Clash of the Titans - TT Tai Chi vs. CM Stacker 830
by Joshua Buss on February 23, 2006 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Benchmark Comparisons
To get as meaningful a comparison as possible between the two cases, we installed the same set of hardware into each one; our new standard ATX test bed. Each system used the default fan configuration that was in the case. Note that our Stacker 830 came with four fans total, but now the product is being released with only the front, rear, and side fan – the top one would have to be added to achieve similar results.
These cases both tout themselves as being the best of the best in terms of thermal capabilities. So, how do they perform? Here's a culmination of the results of averaging the temperatures read over a period of half an hour of various components both at idle and load in our ATX test bed.
As for speculation of performance when these cases are loaded up with additional fans, one could safely expect the temperatures in both cases to scale similarly when adding side fans. The difference here to consider is that the Stacker can hold four 120mm fans, while the Tai Chi can only fit two. Even without a fan in the side at all, the Tai Chi nearly ties the 830 in the motherboard temperature arena, suggesting that it really is doing a better job at passively dissipating heat. This is a testament to the radiator-style design of the side panels, reassuring us that it isn't just a gimmick.
With the finding that the Tai Chi cools just as well as the Stacker 830 with half as many fans, one has to wonder if that means that the Thermaltake fans are making substantially more noise. To see if that's the case, we used our sound pressure level (SPL) meter and rated the system's noise subjectively on a scale from 1 to 10.
To get as meaningful a comparison as possible between the two cases, we installed the same set of hardware into each one; our new standard ATX test bed. Each system used the default fan configuration that was in the case. Note that our Stacker 830 came with four fans total, but now the product is being released with only the front, rear, and side fan – the top one would have to be added to achieve similar results.
| ATX Test Bed | |
| DFI LanParty UT 915P-T12 Pentium 4 530 Prescott 3.0ghz OCZ 512MB DDR2 x 2 Thermaltake Golden Orb II Seagate 120gb SATA Hard Drive Chaintech GeForce 6600GT MSI DVD-CD/R/RW Combo drive MadDog MD-600SCPS PSU |
 |
These cases both tout themselves as being the best of the best in terms of thermal capabilities. So, how do they perform? Here's a culmination of the results of averaging the temperatures read over a period of half an hour of various components both at idle and load in our ATX test bed.
As for speculation of performance when these cases are loaded up with additional fans, one could safely expect the temperatures in both cases to scale similarly when adding side fans. The difference here to consider is that the Stacker can hold four 120mm fans, while the Tai Chi can only fit two. Even without a fan in the side at all, the Tai Chi nearly ties the 830 in the motherboard temperature arena, suggesting that it really is doing a better job at passively dissipating heat. This is a testament to the radiator-style design of the side panels, reassuring us that it isn't just a gimmick.
With the finding that the Tai Chi cools just as well as the Stacker 830 with half as many fans, one has to wonder if that means that the Thermaltake fans are making substantially more noise. To see if that's the case, we used our sound pressure level (SPL) meter and rated the system's noise subjectively on a scale from 1 to 10.
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Tamale - Friday, February 24, 2006 - link
I made the most prominent mention of it right before the sound chart:"With the finding that the Tai Chi cools just as well as the Stacker 830 with half as many fans, one has to wonder if that means that the Thermaltake fans are making substantially more noise. To see if that's the case, we used our sound pressure level (SPL) meter and rated the system's noise subjectively on a scale from 1 to 10."
Even without taking the fans into consideration, the two cases' temperatures were very, very close. Look at the HTPC roundup to see how much they've different in the past.
JoshuaBuss - Friday, February 24, 2006 - link
1) It's ok for different people to have different definitions of 'high-end'. For me, a great case for a decent price is higher-end than a case that costs twice as much and doesn't offer as much.2) I mention the passive radiative design of the Tai Chi as a benefit, but perhaps didn't stress enough that the design is for the most part a waste unless one attaches additional cooling equipment to the sides so that conduction of heat to the fins would actually take place. What is true is that the case cools exceptionally well with only two fans. Is it the fins helping? While certainly I agree with you that they're not helping that much, I would still say that they're helping a little.
3) The cage itself lacks any active defense against vibrations unfortunately. Its design is of thinner material that has more bends to it, so inherantely it will aborb a little bit of the vibrations, but not much. We really preferred CM's cage in this regard, for this and the 4 drive capacity. That being said, seagate barracuda drives are still very, very quiet in the Tai Chi.
fsardis - Friday, February 24, 2006 - link
making the case out of alu does help dissipate heat from inside. the hot air does make the alu hotter and the fins increase the contact area with the ambient air.the only proper argument against the heat sink design is that although it has fins to dissipate heat outside, it doesnt have a large contact area inside so the hot air of the interior wont transfer heat to the alu as fast. then again all this applies only in cases of passive cooling. with active cooling the whole heatsink design is wasted since the hot air gets thrown out and fresh air comes in.
i am the owner of a stacker 830 and i am disapointed to say the least. there is not a single spot in the case to mount even a single water cooling rad. having read so many reviews on the net about how this case is good for water cooling, i seriously question the validity of other reviewers and not of the anandtech reviewer.
ATWindsor - Friday, February 24, 2006 - link
I doubt the difrence between fins and no fins when the side only has contact with air is within uncertanties int he measurments, i see it as little more than a gimmick. And aluminum in itself also have little improvment in heat (over steel).LoneWolf15 - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
can be a pain already, but the dual-doors like on the Tai Chi are worse than a single one, IMO. It can make it really hard to put a case under a desk, or in a small area, and I would get really tired of having to open two doors every time I wanted access to one of my drives (which is why I got an Antec P-160, which stealths the optical/floppy drives quite nicely without needing doors).I like the CoolerMaster's design. Still not a fan of a door on a case, but it seems cleaner than Thermaltake, whose cases have always come off as somewhat gimmicky to me.
Good review, guys.
JoshuaBuss - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
The dual-doors aren't really as bad as you'd might think, but yes, it will definitely be a problem unless you have a large open space to the left of the tower... that is of course only if you care about opening it at all.. hehkalaap - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
I don't think this case is made for small spaces.latino666 - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
Uhh I can't see the pictures anyone know reason why?Also I did use Firefox and IE
ATWindsor - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
For some odd reason i don't get up pictures on anand anymore if i disable referer-logging, could that be the case for you?TallCoolOne - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
I also cannot see the pics, and also tried both Firefox and IE.