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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chynn - Thursday, March 2, 2006 - link
Yes, you can. I'm surprised AnandTech missed that option in their review. I like mounting inverted (BTX-style) ATX motherboards because that points the HSFs on my graphics cards (I run SLI) up to help dissipate heat.Googer - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
let me rephrase that.Is it possible invert the motherboard on the CM Stacker by installing the tray on the left side in place of the usual right side
By inverting the motherboard (insalling on the BTX side) it may allow for better CPU cooling sine the processor would be sitting on the bottome getting plenty of cool air and allowing hot exhaust to escape upwards.
kextyn - Friday, February 24, 2006 - link
I believe it would depend on which CM Stacker you get. I have the original and I run my ATX motherboard inverted on the opposite side just for this reason (cooling.) Also because I have an XP-120 on the CPU and don't have to worry about clearance issues with the PSU.If you're going to buy a Stacker I suggest looking at the specs on all of them before deciding. If I was going to buy another one I'd get the original again. It offers the full 12 5.25" bays in the front, dual PSU's, ATX/BTX/Inverted ATX/Inverted BTX, and I think more mod potential than this new one. The reason is because it's so basic that you can just cut and add stuff wherever you want. The only thing I like about this new one is that 4x120mm fan array on the side. But if I really wanted to I could mod the side of my case for that.
Googer - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
Also will a PC Power and Cooling Turbo Cool 850 or any other oversized PSU fit in to either the Thermaltake or Cooler Master?chynn - Thursday, March 2, 2006 - link
Yes, the PCP&C 850W PSU should fit in the Stacker. You might have to orient the PSU so the cables exit from the bottom side to clear the 120mm fan in the top center, but the Stacker will let you do that.Matthews316 - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
I own the Thai-Chi, and my PC Power and Cooling 1 KW (same size as the 850) fits just fine. I heard a rumor that oversized PSU's, such as the PCP&C 850/1KW, won't fit in the CM Stacker 830. Can anyone comment on this?JoshuaBuss - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
I would say that as long as there's nothing protruding from the sides, top, or bottom of the PSU, it'll fit in the stacker fine... length isn't the issue, it's the sides, top, and bottom you'd have to watch carefully.Googer - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
What a tough decision it would be to choose between those two cases, both are feature rich and well though out and designed. (if price was not a concern)yanquii - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
I love seeing case reviews on this site, especially considering how sparsely they are reviewed. What I would like to see are some reviews done on some cases that don't look like they came off they toy isle from the nearest Dollar General store. It would be sweet if you guys could do some reviews on the higher end offerings from Silverstone; especially the TJ07.yanquii - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
oh, and Lian-Li. I remember when Coolermaster was pumping out the sweetest cases you could buy. I love simplicity and elegance, and it seems that most companies are all about gaudy flash.