Cooler Master has a long history in the PC case market, having created many of the most iconic PC cases of all time, and it’s fair to say I’ve owned a surprising number of their products over the last two decades or so, from cases like the Blackwidow, Cosmos, and a few HAF series, keyboards, mice, coolers and much more! And, certainly reviewed a heck of a lot of their products in the near 15 years I’ve been doing this job. Well, today it looks like their gunning for a return to form, with the release of their mighty HAF II 500. This is the latest entry in their iconic series, targeted squarely at PC enthusiasts, gamers, and workstation builders who want serious hardware and massive airflow for maximum performance. While it’s still a mid-tower chassis in terms of form factor, it is built to handle the demands of high-end, power-hungry components, with a big focus on airflow, cooling and acoustic performance.
Key Features and Specifications
With the HAF II 500, Cooler Master has gone for a very Cooler Master aesthetic, with that aggressive front panel design being all about airflow, while still being something that stands out from the crowd. Of course, there’s a strong focus on exhaust too, with massive amounts of ventilation throughout the case. With it’s “split-level layout” and MasterRail multi-purpose mounting system and dual mode GPU mounting system, all ensuring enthusiast hardware and cooling solutions are all easily supported.
- Mighty40 cooling fans: Includes two massive 220mm F220 intake fans and one 180mm V180 exhaust fan for maximum airflow at lower RPMs.
- MasterRail mounting system: Adjustable sliding rails provide a flexible platform for fans, radiators, and future compatible accessories.
- Split-level layout: Creates dedicated room for the 180mm exhaust fan and enhances overall cooling efficiency.
- Dual-mode GPU holder: Secures a single graphics card for transport or supports two thick graphics cards up to 72mm each.
- Thermally prioritised airflow divider: Directly channels fresh air from the lower intake fan straight to the graphics card.
- Sliding cable cover: Conceals the main routing chamber while featuring shark-gill vents to assist with memory cooling.
- Workstation compatibility: Supports up to four dual-slot graphics cards for rendering and compute-heavy tasks.
When looking at the technical capabilities, the HAF II 500 provides generous clearances and extensive hardware support to accommodate almost any modern enthusiast build. The chassis offers an impressive internal volume of nearly 80 litres, ensuring compatibility with wide E-ATX motherboards and exceptionally long graphics cards. Storage and connectivity are equally well-catered for, with ample drive bays and a modern front I/O panel featuring high-speed USB Type-C. Additionally, the included fan hub simplifies the management of PWM fans and ARGB lighting for a clean and organised build process. However, that also provides power to the included Mighty40 F220 and Mighty40 V180 fans, which promise to deliver massive airflow thanks to their 220mm and 180mm design.
- Dimensions and volume: 557 x 262 x 548 mm with a total volume of 79.98 litres.
- Motherboard support: Mini-ITX, Mini-DTX, Micro-ATX, ATX, CEB, and E-ATX up to 310mm wide.
- Component clearances: CPU coolers up to 221mm for Intel or 220mm for AMD, and graphics cards up to 430mm in length.
- Radiator support: Accommodates up to 360-120mm or 360-180mm radiators on the top and front panels.
- Pre-installed cooling: Two 220mm Mighty40 F220 fans and one 180mm Mighty40 V180 fan.
- Fan and ARGB hub: Includes a 54W capacity hub featuring six PWM ports and six ARGB ports.
- Storage bays: Supports up to three 3.5-inch drives and up to six 2.5-inch drives depending on power supply length.
- Front I/O panel: One USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and a combined 3.5mm headset jack.
- Materials: Constructed from 0.7 to 0.8 mm SGCC steel, ABS plastic, and a tempered glass left side panel.
