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 | |
|---|---|
| Processor | AMD 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) |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte 990FXA-UD7, Socket AM3+, 990FX North Bridge, SB950 South Bridge |
| Memory | 2 x 4 GB Kingmax Nano Gaming RAM DDR3-2200 CL9 |
| Graphics Card | MSI N470 GTX TwinFrozr II (Graphics); Asus GTX650TI-O-1GD5 (PhysX) |
| Drives | SSD: 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.
- Introducing Cooler Master's HAF XB
- The HAF XB's Technical Specifications
- First Impressions And External 360° Picture Gallery
- Cooling And Dust Protection
- PSU Installation And Cable Management
- Optical Drive Installation
- Hard Drive And SSD Installation
- Motherboard And Graphics Card Installation
- Benchmark System And Conditions
- Results: Temperature And Noise Level At Full Fan RPM
- Results: Temperature And Noise Level At Reduced Fan RPM
- The Little Case That Could



Review the prodigy.
Good review, though.
Initially I wanted to go for an expensive 250$ case so my crossfire configuration could fit and have enough ventilation, but then I saw this thing for 125$, bought it and we have been happy ever since.
PROTIP - buy the quietest 120 and 140mm fans you can find or get a fan controller. If you keep the stock frontal fans, you're gonna have a noisy time.
Review the prodigy.
Good review, though.
For a lanparty, yes, the prodigy es better because it's smaller. As a high-end PC enclosure / testbench - HAF XB is way better. My sister used to keep a pair of GTX 480s in SLi in her HAF XB - it's one of the few cases with good enough ventilation for such hot hardware.
Given your experience with this case (and any previous case testing), do you think the HAF XB would cool well with better fans? You wouldn't happen to have the time and a couple of decent Noctua or Thermaltake (the models with the fluid bearing) to test with, would you?
Also, any thoughts on the stock fans rated CFM vs. actual amount of heat dispersed and any impressions with them? My experience with Coolermaster's case fans has been unfavorable over the years.
For the guy who suggested the Bitfenix Prodigy as an alternative to this: what are you, crazy? That thing is a mini-ITX case. It could never pull the duty of this case. It's worthless to any of my needs. Go play with your toys and leave the big boys to talk here.
1. the case only take Cooler master 200mm fans I have heard of some people using work around to fit other brands in, but since there is no "standard" for 200 mm fan's screw hole spacings, its best to get a cooler master brand for the best fit. they do have a really good red led 200 mm @ 700 rpm (non adjustable) also sadly its a sleeve bearing ...
2. when you do install the top fan you lose some range on how high of a cooler you can use. that being 30cm normally the case does fit 180 , but with a top fan in you can only fit a tower cooler that is 150 in height. this is why I haven't gotten an after market cooler for this cpu yet , its hard to find a tower cooler below this size. I however do have my eye on a Gemini low profile (the not so low model) cooler that is leagues above AMD's stock cooler and even offers clearance for tall ram dims., but I avhent had the bread to buy it after blowing my money on the rig itself.
3. last but not leat maybe CM fixed this by now , but at the time I bought this case , the hot swap board had been notorious for killing some Hard drives. On the flip side it is easy to remove the hot swap board all together and just use a sata cable to hook up your hard drives if you fear this problem rearing its ugly head at you which is what I did.
Cooler Master HAF XM
Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 750w
Intel 4670k
MSI Z87-G45 MB
Hyper 212 Evo Gigabyte gtx760 Windforce 3x Rev.2
Corsair Neutron 240gb SSD
2 3tb Hitachi Deskstars in Raid 0
I also have an unusual amount of desktop space, and don't do the LAN thing, except amongst my computers here at home. Even though the case isn't quite designed for my usage model, I have to say - well done CM!
If you looking for a case for pure passive cooling and natural convection this is probably the most well designed case on the market for it yet even though it was designed for a different intent in mind, but you could easily cool a Intel Core i3-2100T in one of these no problem silently with no fans using a good CPU tower cooler, a sdd, and a fanless psu and have a solid dead silent digital audio workstation system.
Don't give up on your e-atx dream! I've had this case since Christmas 2012 and installed an Asus Maximus V Formula e-atx mobo ( another Christmas gift from my better half) in the little beast with room to spare on the motherboard tray. This was one reason I asked for the XB. Btw it is strongly built. I couldn't resist trying what another pro reviewer did-popping off the top panel and sitting on it. Yep, it hold my 185 lbs without a complaint. And, pushing the envelope, I used the frame rails for a few pushups! No sweat for the case. The XB is located on a cabinet right by my desk about two inches below the desktop. Now it doubles as an armrest! Kudos to CM again( wife has a StormTrooper)!