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Product:
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Cooler Master CM Media 260 Case |
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Price:
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$159 (CAN) / $135 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Cooler Master
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Author:
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Skaal-Tel
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Date:
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September 19th, 2005
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The AGP/PCI riser is the essential backbone of the case securing the cards and the disk drives in place.
During my evaluation I did notice that there is a problem with the riser in its default configuration.
On any motherboard with different standard spacing with the PCI slots, you won't be able to install the
PCI riser. I used an extremely out-of-date P3 motherboard with a small slot in between the AGP and PCI.
The slot spacing rendered PCI unusable in this case, but the riser is removable so at the very least,
you can install an AGP card.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Continuing with the install as previously mentioned, I installed an ancient Pentium 3 motherboard, full
ATX size. The manual is extremely clear on the installation and I proceeded with ease. The hard drive
cage has space for two drives with small fan nearby to deal with the heat. The ports on the front of
the case, USB, Firewire, and switches and so forth, are routed to the motherboard with plastic hangers
keeping them organized. Again, I ran into some trouble here since the headers are out of reach of the
USB cord. Surely Cooler Master could have added another 2 inches to the cable. I know of several ATX
motherboards with USB headers on the very bottom edge, and I assure you that this cable will never
reach. If you use a mATX motherboard of course, you won't have any trouble. The audio cable was oddly
a couple inches longer and had no trouble reaching the relevant headers. Personally I would not
connect these but most motherboards do not like audio devices connected to both front and rear ports.
If installed in a genuine HTPC setup, I would hide the cables behind the cabinet from the rear.
Also, probably due to shipping gorillas, the header was nearly disconnected.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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To finish up the installation, I added in the power supply and finally the disk drives. Just to make
things more interesting, my power supply power cable was too short to reach the ATX plug on the
motherboard. The power supply is a completely ordinary model, and while most motherboards now locate
the ATX plug elsewhere, this is something to keep in mind when purchasing components. Most high-end
power supplies have a longer cable. As I mentioned earlier, the CD drive fit the stealth setup
perfectly and the external button neatly located the eject button. Button feel was good, with no gap in
between the external and internal buttons.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Two final items to mention are the VFD and the case feet. As you might expect to find on a piece of Hi-Fi
stereo equipment, the case is equipped with 4 metal and rubber clad feet. The case sat solidly on an
even surface without any rocking or vibrating. This particular model was ordered without the VFD,
although I would highly recommend paying the extra money to get one. There is nothing quite as
entertaining as watching RSS feeds on news, weather, websites and e-mail scroll past. The VFD in this
case is protected in an excellent fashion. I have seen some fairly exposed setups in other cases, and
this one is very nice, removing the potential for damage during component installation. Removal of a
couple screws and installation of a VFD is fairly painless. In this picture, you can also see the
prongs the stealth setup uses to contact the drive.
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Conclusion:
On the whole, the Cooler Master CM Media 260 is an extremely stylish and elegant HTPC setup. Most of
these cases are a bit more challenging to work with than the usual desktop, but for the looks, size and
convenience once built, they cannot be beat. In silver or black, this particular case would fit well
into most home theatre setups. Things to keep in mind are that some ATX boards may present difficulties with
USB and Firewire headers, and that you cannot install any kind of SLI or PCI Express system into this
case. For best results, seek out a mATX board with most features built into the rear I/O panel.
Construction wise despite the short internal cables, the case is very well laid out and is extremely
solid, without being overly weighty. The machined aluminum front is very nice and includes provisions
for IR control and a VFD. Ventilation is not the best I have seen but the case is perforated along the
sides and includes a very large intake for cooling of the power supply, as well as a small fan for the
hard drives. The missing power button is not a terribly large problem. I would recommend asking to see
the case before buying it locally, this advice goes for any case. On the whole, if someone were
interested in this style of case, I would not hesitate to recommend a close look at the CM Media 260.
Aside from a few minor issues, I'm rating the Cooler Master CM Media 260 a final rating of
8 out of 10. If you have any questions
regarding this review be sure to visit the Cooler Master
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Stealth drive bay
- Beautiful magnetic doors
- Slim size
- Hi-Fi case feet
- Ingenious layout allows most full-size components to be used.
- Good power supply cooling
- Excellent above-par manual
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Cons:
- Short USB and Firewire IEEE1394 headers
- Missing Power button
- AGP/PCI riser is somewhat restrictive
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