Item: Cooler Master CM 690 PC chassis: the new budget king?
Author: Matt Davey

Review: Cooler Master CM 690 PC chassis: the new budget king?

Conclusions, HEXUS awards, HEXUS.right2reply

The Cooler Master CM 690 is a classic design. It's understated yet exceptionally well thought out.

From the screws stored inside the chassis, to the flexible layout for internal cooling fans and on to its water-cooling provisions, the 690 manages to tick a large number of the important boxes and then some more besides.

And, at a price of £50, it's great value - though it needs to be as it's going up against the big guns, including Antec's 900, which is selling like hot cakes. But, frankly, the 690 - which costs considerably less - deserves to sell equally well, too.

Our only real complaint (really just a niggle) is the absence of plastic plugs in those holes in the side panels. But having them would make the case look just that little bit smarter. Overall, though, the 690 is a mighty good deal.

If you're looking for a decent chassis but don't want to spend much more than £50, you've got a hard decision to make. Until we went hands-on with the 690, we'd probably have lashed out the extra and gone for an Antec 900. Now, though, with the 690 in town, the Antec has to move over - Cooler Master's offering is where our own hard-earned would get laid.

HEXUS Awards

Cooler Master's 690 is a great little chassis. It's well-featured yet very reasonably priced and will appeal to overclockers and those who just want a decent-looking, well-designed, yet affordable case. It deservedly gains a HEXUS Classic Recommended award and a HEXUS Classic Good Value award, too.

Cooler Master CM 690

Cooler Master CM 690

HEXUS Where2Buy

The Cooler Master CM 690 is available from SCAN Computers for £49.93 including VAT. Delivery adds a further £11.67 but is free to regular members of the HEXUS community. Check out this forum link for full details of the scheme.

HEXUS Right2Reply

At HEXUS.net, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If Cooler Master chooses to respond, we'll publish its commentary here verbatim.

But, just like Cooler Master, you, too, can have your say. So don't forget to comment on this review in the HEXUS.community.

HEXUS related reading

External.links

Cooler Master CM 690 home page

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I've tested with the backboard fan slot using a Hiper low profile fan. temp drops only 1-2C at most (very minor considering i'm already 60C+ loaded) but noise is much more noticeable

The side panel grills need to be stamped out about 5mm IMO, the grilling itself concaves inwards, this means you can't use mid or high rpm fans at all, I'm using a Yate Loon D12SL-12 at 5V, any higher and there is some fan blade/motor noise.

The front grilling is too restrictive, IMO it is not needed since there is a dust filter and mesh on the front anyway.
Same goes for the top fan grilling, not needed since the top panel is meshed + plastic protective grilling.
I intend on cutting said grills out at a later date.

Curious there was no mention of the top panel, majority of people I know with this case have problems removing it, the clip system there isn't the best of designs. Perhaps 2 pairs of clips instead of 4 pairs.

If Coolermaster ever decided to release a CM690 Extreme or whatever there are still ample design changes to be had, and then pricing it on par with an Antec 900 the case would be unbeatable IMO.

Overall decent review :)

Overall a good review of the case, but I would like to point out that you can put two 140mm fans at the top of the case and one on the bottow. Which you state to only being able to have a 120mm fan.

But generally a good case did not take me that much time to put everything in. unfortunatly the in-built cable managment does get in the way while installing but are easily removed.

Good Job Hexus, Keep it up. :)

Does the inclusion of the 80mm fan socket on the motherboard side make for easier installation of custom CPU coolers?

unfortunately not - the motherboard tray has a perforated area to mount the fan to, but it doesn't have a hole for larger than standard cooler mounts.

On the other hand with most cases the motherboard standoffs should provide you with all the space you need for the cooler.

Matt

i purchased one of these case's what a waste of money , it is poorly made and the sides do not fit correctly . the side with the fitted 120mm fan vibrates and is noisey , the chenbro gaming bomb i replaced this with was far better