Cooler Master CMP 520 PC Case Review

Complete System

Building in the Cooler Master CMP 520 was pretty straightforward, and that’s hardly surprising, as it’s a very common and well-tested layout and Cooler Master played is very safe here. They did get all the core stuff correct though, and that’s obviously a good thing. For starters, it passes the first hurdle, it looks good!

The cable management is decent, again, nothing innovative, just a PSU shroud and some large cable routing holes, and while there are no grommets, it gets the job done and looks presentable.

The fans look stunning, providing ample lighting to illuminate the interior of the case. They’re ARGB and can be controlled with the button on the front panel, allowing you to cycle through colours and effects.

However, they can be hooked up to your own hub, motherboard or other ARGB-compatible devices to control them that way, if you prefer.

I would have liked to see a fan placed in the rear. However, with three fans pulling in air, there should be a positive air pressure in the case, and with plenty of ventilation in the top too, heat exhausts reasonably well.

The case is a little on the small side for a mid-tower, but that’s not a bad thing, as not everyone wants a bulky PC case; I know I don’t! However, it’s still fairly capable, and you can get a 350mm GPU in here with no fans or radiators added to the front.

The CPU cooler clearance is decent enough, with up to 161mm of height available to you. With that in mind, something as big as an RTX 4080/4090 likely wouldn’t fit in this case, well, technically it would but I think the PSU cables would be too cramped against the glass.

With all the panels back in place, the Cooler Master CMP 520 looks great, and with that high-airflow mesh front panel, you can enjoy the aesthetics of those lovely CF120 ARGB fans, and take comfort in the fact there’s good airflow coming into your case.