As evidenced by a recent unexpected surge of sales of optical drives as the Windows 10 upgrade cycle unfolds, Japan still uses physical media, perhaps more than any other region in the world. Due to the country's strong roots in technology and entertainment, mixed with culture, it's the only place that still prefers a disc over downloading or streaming content. Owing to that legacy, a new PC case launched in Japan by Cooler Master honors this tradition, allowing users to fit a disc drive in the MasterBox CM695, which features a 5.25-inch open bay in the front.
Usually, in modern cases this space is reserved for AIO radiators or just used for aesthetics, but the CM695's drive bay can prove to be much more functional — especially at a time when the country is migrating from Windows 10 to 11 and experiencing a dramatic surge in demand for disc drives. Not only that, but the CM695 can also hold up to four 3.5-inch hard drives for the ultimate off-the-grid media experience, or kickstart your NAS aspirations.
The rest of the chassis complements these drive bays with a vintage design that calls back to classic PC cases of the past, while still sporting a mesh grill up front, behind which lie 2x 120mm fans for optimal airflow. It's a large mid-tower enclosure, measuring about 209 mm (W) × 466 mm (D) × 478.5 mm (H), which supports GPUs up to 398mm long — plenty to house even the most gigantic cards of today.
There are actually two variants of the CM695: one with a restricted side panel authentic to vintage towers, and one with a transparent glass side panel for a more modern look. Otherwise, they both still feature solid I/O at the top with a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C port at the top, allowing for up to 20Gbps transfer rates. Combined with the disc drive, you'll be able to rip discs and copy over the files to a flash drive pretty fast, or vice-versa.
It's also important to note that, unlike the recently unveiled Fujitsu Ryzen laptops that come with an optical disc drive built in, you have to supply your own for this case; it just comes with a slot for one. This might make the package seem less desirable since an external disc drive can serve the same purpose, but it's still an option for those who prefer to keep their setup consolidated.
Translating from Japanese, TSUKUMO eX., a popular computer store in Tokyo, spoke to local outlet IT Media about how they expect the case to sell in the region:
“It probably won’t be a massive hit, but there’s definitely a strong following among people who still want to build PCs the old-fashioned way. With the ongoing shift from Windows 10 to 11, those needs are growing. Being able to choose something that says ‘you don’t have to give up’ — that’s a good thing.”
The MasterBox 695 costs 24,000 yen, which comes out to roughly $157, so it's definitely not cheap, but it represents more than just surface-level value. A chance to carry forward your physical collection means more there than in the West, and, as IT Media describes it in their coverage, "If it's junk, BD drive is also," alluding to how a case like this transcends conventional budget-conscious outlooks. If you want a Blu-Ray drive in your PC, you now have an option to do so in a modern chassis.
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