Price
The
Cooler Master CM Media B260 mBTX Case can be found at a handful of familiar online retailers for around $100 to $110 (US) as of the day this review was completed. Some places worth shopping include
Newegg and
Directron, where the final prices with shipping will be closer to $120 (US).
Comparing the features, quality, and overall impression of this case as compared to all of the ATX units I have used, it seems a but high. It is definitely well made and includes a power supply (although it is just 275W), but for $120 I would expect alot from such a small case.
Conclusion
The
Cooler Master CM Media B260 mBTX Case is a very sharp looking unit, and as well suited to serve as a typical desktop as it is to be an HTPC. In addition to the looks, the system has the silence necessary to make it a good fit in your media center. I don't care how good a system looks, if the fans drown out your movies or music, it isn't worth much to me as an HTPC. Cooler Master has a reputation for doing things right, and the design of the B260 as intended for use in an HTPC setting is no exception.
The entire case is well made, and the attention to detail is quite impressive. Seams are nice and tight, the outer finish is attractive and functional, and the weight of the case is a good indicator that the construction is anything but flimsy. Plus, the assembly was simple enough to let you know that someone had thought things through with the design.
One area that could be addressed to make installation even easier would be to make more features tool-less. The drives install without tools and the top cover can be removed without tools, but you will need a screw driver in order to address other features. Even though drives go into the cage without tools, you need to remove a few screws in order to take the cage out of the case prior to installing a motherboard. Same goes for the power supply... The ultra-compact design, coupled with the use of an SFX power supply, means that you have to remove four more screws in order to temporarily remove the PSU while installing a motherboard.
The included power supply did well, despite my concerns with the low total power rating and what seemed to be weak specifications on the key voltage rails. The case doesn't allow for too many extras to be installed, and with just the basics installed, everything worked just fine.
One issue with the power supply is that it could be doing more to cool the case. The only exhaust fan on the system is found in the PSU, and unfortunately the minimal vent holes in the PSU housing coupled with the bundle of power cables blocking many of these holes had to have hindered the system cooling performance. Overall, the cooling of the system is supposed to be enhanced in a BTX environment, but the small space eliminates the possibility for additional case cooling, as well as cooling for components like hard drives.
Pros
• Attractive styling, perfect for an HTPC
• Low profile design, but still allowed full height PCIe graphics with included riser card
• Low noise, almost no noise
• Well built
Cons
• Well ventilated housing, but could use better exhaust at rear of case
• Power supply was adequate, but low powered, and contributed minimally to air flow
• Not tool-less, except for a very few areas
• Price seems high compared to similar ATX cases
