Cooler Master 690 II Advanced Black & White Edition USB 3.0 Case Review

Taking the necessities of an enthusiast and focusing on the essentials was the driving force in the creation of the original Cooler Master 690 case. Offered in the sub $100 price range, the CM 690 delivered features that normally were only found in premium and full-tower cases to the mainstream. To keep the price within range, Cooler Master minimized the fluff and the extra features that were not practical. Almost three years since its introduction, the CM 690 II Advanced case is still as popular as ever due to its well rounded feature-set. The latest incarnation of the CM 690 II Advanced is a Black and White version aiming to address the short comings of the original that have risen since it was introduced in late 2009.

The CM 690 II Advanced Black and White Edition case boasts more than just a fresh coat of paint. The new CM 690 II Advanced Black and White edition also adds USB 3.0 functionality, a side window, improved cable management options and a new high-airflow front bezel design. Able to mount a 240mm radiator at the top or at the bottom, the CM 690 II B&W Edition case fits enthusiast-class needs in a mid-tower form factor. Tall CPU coolers up to 177mm can also be installed inside the CM 690 II B&W USB 3.0 Edition case paired with GPUs up to 304mm in length. Depending on the motherboard model, an HD 6990 can be installed when the bottom HDD cage is removed.