Cooler Master Elite 340 Review
Submitted By steven on Jun 18 2008 at 6:59 PM
Packaging/First Impressions
Packaging:
When considering the size of the Elite 340's packaging, the term “Mini” certainly can be applied. While the cardboard box that the case arrived in was surprisingly small, it still provided more than enough protection. Like most cases, the Elite 340 was placed inside a plastic bag (to protect the case from scratches) and is protected from impact by a pair of preformed polystyrene panels. No additional packaging material was used to protect the case, aside from a small plastic sticker covering the Cooler Master logo on the front panel. The case is positioned inside the box so the 'front' is facing upwards. The mounting hardware was located in a small plastic bag tied to the bottom 5.25” drive bay. The manual was left lose inside the computer case.
First Impressions and Overview:
Once removed from the packaging and placed on my work desk, I was impressed by the Elite 340's overall design and exterior quality. Built of steel, rather than lighter (but more expensive) aluminum, the case is pretty heavy, weighing in at 4,2kg (or about 9lbs). The quality of case's finish is acceptable and the color scheme compliments the physical attributes of the case. The front panel can be removed by pulling quickly from the top or bottom of the panel, it is held in place by plastic pegs and two small brackets rather than screws. The entirety of the front panel is made of a tight steel mesh which allows for better ventilation, behind this is a series of filter materials. This filtering material can be likened to light density foam -- but the outside mesh should be more than capable of stopping larger debris from entering the case. Both the 5.25in bays and the external 3.5in bays have metal plates that need to be removed in order for the slots to be used by any device. With these plates left in place, the front intake mesh may lose some functionality.
