Cooler Master Silencio 650 review
The enthusiast computer case market is divided into many different segments. There are cases that focus on being as fancy as possible, there are models that focus on extreme cooling and performance, as well as cases designed specifically for fans of very compact computer systems. The subject of today's review belongs to a whole different category, as its name suggests, the Silencio 650 is the latest arrival in Cooler Master's Silent seriesThe Silencio 650 is the most advanced model in CM's Silencio lineup, it not only has a beautiful all-black design but it's also packed with features. According to Cooler Master's press release, this high-end case was designed with silence in mind, without neglecting the needs of a powerful system.
The Silencio 650 ships in a large white box decorated with pictures of the case and its features. The size of the case itself is 207mm x 479mm x 525.6mm, a pretty normal form factor for a mid-tower case. The weight, on the other hand, is towards the upper range of what you'd expect from a mid-tower, at 13.0kg it's rather heavy but I didn't encounter any problems handling the case.
Fans of stylish, classy cases will definitely like the Silencio 650. Over the years I've become pretty fond of cases with front doors because they typically look a lot cleaner than cases without, and the Silencio 650 definitely doesn't disappoint in this area. The front door is made from diamond-cut aluminum and has a very elegant look and feel. It also has a very high-quality feel, some case doors like the one found on the BitFenix Colossus or the Fractal Design Define XL's give me a feeling of poor build quality, but fragile is not a word that comes to mind when handling the door of the Silencio 650.
Before we move on to the rest of the review, here's an overview of the Silencio 650's features and specificiations:
Features:
Specifications:Elegant and simple design Diamond precision cut aluminum front panel Sound-absorbing foam mat equipped interior Fan controller to fine-tune airflow with noise ratio DualBoot HDD Switch to conveniently switch between two operating systems (ex. Windows & Mac OS) High performance I/O panel interface with two USB 3.0 super speed ports and a memory card reader High-speed smart phone and tablet charging (~1A) Sliding cover to seal the I/O panel and the top fan to reduce noise and keep dust out of the system and its ports 7+1 expansion slots for 3-Way SLI/CF
Inside the case is a brief but descriptive manual and a box with accessories.Available Color: Full Midnight Black Materials: Aluminum Alloy, Synthetics, Steel Dimension (W x H x D): 207 x 479 x 525.6mm / 8.1 x 18.8 x 20.7 inch Net Weight: 13.0 kg / 28.6 lb M/B Type: Micro-ATX, ATX 5.25" Drive Bays: 3 (w/o the use of exposed 3.5" drive bay) 3.5" Drive Bays: 7 (hidden) + 1 (for X-Dock bay) 2.5" Drive Bays: 2 (hidden) +1 (for X-Dock bay) I/O Panel: USB 3.0 x 2 (int.), USB 2.0 x 2, Mic x 1, Audio x 1 (supports AC97/HD Audio), SD card reader x 1 Expansion Slots: 7+1 Cooling System:
Front: 120mm fan x 2, 1200 RPM, 17 dBA / 140mm fan x 1 (optional)
Top: 120mm or 140mm fan x 1 (optional)
Rear: 120mm fan x 1, 1200 RPM, 17 dBA
Bottom: 120mm fan x 1 (optional)
HDD cage: 120mm fan x 1 (optional, on removable HDD cage)
Power Supply Type: Standard ATX PS2 / EPS 12V Maximum Compatibility:
VGA card length : 268.0 mm / 10.5 inch (with HDD cage) 434.0 mm / 17.1 inch (without HDD cage)
CPU cooler height: 168.0 mm / 6.6 inch
A plastic 2.5" HDD adaptor is included in the accessories box, you can use this to fit 2.5" storage disks in the 3.5" X-Dock. On the picture below you can also see the tool-free HDD installation tools, and a bag with screws, a lock buckle (to prevent unauthorized access to the interior of the case), 12 cable ties for cable management, and a motherboard speaker.
Added: December 25th 2012
Product reviewed: Cooler Master Silencio 650
Reviewer: Thomas De Maesschalck
Score: 9/10
Page: 1/4
