Cooler Master Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN2-GP Black Aluminum & Mesh bezel / SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: First of all, I love this case and had it for about 2 years. -fairly small compare to most DIY cases (yet still enough room for expansion) -the side panel had a thing that sticks out to give your CPU heat sink a direct flow from outside of case -fan built into side of case -cool blue LEDs -fun to press large power button -nice no-screw locking for drive bays

Cons: These are cons but never were a big problem for me. -not much airflow from front, panel has some vents but not many in front -my CPU didnt line up with the side panel's CPU thing that sticks out -reset button used to fall out sometimes (for some reason it stopped falling out though) -would not be able to fit large CPU heat sink -sometimes the power button gets stuck if you put the front panel on wrong (just learn to do it right)

Overall Review: Overall, I loved this case (sold it to my friend) and I would definitively recommend this case.

Pros: This case is well built and is truly tool-less. All forward facing bays have sliding lockdowns while the sideways drive bays have rails that attach to the hard drives which then slide in. Another nice touch is thumb screws for both sides on the back. All of the front items such as power & reset button, LED’s, USB, firewire, and audio are independent from the front of the case. This means that when you remove the front, no wires are there to keep it tethered to the case, so you can completely move it out of the way since nothing is attached.

Cons: I/O shield appears rather flimsy, but that’s not an issue if your motherboard has its own I/O shield. The instructions are not very clear and there are many pieces included that don’t appear in the directions or parts list. What’s that donut-shaped metal piece for and what about that plastic piece with the double sided tape?

Overall Review: I ordered the Centurion 534, but to my surprise received the Centurion 534 “Plus”. Apparently this model has been updated and is slightly different than described here. Here is the list of differences: 1) The lower side vent is no longer mesh, it is stamped fins (it looks like gills-> [[[[[[ ) that are directed towards the rear. 2) You do NOT get a blue LED 120mm fan in the front. Instead, they have added blue LED’s inside the grilles on each side so the lighting effect is more pronounced. 3) You get TWO 120mm fans (non-LED). One is on the rear and the other is on the new lower side vent. The front intake does not have a fan but you can add one for a total of THREE 120mm fans.

Pros: Very clean lines and excellent finish. CM's tool-less drive mounting system seems pretty solid. Plenty of ventilation. From the pictures online, I was thinking the vertical vent strips on the front were a fabric mesh. They are metal, however, which is a definite plus. Big ugly Centurion logo is removed along with floppy bezel, so the only logo on my setup is the subtle Cooler Master one up top on the front. I don't like LEDs on fans, and was pleasantly surprised at the subtlety of the one included. It is far less noticeable than the glaring power and hdd lights. Great value for the price.

Cons: I'm not a fan of the method required for attaching the side-panel. I have to align metal tabs with small horizontal tear-drop shaped holes, then hold it in place while sliding it forward to lock in place. (Could have been designed much simpler.) Upon asking a friend with an older version of the Centurion, it seems his is the same. Vent tube on side-panel over the CPU does not quite line up with processor placement of my ASRock 939 Dual Sata. (I can only see about half of the fan when looking through the vent.) Headphone and mic jacks on front seem sub-par. For lack of a better description, they are kind of crunchy when inserting/removing a plug. Still handy, but does not exude quality craftsmanship. Power and HDD LEDs are extremely bright.

Overall Review: Until this purchase, I'd been using the same two low-end Enlight cases I bought back in the mid 90s. Final thoughts are essentially that it is a drastic improvement in aesthetics and cooling, but I have to say the craftsmanship is lacking even when comapred to those older models. (Granted, they were built like tanks.) For the price I paid though, I am satisfied.

Pros: I won't go into the aesthetic appeal because everyone has their own preference. The case however is of relatively solid design. There's ample room for you to maneuver parts into the right places without too much of a hassle. The HD bay is turned 90 degrees for easier accessibility. The low price of the case makes it a very good value for an average user.

Cons: The 5.25" drive bay locking mechanism is the one thing I consider to be a notable con mainly due to the fact that the manual does not go into great detail about how it works. It may be difficult for the novice user to figure it out. Before you slide your drive (assuming it is a DVD/CD drive) into the 5.25" bay, look into the empty bay from the front and watch the left wall of it where the locking mechanism sits on the opposite side. As you watch the inner wall of the drive bay, slide the locking mechanism forward. You will see that as you pull it forward 2 small metal pieces will pop out. You will want to align the mounting holes on your CD/DVD drive with those 2 metal pieces. It takes a bit of trial and error as you will not be able to see the alignment once you insert your CD/DVD drive. You will know its not aligned if you're unable to fully slide the locking mechanism forward easily.

Overall Review: I purchased this case to make a computer for my parents who are just getting the hang of computers. I definitely recommend this case for the average or budget conscious user. I know many would like there to be more drive bays, but this case was not meant for the enthusiast as much as it was meant for the average user. The price of this case in relation to its quality makes it a great buy. Note: there are two versions of this case. The 534 RC and the 534 RC plus. The 534 RC comes with a front fan, faux side air intake gills, and no rear fan. The 534 RC Plus comes with a rear fan, a real side intake with 120mm fan included as well as the side air duct which aligned perfectly with the CPU blower, and no front fan.

Pros: It's two 1200mm fans run very silent and cool. It has a very unique design that make it stand out in the crowd. No silly graphics that you don't need, it's not flashy but it has flare. The slick blue LED side lighting and black paint and easy opening side door make this a very forgiving case to work with. Everything just works, it's tooless for adding CD drives, HDD's and video cards, you only need a screw driver for your mobo.

Cons: None whatsoever, I'm going to keep this case for a long time. And the more expensive Cooler Masters are what I'll look at the next time I buy a case.

Overall Review: AMD 3800+ X2 MSI K9N4 SLI MSI 8600GTS OC Patriot 2x 512mb (6400) Corsair 2x 512mb (6400) 500GB Western Digital 19" Hanns-G LCD Display All from newegg

Pros: Plenty of space. Screwless design. Amazing design. The side LEDs aren't that bright (so it's fine), so they add a nice touch and aren't blinding. It has a reset button that allows for quick reset of the computer, nice. Drives were really easy to install with this design. I'd recommend this to anyone.

Cons: The power button is a tad flimsy, but it's not like I'm touching it all the time. No biggie. Fingerprint magnet. Not that bad though. One of the screwless drive bay clips broke off when I touched it, I didn't need it so it wasn't a problem. There was a screw flying loose in the box, be careful to get these, also includes the reset button cap. Some had a problem with the flimsy I/O panel- this is no problem at all because MOST motherboards come with their own I/O panels. A tad heavy, should mostly be stationary.

Overall Review: This case is amazing and you SHOULD not hesitate getting it. If you plan on using this for LAN parties and such, you should consider getting a lighter case because this falls in at 21 LBs. Last words: Buy it.

Pros: Great case especially considering the recent AMIR price.

Cons: Venting for hard drive fan placement could be a little more open.

Overall Review: An earlier post suggested that a mod would be needed to place a 120mm fan in the front of the case for the hard drive(s). Remove the four screws holding the hard drive case in place (hint: 2 screws inside case and 2 under the bottom), remove the door fan behind the luvers, remove the front bezel, screw fan to front metal frame, reassemble, and there's your mod.

Pros: I have built over 150 units and this has become my case of choice. It makes my job of assembly easy and quick. Nothing to wear out like screw holes or some funky clip that is sharp and will cut you up. This is a human friendly work of metal.

Cons: NONE....BUY IT TODAY B4 IT's GONE