Cooler Master MasterCase Pro 3 Review
Category : Cases
Published by Luca Rocchi on 19.01.17
With the MasterCase Pro 3, Cooler Master introduces a new compact mid-tower case, which is compatible with high-end components and mATX motherboard. The MasterCase Pro 3, like the other MasterCase cases, offers interesting features such as a modular HDD mounting system and a mid-plate to hide the power supply away. Overall this sounds like an interesting product and we're curious whether CoolerMaster is able to convice.
Rating |
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Cooling |
Features |
Layout |
Build Quality |
Value for Money |
| Pros |
+ Good compatibility for watercooling
+ Numerous spots for fans
+ Dust filters |
+ FreeForm Modular System
+ Extensive bundle
+ 25mm cable management |
+ Interior
space
+ Well-thought cable managment
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+ Good build quality
+ Midplate PSU |
+ Well priced |
| Cons |
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Preview
Specifications
| Model: |
MasterCase 3 Pro
| MasterCase 5 Pro |
| Case Type: |
Mini tower |
Mid tower |
| Dimensions: |
235mm (W) x 505 mm (H) x 467 mm (D), 9 Kg |
235mm (W) x 548 mm (H) x 512 mm (D), 10.6 Kg |
| Material: |
Steel, ABS |
Steel, ABS |
| Color: |
Black |
Black |
| Drive Bay: |
5.25": |
0 |
2 |
| 3.5": |
2 |
2 |
| 2.5": |
2 + 2 |
2 + 2 |
| Expansion
slots: |
5 |
7 |
| Form factors: |
mATX, mini-ITX |
ATX, mATX, mini-ITX |
| Cooling: |
Front: |
2x 120/140mm (1x 140mm included) |
3x 120/140mm (1x 140mm included) |
| Rear: |
1x 120/140mm (included) |
1x 120/140mm (included) |
| Top: |
2x 120/140mm |
2x 120/140mm |
| Bottom: |
/ |
/ |
| Side: |
/ |
/ |
| Watercooling |
Front: |
240/280mm |
240/280mm |
| Rear: |
120/140mm |
120/140mm |
| Top: |
240mm |
240/280mm |
| Link to the product: |
MCY-C3P1-KWNN |
MCX-0005-KKN00 |
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Features
Dust filters
There are washable dust filters covering all big openings of the MasterCase 3 Pro. Thanks to a quick release system they are very easy and convenient to remove. |
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Well-thought cable managment
On the MasterCase 3 Pro, Cooler Master used rubber grommets through which cables can be routed from one side to the other. The grommets fit very tight and they don't come off easily, like it's the case with so many other enclosures. Also in the delivery there are velcro straps right behind the motherboard tray. |
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FreeForm Modular System
The FreeForm Modular System allows you to install and change new parts inside and outside the case in order to match your needs. Due to this modular system, you can also change the amount of disk and fan installed inside the case. |
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Watercooling ready
The MasterCase 3 Pro is also ready for water cooling gear. If you wish to install a custom loop, there is the possibility to equip this case with up to three radiators. Two of them can measure 240mm in lenght and the third one could be a 140mm model. |
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Product overview
Overview |
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| The front of this case features a removable, black mesh that is huge and hides fan slots and an easy to clean dust filter. The top part of the front has been equipped with the I/O ports: here we find two black USB 3.0 ports, audio jacks and the power/reset button. Continuing we find compatibility with mATX motherboards, which adds to the compact dimensions. A quick look at the side panels shows they're rather simple but they still carry some weight. Cooler Master did well in choosing solid materials for the side panels, since it contributes to the stability.
The back panel is simple and you get five PCI expansion slots, the opening for the motherboard I/O panel, a 140mm fan slot and the opening for the standard ATX power supply. The bottom of the case as well as the top part have been equipped with two plastic handles, which have been reinforced using metal. Apart from that these handles lift the case from the ground which allows the power supply to breathe fresh air. |
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Installation
Overview |
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The interior is simple and clean, and it features a most classic design with some noticeable features. Cooler Master decided to use a midplate between the PSU area and the motherboard. It is by far not the first time that we find this in a case anymore. In our opinion, this allows for better cable management. The Master Case 3 Pro has been built with enthusiasts in mind an therefore there is space for custom water cooling gear, such as radiators. Nevertheless you can equip this case with two 3.5" HDDs and two 2.5" drives, whereas both can be installed using tool-less sledges. If this is not enough for you there are Cooler Master's modular cages, which allow you to install additional hard drives. The motherboard tray is made out of solid steel, and it features a big opening behind the socket, which allows for the installation of aftermarket CPU coolers without taking the motherboard out. The tray comes with rubber grommeted openings allowing for a neat cable management. Between the motherboard tray and the right side panel there is enough space to hide plenty of cables. The MasterCase 3 Pro is compatible with mATX motherboards and it's also compatible with a large amounts of coolers and radiators.
For our test we used an mATX motherboard and a water cooler with 120mm radiator. As you can see from the pictures there is plenty of space for fans and radiators. The MasterCase 3 Pro is able to accommodate a CPU cooler with a maximum height of 190mm and graphics cards can measure up to 370mm in length. In other words you can install any CPU cooler without checking the space available. |
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Ventilation options
Overview |
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| The Master Case 3 Pro offers plenty of spots for fans and inside the delivery you will find two 140mm fans, where one has been mounted in the front and one, of the same size, on rear. Overall, the case is able to accommodate two 120/140mm fans at the front and two in the top, and one 120/140mm at the rear part. As you could have guessed, this means there is enough space for a 240mm liquid cooling radiator at the top and 280mm radiator on the front. |
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Temperatures
Overview |
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For testing purposes we're using an MSI Z170I Gaming Pro AC motherboard, an Intel Core i5-6600K CPU, which receives cooling through a SilentiumPC Fortis 3 HE1425 MCE cooler as well as a MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G graphics card. To put the CPU under full load, we're running prime95 for 10 min and in the case of the GPU we use Furmark also for 10 minutes. After these ten minutes, we're going to write down the temperatures. The ambient temperature is close to 24°C. |
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All noise dampening panels installed |
Idle (°C) |
Full (°C) |
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Intel Core i5-6600K |
28 / 28 / 27 / 28 |
53 / 55 / 55 / 53 |
| MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G |
44 |
64 |
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Less is better |
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Conclusion
With the MasterCase 3 Pro, Cooler Master offers a mid-tower case designed for those who plan on installing a custom watercooling loop or want quite a bit more space on the inside, than what's average. The case is compatible with high-end components such as large tower coolers and high-end garphics cards. Nevertheless the MasterCase 3 is basically a downsized version of the MasterCase 5 Pro that we reviewed a few months ago.
On the inside there is quite a lot of space at your disposal, especially if you consider this is a small mid-tower that is compatible with mATX motherboards. If you wish to do so, there it's pretty simple to just go a ahead and put any dual radiator in the front. Apart from that it's much appreciated that the entire installation process can happen tool-free and therefore removing the front panel to access the dust filter for instance is as simple as it can be. Even the cable management is very well done. There are plenty of grommets and the delivery includes a number of Velcro straps. One of the key aspects of this case it's the very good compatibility with custom liquid cooled setups since it allows the installation of one 280mm and one 240mm radiator.
The price of MasterCase 3 Pro is 134 euro on Geizhals. If you want to customize your Cooler Master to a certain extent you can head over to their own store and check for accessories, such as hard drive cages, side panels with windows and so on. The overall bundle is good and it includes two 140 mm fans, which is definitely a reasonable decision. The MasterCase 3 Pro earns
5 out of 5 stars.
