When it comes to computer cases, many designs these days are boring or overused. Many cases use design aspects from other models and after the cycle is repeated, many of the cases on today’s market end up looking all too similar. Innovative chassis designs are few and far in between, and many of these lack the style to transform a workplace into a work of art. Cooler Master, a world renowned manufacturer of computer enclosures, set out to break the trend and design an enclosure that is not only extremely unique, but stylish and simple at the same time. Needless to say, they’ve succeeded with their design goal of making a unique chassis with the Cooler Master Cavalier 3.

According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, cavalier is a synonym for gallant, which means a young man of fashion. The Cooler Master Cavalier 3 lives up to its meaning and more. case arrived in a box as stylish as the case itself. The box clearly identifies what’s contained inside as a Cooler Master Cavalier, and is covered with pictures and descriptions of the Cavalier. Stuffed snugly inside the box is the Cavalier itself. The case is well protected, with pieces of Styrofoam on both the top and the bottom, and the case itself covered with a large plastic bag. The box consists of thick cardboard, so you can rest assured your case will survive even the toughest of shipping conditions.


The front bezel is arguably the most unique and stylish portion of the case. Consisting of reflective brushed aluminum, polished in certain places to accent the edges, it identifies the Cavalier as one of the more beautiful cases available. In addition, the front has a smooth, flowing look to it, much like the appearance of an ocean wave. The uppermost portion of the front bezel is the case door, which hides the drives housed behind it. To give the user optimum control over the case’s appearance and function, Cooler Master designed the door’s rotation to be easily switched, so users can pick which way they would like it to open. Stretching along the height of the door is a plastic panel of a gray/blue color. Printed onto the plastic is CM’s brand name while further down two blue LEDs are available to represent H.D.D. usage and power. The LEDs are staggered rather than straight, another visual touch that sets the Cavalier 3 apart from other cases. Below the LEDs, a large plastic button controls power to the motherboard, and a smaller, yet identical switch is capable of resetting the system. Under the front panel lies a front intake for the 80mm fan behind the front bezel. It’s important that the Cavalier 3 remains off the ground otherwise the intake fan will have a tough time sucking air into the Cavalier 3, which is the reason behind the rubber case feet supplied with the case. The front bezel is also completely removable, allowing for easy maintenance of the case.


Unlike the front of the Cavalier 3, the sides of the case are less stylish and unique than the front. The sides of the case are manufactured out of steel, which is then powder coated silver. To me, this was quite a disappointment, seeing as the sides didn’t match the front of the case, which had impressed me so much. The sides have ventilation holes on them to allow for optimal airflow into the case, and a handle for easy removal of the case. I personally dislike the ventilation holes on the side of the case, since they disrupt the general smooth look of the case that Cooler Master tried to emphasize. Another feature of the Cavalier 3 is the front connectors. On the left side of the case, there are 2 USB 2.0 connectors and 1 1394 (Firewire) connector, and on the right side of the case resides a speaker port and a microphone port. These ports bring some of the rear panel connectors up to the front of the case, making connecting and disconnecting devices easier.


The rear of the Cavalier 3 combines tried and true elements from other cases with some unique Cooler Master elements of their own to form a useful, simple, and easy to use rear panel. Most of your computer’s devices interface to the outside world through the rear panel, so it’s important that the rear panel is easy to use, and simple enough for everybody to understand. The Cavalier 3, like all ATX form-factor cases, comes with 7 expansion slots and a space for the motherboard’s I/O shield. The expansion slots are completely tool-less, so no tools are required to add in a new PCI or AGP card. A rotating clip holds the card in securely. Also on the rear of the Cavalier 3 is a 120mm exhaust fan, which should remove most of the hot air from the case. Combining ease of use with tool-less functions and some tried and true features, it’s hard to go wrong with the rear of the Cavalier 3.


The interior of the Cooler Master Cavalier 3 is one of the more interesting ones I’ve seen. Upon first opening the case via the 2 thumbscrews holding the left side panel on, you’ll find that Cooler Master has included plenty of accessories and items for your use. Tucked inside a small brown cardboard box are all the accessories and screws you need for the case, and below that is the manual for the Cavalier 3, describing all the functions you may need to perform on the case. The Cavalier 3 I received for review also came with a Cooler Master 350W Power Supply already installed in the case. This power supply comes with Serial ATA power connectors, a sleeved ATX power line, and enough power to fit the power needs of most systems. Another interesting feature of the interior of the Cooler Master Cavalier 3 is the tool-less method Cooler Master utilizes to allow users to quickly mount their 5.25” and 3.5” drives and devices. First, users must push their drive in through the front of the case, then slide a plastic slide forward to move 2 pins into the drive to secure it into place. Next, the user must press down on a plastic tab to lock the slide and keep it from moving. Cooler Master also includes markings on the motherboard tray, which is sadly not removable like most of their other cases, to signify which holes are used for each motherboard form-factor. Your motherboard manual should be the final judge when it comes to which holes to use, but I found that for all but one of my motherboard mounting holes, my Cavalier 3 motherboard tray had the correct markings. The Cooler Master Cavalier 3 also has very spacious interior, one that is capable of fitting 5 5.25” external devices, 1 3.5” external device and 4 3.5” internal drives. I encountered no spacing issues with the Cooler Master Cavalier 3’s interior.


Compared to most other cases I’ve owned, installation of my system into the Cooler Master Cavalier 3 was extremely simple. To begin, I started installation of my system by removing it from my previous case, the Lian Li PC-70. I decided to install the motherboard into my system first, so I installed the screw-in studs into their corresponding holes, and then proceeded to place my motherboard onto the studs and screw it in to secure it. After the motherboard was installed, I decided to install my videocard. To do this, I had to break off one of the metal expansion slot covers from the expansion slot my card was going to fit into, then place my expansion card into the expansion slot. I had a few problems with this. I found that the plastic expansion slot clips weren’t too sturdy, especially when dealing with cards that have a thicker metal piece on the end, like my ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. My next step was to install all of my drive bay devices, including my hard drive. I started by installing my optical drives into the Cavalier 3. I found that the tool-less mounting system is very simple and easy to use correctly, but getting the drives into position is difficult. The front bezel is mounted using 6 screws, 3 on each side of the case. There is very little clearance between the edge of the case and the drive cage, and these screw holes are right in between. It’s tough to get them out, but much tougher to get them back in. After you succeed with removing the bezel, you have 2 pieces of the case to remove before you can install your drive bay device. The first is the plastic drive bay cover, and the second is the steel drive bay cover behind that. There is no simple way to replace the steel cover, so once you take it off, it’s unlikely it will ever go back on. I would rather have snap in and snap out drive bay covers, since this would make installation and uninstallation of drive bay devices that much faster. From there, all that’s necessary is connection of data and power cables to all the devices and installation is complete. Besides some problems with installing bay devices, installation of a normal computer system into the Cooler Master Cavalier 3 is a relatively simple affair.


The performance of the Cavalier 3 was as equally impressive as it’s style. The Cavalier 3 is neither loud, nor whisper quiet, but is on the lower end of the noise spectrum. The rear 120mm fan produces a lower pitched sound than the smaller sized fans, and the lower pitch of noise the friendlier it is to the ear. However, when the system is not in use, the Cavalier 3 is much quieter than when being pushed to its limits by a demanding application. Fully loaded, the Cavalier 3 is not light for a case of its size. Some of this can be attributed to its steel construction, which would be heavier than an aluminum construction like the Cooler Master Wave Master uses. However, the Cavalier 3 is a noticeably stylish case, mainly because of its front bezel. The brushed aluminum and translucent plastic in the Cavalier from a distinctive, yet stylish and simple, front panel that sets the Cavalier 3 apart from every other case on the market today. The performance of the integrated audio and interface ports is excellent too. I found that the audio coming out of the front panel was equally good as the audio coming out of the rear panel; however when the volume was turned up high, quality suffered.


All in all, the Cavalier 3 is a stylish, unique case with only a few downfalls. The steel construction to me was a major disappointment, seeing as the front of the case had impressed me so much with its finish. Some other small issues exist with the Cavalier 3, but it does succeed in its goal of being a stylish, unique, and tool-less case. In addition, Cooler Master has designed a few variants of the Cavalier 3, so users who dislike the Cavalier 3 design can pick another design of the Cavalier series that suits their desire. The Cavalier 1 is identical to the Cavalier 3, but comes with an integrated sound meter which dances to the sound around it. The Cavalier 2 is the desktop version of the Cavalier 1 while the Cavalier 4 is the desktop version of the Cavalier 3. With so many choices, anybody looking for a stylish and unique case can find one in the Cavalier series from Cooler Master. The Cavalier 1 and 3 are available from Xoxide for $121.99 and $111.99 respectively. Cooler Master’s Cavalier 2 and 4 should be available soon. I would recommend the Cavalier 3 to anybody looking for a distinctive, stylish and unique case that doesn’t sacrifice simplicity.