Instantly Tame your 1,000 watt Computer!
Overall
Summary
Limitless expansion, USB 3.0 support and all the key design elements work together to make a product that will work flawlessly for decades.
Pros
Limitless expansion capabilities, USB 3.0 support and integrated water cooling features.
Cons
Rear case fan limits peak air flow in the HAF 932 Advanced.
Whether you are building a gaming machine for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 or need room and stability to expand for tomorrow, the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced is going to be a case you will consider. The three massive 230 MM cooling fans and a unique hard drive bay system certainly caught my attention.
Yet, as with any computer case, we often wonder whether it will really do the job for the price tag. In this review, we look at all the major features that come with the 932 Advanced, including USB 3.0 support, and answer these key questions to help you make the right purchasing decision.
How well will the HAF 932 Advanced help cool the Asus KGPE-D16 dual AMD Opteron motherboard? Why should you replace the rear 140MM case fan?
PACKAGING AND PROVIDED ACCESSORIES
The Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced arrived on my front doorstep in a large black and red cardboard box. The top and bottom of this box was sealed with ample amounts of packing tape to keep it from harm while shipping. Inside the box, the computer case was encased by two pieces of thick Styrofoam and plastic. Underneath a final layer of plastic keeps the exterior of the case looking as good as the day it rolled off the assembly line.
Inside this USB 3.0 computer case, you will find a floppy adapter, four roller caster’s, a power extension cable, and a re-closable plastic bag filled with screws and other cable management accessories. Each of the standard computer screws is painted black so you can have a consistent color pattern inside your HAF 932 Advanced system. The black zip ties were particularly useful for running the power lines around the bottom panel of the motherboard tray.
APPEARANCE AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS
As soon as you unbox this heavy-duty cooling monster, you will see that is far different in design than anything you may have used in the past. First, the corners and front panel are formed out of a thick black plastic material that is flush with the surface of the case. Upon closer examination, underneath the black plastic bumpers is a heavy-gauge metal mesh that is actually expertly folded around the creases and corners of the front panel of the HAF 932 case. The grill is an excellent design feature because it prevents large particles of dust from entering the case.
On both sides of this Cooler Master case, the side panels are fully removable. The side panels are painted flat black with the primary panel featuring a massive 230MM fan and stylish clear window above it for viewing the inside of the case.
In this rear shot of the HAF 932 Advanced, we see the two water cooling inlets at the top. Underneath the rear case fan can be seen but take notice that it will accept more than one size due to its slick two mounting hole design. Next, the expansion slot system is in the middle with their grilled vents and rapid install tabs that prevent the need for bolting down your NVIDIA GTX 595 video cards. Finally, the power supply opening can be seen. Unlike other computer cases with bottom mounted power supplies, the 932 Advanced adds over 1/2″ of chassis height underneath to allow more airflow.
Remarkable Cooling Fan Expansion Capabilities
In its stock form, the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced comes with a total of four cooling fans. They draw air in from the front and left side panel and push it out through the top and rear of the case. Depending on your computing needs, this case can be upgraded to hold 10 computer fans.
Replacing the Rear Case Fan
The stock rear fan was not powerful enough to expel all the heat that my Dual AMD Opteron 6128 processors were generating. As a result, we placed a Scythe Slip Stream SM1425SL12H 140MM Case fan to increase the airflow throughout the case. The results were better than we expected. Read the performance section of this review for more details.
We Have Room For Three Up Here!
Yes, you can fit three 120MM fans on the top panel of this Cooler Master USB 3.0 case. The forward facing fan will actually expel air through a raised grill in the top panel.
GIVING THE HAL 9000 TRAINING WHEELS
The bright red glowing fan in the front gives this tall black obelisk of computer case a menacing look similar to the HAL 9000. Nothing in the universe is more intimidating than a computer with a glowing red front but add wheels and you have an instant portable powerhouse. The wheels that come with the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced have become an indispensable tool towards my overclocking endeavors with the ASUS KGPE-D16 motherboard. The computer case draws in a high volume of air and I often shift its location to a colder portion of my networking lab. Having my HAL 9000 on training wheels is a great way to find cold spots in any room.
WORKING WITH THE FIVE, RAPID LOAD 3.5” DRIVE BAYS
The five 3.5” drive bays in this computer case have the best design that I have seen to date. You simply unlatch the bay, swing out the plastic lever, and pull. Now, just slide one side of your hard drive into the cradle and then push on the other side until it locks. Reverse the steps above to reinstall and connect your power and data cables. The process takes less than 1 minute to complete. All these drives are cooled by the 230MM glowing red fan mounted underneath the front panel of the case.
PERFORMANCE TESTING
Running multiple video cards, dual AMD Opteron 6128 processors, and 6 Samsung HD502HJ, Western Digital WD102FAEX hard drives will generate a lot of heat inside your computer case. In fact, even using the highly efficient Cooler Master Silent Gold 1000W power supply, this particular system still draws 617 watts when processing work units for the BOINC project called PrimeGrid. As a result, the heat generated by all these components was too much for my older Chieftec Matrix Series computer case and causing the dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti to overheat while calculating Cullen/Woodall Prime Search work units for PrimeGrid.
The following chart details the various component temperature drops seen from installing the ASUS KGPE-D16 motherboard in the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced computer case. Take note of the difference that the Scythe SM1425SL12H 140MM case fan made on operating temperatures by helping to eject more hot air out of the computer.
The temperature of the room was kept at a steady 72 degrees Fahrenheit during separate 24-hour trials of intensive testing to find the peak operating temperatures of this hardware. We believe further temperature drops can be seen on the AMD Opteron 6128 processors and GeForce 550Ti video cards by installing four computer fans on the side panel of the HAF 932 Advanced. The stock 230MM fan on the side panel pulls a lot of air due to its broad fan blade area but it is not at a very high velocity. To increase the airflow on the video cards, we are currently trying to find four Cooler Master Excalibur (R4-EXBB-20PK-R0) 140MM case fans and test their operation.
Nevertheless, the testing performed with two separate computer cases using the same power-hungry 617-watt computer, clearly shows that the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced is a step above the competition.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced computer case reminds me of working on a car engine. I guess that is why I enjoy doing this work so much. In real life, my past includes hot rodding the Dodge 4.7L HO engine in my Dodge Dakota. The work sticks with you and I understand completely the purpose of the water cooling systems in a modern computer. My reservation about this technology so far has been the lack of sufficient backup cooling pumps that will not fail and fry your computer to a complete meltdown. With gasoline engines, you always fear a meltdown and will do nothing to risk losing your years of hard work. The HAF 932 Advanced brings all the tools to the plate that will allow even a skeptic to get into the riskiest side of the hobby.
In conclusion, the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced is the best computer case I have reviewed so far. The ability to comfortably mount the massive ASUS KGPE-D16 SSI EEB 3.61 motherboard inside the spacious interior of the case really impressed me. A plethora of possible cooling fan combinations and of course water cooling all culminates in a nearly perfect product for its size. If you are looking for a computer case that will stand the test of time then purchase a Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced now!
