van from the sorting centre, the sturdy foam blocks should shield it from any harm.
The slightly tinted side window made of toughened glass looks much better in one piece than in shards, so hopefully the delivery person won’t take this as a challenge.
The components that come pre-installed in the Cooler Master Max series are its unique selling point. More precisely, an AIO water cooling system with a suitably sized power supply unit and an extra-thick radiator, both from the business’s own line of goods.
As a result, a few more accessories are included than one would typically find with an enclosure. There are short sleeves, a power cable, and several tiny parts for installing the water cooling in addition to rails for 3.5′′ hard drives. However, the power supply unit’s cables and screws for the case itself are still missing.
Cooler Master Masterbox TD500 mesh v2 ATX Mid Tower case
Let’s examine the case itself first, then respond to the previous page’s question. It is clearly not an entirely new design, as it is based on the Masterbox TD500 that is currently in use. We would say that it is the Mesh V2 variant based on the pattern of the glass’s notches. The model name is prominently displayed on the upper right to prevent any unintentional confusion. We would have preferred a rim that was entirely black, so we think it would have been better to leave this out. However, we think the colour is much better.
The right side isn’t very visible, but this is where we can best showcase the paintwork, which is a little challenging to photograph. And even though the thematic shift is now quite distant, when we first opened it, we thought of the 2019 VW Golf VIII’s light grey color just with a nice, matte finish instead of a glossy one.
When the side panel is removed, the TD500 Max’s additional unique feature is exposed. The housing has built-in plugs in addition to the power supply unit already being installed.
They’re even fairly tidy and have already been connected to the power supply unit at the back. The internal hub is already linked to the fans and RGB lighting. This can be powered by a button on the front or directly connected to the motherboard.
Additionally, there are two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port, and an AUX port that can be used for both headphones and a microphone. It also comes with a power button shaped like the Cooler Master logo, of course.
Cooler Master Masterbox TD500 ATX System architecture
The system should be put together as soon as possible because the power supply and cooling are already installed. But when the screw came out while we was taking the side panel off, It was a little surprised. This one is loose, in contrast to the two knurled screws on the opposite side. Now that we know where the missing screws are right on the housing, behind a little flap right in front of the power supply unit we can finally put an end to the mystery surrounding them. We started by inserting the necessary sleeved cables into the case wall connectors.
Then, the mainboard can come right after, which is subsequently connected to the power connections as well. Naturally, they also remember to include the cables for the front connections as well as the connections to the RGB fan hub. The entire water cooling system is fitted with a factory-applied template, which should simplify the process of figuring out the proper placement and amount of thermal paste.
The processor can then be connected to the pump block. You can also add the two plastic hose clips if you like the way it looks. The graphics card has been installed and connected, last but not least. Everything is completed swiftly and painlessly overall. Nearly every component, with the exception of a few cables for the front I/O, is constructed in the “main chamber.” Additionally, the side panel needs to be changed before they can discuss the stress test results.
Stress assessments
Chose to compare directly against “optimal conditions,” that is, without any housing at all. By the way, you can brush up on your memory if the layout of this entire water cooling system looks oddly familiar. With the ostensibly superior Mobius fans, they have the pump design of the Atmos series. These were last seen on the AIOs in the PL-Flux series. While the version here, which is not yet available separately, has a 38 mm radiator, the other version has a thinner 27 mm radiator.
The Ryzen 9 3950X processor was tested with a 150 watt power target, the pump operating at 100% PWM, and the case and radiator fans operating at 50% speed. Additionally, the RTX 4070 graphics card’s fans were turned down to 50%.
Synopsis and conclusion
You essentially don’t have to sacrifice anything with the case in terms of cooling the CPU, as the graphs have already demonstrated quite effectively. Nearly unhindered cool air flow to the radiator is allowed by the front grille. After passing through it, though, it is blasted straight into the graphics card. In my tests, this raises the GPU’s core temperature by an average of 10°C, as predicted.
This is especially clear from the GPU graph of the Prime95 test run, where there is no graphics card activity at all. This could be fixed by mounting it in the lid, but since the VRM voltage converters are 55 mm away, this might be a little close. Furthermore, the screws that come with the fans have a very big head that would hit the dust filter on top.
However, that’s only the start of my grievances. We can live with minor details like the outdated 3-pin PWM splitter cable that came with this AIO and the missing plastic card that was supposed to be used to spread the thermal paste. We should probably say “overlook” rather than “overlook,” since Cooler Master is probably not targeting people without a graphics card with Nvidia 12VHPWR or one 8-pin power supply. SATA/Molex and PCIe cables each have an unused connection on the power supply unit. Furthermore excluded from the delivery’s scope are the cables. The case did not even have a second graphics card connection.
This indicates that the compatibility list does not include most of the better graphics cards from the current AMD lineup and the RTX 3000 series. How this could have been missed during product development is beyond me. So perhaps it’s deliberate.
However, why is an already tiny target group being needlessly narrowed down even more. Although the AIO water cooling system’s 5-year warranty is praiseworthy, other manufacturers within this price range also provide a 5-year warranty for the power supply unit, and the case’s 2-year warranty is essentially meaningless. Most likely, it won’t collapse. Conclusion
After asking, We was told that the retail version should come with the missing 6+2 pin PCIe cable. In the event that this is not the case, the missing cable will be supplied without charge provided that proof of purchase is shown. Nevertheless, there isn’t a spare connector integrated into the inner wall. The idea behind this case is further undermined by the fact that the cable could only be run from the power supply unit to the graphics card when necessary.
