| Cooler Master HAF 912 Case RC-912-KKN1 |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Dan Ferguson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monday, 06 September 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cooler Master HAF 912 Computer Case ReviewOne of the great things about a free market are the options. In today's computer market there are options between brands and even within brands. Cooler Master's High Air Flow (HAF) series is one example of products designed to fit a range of different needs. The launch of the HAF 912 helps fill out the offerings from the HAF series of feature rich computer cases. The HAF 912 is a mid-tower offering to satisfy both the fanatic and the frugal. In this article Benchmark Reviews compares model RC-912-KKN1 with the rest of the HAF lineup to see how the 912 compares to it's older brothers. As a budget case it will certainly try to offer as many features as possible, but ultimately it costs less because some sacrifices must be made compared to the top of the line products. Read on to see how the HAF 912 approaches the often precarious balance between performance and cost. One of the risks of a free market is the choice facing companies on how to design, build and present a line of products. For the HAF series Cooler Master has already released the HAF 932 , HAF 922 and HAF X . The HAF 932 has proven to be a highly successful product with all the necessary features for most enthusiasts. The 922 offered a smaller version of the 932 still fully decked with the necessary features but at a lower price point. Then came the HAF X designed to run anything and everything you could possibly want in your tower. Big motherboard, 4-SLI, USB 3.0, 100 hard drives? No problem for the HAF X. Finally comes the HAF 912 to reach the untapped area of budget computing. Hitting the sweet spot in budget computing can always be a challenge. This has been especially true with the last few generations of video cards, but is generally true for all products. What features will builders be willing to forgo and what features will make the difference between a success and a flop?
It seems that Cooler Master's approach with the HAF 912 is to offer as much flexibility and affordability as possible. They wanted to provide as many features of the HAF series while keeping the price point as low as possible. Since the HAF series is based on performance cooling I expect to see this core component left untouched. It makes sense to keep the features which are used frequently or non-stop while trimming off the stuff that doesn't provide real benefit or only gets used infrequently. Below is a macro view of what's contained in the HAF 912.
Manufacturer: Cooler Master Ltd., Inc. Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Cooler Master. Cooler Master HAF 912 Features
RC-912-KKN1 Specifications
Closer Look: ExteriorCompared to the HAF X this is a small case. Model RC-912-KKN1 is the smallest of the High Air Flow series designed to provide premium features at a discount price. Despite the size comparison this is still a spacious case. It is wider than most mid-sized cases which gives it a shorter look. For height and length it is quite comparable to other mid-sized models. It is a couple inches smaller than the HAF 922 in every direction.
For looks the HAF 912 keeps the same militaristic look as the rest of the HAF series, but the accents are more plain, larger and more pronounced than other cases. From the front it almost resembles some kind of armored vehicle like a striker or mine remover. Yet at the same time it reminds me of boot tread and boot straps. The chunky look will certainly draw both fans and critics. The case has the same shiny matte finish as the others with similar panel accents.
The left panel sports the same HAF emblem seen on the HAF 922 and the grate for the side fan seen on the entire HAF series. This grate is noticeably smaller than any of the other HAF cases. It also does not come with a fan installed by default. I was saddened to find that I will have to install a fan myself.
The back perspective emphasizes the short, wide aspect ratio of the 912. There is even enough width for an extra expansion slot above the normal PCI array. Like the HAF X there are three grommets in the back for water cooling needs. Since the HAF 912 does not support USB 3.0 the third port must be for simplified power routing of external water cooling equipment.
The right panel is removable but otherwise uneventful. The panel came installed with normal screws instead of thumb-screws. I was disappointed by this inconvenience. While I don't often remove the right panel it can be inconvenient to pull out the screwdriver for a simple cable change. Next we'll take a closer look at the external features. Detailed Exterior FeaturesIt's amazing how even the smallest things can make a big difference in any experience. With computer hardware it is easy to take some features for-granted until they're missing. Over time even new features come to be considered mandatory. When it comes to saving costs it is worth rethinking which features are really important, which can be removed, and which can be done differently.
Instead of nice rubber feet, the HAF 912 uses hard plastic feet which probably allows Cooler Master to list a slightly lower sticker price. At first this seemed fine because the plastic feet will slide more easily in my cabinet. During the first boot the noise from the hard drives was so annoying my wife even commented on the difference. When the case sits on the floor there is no noise. But when sitting in the desk, the hard feet transfer the vibrations to the computer desk using it as a sounding board. I'm either going to replace the feet with wheels or glue some old mouse pad to the bottom of the plastic! One nice thing found on the bottom of the case is a dust filter for the bottom air inlet. This is frequently missing on other cases and is nice to have. I'm not aware of any studies showing the effect of large particles on component life spans or failure frequency, but I think there are some "PSU-killed-by-fly" stories out there.
The RC-912-KKN1 model has been designed for various water-cooling options. The oblong shape of the top-grating is to accommodate three possible radiator configurations. A 240 mm radiator can be mounted on the outside or inside. The clearance on the inside of the case is small so it will depend on the motherboard layout and hardware clearances. Most outfits that require high cooling probably won't be compatible with internal mounting due to space restrictions. When mounting to the exterior either a single 240 mm radiator or a 2 x 120 mm radiator can be used.
It seems that the HAF 932 will be the only HAF model that comes with a cooling reservoir. Instead of a cooling reservior the HAF 912 has a low-profile top-panel. It is large enough to hold some personal items (USB drives or whatever miscellaneous clutter). It is about a half inch wider than a jewel case and for me typically holds the case for whatever CD/DVD I'm currently using. The IO / control panel is the simplest panel in the HAF series. It offers the bare basics of 2 x USB 2.0, Power, Reset, and microphone and headphone jacks. There are 4 external 5.25" drive bays, one of which can easily be converted to a 3.5" bay. The rails for the conversion are included in the kit, and one of the bay covers has a removable panel to accommodate the drive. The other bays could be used with additional hardware not included, but it would take some wire clippers to mod another bay cover.
The bay covers are of the same style used in the HAF 922. The tabs lock on the inside of the case so the side panel must be removed in order to take out a bay cover. This is generally done during the first build and infrequently thereafter, but the method used on the HAF X sure seems more convenient. The front covers on the HAF 912 include dust filters to sift the input cooling air drawn by the front fan. Closer Look: InteriorWith all the paneling removed the HAF 912 sports a sturdy steel chassis. The top of the case is not removable and provides both style and structure. The guts of the IO panel can be accessed by removing the low-profile panel at the top-front of the case. In order to remove the front and top panels it is necessary to remove both sides of the case to access the locking tabs. This is a minor inconvenience, but during the initial build and testing I had to do this more than I liked. Another reason that thumb-screws on the right-panel would have been nice.
One reason for removing the top panel was due to an audio issue I encountered when switching cases. The USB worked fine, but the microphone and headphones wouldn't "play nice". The main symptom was a DPC/Interrupt issue that consumed CPU cycles and caused lag every few seconds. A quick look in the sound control panel showed the devices dropping and reconnecting. The pinouts shown in the manuals are the same between my old case and the HAF 912, but the actual cable wiring is different. The pinout on my motherboard shows pins 6 and 10 as grounded and doesn't seem to exactly match the HD spec. My motherboard probably can't handle the specified wiring, so I immediately unplugged the audio header before anything got damaged. It's a good reminder to check specs for compatibility before turning on the power.
In order to keep costs low the interior has plain finish. I think a coated interior looks very snazzy, but it apparently costs alot. For a budget case I consider interior coating an unnecessary expense. Even though this is a mid-sized tower there are still a slew of drive bays. The 3.5" drive bay has space for 6 drives; 4 in the middle section and two in the bottom section. At the bottom of the case and to the left of the 3.5" bays is a small bracket designed to hold smaller 2.5" drives like an SSD. Further to the left is the PSU mount. It is a very simple mount with a metal tab to keep the PSU on the floor of the case relying on the screws to keep the PSU secured. The PSU sits on four small rubber pads to help cushion the unit and dampen noise. The pads are small compared to the nicer PSU mounts in the HAF X, but noise was quiet and the fit feels secure.
The backside of the motherboard tray sits well above the right cover giving ample room for running thick cables. The cutout in the tray is huge compared to most that I have used. Several additional cutouts in the tray and a score of cable-tie anchors give many options for running cables. All of this combined makes a great situation for running everything underneath the motherboard tray. I normally orient my drives facing the front since I change cables and drives frequently, but in the HAF 912 I couldn't resist running everything to the back.
Here's a closeup of the 5.25" bay. I find a big irony when looking at this bay. Only one tool-less mount was provided for an optical drive. Why have 4 bays with only one outfitted for an easy install? Because most people typically use only one optical drive. So why even bother with the other bays? To take up space. The irony is that they spent the money to stamp out four entire bays but tried to save a smidge by leaving off the tool-less connectors. I can't imagine that molding a few extra quick mounts could add that much to the cost, but I guess if the rubber feet had to go, the plastic tabs have to go too.
I was happy to see one innovation in the HAF 912 that more closely fits the way people use cases. Since the case is wider than normal an extra PCI expansion port was installed above the normal array. While this seemed odd at first I thought back through my past hardware and realized that I have always installed or thought about installing extra expansion ports of some kind. In the earlier years there were never enough USB ports, and recently there are an even wider variety of interfaces. My current motherboard has several options available, but if I run multiple video cards then my normal PCI slots are blocked. In this regard the HAF 912 is a great case for budget gamers who want pay for high performance core components by saving money on the peripherals. In the next section we'll take a more detailed look at how model RC-912-KKN1 can be configured to suit a variety of needs. Detailed Interior FeaturesSince each build is different, Cooler Master took some of the best features from other designs and blended them to yield a highly configurable case for different needs. One feature borrowed from the CM 690 II is the modular drive bay.
The HAF 912 has a modular drive bay similar to the one seen on the CM 690 II but with a different purpose. The CM 690 allowed the modular bay to be removed to make space for a bottom-mounted radiator. The HAF 912 allows the modular bay to also be installed sideways in the bay or be removed completely. With the modular bay installed the clearance will accept video cards up to 10.6 inches in length. That is enough to house the HD 5870. If the bay is left out then there is room for video cards up to 13 inches in length.
When the modular bay is removed there are additional configuration options. The 2.5" SSD cage can be installed atop the remaining 3.5" bays to make room at the bottom of the case. The SSD cage can hold two drives, and if more drives are desired a 3.5" slot can be converted to hold two additional drives.
The conversion is accomplished using the drive adapter included in the kit of case hardware. The adapter allows two small drives to be mounted one above the other and inserted into the 3.5" bay using the standard mounting hardware.
All previous cases in the HAF series included 3.5" drive trays common in many of Cooler Master's cases. The HAF 912 did not ship with any of these trays and does not appear to be compatible with their method of locking into place. Instead of drive trays, model RC-912-KKN1 ships with a bundle of plastic rails. The rails use metal posts in rubber grommets which are similar to the drive trays on the other HAF models. To install a drive with the rails, the rails must be held against the hard drive while it is slid into place. A small plastic tab on each rail locks the drive into place.
Building the HAF 912 was a snap. My typical setup uses a single optical drive, two 3.5" drives, and normal sized components. For "convenience" I installed an E-SATA port in the extra PCI expansion slot. It turns out this is not very convenient. The ports consume hardly any space, but it is more than enough to block access to the normal PCI slots. No wonder Cooler Master installed a thumb-screw for this port; it has to be removed to access any other PCI device. Not that the thumb-screw is that helpful, because you'll already have the screwdriver out for the other PCI slot. It's fairly typical to spend much of the install time running cables, but there was so much room this took no time at all. The build image above shows a rather sloppy cabling job since I could have taken more time to hide cables, but I kept the build time under 40 minutes by being lazy. The 40 minutes includes time spent removing parts from the old case. My default setup is very simple. If I had more optical drives and cards requiring tools to install then the build time would have been longer. The build image also shows the clearance between my GTX 260 and the modular drive cage. There's plenty of room to get the card in and out. While running the case at idle I noticed the interior temperatures were a couple degrees cooler than my last case. Under load the difference was more noticeable. The HAF 912 ran several degrees cooler with the CPU and GPU under stress. Despite having only two fans the open design of the panels was sufficient to allow the air to flow freely and have sufficient cooling. In the next section I'll give my final thoughts on using the HAF 912 as well as rate the case and my experience. HAF 912 Case Final ThoughtsAll in all the HAF 912 keeps alive the features and trends started with the HAF 932 and continued through the HAF series. The best feature of the HAF 912 is probably the large number of mounting options for fans and drives. I would say the weakest area is the lack of tool-less features. I spent too much time using my screw driver for routine tasks. One thing that lingers in my mind is the lack of a side fan. In my mind they should have included the side fan as a default option. Since high air flow is the trademark signature of the series it seems silly to only include two normal sized fans. When the emphasis is on air flow why make a case that is very similar to other cases on the market with regards to fans? It seems smarter to overkill the cooling and stay true to the series with lots of large fans. While it feels like too much may have been cut I keep going back to the number of options available on the case. One issue that frequently arises with smaller cases is incompatibility. Either there is not enough room for a video card, or the CPU cooler is too tall, or a myriad of other problems due to space. The HAF 912 is superior in this respect. It seems that regardless of your hardware there will be a way to make everything fit. Finally, I want to retouch on the idea of building a budget case. Budget builders typically start with a fixed amount and try to balance that amount across all the necessary parts. You can't buy the best video card and run it with an atom processor and 128 MB of memory. Similarly, if I could run a computer in a cardboard case I would spend my entire budget on performance parts. The cost and design of HAF 912 make it easier to allocate a larger portion of your budget to the critical hardware like CPU, GPU, and memory.
RC-912-KKN1 ConclusionThere are a few jobs that cases should do well. For simple builds the HAF 912 makes the first installation go quite fast. If you have only one optical drive, a few smaller hard drives and a couple of PCI slots to fill then things will install quickly. There is plenty of room at the back of the case and many cutouts and tie downs which make the tedious routing job very easy. If your build has lots of parts and will utilize most of the bays and expansion slots offered then the build could take much more time. This is due to the limited number of tool-less features offered with the HAF 912. As far as cooling the chassis only comes with 2 x 120 mm fans. This is fairly standard for mid-towers. Even with these normal fans the HAF 912 had better than average cooling. Most likely this was a result of the open design of the air intakes.The outside appearance stays true to the militaristic look of the HAF series. The HAF 912 uses simple lines but the accents are overstated. The chunky blocks on the front almost look like armor panels on a tank. Apart from the look of the front there is not much else to distinguish the case from others on the market, but the style is emphasized so much that you'll either love or hate the look. There are no interior lights or fan LED's for flare which keeps the look and the cost basic. This case is just as solid as the other HAF cases. The tabs used to secure the front and top panels hold very well so the covers won't come off while moving the case around. Trying to remove panels can actually be a pain. In order to remove the front and top panels you first must remove both side panels. To make it more burdensome, the right panel uses regular screws instead of thumb-screws. You also have to remove the left cover in order to remove the 5.25" bay covers. The default case comes with dust covers for both the front intake and the PSU intake to keep things clean from gross particles. The internal layout is fairly standard but simplified over other HAF models. Drive cages are solid and secured firmly in place. To save costs Cooler Master skipped the interior coating for a plain grey finish. The PSU mount is also very simplified but gets the job done. As mentioned earlier there are not many tool-less options on the HAF 912. There is only one tool-less 5.25" mount, thumb-screws only on the left exterior panel and any extra peripherals require screws for mounting. It can only be speculated that these extra features were cut to reduce the cost and offer an affordable platform that could still be semi-convenient yet be sufficient for high performance hardware. There are several features that merit praise. The modular 3.5" hard drive bay can be installed facing forwards, sideways or removed completely. This makes the case compatible with almost any video cards (up to 13"). There are also many options for installing cooling equipment. Additional fans can be mounted on the front, top and side. For water cooling the case can have a 240 mm radiator mounted on the top either interior or exterior or a 2 x 120 mm radiator installed on the exterior. Finally, the case width allows extra room for cables, drives and CPU coolers. The HAF 912 excels when it comes to the many options available for installing almost any equipment. At launch the HAF 912 is expected to retail for $59.99. This price is at the lower range for respectable mid-tower cases, but there are an overwhelming number of cases at this competitive price point. Most of the cases in this range use a very standard arrangement of PCI slots and one tall array of drive bays at the front. Most of the differences between cases in this range are the exterior looks and number / size of fans. There are few exceptions to this trend, and the HAF 912 stands out in this regard. One other major difference worth pointing out is the construction quality. Other sixty dollar cases have an almost flimsy feel in the motherboard tray and hard drive cages, but the HAF 912 is rock solid and well crafted for it's price. It is definitely above average. About the only things keeping the HAF 912 from the top spot are the need for more tool-less features and more air flow. Compared to top of the line cases the HAF 912 does not seem to stand out in any significant manner. It has some decent features that make it worth using but still has some lacking areas. But when compared to the mundane repetitive options at the same price it comes out ahead. In my mind the thing that stands out most is the ability to house any hardware. There are so many configuration options it is hard to think of normal setups that won't be compatible. Pros:
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Comments
I suspect the choice to install the modular drive bay put them right near the edge of their projected profit margin, and that they just couldn't afford to add the few extras and miss out on the $60 price point. And when looking at the competition, the modular bay is one major thing that sets the case apart, so it may have been the better choice.
Took mine to its first LAN party; one arm carry. It's nice to carry something smallish and still have the fastest rig.