Cooler Master CM Media B260 mBTX Case
Posted: 2006-03-27
Author:
BTX Man
Manufacturer:
Cooler Master
Source:
Cooler Master
External Features
An overview of the Cooler Master CM Media B260 can be seen in the images below. The bulk of the case is done in a sophisticated silver, with the front bezel being constructed of aluminum and the rest of the body being constructed of steel. The only significant portion that isn't silver is the large black rectangle found on the front bezel. This area is where the BTX CPU cooler draws in fresh air, and it is actually a mesh grill with filter media behind it, intended to keep dust out of your computer.
The case is quite compact, as indicated by the published dimensions, but it weighs more than you might expect for such a small case (even with the included power supply). With such a solid feel, the first impression I got was that it was very well built, and that flimsy wouldn't be one of the words that I could use to describe it!
Below we get a closer look at the left and right halves of the front face. In the below left image we see a few key features... Aluminum drive bay covers for one exposed 5.25" bay and one exposed 3.5" bay, chromed power and reset buttons, and LED indicator lights for power (blue) and hard drive activity (red). In the below right image we get a little closer look at the intake air grill as well as a handful of peripheral connections... two USB ports, one Firewire port, a stereo headphone jack, and a microphone jack.
The overall appearance of the case's front bezel is rather simple, but offers all of the basics you would expect. The word 'simple' isn't intended to be a negative comment, but on the contrary the simplicity gives it a refined look that would make the B260 fit in nicely as an HTPC in a high end theater arrangement.
The below left image shows off one side of the case, but both look the same. There are 3 groups of rather large perforations that cover about 2/3 of the surface area. All of these holes will allow for excellent ventilation, and are among the many cooling considerations that the BTX design wants to see implemented.
The above right image shows an overview of the rear of the case. The main features we see include three low profile expansion slots, one full height expansion slot parallel to the motherboard, the backplate area, a CFX format power supply, and a handful of additional ventilation holes. The case's cover (and two sides) are held on by three thumbscrews which can also be seen in the above right image.
The below left image takes a closer look at the left hand side of the case's rear surface. Anywhere that is not being used for a component is perforated to allow air to be blown out. As mentioned, all expansion cards installed directly into the motherboard (PCI or PCIe 1x) must be low profile in order to fit. The one exception is found in the location of the PCIe 16x slot, which allows the use of a full height card through the use of a riser card provided with the case (detailed later). The below right image shows off an external view of the 275W CFX power supply. With just a quick glance it may appear to be a typical ATX/BTX power supply, but note the notched corner on the lower left edge. This area is notched to let it be mounted more compactly, and the motherboard actually extends under this notched corner when installed. Other than the novel design of the CFX power supply, it will be interesting to see how well a 275W PSU holds up to a fairly power hungry system to be installed in this case.
The bottom of the case is not shown, but looks the same as the top... A smooth surface of silver painted steel. There are no feet pre-installed on this case, but we will see later that some self-adhesive feet are provided should you care to want them.
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