|
Cooler Master HAF XM
Targeting both the gamer and PC enthusiast,
Cooler Master have expanded their popular HAF (High Airflow) X case by
releasing the HAF XM which basically transforms the aforementioned case
into mid-tower. This is definitely a bonus for those who want to keep
things more compact and interestingly enough, it's probably a lot bigger
than most mid-towers... not that this is a bad thing. This also ensures
better overclocking, improved gaming and more importantly, increases the simplicity of building
a new computer system thanks to innovative design.
Starting with a recommended retail price of
$159AU (June 2012), this case comes with a wealth of features that
include the support for four 200mm fans, USB 3.0 support, the ability to
connect up to 9 hard drives and some of the best ventilation technology
that we've seen. More importantly, especially for gamers, those
extremely large video cards such as the ASUS HD 7970 DirectCU II will
easily fit into the HAF XM. Additional room can be made by removing the
hard drive cage which also allows for 3 dual slot graphics cards.
Specifications
|
Available Colour |
Midnight Black |
|
Material |
Appearance: Mesh, Synthetics; Case body:
Steel |
|
Dimensions (H*W*D) |
252(W) x 530.5(H) x 579(D) mm |
|
Net Weight |
10.5kg / 23.1 lb |
|
M/B Type |
Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX |
|
5.25" Drive Bay |
3 |
|
3.5" Drive Bay |
8 (Hidden x 6, X-Dock x 2) |
|
2.5"/3.5" Drive Bay |
9 (2 from X-docking, 6 converted from 3.5"
bays, 1 behind motherboard tray) |
|
I/O Panel |
USB 3.0 x 2, USB 2.0 x 2, Audio In and Out |
|
Expansion Slots |
8+1 |
Cooling System
|
Front: 200mm Red LED fan x 1 (converted
from 120/140mm x 1)
Top: 200mm fan x 2 (1 is optional: Converted to 120/140mm fan x2)
Rear: 140mm fan x 1 (Converted to 120mm fan x2)
HDD: 120mm fan x 2 (optional) |
|
PSU |
ATX PS2 / EPS |
|
Max Compatibility |
CPU cooler height: 190.6mm/ 7.7 inch
GPU card length: 354mm/ 13.9inch (with HDD cage), 463mm / 18.2 inch
(without cage) |
Features
- Enthusiast case with the
support for four 200mm fans
- Latch on 90° rotated side panel
for easy system access
- Rich I/O panel with two USB 3.0
super speed ports
- 8+1 expansion slots for NVIDIA
3-way SLI™ and AMD CrossFireX™
- Supports up to 9 HDDs,
including two X-Dock slots and one behind the motherboard tray
- Sliding PSU cable cover for
improved cable management
- Top compartment with rubber pad
for placing personal belongings
- Mesh on front panel, top cover;
vents on side panel and bottom for excellent cooling
The HAF XM has more fans than a popular
public personality on Facebook (kidding) but when it comes to cooling,
the case has the following fan configurations, ensuring optimal cooling
of your precious PC components.
Cooling System
-
Front: 200 mm LED
x 1 (Converted to 120 mm fan x 2 / 140 mm fan x 1)
-
Top: 200 mm fan x
2 (One is optional, converted to 120 / 140 mm fan x 2)
-
Rear: 140 mm fan x
2 (converted to 120 mm fan x 1)
-
Side: 200 mm fan x
1(optional, converted to 140 mm fan x 2)
-
HDD: 120 mm fan x
2 (optional)
Apart from the wealth of features, the
appearance of the HAF XM is quite gamer orientated with its almost
military style design and red LED's at the front of the case, giving it this
real professional look to it. Add in a 2-year warranty and not only do
you have the support of this company that has been around for decades
but rest assured that you will probably have no issues whatsoever when
it comes to performance or the installation process.
We tested the case with the following
computer components
-
Intel
Core i7-3960X Processor
-
Kingston KHX 1600C9D3K4/16GX Memory (16GB)
-
ASUS
P9X79 Motherboard
-
Cooler Master M2 520W Silent Pro Power Supply
-
Cooler Master X6 CPU Fan
-
Kingston 240GB SSDNow 200 Hard Drive
-
WD
VelociRaptor Hard Drive (1 Terabyte)
-
LG
CH12LS28 12X BD-R Blu-ray DVD Combo Drive
-
ASUS HD 7970 DirectCU II Top
Once again Cooler
Master do an exceptional job of packing this case, ensuring that
when the user opens it, there will no unexpected surprises... or
disappointments. It's not only well protected by Styrofoam but everything is clearly
labelled for the installation process so when you start putting your
components in, it will be rather flawless and fast experience. The
case also comes with all the screws and accessories needed to build
your PC. There is even a manual for newcomers.
The first thing to install in
the case was the motherboard, followed by the power supply which
nicely slid into place. What I did notice about the HAF XM is the
improved cable management (including cable ties) which gives you a
considerable amount of room to move cables and more importantly hide
cables.
Another cool design
of the HAF XM is the new latch system on the side panel. This makes
removing the panel a breeze as opposed to the traditional system
that is available for most cases. Simply pull the latch and presto,
the side panel is off. However, before you install all your
components, you need to ensure whether you want to install
additional fans which this case supports but given our
specifications, this was not needed. It's also quite a quiet case
when everything was installed, even with our graphics card whirled
up for Battlefield 3 or Diablo III.
Installing hard
drives is great thanks to the locking mechanism that Cooler Master
has given users. You simply slide the drive (e.g. Blu-ray drive or
hard drive)
into place and then flip the switch on the locking mechanism which
securely keeps your drive in place. As mentioned, the case supports
up to 9 hard drives that also include SDD's. I love the accessories
for the SSD drives that allows you to easily and safely slot them
into the case.
As all the cords in
the case were labelled, attaching the cables to the motherboards,
especially when it comes to the USB ports were a breeze. The reset
switch, hard drive lights and power lights was extremely easy...
almost child's play. I
also like how the ports for USB are right near the top of the case
opposed to the bottom where I've had quite a few USB sticks damaged.
The power button is directly on the top of the case with the reset
switch to the side. There is even a button for the front fan on the
top if you need additional cooling turned on or off.
Conclusion
In the end, the
Cooler Master HAF XM is a brilliant case that definitely comes with
all the bells and whistles. Supporting a wide range of computer
configurations, even for those wanting to install extra large
graphics cards or SLI configurations and by just moving a few things
around, the case will accommodate this. It's another well designed
case from Cooler Master!
|
