Cooler Master Masterbox Q500L Case Review

With the traditional orientation the PSU is mounted behind the front panel.  The mounting bracket can be shifted up or down to allow for 2x 120 mm fans or 2x 140mm fans to be installed across the top. 

The entire exterior of the Q500L is basically designed for venting and then covered by a set of decorative magnetic filters. The IO panel is held in place by 4 screws and can be removed to change the orientation if your build requires the USB and power button to be somewhere else and makes installation a bit easier. The usual ports abnd buttons are all there (Power & Reset button, Audio In & Out, 2x USB 3.0)

In the default position the IO panel slightly obscures the PSU while leaving the motherboard to be fully exposed.  (Which is ideal in our opinion)

I must stress the PSU size and mounting location really determines the compatibility of your components.  For example, the ITX installation makes room for a set of 280mm radiators (top and front) with room left over for a 140mm in the bottom.  Larger full ATX motherboards will have limited options for additional cooling and there is a chance that longer video cards can be difficult to install.

No matter how you mount the motherboard there is plenty of room in back for cable management. 30mm of open space in back leaves the window view clear of any unnecessary obstruction. There are plenty of zip-tie points around the entire outside for keeping things organized.

Hard drives are mounted in the two combination caddies.  Booth can be removed and will hold a 3.5” drive or a set of 2.5” drives for a total of up to four drives if you go small. The top drive mount covers the motherboard cut out but can easily be removed or simply omitted if not needed.