Installation Impressions
Unsurprisingly, we didn't encounter any major problems with the Cooler Master Silencio 650's design during installation. Its spacious interior made it easy to install and remove hardware.
We installed our typical test hardware for mid-ATX cases: an OCZ ZX 1000w PSU, an Asrock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional motherboard, 8GB (2x4GB) of Kingston RAM, an AMD Phenom II X6 1100T CPU with the Prolimatech Megahalems and an Inno3D GeForce GTX 580 OC GPU. We also crammed in half a dozen Western Digital Scorpio Blue 500GB HDDs and a Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000 1TB drive.
We began by installing Prolimatech Megahalem's CPU bracket to the back of the Asrock board, but forgetting this step is no problem thanks to the hole in the motherboard tray. The motherboard slotted into place without any fuss at all and connecting everything else was as easy as can be.
The DVD-RW slipped in effortlessly thanks to the tool-free 5.25" system, which again is one of the best solutions we have come across. Installing the 500GB hard drives was just as easy, though we're still a little bummed that not all of the bays are hot-swappable.
When working with the Corsair Obsidian Series 650D recently, we were annoyed by the limited room between the back of the 3.5" drives where the data/power cables connect and the case door. The PSU's SATA power cables were pressed hard up against the right side door causing it to bulge. Cooler Master has not made this mistake.
Installing the OCZ ZX 1000w PSU was very simple and there was loads of room to accommodate an even bigger unit such as the Thermaltake Toughpower 1500w. While we only took photos of one power supply installed, we installed two without any issues. Likewise, we photographed the Silencio 650 with just one GeForce GTX 580 installed, but we found that it could easily handle two or three.
However, extra-long graphics cards that exceed 11" such as the Radeon HD 6990 will require you to remove the 3.5" drive cage. Still, there's enough room for most high-end graphics cards.
Overall, the Cooler Master Silencio 650 is a real pleasure to work with, providing the necessary features and space required to build the ultimate performance PC.