×

Warning

JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 83

JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 78

Published in Reviews

Cooler Master HAF 932 dissected

by on20 May 2009

undefinedImage

Review: Roomy, quiet and simple to use


Our today’s test subject is CoolerMaster’s HAF 932 full tower case. The name HAF is an acronym for High Air Flow, and this case should be ideal for hardcore gamers and just about anyone who likes their components like their beer – cold.

Packaging

If you decide to buy the HAF 932, you’ll bring home a large black box measuring 60 cm x 25 cm x 58 cm and weighing in at 15,4kg. 

undefined

The box sides show the case in action, and you’ll find plenty of info as well as some other photos.


undefined

For extra protection in transport, HAF 932 comes wrapped in black plastic, snuggly sitting in Styrofoam.

undefined 


The Exterior

HAF 932 is made of plastic and metal, and if you’re into military style – then you’ll absolutely love this case. The construction is made of metal whereas plastic was mostly used on the front of the case. This ensures that the case is as sturdy as it gets. Its dimensions are 228.6x546.1x576mm (WxHxD) and it weighs 13,1kg.

undefined

The front panel features 6 brackets for 5,25 inch optical drives, with a large CoolerMaster signed mesh grill underneath. Behind the grill you’ll find one out of three large 230mm fans found on the HAF 932. The front fan however, comes with red LEDs as you can see from the box. Using three large fans instead of many smaller ones is not a bad idea, as these fans’ maximum RPM is at 700RPM, which makes them pretty quiet.

The grill on the photo below can easily be taken off, but we were surprised to see no dust-filters, usually found between the grill and the fan. Such a filter makes cooling maintenance a breeze, as taking it off and cleaning it is easier than taking the actual fan off. If you choose so, you can replace this fan with a 120mm one.

undefined

5.25 slots come with push-button mechanisms, so installing optical drives will be pretty simple. The case also comes with one 5,25’’-to-3,5’’ adapter bracket, which comes in handy if you choose to install a floppy drive as well.

undefined

Everything else you might need is provided in a cardboard box, found inside the case. You’ll find all the screws, four wheels if you like your case mobile, instruction manual, 5.25’’-to-3.5’’ converter for FDD and an extension for the P4 power cable.

undefined


Towards the top of the front panel you’ll find 4 USB ins, 1 Firewire in, SATA port and headphone and microphone ports.

undefined

Power and Reset keys are placed on top, which is nice in case your case is underneath or next to your desk.

undefined

The top panel consists of the mesh grill and the front part covered in rubber. Rubber is however not just a designer detail, as it also hides the hole where you’ll refill your water cooling system. After the rubber part is put back into its place, you’ll have a nice surface to put your sticks or a mobile phone on.

undefined

Underneath the top panel grill you’ll find another 230mm fan. In case you decide to switch to smaller fans or water cooling, the grill also features holes for three 120mm fans or water cooling. The top panel helps with cooling but at the same time introduces a risk of liquids from your table ending up in your case.

undefined

The left side of the case consists of 3 parts – the mesh grill, Plexiglas window and the metal part.

undefined

The Plexiglas window is located on the top part of the panel, and it’s there for the “eye-candy” effect, and lets you peek inside the case.

undefined

The mesh grill carries the third 230mm fan but if you decide so, you can swap it for four 120mm fan, but be aware that noise floor will rise as well.

The panel features additional air-outlets and you can see them on the lower left part of the panel on the photo above.

undefined

The right panel features the same 5 air-outlets as the left panel.

undefined

The rear panel is standard, but with an interesting touch which is the possibility to mount your PSU on top or bottom of the case. In case you mount it on top you’ll have to remove the 230mm fan, in which case you can mount the additional 120mm fans to the bottom of the case.

The upper PSU slot contains water cooling holes and you’ll also find 7 PCI brackets and a large mesh grill hiding the fourth fan that comes with this case. We’re talking about a 140x25mm fan running at maximum of 1200RPM.

The Interior

The case has a lot of room with support for three motherboard form factors – mini-ATX, ATX and extended ATX. If you need help mounting the motherboard, the paper on the tray will explain the procedure in full detail.

We’ve already seen that this case can house 6 optical drives, and now we see room for 5 hard disks. The entire HD and optical device mounting can be done with no use of tools.

undefined

The optical drive bay on the bottom comes with an additional 3,5’’ bracket. If you own a 3,5’’ disk you should mount it in the bracket and swap the front panel grill with the provided 5,25’’-to-3,5’’ bracket.

undefined

The motherboard tray comes with 5 holes intended for cable management, which ensures your case is tidy and that there are no obstructions to the airflow.

The tray also has a larger hole that sits behind the CPU, allowing for no-hassle CPU cooler mounting when the coolers have to be fastened to the back of the motherboard. This is especially convenient with those who test different CPU coolers and have to switch cooling often. Unfortunately, the motherboard tray can’t be removed like on the ATCS 840.

undefined

The photo above shows that the bottom panel fans are optional – meaning you won’t get them with the case. If the PSU is mounted on the bottom you’ll only have room for one fan, but if the PSU is on top, then an additional fan can be put in. Unfortunately, there’re no dust filters here either, so no dust protection for your PSU. The PSU bracket can be placed in a way to support power supply units longer than standard.

Inside the back panel you’ll find a 140mm fan, seven PCI brackets and 2 slots for the PSU.

undefined

CoolerMaster made installation of add-in cards in PCI slots easy, as there’s no need for tools. A simple push of a button frees up the slot for your card, and after the card is in place all you have to do is put the mechanism back in its place.

undefined




Conclusion

The HAF 932 is another exquisite case coming from CoolerMaster, and the company seems to be keen on capturing the hearts of end-users by offering great quality at a nice price point. Looks-wise, this case will appeal those who like a bit of military flavor rather than classic users. The case is robust and offers a lot of room, in case you like large components or want water cooling.

CoolerMaster always has nice deals in its offer, and this case is most definitely one of them. Airflow is great and three 230mm fans running at maximum of 700RPM are quiet all the way. HAF 932 is made in a way that if you don’t like the preinstalled cooling doesn’t suit your needs, you can easily replace it.

The cheapest HAF 932 can be found in Great Britain priced at about 105 GBP or 125 euro in Germany (the rest of the prices can be found here). Taking into account everything we’ve seen as well as competing cases in this class, the case is priced nicely. Due to great airflow, we believe that many a gamer will like this case, but the same goes for extreme overclockers and such.

Besides the fact that CoolerMaster incorporated no dust-filters, which are quite cheap, we couldn’t find a single downside to this case. So, without further ado, we dub the HAF 932 a “Fudzilla Recommended” piece of equipment.

Image
Last modified on 20 May 2009
Rate this item
(0 votes)