CoolerMaster Sileo 500 Case Review

The Cooler Master Sileo 500 is a very well done example of sound and vibration management by addressing the source of the noise.  Some things could have been handled better such as rubber mounting the case fans or providing sound damping latches to both sides of the drive bays.  However those are actually minor issues considering the lower price point.

Suppressing noise is not always about isolating vibration sources but rather understanding what causes increases in noise as a result.  The largest is resonant frequency.  Every material has a certain frequency at which point it will vibrate.  Thin walled cases will vibrate very easy whereas cases constructed from SECC metal, like the Cooler Master Sileo 500, require more.  A good way to increase the resonant frequency is to add medium density foam to the panels.  Not only does this foam absorb sound waves but helps to add additional mass to the panels to resist vibration.

Cooler Master has designed and produced a very solid case with some great features and classic design which would be equally suited for business or home use.  The case supports both standard and micro ATX motherboards and a variety of drive configurations.  The attention to sound also means that you can splurge on your hardware choices and not worry so much about additional noise, GPU fans will appear to be quieter and CPU fans will soften.

Now for the ever popular list of good things and bad things :

Heavy construction, solid feel.
Pre applied eggcrate foam on sufaces.
Well done tool-free drive hardware.
Good size and layout for easy building.
Very effective at making PC silent (or close to it).
Subtle yet classy stying gives universal appeal. 

Some long cards may not fit.
Tool-free slot latches could be better.
No real cable hiding options.
Only has tool-free option on facing side. I used screws on backside.
The front LEDs do not stay illuminated in blue as shown in pics.

We would like to thank Cooler Master for helping to make this review possible