Cooler Master Silencio S600 review - Introduction

Cooler Master Silencio S600 review
Like NR600 but more silent? 

It’s time to check out the new Cooler Master Silencio S600 mid-tower PC chassis. CM released many new cases recently, including the Masterbox Q500L and the NR600, which we reviewed on Guru3d in May and June respectively. I’ve mentioned the latter on purpose, as the Silencio S600, which is the hero of this test, is very, very similar in overall design to the NR600. The case was announced in mid-June.  As the name of the series suggests, it should be a silent chassis, and it comes with several design elements that minimize noise pollution. There’s a soundproofing internal lining, a light frame, and several anti-vibration pads inside. If the external design is sober and consistent with such staples of the Silencio family as e.g. an SD card reader on the I/O panel, then the internal layout has evolved. It’s been adapted to meet modern standards in terms of gaming chassis design and water-cooling compatibility.

The main features are listed below:

• Sound Dampening Material – Sound dampening material minimizes noise from the pre-installed fans, the power supply, all-steel panels, the steel front door, and all storage mounting points for 2.5” and 3.5” drives.
• Tempered Glass or Sound-Dampened Steel – the Silencio is available in two versions: seamless tempered glass to showcase your build, or sound-dampened steel.
• Removable Sound Dampening Cover – the top cover can be removed for increased ventilation, or kept in place to reduce noise.
• Reversible, Steel Front Door – the sound-dampened, steel front door features a reversible mounting system that is capable of opening in two directions.
• SD Card Reader – the I/O Panel features an SD card reader for rich connectivity.
• Headset Jack – the single 4-pole headset jack features both audio and microphone capabilities simultaneously so that separate jacks are not needed.
• Silencio Fans – two Silencio FP 120mm PWM fans are pre-installed, with rubber padding to reduce noise. To connect additional fans, one 4-pin 1-to-3 splitter is included.
• Graphics Card Support Up To 398mm – generous clearance is provided to support the latest graphics cards.

 As you can see, the main difference compared with the NR600 is the sound dampening material used here, as well as on the steel-side-panel version, which should offer better noise performance. Aaah, the fans are now PWM, not voltage controlled. So, will it really be that silent? The chassis looks quite elegant in the manufacturer’s photo. The specification is given below:

Only a black colour version is available. The Cooler Master Silencio S600 is a medium-sized chassis. It measures 478 (L) x 209 (W) x 470.5 (H) mm (which gives 47 l in total), and supports up to ATX-sized motherboards. It can house a maximum of four 3.5” drives and five 2.5” ones. The following ports are available on the front panel:

• USB 3.2 Gen 1 (2 x),
• 3.5 mm HD audio jack (common for mic and headphones)
• Power and Reset switches
• SD card reader

There is 398 mm of space for graphics cards, which is enough for all models currently available on the market (only slightly less space than in the NR600). There’s also 166 mm for air coolers (most should be able to fit in) and 180 mm for the PSU (so, in theory, everything up to about 1000 W will be compatible). The Cooler Master Silencio S600 has many cooling options, with support for up to 280 mm radiators on the front (it was 360 mm in the NR600 without an ODD), 240mm on the top, and a 120 mm radiator in the back. Dust filters have been installed on the top, front (which wasn’t the case in the NR600), and in the bottom. So summing it up – the Silencio is more silent than the NR600, but with worse radiator compatibility in the front (but that shouldn’t be an issue for most users, as a 280 mm one will still fit).
The MSRP is €89.99 for the steel panel version, and €99.99 for the tempered glass one. Let’s have a closer look at the Silencio S600, which we’ve received in the cheaper variant, but with the optional TG side panel included. Please proceed to the next page.