Product: Cooler Master Cosmos S chassis
Supplier: Cooler Master
MSRP: $250     Find Lowest Price @ PriceGrabber
Author: Nick
Date: January 15, 2009

Cooler Master has long been known for computer cases in the computer enthusiast world. Their cases offer impeccable styling without compromising functionality or cooling. Today, we take a look at one of Cooler Master’s flagship cases — the Cosmos S. Based on the design of the original Cosmos, the Cosmos S is constructed out of aluminum, rather than steel, and features improved cooling and other additions.

Specifications:

Model	RC-1100-KKN1-GP
Dimension (W / H / D)	(W) 266 x (H) 598 x (D) 628mm
Weight	Net Weight: 30.4 lbs; Gross Weight: 39.2 lbs
3.5″ Drive Bay	4(Hidden, converted from 3×5.25 inch drive bays)
5.25″ Drive Bay	7(Exposed)
Cooling System	Front fan(intake): one 120x120x25mm, 1200 rpm, 17 dBA (included), Top fan(exhaust): one 120x120x25mm, 1200 rpm, 17 dBA (included), Top fan: 120mm x 2(optional), Rear fan(exhaust): one 120x120x25mm, 1200 rpm, 17 dBA (included), Side fan(intake): 200x230x30mm, 900 rpm, 150 CFM(included)
Expansion Slots	7 slots
I/O Panel	USB 2.0 x 4, IEEE 1394 x 1, eSATA x 1, MIC x 1, Audio x 1(support Intel HD / AC 97 audio)
Material	Chassis: Al. Appearance: Al (side panel: 1.5mm)
Motherboards	Transparent side panel, Fan bracket
Power Supply	Standard ATX PS2 / EPS 12V (optional)
Other	Keep-out requirement for CPU cooler installation:, At least 5.7 inch(145mm) separation between motherboard and the side panel of COSMOS S

First Impressions:

Cooler Master’s Cosmos S is classified as a full tower case with a height of 23 inches and weighing 30 pounds empty. However, large cases, like the Cosmos S, offer lots of space for components and better airflow.

The Cosmos S includes three 120mm fans and a huge 200mm fan. The 200mm fan is mounted on the left side panel and blows air directly onto the video card and processor heatsink. Even with the fans at full speed, the fan noise was barely noticeable. There are spots for an additional three 120mm fans at the top of the case. However, I believe the stock fan setup is adequate for most computer setups.

If air cooling is not enough, a water cooling system can easily be fitted to the Cosmos S. Cooler Master added a space between the interior and exterior of the case for a three, 120mm fan radiator. Two rubber lined holes allow tubing to be easily run from the radiator to the rest of the water cooling system loop.

The front IO panel is located under a sliding door. Once open, four USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire port, one e-SATA port, one headphone jack, and one microphone jack are revealed. I found this to be a pretty good selection of ports, and it was nice to see an e-SATA port up front. When the computer is turned on, the labels for each of the ports are illuminated by red LEDs.

A touch sensitive power button is located on the top of the case right in front of the IO panel. When off, the button is a dim red color. When turned on, the power button turns a bright red. I am not completely sold on the whole idea of a touch sensitive power button ; several times I accidentally brushed the power button and shut down the computer. Also, Cooler Master chose to omit a reset button. While typically the reset button goes unused, various reasons for use come up occasionally.

Two handles are located on the top of the Cosmos S. Initially I was unsure of how secure these handles would be, but, after moving the test bed several times, I feel safe saying they are secure and useful in moving the Cosmos S around. Two similar handles are mounted on the bottom of the case. These feet prop the case off the floor and allow improved air flow to the power supply and bottom 120mm fan slot.

Installation:

While the Cosmos S advertises tool-free installation, it takes one notable departure from a true tool-free design: to install hard drives in the case, you must remove the four screws holding the hard drive rack in place. After that , the hard drive rack pulls out and two side plates pull off, allowing the hard drives to be screwed into place in the rack. I believe the design of the hard drive rack was intended to reduce vibration. The plates holding the hard drive rack in the case attach to the rack via two pins that sit in rubber grommets.

When it came time to install the motherboard, I noticed the Cosmos S had a non-removable motherboard tray.  I was a bit disappointed by this, as this is one of those expected features on case of this caliber and price.

A small flap is located on each side of the 5.25” bays. The doors are held closed by magnets, and, once opened, allow the 5.25” filler slots to be easily removed without damage.

Mounting brackets are included to mount a single 3.5” device in the 5.25” bays. While only having a single 3.5” bay did not present a problem for me, it could be a major problem for others ; Cooler Master should have at least included mounting hardware for two 3.5” devices.

The power supply is mounted at the bottom of the case, allowing both fans access to the cooler outside air. A filter at the bottom of the case helps prevent dust from being drawn into the power supply. The only problem I found with this setup is that the cables of three different power supplies were almost too short to reach the top of the case where my DVD burner was mounted.

Cable management in the Cosmos S is easier than most cases due to holes in the motherboard tray, which allow cables to be routed behind the motherboard tray. However, I found myself redoing my original cable management due to a lack of space between the back of the motherboard tray and the right case panel. Also, the holes in the motherboard tray do not have rolled edges or any other sort of edging. While the edges of the holes are not extremely sharp, excess movement could lead to cable jackets being damaged.

While hooking up all the power cables, I noticed Cooler Master included a 24 pin extension cable that had one wire running to the front of the case. After a bit of digging, I figured out that the lone wire was for the touch sensitive power button.

Conclusion:

The Cosmos S is definitely an impressive case. It features plenty of room for all your high end components as well as excellent air flow to keep them cool. The Cosmos S does this all while sporting a stylish look. The case is not perfect, and improvements could be made, but Cooler Master’s Cosmos S is worthy of Maximum CPU’s stamp of approval.

Pros:

+ Mostly tool-free
+ Excellent stock cooling
+ Easy to install water cooling system
+ Holes in motherboard tray for cable management
+ Plenty of ports on front IO panel
+ Top handles for easier movement (transport)
+ Hard drive cage designed to reduce vibration

Cons:

- Non-removable motherboard tray
- Cable management holes lack protective edging
- Touch sensitive power button makes it easy to accidentally shut down computer
- No reset button
- Hard drive installation requires a screwdriver
- Mounting hardware for only one 3.5” device

Tags: case, chassis, Cooler Master, Cosmos S