Cooler Master CM 690 III Review
Category : Cases
Published by Luca Rocchi on 09.09.13
Cooler Master has officially unveiled their new CM 690 III, the successor to one of the most popular midtower cases. Compared to the previous version, there are quite a few changes, especially, when taking a closer look at the HDD/SSD compartment. Other than that there is space for a dual radiator in the top as well as in the front of the case. In the end, all of this should even come at a decent price point. Overall this sound interesting, doesn't it?
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On the following pages we will show you the strengths and weaknesses of the Cooler Master CM690 III.
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
Preview
Specifications
| Model | Cooler Master CM690 III |
| Case Type | Mid tower |
| Dimensions | 230 x 507 x 502 mm |
| Material | Steel, Plastic |
| Color | Black |
| 5.25'' drive bay | 3 x external |
| 3.5'' drive bay | 7 x 3.5'' |
| 2.5'' drive bay | 10 x 2.5'' |
| Expansion slots | 7+1 |
| Form factors | ATX, mATX |
| Weight | 8.7 kg |
| Cooling | 2x 120/140 mm or 200 mm (optional) Top 200 mm (installed) or 2x 120/140 mm, 180 mm (optional) Front 120 mm (installed) Rear 2x 120 mm or 180/200 mm (optional) Side 120 mm (optional) Bottom 120 mm (optional) HDD |
| I/O ports | 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0 Audio in / out |
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
Front
Overview |
 
 |
| The CM690 III is the latest case from Cooler Master.
The CM690 belongs to a series, which has been known for its linear design and
for a lot of interior space.
With this new model, the manufacturer has, amongst other things, further maximized
interior space, improved cooling capacity and changed functional aspects.
After a careful first look, we can safely say that the materials used are of good quality and also the finish is decent. All the mesh used is a fundamental aspect of the CM 690. It dominates the front and also on the top. In the front there are three 5.25 inch slots perfectly covered by metal mesh. Removing the front panel shows a big fan with 200 millimeter diameter, already included in the bundle, with 3pin connector. |
Back
Overview |
|
|
| Right above to the usual expansion slots, of which there are 7 +1 in this case, there is a pre-installed a fan 120 mm fan with 3pin connector. The area dedicated to the power supply is located at the bottom of the case and the housing is comfortable and roomy. You will be able to install PSU of any length. Below the 120 millimeter fan, there are also three rubber grommets for routing tubes of custom watercooling installations. |
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
Right side
Overview |
 |
| Cooler Master has not saved weight on the side panels hopelessly, in fact both covers are very solid and heavy. On the right side you won't find any ventilation holes or mesh. But still this side panel isn't just plain even, there is a special shape, which give you some more space to put some more cables on the backside of the motherboard. After removing the side panel, you will see the generous cut dedicated to the backplate of the CPU. On the motherboard tray there are many cut-out holes that help you get a good cable management. Last but not least, you can install an SSD on the back of the motherboard tray. |
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
Left side
Overview |
|
| The left panel has no window, but there is a large mesh where you can also install a 200 mm fan. At the front there is the whole area dedicated to the installation of HDD and SSD.
The CM 690 III will be able to hold up to six 2.5 inch drives as well as
three 3.5 inch ones. The carriages for storage devices are well done and very easy to use. Mounting and unmounting devices has
is very easy and can be done quickly. As we said earlier, there are three 5.25
inch slots and they are completely tool-free. The cages can be removed in case you want to install a radiator
in the front of the case. On the bottom of the case there is a big dust filter that helps maintaining
your setup clean. The dust filter is also very practical and easy to remove.
In the top you can install a 240 mm radiator or alternatively 2x 120 mm
fans.
In our configuration we used a 240 millimeter, all-in-one liquid cooling system, installed in the top of the case. We had no issues during the installation, the radiator fits perfectly and does not cover any slots. Once we have placed all the components inside the case, we can say that the CM 690 III is very spacious and you will be able to install large heatsinks and high-end video cards effortlessly. |
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
Top
Overview |
|
| The top shares the same silver line, we can also find on the front. It's also possible to remove the mesh of the top panel to make the installation of fans and radiators easily possible. Other than that also cleaning the dustfilter is done quickly in this case. Closer to the front, there are the I/O connectors, where you get USB 3.0, USB 2.0 as well as audio. The connectors as well as the power and reset buttons are hidden underneath a sliding piece of plastic, which you have to remove in order to access buttons and connectors. Unfortunately, Cooler Master decided to get rid of the very practical hot swap drive bay on top. Now at this spot, there is some storage space to put some pen drives or other small things. |
Bottom
Overview |
 |
| The bottom part is simple, there is a removable dust filter and four solid rubber coated feet. The filter is very long and covers more than half of the case. |
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
Conclusion
| General | + | - | |
| We were pleasantly surprised with how the manufacturer has managed to create a product so good while maintaining a low price. The CM 690 III is well made, the steel frame is solid and the finish is above average compared to competitors in the same price range. There is plenty of interior space, which may satisfy the need of almost any user. However, we have found a couple of downsides, for example, the panel that covers the I/O connectors and power/reset buttons is poorly designed and feels very cheap. Other than that we can't understand why Cooler Master got ride of the SATA how-swap bay, which has been one of the best features with the CM 690! Other than that the fans included are good but only feature 3-pin headers. | -
Design |
-
Fans
-Top panel |
|
| Manufacturing quality / Ergonomics | + | - | |
| Cooler Master has not been saving money on the materials used. Quality of plastics and steel is the way it should be like. Installing the components inside the CM 690 III is quite simple, there is plenty of space available and in comparison with the old version there is quite a bit more room inside. One reason for that is, that the CM 690 III is a bit wider than the CM 690 II. Also on the backside of the motherboard tray there is quite a lot of space to route lots of cables. 27 millimeter depth is really decent. | - Build
quality
- Interior Space |
||
| Design | + | - | |
| The design is similar to the old models and it's timeless. There have been some minor changes but you'll notice that it's a CM 690 case at first sight. We would even go to the point to say, that installing a 5.25 inch drive would ruin the looks of the front. Internally we haven't found issues. All the features are well sorted and the basic design is highly practical. For example, the carriages for HDDs/SSDs are interchangeable and really easy to use. Mounting and unmounting can be done quickly and is very simple at the same time. | - HDD/SSD | ||
| Recommendation | + | - | |
| The Cooler Master CM 690 III is currently listed on Geizhals for 80 Euro. The price is great as is the quality of this product. If you are looking for a mid-tower that offers a lot of interior space, then you will definitely do everything right choosing this case. | - Gaming-PC
- Enthusiast build |
||
| Rating | |||
| The Cooler Master CM 690 III gets very good 4.5 out of five stars. The case comes at a price point of est. CHF 99.- (est EUR 80.-). | |||
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |