Cooler Master MasterBox NR200 Mini ITX Case Review

While the Cooler Master MasterBox NR200 is a small case and has plenty to say.  As a result there will be quite a few photos in this review and to keep things quick and easy I’ll let them do most of the talking.

One of the most notable features of the NR200 is the size.  This is a SFF (Small Form Factor) case designed for Mini ITX motherboards and SFX PSUs.  The chassis is made from quality steel and actually has some weight to it.

Both side panels are perforated metal to promote airflow.  I find these to be more for “venting” than airflow.  Given the small size it is important to allow air to move around inside the case, and while YouTube will tell you that venting is good, having quality airflow is better.

You will find more venting at the back of the case along with two sets of expansion slots.  The set to the right is for your vertical mounted video cards and intended for your baby GPUs.  You know, the ones people buy when they are strapped for cash or blew their wad on the perfect AIO cooler.  The three slots at the bottom are for actual video cards that feature oversized coolers and have to compensate for their lack of sales, or the cards the manufacturers use as an excuse to milk more money out of an overpriced video card.

eg, the two slot vs three slot coolers.

Power plug is located at the top of the case.

Front panel controls are located at the top of the case and consist of a 4-pole 3.5mm headphone jack, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, large power and small reset button.

You can see behind the front panel controls is a full mesh top panel that is for actual airflow and even comes with spots for two 120mm fans.

The primary intake is located at the bottom of the case and features a very large slotted opening and magnetic fan filter.  Plastic feet keep the case up off the floor giving you room to pick the case up and to allow air to circulate around while sucking in that dust and cat fir you have floating around.

Opening the case is extremely easy.  The panels are held in place with ball style clips and snap into place.  Like other MasterBox designs the panel swings away with an angled guide located at the bottom of the panel.

The top panel is similar to a traditional plastic front bezel and held in place with plastic friction clips.  As was mentioned before the entire panel is vented to promote better cooling but, really all you are getting is a location to install two fans with some decorative hexagons. 

Finally, the bottom panel is secured with a single screw and held in place with the same ball style clips used on the side panels.  This is a great feature that you will see once we get to the build phase.