Introduction:

    The Centurion 530 is a newer case by Cooler Master which provides system builders with a clean simple functional case. The case features two stealth 5.25" bays, screw-less expansion slots, screw-less media drive rail system, completed by a top mounted I/O panel. The I/O panel provides power, reset, USB 2.0, fire wire, and audio connectors.

   The front face of the case is entirely meshed with great considerations towards thermal performance exhibited by the front mounted 120mm fan complete with filtered air intake zones.

First Looks:

     The housing of the case constructed out of steel finished with a aluminum mesh - structural plastic bezel. The top two 5.25" bays feature stealth drive doors with adjustable eject-button mechanism. The front of the case is framed by two vertical aluminum rods.

Further Inspection:

    The rear of the case features another 120mm exhaust fan mount. Cooler Master choose a very traditional method of providing screw-less expansion slots. Simple locking plastic levers lock the brackets into place.

    The left side of the case sports two air vents - one of which is fitted with a telescoping plastic shroud. The shrouded vent is located almost on top of the CPU area with the second vent providing airflow to the expansion card area.

   The shroud can be telescoped down on top of, or around, the CPU heat sink to ideally provide fresh air from outside of the case for heat sink cooling. The shroud fit exactly over the CPU area on two of the three motherboards I tried with the case.

   The stealth 5.25" bay covers worked very well in my testing. The hinges are solid yet the doors open with very little effort from optical drives. The silver buttons actuate a flat steel spring which has a spacing block to activate the button on an optical drive. The block can be slid to the right or left allowing for perfect positioning on various brands and models of optical drives.