Cooler Master HAF 932 Case Review

Exterior Impressions Con't

Directly below the various connector ports you have six 5.25 bay drives covered by faux meshed blanking plates. We say faux mesh as they do not have the mesh filters which come standard on Cooler Master’s Stacker 830 and other high end cases. This oversight may cause a lot of dust to accumulate inside your case; and we are curious why CM took this cost cutting measure. It is too bad, but the front blanking plates do allow a lot of air flow, so just be careful with you air pressure balance and you should be fine.


While the lack of dust filters is a little disappointing, at least Cooler Master isn’t sitting back on their laurels and has taken the time and money to improve and update the release mechanism found on other high end models. In previous iterations these blanking plates had rather small and flimsy retention clips on each side which are easy to break off (making the plate useless as it will no longer stay in place); whereas on the HAF 932, they have are larger and beefier, yet just as easy to use. These quick release catches on each side of the cover should standup to repeated use much better than the older style clips did.


Directly below the six bays you have a large faux meshed area which has been designed in such a way so it is not garish or obvious. Rather than making it the center piece of the front, Cooler Master went for a more subdued route as this area blends in with the overall design of the case yet keeps the hidden 230mm fan supplied with loads of fresh air; all while not sticking out like a sore thumb. Once again it is a delicate balancing act between form and function, but this is an area Cooler Master excels at, and the HAF 932 is no exception. It may be a different take on the more typical design but this alternative better fits in with the overall look and feel of this case.


On a side note the front fan does have a nice red glow to it which highlights rather than hides the unique ascetics of the case. Glowing fans may not be for everyone, but very few will take exception with this diffuse and subtle glow emanating from the front of the HAF 932. However, it is too bad CM did not make this glow optional via an on/off switch (or secondary plug, etc.).


While some cases go for a more mundane approach to the “other” side of the case, Cooler Master has gone a different route. The right side of the HAF 932 is very busy and yet somehow manages to come off as looking like it is an integral and necessary component of the case. This is no mean feat as it looks like a cross between an old school 50 cal. ammo can and an Xbox.

In this day and age manufactures can get away with a lot of things but the one thing which customer will punish them for is having an ugly “beige box” style. Whether or not this styling is to your personal taste is something we can’t comment on (as only you can make that judgment call); but in all honesty it really doesn’t matter, as you can call the right side of this case many things but boring isn’t one of them.


The other side of the HAF 932 is also very flashy looking, if not more so. Crammed all onto the side panel you not only have a window (with cross thatched pin striping no less) and a huge meshed area with a massive fan visible behind the mesh; but also “HAF” splashed across the front portion. To us this comes across as edgy and cool as a Narc at a rave. With this side panel it does seem CM is trying too hard to be cool, or at least what they think their customers think is cool. On the positive side, it is a very functional side panel and does do a lot of things well, so we can forgive it for being an overachiever.