Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

By Bill Hentschell

2012 starts with a Cosmos II Ultra Tower

Back in 2007 Cooler Master released the Cosmos case to rave reviews around the globe. It was such a revered case that Maximum PC used it for their dream machine that year. Cooler Master knew they had a hit and released several revisions on this original case such as the Cosmos S, Cosmos 1000, Cosmos Black Label, and Cosmos ESA. However five years later Cooler Master decided it was time to do a ground up redesign and release the next evolution in the series, the Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower (P/N:RC-1200-KKN1).

Cosmos II Ultra angle
At first glance the COSMOS II looks very similar to the original case as it has the top and bottom rails still, but beyond that it is very different. For one thing it is bigger in all dimensions with the original Cosmos at 10.47″(W) x 23.54″(H) x 24.72″ (D) but the new and improved Cosmos II Ultra Tower stands a whopping 13.5″(W) x 27.7″(H) x 26.1″(D). This is larger than most cases classified as a Full Tower which is why Cooler Master came up with the Ultra Tower category. The Cosmos II also has 13 overall HDD / SSD spaces vs the originals 6 but it does give up two 5.25″ bays going from 5 down to 3 in this version. The reason the Cosmos II gives up these bays is for what Cooler Master refers to as X-Docs which are front access hot swap bays with SATA and Power built into the back. The cooling has gone from 2x 120mm to 3x 120mm or 2x 140mm or 1x 200mm in the top with an optional 240mm radiator bottom mounted with included hardware. Finally Cooler Master added a muli fan controller and LED switch panel in addition to the normal I/O ports making this a pretty feature rich case for most users.
The Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower will be available in early January with a planned MSRP of $349.99 at the retailer of choice with an expected warranty of 2 years as of this writing. The Cosmos II only comes in the black reviewed here and without any window options at this time.

Cooler Master Cosmos II Highlights

  • Rich I/O support (USB 3.0 x2 , USB 2.0 x 4, e-SATA); Intelligent LED fan speed control
    panel on the top
  • Supports high-end hardware such as XL-ATX motherboards, 4-Way SLI or Crossfire
    (10+1 expansion slots)
  • Room for future upgrades with support for up to 13 HDD or SSD
  • Dust filters on every intake are removable to allow easy cleaning
  • Support for a mix of 360mm or 240mm radiator(s)
  • Easy transport with handles
  • Easy cable management and routing
  • Individual airflow chambers for system components; improving thermal management
  • Supports large 140mm case exhaust fan
  • Aluminum sliding front door protects 5.25″ bay drives and devices
  • Majority of the construction is aluminum with steel and mesh used for style and strength

Specifications

  • Available Colors: Black
  • Part Number: RC-1200-KKN1
  • Exterior: Aluminum, Mesh, Plastic
  • Case body: Black painted Steel
  • Dimensions (W / H / D) 344mm(W) x 704mm (H) x 664 mm(D) / 13.5(W) x 27.7(H) x 26.1(D) inches
  • Net Weight 21.5kg / 47.3 lb
  • M/B Type Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX, XL-ATX, SSI CEB, SSI EEB
  • 5.25″ Drive Bays: 3
  • 3.5″ Drive Bays: 13 (2 from X-docking, Mid.cage for 5 HDDs, Bottom cage for 6 HDDs)
  • 2.5″/3.5″ Drive Bay 11 (converted from 3.5″ bay)
  • I/O Panel USB 3.0 x 2, USB 2.0 x 4, E-SATA x 1, Audio In and Out
  • Expansion Slots 10+1
  • Power Supply ATX PS2 / EPS 12V
  • Maximum Compatibility
  • Maximum CPU cooler height: 190mm/ 7.48 inch
  • Maximum GPU card length: 385mm/ 15.10 inch

Included Cooling System:

  • Front: 200mm LED fan x 1 included. Can be replaced with 120/140mm x 1
  • Top: 120mm black fan x 1 included. Can be replaced with 200mm fan x 1, 140mm fan x 2, or 120mm fan x 3
  • Rear: 140mm fan x 1
  • Side over GPU area: 120mm fan x 2 (optional)
  • HDD: 120mm fan x 3 (2 fans for bottom HDD / 1 fan for Mid. HDDs)

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