Cooler Master ATCS 840 Aluminium ATX Case
Introduction & Specs
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As enthusiasts we have a lot to thank Cooler Master for. OK that may sound quite a bold statement, especially right at the start of the review, but unless you’re sitting reading this review with your high-end PC sitting inside a beige plastic and steel box, it’s true. Over the past ten years Cooler Master have been responsible for some of the biggest innovations in PC enclosure design and probably one of the best (for me at least) was the release of their ATCS range of aluminium cases. With models such as the ATCS-201, Black Widow and ATCS-4000, the ATCS name was about much more than an Advanced Thermal Cooling Solution, it was about understated styling, high quality materials and a total disregard for the budget.
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However looks can only get you so far, and while the ATCS name certainly also suggested high-performance in the cooling department, many of the original ATCS cases featured little more than a few 80mm fans. With times changing and many manufacturers moving on to designs based around 120mm or larger fans, Cooler Master retired the ATCS brand and introduced a new beast to the market – the STC-T01 (or Stacker). Standing 21″ tall with 11 fully vented drive bays and more space for fans than Wembely Stadium, the Stacker still to this day inspires the design of many cases by other manufacturers.
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But even with great cases such as the Stacker and more recently Cosmos in their line-up, there have always been cries from the die-hard enthusiasts to bring back the ATCS range. For quite some time Cooler Master resisted, but today we’re going to be rubbing our eyes in disbelief as we take a look at the first case to be born under the ATCS banner in over 5 years – the 840 ‘Full Tower Classic’. Let’s hand it over to Cooler Master:
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ATCS 840 constitutes a classic all-aluminum design that builds on the legacy of the original ATCS design. The aluminum construction not only allows for a lighter weight but complements the thermal design seamlessly with three 230mm fans, dedicated air duct for graphics card cooling and HDD cooling module for superb cooling.
Extra attention to make sure this elegantly design chassis is easy to install and maintain, which includes: slide-out motherboard tray along with easy CPU cooler-remove slot, tool-free HDD casing, patented finger pressing 5.25″ drive to dust filter.
Lastly, it gives users the freedom to choose any components they desire, as it supports the latest standards such as E-ATX and dual PSUs.
(W) 9.57 x (H) 22.83 x (D) 24.80 inch
Gross Weight: 15.75 (34.72 lb)
1 Exposed (converted from one 5.25″ drive bay)
IEEE 1394a x 1,
eSATA x 1,
Mic x 1,
Audio x 1
Top: 230 x 30mm standard fan x 2,700 RPM, 19 dBA (included)
(can be swapped for three 120mm fans)
Rear: 120 x 25mm standard fan x 1, 1200 RPM, 17 dBA (included)
Bottom: 120mm (optional)
HDD Module: 120mm fan x 2 (optional)
External Air Duct: 120mm fan x 1 (optional)
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Without wanting to spoil some of the surprises over the next few pages the ATCS 840 features three 230mm fans, a 120mm fan and further space for an additional two 120mm fans. This is a complete U-turn on the ATCS cases of yesteryear and positions the 840 as possibly the most well equipped (fan-wise) case on the market at the moment. Other features include a removable motherboard tray, tool-free hard disk insertion and dust filters. Cooler Master haven’t at this stage mentioned how thick the aluminium used on the 840 is, but we’ll find out for sure over the next page…
