Cooler Master MasterBox Lite 5 Case Review

In an attempt to provide a bit of scale I installed the MSI X370 Krait Gaming motherboard to check motherboard alignment and see what kind of cooling clearances we have to work with.  With the motherboard installed I found there was still plenty of room to route cables.  Room at the top and bottom of the case is restricted meaning that running cables here will be difficult but not impossible.

Primary cable access is to the right of the motherboard where you’ll find two large access holes.  There are two smaller access holes in the basement panel for USB and front panel control connections.  Rubber grommets are not available though in the big picture they are usually just in the way.

I am pleased to report that you will get at least 25mm of access behind the motherboard tray to run cables and you’ll find plenty of hooks available for cable management.  This is mostly for OEMs who are building “kit” systems and need a variety of cable tie locations to get their non-modular PSU cables secured.

In this review we looked at the Cooler Master MasterBox Lite 5.  This is a Mid-Tower case with traditional design cues on the outside and a real attempt to bring modular chassis design to mainstream builders.  To accomplish this the MasterBox design was stripped down and redesigned to reflect current building trends and still support a good amount of upgrade potential. 

From the outside you will see traditional square chassis with a full frame acrylic side window.  This window is made to look like tempered glass and from a distance it does an excellent job at hiding the plastic truth.  The front bezel is constructed from a single piece of shaded plastic to both give the front panel a glossy finish and to show LED fans and other lighting effects you may install.

On the inside you will find a traditional case layout that favors SSD storage with places for two surface mounted SSDs in plain view.  You’ll find a 3.5” drive rack under the basement panel which has been moved closer to the PSU to make room for 360mm radiator support.  Or three 120mm cooling fans if your build calls for air cooling over water.

In terms of future modifications there is very little I can suggest that hasn’t already been done.  Maybe one of the most unique modifications are the color change panels for the front bezel.  Cooler Master includes white and black replacement panels allowing you to color match your builds without actually painting the chassis.  Given the transparent front bezel and full sized acrylic side panel it seems obvious that you’ll want to install some LED lights and maybe tear the chassis down for a coat of paint. 

Thing is the Cooler Master MasterBox Lite 5 is a down market design aimed at mainstream builders looking for a simple case with some style and customization options.  The MasterBox Lite 5 delivers on this by giving you a basic chassis that supports EVERYTHING a modern PC really “needs”.  For instance four drives is perfect for a modern gaming rig.  Video cards up to 400mm and 360mm radiator support pretty much covers everything a mainstream builder would need and really looks good without needing to have high-end parts.

Traditional Case Design
Transparent Front Bezel
360mm Watercooling Support
Ample Room for Cable Routing
Color Change Options
Full Basement Panel
Inexpensive

Faux tempered glass just feels wrong
No top fan options