A Closer Look - Outside

The HAF XB is arranged like a test bench: the motherboard is placed into the chassis in a horizontal position with room for drives below it. This makes for an interesting shape. The unit is constructed of sturdy plastic, metal parts, and metal mesh.


Taking a look at the front, the external drive bays are located within the lower half, while the top is one big metal mesh behind which two 120 mm fans are placed. Turning the HAF XB around, the rear looks quite interesting. The motherboard is, as mentioned before, installed into the chassis horizontally, with two smaller air vents for fans below it. You may install the PSU into the bottom left corner.


Both sides of the chassis look identical, with large air vents that do not have a dust filter behind them. Two plastic grips have been placed on these parts, allowing you transport the chassis quite nicely over short distances, which actually makes the case portable enough for LAN parties.


Moving to the front of the chassis, there are two 5.25 inch bays with metal mesh covers. These can easily be taken out of the front without removing the front, or popping them out from the inside. To the right of these two bays are two hot-swap units that can hold both 3.5 and 2.5 inch drives. This feature should come in quite handy when using the HAF XB as a test bench.


You may install a fully sized PSU into the case. Cooler Master has included an extruded frame, which allows you to put longer units into place properly. This is great as some users may want to utilize high-capacity power supplies. The two sets of screw holes allow one to install the unit with a fan facing up or downward - total flexibility. Next to these are the two 80 mm fan mounts. The top half may hold a 120 mm exhaust fan and the seven standard expansion bay covers. These are individually held in place by thumb screws.


Last but not least is a large, extruded vent on top. You may place a 200 mm fan here for added air flow. A dust filter on the underside, below the PSU, protects that unit from dust and grime. It is good to see a dust filter protecting this vent, since the top part of the case is missing that barrier.