Cooler Master MasterBox Q500L

An adaptive case on a sensible budget

THE MASTERBOX SERIES has produced some decent budget cases in the past, and the Q500L is no exception. At just $60, it looks pretty unremarkable at first glance, but behind its polka-dotted steel frame and patterned magnetic dust filters, a broad selection of clever customization options is concealed.

First off, there’s no PSU shroud; the power supply sits in an internal bracket that attaches to the interior of the case, at the front for an ATX board, or in the rear-bottom position if you’re using a smaller ITX board. It then connects to a fitted cable, which feeds back through to a standard three-pin socket at the rear. This makes for a neat power solution, but the bracket has to be removed in order to fit the PSU, and there’s no way to access the power button once the case is closed.

Three of the short sides are identical, using a simple perforated metal design that enables fans, screws, or brackets to be fitted in essentially any orientation, then concealed behind the dust filters. In its default setup, the base is fitted with rubber-soled feet, but these can be removed and replaced on the front or top if you wish to mount it differently. The case can also be laid on its side, using rubber washers as feet for the screws holding the steel side panel in place.

The adaptability doesn’t end there. The windowed side (a cheap piece of plastic) also holds the front I/O, which can be easily unscrewed and attached to a different side. The window panel is square, so it can be rotated 90 degrees to fit the new I/O position. It’s a minor addition, but will no doubt appeal to a niche of users; the front I/O is fairly basic, with two USB ports and jack inputs for headphones and mics. This adaptive mentality extends to the drive mounts— two brackets sit behind the metal mobo plate, each capable of fitting one 3.5-inch HDD or two 2.5-inch SATA SSDs.

In spite of the acrylic window panel, the case as a whole feels well constructed and relatively sturdy. It’s not heavy, though, weighing under five pounds. It’s not big either; long PSUs will cause difficulty with the front I/O cables (which makes repositioning the I/O a good option), and if you want to liquid cool your build, you’re limited to an absolute maximum of 360mm of radiator space. This isn’t a case for serious overclockers.

In cooling terms, the case comes with one standard 120mm Cooler Master fan at the rear, with capacity for up to four more on the top and bottom sides. The pre-installed fan is faintly irritating when fitting the motherboard, as it leaves very little clearance over the rear I/O slot. Fitting the motherboard is generally a chore; the PSU bracket can get in the way, and the front I/O cables need to be bundled aside to squeeze the board in.

The Q500L suffers from an identity crisis. It’s priced as a budget product, making it a good choice for a novice builder, but its wealth of nifty features is unlikely to be of use to a beginner. Despite that, it isn’t a bad case for a rookie to start off with, although it’s a little lacking in the cable management department. The space behind the motherboard plate has good routing room for cables, but the main cavity could use a few more slots for securing cable ties.

There are a few other issues: GPU clearance is a little limited, meaning that this case is ill-suited to cards with three fans, and it only comes with two of the stylized magnetic dust covers (three would be ideal for horizontal orientation). Even so, we feel pretty comfortable recommending the MasterBox Q500L. It has enough funky features to appeal to an experienced tinkerer on the hunt for a budget build, and it’s sensibly priced and accessible, making it a good choice of case for a first build.

VERDICT 8 Cooler Master MasterBox Q500L

MASTER Brilliant potential for customization; good use of internal space; great value for money.

DISASTER Flimsy plastic window panel; cable management is difficult.

$ 60, www.coolermaster.com