No surprises in the packaging, being in typical Cooler Master Style. A white and purple themed box art with clear pictures of the enclosed chassis.

If we compare the exterior with the predecessor, the CM 690 Advanced II, we notice that the motherboard side panel has a protrusion now, to facilitate cable management. The cut-outs on the other side are now foreseen to be compatible with a huge 180 or even a monstrous 200mm fan; bigger is better nowadays. The I/O Panel is now  hidden underneath a slide able smoked cover latch.

The looks in general remain similar with the stylish chrome trimmings to accentuate its professional look. Once the side panels removed this is how the new CM 690 III looks like on the inside. Large cut-outs to facilitate cable routing, too bad no rubber grommets for that pro finish are included.

The top part is easily removable by unscrewing the thumb screw. Support has been added for either a 240mm radiator for those that want to integrate a water cooling build. Or if you opt for just air cooling, two 120/140mm Fans or even if desired a 200mm Fan can also be mounted for massive air flow. The cooling capacity has taken a huge leap forward from previous versions.

While the rear again relies on a 120mm fan to expel the air (1200rpm/17dBA PWM version), the front one has been upgraded from the 140mm of the Advanced II to a 200mm version, for this CM 690 III. The front can also support a 240 watercooling radiator.