A quick look at the Coolermaster CM690

[NickS]

Hm, it doesn't fit too badly at all though.

[911us]

very nice review !..
I like this case,it 's rock solid and easy modding,drilling...

[LuckyNV]

wow.... do you have a gallery or pictures showing the stages?

very nice

[daedra1]

very nice review !..
I like this case,it 's rock solid and easy modding,drilling...

Fantastic work! Very impressive.

[m3ta1head]

I took the liberty of making the innards look pretty.

[LuckyNV]

fs, that is the 2nd time I've seen a corsair psu have the main ATX cable routed round the back, i'm quite certain my right panel wouldn't fit back on

[m3ta1head]

fs, that is the 2nd time I've seen a corsair psu have the main ATX cable routed round the back, i'm quite certain my right panel wouldn't fit back on

Oh it'll fit, you just have to muscle it on there. It might take 2 people to do it.

[daedra1]

Oh it'll fit, you just have to muscle it on there. It might take 2 people to do it.

Hey man I was wondering, did you have to buy an extensions or was all the cables that came with the case/power supply/motheboard long enough? I also have a 690 but I am holding off until the next gen nvidia cards are released before I build, but this is definitely the kind of wire routing I am wanting for my system.

[LuckyNV]

depends on your PSU and motherboard, I need about 2 more inches for my EPS 8pin cable to fit, but some motherboards i'd have no trouble.

[Start]

very nice review !..
I like this case,it 's rock solid and easy modding,drilling...

More elegant than my solution

[Miwo]

Thanks for the review NickS. It caused me to impulse buy the CM690, which is not something I do often :o. All the cases I have owned are bang/buck oriented, so this case is very attractive if that is also your criteria. I finally got around to swapping my system to the CM690 (have had it over a month now) and I am extremely impressed at the features this has along with its pricepoint.

My early impressions:
- You simply won't find a cheaper case with this many options for air cooling. 140mm support makes it even more attractive
- Extremely happy with 140mm Yate Loons on a fan controller. At 5V they are barely audible and still keep the system cool. When enjoying music, I turn off every fan except for the dual top 140mms @ 5V
- With a Thermalright HR-03 & Tower Style cooler, you could orient all fans / heatsinks pointing to the top of the case. Might be an interesting test, vs the traditional top rear exaust
- Plastic PCI bracket clips actually work well, but I would still use screws for transporting. My previous Centurion 531 clips were completely useless in comparison
- 5.25 drive clips work well and also give you the option of using screws for a more traditional mount (Centurion 531 clips were fixed and did not work well with my Sunbeam controller)
- 3.5in HD rails seem to cut down on vibration and noise, but you may have to flip your drive backwards if it uses a standard 4pin molex. I could not fit a standard molex in the back because the metal frame support was too close. Flipping the drive upside down solved this issue for me though
- Cable Management is certainly welcome and better than nothing. First sub $100 case I have owned with options for it. The hole right next to the PSU is perfect for running the 20/24pin cable to the opposite side of the case

All in all, well worth it IMO. Fitting 140mm Yate Loons makes it an ideal setup for a 24/7 Quiet Air system

[wyemarn]

I just moved my rig from a modded TT Soprano to CM 690. I was expecting at least 5C temp drop and quiet dissapointed with the thermal performance. My CPU temp went up a few degs on idle and load. System temp remained the same. I fitted 120 fans below, 140mm fans on the side on top of video card and 3x 120mm exhaust fans. Noise level went up because more fans compared to my old Soprano. I guess the fan grills are the culprit. What do you guys think?

[daedra1]

Yes, I had to change the side panel fans from intake to exhaust. I got a strange hum when they were intake, I tried rubber washers but they really didn't work very well. I changed the top fans to intake to compensate. I can't confirm the temps because I just have fans installed at this point, but yes changing the fans on the side panel from intake to exhaust made a noticeable difference on the noise level.

[m3ta1head]

Hey man I was wondering, did you have to buy an extensions or was all the cables that came with the case/power supply/motheboard long enough? I also have a 690 but I am holding off until the next gen nvidia cards are released before I build, but this is definitely the kind of wire routing I am wanting for my system.

No extensions, just using the stock cables on the power supply. If you find the 8pin 12v connector just barely not reaching, try clipping the stock zip tie off of the bundle of power connectors-it will give you an extra inch or two of reach.

[Rilla927]

This case has a lot of nice qualities. If they made this case in a full tower that would be killer.

[serious1]

Does anyone know if the side panel window from a Cooler Master Centurion 5 case would be able to fit on the 690? It would be nice for me to recycle the side panels from my old case.

[tonschk]

IMO, this case looks like crap compared to the 900. Ok airflow and everything, but lame external design. Unlike most of you guys I enjoy stylish cases.

You think the ANTEC 900 with the ugly tilted roof ,Ugly lateral window ,without cable management and a big ugly wire nest of cables inside is a STYLISH case?????? , In my opinion the ANTEC 900 is a crap case

[smsmasters]

A case is only as good as its user. A crap case = crap user.

[DTU_XaVier]

Got mine as well, loving its ease of use over my old Antec...
But I'm getting that "grating" noise as well with the side-fan on intake at anything above 5v (using an old-school Fan-mate)... Is this a general problem, or are we just unlucky?
Using 5v removes it mostly though...

Best regards

[daedra1]

Got mine as well, loving its ease of use over my old Antec...
But I'm getting that "grating" noise as well with the side-fan on intake at anything above 5v (using an old-school Fan-mate)... Is this a general problem, or are we just unlucky?
Using 5v removes it mostly though...

Best regards

it seems to be a common problem. A lot of people have said the same thing over at the CM fourms. I was thinking of ordering some fan gaskets from jab-tech to see it that would help any. If anybody knows of a way to fix or at least make this better let us know.

[LuckyNV]

I've tried using silicon washers to add distance but it doesn't make a difference, I'm using a Yate Loon D12SL-12, anything higher than 5V makes an awful noise.

Looking at the side of my case I can see the grilling is actually concaved into the fan so I may try getting a hammer and stamping out the grill for more space between grill and fan motor

[NickS]

I wonder when CM is going to release the window side panel, I want it!

[DTU_XaVier]

I wonder when CM is going to release the window side panel, I want it!

You can buy the complete case w/ window here in Denmark... But no window stand-alone

Best Regards

[daedra1]

You can buy the complete case w/ window here in Denmark... But no window stand-alone

Best Regards

http://www.coolermaster.com/products...ate=65&id=3168

I'm not sure if it is available for purchase yet, but CM has made a side panel with window.

[daedra1]

I've tried using silicon washers to add distance but it doesn't make a difference, I'm using a Yate Loon D12SL-12, anything higher than 5V makes an awful noise.

Looking at the side of my case I can see the grilling is actually concaved into the fan so I may try getting a hammer and stamping out the grill for more space between grill and fan motor

I also tried rubber washers with no luck. Let us know if the hammering works. I am going to try some silicon gaskets and washers, I don't know if it will make a difference but I will report back with my findings.