Cooler Master 690 II Advanced Mid-Tower

Rob Williams · 01-19-2010, 10:15 PM

When Cooler Master released its 690 chassis over two years ago, we're doubtful that even it could have predicted just how well-received it was going to be. It did a lot right in terms of design and function, and with the 690 II, those two factors are pushed even further. The result? The best $100 chassis we've ever looked at, bar none.

You can read Bill's 20th chassis review right here and discuss it here!

Yangster · 01-20-2010, 12:58 AM

Haha I know you said that it had no flaws but you didn't even type the word "cons".:

Pros
* The pricing is excellent.
* External S-ATA dock.
* Impressive cooling performance.
* Highly flexible design.
* Solid build.

Pros
* None. Absolutely none.

Typed pros twice. :P

Rob Williams · 01-20-2010, 01:45 AM

Haha, and I have no good excuse for this one :-(

Thanks a lot for pointing that out, it's been fixed!

Doomsday · 01-20-2010, 09:08 PM

I love cases which give u a LOT of fan options! lol! for $99, this is a steal! very nice case!

01-24-2010, 12:11 AM

The motherboard tray isn't removable. It's not necessary in a full-tower case, but it makes life a whole lot easier in a mid-tower.

b1lk1 · 01-24-2010, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nilithius

The motherboard tray isn't removable. It's not necessary in a full-tower case, but it makes life a whole lot easier in a mid-tower.

I don't see how having a removable motherboard would give this chassis any more flexibility. With the power supply being bottom mounted, there are no clearance issues when changing it or the motherboard. In fact, I have yet to even see a mainstream mid-tower WITH a removable motherboard tray. The only time I find this a requirement is when using a very small MATX case and even then they are almost always awkward and difficult to use.

I just cannot see how this is a valid need in this sized chassis.

Rob Williams · 01-26-2010, 02:59 AM

I agree that a removable motherboard tray might be nice, but given how often people have to install a new motherboard into their PC, I don't consider it an important issue. Even without it, this chassis makes installation a straight-forward affair. I admit though, that I've never, not once, used a removable motherboard tray. Maybe I don't quite understand their importance.

b1lk1 · 01-27-2010, 05:57 PM

I have used them in some really tight M-ATX spec chassis and they are nice in that application. Again, the limitation is often the amount of space allotted for the tray itself usually requiring a low profile heatsink/fan combo. For a mid tower such as the 690 II, there is so much room to work with it just doesn't seem necessary, especially when you consider there is a hole on the motherboard tray for installing backplates for CPU coolers so you can even install the board first and your cooler second.

02-04-2010, 04:08 PM

A really great review! Don't understand why there's such a weak response. Good job techage.

Doomsday · 02-04-2010, 07:46 PM

i have CM Centurion 590. After watching this and the CM Storm Sniper i just have an urge thingy to buy a new case!

Which one would u guys recommend, CM 690 II or CM Storm Sniper!?

or should i stick with the Centurion 590?!? hehe!

crowTrobot · 02-08-2010, 10:36 PM

How much are the storm snipers now? The 690 II Advanced is still cheaper I think at $100 (storm sniper is around $130-150 IIRC) and I like the look of it more. Plus...more features!

Doomsday · 08-08-2010, 07:21 AM

i think i'll be buying this case soon. Well we have the CM690 II Plus(Asia-Pacific Edition)...
In order to install the cooler master V8, both top and one side panel fan had to be removed on my Centurion 590

this is causing bad airflow inside the case! my idle stock cooler CPU temps were 42-43C and maxed out at 54-55C. Now with the V8 they be 35-36C on idle and 48-49C on Max! my ambient temps are 35-36C!

01-19-2010, 10:15 PM	#1
Rob Williams Editor-in-Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 13,231	Cooler Master 690 II Advanced Mid-Tower When Cooler Master released its 690 chassis over two years ago, we're doubtful that even it could have predicted just how well-received it was going to be. It did a lot right in terms of design and function, and with the 690 II, those two factors are pushed even further. The result? The best $100 chassis we've ever looked at, bar none. You can read Bill's 20th chassis review right here and discuss it here! __________________ Intel Core i7-990X EE @ 3.43GHz, GIGABYTE X58A-UD5, Kingston 12GB DDR3-1333, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD, WD VR 1TB, WD 2TB, Seagate 2TB, LG BD-ROM, ASUS DVD-RW, Corsair 1000HX, Corsair H60 Cooler Corsair 800D, Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Gentoo (KDE 4.10, 3.7 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter <Toad772> I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do, I take it too far.

01-20-2010, 01:45 AM	#3
Rob Williams Editor-in-Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 13,231	Haha, and I have no good excuse for this one :-( Thanks a lot for pointing that out, it's been fixed! __________________ Intel Core i7-990X EE @ 3.43GHz, GIGABYTE X58A-UD5, Kingston 12GB DDR3-1333, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD, WD VR 1TB, WD 2TB, Seagate 2TB, LG BD-ROM, ASUS DVD-RW, Corsair 1000HX, Corsair H60 Cooler Corsair 800D, Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Gentoo (KDE 4.10, 3.7 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter <Toad772> I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do, I take it too far.

01-20-2010, 09:08 PM	#4
Doomsday Tech Junkie Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: KHI, PAK Posts: 1,539	I love cases which give u a LOT of fan options! lol! for $99, this is a steal! very nice case! __________________ PSU: Corsair AX850 - Case: Cooler Master HAF X - CPU:Core i7-2600k - Cooler: Cooler Master V6 GT - Motherboard: Asus Z68 Maximus IV Extreme Z - Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB-1600Mhz - GPU: AMD MSI R6970 Lightning - HDD: WD Caviar Black 1TB, Seagate 2TB Barracuda Green - SSD: Intel 520 Series 120GB - K/B: Razer Lycosa Mirror - Mouse: Logitech G700 - MouseMat: Steel Series 4HD - LCD: Samsung 2333SW 23" - Speakers: Creative Inspire M4500 4.1 - Headset: Logitech G35 7.1 "Do not look at a man's prayers nor his fasts, rather, measure him by how well he deals with others, the compassion he shows his fellow man, his wisdom and his integrity" - Umar Ibn Al-Khattab

01-24-2010, 12:11 AM	#5
Nilithius Guest Poster Posts: n/a	One Flaw... The motherboard tray isn't removable. It's not necessary in a full-tower case, but it makes life a whole lot easier in a mid-tower.

01-26-2010, 02:59 AM	#7
Rob Williams Editor-in-Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 13,231	I agree that a removable motherboard tray might be nice, but given how often people have to install a new motherboard into their PC, I don't consider it an important issue. Even without it, this chassis makes installation a straight-forward affair. I admit though, that I've never, not once, used a removable motherboard tray. Maybe I don't quite understand their importance. __________________ Intel Core i7-990X EE @ 3.43GHz, GIGABYTE X58A-UD5, Kingston 12GB DDR3-1333, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD, WD VR 1TB, WD 2TB, Seagate 2TB, LG BD-ROM, ASUS DVD-RW, Corsair 1000HX, Corsair H60 Cooler Corsair 800D, Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Gentoo (KDE 4.10, 3.7 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter <Toad772> I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do, I take it too far.

01-20-2010, 12:58 AM	#2
Yangster Obliviot Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: California. Posts: 45	Haha I know you said that it had no flaws but you didn't even type the word "cons".: Pros * The pricing is excellent. * External S-ATA dock. * Impressive cooling performance. * Highly flexible design. * Solid build. Pros * None. Absolutely none. Typed pros twice. :P

01-27-2010, 05:57 PM	#8
b1lk1 Tech Monkey Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ontario Posts: 821	I have used them in some really tight M-ATX spec chassis and they are nice in that application. Again, the limitation is often the amount of space allotted for the tray itself usually requiring a low profile heatsink/fan combo. For a mid tower such as the 690 II, there is so much room to work with it just doesn't seem necessary, especially when you consider there is a hole on the motherboard tray for installing backplates for CPU coolers so you can even install the board first and your cooler second. __________________ Oldschool PC: Intel E6300/Nouctua NH-9U w/dual 92mm Panaflos XFX 680i LT Patriot PC2-6400 2X2GB LL 2 X BFG 8800GTX in SLI Enermax Revolution 620W PSU ASUS 24X DVD/Seagate 250GB SATA 2/THermaltake A90/Windows 7 Ultimate 64

02-04-2010, 04:08 PM	#9
Unregistered Guest Poster Posts: n/a	A really great review! Don't understand why there's such a weak response. Good job techage.

02-04-2010, 07:46 PM	#10
Doomsday Tech Junkie Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: KHI, PAK Posts: 1,539	i have CM Centurion 590. After watching this and the CM Storm Sniper i just have an urge thingy to buy a new case! Which one would u guys recommend, CM 690 II or CM Storm Sniper!? or should i stick with the Centurion 590?!? hehe! __________________ PSU: Corsair AX850 - Case: Cooler Master HAF X - CPU:Core i7-2600k - Cooler: Cooler Master V6 GT - Motherboard: Asus Z68 Maximus IV Extreme Z - Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB-1600Mhz - GPU: AMD MSI R6970 Lightning - HDD: WD Caviar Black 1TB, Seagate 2TB Barracuda Green - SSD: Intel 520 Series 120GB - K/B: Razer Lycosa Mirror - Mouse: Logitech G700 - MouseMat: Steel Series 4HD - LCD: Samsung 2333SW 23" - Speakers: Creative Inspire M4500 4.1 - Headset: Logitech G35 7.1 "Do not look at a man's prayers nor his fasts, rather, measure him by how well he deals with others, the compassion he shows his fellow man, his wisdom and his integrity" - Umar Ibn Al-Khattab

02-08-2010, 10:36 PM	#11
crowTrobot E.M.I. Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 99	How much are the storm snipers now? The 690 II Advanced is still cheaper I think at $100 (storm sniper is around $130-150 IIRC) and I like the look of it more. Plus...more features!

08-08-2010, 07:21 AM	#12
Doomsday Tech Junkie Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: KHI, PAK Posts: 1,539	i think i'll be buying this case soon. Well we have the CM690 II Plus(Asia-Pacific Edition)... In order to install the cooler master V8, both top and one side panel fan had to be removed on my Centurion 590 this is causing bad airflow inside the case! my idle stock cooler CPU temps were 42-43C and maxed out at 54-55C. Now with the V8 they be 35-36C on idle and 48-49C on Max! my ambient temps are 35-36C! __________________ PSU: Corsair AX850 - Case: Cooler Master HAF X - CPU:Core i7-2600k - Cooler: Cooler Master V6 GT - Motherboard: Asus Z68 Maximus IV Extreme Z - Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB-1600Mhz - GPU: AMD MSI R6970 Lightning - HDD: WD Caviar Black 1TB, Seagate 2TB Barracuda Green - SSD: Intel 520 Series 120GB - K/B: Razer Lycosa Mirror - Mouse: Logitech G700 - MouseMat: Steel Series 4HD - LCD: Samsung 2333SW 23" - Speakers: Creative Inspire M4500 4.1 - Headset: Logitech G35 7.1 "Do not look at a man's prayers nor his fasts, rather, measure him by how well he deals with others, the compassion he shows his fellow man, his wisdom and his integrity" - Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Last edited by Doomsday; 08-08-2010 at 07:24 AM.

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