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Review: Coolermaster 201B

by Bob Crabtree on 3 November 2002, 00:00

Tags: Cooler Master

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External Appearance

As I briefly mentioned before Cooler Master have released the 201B in 2 available colours.

  • ATC-201B-SXT: Silver Aluminum front panel with Mirror Black side panels.
  • ATC-201B-SXK: Silver Aluminum front panel with Anodizing side panels.

Having owned the Cooler Master 201 v2 there were a few alterations which I noticed immediately.

  • Obviously the first thing I noticed was the colour. It was an amazing shiny black finish. Exactly how Cooler Master describe it. "… with Mirror Black side panels".
  • The window panel is made from clear perspex which is bolted onto the outside of the cut black side panel. Normally windows are mounted onto the inside of the panel either using rivets or black rubber trim. The perspex panel has a polished bevelled edge and is attached to the side panel using 8 polished doomed bolts. This gives a very professional appearance to the case.
  • As cooling is a major concern with electrical components I noticed the case was lacking the additional top exhaust fan which the older CM201 v2 had. Although I've been told that future CPU's are designed to be run at much lower temperatures. This could be Cooler Master's way of planning for the future.

 

Although the case is a newer model with new features Cooler Master have kept the same appearance as the original Cooler Master 201. I suppose they have taken the approach "why change something if it works". The case has the usual features like the USB flap on the front. Unfortunately they still sell the case with 1 x 5¼ inch bay missing which is no good for people who want to "stealth" their CD-ROM drives. You can buy replacement 5¼ inch bays from Kustom and OcUK but I've been told they are a slightly different colour to the original fascias.

 

Specification




Dimension (WxHxD): 196 x 452 x 497 mm
M/B Type: Standard ATX Mainboard
Weight: Case: 5 kg Expansion Slots: 7
Material: All Aluminum Alloy 5.25" Drive Bay: 4 ( Exposed )
USB Port: Dual USB Ports 3.5" Drive Bay: 2 ( Exposed ) ; 4 ( Shadow )
I/O Bracket: Standard ATX  
P/S: Optional power supply unit 300 / 400 W  
Cooling: Dual 80 x 80 x 25 mm fan attached front panel
 
Cooling: One 80 x 80 x 25 mm fan attached back panel ( Exhaust )  

Specification taken from the Cooler Master website