Cooler Master MasterFrame 600 hands-on: A glimpse into the future of modular cases

From aesthetics to cooling provisions and cable management, modern desktop cabinets have numerous facilities to simplify your PC-building experience. However, even the best PC cases aren’t known for their versatility, and you’ll have to arm yourself with drills and dremels to customize the case to your liking. That’s where Cooler Master decided to switch things up with the MasterFrame lineup. Featuring an exo-structure and interchangeable panels, the MasterFrame cases represent Cooler Master’s latest attempt at bringing a modular design to the PC cabinet ecosystem.

After spending a few days with a prototype of the Cooler Master MasterFrame 600, I found that the case has its fair share of pros and cons. While it’s not the be-all-and-end-all cabinet, it packs quite a bit of potential, and I’d love to see the improvements Cooler Master makes to the final model.

About this article: Cooler Master sent me a pre-release model of the Cooler Master MasterFrame 600, though the company did not have any input into the article. Considering it’s still a prototype undergoing active development, it also goes without saying that the final version of the cabinet could be radically different from the version I’ve highlighted in the article.

What I like

It’s a massive case, with plenty of cooling provisions

Having used ATX cases for years, I’ve seen my fair share of huge cabinets, and the MasterFrame 600 is no slouch on the size department. It has a lot more space than the MSI MAG Forge 110R and Gigabyte Aorus ACW300 I currently use for my daily drivers. However, its aluminum design makes it fairly lightweight and easy to carry around. The front panel is made of tempered glass, though I do wish the all-black chassis had different color options.

On the inside, the MasterFrame 600 is large enough to accommodate the humongous next-gen GPUs, whilst leaving ample space for airflow. Without making any modifications to the cabinet (which I’ll get to in a minute), the MasterFrame 600 lets you attach three 140mm fans to the front of the case. The front panel has mesh perforations rather than a solid panel for proper airflow. Likewise, the right side of the case has a ventilation window, and just like the front panel, it’s equipped with a dust filter to keep dirt and grime at bay.

Meanwhile, the top panel has enough space for three 120mm fans, though the rear panel only supports a single 120mm fan. In case you’re looking to add extra fans or want more customization options, the MasterFrame 600 has got you covered – for the most part.

It’s a versatile case that lets you remove a handful of internal components

If you’ve ever looked at your all-SSD setup and wished you could remove the hard drive mounting slots for better airflow, you’ll be impressed with the MasterFrame 600. The whole shtick about the cabinet is that it lets you unmount different components, including the HDD bays, storage panel, cable grommet, and power shroud. Cooler Master plans to release additional front and side panels made of different materials for the MasterFrame series, which sounds perfect for tinkerers who love customizing their PC’s appearance.

Another neat feature of the MasterFrame series is that all the panels stick to the case using magnets, so you won’t have to deal with pesky thumbscrews. The exo-structure is the crux of the modular design, as you can technically adjust its spacing to accommodate different-sized fans. You can even remove the storage bracket to mount an additional 120mm fan onto the exo-structure, though I was unable to slot a second fan as the spine isn’t movable. And that brings me to the drawbacks of the prototype.

What I don’t like

Full modular design is still a ways off

Although the MasterFrame 600 features interchangeable components, it’s still not fully modular. If I were to compare it to a PSU, I’d say the pre-production model sent to me is similar to a semi-modular power supply that lets you remove only a handful of cables. The exo-structure is connected to the frame using rivets. Sure, you can remove them with drills, but all that effort beats the point of a modular system where you can swap things in the time it takes to finish reading this sentence.

It’s impossible to access the screws under the front panel IO ports

I was also unable to adjust the position of the motherboard panel, and that’s because the screws are located deep under the spine. Cooler Master also claims the cabinet is “configurable to any size,” but considering all the riveted sections in it, I doubt I can pull that off without some hardcore case modding tools.

Remember how I said you could “technically” modify the spacing of the exo-structure? The thing is, the front panel can’t support anything wider than 140mm fans, and all you can do is shrink the space to attach smaller fans. On the other hand, the spines at the top can be adjusted to increase the width between them, if not for the fact that the screws are located under the front panel IO tray. While we’re on the subject…

The front panel IO is rather limited

With more accessories flooding the PC market, you’d want as many ports on your cabinet as possible. However, the MasterFrame 600 fails in that department, as the front panel IO is really limited. Aside from the power button, you’ve got one USB Type-A port, a USB Type-C connection, and an audio jack. As someone used to extra USB ports and a dedicated microphone jack on the front panel, I’m a bit disappointed with the port selection on the MasterFrame 600.

Nevertheless, the MasterFrame 600 is still a fantastic case

Despite my complaints about the modification issues with the exo-structure, the MasterFrame 600 is undeniably a solid PC cabinet. Appearance-wise, it looks absolutely stellar, and with all the fans included in the cabinet, you can rest assured knowing your battle machine will remain cool even under heavy gaming.

It’s also fairly versatile, and you can detach quite a few components without breaking a sweat. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the MasterFrame 600 is fully-modular, it’s a solid stepping-stone for future innovations. Should Cooler Master get rid of the fixed riveted sections of the exo-structure and hard-to-reach screws in the final version of the case, the MasterFrame series might very well become a modder’s dream cabinet.

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