On this occasion we assemble and analyze the Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh , one of the latest chassis launched by the brand focused on maximizing airflow in our PC. Its construction and expansion options are valid for both experienced and inexperienced users, although it does not allow vertical GPU installation. Its front has 3 CF120 ARB fans , controller included, as well as enough space at the top for 360 mm liquid cooling. Let’s start the review and see what this chassis has to offer.
We thank Cooler Master for your trust in us by sending us this chassis for analysis.
Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh technical characteristics
Unboxing
The Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh uses a neutral finish rigid cardboard box as packaging, which shows chassis sketches and a specification table on the side. Inside, we find the chassis placed between two expanded polystyrene cork molds, and in turn inside a plastic bag.
The contents of the box will be as follows:
- Chasis Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh
- Plastic cable ties
- 4x Brackets to install 3.5” HDD in bays
- Rubber protections for HDD and SSD
- Installation screws
external design
The aesthetics and dimensions of the Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh make it clear that it is of the standard ATX type, although its greater depth means that we can install E-ATX plates. It is available in black, as is the case, and white, made of normal-thickness steel, with ABS elements.
We start with the left side area where we find the tempered glass panel that is responsible for covering the access area to the hardware and displaying it. It is 4 mm thick and has a darkened finish to give us a mirror effect when there is no lighting inside. It is reinforced with an internal steel frame, which cannot be seen from the outside as it has opaque frames around the edge of the glass.
This frame is used as an anchoring system with the lower edge attached to the chassis to prevent it from falling when we remove the glass from the two upper pressure points. Finally, an upper rear screw is responsible for securing the panel completely to transport it without fear.
We go to the right side area where we only have a steel panel in charge of covering the wiring area. The installation system consists of tabs on the top and bottom edges, and two rear fixing screws.
Next, we move on to the front area of the Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh where its personal touch is found in the form of a steel grille with round holes anchored on an ABS plastic casing, generating a 3D polygon that narrows as it rises. It will provide excellent incoming airflow for the 3 installed CF120 ARGB fans , although it does not have a fine mesh dust filter .
Between the chassis and the front cover there is enough space to install the fans, so it would be possible to build a push and pull system with liquid cooling. Said cover can be easily removed by pulling from the lower area where there is a hole to put your hand. The front I/O panel will be separate from the cover , so there are no cables running between the two.
We have the following ports and controls:
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A
- Power button with integrated LED
- 1x 3.5mm combo jack for audio and microphone
- RGB control button (optional reset)
Few ports we have here compared to other similarly priced chassis, and at least 2 high-speed USB-A would have been in the budget.
The top panel where 3 fans or 360mm radiator can be installed has a large opening protected with a medium grain magnetic dust filter . The installation area is angled to the left to make room for the heat sink plate and blocks. In addition , this part of the Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh is completely removable if we remove two fixing screws located at each end on the left side. In this way we can comfortably install a radiator or fans, so it is an excellent idea.
The rear area of the chassis is exactly the same as other ATX models, this time without a fan included and with 7 expansion slots protected by removable plates with screws. Too bad it is not compatible with vertical GPU installation , since its width would give at least 2 slots. In its place a ventilation grille has been placed, and as usual, the PSU is placed just below it.
Finally, the lower area consists of 4 legs with small non-slip rubber surfaces to rest on the ground. The rear has an opening for air to enter through the PSU, integrating a removable frame particulate filter. In the remaining space we have the anchoring system for the hard drive cabinet, admitting two positions .
Interior and capacity of the Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh
We access the interior of the Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh by removing both the glass and the back plate, finding the usual distribution with the main enclosure for hardware, wiring area and PSU and storage area. The good news is that it supports ITX, Micro ATX, ATX, E-ATX and even SSI-CEB form factor boards , good news especially now with the new AMD X670E boards that often adopt E-ATX form factors to maximize connectivity space .
The hardware area has a fairly simple design on an aesthetic level, using few holes, and the three main ones are protected by rubber covers . The I/O panel cables have been discreetly routed in the upper right corner, adding another two upper holes for fan and EPS cables, as well as 3 lower holes for expansion headers . The PSU shroud is fixed and has a 7.5 cm opening behind the front panel for radiators , although this has not been used for storage or anything else.
Cable space and storage capacity
We go to the rear area where we have an available thickness of 20 mm to store cables, although in some places it is extended to 25 mm , for example in the opening area behind the plate to work on the heatsink. There are no advanced routing systems beyond the typical plastic loops, and no velcro loops or routing channels have been included.
At least the cables coming from the I/O panel are placed on the edge away from the holes through which we will pass the main cables of the plate, being able to manage them individually. The Fan/RGB controller is also located in the upper left corner out of the way of cables , thus preventing us from bending or breaking the headers.
In terms of storage space, first of all we have a hole under the PSU cover with a 2-bay metal cabinet for 3.5” drives and the possibility of installing a third 2.5” SSD / HDD unit in the ceiling. . This cabinet can be placed in two different positions or even removed by simply loosening the front screw. In this way we could install PSUs larger than 160mm or have more space for cables.
The second storage installation area will be on the back plate of the motherboard , where there are 2 slots for 2.5” SSD/HDD. It does not have removable brackets, instead rubber plugs are used, where we will fix the unit using pin screws . It is a fast and convenient way to install the units, since vibrations are eliminated while they can be quickly removed or put on.
ventilation capacity
We are now continuing to analyze the space available for ventilation of the Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh, where we do not have any great news compared to other ATX chassis.
The space for fans will be as follows:
- Frontal: 3x 120 / 2x 140 mm
- Superior: 3x 120 / 2x 140 mm
- Trasero: 1x 120 mm
More than enough capacity for a well-cooled chassis, it also includes 3 CF120 fans with ARGB lighting in the front area, which are connected directly to the controller located in the back. It supports a total of 4 units with 3-pin headers, as well as 5 ARGB LED elements with 5VDG headers . It admits synchronization with the panel both in lighting and ventilation , being an optional action for the user. Through a button on the front we will have a wide range of preconfigured light effects for the fans.
The space for radiators will be:
- Frontal: 240 / 280 / 360 mm
- Superior: 240 / 280 / 360 mm
- Trasero: 120 mm
It is possible to place the two 360 mm radiators simultaneously on the roof and front without any problem with the water intakes, as long as we orient these inputs in opposite directions. The front allows push and pull configurations by having external space for fans and internally admitting thicknesses of 75 mm.
The upper area easily supports thicknesses of 55 mm in 140 mm formats, and even more in 120 mm as long as the CPU cooler allows it. As we have already seen during the external analysis, the roof plate is removable, making it much easier to install cooling elements without affecting the hardware.
The wide measurements will give us the possibility of installing custom liquid cooling systems, and even if it is a relatively cheap chassis, we would not have a problem with it.
Hardware installation and mounting
We proceed to the assembly of our test bench and commissioning of the Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh with the following components:
- Placa base Asus Crosshair VII Hero
- CPU AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
- Disipador AMD Wraith Prism de stock
- 16 GB of DDR4 G.Skill Trident Z Royal RAM
- KFA2 RTX 3060 graphics card
- Antec HGC Gold 750 PSU with Cablemod extensions
- 5″ SATA SSD
The installation procedure with a standard configuration like this without RL will be very simple and fast, as we have not encountered any problems during the process . We start as always with the PSU to raise the cables in the rear area and route them towards the main compartment. We must insert the source from the side, since the rear frame is fixed and there is no option to remove the cover, although we have removed the hard drive cabinet to give more space to the cables.
We continue with the plate, which fits perfectly in the frame with a fixing screw in the center to be held while we fix it better. It is true that we have had to apply more force than usual to fit the graphics card into the slot, since it seems that the rear area is quite tight to the plate, although it is a random situation that can occur in specific chassis units .
Cable routing and header management has been comfortable as there is enough space to put your hands. We especially liked the SSD installation system, which is far from new as it is present in other brand chassis, but it is comfortable and fast.
The cables that we find in the chassis and that will require connection , will be the following:
- USB 3.0 port connector
- Front USB-C header
- AAFP audio connector
- SATA connector for controller power
- Headers for separate boot system
- 3+1 Headers 5VDG of the lighting system
- 5VDG inter-controller link header
- 3-pin connector to sync controller with board
The fans and their lighting will already have their headers neatly installed on the controller, so that’s one step we save.
Assembly and final result
Finally we present the fully assembled and working chassis , highlighting the aesthetic section of the front with synchronized ARGB fans, combined with the AMD RGB heatsink and the graphics card.
Performance tests of the set
We will stress test the hardware to record the temperatures inside the chassis, always in its stock configuration .
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Final words and conclusion about the Cooler Master HAF 700 EVO
Cooler Master gives us one more mesh option to install our hardware whether gaming or not, but always ensuring the best possible airflow and cooling . It is also available in black and white , which is always an addition to match the tastes of each user.
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Its breadth gives us interesting possibilities for its price, such as installing high-end E-ATX plates, 410 mm GPU, and even a double 360 mm water radiator , its removable roof making work easier. We have only lacked vertical installation capacity for graphics cards that other models do have. There’s plenty of room for cables and storage, with convenient mounting systems for 2.5” and 3.5” drives.
We also recommend our article on the best chassis of the moment
The Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh is priced at €125 on Amazon and similar figures in other stores, making it a relatively affordable mid-range model with interesting details and plenty of space. As a hit we would put not having more USB-A ports and that the front does not have a particle filter , but in everything else it works wonderfully , so it will only be a matter of taste to choose this or another model.
| ADVANTAGE | DISADVANTAGES |
| AVAILABLE IN BLACK AND WHITE COLOR | DOES NOT SUPPORT VERTICAL GPU INSTALLATION |
| GLASS ANCHORAGE THAT PREVENTS FALLS, REMOVABLE ROOF | ONLY ONE USB-A PORT |
| 3 ARGB FANS AND CONTROLLER INCLUDED | WITHOUT PARTICLE FILTER ON THE FRONT |
| INTERIOR SPACE FOR HIGH-END HARDWARE | |
| GOOD CONSTRUCTION AND COMFORT IN ASSEMBLY |
The professional review team awards him the gold medal:
Cooler Master MasterBox 520 Mesh PC Case – ATX Mid Tower with 3 Pre-Installed Fans, Multiple Airflow Settings, Mesh Front and TG Side Panels, ARGB Controller – Black
124,99 EUR
Last updated on 2022-09-29
Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh
DESIGN – 87%
MATERIALS – 85%
WIRING MANAGEMENT – 85%
PRECIO – 88%
86%
Cooler Master Masterbox 520 Mesh includes with 3 CF120 RGB fans, controller, tempered glass and large capacity for cooling and motherboards
