Hands-on with Cooler Master’s Cosmos Alpha

The Cosmos Alpha is an excellent update over the previous 2022-era model, with a large internal space that offers tons of configuration possibilities, all inside a modern, good-looking, premium full-tower chassis. The FreeForm 2.0 platform, which evolved from a modular design to a more open, customizable platform, is the star of the show. This means the freedom to customize fan sizes and locations and the ability to adjust the motherboard. The Cosmos Alpha is a step forward in design, keeping the familiar hands and feet, while maturing from the C700M to a simpler, more premium aesthetic. A hinged smoked-glass panel dominates one side, providing a tinted view of the inside, while a perforated panel covers the other. The IO panel features updated, ample connectivity, with six USB ports (two Type-C, four Type-A). The Cosmos Alpha supports the full range of motherboard sizes, from Mini-ITX to E-ATX/EEB. It's also rear-connect motherboard/BTF-compatible, which can really clean up the wires. Inside, you can install up to 12 fans (a 4-fan hub with RGB support included) in typical locations (front/side/top/rear), or 4 radiators (up to 420mm on the side). To fit four radiators, three can be mounted on the back, behind the motherboard, with the fourth on top. You can cool anything with that much space available for fans and radiators. Additionally, you can mount your power supply at the top or bottom, where it is hidden from view. The motherboard tray moves back and forth to increase clearance for, say, large air coolers versus AIOs, mounting fans or radiators behind it, or just to tweak airflow. You can also bring it closer to the side panel to show off your GPU and create more room behind the motherboard. Just be careful, as you can see from our mock build, the GPU can get very close to the smoked-glass side panel, which isn't great for the graphics card's cooling. The chassis supports vertical GPU mounting, but the hardware is not included ($69.99 at Amazon) on the Cosmos Alpha. Cooler Master also includes an adjustable crossmember that runs from front to back, designed to support large graphics cards. On this bar is a movable support bracket that slides under the GPU to prevent GPU sag and bending. The new Cosmos Alpha ($399.99 on Newegg) builds on two decades of Cosmos legacy, modernizing the case with a sleek, solid redesign. The FreeForm 2.0 platform offers greater modularity and personalization, and Cooler Master promises access to open-source 3D files to design your own parts.