Closer Look: Exterior

Although the Cooler Master HAF XM is a Mid-Tower case, it's pretty large. While it is a little shorter than a Full Tower case, it's just as wide and deep, and maybe even a little more so than some cases. It also weighs a lot. In fact, it weighs more than the full tower NZXT Switch 810 we looked at a little while ago. The HAF XM has a black matte finish on top of its steel mesh and synthetic material construction. Like many large cases, the HAF XM isn't easy to carry around. There aren't any handles or handhold areas on here.

One of the first things that stand out on the HAF XM is the main side panel. The HAF XM does come in a version with a side panel window, but the sample we received comes without the window. What the side panel does have is a latching system. Lift up on the latch and the side panel falls outward. From there you can simply lift it off the bottom of the case and you have access to the inside. I must admit that I really like this feature. Far too often I find it extremely difficult to get a side panel off or put it back on. Cooler Master makes this chore simple with the latch here on the HAF XM.

Moving to the front of the case you can see I/O panel and the external drive bays. There are three 5.25" and two 3.5" external drive bays. Below that is the front air intake. Cooler Master has emblazoned their logo about three quarters of the way down the front panel. The sides of the front panel beveled and edged to create a militaristic look, similar to the HAF X case.

The rear of the Cooler Master HAF XM case is laid out in pretty standard fashion. Up at the very top you can see the thumbscrew that allows for removal of the top of the case and gives access to the fan area up there. Just below that are three holes for water cooling tubes if you decide to mount your reservoir on the outside of the case. The rear exhaust fan here doesn't have a filter, but as an exhaust fan, it shouldn't need one as much as the others. There are eight expansion slots lined up along the rear of the HAF XM case and a spare ninth sits vertically to the right of them.

The backside panel of the Cooler Master HAF XM looks a lot like the main panel, but without the fan slots and the latch at the top. That stylized bubble in the panel is very nice, as it adds a good half inch of clearance on the back for cable management.

Let's get a little more detailed look at the exterior of the Cooler Master HAF XM.

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