Customer Reviews

Cooler Master Elite 330 ATX Mid Tower Case Black - (RC-330-KKN1-GP)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Got this case to do a partial upgrade...due to heat issues with a bargain case which looked good...but had few ways to cool the components. Saw this on Amazon & other websites...read the specs & reviews of others & I was hooked.

The only thing the reviews did not mention was to clean the front panel air filters...the best things to have are either canned air or a hair dryer. This way you can blow them out from the inside & snap the front back onto the whole case.

I was extremely fortunate to run across the Elite 330. Not only is it incredibly inexpensive, it's also one of the shortest ATX full towers on the market (it is the _only_ full tower chassis I've found which would fit under my kitchen cabinet). Mine has been through quite a few upgrades over the last three years (three motherboards, five different CPUs, five graphics cards, three power supplies), and it's been an absolute delight throughout. What truly sets it apart is the ability to start with quite a low-end configuration, yet still enable you to upgrade to truly first class performance (for example, one of my configurations in this box was the second-highest scoring performer on HWBOT on PCMark Vantage for a while).

To give you an idea of the amount of space it offers in this small package - while supporting outstanding cooling - here's its current configuration:

- i7-860 Quad CPU OCed to 4.0 GHz (even LinX)
- MSI P55-GD80 MB, with 8GB DDR3 RAM@1600MHz
- Radeon 5970 graphics (12" long; was also SLI)
- 1200W ThunderPower power supply
- Areca 12 drive H/W RAID w/1 GB cache
- 5xHitachi 750GB drives in RAID0,5,and 6
- LG dual mode Bluray/HD DVD optical drive
- 4x120mm cooling fans (2 on CPU cooler, 1 on HDD mnt)
- Cooler Master CM50 H2O Cooler (was also air)
- Still an open 5-1/4" bay, and two 3-1/2" bays

This high end configuration works perfectly, offering great cooling. If you're looking for a compact, yet surprisingly roomy chassis which will support just about anything, the Elite 330 will not only fill the role quite well, it's the least expensive case on the market which offers this kind of flexibility. Beyond that, it also looks great. It's a terrific deal!

Cheers!
Mark

This case is perfect for the budget minded consumer who does not want another beige box. I found it was quite spacious inside, and was of very high quality.

However, there are many sharp edges inside and I cut myself multiple times building my computer. Be careful!

Case construction

This case is well constructed, and the appearance looks good, for the price it looks more expensive. wire connectors are well-marked for installation, open the case for installation is easy, the case fan is quite and move the air well.

Ergonomics

Power supply is at the top of the case, it requires all the power cable leads traverse the motherboard to connect to the hard drives, the maximum drives bay (3.5") can accomondate about 4 drives, that is about it. The tooless installation of the drives is not very good and does not secure the drives very well, the plastic piece broke off easily and it is not that intuitive to use, you have to take two side of the panel off to have reasonable space to install all the cables and power leads to your drive. I only have a micro-ATX board, it appears to be tight even for this micro-ATX form factor installation. My major complaint is really on the location of the power supply, it makes connection of the peripherials difficult.

Conclusion

Overall, I like this case, it has sufficient internal volume for the airflow, and it keeps my quad-core cpu below 40 C at all time, it looks good and appears to be of good quality and construction.

Case was easy to work with, included all the hardware I needed and then some. I found the tool less attachments for the drives to be very nice and solid. I threw in a front fan and it's running very cool and quiet. It looks good, runs quiet and I like it.

I placed my old fan on the side and the one that came with the case on the back. As a result all the air had to come in from the front, which is one big hole covered in mesh and fabric (to stop the dust). The airflow was so good that air coming out from the side and back was slightly cold. The Elite 330 holds up to its name, Cooler Master.

Package arrived earlier then expected. 4 disk drive bays and 7 3.5 inch drive bays. Arrived in spectacular condition. Came with all required screws. Fan is included. Does not come with a power supply. Looks very stylish, but somewhat bulky.

Not super easy to install, but it's better than older cases I've used for building a computer. The no-screw mounts are just ok. You have to fasten on both sides and the non-exposed side panel is not a screw-less affair. It's not perfect, but it's a nice alternative to using screws. Front USB ports appear to be underpowered.. my external 2.5" drive won't work, but most other things do. Front USB audio from the digital pass through is cool, silencing the hdmi audio on my hdtv when I plug in headphones.. a nice touch. Overall, a very handsome case at a reasonable price.

This case is unequaled in its price range.
It has a huge amount of space inside for anything you want to install.
It has fantastic airflow to keep everything cool.
It is lightweight but; very solid.
I looked at a lot of cases online and also at a couple of computer stores where I live...nothing else came close to this case at 2 or 3 times the money.
You can't go wrong with this case at all.

This case is a Great case to have. More Bang for the Buck. Cheap for Very Stable, Strong, and Roomy case. It is also very stylish too. I enjoy having it. It hasn't overheated on me once yet. I have set everything to what was "Crash" mode on my old case. And amazingly it hasn't crashed yet. It was the First Computer i have built, and the Roominess inside made it alot easier to fit things in there.

Pros: Nice Stylish case, Works really well. Love the Tooless Design. Takes alot to overheat it. Great Price!!!

Cons: None

Other: I enjoy this case and I recommend it to anyone who wants to build a great computer. And doesn't want to pay and arm and a leg.