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Cooler Master's HAF XB: Give Your LAN Party Box Breathing Room
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1. Introducing Cooler Master's HAF XB

Cooler Master visited the Tom's Hardware office in Culver City, CA before introducing its HAF XB. Company representatives proudly showed off the design, which was unlike anything we had seen or used before. I'll fully admit to being dubious that a configuration consuming so much horizontal space would take off. And yet, when I talk to enthusiasts or stop by booths at trade shows, I'm seeing a lot of the HAF XB.

The appeal is that the case lets you put your storage and power supply on one level at the bottom of the case. Your motherboard and other platform components sit on the top level of this double-decker enclosure, enjoying unobstructed airflow from the front to the back. Depending on the version you buy (one has a mesh top and the other is windowed), even more hot air can be pushed out. You can clearly see how this would be a nice setup on a test bench like the ones we use every day. 

Of course, it's easy enough to work inside the HAF XB with a top and side panels that can all be removed. This makes the case's role as an open bench system even more appropriate. And because it has your motherboard lying flat, it'd be pretty ideal for keeping a liquid nitrogen-cooled platform stable and self-contained, too.

But even if your end goal is a regular desktop PC cooled by air or closed-loop liquid, Cooler Master's HAF XB does, in fact, have a lot to offer. As you can see, it's pretty darned spacious and even accommodates a couple of hot-swappable hard drives. Want a pair of compact water coolers? You can do that. Suffice it to say that, despite some initial trepidation, this chassis positively surprised us with its many well thought-out details.

Again, the HAF XB is available in two versions. One has a window on top of the case, while the other one employs a mesh top with the option to install a 200 mm case fan.

Packaging

Cooler Master's HAF XB is spacious inside, but won't break your delivery guy's back with unwieldy packaging. Two recessed handles on the sides make transport easier, too. The box features a thin film finish that conveys quality on the outside, and the back boasts a small illustrated guide to the case's unique features.

Unfortunately, the inside of the box does come packed with Styrofoam to hold the case securely in place. Once you pull the HAF XB out, you'll need to break out your vacuum cleaner.

In the Box

Cooler Master's included accessories shouldn't leave you wanting. The only trouble you'll run into is locating them all, since they're hidden in the lower hard drive bay. Pull the extras out, though, and you'll find a detailed and well-illustrated manual that walks through the installation step-by-step, and in nice print quality. There’s also a familiar assortment of screws that match the case for installing add-ins and accessories, plus a handful of cable ties and eight side rails for the tool-less 2.5” drive installation.

Two drives can be installed in the bays using hot-swap connectors, and a separate drive cage accepts storage devices that don't require this functionality. Cooler Master goes so far as to bundle a Piezo speaker and a small hexagon bit that lets you fasten the motherboard spacers with a normal screwdriver.

2. The HAF XB's Technical Specifications

As mentioned, Cooler Master packs a lot of features into its HAF XB. Due to its two-level design, the case accepts all modern tower-style coolers without worrying about height restrictions. Or, if you want, it'll take not just one 240 mm radiator, but also a second 120 mm radiator. The HAF XB also supports exceptionally long PSUs, offers hot-swapping for two hard drives, and features tool-less drive installation. Finally, carrying handles on the sides round out a very LAN party/tweaker-friendly feature set. Perhaps most surprising to us was that Cooler Master has this case selling for $90 on Newegg.

Manufacturer Cooler Master
Model Number
HAF XB
TypeTwo-level Desktop Case (Stackable), Can Also Be Used As Test Bench
Dimensions (HxWxD)330x442x423 mm
Weight8.2 kg
MaterialSteel
Plastic (Front Cover, Carrying Handles On Sides)
Form FactorATX, MicroATX, Mini-ITX
Bays2 x 5.25“ (External)
2 x 3.5“ (Internal, Hot-Swappable), Can Also Be Used for 2.5“
4 x 2.5“ (Internal)
PCI Slots7
Bundled Fans
2 x 120 mm Front, Upper Level (1800 RPM)
Optional Fans
1 x 120 mm Back, Upper Level
2 x 80 mm Back, Lower Level
1 x 200 mm Top
CPU Cooler
Up to 180 mm
Graphics Card
Up to 334 mm
Power Supply Unit (PSU)
Up to 180 mm (According to Manufacturer's Specifications)
PSUs with a length of more than 200 mm can be used if the cables are squeezed in.
Cable Management
The two-level design offers several options to cleanly put the cables in the upper level.
PriceApp. $90 (Street Price)

A familiar array of buttons and I/O is found on the front of the enclosure, right at the height where the HAF XB’s two levels meet. There’s a power button and a reset button, a microphone input connector, audio output (AC'97 and HD Audio), and two USB 3.0 ports that are internally connected to the motherboard.

Both the power and reset buttons have integrated red LEDs that let you know when your system is on and when your storage subsystem is being accessed. We like that these are the same color. The internal USB 3.0 connector and cable are black, which matches the case. That's pretty important, given how likely you are to see into the chassis from outside.

3. First Impressions And External 360° Picture Gallery

We have to give credit to Cooler Master for doing something different. Although fresh new ideas don't always work out, we'd really like to see more case vendors give critical thought to their internal layouts rather than just trying to turn heads with dressed-up exteriors. Cooler Master went all-in on this one, yielding the two-level cube/desktop configuration. Not only does this give enthusiasts the option to use this case as a stable test bench after removing the sides and top, but it also means you can stack several HAF XBs on top of each other. They won't even get scratched up, thanks to Cooler Master's durable finish and wide, soft rubber feet.

The HAF XB’s build quality is high throughout. This case is meant as a workhorse. It’s stable, everything sits securely in place, and nothing rattles. Even the PCI slot covers are solid, and not just thin sheets. That might not say much on its own; however, small details like that often say a lot about the workmanship that went into designing a chassis. Another strong point is the front cover's secure fit. You're able to detach it for maintenance. But when it's snapped in place, the tolerances are nice and tight. The sides and top are also easy to slide off and remove.

4. Cooling And Dust Protection

Air Cooling

Cooler Master includes two of its A12025-18CB-3EN-F1 fans, running at 1800 RPM. Without an integrated controller, you end up with quite a bit of fan noise. But then again, let's not forget that HAF stands for "High Air Flow." That should give you some indication that this thing isn't appropriate as a home theater PC enclosure. Cooling performance is clearly the priority, even though the case can be made significantly quieter by adding your own fan control.

The bundled blowers have three-pin connectors and come with a four-pin Molex adapter you can use to hook them straight up to a power supply. Alternatively, Cooler Master's 120 mm fans can be replaced with 140 mm fans. But even though the screw holes are there, swapping out old for new doesn't really make sense. As you can see in the shot below, much of the outside edge would sit behind the case's wall, Even though the necessary screw holes are in place, the switch doesn’t really make a lot of sense, since a lot of the larger fans would just sit behind the case’s wall.

Up to two additional fans can be installed: one 120 mm fan in the back and a 200 mm fan on the mesh covering the opening at the top of the case.

If the case’s lower level is filled with a lot of drives and you feel like you need to keep some air moving over them, two 80 mm fans can be installed at the back.

Water Cooling

As a result of the HAF XB’s nice internal layout, you can get a pair of closed-loop or water cooling radiators installed.

First, there's room for a 240 mm radiator behind the two front fans. Depending on the unit you're using, it's possible to get two more fans installed for a push-pull setup. You have 80 mm to work with before hitting the motherboard.

The space where the 120 mm rear fan comes installed can just as easily hold a similarly-sized radiator attached to a compact closed-loop system cooling your CPU.

Dust Filters

The PSU air intake opening is covered by a removable dust filter. It settles into place with a satisfying click, and locks in securely. It doesn't slide around like the dust filters in some other cases.

The air intake and dust filter are long, allowing even longer fans with uncommon placement to draw in filtered air without a problem.

The entire front cover (which is to say the part right in front of the two 120 mm fans, as well as the openings in front of the 5.25” bays) is also protected by a dust filter. The mesh in front of the fans cannot be removed, but it’s easy to pull off that entire front fascia for easy access and worry-free cleaning.

5. PSU Installation And Cable Management

PSU Installation

The Cooler Master HAF XB accommodates PSUs up to 180 mm in length, according to the manufacturer’s specifications. In reality, this is a very conservative estimate. Even PSUs a bit over 200 mm in length should fit without butting up against the hard drive backplane, which sits opposite the power supply. Our 170 mm Cooler Master V700 with fully modular cables even leaves enough space to comfortably get your hand back there after installation, if you need to.

The case employs a separate PSU cover that attaches to the case with thumb screws. This lets you use longer power supplies. According to Cooler Master's manual, the cover is supposed to be detached from the case, attached to the PSU, and then reattached. In practice, you can simply slide the power supply into the case from an open side if that's easier. This saves on step, at least. All screw holes line up nicely.

The PSU is decoupled from the case to prevent rattling. Your power supply will sit on a large, soft pad.

Cable Management

Due to its unique design, managing cabling in the HAF XB is different from more traditional tower configurations. Nevertheless, you can still expect to route cables out of sight, yielding a clean installation. There’s a lot of space between the top and bottom edges of the motherboard tray and their respective side walls, for instance. This gives you the room to run wires from the bottom level to the top, while keeping them out of the way. More cables can be routed between the two drive cages up front, and even more can go through an opening in the bottom part of the motherboard tray.

Cooler Master's design is such that you don't really need grommet-covered holes cut out from random panels. Most of the cabling simply remains out of sight on the lower level. But if you want to keep your cables tied together in one place, the HAF XB features lots of cable holders. They’re basically everywhere: on top of the 3.5” and 5.25” drive cages for the top level, on the sides between the two levels, and in every perceivable orientation all over the bottom of the lower level.

One last boon for cable management is easy access to the case’s lower level after the motherboard tray is out. We’ll talk more about this on the motherboard and graphics card installation page.

6. Optical Drive Installation

The Cooler Master HAF XB has two 5.25” optical drive bays. The bay covers are removed by squeezing their two sides, hard. This does take some strength, but it makes for a quick, easy, and secure solution.

With the covers off, your optical drive slides in from the front. The installation is tool-less, and it employs a quick tension locking mechanism on one side of the drive to keep it in place. The other side can’t be reached due to the design of the case. As a result, the installed DVD or Blu-ray drive does have a bit of give, but it sits securely enough in place.

7. Hard Drive And SSD Installation

Two 3.5” or 2.5” drives can be connected to the HAF XB’s hot-swap connectors, which Cooler Master calls X-dock. Moving a lever on the bay’s front cover exposes a removable plastic drive caddy.

To allow for tool-less operation, the sides of the caddy can be pushed apart. Once a 3.5” drive is in place, the sides can be pushed together again. Small metal pins attached to the decoupling rubber on the sides slide into the disk's screw holes. This solution works surprisingly well; it turns out to be quick and secure. And if you just don't trust a tool-free solution like this, feel free to use one screw per side. It's just not necessary.

If you're installing a 2.5” drive or SSD, a metal pin from one side of the caddy needs to be removed. It can be showed away by pushing it into place on the other side of the caddy, which isn’t used with a 2.5” drive sitting in the bay (that way you won't lose the tiny part). The 2.5” drive is secured into place by screwing it to the caddy from the bottom.

The hot-swap board is internally connected to the motherboard and PSU via SATA and power cables, respectively.

In addition to the hot-swap bays, Cooler Master's HAF XB has a 2.5” drive cage positioned in front of the space for the two 80 mm fans around back. These also support tool-less installation, via a different mechanism. Two included side rails are fastened onto each side of the drive by pushing their plastic pins into the hard drive’s or SSD’s screw holes. Cooler Master leaves enough space to facilitate non-angled data and power cables.

8. Motherboard And Graphics Card Installation

I/O Shield Installation

The I/O shield snaps in to the case without any problems. It can be popped in without bending, and it sits securely in place without any give.

Back Plate Opening and Removable Motherboard Tray

As we've seen from Cooler Master in the past, its motherboard tray features a large opening to allow easy access to the CPU cooler’s back plate. This opening is a good deal larger than any processor interface we test with. Unfortunately, the HAF XB’s two-level design works against it here, though. It can be difficult to reach the opening, and the longer your power supply, the more it obstructs access.

Cooler Master has an answer for that predicament, though. The motherboard tray is held in place by two thumb screws per side, and is easy to lift up or out of the case once they're removed. This design has several advantages. With some planning, it’s possible to achieve great cable management because all areas of the case’s lower level can be accessed. If your cables are routed well, the cooler back plate should be pretty simple to switch out if you need to, since the motherboard tray can be lifted a bit.

We had no issues routing the +12 V CPU power cable; there's enough space between the motherboard tray and the case’s side walls to pick the best path.

Motherboard and Graphics Card Installation, Maximum Height of the CPU Cooler

Two motherboard spacers come installed, and the others have to be screwed in by hand. A small but very practical hexagon bit is included for this purpose. It fits over the spacer and has an indentation for a normal screwdriver on top. This way, you can get the standoffs in place without stripping the skin off of your fingers.

The HAF XB’s upper level offers plenty of space and no protruding parts, which makes putting in the motherboard painless, literally. The case can accommodate CPU coolers up to 180 mm high due to the mesh top’s domed shape that protrudes up and out. The same goes for the version with the window instead of the mesh.

The solid PCI slot covers have to be removed before a graphics card can be installed. They’re held in place by thumb screws, which again save you from marring your delicate fingertips. As long as no radiator is installed on the front of the case, the maximum graphics card length is 334 mm.

9. Benchmark System And Conditions

The Cooler Master HAF XB can be used in a variety of ways. So, how should we benchmark and judge it? We decided to go with the case’s primary function, as stated by Cooler Master on its box, which advertises the chassis as a LAN box. We have no problem expounding on this and calling it a high-end LAN box. Two recessed handles on the sides make Cooler Master's HAF XB the most accommodating case we've seen that retains this level of mobility. Of course, as we already mentioned, you can use it for bench testing or extreme cooling exhibition if you pop the top and sides off. The flexibility to stack several HAF XBs on top of each other might also help explain why we've seen so many at trade shows, too.

We decided to test with an overclocked AMD FX-8350 and a Noctua NH-U14S CPU cooler. The Noctua unit is a bit taller than most competing tower-style heat sinks, but it doesn't obstruct our motherboard's memory slots and does deliver good thermal performance, particularly with the second fan we installed. We also made the decision to use two graphics cards: a power-hungry Nvidia GeForce GTX 470 and a somewhat more modest GTX 650 Ti, which is exclusively used for PhysX.

Gigabyte's 990FXA-UD7 motherboard offers two PCIe x16 slots that are far enough apart from each other to make it ideal for this setup. The Cooler Master V700 is a modular and efficient power supply able to handle the 450 to 500 W we knew we'd need for this system.

Power-Hungry LAN Party Benchmark System
ProcessorAMD FX-8350 (Vishera), Overclocked to 4.4 GHz, +0.075 V, LLC=Medium
Processor Cooler
Noctua NH-U14S with  2x 140 mm Fans (Push/Pull)
MotherboardGigabyte 990FXA-UD7, Socket AM3+, 990FX North Bridge, SB950 South Bridge
Memory2 x 4 GB Kingmax Nano Gaming RAM DDR3-2200 CL9
Graphics Card
MSI N470 GTX TwinFrozr II (Graphics); Asus GTX650TI-O-1GD5 (PhysX)
DrivesSSD: 60 GB Kingston SSDNow V200+ (System Drive)
Hard Drive: Samsung HD322GJ
Power Supply Unit (PSU)
700 W Cooler Master V700
Operating System
Windows 7 Home Premium

This system was pushed as close to a full load as possible using Prime95 (Small FTTs) and MSI's Kombustor. The two graphics cards hit 100% and 50% utilization using the KMark benchmark integrated into MSI's software. It doesn't push the most taxing thermals possible, but does more accurately portray everyday performance in a game environment. Temperatures are recorded after 60 minutes in a room heated to 22 degrees Celsius.

All fans run at their maximum RPM for our first round of benchmarking. Then, we slow them down to more acoustically-pleasing levels for a second round. We add a 120 mm Cooler Master fan in the space at the back of the case, which is similar to the company's bundled fans.

10. Results: Temperature And Noise Level At Full Fan RPM

For the sake of comparison, we’re starting with a list of the case's fans and their rotational speeds before moving on to the thermal measurements. We're using an Aqua Computer Aquaero 5 LT to measure RPM. The following results represent each fan at its highest setting.

Fan RPM, Benchmark 1
Front Fan
2 x 120 mm Cooler Master A12025-18CB-3EN-F11857 RPM
Rear Fan
1 x 120 mm Cooler Master
1831 RPM
CPU Fan
2 x 150 mm Noctua NF-A15 PWM
1508 RPM

Aggressive cooling performance is accompanied by lots of noise. Nothing in life is free, after all. Here are the exact numbers:

Cooler Master HAF XB: All Fans at Maximum RPM
Ambient Temperature
22 °C
AMD FX-8350 (Core Temperature)47-48 °C
GPU (GeForce GTX 470)69 °C
2136 RPM (45%)
PhysX (GeForce GTX 650 TI)49 °C
1200 RPM (37%)
SSD32 °C
Hard Drive
29 °C
Noise Level from Front, 50 cm50.2 dB(A)
Noise Level from Top Left Diagonal, 50 cm 47.8 dB(A)
Noise Level from Top Right Diagonal, 50 cm48.0 dB(A)

As we expected, the HAF XB's layout helps keep our components nice and cool. AMD's FX-8350, which isn’t exactly known for its appealing thermals, flips between 47 and 48 degrees Celsius. This is quite a ways from the 70 degrees where we know this chip will start throttling. There's clearly headroom available for an even higher overclock attempt.

The graphics cards are in similarly good shape. Gigabyte's 990FXA-UD7 gives us two slots between the Nvidia GeForce GTX 470 and GeForce GTX 650 Ti, which handles PhysX calculations. That's enough space to allow airflow from the front of the case to flow through. Consequently, the GTX 470 hovers at 69 degrees Celsius, while the 650 Ti stays at 49 degrees. Each card's fan is barely audible over the case's coolers, which you can certainly hear at 1800 RPM. Then again, this setup is optimized for thermal performance, not acoustics.

Color us impressed by these results, particularly since we didn't even use the optional 200 mm top cooler, which would have required a shorter CPU cooler than Noctua's NH-U14S.

Next, we'll try to answer whether Cooler Master's HAF XB continues to perform well when we tune for performance and noise. The following batch of measurements is taken with fan RPMs cut back.

11. Results: Temperature And Noise Level At Reduced Fan RPM

For our second round of tests, we dialed down every fan's rotational speed to 1000 RPM. Since the Cooler Master HAF XB is a very open case with an emphasis on high airflow, it's still louder at this setting than most conventional towers.

Nevertheless, the noise level stays within an acceptable range for everyday use, and it could be minimized even more by scaling back fan speed even more.

Cooler Master HAF XB: All Fans at 1000 RPM
Ambient Temperature
22 °C
AMD FX-8350 (Core Temperature)58-59 °C
GPU (GTX 470)75 °C
2819 RPM (52%)
PhysX (GTX 650 ti)53 °C
1380 RPM (41%)
SSD36 °C
Hard Drive
32 °C
Noise Level from Front, 50 cm41.2 dB(A)
Noise Level from Top Left Diagonal, 50 cm40.8 dB(A)
Noise Level from Top Right Diagonal, 50 cm40.9 dB(A)

The temperatures are higher this time around as a result of reduced cooling performance. AMD's FX-8350 now hovers between 58 and 59 degrees Celsius, which is still 11 degrees lower than where it starts throttling.

It's common to consider liquid cooling when you want to try getting AMD's FX up above 4.5 GHz. A chassis like the HAF XB, with its direct and unobstructed airflow across all major heat-producing components, makes it possible to hit those speeds with a good chip on air.

Like the processor, the graphics card's temperature and fan speed remain acceptable. The GeForce GTX 470’s core rises six degrees, and its fan automatically spins 100 RPM faster, making it a bit more audible than before. Comparing the noise level under load to that at idle illustrates the difference, since the latter reflects just the CPU and case fans.

Noise Level at Idle
Noise Level from Front, 50 cm39.7 dB(A)
Noise Level from Top Left Diagonal, 50 cm38.3 dB(A)
Noise Level from Top Right Diagonal, 50 cm38.1 dB(A)

Remember that we put a lot of hot components into the HAF XB. The case's name is well-deserved; it manages to keep all the components cool enough, even at lower fan speeds. We also think there is room to optimize. For example, adding a compact liquid cooler would likely help bring down noise. We'd also be curious to see and hear what three- or four-way graphics arrays could achieve in the roomy enclosure.

12. The Little Case That Could

Despite our initial raised eyebrow, Cooler Master can be proud of its the HAF XB. It features a unique design that works well in a variety of environments. Use it as a bench table for extreme cooling, as a free-flowing enclosure surrounding hot, high-end hardware, or even as a semi-passive configuration with more mainstream components inside. Of course, the two recessed handles on the sides of this case make it portable, paving the way for LAN party duties.

The motherboard, processor, and graphics cards all exist on the same second-story level inside the case. This helps enable direct and unobstructed airflow across all of them. As a result, you get good thermal performance. The flexibility to stack Cooler Master's HAF XB helps explain why we've seen so many of them at trade shows, too. The outside finish might not be particularly showy, but it’s durable. Hardware fits in it well, and that's really all you can ask for if you see your system as a tool.

Small touches are what put the HAF XB over the top. Well thought-out cable management lets you run wiring through the lower level of the case and up to the top. There are the two hot-swappable drive bays. And plenty of space for cooling, plus room for dual radiators ensures the flexibility to build a very enthusiast-oriented machine. In the same vein, there's space for long PSUs, long graphics cards, and tall CPU coolers, as well as a removable motherboard tray. The Cooler Master HAF XB offers a lot of small features that make it a pleasure to work in and around. Aside from the very subjective aesthetics, this case no real drawbacks. And priced at a fairly tame $95, it's equally accessible to hardcore enthusiasts and mainstream gamers.

Cooler Master's HAF XB is a unique, flexible, and durable chassis able to satisfy a number of functions well. Its price is moderate, and we can't really find anything wrong with it. It simply works well in the roles it was designed to satisfy. The form factor isn't going to be for everyone, and it certainly won't fit on or under the desks of several Tom's Hardware editors. But that's not what it was designed for. In its element, the HAF XB steps up to earn Tom's Hardware's Smart Buy award for serving up notable value, a functional design, and Cooler Master's sprinkle of innovation as it tries something new.