How to Replace Top Fan Cooler Master 690 Ii Case

Verdict

Key Specifications

• Critical review Price: £89.99

Thankfully the days of PCs organism boring ecru boxes are far behind the States, but now the overwhelming variety show of case options out there can constitute a bit daunting. It's important to make the compensate determination here as, just like a put down of decent speakers or a good monitor, a case is something that you can keep through many cycles of PC component upgrades.

The best cases are often evolutions of above-mentioned models, and the CoolerMaster Cm 690 II Advanced is – if you'll forgive the pun – a case in place. Unsurprisingly, it's the successor to 2007's highly prospering CM 690. Withal, it comes in at a high price point, so join us as we see whether information technology's worthy of housing your next chassis.

The first matter most customers should decide is what size up of case they want to buy. If you need something pocket-sized and light the CM 690 II Advanced is not for you, as this mid-tower stands at nearly half a metre tall and weighs a not inconsiderable 9.8kg (21lb). But then, if you require a case that's roomy, offers excellent cooling system and boatloads of flexibility, the CM 690 II power be right up your alley.

In damage of looks we certainly like IT. As is ofttimes the causa with high-end chassis primarily aimed at the gaming and enthusiast market, CoolerMaster's in style consists of a steel body with moulded plastic edges clad in matte black. Though the steel does result in that intemperate weight, this combination makes for a flux of unusual if subtle styling and excellent build quality patc guardianship the price at a very inexpensive £86.

One of the things that sets the CM 690 Deuce apart from most unusual cases is CoolerMaster's signature mesh front and top, complemented by chrome strips that ply all the way to the back. The meshing sections not but help it to stand taboo visually, but also allows for good ventilation.

Build quality is first-class with only slight (and expected) twist in the side panels and mesh sections. The only minor exceptions are those chrome strips, which feel equitable a tad looser than we would ideally experience liked, on the other hand they're protected from injury by the inflated plastic side-ridges.

Mostly, the exterior remains very consistent with the original CM 690's feel. There are at once only four 5.25in drive bays at the front instead of five, but aboveboard we ass't see most enthusiasts even victimization that many another. A 5.25 to 3.5in mesh bay adapter and twin angle bracket rail are provided for installing a retentivity card reader, (shudder) floppy drive or other 3.5in device.

The Atomic number 96 690 had its might and reset buttons plus LEDs awkwardly located at the side where if you had it under your desk they were the perfect height to accidently knock with a foot, but the CM 690 II has reasonably moved these adequate to the top side right where they now reside in a consecrate plastic panel alongside the case's connectivity. The buttons declare oneself a positive click, and the reset button is small and recessed preventing accidental presses. On the left is another concave button that controls the pillowcase's frontal blue LED lighting.

Betwixt these buttons you'll find the CM 690 II's connections. These are really a step back from its predecessor, as FireWire has been born. To represent honest though this is an increasingly niche – dare we say, obsolete – connection and thence we can't bemoan its loss too much.

Aside from this you get two USB ports and a very receive eSATA port wine. The USB ports are sensibly spaced with the phone and microphone jacks betwixt them, leaving room enough for even the thickest memory sticks. This is especially appreciated as it's a weakness flatbottomed the original CM 690 didn't manage to invalidate, and something amazingly more experienced case manufacturers still get wrong.

Backside the buttons and connections is a removable clear masking that reveals a sloping tray for 3.5in/2.5in SATA hard drives, which CoolerMaster calls the X-tail. Thanks to both data and power connections, it really is as easy as fitting sliding the drive in and you're away. Though it's not the only showcase happening the grocery with this feature, the Curium 690 II is one of a very fewer to volunteer information technology at a sub-£100 price point, and it's a touch that now elevates IT above the average.

Moving to the case's root, we have long, noticeable rubberised feet which should keep goin it balanced very well regardless of what surface you put through it on and prevent damage to scratchable surfaces. They're screwed to the flesh so shouldn't chip as the ones on flatbottomed some high-end cases (like my Antec P180) have a tendency of doing. The feet raise the case 2cm above whatever IT's on, ensuring sufficient airflow for the optional bottom fans and PSU intake.

Both of the vitrine's side panels are removable by untying two thumb screws. This brings United States across our first minor complaint with the CM 690 Deuce Advanced arsenic the left panel is quite thorny to remove, requiring more force play than should be necessary. Still, at to the lowest degree it's a tight meet unlike along some other cases.

Before we pose onto this CoolerMaster's insides though, let's check out the chilling. The CM 690 II has two 140mm fans and a I 120mm rooter already installed, which should be adequate to for about setups. Just in case it's not, there's support for a total of ten 120mm operating room five 140mm fans, in gain to another 2 80mm fans.

At a lower place the 5.25in mesh drive covers at the case's front is a single pre-installed 140mm fan that can be moved to cover any foursome of the available six internal 3.5in thrust bays to courtship your drive configuration. It has bewitching blue backlighting that can be turned on or off with the aforementioned button. As this front fan is an consumption, it features a removable dot sink in. To clean the filter you lav remove the entire front of the encase, which simply comes forth with a slight pull and clicks back in just equally effortlessly.

Though the top 140mm fan blows air out, IT too is protected by a removable filter (As is the entire mesh circus tent of the case) to prevent dust getting in when the Personal computer is not in wont. You can install a second 140mm fan in front of information technology too, and again you can remove the entire top incision to access the fan and filter.

Just higher up the final (120mm) fan at the back we have two rubber-edged holes for water cooling tubes of up to 2.5cm thick. Every last pre-installed fans have three-pin power connections to sneak up to your motherboard and come with attached four-pin throughput adapters if you want to power them from the PSU.

Speaking of water-cooling, you can install a two-fan radiator either at the top or butt of the showcase. The case's posterior supports one 120mm fan 'as is', and removing the bottom section of the drive cage (leaving you with two usable bays) makes room for a second one. Shaping rivets for only one excess winnow are provided.

On the decently panel there's proviso for an 80mm sports fan to cool the motherboard below the CPU climb domain. The left panel has curve-outs for twin 120 Beaver State 140mm fans. The top one will give extra cooling directly supra the CPU, patc the bottom rooter does the same for whatever artwork card(s) you mightiness install. In gain to this on that point's a dedicated nontextual matter card support and cooling system of rules which is enclosed with the Advanced case, and we'll cover it in more detail subsequently.

To that extent we have little to no charge with the Cm 690 II Civilized, and the only area where it's inferior to cases we have looked at in the past is its lack of external controls for adjusting individual fan fastness, as found along Antec's gaming cases. Does the at heart hold heavenward as fortunate?

For starters, the equal matte black end up adorning the shell's unlikely has been used on the interior. It doesn't have too much of an impact happening our review sample case, as there's little opportunity to escort inside the Personal computer, but a version of the CM 690 II Advanced with lateral window is available. IT looks really pleasing and on that point's non a sharp edge or box to be saved either.

Like its predecessor, the CM 690 2 sports a completely tool-free design, so the only time you should need a screwdriver is when installing the motherboard. The quick-sackin mechanisms for the drives all work all right, although those for the 5.25in drives do feel slightly tenuous.

All the same, in the unlikely consequence that one snaps disconnected you canful always replace it with unitary from a meagerly bay OR revert to screw mounting. Installment a drive is over again As easy as pie: take the strawma and microscope slide the drive in, and the mechanism even locks automatically. If we'ray being particularly finicky there's just the smallest soupco of movement connected installed drives and there are no grommets to dampen vibration, but that's carping of the highest degree.

Half-dozen 3.5in drive bays are turned 90 degrees for easy access. They have dismissible caddies, of which one is designed to keep apart two 2.5in drives, an important inclusion with the steady migration towards SSDs in high-performance systems. Some private road mounts are incorporated into a 'floating' tray that rests happening screws with rubber grommets to decoct vibration when using laptop drives. Likewise the standard 3.5in drive caddies too sport safety grommets, and hard drive installing is very needled.

The power furnish mounting sphere at the case's base also has rubber climb nubs to soften vibration, though if your PSU is particularly short (like the 500W Drab Storm Deuce we tested the case with), it North Korean won't pass the in advance ones. This is not a big deal, though it's something CoolerMaster may wish to revise happening a future model. Obviously, given the case's roominess, you crapper fit even extended exponent supplies.

When it comes to card retention, CoolerMaster has dropped the plastic clip system employed on the CM 690 for a much more tried and true set of thumbscrews. However, these were so difficult to remove initially that we needed whatsoever pliers to undo them, kind of defeating the whole tool around-free philosophy. Mind you, once loosened they're easy to work with.

A clever skin senses with the Atomic number 96 690 II is that above these horizontal slots there is another plumb slot, likewise secured with a thumb-jailer. This innovation is ideal for all kinds of purposes, such as for those backplate expansion holders for extra USB ports from motherboard headers, which otherwise obscure a valuable slot on your motherboard. Genius!

For the most region the motherboard mounting area is casual to work in, disdain the lack of a removable motherboard tray. There are plenty of holes in the home for routing cables done with around 2cm of clearance between the side panel. In that respect's also a hole behind the CPU so you can install coolers that require a plunk for collection plate without removing the whole motherboard. However, we do have few issues with the 690 II.

The first and potentially most hit-putting (for gamers, at any rate) is that the CM 690 II Advanced simply won't fit an AMD/ATI Radeon HD 5970, as the utmost card duration is 304mm. This is yet more preventative A the issue could have been remedied by making the top part of the drive John Cage assembly removable as the bottom one is. Regrettably it's riveted, sol fluke acquiring it out of the way. On the nonnegative side, for users of other large and heavy graphics cards, on that point's an ingenious adjustable graphics card support bracket out that should forestall your graphics card forthcoming dislodged when in transit and as wel acts as a cage to house an extra 80mm fan for even to a greater extent cooling if necessary.

(centre) The graphics card substantiate and cooling bracket.(/nerve center)

The second issue with the case is to a lesser extent severe. If you're using a wide-ranging CPU cooler it can be very difficult to tie the with the control board installed as the back up and top fans butt right up to the edge of the motherboard. It's not a deal breaker only it caused us a scra of frustration.

Luckily in that respect's no issue with height as the case can handle CPU coolers of skyward to 177mm, and these problems aside, installation in the CM 690 II Advanced is a dream. Deal of black screws and line-tidies are provided, and though the manual lacks instructions in how to mount and place a few bits and bobs, to be honest it's whol very soul-explanatory.

Best of all, the two 140mm eccentric fans run whisper-quiet at stock speed while providing superior air flow, though the 120mm fan was noisier. Overall, the slip produced between 40 and 45 dB (broadside/front and top at about at around 20cm aloofness), while keeping our psychometric test CPU at 39 degrees idle and 66 degrees under load. This could glucinium much reduced aside victimisation your motherboard's fan control on the 120mm rear fan.

As long as the system you be after to build avoids the 2 pitfalls mentioned above and you don't bear in mind its weight, on that point's little to dislike about CoolerMaster's latest enthusiast mid-tower. It's well-built, looks good, offers a overplus of features (most of which are reall utilizable) and a same flexible, quiet cooling setup (with the 120mm fan running downstairs its maximum). Best of every, the CM 690 II Advanced is good value at just under £90. Though there's none shortage of competition at this price sharpen, CoolerMaster does bid a few unique features and we reckon it's well worth the £30 bounty over the original CM 690.

Verdict

Despite a few issues, CoolerMaster's Centimetre 690 Cardinal Advanced is a worthy replacement to its popular predecessor, offering a neat combination of features, looks and work up quality for the price.

Trusted Score

Score in detail

• Value 8

• Features 10

• Project 8

How to Replace Top Fan Cooler Master 690 Ii Case

Source: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/coolermaster-cm-690-ii-advanced-pc-case