Introduction

I’ve been slowly putting together a new system for myself over the last few months. This new system centers on the Supermicro X5DAL-TG2 which was recently reviewed here at WhiningDog. Since the X5DAL-TG2 was an ATX form factor motherboard, I decided to look at the Cooler Master ATC 201B-SX2. I had been eyeing this particular case for some time since I was already a user (and fan) of the ATC 101 Extended ATX chassis. The cases are similar to one another except that the 201B supports only ATX boards and has a nice translucent window on the left side. Let’s take a quick look at the ATC 201B-SX2 and see what it has to offer for the computer enthusiast.

Features

Here are some of the major features of the Cooler Master ATC 201B-SX2.
- Dual 80 mm case fans in the front of the case bringing air into the case
- One 80 mm case fan on the top of the case and one in the rear blowing air out.
- Dual USB ports in the front
- Motherboard tray to allow for easy access in installing and working with the system board
- Chassis is made of lightweight, strong aluminum
- Tool-less assembly

Specifications

Dimensions: (W) 196 x (H) 452 x (D) 497 mm
Weight: 5kg
Material: Aluminum Alloy
USB Ports: 2 in the front
I/O Bracket: Standard ATX I/O Bracket
Motherboard Form Factor: ATX
Expansion slots: 7
Bays: 4 – 5.25” Exposed drive bays
2 – 3.5” Exposed drive bays
4 – 3.5” internal drive bays

Exterior

The Cooler Master ATC 201B-SX2 is an all aluminum case with a somewhat industrial look to the design. There are no curves in the design nor are there any funky color schemes to make this case stand out. The 201B-SX2 is a solidly designed case that will appeal to anyone who appreciates form and functionality. In fact the case will appeal to those who like that “metal” look since the aluminum chassis presents a very clean cut design. You will notice that the 201 series comes in a small set of chassis colors. The front of the case is usually different from the rest of the case’s color specifications. This particular model has a silver front face with a grey/tan coloring for the rest of the aluminum sides.

The front of the case shows the four 5.25” and two 3.5” drive bays which are accessible to the user. There another four internal 3.5” drive bays for loads of potential disk storage.

Front of the case

The power button is a very clear (and large) round button on the right hand side of the front of the case. The reset button is set inwards and resides below the power button. However, the reset button is low enough to be accidentally touched should the case be placed on the floor. On the left hand side of the front grill resides the cover to the two USB ports. Unfortunately the case does not include front firewire ports for devices like video camcorders.

USB ports	Power and reset buttons

Both sides of the case can be removed via three thumbscrews on each side. I absolutely love tool-less cases. Even if you choose not to have one – go out there and buy some thumbscrews to replace existing screws in your case. You’ll appreciate it! You will need to remove both sides whenever you are installing or removing a hard drive. Luckily, it’s extremely easy to remove the side panels

Left side	Right side
Left Panel	Right Panel

The left side has a translucent window to give that “modded” look and feel to the case. No need to pick up a dremel and drill your own hole here.The window itself is held in place via a set of joints. The aluminum panel does slightly bend and “creak” as a result of the window since the overall structural support is weaker.

Here's a picture of the back of the case.

Back of the case

Interior

The interior of the case consists of the motherboard tray, the power supply bay, the drive bays, the fans, and the case wires.

Left side	Right side

The motherboard tray is held into place by four thumbscrews located at the rear of the case. Once you remove the screws, you can slide the tray right on out. Cooler Master supplies all the necessary components and accessories to help you install the motherboard and drives into this case.

The motherboard tray being pulled out

The tray

The tray holds the one rear fan that this case uses. The fan has a three pin connector that can be used for motherboards with on board fan connectors.

One of the key areas that Cooler Master really excels in is with worksmanship. The entire case just screams of quality and you can see this throughout the interior (and exterior) of the chassis. From the well rounded edges to the perfect alignment of parts and pieces, you’ll end up loving the case.

Rounded corners

Here are the pictures of the internal drive bays. As you can tell, there’s plenty of room internally for drives – both 5.25” and 3.5”. The only negative thing about this case is that you’ll need to remove both side panels in order to install a drive. The good thing is that you hopefully won’t have to remove or install drives too many times over the course of your system’s lifespan. It would have been nice if Cooler Master installed drive rails to aid in drive installations but that’s a minor quibble.

The 5.25" drive bays	The 3.5" drive bays

You will find the PC speaker on the bottom of the case and the front USB cables along the inside of the front of the case.

USB Connectors in the front	and the end points	PC Speakers

Taking a peek on the inside of the 3.5” drive bays, you’ll find the two case fans bringing air into the case for circulation. These fans will both induce airflow within the case and help cool the 3.5” drives that can be installed here.

Inside front two fans

On the right side of the case, you’ll find all the leads for the various buttons and LEDs for the chassis. This may seem like a small thing but placing the leads on the right side of the case makes absolute sense since the cables now stay out of the way of the rest of the system construction.

Motherboard leads	Another view from the right side

The power supply sits in a bay located at the top back portion of the case. In order to install a power supply, you will need to remove the back panel that is screwed into the rear. Cooler Master bundles an alternate back panel for different power supply screw alignments. The power supply bay is a great touch by Cooler Master. Most cases do not provide any sort of structural support for the power supply other than the rear four screws. Cooler Master recognized that perhaps you just might need more support and hence the nifty bay.

Power supply bay

Finally, there is a case fan located on the top of the chassis which brings air out of the case.

Top case fan

Summary

The Cooler Master case is just a pleasure to work with. The case is extremely light since it’s made of aluminum and thus easy to transport. Of course after you fill up the innards with a motherboard, power supply and drives, it may not be as light as it was. Taking apart the case consists of just removing the thumbscrews. If you work a great deal with cases, you will appreciate anyone who pays attention to keeping the innards of a case simple and easy to work with. The metal edges are smooth and rounded so you won’t end up cutting yourself as you install a disk drive or a motherboard. Motherboard installations couldn’t be easier with the slide out tray. The tray just gives you so much more room to work with. The only major complaint that I have with this case is the necessity of removing both side panels in order to install drives. The other major complaint is the price – let’s face it, Cooler Master cases are darn expensive.

The Cooler Master ATC 201B-SX2 is a solid ATX aluminum case that utters quality all over. The workmanship is top notch and the inclusion of the side translucent window gives the case the mod appeal. Once you work with a case such as this, it will be hard pressed to work with designs of lesser construction. Looking for an ATX case and have some money to burn? Check out the ATC 201B-SX2. You definitely get what you pay for. If you have any comments or questions, please post them here.

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