Cooler Master Has Lost Its Mind: Overpriced HAF 500 Case Review

[@GamersNexus]

We have an entire playlist of case reviews here: kzbin.info/aero/PLsuVSmND84QtrMP_niRTD2zIa3uUhxIvn Support our efforts & get something quality in return at the GN store! store.gamersnexus.net/ (PC building modmats, desk-sized mouse mats, and toolkits are in stock and shipping now!) We reviewed Fractal’s Torrent Compact here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXilgpaPq9iafK8 You can find our Lian Li Lancool 215 review here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5-bY3VvaN1-hac

[@nitroxinfinity]

Would really love to see a review of the Fractal Design Focus G. Cheap case that has a lot to offer.

[@chrismcgraw3399]

Oo OMG its the Raijintek silenos Pro case in white with mesh front panel and " HAF " the psu shroud and a 3.5" drive cage with a useless fan and is twice the one of the silenos pro lol same old same but new with minor changes lol the silenos came out around 2020 and still looks better than the HAF 500 while most likely being cheaper than it (80$ here in canada at newegg).

[@brian9019]

Have you reviewed/ tested the seasonic syncro case?

[@101pcgamer]

Are you going to review there new Cooler Master HAF 700 EVO ?

[@Dracossaint]

@@101pcgamer they answer this at the conclusion of the video, to simplify. Yes but they are waiting on it atm.

[@Jsteeeez]

Brave of cooler master to not call this the cooler master master cooler airflow master case 500.

[@lurick]

You forgot the maker :D Cooler master maker cooler master case airflow 500 might fit well

[@Xenoray1]

as a owner of a cooler master mastercase maker 5, i approve this comment!

[@lookitsrain9552]

i have a coolermaster masterbox pro 5 rgb, decent case tbh

[@CarbonPanther]

Invalid name. Doesn't comply with the minimum amount of H.

[@Capellix0001]

Sounds like an amazon listing

[@newyorktechworld6492]

Cooler Master be like: "If the gpu companies can overcharge why can't we?"

[@tobiwonkanogy2975]

Corsair setting a very poor example for price to performance. not even always a different factory or better parts on them anyway. just ask lots of money and say its luxury. like Steve said cases are heavy and take up space. having a case that comes in flat box with screws is an option but not ideal .not many want to assemble their own pc case. or hinged and snaps so it can be assembled super quickly .

[@Ortagonation]

Cooler master always overcharge fans tho'. My guess the case is overpriced because it has fans in it...

[@NightMotorcyclist]

Cooler Master is really going the way of Antec if they keep up with this nonsense.

[@fajaradi1223]

Cooler Master HAF lost their mind for sure

[@Vegemeister1]

@@tobiwonkanogy2975 We need Ikea PC cases. Flatpak shipping, easy to assemble, and can be produced by anyone with particle board and a laser cutter.

[@startedtech]

I'm amazed, just did some quick Googling and apparently no major case manufacturer has made a case named the H600. I thought marketing folks were all for bigger numbers?

[@jintsuubest9331]

You need confusion first then bigger number later. But if you can do both at the same time, that's better.

[@jari2018]

you thrust google... -maybe the manufacturer paid google to remove all information immeditelly

[@amashaziz2212]

@@jari2018 no, no I don't think he thrusts google. that would be weird.

[@gammacyn]

They use the same name to get free marketing from people searching a different case

[@MafiaboysWorld]

It apparently costs lots more for H's. Well, more than it does for D's as Corsair already proved with it's D series cases. 😜👍

[@bonecrusher6121]

The shipping costs right now are actually insane and I can understand where cooler master is coming from. If they already have a product made or in the making they are basically stuck needing to ship it and don't have much choice. The shipping companies are flat out gouging right now. The company I work for is a dealership for a major EDM machine tool brand and we also have to sell their consumables for the equipment. Normally we import a small 10 skid container of brass wire every 6 months. The last time we did was near the end 2019 and the price was around about $4800 CDN for the container and shipping. Since everything in 2020 slowed down we didn't have to order again until closer to the end of the year, but by that time the cost of our normal container had near tripled to over $13000 CDN. Because we are low volume we simply could not transfer that additional cost onto our customers. We ended up switching to purchasing from the main company in the U.S., since they have significantly more buying power than us and ordering less stock to have on hand. Just for amusement our purchaser did check back in January to see if the price for shipping had improved at all. we all got a hearty laugh at it being over $21000 CDN now.

[@brucepreston3927]

Thats freakin crazy!!! I'm glad I don't have to ship much these days!

[@Djuntas]

Very good insight, thanks.

[@fremenondesand3896]

I used to run a factory and we too used brass 3/82 and 1/8" tubes as well as 1/2" brass rods which we made bearings and sockets with. I quit in 2020 but I can confirm the price of brass has gone up considerably. Then there was this rediculous WEEE directive saying that brass is toxic because it contains small amounts of arsenic and it doesn't matter that it's chemically bound to the alloy, because it's conceivable that someone with a really hot furnace could reduce it to it's constitutent elements and therefore lots of bullshit paperwork for "safe disposal of toxic materials." I told the workers not to dispose of any brass offcuts/lathe swarf. Sweep it all into a 55 gallon barrel and sell it to the scrap metal merchant next door.

[@MrNo0p]

damn

[@josephtoll7681]

As a small carrier, the dramatic increase in fuel prices as well as constantly rising insurance costs leaves me no choice but to increase rates, or close business. It's a bad situation for everyone involved in the industry.

[@greatwall9741]

Coolermaster is like a rockstar with lots of cash I guess. Just write a hundred songs, and surely 1 or 2 will be hit singles. Yes they do make good ones. Even the current NR200 and the original haf or haf the stacker series. Just gotta pick your drug I guess.

[@thetalesofdaneandco]

The HAF XB Evo still sells really well.

[@renegade_patriot]

NR600 is a great value as well. Just built it for someone and for the $70 price point it checks most boxes

[@Shipwrck86]

Rockstar seems like a stretch

[@greatwall9741]

@@Shipwrck86 I used the term because of GNs pinned comment using the word "playlist" 😅 you know...

[@casedistorted]

@@yanuehara8017 yeah Cooler Master everyone sucks off but they're not good at all. Those guys still owe me a free AM4 Bracket upgrade for my Hyper 612 V.2 that I bought. Guys never sent me one and they're always out of stock on their website so I can't even buy one for $10.

[@jaredl2239]

200mm fans mounted to 120mm openings? So they decided to move the air flow restriction from the front of the fans to the back. 👏 Cooler Master.

[@elfinfluff]

The whole gimmick of the case is those 200mm fans. They're cutting off like half the airflow; more than enough reason to skip this case. What on earth were they thinking?

[@shermansherbert2570]

This! So dumb arent they!

[@franceslarina5508]

If a company is going to name themselves the Master of Cooling...people kinda expect them to be good at it.

[@fajaradi1223]

They really deserve those slow claps

[@alekpo2000]

they wanted the big fan for marketing reasons and most of the users dont care how it performs just how it looks

[@Odin3v]

I worked at UPS as a loader and driver for 8 years, then spent a year at FedEX at the airport. I can tell you right now, shipping anything is insanely high. 2013 shipping a built mid tower cost me $55, last year a smaller rig was $119!!!!!!!! Freight is even worse. Nearly $200 for a damn rear bumper because of size, not weight. Coolermaster isnt lying in my opinion of cost of shipping a single unit.

[@SnifferSock]

In the US, inflation is probably up 25%+ since then. But yeah, too many morons running countries right now.

[@sirmonkey1985]

@@SnifferSock it's not the people running the countries that are the problem.. it's the logistics industry as a whole.. companies have had years to expand but decided to line their pockets instead of investing back into their companies.. even before covid the freight market was stretched severely thin because they were reacting to the market instead of looking at where it was going in 5, 10, 15 years down the road. but the sad reality is that while covid exposed the problem, no one held these companies responsible for it and thus they've increased profits 100 fold while doing the bare minimum to alleviate the congestion.

[@Code7Unltd]

@@SnifferSock Snowbirds are known to be dangerous on the road, let alone ruling nations.

[@SnifferSock]

@@sirmonkey1985 I don’t necessarily disagree. But governments are what sent millions of people home from work, creating production shortages. California has a law that semis before a certain year can’t be used. I probably don’t need to explain how the Canadian trucker convoy hindered distribution but that was also government caused. For it to be primarily the fault of companies, we have to believe most of them didn’t want to increase profits. The one company that can still make computers or ship cargo for a reasonable price will get the most business.

[@junko4166]

I love huge cases with loads of drive bays, even though the market moved on from them. I have an empty HAF X that I intended to build something in before being completely priced out of PC building as a hobby. Now it's just decoration.

[@parashsyed2151]

There are options but you have to buy your own drive cages. Fractal Define XL and Be Quiet! Silent Base 802 are two great options.

[@endykun]

You better hurry then, we'll all be priced out before too long.

[@onewithshadows86]

Have two HAF 932 Advanced. Love them. Replaced one with the 710i from NZXT though. Much prettier. Feeling ya though, newest build was... Wow. Even without a new gpu.

[@geofftottenperthcoys9944]

Thats why I got my CM HAF from 2012! Don't need it now as I only have 1 internal HDD (download drive), 1 NVME, 2 SSD's.

[@junko4166]

@@endykun Already happened for me. Thanks to how expensive GPUs are going to be for now on, my current PC is my last one. The HAF X is just a decorative piece now.

[@572089]

It might be in CMs interest to start flatpacking cases and using all screws instead of rivets, or sending flatpacked parts to a new plants in NA/EU to have them assembled locally. the cost of shipping per unit might actually be more than having separate local facilities for assembly at this point.

[@magicmarger]

I'd even buy a kit and a rivet gun and assemble it myself if it could safe me some bucks

[@Vegemeister1]

With pretty much every case having a glass side panel these days, it's not like the steel is doing much for EMI shielding. Maybe go full IKEA and sell particle board cases to be assembled by the end user, with pegs. It'd probably block noise better than thin steel does, and the aesthetic would certainly be unique.

[@fensoxx]

@@Vegemeister1 that would be on LGR in an instant

[@manyamaggot]

they sell flatpack cases now lol

[@Choralone422]

This makes me so glad I was able to get my Lian Li Lancool 215 for $70 in March 2021. At that price it's an outstanding case! :)

[@hardcorehardware361]

My picks: -Lian Li Dynamic series -Be Quiet 802 -Fractal Torrent -Silverstone GD09 (HTPC) I own the 802, Dynamic XL and GD09, I couldn't get my hands on a Torrent due to the recall so I bought the 802 for my next build on sale for $209 reduced from $269. I've never liked Coolermaster cases, coolers, fans, I've never liked Coolermaster full stop. I bought the XL and 802 based on your review and they did not disappoint, thanks for the video GN team.

[@jonathantaylor2584]

A small part of me still kinda wants the HAF X from years ago. I wish there were more full towers on the market.

[@alekpo2000]

yeah! im on the market for one since my motherboard is huge lol but it seems the only full towers around are those ugly dvd cloning rigs

[@honkingclown]

Yeah CM really needs to pull a 2011.

[@JunohProductions]

If you don't plan on using that case again and it's yours to keep, have you considered using something like tin snips to create more airflow for the fans just to give Cooler Master an idea of how much better the cooling could be?

[@TheShittyBeatles]

Every time it warms my heart, Steve: "don't forget you paid for these fans."

[@Lukiel666]

Meanwhile I have the Fractal design focus G in Mystic Red. I bought it on sale for $60 Canadian. Took the bottom front intake fan and replaced it with a $15 Pure Wings 2 and moved the stock fan to the rear as exhaust. So for $75 I have a case that's red for AMD and has incredible airflow. Plus it's one of a very few cases with 5 1/4" bays, I installed a sliding drawer in one to store USB drives.

[@m8x425]

To see Cooler Master fall like is kinda sad because I have such great memories of my two builds using the HAF 932, and using the 922 for my dad's build. I paid around $170 for the HAF 932 and around $100 for the 922. If there was a case like the HAF X (942) or the 932 with more Watercooling options and the same build quality then I'd be all over it. I'd even pay more for something like that because prices have gone up since 2009. Now that case rocked (932) and it had such great Thermals. I remember the temps of my overclocked i7-920 going down when I switched from the Antec 900 to the HAF 932. Then I went all out and upgraded to x79 along with a 360mm X 65mm Rad custom loop and 2x EVGA FTW GTX 670 cards in SLI..... and the HAF 932 handled everything well. I also had two 5870's and two RX 480's in X-Fire. I still have one of those HAF cases, and I'm going to put my x299 Dark board and i9-7960x in it along with the Liquid Freezer II 360. I also remember how user friendly it was to build a PC around the HAF 932 in comparison to Antec cases, the Storm Trooper, and the NZXT Phantom. The only downfall with the HAF 932 is the fans lasted around 6 years, some of the screw-holes are stripped, and the case is scratched and scuffed somewhat. I wish it could have handled multiple upgrades better. It also lacks watercooling options. Otherwise the 932 is very solid, and I have yet to find a case that I like as much as the 932.

[@leechburglights]

I purchased the H500P for $110 on sale from NewEgg case in early-2018. I also paid $20 for the Mesh front cover upgrade. I built a Ryzen 1800x system, and upgraded to a 3900x with 64gb RAM in late 2019. The case is perfect. I loved building it. Lots of room to move and work. Was the easiest build ever. If I build a new computer, I would probably reuse this one and sell. Thanks for keeping us straight on the Cooler Master 500 series Steve ;)

[@Eli-zb2yj]

Cooler master didn't HAF to do this case

[@adarshchoudhary1900]

should HAF would HAF could HAF

[@geofftottenperthcoys9944]

Go home dad!

[@falsemcnuggethope]

They haf lost their minds

[@Link200767]

They HAF no choice plus also HAF no choice in charging more due to shipping price gouging them.

[@Link200767]

@@falsemcnuggethope the economy lost HAF their minds, not Cooler Master.

[@merk2364]

I appreciate how direct gn is with saying that the company's perspective doesn't matter no matter how much sense it may make when it results in bad value for the customer. So many outlets feel like they run defense for companies when they do things like this.

[@epicwarding]

Happy with my H500M Mesh

[@GamersNexus]

That one was good!

[@mrtampax5413]

Same here..even it cost 200€

[@bulljona11]

Felt a bit nostalgia for this case since the cooler master h500 Blank was the case I went with for my first build ever. Thanks guys for the content over the years, thanks for getting me in to PC building and finally thanks for recommending a case I use to date.

[@AceStrife]

I miss my HAF-X, and when cases actually had side fans on them. Using an HBA in a modern desktop case is a nightmare because there's no direct airflow on them; they get REALLY hot. And even if you aren't, it still helped drastically lower GPU temps. Pretty much had to ziptie internal fans to try and workaround it.. with mixed results.

[@elikirkwood4580]

I wonder how much performance could be gained by cutting away the material that blocks the 200mm fans so they're completely open to the cases interior. I have to imagine it would be a fairly substantial improvement, but I can understand why most people wouldn't want to go cutting up their case like that

[@Nihilius87]

Cooler Master: 😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬

[@BigBear--]

I think the Cooler Master H500M was a near perfect case. Particularly of you remove the hard drive cages and the front part of the bottom shroud that hid those cages...what that does is open up the bottom half of the front 200mm fan for airflow into the main chamber of the case, along with creating an angled ramp from the PSU shroud for airflow to flow up and into the GPU. That drops the GPU temps even more, in an already great airflow design. There's plenty of room to work in the case, the top fan mount removes completely for easy mounting, it takes a 360 rad on top, and has a nice top exhaust, along with the fact that if you wanted there's room to setup a push/pull setup on top. With a 360 rad on top, it creates a very natural airflow pattern where air enters from the entire front of the case, flows across and up, and exhausts at the top and rear (the PSU has its own intake that sucks air in from the bottom and exhausts at the rear. With it's own removable filter). I love that case...its well built and well designed, I kinda wish they'd bring it back, or at least reuse that main tooling for a new design.

[@USSMariner]

Still using a CM 690 for my main rig. Sturdy case, and while it's definitely an older case, even with two populated 5.25in bays, there's still plenty of space for all my hardware. Built like a tank too.

[@Tattersail]

Thank you for the reminder about fan mounting rail overlap. I'll look into trimming it on my Thermaltake case to allow for more effective airflow with the 140mm fans on my radiator.

[@fajaradi1223]

You should've charge Thermaltake for it

[@masonisgaming5225]

I'm still using a haf 932 blue ultimate edition from 2012. Still haven't found a case with nearly the level of gpu cooling since. The four 120s blowing right on it from the left side trend was great for gpu cooling that's for sure. The best haf cases are of a bygone era. With a few modern upgrades for the front panel and adding some additional fans, there's still nothing that's made on that level.

[@kaiseralbrecht6099]

I got the notification for this vid. It took me forever to find the vid. Thanks KZbin

[@xizar0rg]

I really wish Coolermaster would make an updated HAF XB... I love my cuboid case.

[@pankothompson5903]

would be neat if we could move away from hardened glass and see some neat different designs again maybe flatpack formats to save on shipping

[@CaptainBlue808]

I’m starting to think that companies should start selling versions of cases without any fans to help cut costs on their end and reduce price for consumers - there’s plenty of times where I ended up swapping out the stock fans in a new case with my Noctuas and donate the stock fans so they’re not completely wasted

[@nicholasvinen]

Yeah the stock fans that came with my CoolerMaster MB530P case were 3 pin types that made far too much noise at the lowest speed they'd run from my motherboard. Ended up swapping them for Arctic P12 PWM ARGB fans that I'm happy with. What do I do with the garbage fans included with the case? They're basically included eWaste.

[@katherinesilens2994]

The smart business decision would be to immediately cease production, try to find cheap storage to wait out shipping chokes, and if that can't be done then sell it over a smaller geographical range or at a loss at an extremely competitive price to recoup the cost in business reputation you can cash in later as increased brand recognition and sales.

[@pinkysweets]

oh so smart eh? wait out 2 years of pandemic and maybe 2 years more, good business decision! i heard storage is free with this much volume, you must have a lot of CEO job offers

[@puffnstuff12]

I've been running a HAF 932 since the fall of 2009 and every time I look at new cases I lose interest and stick with what I've got. Last year when I managed to get my hands on a rx 6900 xt I had to butcher the drive cage to make it fit. I'm convinced that nobody will ever make anything similar to what I've got and make no mistake I must have an optical drive bay at the top of whatever I buy.

[@diegomadrid7468]

Okay boomer no one asked

[@EpicBr0]

Hows the dust on it? I dont think those have dust filters, and I ran one as a daily for a few months last year and it was just too dusty and too loud. I think I sold it for $20 lol.

[@4GoodFever]

Same, pretty sure i built the pc around 2008 (cause it had an 8800 gt in it) and it still runs cool af. Other than full upgrades only changed 1 fan cause started to make noise 2 years ago.

[@derekbrush]

Odd, I just put a 3090 STRIX in my HAF 922 and it fit like a glove. Is the 6900XT physically bigger?

[@puffnstuff12]

@@derekbrush I had a zotac gtx 1080 amp and the xfx speedster merc 319 rx 6900 xt black dwarfs it by several inches. It was either trim the drive cage or buy a new case.

[@klubstompers]

If freight is an issue, they should start designing their cases, to be easily assembled at home. Removable front, back, sides, top, bottom, etc, so it fits into a smaller shipping container, instead of riveted together. I would buy a case i had to assemble, if it was a well engineered design, with good materials, with a well detailed manual for assembly like Phantek includes with their cases. We are building our computers anyways, whats an extra 5-10 minutes to build your own case?

[@ArmadilloAl]

So if I'm understanding correctly, this is a $100 case with a $55 shipping charge? If so, why shouldn't I expect every other case on the market to carry a $55 shipping charge sooner rather than later?

[@AIChameleonMusic]

subjective to when it was made and if at that time those were costs they had accorded for the shipping industry isnt the gpu market they are price gauging because they can. (not because bitcoin miner scalpers are dicks as ruins the industry and its out of the companies hands as is the case with gpu market prices) this is simply put the cost of doing biz in todays shipping environment and its shamefully expected at these heightened hyper inflated shipping fee's we can expect other companies in similar conundrum's in the days to come. war in Russia and Global Pandemics just mean scarcity and that = profit to the powers that be. #ZeitgeistAddendum

[@martinpalmer6203]

Just got a HAF XM for NZ $ 20 (About 14USD) ... absolutely thrilled with it at that price lol , managed to mod the top and fit a 360mm Radiator in the Attic, It wasnt a huge change to go from 240/280mm compatibility to 360. But Amazing case, great cooling, tooless...and I still love the looks. Also found a nice bonus in the bottom 2x Brand new Lian Li ARGB High Static Pressure fans which cost about 2-3x more per fan than I paid for the case. Still an amazing case, as negative as this review may be based on pricing, Coolermaster cases, even 12 year old ones, are still typically AWESOME to build in.

[@stephenjackson6042]

I bought a few coolermasters 500 series cases back in the day, cause they were awesome... But they just have not changed and the competition is sooooo much better... They need to pull a finger out! The 500 style is so last decade, need innovation from their end...

[@MrEp5]

Had the HAF 932 or whatever it was in the olden days. Loved the space to work in.

[@infra1]

Steve, some minor feedback: lighting on the new set is a bit dark outside the hotspot on your beautiful face when compared to the old set :) Awesome vid as usual. Thanks for the chuckles.

[@emilyshabang]

@gamersnexus I got so excited when i briefly saw the title of this video. I thought it was going to be the Haf 700 Evo, and ran over to my laptop to watch it. Sadly, (though i watch all your great vids and love them all) it was the 500. I really hope you will review the Haf 700 Evo, and yes I know your first answer would be its too ridiculously expensive... I just love the look of it and want to know how well it performs. It if its an expensive case that actually does perform well, then I'd gladly save up for it. Tired of all the cases looking essentially the same now. I like my o11 dynamic XL but its boring and everyone has a version of it. So truly want to know if the HAF 700 Evo is a good case minus the price

[@josuad6890]

I really dig the idea of a vertical fan dedicated for the GPU only. Well, I used to have one of those very odd single slot GALAX/KFA2 GTX 1070 Katana. The GPU have a very odd airflow, where it just vent the hot air to the back AND bottom, meaning that very hot air will get sucked in it's fan again and recirculate by default, making the GPU constantly throttling. What I did to alleviate the issue is exactly what CM did here. Strap a fan there to force the hot air out and make sure the GPU fan sucks fresh air. Thanks to that jank setup, I can even go as far as OC-ing that GPU manually and not cooking it up.

[@HMarcBower]

::gets out the abacus:: OK.. so they built it to be $100, but "oh noez!" it costs $55 to import. Not $55 more than they expected, just $55. So shouldn't that, worse case, be $155 MSRP? Or, let's say import price doubled, they must have been factoring in the original $27 cost to import, so shouldn't the increased import charges only warrant an MSRP of $128? I have no pity for companies that play this game. Excellent video. :)

[@devilmikey00]

I mean it's the same reason everything is more right now despite companies profits being through the roof. They have an excuse. iNfLaTiOn! or Covid or war in Ukraine. They got a whole table full of reasons that sound reasonable to most people so they'll be enjoying their extra money.

[@HMarcBower]

@@devilmikey00 yep. Yay capitalism!

[@HB-622A]

You've also got to consider that the cost of energy is rising, and factory machinery definitely uses energy. And if the cost of shipping raw materials rises, then it costs more to get raw materials too.

[@HMarcBower]

... And this affects only cooler master?

[@pinkysweets]

did you just forget the tax? tax is percentage, the higher MSRP, higher the tax, it doesnt just add flat cost

[@docferringer]

I had an NZXT full-tower that had 2 or 3 of those angled fan mounts. If you have a full tower case then these are AWESOME. My full-tower case had front mounts for a whole bunch of spinning rust, plus another layer of fans between those drives and the front panel. The front panel was decently ventilated; in fact, it could handle overclocks with plenty of thermal headroom. But those angle-changing fans were perfect because you could point them at the GPU, and/or CPU cooler. If you top-mounted your rad then you could angle fresh air up toward your radiators and cool your VRMs in the process. Not bad for older tooling. :)

[@TheoryZero]

Just to chime in with the cost of shipping, I'm an internal developer for a freight company, and during a financial meeting for our department, like 2 weeks ago, we were shown the numbers for 2021, and we have seen prices rise insanely in the last 2 years, a 40 foot container used to be like, 1'200USD to ship, but during Corona, it rose all the way up to like 22'000USD when it peaked (for us at least), so I understand that it can hurt a LOT to send big boxes like this, so I could very much believe your contact, that each case costs them about 50USD to ship.

[@TriggerBlister]

I finished my build a few weeks ago using the Silverstone RL-06. I was deciding between that and the Lancool II mesh. I have zero regrets with my decision. I’m using a Thermalright peerless assassin 120, and haven’t seen temps above 55*c yet with a 5800x. I game regularly with various titles. I believe I’ve found my happy median. It’s not the quietest build with 4 120mm and 2 140mm fans installed. But, that doesn’t concern me while gaming with a headset on.

[@heimvar]

I will always enjoy these videos to this day. I'm excited to watch this one as excited as I will be for the next. I think after enjoying this one I'll go back and watch the review on the TT view 71 because it's what sold me on it and brings me nostalgia from what I was doing at the time and watching GN. Thanks for the years of content stay awesome Bois

[@Marc_Wolfe]

Sounds like they should get creative with some flat-pack options. Sounds like the cheaper shipping could pay for a lot of screws. That and the lack of assembly/rivets ought to cover threading holes.

[@nimrodery]

It's definitely time for that, and some 3D printed designs. I have a Lian Li case and I wish I had assembled it myself. They even forgot to throw one of the fans in there.

[@morriswu3953]

You should also do a maxed out fans configuration in comparison and please do a review for HAF700EVO!

[@mitchjeffrey9070]

Put the 200mm fan and front panel that it mounts to on your fan test rig, with the tips blocked off as they are the loss of airflow is going to be huge as axial fans do most of the work at the tips -- after 27 years in the fan industry I have seen this problem repeatedly

[@SlugCatSystems]

I just picked this up for $97 today. I'm intending to cut away the front fan mounting area to make use of all the airflow from the 200mm fans. Hopefully I can improve upon CM's design

[@thomasblyth7539]

oh man we love a roast video

[@queegfivehundred8197]

As a point of context for the pricing, the HAF 500 is available at retail in Australia for between AU$160 and AU$170 including 10% GST, which would be around US$110 - US$115 before tax, while the full size Torrent is AU$275+.

[@bluephreakr]

Alright, here's something that blows my mind about case mfg: why aren't more cases flat-packed? Just give the end-user a bag of screws, a bunch of stamped sheetmetal parts, clear instructions and a wishing of good luck. Seriously. **Seriously.** The entire box can be flat-packed as well, with the case parts inside and some thin sheets of foam to separate everything.

[@Tilt_TM]

I had a Cooler Master HAF 932 back in the day. The system had a GTX 760 and an i7 2600k cooled by a Thermaltake FRIO air cooler. That system lasted me a long time before I had to upgrade.

[@stephenriggs8177]

I had a full tower HAF for years. Loved it! The only real annoyance is that it was very hard to open the case without unplugging the massive fan on the side panel. It was also very hard to plug the fan back in, when replacing the panel. ... Those huge fans are very expensive, because so few are made, at that size. That's what eventually doomed my case. The fans got noisy, and I couldn't justify the cost of replacing them.

[@TheSanctus17]

Considering the roomy interior and the great cable management, this is an excellent case at 84 dollars which is what it is selling for now. I agree that at 170, this case would not be worth buying, but at 84 dollars, it is a great value. I am finishing my 3rd build using this case and a Cooler-master PL360 Flux AIO and I have to say , it is a great case to build in, especially considering the extra room and the removable top. The thin thumb screws that you can attach to SSDs to mount them without tools in the back are also very nice to have. My thermals are also excellent with my average idle on all three builds with a 14700K between 25-28 and going up to a high of 55-62 during heavy gaming. The thermals on my GPU were also good as they idled at around 24 degrees and only went up to about 65-70 during heavy gaming. All three builds were using an Nvidia 3080. All things considered, I would definitely recommend this case to any builder at 84 dollars although I still prefer the new Antec FT for high performance builds, especially at it's currently reduced price of around 115. One can definitely spend a lot more on cases that are worse and I have built in some expensive cases that were simply expletive inducing throughout the whole process. The case comes with the front fans connected to the case hub including RGB so all you need to do is connect one fan header and one RGB header to complete the front fan setup, adding to the ease of building. I did remove the 2 200MM fans on one build and added three custom RGB 120MM fans and I did not find this particularly difficult although, in fairness, I have built a lot of PCs so I can see where some newcomers might find the setup and reconfig process a bit challenging. Anyway, good review that I think is fair from a year ago, but at 84 dollars, I think this case may deserve a second look.

[@ShermanT.Potter]

Looking at getting an HAF 500 AND a 14700k for a build, and this really helped, thanks! Do you think I would still get acceptable thermals with a deepcool ak620 for the CPU cooler? Thinking about adding a 200mm fan to the top rear as an additional exhaust.

[@ghostmourn_alt]

I found a new HAF912 on new egg about 4 years for under $100 and I bought it. (Old but Gold!) I can happily report that new 3-fan cards fit ok.

[@Otuomi]

I think that Cooler Master doesn't intend to actually sell many of these cases. This was released at a high price because they made a low volume. They're waiting for GN to review it so that they can make a revised version with GN's free input which they will release for the actual price. Well played Cooler Master.

[@randybobandy9828]

That doesn't make any logic sense...

[@phillipbrown3852]

That Doesn't make any logical sense

[@Aaron-no3ne]

That Doesn't Make any logical cents

[@ramavoite]

That Doesn't Bake Any Logical Cakes

[@joudo7]

I’d like to see Steve design a case himself. Maybe team up with a manufacturer and make it a reality.

[@Paul_Sleeping]

Not worth it with tariffs and high cost of shipping. Ports all over the world are backed up so it’s all more trouble than it’s worth.

[@criznittle968]

It was beginning to look like 44-45c was around the limit of how effectively a case could cool a CPU, then the Torrent raises the bar and crushes expectations with a 4-5 degree lead. Can a case cool much more effectively than the Torrent does, and if so, why doesn't it exist?

[@sirmonkey1985]

the theoretical limit is the ambient temperature in the room it's self. but realistically the limit is how quickly the heat from the source can be dissipated into the air and then how quickly it can be removed from said case. also those cases exist, they're just not cases you'd ever want in the same room as you.

[@CanIHasThisName]

Hard to say, the potential improvements are cooler dependant because the results are better than open test bench. The Torrent excels mainly thanks to the 180mm fans which are 8mm thicker than standard case fans - each one is comparable to three 120mm fans. So in order to top it, someone will have to make an even beefier fan that concentrates more airflow into the same area. And then it's still a matter of whether the CPU cooler can benefit from that. I'd say when you have a case that allows air coolers outperform most AIOs while providing excellent cooling for the whole motherboard, it doesn't make much sense to improve that even more. I found Torrent appealing mainly because of the GPU cooling options - ended up getting Torrent Compact because I have open headphones, game at night and wanted my GPU to be quieter. At first I had two 120mm fans under the GPU, which gave decent results. Switching to three 120mm fans wouldn't improve anything, the GPU isn't long enough. But switching to a single 180 pointed right at the GPU was a considerable improvement. My 3060ti hovers around 70°C while its fans stay around 50% - and it's MSI's Ventus cooler, nothing fancy.

[@Codcat]

The price has dropped significantly since this review, well at least in Australia. It's $169AUD here which is roughly $109US. So this is now a "$100 dollar case" as the reviewer keeps mentioning. I think it's a great case, sturdy with a decent amount of weight to it. I moved the 2 x 20cm fans to the top of the case where it doesn't have a restricted flow from the case panel for a pull configuration. I'll mount a 360AIO to the front panel and try place the radiator on the inside and fans outside. 200mm fans are sooo much better for quieter builds, I'm always using them and its iconic to the HAF series.

[@j.d.8593]

You should review the HAF 700 Evo, i expect a roast out of that behemoth! 😂

[@KontrolStyle]

last computer i built had Cooler Master MasterBox TD500 Mesh, which seemed real nice for how cheap it was (got it for about $95 bux). been using some older cooler-master case for my computer since 2011.. probably time for a new case when I go for 4090 cpu though. 8)

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

I am running my system inside an HAF 500, but a pretty old one. It's huge, and that's great. With whats in there now, I can still fit 2 huge graphics cards, and 8 to 10 raspberry pi thingies, as additional compute units (Easy here on Linux), an SSD each, an additional (smaller) power supply for them, and then some in there. I could make it capable of more serious graphics rendering, CGI, fractal generation... IOW do some serious geeking out, and keep it all in one box! (

[@aaronhansen706]

What I would like to see a company make that I know they won't is instead of flashy glass panels to show off the interior of your PC is the old XT design from the 80s where the system sits flat on the desk and you can put the monitor on top but actually ventilated like a modern PC

[@TheySeeMeTrollen]

some one at work mentioned the cost of shipping containers has doubled over the last few months.

[@donkeysunited]

It seems that a case with good cooling would have: - high pressure airflow blowing across the GPU, front to back. It helps if you can bring the fans closer to the GPU. - CPU using an AIO to blow exhaust out the roof. - good to high pressure airflow across the motherboard. 200mm fans tend not to be high pressure airflow, especially with 50% of their path blocked off. You'd want to be using Silverstone's AP180 fans instead. 200mm fans are excellent for quiet cooling. So it seems this is another badly named CoolerMaster case, partly saved by putting a smaller fan right up against the GPU.

[@rreiter]

It might be dated, but I still like my HAF-X. Interesting video, thanks.

[@JM-fi7uc]

Only Steve gets this mad at computer cases. I love it.

[@StGSteve]

I still own my HAF 922 from over 10 years ago. It's still a great case and I still love the huge fan on the top of the case!

[@bofast]

Steve, please never change that Squarespace ad. It's just perfect. Best Regards, the Swedish Society of Snowflake Fearless Leader 🙂

[@sleepydragon1975]

I spent $140 CAD for the HAF 932 with a Corsair HX 1000W back in 2010 from NCIX. I'm still using both to this day. The build quality of the case is great, I only wish I could get new USB headers for it. It's too bad the later iterations doesn't seem to have kept up.

[@benjaminice1611]

The HAF X is a legend and still is a great case and was really hard for me to let go of it. Great review of this lesser son of greater sires.

[@randybobandy9828]

I still have my HAF mid tow case from 2010. I haven't used it in 7 years lol... but I still have it.

[@TKIvanov]

What successor did you choose?

[@benjaminice1611]

@@TKIvanov the Asus Helios for it's radiator and pump accomodations and the RGB that wasn't fan based

[@Dracossaint]

@@benjaminice1611 huh

[@anhiirr]

170$ is a bit steep i remember when the haf X was like near that price range 180$ and the 932 was 140$ and the 912 was like 109$. Most of us would be better of with a properly designed for airflow chassis...and a 5x pack of fans if not two one for 120mm and 140mm to populate all passages ESP in cases like PSU/shroud fan mounts and actual air flow potential in a chassis like the mesh II. Or others with that similar air flow aesthetic in mind. The main reason i went with the lian li vs other mesh type chassis. Was the ease of access with the rear drive/door and both panels/glass panels being so easy to remove....This can be an interesting chassis with a front mount push pull 280aio if it fits well enough...+ the HDD cage may have to be removed...if not you can use the HDD cage to help direct gpu air upwards or keep airflow directional and have the 200mm fans up top for low/noise rpm. It all ultimately depends on how hot the system is via GPU/psu/vrm etc. To support weather or not the 200mm fans up top do well enough as exhaust solutions.

[@the_Scarlet_one]

I keep focusing on the fact that the case is blocking the light making Steve’s beautiful face shine while the rest of his torso is in the shadows lol. It highlights his face well.

[@TheGuy-xk9sf]

itd be satisfying to see a smoke machine illustrating airflow capabilities through cases just because it looks cool

[@ffnbbq]

I thought this was a review for the fancy HAF 700 and was very confused.

[@themightiestofbooshes9443]

I always wanted a HAF X for a build but only ever had the HAF 932. When I found out Cooler Master discontinued the HAF X, I was pissed.

[@ryanjuan1994]

Yeah it is mainly the shipping cost. I live in taiwan, where the HAF500 is price around 3290 twd, which is around 115 usd.

[@lkperez]

Please review the HAF700! Would love to hear your thoughts on it!

[@Lonewolf_121]

Still using my HAF 932 advance, its living on 3d printer feet and replacement parts Cooler master in germany was able to send me they were able to dig up in their warehouse a few years ago. I'll replace it oneday but for now tis all good

[@toxiccan175]

Amazing title 10/10 tech Jesus scripture

[@DukeNuggets69]

I really wanted à case from their masterbox mesh séries but they are all out of stock in EU. Which i don't understand

[@LuisRosa72]

Fun fact: the case is currently going for $85 on Amazon. Which means it's now literally... HAF off. I'll see myself out now.

[@kryptux2463]

I got given a h500p and I immediately ripped the top and front off. It’s suits my setup like that. I like it open and bare. Never even tried to see thermals with it all on.

[@freddyng1843]

I'm a huge Cooler Master fan since the early 2000s (since I bought the Centurion 5) due to their user friendly design and high quality products (from casings, to fans, to power supply) for a reasonable price. Consumers, in my country, used to be able to get a good decent case for less than $60 (or US$40) for example. However over the last 5 years I am starting to noticing that the price Cooler Master products has been creeping upwards. This is in particular so when they underwent a major rebranding like removing the "Cooler Master" word in the logo from their products. Thankfully cases don't spoil that easily, so I can keep hold on my H500, CM694, Maker 5t, 130, 590-III and 341 Plus just to name a few. Hehe. I am thinking of adding the HAF XB EVO or NR600P to my collection if it ever goes on sale for the right price.

[@TheVillainOfTheYear]

It's Coolermaster. Tbh, you know what you're going to get: a plastic box. If the price is right, worth the buy. If they get cocky on the price, go for a competitor or wait for sale. Love the content as always GN team.

[@SpazziJackazzi]

good review, was hoping to see what the case looked like assembled with the radiator mounted on the outside front and fans on inside

[@paladin_steele5245]

so..? I have a CM Storm - White Striker Case - and at the time I got it - it ran me about $100 (back in 2017). Got lucky - HOWEVER - no matter how deep my love for this case goes - GN..!! you point out the differences in the case color (slightly offset whites). Top of the case - and the fans themselves. And of course as I pointed out - it is a CM Storm Striker Case. Your thoughts?

[@niospartan]

Solid review as ever. You guys should get a diy pc mesh case. Theyre basically the bottom of the barrel case but they seem to be slowly getting slightly better.

[@Flamekin1]

I dont understand the prices cos i can get the HAF 500 for AUD $169 but the Fractal Torrent (Full-sized) is $299 AUD with the compact being $229 AUD then there is the Lian Li Lancool 215 at $129 AUD

[@JamesLee-mp2qz]

Keep an eye on the prices - they're only AUD $160 now (should be around AUD $225 at the current exchange rates).

[@cfbmoo1]

I'm looking forward to the LAF-005 case review.

[@mikesiemens4145]

The HAF 912 had the same 200mm fan cutout issue. I used a sharpie to mark the ideal fan opening and then used a Dremel to cut away the excess material. I'm not sure you should be having to do that at this price point though.

[@surft]

Cases are really getting expensive nowadays. I remember getting a Enthoo Pro a few years ago, a full tower case with six hard drive cages, 2x usb 3.0, 2x usb 2.0, including a pump mount plus you can dismantle the entire case because it was fixed with screws for easy modding for srp $100 with the tempered glass version being about $140.

[@depth386]

CoolerMaster’s most legendary product is always gonna be the Hyper212 Evo CPU Cooler, at least in my heart. It’s like the Ryzen 5 1600AF or 3600 of CPU coolers. Their newer stuff is nice but the value has evaporated.

[@JBGC916]

Aio died. Went back to my tried and true cooling option: Hyper 212. drop temps 13c.

[@BeetleLantern]

I know it's an older case by now. But any interest in covering something like the Corsair Carbide 540 air? Always been curious how thermals stack up on such a huge "mid-tower."

[@TexasGTO]

Amazon has this listed for over $250 now.

[@Stock--Rosso]

I have the white H500P and they need to make a new version with mesh on the top panel, that's my only complaint with the case. Great video👍🏻