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
An adaptive case on
a sensible budget
Cooler Master
MasterBox
Q500L
8
verdict 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, http://www.coolermaster.comSPECIFICATIONSForm Factor Mid-tower
Motherboard support ATX, mATX, ITX
Colors available Black
Window available Yes
3.5-inch support 2
2.5-inch support 4
radiator support 240mm roof,
120mm rear
Fan support
2x 140mm roof,
1x 120mm rear,
2x 120mm base
Dimensions 15.20 x 9.06 x 15.00
inches
Graphics Card
Clearance
14.17 inches
CPU tower Clearance 6.29 inches
Weight 4.83lbconstructed 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. Ithas 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. –ChrisTian GuyTonmaximumpc.com aug 2019 MAXIMUMPC 89