Cooler Master Cosmos: Take 2

Today I’m taking a second look at the previously reviewed Cooler Master Cosmos to find out once and for all what the deal is with this storied case.

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Introduction

The Cooler Master Cosmos I reviewed a while back garnered some attention not just from our own readers, but from Cooler Master as well. If you recall I gave the case a low score due to the poor thermal performance and cable management design. What I noticed is that I wasn’t the only one having issues with heat, but what bothered me more than anything was that the locking mechanism for the side panels made it impossible to perform the type of ideal cable management that enthusiasts love to do.

Because of this I decided to re-examine the case and have a representative from Cooler Master offer their own two cents about our new findings. One thing’s for sure, the Cooler Master Cosmos isn’t for everyone.

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Test Setup

Hardware Testing

The Cooler Master Cosmos is meant to house high-end hardware. So we’re back for take 2 and what I’ve done is installed newer, even higher-end hardware to see the difference in temperatures and if I could remedy the cable management issue.
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I put our new system through a grueling test. First, I made sure the ambient temperature was the same as it was in the original test: 76° F. For stressing the CPU I used OCCT to make each of the four cores run at 100% while also running Orthos Prime at the same time to use 100% of the system’s RAM for approximately 1 hour. Obviously comparing temperatures of a quad-core chip to the previously tested single core CPU is flawed but I’m doing it to show the temperature of the quad core which actually isn’t too shabby, even with the same CPU cooler. I recorded these and all results via our lab approved Fluke 62 Mini Infrared Thermometer, which offers the best accuracy in its class at +/- 1% of reading.

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Also note that the video card temperature difference is due to the 8800GTX in the new setup versus the previously used 7800GT. What I really wanted to look into was whether or not that darn VGA shroud made a positive difference. This involved running Futuremark’s 3DMark06 at default settings on a loop for 30 minutes. What I recorded only solidified the notion that the shroud was useless, since with it the highest recorded temperature was 70 °C, while without it the temperature lowered to 68°C. Don’t be surprised if it’s subsequently dropped from future models. Also note that the HDD temperatures were recorded after defragging each drive for 30 minutes and varied between one or two degrees between the individual drives from the average temperature above.

What I found were temperatures that were in some cases lower, and in others much more acceptable than the initial test setup. So how does this explain the previous results? Simple - the temperatures in the Cooler Master Cosmos will only be as good as the hardware in it. Keep in mind that this is all brand new hardware, so if you’re running an older hard drive that runs warm and loud, you may want to continue looking for a case that offers true cooling via a front system fan. If your drives don’t run too hot, then the ventilation system at the bottom of the case should suffice.

So thermal performance really varies depending on your setup, we got that. But what about the horrendous rats nest that I was forced to test with last time? Here’s the kicker - because I used a non-sleeved power supply last time it made it impossible to close up the side panel. This time I went with the highly popular Corsair power supply line and it showed what a PSU with sleeved, flattened cables can do for a case like this. With some elbow grease and some tape I was able to keep the side panel closed for the very first time. Granted, it still doesn’t close perfectly and doesn’t sit completely flush like it should, but it nevertheless stayed closed.

So now we’re starting to see the real picture here. The experience you get with building a system in the Cooler Master Cosmos really depends on the builder’s foresight to select components that will fit well in the case. This is why you’ll find individuals on hardware forums across the web along with other reviewers that have also encountered such varied results. Unfortunately for users who simply want to migrate their system to a new chassis, you’ll have to think long and hard about whether your cables are long and compact enough if you’re aiming for the cable management this case deserves. New users who really want to house their hardware in the Cooler Master Cosmos should stick with a power supply with similar characteristics and make sure any hardware that runs abnormally warm or loud is dealt with; otherwise you’ll end up as disappointed as I was during the first take with the Cooler Master Cosmos.

Conclusion & Value

Pros

• Lots of space to work with
• Capable of housing fans of multiple sizes
• 5.25″ installation is the best ever
• HDD mounting is simple
• Superb external port variety
• Sound dampening material welcomed
• Flippable front door
• Extremely easy to open side panels
• Water-cooling friendly
• Thermal performance adequate

Cons

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• External peripheral connection ports exposed to dust
• Wind tunnel contraption useless
• 3.5″ installation a hassle compared to 5.25″
• Possibly for some, the lack of included power supply
• Cable management is extra tricky with side panel design
• Price

I already recommended the Cooler Master Cosmos as the case for high-end hardware in our newest revision to our famed Price Guides that debuted last month. In it, I hinted that selecting the case was fine depending on the hardware. However I wanted to go the extra step and give our readers the bigger picture as to why the case received the recommendation and why I am now raising its score substanially, a first ever at FPSLabs. My decision to raise the score was due to the fact that the case can, and does perform well enough to warrant the price, now that it can be found for lower than MSRP. What still keeps it from earning a perfect score is that the user will have to possibly make tradeoffs on the hardware they choose if they wish to house it in a Cooler Master Cosmos. This is something I hope Cooler Master has rectified in their newly-debuted successor to the Cosmos, the Cooler Master Cosmos Sport. We hope to bring you a review on that when they are available. Earlier I mentioned that I spoke with Cooler Master about our review and relayed some concerns about the Cosmos. After testing with new hardware, here’s what Cooler Master’s Charie Hernandez had to say:

I’ve reviewed your new findings on the Cosmos review part 2 and I have to say this seems very accurate. The Cosmos case was designed to be a high-end gaming rig, so in order to perform at its peak, it requires high-end gaming hardware as well. That being said, although it is a reasonably priced full tower chassis, there is room for improvement as not everyone has or can afford to have the best hardware on the market. Our new Cosmos S that will be released end of February has improved cooling with 3 120mm fans on top, one on back, one on front and one on bottom. Cable management has been improved and we have added more bays. There are many more new features to this case. It is lighter in weight and is made of all aluminum.

Sounds good to me. Stay tuned.

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