The Masterbox MB511 RGB from Cooler Master ticks a lot of boxes in the $110CAD price range but is it worth your hard-earned?
Like that mixed tape, we made our high school crush but never got brave enough to give her. The Cooler Master MasterBox MB511 RGB is packed full of our favorite hits.
I recently put a build together in this case, and I enjoyed working with it. The case was easy to build in with plenty of room for my somewhat large hands. The mesh front panel leaves lots of space between it and the fans. It would seem that Cooler Master has listened to the tech tuber community and provided plenty of airflow for all your hardware inside. Let’s take a look at the specs from Cooler Master.
MasterBox MB511 Specifications
Model Number MCB-B511D-KGNN-RGB Available Color(s) Black Materials Steel, Plastic, Tempered Glass Dimensions (LxWxH) 496(L) x 217(W) x 469(H) mm Motherboard Support ATX, Micro ATX, Mini ITX Expansion Slots 7 2.5" / 3.5" Drive Bays (combo) 2 2.5" Drive Bays 5 (Max.6) I/O Panel 2x USB 3.0, Audio In & Out (supports HD audio) RGB Control RGB controller included, 1 to3 RGB splitter cable included Pre-installed Fans - Front 3x 120mm RGB Fan Pre-installed Fans - Rear 1x 120mm Fan Support - Top 2x 120mm, 2x 140mm Fan Support - Front 3x 120mm, 2x 140mm Fan Support - Rear 1x 120mm Radiator Support - Front 120mm, 140mm, 240mm, 280mm, 360mm Radiator Support - Top 120mm, 240mm Radiator Support - Rear 120mm Clearance - CPU Cooler 165mm Clearance - PSU 180mm/7.1" Clearance - GFX 410mm/16.1" Cable Routing - Behind Motherboard Tray 19mm/0.74" Dust Filters Front, Top, Bottom Power Supply Support Bottom mount, ATX Series MasterBox Series Size Mid Tower
Cooling
The Cooler Master MasterBox MB511 offers plenty of cooling potential with 4 included fans. Three of the fans are RGB situated at the front of the case and one blacked-out fan at the rear. The front of the case is completely mesh, providing plenty of air to the 3 front intake fans. The included fans are quiet and seem to push enough air.
The top of the case has room for 2 more 120mm fans or up to a 240mm radiator if water cooling is your jam. The front of the case has room for up to a 360mm radiator, and Cooler Master has left enough space between the front of the case and the PSU shroud for you to make use of it if you are going that route.
Cooler Master has provided a controller for the RGB fans in case your motherboard does not support RGB with the added option to connect it to the reset button on the case to allow for lighting control. They have also daisy-chained the front fans so you can connect them to your PSU should your motherboard lack enough fan headers. You can also connect them individually to the motherboard if your motherboard has enough headers.
Tempered Glass
The edge to edge Tempered glass side panel is tinted but not too dark it looks nice with the RGB lights lit up at night. The case also has a lip at the bottom side to rest the tempered glass panel while you screw in the top two thumbscrews. The lip also removes the need for bottom thumbscrews, so you have fewer screws to deal with, as seen in the image below. The thumbscrews are captive, so you don’t have to worry about losing them, as seen in the image below.
Interior Design
The layout of the Cooler Master MasterBox MB511 RGB case is well thought out with cutouts everywhere you would want them, including two cutouts for the extra GPU power connector and things like your USB connectors in the PSU shroud. There is also a place on the top of the shroud for your SSD to be mounted.
There is also plenty of room for cable management. The PC I built using this case, used a non-modular power supply and there was plenty of room to tuck the extra cables away.
Dust is also not a concern as there are dust filters at the front, bottom, and top of the case. One note is that the front filters don’t come off, but the front panel is easily removed to clean the filters.
The power and reset buttons have a nice tactile feel to them. They don’t feel cheap and crunchy like some case buttons.
Front I/O
The Front I/O, of the MB511, includes 2 USB 3.0, Audio and Mic jacks, a power button, and a reset button. Pretty standard for this price point, and it has a clean, sharp look, which I am a fan of. Hopefully, in the not too far future, we start seeing case manufacturers, including a USB Type C port on the front I/O.
Final Thoughts On The Cooler Master MasterBox MB511 RGB
Overall the Cooler Master MasterBox MB511 RGB is a great deal from Cooler Master in the $100-110CAD price range. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a nice well laid out PC case with plenty of airflow at a price that won’t break the bank. If you’re looking for other options from Cooler Master? Check out my review of the Cooler Master MasterBox MB520 RGB.
