A Closer Look – From the Outside
The new Cooler Master Cosmos S enclosure has the same dimensions as the original Cosmos 1000 but weighs 3.1 kg less thanks to an aluminum chassis (the Cosmos 1000 chassis was steel). The basic styling is similar but changes have been made to every surface of the S-type. The color scheme of the Cosmos 1000 was mostly silver but the Cosmos S uses a lot more black and gunmetal gray (Titanium look). I personally find the sleek new look to be very attractive and a noticeable upgrade from the 1000.
Cooler Master claims the design of the Cosmos S was inspired by some of the worlds finest race cars. The sleek contours and numerous mesh openings definitely add a sophisticated and more aggressive look to this enclosure. In fact, the new look reminds me of warp-drive nacelles and interstellar spacecraft… 🙂
Like the original Cosmos 1000, the S-type uses mesh covers on all of the exposed front drive bays; however without the front door this time. There are ten exposed 5.25” bays. Three are blocked by the internal HDD cage and one is fitted with a 3.5” bay insert.
Located on top of the front panel is a neatly organized I/O port panel that can be hidden using a small, back plastic sliding door. Just in front of the I/O panel is a touch sensitive master On-Off switch. (Noticeably missing though is a reset button.) The On-Off switch and I/O panel now feature back-lit lettering.
• (4) USB 2.0 Ports
• Microphone Jack
• Headphone Jack
• IEEE1394 Firewire Port
• eSATA Port
• System Power Button (touch sensitive)
The Cosmos S incorporates the same curved metal handles on top and feet on the bottom that was unique to the Cosmos 1000. (They can be removed if desired.) The top of the case has been redesigned and looks fantastic. It can be easily removed by releasing one thumb screw in the back and sliding it off.
There is room underneath the top panel to mount up to three 120mm fans. The Cosmos S comes with one fan pre-installed. This is also an ideal location to mount a single, dual or triple size radiator for water-cooling. The radiator can be mounted underneath with the fans on top and using LED fans will provide a nice lighting effect through the top grill.
Turning the case upside down gives a good view of the bottom feet-rails. The large opening at the rear is designed for use with power supply units that have a bottom mounted intake fan. There is another opening towards the front for mounting an optional 120mm intake fan. Both of the bottom openings are equipped with removable dust filters – yes!
