Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

A place to give your thoughts on our reviews!
User avatar
Apoptosis
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 33941
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2003 8:45 pm
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Contact:

Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by Apoptosis »

Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Cooler Master is known for some edgy cases that hit the sweet spot for gamers looking to have aggressive styling in their rig. The Cosmos S was very popular but it was released back in 2007 which means: Time For an Upgrade. Meet the Cosmos II Ultra Tower. Legit Reviews gets an early sample to inspect to see if it lives up to its predecessors legacy.

Image
At first glance the COSMOS II looks very similar to the original case as it has the top and bottom rails still, but beyond that it is very different. For one thing it is bigger in all dimensions with the original Cosmos at 10.47"(W) x 23.54"(H) x 24.72" (D) but the new and improved Cosmos II Ultra Tower stands a whopping 13.5"(W) x 27.7"(H) x 26.1"(D). This is larger than most cases classified as a Full Tower which is why Cooler Master came up with the Ultra Tower category.
Article Title: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1809/1/
Pricing At Time of Print: $349.99 MSRP
Find us on Facebook to discover the faces behind the names!
Follow Me on Twitter!
Sttm
Legit Extremist
Legit Extremist
Posts: 383
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 4:31 pm
Location: San Jose CA

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by Sttm »

Some great design work. I love the top button panel its just awesome looking like out of a luxury car. And the general shape, and the vents on the sides are great as well, kind of reminds me of NZXT's Phantom, but better imo. Though I am little put off by them having a cover that goes over their awesome looking buttons, but leaves the USB ports hanging out. I'd have done it the other way with the USB ports covered or just have them flush with the edge of the case instead of recessed. This is a very cool design direction for Cooler Master though, I hope they carry it on with other cases.

Also it weighs almost 50 lbs by itself, and its mega huge, why does it have hand holds on top who is really going to try and carry this thing around.
Core i7 2600k/ ASUS P8Z68-V Z68/ 8gb Corsair Vengeance 1600 Blue/ EVGA Geforce GTX 560ti Maximum Graphics Edition/Windows 7/Antec 300/Antec 650w/LG Blu Combo/Hp 27inch 2710M/Samsung P2770HD

"I think sharing is overrated...and helping others. And what's all this crap I've been hearing about tolerance?"
User avatar
Apoptosis
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 33941
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2003 8:45 pm
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Contact:

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by Apoptosis »

Sttm wrote:Also it weighs almost 50 lbs by itself, and its mega huge, why does it have hand holds on top who is really going to try and carry this thing around.
Shipping weight was 61 pounds if I recall and it barely fit in the back of my car... Was a tight fit and trying to cram it in the back door while holding a huge 60+ pound box in the air was funny and sucky at the same time. In case you are wondering the shipping box was so big it wouldn't fit in my trunk, which is 13.1 cu. ft. (371 L). It will fit in most, but I got a small compact car.
Find us on Facebook to discover the faces behind the names!
Follow Me on Twitter!
jjwa
Legit Little One
Legit Little One
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2012 10:57 pm

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by jjwa »

This looks like a great case! :) I could really use the tons of space and would actually like to install more than 11 HDDs.

So my question is: are the X-Docks removable? Because then I could have a DVD-burner in there as well as a 4-in-3 HDD bay.

My only other two worries so far, are the price and silence. It's cool that the fans are low-rpm, but I would hope it has some good dampening properties. But there does not seem too much of that. No soft mounting for the HDDs for example.
jdrom
Legit User
Legit User
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:01 am

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by jdrom »

Great review!

One request though, any chance you could measure the top space for the radiator a bit more precisely? I'd like to know if I'd be able to get my HWLabs SR1-360 (listed at 54mm thick) to fit up top.

I know you estimate about 50mm, but obviously that's not quite enough space, unless of course the 120mm mounts are far enough away from the MB tray that it could hang in-front of the motherboard slightly.

Thanks :)
User avatar
Bhench
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Posts: 86
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:16 am
Location: Chesterfield, Missouri USA

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by Bhench »

Sttm wrote:Some great design work. I love the top button panel its just awesome looking like out of a luxury car. And the general shape, and the vents on the sides are great as well, kind of reminds me of NZXT's Phantom, but better imo. Though I am little put off by them having a cover that goes over their awesome looking buttons, but leaves the USB ports hanging out. I'd have done it the other way with the USB ports covered or just have them flush with the edge of the case instead of recessed. This is a very cool design direction for Cooler Master though, I hope they carry it on with other cases.

Also it weighs almost 50 lbs by itself, and its mega huge, why does it have hand holds on top who is really going to try and carry this thing around.
Part of the reason I said this monster needs a casters option is it is so big and heavy without gear, if you did a water loop on top of gear and the case weight it would kill you to move it. I about threw my back out trying to lift it on the table for the photo shoot. I kind of think the size is a bit of a negative because it is so tall it has to go next to a desk not under it. IMO it would look a bit silly on a desk because it is so massive and without a window, why would you want to do that anyway.

It is a really nice case, but the dimensions make it a bit awkward.

-Bill
User avatar
Bhench
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Posts: 86
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:16 am
Location: Chesterfield, Missouri USA

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by Bhench »

jjwa wrote:This looks like a great case! :) I could really use the tons of space and would actually like to install more than 11 HDDs.

So my question is: are the X-Docks removable? Because then I could have a DVD-burner in there as well as a 4-in-3 HDD bay.

My only other two worries so far, are the price and silence. It's cool that the fans are low-rpm, but I would hope it has some good dampening properties. But there does not seem too much of that. No soft mounting for the HDDs for example.
Yes, the X-Docks are removable and held in with some screws on either side of the main bay cage. The fans run so slow they do not really vibrate and the HDD trays DO have rubber between the tray and the pins that hold in the HDD's. Like I said in the review, with the doors closed I couldn't hear a thing and could only barely hear the fan whine with the doors open but that was with my head about 2 feet away. All that steel and thick doors make for a very very quiet enclosure.
User avatar
Bhench
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Posts: 86
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:16 am
Location: Chesterfield, Missouri USA

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by Bhench »

jdrom wrote:Great review!

One request though, any chance you could measure the top space for the radiator a bit more precisely? I'd like to know if I'd be able to get my HWLabs SR1-360 (listed at 54mm thick) to fit up top.

I know you estimate about 50mm, but obviously that's not quite enough space, unless of course the 120mm mounts are far enough away from the MB tray that it could hang in-front of the motherboard slightly.

Thanks :)
I broke out my more accurate calipers and the space between the edge of the mobo and the metal top plate is exactly 45mm but the holes are offset enough that you could probably hang down another 5mm or so depending on what components are edge mounted on your mobo. For instance on the board I installed I noticed a fan header that would have been blocked by a 360mm rad. In the top under the mesh cover there is 30mm of space the best I can measure since it is a sloped top. Enough for a fan or a thin rad. I love the 360 + 240 options on this case, I just wish they gave a little more room up top for something other than a H100. I know a black ice pro III is 25mm if you wanted to do push pull otherwise you could do a Koolance, XSPC (EK series), Black Ice GT, or Swiftech radiator with the fans in the roof.

The SR1-360 is 55.7mm thick so I tooka Feser 120mm rad that is 60mm thick and just holding it there it was smacking my DRAM and the VRM's. It was a no go, sorry.
jdrom
Legit User
Legit User
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:01 am

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by jdrom »

Bhench wrote:I broke out my more accurate calipers and the space between the edge of the mobo and the metal top plate is exactly 45mm but the holes are offset enough that you could probably hang down another 5mm or so depending on what components are edge mounted on your mobo. For instance on the board I installed I noticed a fan header that would have been blocked by a 360mm rad. In the top under the mesh cover there is 30mm of space the best I can measure since it is a sloped top. Enough for a fan or a thin rad. I love the 360 + 240 options on this case, I just wish they gave a little more room up top for something other than a H100. I know a black ice pro III is 25mm if you wanted to do push pull otherwise you could do a Koolance, XSPC (EK series), Black Ice GT, or Swiftech radiator with the fans in the roof.

The SR1-360 is 55.7mm thick so I tooka Feser 120mm rad that is 60mm thick and just holding it there it was smacking my DRAM and the VRM's. It was a no go, sorry.
Thanks for doing that for me.

It's a shame CM couldn't have made it 10-20mm taller though, then it would of been a near-perfect case, only other issue is the weight.

I suppose if I want to go with the Cosmos II, I'll have to sell my SR1 and buy something thinner and possibly a 240 for the bottom area to compensate. Decisions...decisions...
User avatar
Bhench
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Posts: 86
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:16 am
Location: Chesterfield, Missouri USA

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by Bhench »

jdrom wrote: Thanks for doing that for me.

It's a shame CM couldn't have made it 10-20mm taller though, then it would of been a near-perfect case, only other issue is the weight.

I suppose if I want to go with the Cosmos II, I'll have to sell my SR1 and buy something thinner and possibly a 240 for the bottom area to compensate. Decisions...decisions...
No problem. If you look at Skinnee Labs you can see that there is not a huge delta between 360mm rads and one of the best bang for the buck rads it the Swiftech MCR-360 (I own one myself in addition to a XSPC RX360). You could e-bay that SR-1, get a MCR-320 and have decent performance with only slightly faster fans. If you added that 240 in the bottom you could run slow fans and get better performance than you have now but then you give up 6 of the 11 tray bays and you said you needed more than 11 drives. I would tell you based on what your looking for you might be better off looking at a Case Labs M8 which can hold two RX 360 rads (with the 85mm extended top) and 24 HDD's if you wanted to load it up. If you don't need 24 hard drive mounts you can add two more RX360's. I am pointing out RX360's as some of the fatter rads out right now at 58.5mm.
jdrom
Legit User
Legit User
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:01 am

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by jdrom »

Bhench wrote:No problem. If you look at Skinnee Labs you can see that there is not a huge delta between 360mm rads and one of the best bang for the buck rads it the Swiftech MCR-360 (I own one myself in addition to a XSPC RX360). You could e-bay that SR-1, get a MCR-320 and have decent performance with only slightly faster fans. If you added that 240 in the bottom you could run slow fans and get better performance than you have now but then you give up 6 of the 11 tray bays and you said you needed more than 11 drives. I would tell you based on what your looking for you might be better off looking at a Case Labs M8 which can hold two RX 360 rads (with the 85mm extended top) and 24 HDD's if you wanted to load it up. If you don't need 24 hard drive mounts you can add two more RX360's. I am pointing out RX360's as some of the fatter rads out right now at 58.5mm.
Yeah I know the MCR320 is pretty solid, and I had a MCR220 before but the build quality was a bit lackluster. If I was to buy a "thin" radiator, I think I'd go with the XSPC EX series or Black Ice GTS. I'm gunning for silence, or close to it. Right now I'd say my Swiftech MCP35X is the nosiest component of my PC, but it can get a bit quieter thanks to it being PWM-controllable.

5 HDD bays are all I need as I have a RAID10 array (4 drives) and a single SSD. I don't expect to change this in the near future either due to HDD prices being so high. Technically speaking the Cosmos II suits me nearly perfect. All I could ask for is a window and for it to be slightly taller.

Luckily though, I've managed to snag a review unit for sale and should have it tomorrow so I can see things for myself. If it doesn't work, I already have somebody on standby who wants to buy it, so it'll be of no loss to me either way.

The M8 is definitely the runner up in my decisions currently. Though shipping to Canada is nearly $100 which is a bit hard to swallow. I'll likely wait a little longer though and see what the murderBox MKII production model looks like and the cost.
User avatar
Bhench
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Posts: 86
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:16 am
Location: Chesterfield, Missouri USA

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by Bhench »

Sounds good to me. I am with you on the silence and my MCP-35X is also the nosiest thing in my M8. After adding some koolance QDC's and the second 360mm rad I noticed my flow was only around .5 GPM so I just ordered a second one and a Koolance RP-402X2 Dual 5.25" Reservoir with a PWM splitter. Two of those pumps should give me good flow and like you said, with PWM I can keep them quiet. I also have an Aquacomputer Aquero 5 XT to manage my thermals and it does an amazing job after you figure out how to use it. If you are going for silence you should take a look at that unit if you like automated total system control.

Best of luck on the case, I hope you find one that works great for you. If you do keep that Cosmos II post some pics of your build here!

-Bill
Last edited by Bhench on Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jdrom
Legit User
Legit User
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:01 am

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by jdrom »

Haha, I have that reservoir already! Sounds like we have very similar goals/ideas.

I've definitely considered the Aquero 5, but the price tag always scares me off and that most of the instructions/website is in German and the English translations aren't that stellar.
dr-
Legit Little One
Legit Little One
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2012 11:13 pm

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by dr- »

Bhench wrote:
jdrom wrote: Thanks for doing that for me.

It's a shame CM couldn't have made it 10-20mm taller though, then it would of been a near-perfect case, only other issue is the weight.

I suppose if I want to go with the Cosmos II, I'll have to sell my SR1 and buy something thinner and possibly a 240 for the bottom area to compensate. Decisions...decisions...
No problem. If you look at Skinnee Labs you can see that there is not a huge delta between 360mm rads and one of the best bang for the buck rads it the Swiftech MCR-360 (I own one myself in addition to a XSPC RX360). You could e-bay that SR-1, get a MCR-320 and have decent performance with only slightly faster fans. If you added that 240 in the bottom you could run slow fans and get better performance than you have now but then you give up 6 of the 11 tray bays and you said you needed more than 11 drives. I would tell you based on what your looking for you might be better off looking at a Case Labs M8 which can hold two RX 360 rads (with the 85mm extended top) and 24 HDD's if you wanted to load it up. If you don't need 24 hard drive mounts you can add two more RX360's. I am pointing out RX360's as some of the fatter rads out right now at 58.5mm.
Bhench, thanks for clearing up the space for a rad up top. and jdrom, cheers for asking one of the burning questions i had. i have a few further queries Bhench, if you'd let me indulge =) (it's my first post!):

1.) can i realistically fit a thin/slim 280 radiator up top?
2.) or maybe even a 420 up top?
3.) can a 360 rad go on the bottom?
4.) or maybe a 280 rad @ the bottom, if the height allows for it? i do note that i would have to get some kind of a custom rad mounting mechanism if i go down this path
5.) what's the width of the bottom compartment? i am thinking of placing duad rads at the bottom, plus fans, and i was wondering if the width allows for that

thanks!
jdrom
Legit User
Legit User
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:01 am

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by jdrom »

I picked it up today, and as expected the SR-1 doesn't fit up top. Basically hangs over the top row of motherboard screws, so anything past that edge hits the radiator. That meant my RAM was impossible to ever get to, and the CPU power connector didn't fit.

Luckily though, it looks like I'll be able to fit my SR-1 360 in the bottom chamber (although not designed for it). It's a tight fit, but it'll suffice until I feel like replacing radiators. This is just a really rough, test fit. I need to figure out how to mount the radiator closer to the front of the case as there's about a 1cm gap right now. Clearly the included brackets won't be sufficient. Sadly, I don't really have any metal-working tools and no experience, but I need to figure out how to craft something similar, but to fit my SR1.

Image Image Image Image Image Image Image

As you can see, it fits (for the most part), but the PSU butts up right against it. I'm hoping if I can get the radiator situated right up to the front of the case that it will leave enough room for the modular connectors to be not strained.

So since I now have one, I can answer your questions from my POV, Bhench can confirm/deny what I've said though :lol:

1. Yes, as long as it's under 50mm tall, it should be able to mount inside the case with the fans "outside" of the case, under the top cover.
2. Not really possible, the 3rd fan spot is already partially over the 5.25" bays. Not enough room with all the electronics occupying the remaining portion of the top of the case.
3. Yes...
4. No, 120mm (at least my SR-1) is already tight at fitting. There's maybe about 5mm of space above it. It's enough to get it in without scratching anything basically.
5. Should be feasible with thin radiators, but you'll have to invent your own mounting system of course.
dr-
Legit Little One
Legit Little One
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2012 11:13 pm

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by dr- »

jdrom wrote:I picked it up today, and as expected the SR-1 doesn't fit up top. Basically hangs over the top row of motherboard screws, so anything past that edge hits the radiator. That meant my RAM was impossible to ever get to, and the CPU power connector didn't fit.

Luckily though, it looks like I'll be able to fit my SR-1 360 in the bottom chamber (although not designed for it). It's a tight fit, but it'll suffice until I feel like replacing radiators. This is just a really rough, test fit. I need to figure out how to mount the radiator closer to the front of the case as there's about a 1cm gap right now. Clearly the included brackets won't be sufficient. Sadly, I don't really have any metal-working tools and no experience, but I need to figure out how to craft something similar, but to fit my SR1.

*snip*

As you can see, it fits (for the most part), but the PSU butts up right against it. I'm hoping if I can get the radiator situated right up to the front of the case that it will leave enough room for the modular connectors to be not strained.

*snip*
jdrom, thanks for the info - it's mighty helpful. just some additional (hopefully!) quick questions about your SR-1 360 rad (or any other 360 rad, actually). when u mentioned about the 1cm gap, did you mean the gap between the back end of your rad (in your pictures), and the psu mount of the case, or did you mean you could still move your SR-1 rad 1cm closer to the front of the chassis, but could not?

i might want to mount a 420 at the top of the case just above the mobo (not in the external ceiling area, so it does not infringe on the electronics). does this mean i would sacrifice the first drive bay? this might also mean i can only mount the rad on the 140mm fan mounting holes for only 2 out of the 3 140mm segments of the rad - but i guess i can live with that.

i do wonder how much it would cost when it reaches australia's shores...
jdrom
Legit User
Legit User
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:01 am

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by jdrom »

There was 1cm at the front of the case when using the supplied radiator brackets. I rigged up my own mounting method though, so now things fit better.

Even doing a 360 up top will mean the 1st bay is useless, unless you have something that's only half-length. A DVD drive for example won't fit. A fan controller would though. This might be useful to you: http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.aspx?&m=1396055&mpage=1

This is how it looks now, obviously still tight, but better than what it was. At least the cables aren't rammed up against the radiator, and the PSU easily slides in now without me pushing on it so that it fits flush against the case.

Image Image Image Image
Image Image Image Image
Image Image
User avatar
Bhench
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Posts: 86
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:16 am
Location: Chesterfield, Missouri USA

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by Bhench »

dr- wrote:
jdrom wrote:I picked it up today, and as expected the SR-1 doesn't fit up top. Basically hangs over the top row of motherboard screws, so anything past that edge hits the radiator. That meant my RAM was impossible to ever get to, and the CPU power connector didn't fit.

Luckily though, it looks like I'll be able to fit my SR-1 360 in the bottom chamber (although not designed for it). It's a tight fit, but it'll suffice until I feel like replacing radiators. This is just a really rough, test fit. I need to figure out how to mount the radiator closer to the front of the case as there's about a 1cm gap right now. Clearly the included brackets won't be sufficient. Sadly, I don't really have any metal-working tools and no experience, but I need to figure out how to craft something similar, but to fit my SR1.

*snip*

As you can see, it fits (for the most part), but the PSU butts up right against it. I'm hoping if I can get the radiator situated right up to the front of the case that it will leave enough room for the modular connectors to be not strained.

*snip*
jdrom, thanks for the info - it's mighty helpful. just some additional (hopefully!) quick questions about your SR-1 360 rad (or any other 360 rad, actually). when u mentioned about the 1cm gap, did you mean the gap between the back end of your rad (in your pictures), and the psu mount of the case, or did you mean you could still move your SR-1 rad 1cm closer to the front of the chassis, but could not?

i might want to mount a 420 at the top of the case just above the mobo (not in the external ceiling area, so it does not infringe on the electronics). does this mean i would sacrifice the first drive bay? this might also mean i can only mount the rad on the 140mm fan mounting holes for only 2 out of the 3 140mm segments of the rad - but i guess i can live with that.

i do wonder how much it would cost when it reaches australia's shores...
Sorry guys my full time job slammed me this week so I am a bit tardy on my replies to the forum. JDROM thank you for answering the questions.

No you cannot fit a 420 up top as it would hit the hard drive cage unless you cut that out and you would have to trim out more metal at the top because the holes are actually 3x 120mm openings which would block the extra rad and be a waste. A 360 + 240 rad or if you can jam a second 360 in the bottom should be more than enough for even a SLI rig if not triple SLI rig with GTX 580's.

I am not sure about that 360 in the bottom as I think the way the vents are set up you would not get optimal airflow through 120mm of it and have to be careful with your PSU. If you really need dual 360's it is an option just not ideal and the extra 120mm could easily mounted on the rear exhaust for the same 720mm worth of rad without jamming things in. The way this case is set up it is not an ideal modders case with all the special parts attached and custom doors etc. I would say just go with a 360 in the top, 240 in the bottom and a 120 or 140 in the rear as long as your 360 ports are pointed toward the front.

The bottom hard drive area is 155mm wide but there is a panel between the PSU and hard drive area so you would have to run dual 240's or a 240 and 360 like JDROM shows in his pics.

In the end if your trying to jam that much rad inside a case I would tell you that you might want to think of another case like the Case Labs case that is made for tons of rads of all sizes. But 600mm of rad is actually quite a bit of cooling and probably north of 700 watts of heat dissipation with low speed 1200 RPM fans.

-Bill
User avatar
Bhench
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Posts: 86
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:16 am
Location: Chesterfield, Missouri USA

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by Bhench »

Haha, you beat me too it Jdrom! Nice work on getting a 360 in the bottom. Can the last 120 vent out or does that rear door vent partially cover your 3rd GT?
jdrom
Legit User
Legit User
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:01 am

Re: Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

Post by jdrom »

I would say the door vent covers about half of the 3rd GT by the PSU. I actually have the GT's running as intake, and plan to use the 2x120 (putting GT's there too) on the other side to exhaust. That being said, even with the door closed, I can feel a good amount of airflow coming through the radiator in a seemingly uniform pattern, so I think all is fine. I figure since there's a fair amount of space between the fans and the door, that it's able to draw the air better. Obviously if the door was right up against the fans, there would be issues.
Post Reply