Cooler Master MasterCase Pro 3 Micro-ATX Chassis Review

A Closer Look – Exterior

First impressions of the MasterCase Pro 3 are very good, not only does it look almost identical to the Pro 5, it has the same rock-solid build quality we were hoping for too. It is noticeably less tall than the Pro 5, but the panels are still thick steel and finished to a very high standard. On the left side, you’ll find a huge side panel window with a slight tint, which gives us a great view of the chassis interior, and that’s great for those who want to show off their motherboard and graphics cards.

The right side panel is less dramatic, just a solid metal panel, nice and simple. What I do like about the MasterCase series is that they’re not just solid black, the paintwork and plastic are slightly grey with light speckles, giving it a dark titanium appearance that just oozes quality. Both the left and right side panel are held in place by quick-release thumb screws for easy access.

The chassis is quite wide, which means you’ll have more than enough room for 140mm fans throughout. There’s a single 5.25″ drive bay at the top for those who need it, and below that, a huge ventilated and filtered section for the front mounted cooling.

The I/O panel is nicely designed too, with dual USB 3.0 ports, HD audio, as well as the usual power controls. Above that, a cut-out that acts as the front carry handle, with another towards the rear of the chassis, making it easy to pick up and move around; don’t worry, they’re very well reinforced handles too, so heavy systems are not going to pose an issue.

Give the front panel a pull on the bottom edge and you can pop off the cover, allowing you to clean the mesh filter, as well as access the front panel fan/radiator mounts. There’s already a 140mm fan pre-installed too, which is a nice bonus.

Around the back, you’ll find a 120/140mm fan mount, with a 140mm fan pre-installed. The screw mounts for the rear cooling are elongated, meaning you can easily height adjust the fan/radiator to avoid hardware conflicts. The expansion slots are all fitted with metal reusable covers, and there’s extra ventilation to the side to prevent heat from building up around your expansion cards.

Finally, a removable rear bracket for mounting your PSU, as well as a slide out dust filter for quick and easy maintenance.

The top panel is packed full of surprises too. Left alone, it looks stunning with that angular design and large ventilated section.

Grab hold of it and slide it back, and you can quickly remove it to clean the filter.

No tools needed, just slide and lift.

With that removed, you’ll find dual 120/140mm fan mounts, which also allows for up to 240/280mm radiators.

Installing top panel coolers couldn’t be easier either, as the whole thing is mounted with four thumbscrews, just undo them, lift out the bracket, fit your fans and/or radiators, put it back with the thumbscrews and you’re good to go.

The base of the chassis features two durable metal stands that run the full width of the chassis and come with four durable rubber grips to prevent it from sliding around on your desktop or hard floor surfaces.