| Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 Computer Case |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | |
| Written by Olin Coles | |
| Thursday, 13 September 2007 | |
Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000In the past year of operating my business I have had my hands on no less than fifty different computer cases, all designed and marketed for the hardware enthusiast and gamer. Even here at Benchmark Reviews, which is just now turning half a year old, we already have articles on over a dozen such products ranging from HTPC enclosures to extremely simple cases. After working with so many different varieties and designs I have started to quickly categorize these products into different classes the moment I see them, which allows me to easily determine which computer case might appeal to a certain demographic. Computer enthusiasts are a lot like automobile owners: we all want something different than everyone else while expressing ourselves at the same time. With so many options to choose from, both in the auto industry and the computer industry, it isn't very difficult to find your taste. Just last week I reviewed the , which could easily share relation to the exotic sports cars we can't afford. It was a very nice case, to be sure, but at the end of the day a sports car only has one purpose. In this article we take the Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 Full-Tower ATX Computer Case RC-1000-KSN1-GP for a test drive, and right away I can tell this will be the Range Rover of computer cases.
Cooler Master is very well known for their extensive line of performance computer cooling components. Almost everyone who has been a part of the computer industry can remember their original line of CPU heatsinks; even I still have a (very old) socket 7 CPU cooler in inventory with their label on it. Certainly one thing is clear: times have changed. It wasn't until the last few years that this company began producing components outside of their initial focus. From cases and coolers, to power supplies and hard drive enclosures. It seems almost necessary then that Cooler Master design the ultimate computer chassis which combines their collective skill set, and these creative minds built the Cosmos (RC-1000).
In 2007, Cooler Master created COSMOS, a serene spirit within a luxurious, high-performance body. Each line of COSMOS is born with elegant heritage originated from devotion to prudence and innovation. It is captivating to know such power is enclosed behind the silence. About the company: Cooler MasterCooler 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. A critical component of Cooler Master’s ability to successfully pursue its mission is an unstinting commitment to quality, as demonstrated by the ISO 9001 certification granted to its main manufacturing plant in Taiwan. It has also enforced ISO guidelines and is in the process of applying for ISO 9002 certification at its second and third plants, located in China. Cooler Master has also implemented a number of analytical and testing protocols to ensure top quality, including at subcontractors, to further ensure thorough quality control. Moreover, Cooler Master’s dedication to quality extends beyond manufacturing to every aspect of its operation, including service. As a company, Cooler Master is an organization that is finely tuned to the demands of providing innovative solutions that meet customer needs as rapidly as possible. Rather than adopt a traditional corporate structure and then try to retrofit operations to suit such a preexisting structure, Cooler Master’s is a company built around the nature of its operations, providing maximum efficiency and strict workflow control. Focused on meeting customer requirements flexibly and efficiently, Cooler Master’s workflows commence with careful surveys to understand these requirements, and then proceed to R&D, manufacturing, marketing, and sales, as part of a comprehensive and tightly integrated workflow. Throughout the design process, Cooler Master maintains robust communications channels with customers, taking advantage of online systems as well, to keep customers informed about the status of projects and allowing Cooler Master engineers to understand customer concerns as they evolve. Moreover, Cooler Master engineers make extensive use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis software tools to model heat absorption and dissipation characteristics of in-progress designs to ensure that final products completely satisfy customer specifications. 
Cosmos Features
RC-1000 Specifications
Closer Look: Cosmos ExteriorI have been aware of Cooler Master's expansion into the computer case product line for about a year now. They have been at it for longer, but their product line really remained under my radar until recently. I have always liked the design concept used in their other products, but nothing had really caught my attention until I previewed the Cosmos RC-1000 full-tower ATX case several months back.
This isn't your average computer chassis. Period. Nothing about what you will read or see in the next few pages will give you the complete experience of seeing this case in person. I regret this, but it is the truth. I have reviewed a lot of computer cases recently, and the Cosmos 1000 is by far the most unique and full-featured product I have seen in a very long time. It's so different, that the comparison between it and other computer cases is roughly the same as the feeling you have when you upgrade your old TV for a new HDTV. Hopefully this analogy makes sense, but if you haven't experienced that feeling just yet, read this article, and just be prepared to drop you jaw and say "wow".
To begin with, Cooler Master didn't just improve some odds and ends and then throw the Cosmos name on a full-tower ATX case with a different take on an already-used look. No sir. Cooler Master went about designing the RC-1000 from the ground up. Not to get sidetracked, but this is definitely not another remake of an older case, like the Zalman Z-Machine GT1000, NZXT Lexa Blackline, and Antec P182 all were (actually the P182 was essentially the same exact case as the Antec P180B before it). 
When I first learned of the Cooler Master Cosmos, long before the product details were out, I silently thought that it was just another case with a slight twist to the design. In this case, I thought the rails were the new twist, and that everything else on the RC-1000 full-tower ATX case was identical to some other Cooler Master creation. I sure was wrong, and I feel pretty naive for passing judgment based on my first impression of the product's appearance; a deadly sin for any product analyst.
The RC-1000 is deceptive. You would think that looks could tell a story, but the Cooler Master Cosmos is one full-tower ATX case that reads backwards. Take a close look at the images above before moving on to the detailed features, I guarantee that you will be surprised by more than a few things by the conclusion of this review.
RC-1000 Detailed Exterior FeaturesBeginning our detailed examination of the Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 full-tower ATX case we start at the top. I assure you that no case has ever had this design before. Sturdy rails are mounted to the top of the Cosmos, which in all likelihood will never see real use (they aren't luggage racks). I must admit though, the Cosmos 1000 is not feather light, so if you are constantly moving your system these rails will become you friend.
Four USB 2.0 ports begin the I/O panel, followed by headphone/microphone mini-plugs, a single IEEE-1324 Firewire B port, and completed with the new eSATA port interface. This is probably among the best case I/O panels you will see, but this only gets better. Cooler Master didn't lock the reset and power button behind the bezel door; they are right out in the open for easy access.
Cooler Master has done something a little different with the front panel plates for the Cosmos. Each plate is a ventilated grill, which works to improve and balance intake pressure. These drive bay plates are easily removed from the RC-1000 by depressing the side and pulling away from the case.
Also visible in the image above is the door hinge mechanism. Cooler Master made the front bezel door to be right or left-hand accessible. The Cosmos RC-1000 sports white plastic hinge components, with a spring-loaded pin to allow moving to either side of the full-tower ATX case.
These extra drive bay plates would be easily stored in the handy "Exclusive Carrying Box" if it were only slightly longer. Keep them in a safe place, because they are meant to be reusable. In the meantime, that carry box is a good place for zip-ties and spare thumb screws.
Of the many other features built into the Cosmos RC-1000, Cooler Master has designed easy-release side panels. There is a lever for each side panel, and they are located at the top side of the back end, near the liquid cooling hose grommets.
Cooler Master has kept liquid-cooling enthusiasts in mind, and rightfully so since they offer the Aquagate product line of silent cooling solutions. The two soft-rubber grommets allow liquid-cooling hoses to enter the case from the top, thanks to the relocated power supply housing. The Cosmos RC-1000 comes with a rear 120mm cooling fan to exhaust heated air from the full-tower ATX case, which works together with two top mounted 120mm fans. Let's move on to our look at the Cosmos 1000 interior, and see some of the finer features built into this case.
Closer Look: Cosmos InteriorFrom the side view of the open Cosmos RC-1000 full-tower ATX case there are a few new features and a few Cooler Master has successfully implemented into past products. The tool-less drive bay retaining clips may look familiar, since the ones used on the Cooler Master Elite 332 and 333 are nearly identical, but they are actually a new design. Just as new to the scene are the hard drive trays, and the removable video card wind tunnel.
The Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 uses a negative pressure effect, thanks to the three 120mm cooling fans exhausting the full-tower ATX case, which allows the removable wind tunnel to provide cool air flow for graphic cards installed on the motherboard. This raises a concern however, since nearly all modern video cards require positive inner-case air pressure to blow heated air over the fins and out the back of the case (such as the entire GeForce 8800 series). I think that this will require the relocation of a fan or two elsewhere in the case to provide positive intake pressure to the Cosmos RC-1000.
The image above shows a front view of the RC-1000 full-tower ATX case with the removable drive bay plates and steel blanks all removed. The honeycomb grill offers passive ventilation, or an optional fan (identical to the adjustable direction fan at the bottom) can purchased and installed into this location. In certain conditions, removing the lower adjustable fan and placing it atop the hard drive cage would offer the best cooling.
Cooler Master may not have taken the idea of noise canceling material and applied it to every panel, as we were delighted to see in the NZXT HUSH Silent Mid-Tower ATX Case, but the Cosmos RC-1000 certainly has nothing to lose by offering sound-deadening material to the double-wall steel side panels.
Here is a closer look (above) at the Cosmos RC-1000 5.25" device retaining clips. Simply push the baby-blue Cooler Master button, and the clip detaches from the steel cage. No screws are necessary, as the retaining pins fit into the device screw holes.
The image above gives an excellent view of the power supply vent, as well as the lower intake cooling fan. I'm not entirely sure why Cooler Master decided on putting this particular fan at the bottom of the Cosmos RC-1000, granted there's plenty of room in this full-tower ATX case to accommodate it. This fan has an adjustable deflector that can turn 360° so that the air flow can be aimed at particular components. The power supply vent chamber will accomodate standard sized ATX power supplies, however the larger 7.9" PSU's will mount with a slight overhang.
Cooler Master has given me something to think about with the placement of the PSU. Because the location is moved to the bottom of the case, it really offers more room for fans at the top of the Cosmos RC-1000. But there's still more to the Cosmos PSU location than meets the eye. Consider that most power supply units have a fan on the underside, and then notice the vented opening which has insulating strip around the frame. This design approach removes the PSU from the positive/negative pressure effect of this particular full-tower ATX case, which proves there was some extra planning involved. But this is just the beginning; there's even more ahead...
RC-1000 Detailed Interior FeaturesWhen you take into consideration that Cooler Master has been doing their homework with each and every case produced, you come to realize that the Cosmos RC-1000 offers more than just a home to your components. This full-tower ATX case integrates several independently designed features which combine to offer outstanding cooling and improved convenience.
The opposite side of the Cooler Master Cosmos is more technical than most cases. The RC-1000 has two very large oval openings for cable management running vertically, and one small oval horizontal port beneath the motherboard. These openings are more than large enough to accommodate every cable that can reach them, but you will notice that there is very little room for cables to run to/from these ports from behind the motherboard. The steel reinforcing beam just to the right of the two large cable management ports only offers about a quarter-inch of clearance before the side panel will be obstructed.
One particular area of the Cosmos RC-1000 which deserves some special attention is the hard drive cage. Since the trays have only one opening for power and data cables, your cables will be relegated to enter/exit though the large vertical ports. This is fine, except that removing the hard drive now requires opening both side panels to remove cable connections, and remove the thumb screw securing the tray. Tool-less, yes. Simple and quick, no.
Six individual trays house hard disk drives in the Cosmos RC-1000. Each tray is constructed of aluminum with soft rubber mounting grommets, and has a large opening which allows heat to escape the tray. The aluminum handle snaps into a pair of blue retaining holds, and a thumb screw secures the tray to the cage. These trays are all removable, but because of a solid "front" face, the cables must all be run from the opposite side. 
As you get a better view of the hard drive cage (below) the picture begins to reveal a story; but sadly there isn't a happy ending to be had here. The Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 full-tower ATX case may have plenty of negative pressure inside the case, which will in turn draw air in through the vents, but where exactly are these vents?
If you look very closely, you can make out the honeycomb grill under the lower hard drive cage of the Cosmos. This grill is large enough (if viewed from the underside of the RC-1000) for a 120mm fan, but it won't accommodate one. In my opinion, this small intake vent hardly seems like enough to create a cooling effect or noticeable draft for the upper drive cage. Cooler Master obviously researches these things ahead of production, but this seems questionable.
There are three 120mm cooling fans near the top of the Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 full-tower ATX case. This is where the negative air pressure comes into play, because only one 120mm fan feeds them, and there are two other 120mm vents (no fans can be installed in these vents). This could cause problems for certain video cards, especially those drawing air from inside the case and then exhausting the heated air outside the case. In SLi setups, the negative air pressure could cause improper cooling for video cards.
Cooler Master's topside I/O panel is both AC'97 and HD Audio ready, and running the eSATA connection will require a free SATA port on the motherboard. These cables run the length of the Cosmos RC-1000 full-tower ATX case (from top to bottom), and can be concealed using the cable port beneath the motherboard. Final Thoughts: Cosmos RC-1000When I compared the Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 full-tower ATX case to the Range Rover, I couldn't have been more accurate. Not to claim the Range Rover has flaws, but I think it's obvious it offers a lot of features and convenience at the expense of performance and speed. Well, the Cosmos RC-1000 offers a myriad of unique features, most of which cater to creature comforts and offer convenience to the owner. The Cosmos 1000 is well above the standard, but the case is not without its faults.
Cooler Master most likely determined a negative air pressure concept would ultimately benefit end users. Obviously the Cosmos RC-1000 wasn't designed with every single person in mind, and perhaps those hardware enthusiasts who utilize liquid cooling are the best candidates for this full-tower ATX case. Serious gamers should consider their equipment though, because the negative internal air pressure may affect the cooling ability of their equipment. Of course, it wouldn't take much to drop a fan or two to reverse this, and just leave them as open-air vents. So who is the Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 really best suited for? Liquid-cooling enthusiasts are clear winners, and even air-cooled systems benefit. Gamers are really not all that neglected, but certain cooling systems will require that you remove a fan to equalize pressure. The feature amenities are so numerous with the Cosmos 1000 that even the casual computer user would absolutely love the case. My only complaint that has some weight is the lack of active hard drive cooling. If you keep all three exhaust fans running the negative inner case air-pressure will draw in enough cool air to simulate forced air, but if you run only one or two of the fans (to compensate for GeForce 8800 series cooling) you could see some heated hard drives. RC-1000-KSN1-GP ConclusionPresentation is top-notch, like most everything from Cooler Master. The retail packaging is more than informative enough to educate buyers before they make the purchase, which is always helpful in making happy customers. 
Some will like the Cosmos 1000's silver/titanium finish, and others will want a version in black. Since the front has enough black accent to make your exposed devices blend-in, the exterior color will not be an issue. The added styling and multiple ventilation grills only help improve the unique and technical appearance. Did I mention the case is made of steel? I intentionally saved that little tidbit for the end, because the RC-1000 looks every bit aluminum. In reality though, it's extremely well built with solid construction throughout. The term built like a tank applies, but you should tack on heavy as a tank too. Regarding Functionality, the list grows very long. Super-easy 5.25" device clips, removable ventilation filters, liquid-cooling ports, tool-less panel and drive tray removal, and the negative pressure cooling paired to the removable video card wind tunnel. All these are just the beginning, because Cooler Master has added so many different convenience features that the point is well driven home. Simply said, the functionality is among the best possible, while offering more complimentary features than seen in any other case before it. Since the Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP presently sells for $169.99 at NewEgg.com, our value rating will certainly reflect that you get a lot more than what you are paying for. This is a functional part of your system, or better yet it could be considered the core of your system. So as long as it costs nearly the same as cases with half the features, I can look past a few tiny adjustments here and there.
In conclusion, I am outwardly impressed with the Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 full-tower ATX case, and give it high recommendation. It isn't 100% perfect by my critical standard, but it is a clear margin ahead of the competition - all of it. I can see subtle ways to improve future masterpieces, but this is as close to perfection as I have seen from the industry to date. ADDENDUM 11-03-2007: Just recently I have built a high-end system for a client using the Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 along with three other unique products: OCZ Reaper HPC PC2-9200 DDR2 1150MHz RAM Kit, Ultra ChillTec TEC CPU Cooler ULT33186, and the Thermaltake Toughpower W0133RU 1200W Modular PSU. There were two unique findings which I felt were important enough to return and note. The first was the power supply, which was the extended ATX 2.2 length of 7.9" long and utilized a 140mm cooling fan. The combined length and oversize fan caused the PSU to not line up perfectly with the power supply vent chamber. As a result the fan was 90% inside the chamber and 10% out. This didn't cause any problems at all, but it's still worth noting for those of you planning builds with the larger 140mm cooled PSU's. Next was the extra-tall OCZ Reaper RAM combined with the Ultra ChillTec CPU cooler. Because of the memory module's height, I was forced to mount the cooler vertically (intake cooling fan facing the bottom of the case) instead of horizontally with the fan drawing air from the direction of the front of the case and exhausting it to the rear. This change actually favored very well for the ChillTec, but only because of the unique design of the Cooler Master Cosmos. Because of the two top-rear exhaust fans, the ChillTec's heated air was immediately exhausted out of the top of the case. The natural upward rise of heated air placed the cooler directly in-line with the rear-most top fan. Additionally, the rear-mounted exhaust fan pulled air all around the large finsink of the ChillTec, as it would do with any heatsink, but the combination was especially successful in this configuration. Pros:
+ Very attractive design Cons:
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