Closer Look: Interior

Even more important than the exterior is the interior of a case. A well designed case will help support a user's components, helping them perform their best by keeping them cool. At the same time a well-designed case will include features that will allow for future growth. This means they should have support for a multitude of components. Lastly, a well-designed case should be able to easily be built into and upgraded. No one wants a cases where adding a new hard drive requires removing half the system.

Cooler Master has provided plenty of room around the power supply. This translates into being able to fit an extra-long power supply into the Elite 371 easily. If a shorter power supply is used the extra space can be used for a fan to provide extra cooling. The vents under the power supply also feature a removable filter that can help keep some of the dust out of a system.

The Elite 371 hold five 3.5" hard drives internally. The two primary drives are held in place using a tools-free locking system. Cooler Master has also alleviated one of my biggest pet peeves by including locking mechanisms for both sides of the drives. Sadly Cooler Master only included two sets of the locks and therefore any more hard drives a user may want to use either need to be screwed in or will require buying more tool less mechanisms.

The 5.25" bays have a very simple locking mechanism that provides a study grip on your Optical Drives. Sadly, yet again Cooler Master has left part of the 5.25" bays without a locking mechanism.

I have found that in the past some tool less mechanism feel like they could easily be broken or would not hold my drive in place if I were to pick the case up. I found the mechanism used in the Elite 371 3.5" and accessory slot lacked this fragile or ineffective feeling, and was very impressed with the simple yet effective solution that Cooler Master had provided.

As previously stated there is little in way of cable management. Even if any openings where provided, with only a little over a 1/4" behind the motherboard there is no room to actually store leftover cables from a power supply.

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