IntroductionRecently Cooler Master sent us a new case to review, the Cooler Master Stacker case. Let me tell you first off that I didn’t expect what I was being sent in the mail, this thing is a case to end all cases. This is not your run of the mill aluminum mid tower, here are some specifications pulled from the Cooler Master website.
Basics
584 mm x 227 mm x 536 mm (D x W x H)
Supports up to 11 5.25" drives
Moveable front control panel with 6 USB 2.0 connections
Maximum upgradeability; supports E-ATX and the upcoming BTX
Dual power positioning design
Cooling
Supports up to 8 fans
Front – Full mesh screen provides superior air flow; support up to three 12 cm fans
Ultra silent 8cm Fan * 1 (exhaust)
Mesh screen on side panels provides the maximum air ventilation
Ultra Silent 12cm Fan * 1 + 8 cm Fan * 2 (intake)
Assembly
Tool-free installation; Supports the use of screws for permanent installation
Maximum flexibility in space utilization for self-assembly
Structural
Aluminum alloy motherboard tray frame
Strengthened with 1.00mm steel plates
Superior mechanical design for greater stability
Exterior
The Cooler Master Stacker arrived in a very large box, too large for my universities
mailroom. A friend and I had to pick it up from the mail receiving dock. This is a big heavy
case. As you can see, Cooler Master spent a lot of time designing a very nice package for
this case. The box was study enough to ship the case in and the sides of the box are clad
with pictures and feature lists, so if you see this in a store you know what you’re buying.
Styrofoam packed and wrapped in plastic, the case was secured well inside of the box. You
can be sure that if you order this case, it will show up in one piece and in brand new
condition.
After unpacking you can really tell how large and solid this case really is. It has some
major heft to it and is built like a tank. There is no case flex that I could find anywhere.
The profile is very impressive, with stealthy black mesh covers and silver accents in the
front that seem to reach to the sky. The look is clean and elegant; the pictures really
don’t do this case justice (the mesh covers look like they are dusty under a flash). The top
front has a heavy plastic elliptical dome that leads into the Stacker logo above the
power/reset switches and front I/O ports. Below you can see the included mesh cover with a
cutout to fit a 3 ½ inch drive.
The mesh covers themselves are all black and made in three parts. There is a black plastic
frame, a mesh dust filter and a semi gloss black metal screen. The mesh dust filters are
removable so they can be cleaned. These are the most complex drive covers that I have seen
in a case. The only desire these covers leave is ease of disassembly. There are very small
clips on the top and bottom of the metal screens that need to be pried over the plastic
frame. You need a bit of patience and strong fingernails or a small flat screwdriver to
remove them. If you’re cleaning all the cover at once, this could be a daunting task.
On the left side panel of the case, there is a large circular perforated screen offset from
the center of the panel. The screen has a dust filter mounted behind a bracket that can
house an 80mm fan to increase airflow through the filter. To remove the filter there are 6
hex screws. The bracket then comes off and the filter can be removed for cleaning. The fan
bracket has integrated clips so you can just push the fan into the bracket and the clips
bind to edges of the fan, no screws needed. I would have liked to see a larger 92mm
or even a 120mm fan utilized here, especially with a filter this large.
On the back of the case there is a 120mm output fan with a mesh screen over it. The screen
has small holes perforated throughout, but the screen looks rather restrictive. Ambitious
user may want to remove the grill to help increase airflow. Also, one interesting feature of
this case is the lower power supply mounting location. Stock, the case comes with a cover
for this location where you can mount two 80mm fans if you don’t plan on using two PSU’s.
You can just knock out the two circular cutouts to expose the fan holes. One gripe I have
is that the fan bracket mounts using only two screws, and leaves gaps on the sides and
top/bottom. This could lead to vibrations, noise and inefficient airflow.
Continued on next page...
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Comments
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By Robert W. on Friday, October 31, 2008 7:48:40 AM
Do you happen to know where to get grill replacements for the front? I need about 12 of them :o They break too easy. Mainly the snaps break -- but I just need the 12 sets of the "filters." - Let me know!
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