Cooler Master N400 - Mid Tower Computer Case with Fully Meshed Front Panel (NSE-400-KKN2)

I bought this case for my home server. I was looking all over the internet for sub $80 cases with more than 6 drive bays. This is the one I pulled the trigger on. I could not be more happy. There is more than enough drive bays for my needs, the quality of the case is amazing, the value is fantastic, it is super easy to build in, and it comes with all the screws needed for a complete build. The drive bays were the main reason behind buying this case. There are other cases from other brands that feature similar amounts of drive bays, but at almost double the cost. The case quality is amazing, it felt really sturdy with all my hardware inside of it, there was not metal bending or anything. At roughly $75 (when I bought it) it gives a great value compared to other cases. It was super easy to build my server in this case as well, it only took me about 30 minutes for everything. Thankfully this case came with all the proper installation hardware for components, I have had to deal with some cases before that actually did not have all the necessary screws included.

I don't tend to spend a lot on my components. I want solid, long life, but for bells and whistles I save that for the software. This lower-priced case seemed to fit the bill, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. One of the things I noticed again and again: no sharp edges. I have been doing this long enough that I remember when several serious cuts were always part of the deal when building or repairing a computer. This case has rounded all the edges, and it makes it feel like quality. Also, it improves the rigidity of the metal just a bit. The case is spacious, with lots of drive bays. I'm not sure how one would use the bottom bay, unless the drive was installed upside down (which would have its own retention issues), but I'm not using anywhere close to the available drive bays. Also, although I thought I had used up the tool-free mounting hardware, when I looked on the other side, I found some more, so I'm not even using all of the drive mounting clips. I've heard that some new computer cases have foundation panels that can be removed. While I can see that being handy, this isn't one of those cases. However, by focusing on getting the motherboard and power supply in first, it was easy to access everything I needed, and there's plenty of space to run cables behind the foundation for drives or front panel. I haven't tested out the audio, etc. on the front panel, but that's not hugely important to me. Bottom line for me: if you want lots of drive bays, including exposed 5.25" bays (for optical drives, or the like) this is a good case for a reasonable price. I added a fan on the side panel, and I understand the complaints about the meshes being impossible to remove for cleaning once the system is built, but it seems to have good airflow. I like the tool-free installation of drives, including the optical drive, and I even used the SSD slot on the back side of the drive bays. The only improvement possible for the drive bays would be to mount them laterally, but that would have airflow consequences, and the case would be slightly less stiff.

Bought this to build out a modest custom PC. Overall quality is decent but not great. The power button is either poorly manufactured or poorly designed, because it broke within 6 months and a second replacement unit I bought did the same thing in one day. That issue aside, the interior layout and functionality worked well for me. There are also several 5.25” bays available for things like front panel USB headers or optical drives, which is rare these days on PC cases. Plenty of ventilation on all four sides and the top so there are many options for fan placement. One important note is that some current-gen Nvidia RTX 5060 and 5000 series cards may NOT fit in this case. My 4060 fit just fine but the 5060 was very snug and barely fit. Keep that in mind, especially with larger flagship graphics cards. The most appealing feature of this case is the low price. Quality control issues aside, it’s rare to find a name brand case that is this functional at such a low price.

I thought the computer case was well designed. Its certainly showing age compared to all the other cases out on the market. However, this case, unlike many modern ones, doesn't have explosive glass as well as limited hard disk drive capacity. I may not use this case in the future for a NAS build, since I already have one (with the NZXT 210 case); but, i'd prefer the industry to continue giving us options instead of forcing us to buy a "NAS based case" for double the manufacturer price; Most cases out on the market these days only come with a capacity for 2 HDD's. Pitiful

The case is decent enough, but there are serious issues to consider; 1) If you plan on using a radiator for cooling note it will not fit on the top once your ATX board is installed. The ATX board literally goes all the way to the top of the case with no space. The case is very thin so there is no horizontal space for your radiator as your board will like have pins and components sticking out of it. 2) if your ATX board has SATA ports on the left edge (or any edge for that matter) then you will have a hard time connecting/disconnecting SATA cables after the board in installed and screwed in. The case has a lip that curves up right after the edge of the ATX board and makes connecting SATA board near impossible. If your sata ports are on any edge like top, bottom or right side, forget it completely. You will have SATA ports on the board that come straight out of the board not sideways from an edge (as they most commonly do). 3) There is zero space to route cable behind the board. Forget it... it does not exist. All your cabling will be in front of the board. 4) You probably won't get a radiator to mount in the front of the case (in front of the hard drive cage) either. The space available there is too narrow for a radiator and too thin as well. You will get 2 - 120mm fans in there but not a radiator. 5) This case is a tight fit for an ATX board. All sides are tight (eg. sata ports access, etc). Anything you have that will require access on any edge of your board will either be extremely difficult or impossible. 6) PCIe slots require you pop out a metal tab that is not replaceable later on. So, if you change your PCI cards around and want to cover up slots... nope, not going to happen once you pop out a metal slot cover. They DO NOT screw back on. 7) This is a slim case compared to a proper tower case (especially compared to a full tower case). If you are going to air cool your CPU (and you likely will need too and good luck getting a radiator into this thing in any spot with ventilation holes), then make sure your CPU cooler isn't overly tall. 8) No RESET button, no USB C ports on the front. This might be an issue for some people. If you require these you will need to modify the case and mount your own. 9) Not a lot of holes or hooks to attach zip ties. If you are obsessed with pretty looking cable management you will be upset looking for places to attach your zip ties. 10) No ventilation or mounting options for fans on the side panels. 11) No options to mount a bottom fan to bring air up into the case. 12) 5 fan limitation. (2 front, two top and this is iffy, 1 rear). Of course your power supply will have it's own fan. So six if you include the PSU fan. Now, the good points; 1) It will hold a full sized ATX board (with no access to any edge components like SATA ports or USB ports or power ports that come off horizontally to the board). All your ports will need to be perpendicular to the board or this case will not work for you. 2) You can mount two fans in the front (in front of the HDD cage). 3) You might be able to get one or two 120mm fans in the top. This is iffy and might block access to the very top of your board. 4) It holds a lot of HDDs. 5) It hold 1 SDD or 2.5" HDD behind the board (accessed by removing the rear panel). But, you can probably squeeze in another one, but it will not be secured in place. It will just kind of sit there is the minimal space between the case and the rear panel. 6) It is an inexpensive case. But, maybe paying $20 more is worth getting more. 7) If you use a board smaller than ATX it will work much better. 8) You can probably get 5 fans in this case. 9) This is an enclosed metal case with no viewing windows, so no need for RGB Christmas light accessories. I consider this a plus for a server, but some might consider this a negative. 10) had a 5 1/4" cage at the front top that will hold 2 - 5 1/4" devices (CD/DVD/Blue ray drive, fan control panel, etc) and 1 - 3 1/2" device (floppy drive, zip drive, whatever). Does it work for a NAS/Server... yes it does. It works for even an ATX server, but, next time I will probably opt for a better design/a little more space. But this has a massive HDD cage and that is difficult to find these days in a case. So, yeah, if you expectations are low and you need to store a lot of HDDs then this will probably work.

Want to watercool or potentially watercool your PC, than STOP!! This case is 100% not for you. Despite it stating in its description that it can handle a 240mm or 120mm radiator those claims are VERY false. Granted it has the cutouts for either, they are setup in a fashion that they will collide with your motherboard and therefore be useless. The rear 120mm fan cutout is so close to the motherboard I/O panel that it will hit it. with a basic 120mm radiator. The top 240mm radiator cutout has the same problem as its not offset to take into account a motherbaord with chipset heatsink. Therefore it is useless for both a 240mm radiator and a 120mm radiator. The front panel is only good for fans as it has a restrictive plate attached to the frame so you cannot mount anything but a fan there. There is also a really strange motherboard side cutout for a fan or radiator, but once again the weird structural layout doesn't even allow for a narrow fan to be installed. Which begs the question as to why its even there. You could take a grinder and cut a hole out and fit one in, but that would be messy and since the metal is tied into the rigidity of the case it would make it weak. Ive assembled 100's of PC's over the course of 30 years and even the awful late 90's pastel cases were at least built with some thought of the layout. This case is very highly unsuited for any type of enthusiast build. I was going to donate this to a local goodwill, however I dont think I could sleep at night knowing how much frustration and pain it would bring someone else trying to build a PC inside of it. The only recourse was to put it out of its misery and toss it in the recycling bin. I will say it made a good holder for target paper and took quite a few good hits from a .22 and a airgun. Thats about the best use for this case in my mind.

I really like this case a lot. I always put a DVD burner in my case and the good cases that have 5.25 inch opening are getting to be rare. I like the layout of the hard drives because they are easy to get to and there are a lot of places to put a lot of drives. The quantity of fans is really useful to keep the inside cool and the placement of the fans is great. The hardware is good and there are no sharp edges. It is very sturdy and has no flimsy places on it like some cases. I like the USB ports on the front but I just wish they could have been just a little bit higher up but it works well anyway. I don't need any clear sides so this case is just what i wanted. If I need another case, this is the one I will buy.

While I love the product, I find it silly that the manufacturer did not include the tool-less drive retention hardware for all the drive bays. The last mid-tower I bought with this quantity of drive bays had the drive latching hardware for all drive bays. This case included latches for only the bays that might be considered "typically" populated, but I bought the case knowing that I wanted to populate quite a few more than this, so now I have to either try to order the hardware separately or use screws despite the fact that one of the selling points I considered was the tool-less design. Getting past this minor complaint though, I have always taken great pains to manage cooling - particularly with respect to maintaining air flow around drives - even though I don't typically buy high end cases. This has to be my best case yet. It included extra fans and definitely will draw air around the drive bays. The absence of plastic panels, etc. is also a bonus, though I do miss the quick disconnect side panel latches that I enjoy on a similar competitor's case in the same price range. In my opinion, the location of the front-mounted USB and audio connectors is superior for my application. The side-mounted connectors on some cases is beyond difficult at times, and the high connectors on many cases in the same class are awkward when the case is on a desktop for easy access, etc. The location of these connectors was very high on my selection criteria. This purchase emphasized to me the importance of seeing a case before buying it. I selected a number of cases "on-line", but I actually visited a brick-and-mortar store before the purchase. Upon seeing the cases with similar attributes and price, it became clear that this case clearly stood head and shoulders above any of the others that I could actually see. Most of the cases felt tinny, had plastic parts, etc. The brick-and-mortar store front, though, had no stock, so I resorted to buying online, but, going forward, I'm certain I will never buy a case without looking at one first. I'm not a big fan of the large top grill on the case as I tend to stack several towers in my tight environment where I have multiple systems, but I have no regrets either. I'd rather have cooling options than nit-pick this point. In fact, a comment below shows that this is probably a key feature that I want to have even though I'm not used to the top of a tower case being open. A plus about this case was that the cooling apertures all have screen filters. Dust is a problem in my environment - to the point that I periodically clean the insides of systems every so often. While the filters aren't likely as effective as the filters on my to-date favorite case, these filters are definitely going to be easier to remove/clean, and are less likely to trap the dust in a way that detracts from the black finish. The presence of the filter screens also mitigate risk of dropping small items into the case from the vents along the top. A key selling point for me on this case was that the cooling apertures are such that they do not emphasize "show off" vanity lighting inside the case. I feel that many cases built to show of the inside of the case are unattractive when this is not a goal for the build - particularly when the system is going to have a lot of internal cabling, cards, and so on. The front grille is nice and open, but not so much that empty bays will detract from the system appearance. This is the first tower case I've built that uses a bottom mounted power supply. At first I was somewhat skeptical about losing use of the power supply fan to draw heat off the top of the case, but upon further consideration it is clear the design is well thought out. The power supply cooling is maximized, and the top case venting will prevent hot air from pooling at the top of the tower. Furthermore, I find that cable routing in this configuration is superior. Whereas I've always had to contend with cabling that crosses over the CPU, memory, etc., in top-mounted power supply configurations, it's going to be a pleasure to route cables in this case. A slight downer on this design is that mounting removable optical drives in the 5.25" bays will break the continuity of the front vertical bar that houses the switches, indicators and connectors. I think that will detract from the appearance of the case when a drive is mounted there. Thumb screws for side panel removal are vanity items that add no functional value. They are decorative and attractive (black and textured), but I find that they are decidedly not tool-less thumb screws. They are so small and the threading so tight that one must use a screwdriver. Bottom-line: I am happy to have this case. The price was right, I found the case in a brick-and-mortar store so I could review it before buying it, and I doubt I'd want to spend the time to hunt down a competing case to avoid the few nit-picks I have against it. Of the cases I saw, this was by far and away the one that best fit my criteria... cooling options being paramount on that list. The things I would change about this case that would make it perfect: drive mount hardware for all drive bays, quick-open latches for the side panels.