Any Owners Of The CM Cosmos II?

My current case, though new, is not quite large enough for my motherboard. It fits E-ATX but the cables have to be packed extremely tight in order for all of them to fit in the available holes and I'm beginning to think that this is causing connector stress on the MB. I've decided to trade up for a more spacy case. I'd like your opinions of the Cosmos II and any negatives that I should be concerned with. I'm also willing to accept alternatives. TIA!

I own the Cosmos and the Cosmos Black and I'm very pleased with both; the only othr one case I would to buy is the HP Blackbird 002 case (done under the Vodoo branch), but seems that was discontinued.

I didn't notice the Cosmos II, but after reading your post I went to the Cooler Naster page and I love the looks. If has some problems with cable management is not that strange: is a full tower case and some of the most notable ones as the Thermaltake Level 10 had very specific needs in the lenght of the power source connectors due the massive size of the case.

I've already got a fridge I don't need another one. :P

I've got a case 2x smaller than that one and I can fit everything in it just fine.... Got the same setup 2.

I wouldn't spend $350 on a stupid case, heck I don't even see my computer it's in the othe room and I just turn it on via remote and everything on it is totally wireless. Meaning my tower could be in my closet for all I care. Some People don't even know I have a computer and they go looking for it since they've never seen a totally wireless pc :P.

http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Mid-Tower-Computer-Docking-VM600M1W2Z/dp/B004GCOCZ2

It's a nice case, but it's incredibly big. If you're having trouble with space, it should most definitely solve your problems.

However, should you want to go for a more cost-effective option, check out the Xigmatek Elysium or the Enermax Fulmo GT/Rosewill Blackhawk Ultra.

EDIT: Here's a picture with a regular ATX board in the Cosmos II. As you can see, there's plenty of room for an E-ATX:

I found the actual problem with my Level 10 and it turn out that when I put the right side panel on and slide it closed, it twists the cables because it presses against them as the panel is sliding shut. So lack of room for cable management. The Level 10 has about 1" of space between the mounting tray and the side panel which is not enough for the amount of overlapping cables I have.

It's a nice case, but it's incredibly big. If you're having trouble with space, it should most definitely solve your problems.

However, should you want to go for a more cost-effective option, check out the Xigmatek Elysium or the Enermax Fulmo GT/Rosewill Blackhawk Ultra.

EDIT: Here's a picture with a regular ATX board in the Cosmos II. As you can see, there's plenty of room for an E-ATXravenguard90

My board isn't exaclty E-ATX but it has the extra inch that regular ATX boards don't have. Cost is not a problem though I want to be spending on something that's worth the price. I seemed to have spent cash on a case just for it's looks. The Silverstone Temjin is also a huge case. No handles though.

I wouldn't spend $350 on a stupid case, heck I don't even see my computer it's in the othe room and I just turn it on via remote and everything on it is totally wireless. Meaning my tower could be in my closet for all I care. Some People don't even know I have a computer and they go looking for it since they've never seen a totally wireless pc :P.

zaku101

If you go to spent a big amount of money in a top tier gaming rig buying a cheap case is not the way to do the things. Think: the CC Cosmos II, the Tt Level 10 or the Corsair Obsidian 800D aren't for people building budget rigs. If one spent 800+ $ just in the GPUs of a rig probably any sub 150$ case will not fit the room and hot management they need. And anyway, if one can buy components for value of a few thousand dollars what kind of problem would have buying a case for "so litle" as 350$ ? Take also into consideration that some custom painted cases can reach prizes several times higer than any of the mentioned monsters, so, definitely, ther's a market for such kind of customers.

[QUOTE="ravenguard90"]

It's a nice case, but it's incredibly big. If you're having trouble with space, it should most definitely solve your problems.

However, should you want to go for a more cost-effective option, check out the Xigmatek Elysium or the Enermax Fulmo GT/Rosewill Blackhawk Ultra.

EDIT: Here's a picture with a regular ATX board in the Cosmos II. As you can see, there's plenty of room for an E-ATXSnaptrap

My board isn't exaclty E-ATX but it has the extra inch that regular ATX boards don't have. Cost is not a problem though I want to be spending on something that's worth the price. I seemed to have spent cash on a case just for it's looks. The Silverstone Temjin is also a huge case. No handles though.

If that's the case (no pun intended), the Cosmos II is definitely worth the price if you consider the amount of workmanship put into it. The TJ11 (I presume that's the one you're talking about), on the other hand, I can't justify under any circumstances. The only valuable feature I can see with that case is the fact that the case can be completely dismantled without de-riveting components, but that's hardly a good reason to charge $500+ for it.

If you're going to spend $300+ on a case the ONLY case you should consider is the Caselabs M8. Period. It's easily the best case ever made in terms of build quality, modularity, and space.RayvinAzn

Carrying handles are a must for me. I had a bad experience lugging a box around which I do a few times each month.

You're carrying around a semi-liquid-cooled, dual-graphics card-based setup with five disc drives on a regular basis?RayvinAzn

Yes. It weighs about 50lbs in my current case. I just need to get it out the door and into the car for LAN activities. Usually once a month but sometimes twice. The Magnum will be around 40lbs fully loaded and for that I will need a handle. Unless the handle on the back is for carrying.

Maybe I am weird but I can't see the point in spending $300 on heavy plastic. When I purchase a case I don't go over $100. I like them simple and light with good cooling. I don't know why you'd go out and buy a case weighting 50+ pounds/reinforced with extra protection. When it isn't going to be moved from its current location other than for cleaning and holding your parts. I've had my cases in the same location for 10 years only moved twice for lan parties. Do I need them to be extra large or weight 50pounds, no and why? Also the bigger the case the crapper your air flow becomes and the more fans you need.

Yeah, spending $300 on a case is overkill. This $40 case can hold a Noctua D14.

Azza has an enourmous case as well...quite larger than the Cosmo...I think there is room for a htpc in the top section, if memory serves...but then again, I'm old and don't feel like looking it up. It's huge and Red...perhaps that'll work for you? I think it's an Azza 4000 or some such thingdemi0227_basic

Unfortunately for a case that size, I would also need carry handles. I've read reviews and most indicate issues with construction quality.

No, it's for the removable motherboard tray to make sliding it out easier unfortunately. If you really want the handle and need all that space I'd probably opt for the CM Storm Trooper. Around $150, all the features you need (I think, the handle thing threw me off, but it does fit XL-ATX boards, has plenty of expansion slots for any dual-card setup you might be running, and should have plenty of space for the Bigwater rad).RayvinAzn

I was considering this case but it has one of the other problems with my current case - the motherboard will partially cover the gromets I will need to use (24-pin power connector). I have to do some scrunching to get the cable though. This wasn't a problem with the board I originally purchased with my Level 10.

Maybe I am weird but I can't see the point in spending $300 on heavy plastic. When I purchase a case I don't go over $100. I like them simple and light with good cooling. I don't know why you'd go out and buy a case weighting 50+ pounds/reinforced with extra protection. When it isn't going to be moved from its current location other than for cleaning and holding your parts. I've had my cases in the same location for 10 years only moved twice for lan parties. Do I need them to be extra large or weight 50pounds, no and why? Also the bigger the case the crapper your air flow becomes and the more fans you need.

zaku101

I have no problem with buying extra fans providing they can be added. I don't know of any cases that support E-ATX.

Here are the main things I do require on my case:

- carry handle

- side and top fan support

- front USB 3.0

- at least 2 hotswap drive bays (for quick data backup)

- 3 ODD drive bay for my cooler and BD drive

- native support for mounting an SSD

- full support for E-ATX

- plenty of space between the side panel and MB mount for cable management

- toolless main side panel (both would be even better)

- reset button

I finally got a close-up look at this case and it has annoying flaws. The fan connectors are designed specifically for CM fans because no one else makes fans that require a separate 2-pin cable to control the LED's. My Level 10 GT uses a single 3-pin connector for both speed and LED control thus eliminating any need for a separate 2-pin. The GT also has a cable-free side fan which with this you would need to detach fan cables to remove the side panel should you decide to mount fans which a lot of people do when using multiple graphic cards. I actually thought there were fans inside the side panel. So it looks like I'm going to be shopping for alternatives. I wouldn't recommend the Cosmos II unless you can overlook some of the propriety design features.

Maybe I'll just build a case from a cardboard box.

I have no problem with buying extra fans providing they can be added. I don't know of any cases that support E-ATX.

Here are the main things I do require on my case:

- carry handle

- side and top fan support

- front USB 3.0

- at least 2 hotswap drive bays (for quick data backup)

- 3 ODD drive bay for my cooler and BD drive

- native support for mounting an SSD

- full support for E-ATX

- plenty of space between the side panel and MB mount for cable management

- toolless main side panel (both would be even better)

- reset button

Snaptrap

Here's the tricky part - you're shopping for two cases essentially. Portability is not something people usually look for when shopping for an EATX setup. That being said, I don't believe the Maximus IV Extreme-Z is actually an EATX part. EATX is essentially 12"x13", that board you have is only about 12"x10.5" (only about 1" longer than standard ATX's 12"x9.6"), so you don't need full EATX support. I do believe the board will in fact fit inside the Trooper, but you're right that the cable routing holes might be blocked.

Seems to me though that the loss of cable routing holes is a small price to pay for almost everything else you want in a case. You get your carrying handle, side and top fan support, USB 3.0 headers, plenty of ODD bays, native SSD mounting, support for your board, lots of space for cable routing, toolless side panel, and reset button. You're only losing hotswap drive bays really.

These case manufactures should really look into adopting innovations from other cases. Cooler Master basically made the Cosmos II so that you can't use anyone else's LED fans but theirs because only they made controllable LED fans for this case. That was a problem with my Storm Sniper too. It had 200mm fans on the top and front but CM didn't made those fans available for purchase until a year later. I wanted one for the side panel. I emailed CM to see if there's anything they can do in regard to LED control.

The Maximus IV Extreme-Z is classed as an EATX board due to the extra inch or so of width. I think they just wanted to be sure that people had the extra space to mount it. It's a shame that Thermaltake couldn't move the gromets over a bit for these types of boards and added more depth under the panel for better cable clearance.

Perhaps I'll just go with that Magnum and just lug it around in the box. I'm lazy when it comes to packing up my computer.

I bought the Magnum TH10 and spared no expense in customization. They said it should just take a few days for the fastest delivery. I actually like the gromet free cable holes. Thanks a lot for all your suggestions and info.

I bought the Magnum TH10 and spared no expense in customization. They said it should just take a few days for the fastest delivery. I actually like the gromet free cable holes. Thanks a lot for all your suggestions and info.

Snaptrap

[QUOTE="Snaptrap"]

I bought the Magnum TH10 and spared no expense in customization. They said it should just take a few days for the fastest delivery. I actually like the gromet free cable holes. Thanks a lot for all your suggestions and info.

RayvinAzn

I might purchase the pedestal for it later. I decided that there's no need for a front panel since I have enough rear 3.0 ports. The 5.2 drive bays will likely be for a fan controller and my ODD. Currently I'm looking at Swiftech upgrades as my Thermaltake cooler won't be used. Going to try upgrading my GPU's to water cooling as well. The one thing I know I won't have problems with is customization for future systems. Thanks for suggesting Case Labs. That's a name I haven't heard in a while.

I might purchase the pedestal for it later. I decided that there's no need for a front panel since I have enough rear 3.0 ports. The 5.2 drive bays will likely be for a fan controller and my ODD. Currently I'm looking at Swiftech upgrades as my Thermaltake cooler won't be used. Going to try upgrading my GPU's to water cooling as well. The one thing I know I won't have problems with is customization for future systems. Thanks for suggesting Case Labs. That's a name I haven't heard in a while.

Snaptrap

My case came in today but my brother signed for it and then sold it. He can't get it back because it was privately sold. UPS said they're weren't going to be delivering it until Friday.

My case came in today but my brother signed for it and then sold it. He can't get it back because it was privately sold. UPS said they're weren't going to be delivering it until Friday.

Snaptrap

It's a nice case, but it's incredibly big. If you're having trouble with space, it should most definitely solve your problems.

However, should you want to go for a more cost-effective option, check out the Xigmatek Elysium or the Enermax Fulmo GT/Rosewill Blackhawk Ultra.

EDIT: Here's a picture with a regular ATX board in the Cosmos II. As you can see, there's plenty of room for an E-ATX:

ravenguard90

i am interested in this case i'm just hoping i do not need to mod anything to fit my 360 rad up top everything else seems perfect though.