Cooler Master ATCS 840

The fact that you buy high end cards knowing what kind of noise they generate and they only kick things up a notch when you're gaming anyway - how many of us game with headphones or nice, loud speakers? (how many people own 360s and tolerate that?)

We test the case on what the case is - we can't account for every single setup unfortunately so we rate on one uniform one to ascertain apples to apples comparatives. You have made a good point, although your wording is somewhat harsh in criticism, and we welcome your opinion. Maybe we should test an SLI setup and four hard drives in the future for larger cases to understand the vibration deadening or masking effects. Generally if you fill it with sound deadening then the case becomes an oven - so you sacrifice on cooling and a potential overclock perhaps - or if you make the sides thicker to compensate the case is so heavy you need a forklift to move it (P190 here). What's the correct answer - built like a tank and super expensive? enclosed and foaming in but very hot or ventilated and open to vibration permittivity?

The HAF specifically is called high air flow for a reason - it's designed to cool, not to be a concrete block. The ACTS 840 is somewhere in between this - Antec P190 territory - a bit of a medium, but without the extreme weight so much and wider to make it easier to work with (I have a P190 under my desk FYI).

If you want to work towards silence you invest in a cooling kit and the build as a whole to make it possible. This is the same as ANY build - you balance the budget according to your needs. You watercool everything and keep the large fans to a minimum or use multiple radiators, or look for alternative aftermarket coolers if possible. Vadim used to cool highly overclocked cases with tons of radiators and very quiet fans in this way and it was hugely successful (albeit expensive).

:)

Originally Posted by DevonK
For those looking for a quiet case - take the review findings here about case noise with a HUGE grain of salt. The problem: as was the case with the HAF test, a passively cooled GPU was used inthe build by bit-tech. As anyone knows who's done a high end build in the last three years using a decently quiet fan on their CPU cooler, by FAR the major source of noise in a high end gaming system (aside from case fans) is the fan on any current high end GPU - it completely masks the HD and CPU sounds. So from this review, we know the case fans are quiet; but what we can't know is if the case is any good at masking fan noise from a GPU card. Other reviews of the HAF out there make it very clear that (contrary to the view expressed in the bit-tech review) that case if very noisy when used with a high end video card as its honeycombed case does nothing to muffle sound. Hopefully the 840 is better in this regard due to its more solid construction but there is no way of knowing from this review, and the two large blowholes at the top of this case could let a lot of the GPU sound escape. We will have to await other reviews before knowing; too bad given the quantitative comparisons bit-tech runs don't test for this crucial factor .

LOL. Personally, I ALWAYS change off the stock cooler on my GPU's, and it's usually a waterblock. So, to me your argument is a moot point. Bindi's points underline that fact.

I have nothing but confidence in Cooler Master's design team, especially when they slap the ATCS logo on it.

Originally Posted by DevonK
For those looking for a quiet case - take the review findings here about case noise with a HUGE grain of salt. The problem: as was the case with the HAF test, a passively cooled GPU was used inthe build by bit-tech. As anyone knows who's done a high end build in the last three years using a decently quiet fan on their CPU cooler, by FAR the major source of noise in a high end gaming system (aside from case fans) is the fan on any current high end GPU - it completely masks the HD and CPU sounds. So from this review, we know the case fans are quiet; but what we can't know is if the case is any good at masking fan noise from a GPU card. Other reviews of the HAF out there make it very clear that (contrary to the view expressed in the bit-tech review) that case if very noisy when used with a high end video card as its honeycombed case does nothing to muffle sound. Hopefully the 840 is better in this regard due to its more solid construction but there is no way of knowing from this review, and the two large blowholes at the top of this case could let a lot of the GPU sound escape. We will have to await other reviews before knowing; too bad given the quantitative comparisons bit-tech runs don't test for this crucial factor .

Personally, that doesn't matter one whit to me. What does matter is HDD mounting, since there's so little I can do to alter it. High-end GPU? It's in my loop, and 700 RPM Slipstreams are VERY quiet ;)

I'd also like some idea of how this case responds to system vibration, since aluminum has a tendency to "hum" and amplify vibration noise rather than damp it. It's why my last three cases have been steel.

Originally Posted by Bindibadgi
The fact that you buy high end cards knowing what kind of noise they generate and they only kick things up a notch when you're gaming anyway - how many of us game with headphones or nice, loud speakers? (how many people own 360s and tolerate that?)

We test the case on what the case is - we can't account for every single setup unfortunately so we rate on one uniform one to ascertain apples to apples comparatives. You have made a good point, although your wording is somewhat harsh in criticism, and we welcome your opinion. Maybe we should test an SLI setup and four hard drives in the future for larger cases to understand the vibration deadening or masking effects. Generally if you fill it with sound deadening then the case becomes an oven - so you sacrifice on cooling and a potential overclock perhaps - or if you make the sides thicker to compensate the case is so heavy you need a forklift to move it (P190 here). What's the correct answer - built like a tank and super expensive? enclosed and foaming in but very hot or ventilated and open to vibration permittivity?

:)

You make some good (if fairly well known) points about building a quiet(er) system. However many of us don't want the cost and hassle of building and maintaining a water-cooled system (many of which are not that quiet anyway with their radiator fans), and the current generation of top-end video cards such as the 280 and 4870 do not yet have alternative quiet air coolers readily available, so testing higher end cases for their abilty to dampen video card noise would seem a useful part of a complete test. It's highly unlikely that the typical purchaser of this case is going to use a passive air-cooled GPU - it's a high-end case and will likely house a high-end video card (none of which can be passively air cooled). And only a small minority of folk choose to water-cool. So I'm just saying "test for the typical user". A cardinal principle that applies to any usability testing is to "know thy user and his needs" and shape your evaluation protocol accordingly. Most of us use our computers for purposes that go beyond gaming, and we don't want to have speakers blasting or headphones on all the time to mask system noise. So knowing the balance between GPU fan noise damping capacity and heat dissipation efficiency for a given case is valuable information for the prospective buyer.

I do appreciate your efforts to quantify heat dissipation efficiencies in your case comparisons, that is certainly a big step up from most case testing seen on the web.

I must say that I've used high-performance dual radiator watercooling setups with upwards of ten 120mm fans in the system that were literally inaudible - the loudest thing was the power supply and that wasn't exactly loud by any stretch as it was a so-called 'silent' unit (no, it wasn't silent, but it wasn't noisy and was inaudible above background noise at approx 1m). Those that turn the fans up on their watercooling loops don't actually want silence, they're after even higher performance. :)

The only time a watercooling kit I've used actually made noise that stood out above background noise was when I was using one of those pre-built 'watercooling in a box' kits. If you spend time investigating and planning a good watercooling loop, it will be silent if you want it to be.

Originally Posted by E.E.L. Ambiense
I have nothing but confidence in Cooler Master's design team, especially when they slap the ATCS logo on it.

I'll put it this way - we don't recommend something unless we genuinely want one, and we were fighting (drawing straws) about who was going to keep the 840 until Cooler Master decided it wanted it back :(

fighting sounds better... Harry wasn't actively involved though, because he was humping the Sumo beanbag (see left).

^LOL

Originally Posted by Bindibadgi
I'll put it this way - we don't recommend something unless we genuinely want one, and we were fighting (drawing straws) about who was going to keep the 840 until Cooler Master decided it wanted it back :(

Hahaha, that's good to hear, Bindi. I' really seriously thinking of picking one up. Not just because I want to, but because I need to. I'm glad you guys give it the stamp of approval too, because that will make my decision even easier! :)

The case is beautiful, does anyone know where to buy one - I have been looking around various European eShops like Novatech, but nothing. Thanks a lot,
csaba

Originally Posted by Csaba73
The case is beautiful, does anyone know where to buy one - I have been looking around various European eShops like Novatech, but nothing. Thanks a lot,
csaba

I've emailed our CM contact to ask where in Italy you can buy from :)

ATCS 840 is not available in Italy just yet, according to CM Europe.

Originally Posted by Tim S
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2008/10/31/cooler-master-atcs-840-classic-review/1

Cooler Master has resurrected its famous ATCS line of cases with the new Cooler Master ATCS 840. With all over aluminium construction, stylish looks and a truck load of high end features, we take a look to see whether the ATCS 840 can live up to the ATCS reputation.

I am totally surprised that I have not read anything about the location of the Power Supply. It was the first thing I noticed. It hit me like a ton of bricks. What ever happen to that basic law of physics stating that heat rises? I am sure that some of the heat that is generated by the power unit will dissipate to the rear of the case, but most will be drawn upward across the Mother Board and its components by the top exhaust fans. The case temperature, CPU, Ram, Video Card, etc, will therefore be exposed to higher (unnecessary) temperature.
At present I use a Cooler Master CM Stacker 830 ATX Tower Case. I removed the 4 fan side door and install a home made quick disconnect liquid cool system that allows me to add or remove any the liquid from any component at any time within seconds. The entire system is enclosed in the case. If this was an inch wider it would have made it a perfect Case.

Please review the Coolermaster Storm Sniper and the Silverstone Raven RV01.

Originally Posted by glenster
Please review the Coolermaster Storm Sniper and the Silverstone Raven RV01.

Can you wait until tomorrow?

Originally Posted by Bindibadgi
Can you wait until tomorrow?

LOL

No, dammit! Get typing!


Jokes guys - You lot do a brilliant job!

Originally Posted by badders
LOL

No, dammit! Get typing!


Jokes guys - You lot do a brilliant job!

EDIT: Monday now - we're waiting on a price from Cooler Master still :( Can't score and publish it without one.

Couldn't you get one of the Bit Tech team at CES to go to the Cooler Master stand and ask for a price? ;)

I can wait--your reviews have the best thermal performance results, etc.! Also please review the Thermaltake Xpressar RCS100.

Originally Posted by glenster
I can wait--your reviews have the best thermal performance results, etc.! Also please review the Thermaltake Xpressar RCS100.

After the Spedo, I can't see us reviewing another Thermaltake product for a while. I'll try to take a look at the Xpressar at CeBit and see if it's worth getting in, but from the videos and previews, I can't say we're that interested.

Having a tough time deciding between cases, read nearly EVERY review currently avilable for both the HAF 932, ATCS 840 etc.

Please visit: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?p=1912211#post1912211 for more info

Thanks!

I like this case but i don't think i will be able to find a place for my 2x dual rads

The SilverStone TJ07B-W looks like it might fit two dual rads a lot easier, has anybody tried it in either of these cases?

love this case..

but a few thing i'm still unsure about,
sound dampening and availability of 23mm replacement fans.
and it could be more pleasing to the eye IMO.

also the dust filter cleaning seems a little cumbersome.
saw a lian-li case that had all the intake fan filters in the front door.

could anyone please debunk one or two of these so i could buy one :)

Hi all,

I've recently bought new hardware however i didn't replace my case, during the installation and even after i keep getting annoyed with my current case. (Antec Sonata II) So i decided for current and future convenience that i should really buy a new case.

I absolutely love your review of this and other cases yet i am still left with a question rather specific to my hardware. The ATCS-840 has a removable motherboard tray, it seems rather large however my cpu cooler is also rather large. (Scythe Mugen II)

I would be great full if any one with hands on experience could comment if this removable tray and this specific cpu cooler allow for use of the removable tray. The hole cut in the back of the motherboard tray does allow for easier dismantle of the cpu cooler but i would prefer to avoid doing so each time.

Jeroen.

Hey guys

Thanks to you poeple.
week so far. read mon antec 840 review-> tues read aug hard reconmendations-> wed shop around -> thursday buy -> fri wait-> sat miss the 6-1 kick in of my team (no ccomment) thanks to ebuyer for that cos i wanted to play with my new case more anyway (plus didnt want to cry)

love this case. the psu install shocked me, the other person touched apon this with the heat rising up and what not, but my systems not cutting edge, i'm using it with my q6600 + xfx 650i, so its not really that new. works fine, much quiter , then my old case. so far heat and sound are great, installed somme monitoring software and the mobo is running a cool late 30 ish, cpu mid 40 ish, and gpu at 60 ish (lol its a hot 9800gtx) which is ok for me

love the case the pop up usb panel. the only thing that annoyed me was when i was instralling a card reading device

i have one that is the same size as a floppy drive so thought it might be good to try it out and put it in the slot (3 hours later...), well u need to screw it in the 3 1/2 drive is annoying and the bracket doesnt work with the screwless assess! well not alot of ppl have floppy disk drives now so.....

anyway enough moaning. thanks guys for helping pick a great fuure proof pc case