For the expansion cards, we have plastic locks. Once the motherboard is installed (you'll need to break out the screwdriver for that), slide the desired card into place with the plastic lock in the up position. Once the card is in, simply push the lock down until it snaps into place. These locks do a good job of keeping the card secure, though Cooler Master does leave you with the option of using screws as well, which is something I suggest if the PC gets moved often.

Aesthetics and Usage Notes

Personally, the front bezel isn't really my cup of tea. I prefer cleaner, more understated looks, but believe me, I've seen worse. I suppose it really isn't Cooler Master's problem if you cannot find optical and floppy drives with silver faceplates, but if you own beige or black drives, they will look out of place.

The power and reset buttons are well placed and easy to access. I tend to keep my tower on the floor, so the IO connections for USB and sound are in a convenient spot, though less so for those who keep their PCs on their desk.

As we've covered, installation is very easy with no tools required for peripheral installation. We think the PSU could have used a little more support since there's only a couple of steel supports to keep it from falling when screwing it in. The interior is roomy enough that the loss of the motherboard tray was not an issue.

Cooling Performance

Athlon 64 3500+, MSI K8N Platinum, 2x512MB Corsair XM2 PC3200, ATI AIW X1800XL, Maxtor 120GB SATA 7200rpm, Swiftech MCX6400-V.

We'll be comparing the cooling performance to the Cooler Master WaveMaster. Understand that the WaveMaster is targeted towards the enthusiast market, with the price to match, but it was the only case we had available with a similar size and was not perforated as our Lian Li V1000. Since we were unable to use a large CPU heatsink with the Centurion 531, we opted for the lower profile Swiftech MCX6400-V cooler.

Our usual heatsink setup (ambient temperature, thermal paste, etc.) was used, and to test the cooling features of the Centurion 531, we tested the case with the side panel vents exposed and closed off as pictured above. We also tested the case with the rear 120mm fan installed and uninstalled (stock). A Cooler Master Cool Drive was used to collect results of the video card.

Stock configuration with side vents exposed

	CPU	System	Video
Centurion 531	48	37	53
WaveMaster	50	38	55

Stock configuration with side vents closed

	CPU	System	Video
Centurion 531	51	38	54
WaveMaster	50	38	55

Rear 120mm fan with side vents exposed/closed

	CPU	System	Video
Exposed	46	35	51
Closed	47	36	51

The Centurion 531 was a slightly better performer than the WaveMaster across the board, though the CPU cooling is not as good given the WaveMaster's stock config has one 80mm in the rear. With the 120mm fan installed, the Centurion 531 finishes on top. With the 120 fan installed, or removed, the Centurion was a little quieter. There was more of a whooshing sound than something more high-pitched.

No surprise that CPU temperatures were much better with the fan duct exposed and a rear 120mm fan in place. There was no change in video card cooling though with the side panel open and closed.

Final Words

For a cool $65 USD, the Centurion 531 is a very good case for the money. I think the aesthetics could use a little work as I'm not sold on the two columns on either side of the front, but it sure is a lot nicer than many sub-$100 pre-modded cases we see these days.

To meet that price point, Cooler Master had to do away with some of the high-end features found in premium cases. There's no aluminum door to cover the optical drives (should they not match the case colour), no power supply and a steel based chassis rather than aluminum. There's no side window included with our review unit, though a model with such a window is available, so those of you into those things may want to consider that one. Finally, only one fan is included, so it'll be up to the buyer to pick one up for the rear fan bracket.

On the positive side of things, the tool-less design (save for motherboard, optional fan and PSU) makes installation a breeze. In fact, many manufacturers, including Cooler Master themselves, should take note of the tool-free design and implement it into their high-end cases.

The CPU fan duct does a good job of lowering CPU temps a bit, though owners of large air coolers will want to consider other options. Otherwise, cooling performance was very good and is not terribly noisy compared with other cases with stock 80mm fans.

Pros: Solid construction, good cooling performance, tool-free, and good value for the money.

Cons: Only one fan included, aesthetics not for everyone.

Bottom Line: We do consider the case to be in the "upper budget" range since it does retail over $60, but we think you'll be hard pressed to find a better choice under $100. It is easy to work with, has good cooling performance and is built pretty well.