Cooler Master Silencio 650 Case Review

Cooler Master unveiled a variety of new products last March during the CeBIT tradeshow, but few caught our attention like the Silencio 650 did. Not only does it resemble a cleaner version of Cooler Master's more aggressive HAF series, but it touts many attractive features, chief among which is sound absorbing foam mats and specially designed air vents to minimize noise while maintaining low operating temps.

The Silencio's ability to muffle high-end hardware is undoubtedly its key selling point, but there's plenty more to see here. Other noteworthy features include a "DualBoot HDD Switch" for toggling between OSes, a fan speed controller, a memory card reader, 1amp USB 3.0 ports for charging smartphones and tablets, as well as X-Dock, Cooler Master's hot-swappable 2.5"/3.5" HDD/SSD drive bay (previously seen on cases like the Storm Trooper).

Between its lengthy spec sheet, sleek aesthetics and seemingly excellent build quality, the Silencio 650 has made a great first impression. Unfortunately, as it stands, availability is weak in the US and based on local pricing in Australia, I believe the Silencio 650 should retail for around $140-$150 -- a very competitive bracket, as any enthusiast can attest.