Cooler Master HAF XB Rears its head

by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 11/13/2012 10:50 AM | Source | 3 comment(s)

Cooler Master pushing the boundaries with a unique spin on the typical ATX case which literally turns everyday design convention on its head. Dubbed the HAF-XM a LAN Box. At a a price of just $99, the HAF XB aims to incorporate all of the features normally found on Cooler Master’s enthusiast-oriented HAF lineup into a slightly more compact 13” high form that can be tucked into nearly any corner of a desk. Other manufacturers have tried this type of design and most have failed but the XB may just be a winner.

The rear area of most cases doesn’t typically hold anything of interest but this time around we have to remember that Cooler Master is doing things a bit differently with the XB. It uses a stacked layout that would feel right at home on a Mountain Mods chassis. With a pair of 80mm fan mounts (these were used in order to ensure space could be given to the I/O brackets) and a bottom mounted power supply, it seems the design team was certainly thinking outside of the typical “box”.

Naturally, there have been some sacrifices here. Due to internal space constraints, the power supply’s mounting bracket protrudes from the rear, causing an unsightly blemish on an otherwise clean design. In addition, only a single 120mm fan mount is located here which could limit airflow if the 80mm mounts aren’t populated. Photo's courtesy of hardware cunucks as Cooler Master has not send out a press-release yet.

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BrainDedd
Master Guru

Posts: 182
Joined: 2006-04-25

#4453380 Posted on: 11/13/2012 11:38 AM

Only $9? I'll take 200.

PhazeDelta1
Moderator

Posts: 15646
Joined: 2010-09-12

#4453386 Posted on: 11/13/2012 11:46 AM

No thanks. I'll keep my Dimastech.

Goutan
Master Guru

Posts: 262
Joined: 2009-04-25

#4453810 Posted on: 11/13/2012 09:16 PM

It looks really good powered on. I'd love to see some thermal benchmarks in this thing.

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