Cooler Master Computer Case SIL-352M-KKN1

For less than $70, this case really gives the likes of Fractal Design and NZXT a run for its money. My goals for my ideal case were: fan filters, compact design, at least one 5.25" drive bay, quiet, and above all a minimalist/clean design. The Silencio hits on all these points. The Define R5 was my designated purchase for quite some time, but the overall size of the case was just too bulky for my liking. After months of searching, I came upon this case that I have never heard mentioned of before.For the price you get very solid construction. The entire chassis is black inside and out, putting it above many cases in this price range already. The panels all seem to line up great, no loose or bulging sheets of metal are seen. The front is very clean with only the essentials and a very convenient SD card reader. I previously used a floppy bay multi-card reader, but since I only ever used SD cards this will save me more internal space as I can just leave it out now. The inside drive bay cages can all be removed if so desired. Overall, this case includes all of your standard modern case conventions: thumbscrews, zip-tie points behind MB, routing holes around MB, and CPU Heatsink cutout. The top optional fan opening is hidden with a magnetic covering. I was pleased to learn that its secure enough that it does not fall off even turning the case upside down. The front door is secured magnetically as well with the hinges being quite smooth and the overall execution pretty good.The only thing I dislike is the extended cavity on the two side panels. Yes, they are quite essential for routing cables as space behind the MB is limited. They just look weird and break the overall clean lines of the case. Also, despite the extra depth, don't even think about routing the 24pin ATX behind the MB, its just not possible. I would say cable routing in general is quite poor in this case, but it is a MicroATX case, so you should have been expecting this. I am looking on getting a flat ATX cable and seeing how that works out. But considering there is no window on this case, these may not be prudent concerns.Another thing that irked me was SSD's installed on the back wall with rubber grommets will be upside down if facing the correct way. Again, with no window its not really an issue, but seeing the Samsung logos on my drives upside down initially were a bit annoying.Also, unlike the Define R5, the door cannot be modified to swing another way.All in all, this is an amazing case that doesn't compromise and still looks sleek and minimalistic. The front SD card reader may be an underrated feature.

This CM Silencio 352 works great for me since I wanted a good looking case with some sound dampening and fan filters already build into it.The front door is nice and, you can hear the sound dampening work when you open and close it (with the installed fans).The filters are nice and easily removable for cleaning. The top fan will require a VERY slim 120mm case fan; maybe one of the Scythe Slip Stream fans will fit in between the grate and my MSI A88XM mobo. There still might not be enough room to fit it. BUT! it would be worth a try.The stand-offs for the motherboard were kind of a pain to screw in and the tiny cable routing area made the side panel very annoying to put back on. Due to the tiny space in between the side panel and mobo backing there is a bow in the panel from the wires. It was a struggle to arrange the cables & wires correctly but with patience you can get them in the right order to close the panel without too much of a hassle.There is plenty of room in this case too. I could install two graphics cards if I wished without worry if they'll fit or not.My system info if you wish to know what I put into the case:-MSI A88MX Gaming mobo-AMD A10-7800K APU-Kingston Savage X 2133MHz DDR3 8GB-WD 1TB Blue 7,200RPM-EVGA 500w 80 Plus Bronze PSU-Asus 24x DVD-RWAlso, ordering three Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition Red LED fans. They should give the case a nice glow through its vents and MUCH better airflow still being quiet.

I'm very impressed with the design and quality of this case, outside and especially inside. There is space for numerous SSDs: two on the MB side, one under the upper HDD slot, and more on the lower HDD rack. The lower HDD rack is removable to improve airflow, which I did. Plenty of room in the case for a single-GPU build, and a long GPU at that. Great airflow as well with two front and one rear 120mm fans and a 140mm on top. The PSU fan can face down towards a vent with removable filter. There's also a removable filter for the front fans, which produce great intake aiflow even with the front door closed. There's not a lot of room between the MB tray and side panel for organizing wires, and it's hard to get the panel back on when you're done, but it's doable and worth the trouble. As others have said, the case is not exactly silent with four fans going, but it's not annoying, and there are several nice anti-vibration features. Overall, I'm very satisfied - this case is exactly what I was looking for.