Summary and conclusion
I think the graphs have already shown it well, in terms of cooling the CPU, you practically don’t have to make any sacrifices with the case. The grille at the front lets cool air through to the radiator almost unhindered. However, once it has passed through it, it is blown directly into the graphics card. As expected, this increases the core temperature of the GPU, by an average of 10°C in my tests. This is particularly evident in the GPU graph of the Prime95 test run, in which the graphics card is not active at all. This could be remedied by mounting it in the lid, but with a distance of 55 mm to the VRM voltage converters, this is likely to be a little tight. In addition, the screws supplied with the fans also have a very large head, which would collide with the dust filter on the top.
But that’s just the beginning of my list of criticisms. I can overlook small things such as the missing plastic card for spreading the thermal paste, which was still supplied with the normal version of this AIO, as well as the obsolete 3-pin PWM splitter cable included.
Overlook or perhaps rather overlook is a good keyword, because if you don’t have a graphics card with Nvidia 12VHPWR or 1x 8-pin power supply, you are probably not Cooler Master’s target group. The power supply unit has one unused connection each for SATA/Molex and PCIe cables. The cables are also not included in the scope of delivery. A second connection for the graphics card was not even included in the case.
This means that the majority of the upper-class graphics cards in the RTX 3000 series and the current AMD lineup are not included in the compatibility list. I really can’t figure out how this could have been overlooked during product development. So maybe it’s intentional? But why is an already small target group being unnecessarily restricted even further?
The 5-year warranty on the AIO water cooling system is commendable, other manufacturers in this price range also offer a 5-year warranty on the power supply unit, and the 2-year warranty on the case itself is a moot point. It probably won’t fall apart.
Let’s makean approximate price comparison with the current retail prices:
- MasterBox TD500 Mesh V2
104,90 Euro - MasterLiquid 360 Atmos ARGB
163,59 Euro - Cooler Master GX II Gold 850W
109,00 Euro - 3x Mobius 120P ARGB
84,54 Euro - 3xMaster SickleFlow 120 AR GB
– 41,70 Euro
This brings me to 420.33 euros, the recommended retail price for the TD500 Max is 459.99 euros. A surcharge of 39.66 euros for the thicker radiator, special adaptations in the case and pre-assembled components as well as cable management are indisputably fair. However, the total price is still quite high for a product that has somehow not been thought through to the end. And somehow it doesn’t really solve an existing problem. The TD500 Max looks like something in between Project Zero / Stealth, a concept with “invisible” cables only on the back of the mainboard, and a ready-made PC. If the approach with the small ITX case NCore 100 Max still made sense and saved effort, I unfortunately can’t see the added value here.
Addendum
On enquiry, I was informed that the missing 6+2 pin PCIe cable should be included with the retail version. If this is not the case, the missing cable will of course be sent free of charge on presentation of proof of purchase. However, an additional connector built into the inner wall is not provided. The cable could only be laid from the power supply unit to the graphics card if required, which in turn contradicts the entire concept of this case.
The test sample was provided by Cooler Master without obligation. There was and is no influence on the tests and results. There was also no compensation for expenses and no obligation to publish.
Cooler Master TD500 Max Gunmetal, grau, Glasfenster, 850W ATX (TD500V2-MGNN85-SL0)
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