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Clash of the Titans - TT Tai Chi vs. CM Stacker 830

 by Joshua Buss on February 23, 2006 12:05 AM EST
55 Comments | Add A Comment
55 Comments
Cooler Master Stacker 830 (cont’d)

Cooler Master made the side fan cage's implementation nearly perfect, which really makes it one of the nicest aspects of the entire case.


Click to enlarge.

Two clips, just like the one pictured above, hold the door shut at the front when it's in its hinges. They're simple, effective, and since they are built like small springs, they help to absorb any extra vibrations, which helps minimize noise.

At the back on the top and bottom, the door is suspended between two springs.


Click to enlarge.

These spring-loaded stubs keep the door aligned perfectly for swinging, but release to make its entire removal easily possible. It really is a great feature and goes a long way to make the case a delight in which to work.


Click to enlarge.

Along with the side panels and fan cage, the motherboard tray can be taken out as well, but unlike the Tai Chi, the Stacker's tray includes the rear and comes out the back. The black clips halfway down the left side and at the top and bottom on the right side in this picture are what lock the tray in place; once unlocked, the tray slides along plastic rails, which brings us to our next picture.


Click to enlarge.

After only a few cycles of removing the tray and putting it back in, we noticed that plastic shavings were accumulating at the bottom of the case. While certainly it won't affect the case in any huge manner, it does mean that eventually the fit of the tray to the rest of the case might not be as snug as it is initially.

With the tray out, the 830 is amazingly open. In this shot from the rear, we can barely see the third and final included 120mm fan at the front of the hard drive cage. Also take note that there is almost perfect symmetry to the new Stacker – even the rails for the motherboard tray are on both sides. More on that to come.


Click to enlarge.

Cooler Master Stacker 830 (cont’d) Cooler Master Stacker 830 (cont’d)
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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.
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