Space is at a premium wherever you look these days. Drive down any street and you will see properties that once housed a decent-sized family home are now crammed to the borders with a series of townhouses. With this limited footprint comes limited space for everything like the essentials in the kitchen (kettles and toasters) to the luxuries like entertainment and workspaces.

This is doubly so for luxuries such as a desktop PC. These days many of us make do with laptops, “generously” provided by our workplaces so that we can work from the comfort of our homes. However, if you prize the ability to build your own system or even just the capability to maintain and upgrade a system while having little space to work with, a midi tower let alone a full one is just not feasible. Enter the mini ITX form factor, sometimes known as small form factor, standard. Cooler Master have entered this market with their MasterBox NR200P case, a premium entrant in the market made for the person with a substantial budget who values good looks and premium build quality.

Just a note: This is a build review piece, focusing on the build quality and ease of building in the case. Due to some logistical issues I was not able to complete my performance and thermal testing so that will come in a second piece.

Built To Impress, Built to Last


The NR200P is built from aluminium with a solid front panel, not ideal for airflow, but with mesh side, bottom and top panels to compensate. For the discerning builder, the case comes with an alternative tempered glass side panel, which in a small case with limited front panel air flow - despite the quite large 140mm fan installed - could be a hindrance so planning your build with sufficient fans and space for airflow becomes paramount. While these two things are not something necessarily terrible for cooling, they do need to be considered if you do plan on using high-end GPUs that throw out a ton of heat.

The NR200P is built from aluminium with a solid front panel, not ideal for airflow, but with mesh side, bottom and top panels to compensate.

I say consider GPU thermals because out the box, the case includes not only the glass side panel but also a 240mm AIO for the CPU mounted to the top. This AIO should be sufficient for any modern CPU; even an Alderlake CPU and should be able to handle all but the most aggressive of overcloaks. Also included in the case is a 750W SFX PSU. Cooler Master makes some of the market-leading PSUs and with the inclusion of one of their units, though I couldn’t tell exactly which model, it's a plus. A plus especially as the included cables are properly measured out and so you won’t have to deal with the headache of overlong cables in a confined case.



If, however, you want to completely customise the case, it is built for full custom water-cooling loops. Removing the AIO and the PSU is as easy as removing some screws to uninstall. Be warned though that if you do swap out the PSU, you will have to buy custom length cables - something that can delay a build. And beware swapping out the AIO for something else; the hose length is also custom measured for the case, so an off the shelf one will do.

The panels all pop off quite easily as they are tool-less and held in place with studs. Removal is a step-by-step process. First remove the top panel as that has an overhang on the sides that allow it to act as a safety catch that hold the side panels in place. A necessary safety feature especially for the tempered panel. The last thing you want is the studs to fail and for the panel to fall over and shatter.

Once removed you can pop off the two side panels. Doing so reveals the full interior of the case allowing for easy access during the build. To add additional security for the paranoid, the top panel can be secured with a screw just in case that somehow pops off as do the side panels.



Each panel has a magnetic removable mesh dust filter. Here’s a picture of one of my cats editing this review making the filter along with a mini-fan and blower a must.

As for the interior, the space is limited, but never feels overly claustrophobic. With all panels off you can easily get in and around the cables and installed hardware. The motherboard tray is large enough to accommodate a mini-ITX as well as the slightly longer mini-DTX motherboards.

In the box was all the hardware I needed to install, standard in all cases such as screws and stand-offs. Of course, the AIO hardware included brackets for AM4 (AMD) and LGA1155 and LGA1200 brackets. If you do want to install an Alderlake CPU, you will have to get adapters for LGA1700 sockets.

Additionally, the AIO does not have pre-applied thermal paste as is usual these days. Honestly, this is likely for the best as you can purchase higher performing paste without having to clean off the AIO first.

Easier Than You Think to Build In


Building in the case is easier than you think, just requiring a little bit of forethought and planning. The most trouble I had was putting the motherboard in the case and this was due to the PSU cables getting in the way a little. A little bit of angling (“PIVOT!”) got it in place. For once I did not forget to install the I/O shield first!

Next came cable runs, honestly not difficult at all given that the PSU cables are properly measured out. As with any build the cables may be a bit too thick making tucking them away a slight challenge but given that the case is so open, it was easier than managing the cables in my midi tower case. The AIO hoses proved to be a bit of a challenge to manage and make it look neat and tidy, but it wasn’t impossible.

In my opinion, given the hit and miss compatibility between GPUs and generic cables, I would spend the extra cash and purchase one from Cooler Master.

As for GPU support, you have the choice of traditional horizontal layout or vertical orientation via the included PCI-E riser cable. Do note that the included cable of a Gen 3 cable so if you have the budget for a newer GPU and a mother board that supports it, you will have to purchase a PCI-E Gen 4 cable. In my opinion, given the hit and miss compatibility between GPUs and generic cables, I would spend the extra cash and purchase one from Cooler Master. I know that to some that is heresy, especially those who enjoy building systems, but sometimes sticking to the more expensive brand names is worth it in the end.

There Are Drawbacks, but Nothing a Well Thought Out Plan Cannot Overcome


So is the case perfect? Of course not, but it damn well is close to it. The first issue will be SPU compatibility. With modern GPUs like the 3080 and 3090 looking like battleships, finding a compatible one will be a challenge. I do have a Radeon 6600XT which, while not the longest card, is quite large, and it fit comfortably.

Cooling in such a small case can be a concern, especially with modern CPUs and GPUs. Alderlake is known to run very hot as does anything in the RTX3070 and up class. While the front airflow is limited due to the solid panel, the 140mm fan does suck in fresh air from the front to assist. The bottom panel supports two 120mm fans, so setting this up to pull fresh air in to flow over the GPU, in whatever orientation, and then the motherboard and out via the top AIO fans all while aided by thermal updrafts, should keep everything nice and cool and away from thermal limits. The rear panel supports a smaller 92mm fan which to my thinking isn’t going to be that helpful and may just cause additional turbulence in the case instead of efficiently exhausting heat.

Once I am able fully test the system especially in our higher ambient temperatures, I will be able answer the thermal efficiency questions definitively.



The final drawback on a case this size is simply expandability and choice of parts. Mini-ITX boards are either limited to cheap functional ones or insanely powerful, fully featured ones with a price point to match. Storage also becomes a point of contention. For me, getting a board with support for up to two M.2 drives is a must as that will save you space, cable management headaches and just general worries over compatibility. If you really must install a 2.5” or 3.5” drive, the case supports up to 3 of the former and two of the latter. Though adding these in will make the build more challenging. A FromSoft build, if you will.

The final drawback on a case this size is simply expandability and choice of parts.

All these drawbacks are things to keep in mind when planning the build and are not deal breakers. If I was building a new HTPC or wanted something with a smaller footprint or was planning on going to LANs often, this would definitely be the case I would consider for my build.

The Mastercase NR200P is a premium case with an excellent high-quality finish that may sacrifice some compatibility and expandability, but for the builder who plans their build, it is an easy case to work in and one that will show off your skills like no other. Throw in the excellent price point, around R1 500 depending on retailer, and you have a compelling option for your next build.