The Lazy Days of Summer Case Review

Coolermaster Centurion CAC-T01

The CAC-T01 is part of Coolermaster's push to reach the value and system integrator market segment.

Coolermaster is known for some of the most luxurious and high-end extreme cases that are available for purchase today. So when Coolermaster shipped us the Centurion, we were not sure we had received the correct case. The Centurion marks a unique value proposition by Coolermaster, and certainly Coolermaster has needed to add a more value oriented case for some time. With the introduction of the Centurion CAC-T01, Coolermaster is squarely going after two markets: system integrators looking for a Coolermaster branded product, and value oriented consumers who are looking for an economically priced case that looks more expensive than it is.

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Number Of Internal 3.5" Bays4
Number Of External 3.5" Bays2
Number Of External 5.25" Bays4
Number Of Case Fans Supported2 80 mm
Construction MaterialSteel
Power Supply IncludedNo
Special FeaturesFront mounted USB/ audio/ 1394
Size (HDW)432 x 464 x 193 mm(17" x 18.25" x 7.6")
Sample Case Provided Bywww.coolermaster.com
Estimated Cost$89 US
Cooling Potential Rating7
Construction Quality Rating6
Overall Case Rating6

After taking the Centurion CAC-T01 out of the box and looking at the front bezel of this case, you find that it is a very attractive case. However, after opening the case, the inside tells quite a different story. Coolermaster's ultimate strategy with the Centurion appears to be to reel buyers in with an attractive, aluminum-looking front bezel that could easily be mistaken for that of more expensive Coolermaster cases. Once we removed the side panel, we were in for quite a shock.

After a look at the inside of the CAC-T01, it is obvious that Coolermaster has made a few tradeoffs with this case. Its rather bland retro configuration is surprising, when compared to some of the more progressive offerings within the Coolermaster family.