Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced Case

Cooler Master is a brand name that constantly strives to offer the enthusiast community fresh new products with a proven track record. Although the original CM-690 was launched back in August 2007, that chassis still remains a popular choice for do-it-yourself computer system builders even today. Skip to 2010, and Cooler Master launches the CM690-II Advanced mid-tower case to compliment the CM-series enthusiast product line. The new RC-692-KKN2 model improves upon the original design with an updated look, and adds a new list of features fitting of the modern technology landscape. In this article, Benchmark Reviews inspects the Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced Edition performance enclosure and determines just how much has really changed in this sequel.

Benchmark Reviews may be a website dedicated towards the testing of performance-level products like motherboards and processors, but our Featured Reviews: Cases section proves that we also really enjoy building systems into the finest enclosures available; one of which was the Cooler Master CM 690 NVIDIA Edition Case. The comparison between the originator and successor shouldn't take much memory of the product line, because ironically the Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced arrived to our lab in the same week Benchmark Reviews was building a high-end performance computer system with the original CM690 case.

Cooler Master offers two versions of the new CM690-II computer case, and each version has a standard and windowed model. The RC-692-KKN3 model designates the CM 690 II Regular, and the RC-692-KWN3 adds a windowed side-panel. The top-of-line RC-692-KKN2 model designates the CM 690 II Advanced, and the windowed version is coded with RC-692-KWN2. For this article, Benchmark Reviews has received the Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced RC-692-KKN2 for testing.

Cooler Master's CM690-II is the apogee of mid-tower chassis development. Its development began with the original CM-690 and will be fulfilled with the launch of the CM690-II. This mid-tower chassis improves upon the CM-690 in technical, aesthetic and user friendly aspects. Cooler Master's CM series are enthusiast-grade products that are built for simplicity in design and elegance in outlook. Essential development was begun as a global effort, synthesizing the needs of our customers worldwide. While mechanical innovations were developed by our engineers, end-user suggestions for improving the original CM-690 were added on top of feedback from global focus groups.

Creating a follow-up to the widely respected CM-690 was no easy task. Since the CM690's introduction in 2007, the CM-690 became one of Cooler Master's best selling chassis. Sales records were set, building our brand image as innovators in the mid-tower chassis category. Only now after two years the CM-690 still remains a benchmark in the mid tower category, but experiences new competition from imitators offering near identical specifications with surprisingly similar exterior design. To continually lead the market, Cooler Master built the CM690-II (RC-692-KKN2). The CM690-II defines a new category of functional, mainstream chassis that have enthusiast features.We present a fresh chassis that improves upon the original CM-690 in every way. We believe that with these improvements the CM690-II does not lose any of the original design spirit.

CM690-II Specifications

About Cooler Master

Cooler Master was founded with the mission of providing the industry's best thermal solutions. Since its establishment a decade ago, the company has remained faithful to this mission, emerging as a world leader in products and services for companies dealing with devices where heat issues must be resolved.

In pursuing this mission, Cooler Master is absolutely committed to delivering solutions that precisely meet customer requirements for features, performance, and quality. Moreover, we strive to be a reliable long-term partner for our customers that they can truly depend on. It aims to be the first and foremost name that comes to mind for companies around the world seeking thermal solutions, and seeks to build such a reputation through outstanding technology, sophisticated design, and superior service.

Cooler Master's current business encompasses a comprehensive lineup of thermal solutions for a full range of applications. Its products range from heat sinks and fans to component housing, chassis, and ducting for computers, industrial machinery, telecommunications equipment, and many other devices.

Closer Look: CM690-II Exterior

On the outside, the CM690-II is not perceivably larger than the original CM-690. The original CM-690 has sloped and curved planes and edges, which the CM690-II closely maintains the original dimensions. The original CM690 created a (W) 8.38 x (H) 18.98 x (D) 20.67-inch footprint, while the CM690-II measures (W) 8.4 x (H) 20.1 x (D) 20.8-inch. Out of respect for the original design, Cooler Master balanced the new look with the best aspects from the old CM-690 design. Chrome plastic trim accents unify the sleek looks of the front bezel.

The first visible difference between the original CM690 and the new CM690-II is the number of mesh front bezel knock-out panels for the 5.25" expansion bay: down from five to four, as there are now six total 3.25" bays on the RC-692-KKN2.

The front bezel receives an updated face lift, and adds stamped creases into the front fan mesh and lower shoulder. The new CM690-II also reduces the box-like appearance of the original CM690, and adds subtle edges with more gradual transitions.

Cooler Master has given the CM690-II Advanced two vertically-inline positions for 140mm or smaller fans on the RC-692-KKN2 model. The windowed version may also offer this functionality, but it has not been launched to market at the time of this article.

Although most users had no problem with the side-corner orientated button location on the original CM690, it's probably for the best that Cooler Master relocated these items to the top shoulder of the case.

The rear panel has earned an additional expansion bay slot, located parallel to the service-side door panel between the included 120x25mm rear exhaust fan and power supply location.

In the next section, the Cooler Master CM690-II receives a more detailed inspection of its features.

Detailed Exterior Features

Continuing with the comparison between old and new, the CM690-II changes appearance at the topside more than anywhere else. On the original CM690, the top panel was a flat square section of mesh, with two small strips of ports nearly midway down the top of the case. The CM690-II uses pressed mesh to form a shapely landscape, and potentially improving the strength of an otherwise bendable mesh panel.

The original CM690 had two strips of I/O connections running horizontally with the length of the case, and pardon me for saying so, but they looked odd in that location. The Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced RC-692-KKN2 moves all of the 'front' panel I/O ports close to the shoulder of the bezel, which is going to be easy to reach for people who set their system on the floor or on a desktop.

One of the primary features that earn the Cooler Master CM690-II its 'Advanced' status is the top-panel SATA tray called "X-Dock". This certainly makes an external hard drive enclosure pointless, and reduces the clutter of power adapters and eSATA cables. It also saves money, since either a standard desktop 3.5" drive or 2.5" notebook drive can become an instant portable storage device (both sizes offer extreme g-force impact protection on current models). For me, this will make testing SSDs a breeze! Whenever this bay is not in use, a dust-cover slides over the top to keep the area clean.

On certain configurations or legacy computer systems, the SATA X-Dock will not offer hot-swap functionality. This is because lower-quality lower-power units may turn-off the entire computer system upon drive insertion. Using modern components and motherboards with a recent hard drive controller the Cooler Master X-Dock hot-swap bay will work normally (however some systems do not offer hot-swap functionality).

One are that hasn't changed is the area surrounding the power supply unit. The PSU still mounts at the bottom-rear of the case, and has an intake opening at the bottom for units with a top fan.

There are two large rubber feet on the rear of the chassis for anti vibration function as well as two rubber pads under the front feet, which are identical in design to the original CM690. These feet improve traction and isolate vibrations from the chassis, and elevate the CM690-II approximately 1/2-inch from the surface to allow underside ventilation.

On the new Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced, the two liquid-cooling hose grommets have been moved from the rigintal location along the side (now occupied by the vertical expansion bay slot), up to the top of the case where the radiator is most likely to be located. The two grommets safely support 5/8-inch ID tubing.

Now that the exterior features have been examined, let's see how the new Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced RC-692-KKN2 case looks on the inside...

Closer Look: CM690-II Interior

When it comes to buying a new computer enclosure, most builders look at what's on the outside to help base their decision. In reality though, experienced system builders know that if the interior layout isn't functional the entire system could be compromised. Based on the original CM690, it's unlikely that Cooler Master made any compromises.

The interior of the new CM690-II is all-black, with not a single panel deviating from the design. In my book this comes as an improvement over the original design, which had an all-black exterior with an unpainted steel interior. The CM690-II Advanced has the most user friendly cable management plan Cooler Master has ever offered, with five wide-opening portals cut out of the solid motherboard tray for cable routing.

Cooler Master adds a new toggle style tool-free optical drive/5.25"-device retainer. This mechanism is labeled to lock the device in-place when the toggle is moved to the left and open on the right. The metal pegs interlock securely to prevent device movement. If you don't want to use the toggle mechanism, you can quickly remove the locks to use traditional screw mounting.

The original CM690 offered users five 3.5" drive bays, while the new Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced delivers six. The new trays open with a swing-action design, similar to the drive trays we've seen on NAS Server products tested lately. All of the 3.5" bays have rubber anti-vibration mounts to reduce vibration noise on high-RPM hard disk drives. Directly in front of the drive cage is a 120mm cooling fan which gives direct airflow coverage to the four lowest drive bays in the default position, but as a unique new feature it can also be moved anywhere up or down the six drive bays.

The second of three items that create the 'Advanced' CM690-II package is an included 2-in-1 adapter that allows allows two 2.5" SSD/notebook devices to be mounted inside one 3.5" hard drive bay within the chassis.

The third unique item is a GPU retention mechanism, which Cooler Master introduces in the CM690-II Advanced. This bracket supports up to three (triple-) CrossFireX or SLI video cards. The dedicated adjustable GPU retention bracket allows for increased support, and reduces stress on motherboard PCI-Express slots while ensuring that heavy and longer-length graphics cards have additional support. This bracket hangs on two screws that can be adjusted to meet different GPU widths or motherboard configurations.

Cooler Master designed a generous 1/2-inch of clearance behind the motherboard tray, which makes it easy to route large-gauge cables. There are eleven anchor points for cable ties behind the motherboard, which are included with the RC-692 kit. Three large portals on the right side of the motherboard tray allow for routing of SATA, PSU, IDE, and possibly even liquid-cooling cables behind the motherboard.

The power supply unit can be mounted in two different ways using the provided CM690-II screw holes. The first position is to mount the PSU so that its fan draws air from within the chassis, or the second position allows the power supply to intake outside air from the bottom and expel it outside the chassis through the rear. The CM690-II supports both standard and extended ATX power supplies over 190mm in length.

The Cooler Master CM690-II can accommodate video cards and other add-in components up to 11.96 inches (304mm) before bumping into the drive cage (less if a drive cage fan is installed). There is more than enough room to fit an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 (10.5"/267mm long) or ATI Radeon HD 5870 (11.0"/279.4mm), but extended products like the Radeon HD 5970 that measures 12.1" long will not fit without excessive force.

Detailed Interior Features

When Cooler Master made it possible to install high-end CPU coolers with back-plate supports without taking the system apart on cases like the HAF-932 and ATCS-840, the days of removing the mainboard for the sake of an aftermarket cooler were gone. Now that same well-proportioned retention hole makes its debut on the CM690-II, and can support motherboards including 1366 and AM3 socket access.

Although the side-panel fan vent is a carry-over from the original CM690, the motherboard tray knockout gives an optional 80mm direct cooling access to the CPU retention back-plate.

Both the front- and top-panels have low-restriction open area fan intakes and exhausts. Using an open frame reduces wind turbulence while preserving high airflow, and allows for a reduction in air noise. Cooler Master claims that this feature was developed directly from end-user feedback, so apparently our reviews and suggestions do make a difference.

The Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced RC-692 features a removable steel drive bay rack, which users can customize to fit their needs without compromising chassis strength. Users can remove the four lower 3.5"drive bays while keeping two upper 3.5"bays intact. Enthusiasts can keep the minimal support for two 3.5"drives or only one 3.5" drive and two 2.5" notebook/SSD drives.

Cooler Master's modular design is specifically designed to offer versatile water cooling options. The top fan area is specifically designed to accommodate up to a 280mm radiator (2x 140mm fans). In addition, this same 240mm radiator can also be installed with the fans above the chassis. On the bottom panel a 240mm radiator can be installed once the hard drive rack is removed, provided that the power supply and radiator don't interfere with each other. The CM690-II is the only mid-tower computer case engineered specifically to support twin radiators without modification.

Benchmark Reviews likes to tout our collection of high-performance CPU cooler tests, which to-date has compared nearly one-hundred coolers. The point of this is that the aftermarket cooling industry has no shortage of products, and fitting them into computer case requires knowing the limits. In regard to the Cooler Master CM690-II series of computer cases, you'll need to ensure that the CPU cooler does not exceed 6.96 inches/177mm in height or it will obstruct the side panel (less if side fan is installed). Below is a chart displaying the height of several Cooler Master CPU coolers for illustration.

So that's the Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced RC-692-KKN2. In the next few sections, I offer my final thoughts on the state of computer chassis products followed by my summary conclusion and ratings.

Computer Chassis Final Thoughts

Initially I had no plan of creating a stand-alone page for my final thoughts, but then I began to dwell on a few trends that seem to be circling the computer chassis industry without relent. For each and every year that I have been professionally involved with computers (which officially began for me around 1998), the same collective trends have repeated themselves over and over. Originally, beige computer cases were the de facto standard for enthusiasts wanting to construct their own IBM clone personal computer. The focus seemingly revolved around strength and capacity (usually for fans) while fashion and creature comforts were often neglected.

I thought this trend was going to phase itself out around the turn of the century, but there was still a dominant demand for large full-tower cases. Beige was still the only color you'd expect and nearly everything was built of steel. The most you could really expect out of higher-end computer cases around the Y2K era was a vast collection of colorful (usually purple) cages for smaller 60mm cooling fans (92mm in rare occasions). Case strength was still a marketing buzz word used in ads to show how much lumpy geek-weight could be supported by their case. Even though most of these products were anchored down to the floor due to their excessive weight, the marketing hype seemed to hypnotize the masses. This is all slowly bringing me to my point: which is that the more things change the more they seem to remain the same.

Personal Computers evolved out of the beige-syndrome condition sometime around 2002, when aftermarket chassis manufacturers began selling aluminum versions of their cases and tier-one OEM's began shipping systems with a black contoured plastic shell. It would take a little while to catch on, but not much later we began to see colored plastic bezels and see-through side-panel windows available on just about everything that could hold a motherboard. With the exception of a few minor tweaks here and there, computer cases remained the same at their core.

By this point (early 2010), the computer industry has changed so much that the landscape could look entirely different from when I began breathing bytes over a decade ago. But something tells me that with all the change, we'll inadvertently keep a few things the same out of habit. One of which, the one trend I've been harping on most about, is the rugged durability of computer cases that seem to have evolved above and beyond what any normal consumer would actually require.

Since Benchmark Reviews first launched back in March of 2007, I have personally reviewed many dozens of computer cases. I sometimes think that I've seen it all, but then I browse the a company website to discover a computer case shaped like a snail shell. It's a bizarre world for sure, but what can we leave behind as we evolve away from our ancient computing roots? Not all that long ago everyone seemed to want a full-tower computer with ten drive bays, and just a few years later they reduced their demands to almost half that amount. Begining a new calendar decade, I have to wonder what it is we'll really need from our computer cases into the future.

The future of computer cases

Back in the day, having two (or more) optical drives was almost a requirement for anyone who wanted to work with optical CD- and DVD-ROM formats. Now you can have one drive that reads and writes to CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc (or HD-DVD is you're a sore loser). This makes anything more than two 5.25" external drive bays unnecessary, three if you add-in an aftermarket fan-controller. Next is the 2.5" external drive bay, which was used exclusively for floppy disk drives (once upon a time in the Ronald Regan era). Since your average CD/DVD or USB flash drive has replaced removable magnetic media for pennies on the dollar, I don't expect the 2.5" drive bay to get much attention anymore. Although a few people might still be using multimedia expansion bays (outfitted for a 5.25" expansion bay), I think that manufacturers have done an excellent job making I/O ports readily available on the front, top, and side of most cases we see produced. So far, there hasn't been real reason to have more than two or three external drive bays total, so there's obviously some fat to be trimmed from modern designs.

The last hold-out is the hard drive cage, which has historically (if not traditionally) held between four and six hard disk drives. This made sense back around the turn of the century, when capacities were on the level of 8 GB, but we live in a world of affordable multi-Terabyte sized hard drives. So do we need all of these drive bays? I don't think so, and it would be nice if more manufacturers updated their drive cage to include 2.5" bays for Solid State Drive storage devices.

It seems that enthusiasts are also making a slow shift towards compact computing. Small Form Factor (SFF) cases have been getting more and more popular over the past few years, and now they make up a noticeable segment of the consumer after-market. Let's recount our basic needs: two external 5.25 drive bays and possibly two more internal 5.25" drive bays. With an open mind, you could even begin to see how a MicroATX motherboard might also make good sense for most of us since PCI slots are really a necessity of the past (for modems, sound cards, and network interface cards); devices that all come integrated and packaged as on-board hardware.

Which brings me into my final thoughts: are we really clinging to the past when we accept a new design? I don't know what each of you need out of a computer case, but I can begin to imagine that none of you will be using your PC chassis to support your body weight while you change a light bulb. Full tower cases, while still in demand for a tiny slice of enthusiasts, are about as necessary for home users as Cadillac Escalades are for grocery-getters. Mid-tower computer cases are a different story, and without some major change to power supply unit dimensions in a future ATX standard we will be seeing them for a long time to come. I think it's great that we can have all of this extra space, but personally I think we need manufacturers to begin to think outside the box and come up with product designs more in-line with our evolved hardware needs.

CM690-II Advanced Conclusion

Although our rating and final score are made to be as objective as possible, please be advised that every author perceives these factors differently at different points in time. While we do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer changes which occur after publication that would render our rating obsolete. Please do not base your purchases solely on our conclusion, as it represents our product rating at the time of publication. Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary for each of the areas that we rate.

Benchmark Reviews begins each conclusion with a short summary for each area that we rate. The first is performance, which considers how effective the Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced is compared to other mid-tower ATX computer cases. In general, Cooler Master has accomplished what so many other companies have not with follow-up product model sequels. Areas that would have been improved by a 140mm (14cm) cooling fan have received one (or two), and motherboard tray modifications like the processor back-side cooler certainly offer a more stable CPU overclock. Where the CM690-II has really proven itself a top performer is in the area of airflow, which offers enthusiasts the opportunity to configure a wide range of fan combinations spanning over eleven different positions.

Appearance is always a subjective matter, and extremely difficult to rate with so many different preferences. My own personal opinion not withstanding, I believe most system builders will agree that black is a preferred color for computer cases; as silver (and other random colors) won't match optical drive bezels. That being said, the CM690-II is black on the inside and out, so you'll want to make sure it's your color. Aside from color, the syle lines and contours have done a good job of breaking-up the flat square panels that made up the old design. The location of the external I/O ports is certainly more appealing, too.

Construction quality in Cooler Master products has never really been an issue, and with a SECC chassis and steel mesh skin the CM690-II is as strong as any computer case. Of course if the past comes back to haunt us, advertisers could probably stand someone on top of the Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced like they did in their old magazine promotions.

In terms of functionality, the CM690-II is best-improved by the 'Advanced' RC-692-KKN2 model that adds Cooler Master's X-Dock, video card (reinforced) mounting bracket, and dual 2.5" into single 3.5" tray. Even without the Advanced trim, system builders and hardware enthusiasts both benefit by the multiple fan locations and two liquid-cooling radiator positions. Of all the features, my personal favorite in the versatile drive cage, which can be removed completely and still offer two 3.5" bays.

As of March 2010, NewEgg offers the Cooler Master CM690-II for $79.99 to the value and bargain do-it-yourself segment, while the Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced RC-692-KKN2 we reviewed here in this article sells for $99.99 and includes the SATA drive X-Dock, GPU retention mechanism, and 2-in-1 drive adapter. Obviously there's value behind the CM690-II, which is suggested to sell for half the price we've seen comparible models sold for. The original CM690 is available for $59.99 after rebate.

As I penned my notes for the final recommendation, I couldn't help but notice how many other computer cases have sold for much highest prices when the offer half the features and functionality. For me, value takes everything into consideration, and then puts a price tag on it. For the Cooler Master CM690-II series as a whole, there's a lot of excellent design built into the new model, along with improvements over the original (which will still be sold). For hardware enthusiasts (especially overclockers) and system builders, the Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced RC-692-KKN2 could easily become the go-to chassis for higher-end computers.

Pros:

+ Outstanding cooling potential for overclocked systems
+ SATA X-Dock feature (on Advanced) allows convenient external media
+ 11.96" Video card / 6.96" CPU cooler clearance
+ Motherboard tray cut-out for CPU cooler back-plate removal
+ Eleven fan locations for optimal airflow (include back of motherboard)
+ Two locations for liquid-cooling radiators
+ Convenient top-mounted I/O panel with audio input and eSATA
+ Anti-vibration rubber case feet and pads for all drives
+ Tall mid-tower design offers five 5.25" and six 3.5" bays
+ Visually appealing contours and design
+ Tool-less side panels, bezel, and drive bays
+ Some fan and vent openings have cleanable lint filters
+ Excellent cable management with 1/2" clearance
+ Two year warranty

Cons:

- No sound dampening material
- May be too tall for any location other than floor
- Expansion card retaining latches incompatible on some video cards
- Heavy-weight steel product

Ratings:

• Performance: 9.25
• Appearance: 8.75
• Construction: 9.25
• Functionality: 9.50
• Value: 8.75

Final Score: 9.1 out of 10.

Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.

Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.

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