[section_title title=Closer Look – Exterior]Closer Look – Exterior
Starting with the packaging of the CM 690 III, the chassis comes in a relatively plain box with all the relevant information you are going to need; pretty standard stuff. We have an illustration of the CM 690 III with information regarding the model number and of course a couple of the features; these include support for up to 3 x 200mm fans, support for 240mm radiators (AIO/Custom loop) and astonishingly support for up to 10 SSDs/2.5mm HDDs.
Inside the box or more specifically, protecting the CM690 III case are 2 x polystyrene inserts which is pretty standard with case manufacturers and of course, the plastic bag which protects the case from grime and dust during transit.
Taking a first look at the CM 690 III chassis in the flesh, the first thing you will notice is that this particular model is of course the windowed edition; it comes with a nice sized window which covers half the interior, hiding the unsightly cables/HDD enclosures to give it a neater look. The case is also “midnight” black and I have to say, the finish is brilliant in my opinion and I feel it contrasts very well with the silver strips that go along the edges of the panelling.
The front of the chassis has a solid mesh finish to allow sufficient airflow to pass through and has the same black finish as the rest of the case; it is very glossy especially in direct light. The CM690 III features 3 x 5.25” media drive bays in which you could also place a bay mounted pump/res combo if you wished to do so. The front wouldn’t be complete without the obligatory Cooler Master crest situated towards the bottom of the case.
The CM 690II has a very nice hidden I/O panel which features a sliding door style panel. This covers the front I/O when not in use and makes it look nice and tidy but personally, having the power switch/reset switch hidden by this is a bit inconvenient for me and because this isn’t an “advanced” version, it doesn’t come equipped with an X-Dock or an e-SATA header. I still like it though especially if you are like me and rarely use the front I/O.
