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Published: November 26, 2008 | Source: Cooler Master | Author: James Napier

Cooler Master ATCS 840 Aluminium ATX Case

External Appearance Continued…
 
Cleaning and removal of the 230mm fans is quite easy thanks to the slide-out grill that is secured into place with two thumbscrews. This is a huge bonus for those of us who are often forced to completely disassemble our systems when fans and radiators get clogged with dust. Replacing the grill after cleaning can be a tad tricky as it requires perfect lining up of the grill with two small rails at either side, but this is a small price to pay for a grill that doesn’t vibrate when the system is powered on.
 
Cooler master ATCS 840 Fan Grill Cooler Master ATCS 840 Fan Grill Open
 
Cooler Master ATCS 840 Fans Cooler Master ATCS 840 Rad Mount
 
Placing the radiator mounting kit over the 230mm fan screw holes we can see just how the system would fit together with a 360mm radiator installed. It’s a bit disappointing that Cooler Master opted to make the brackets from plastic rather than something a little more robust such as aluminium or steel, but the plastic does feel slightly reinforced and we doubt there will be any complaints of radiators snapping off.
 
Unfortunately we didn’t have any radiators to hand to test measurements and fitting, but Cooler Master tell us that the ATCS will support the same radiators as the Cosmos S, which from our previous review are:
 
Compatible:
HWLabs BlackIce GT Stealth III
HWLabs BlackIce GT Xtreme III
HWLabs BlackIce Pro III
HWLabs BlackIce GT
Watercool HTSF 360
XSPC RS360
XSPC R120-T
Aquacomputer Airplex Evo
Aquacomputer Airplex Pro
Alphacool NexXxoS Pro III
Magicool Aluminium 360
Magicool Xtreme 360 Radiator
Magicool Slim 360 Radiator
Swiftech MCR320 QP 360 – thanks mushikun!

Not Compatible:
Thermochill PA120.3

 
 Cooler Master ATCS 840 Rear Cooler Master ATCS 840 Top PSU
 
Cooler Master ATCS 840 Fan Cooler Master ATCS 840 PCI Area
 
Finishing up at the back end we can see that the ATCS 840 has space for two PSU’s. Obviously adding a second PSU to the top of the case removes any chance of installing a radiator, but it’s certainly nice to be given the option anyway. The top PSU blanking plate features two holes fitted with rubber grommits for feeding water tubing to the outside of the case should you want to mount a radiator externally.
 
Unfortunately Cooler Master couldn’t fit another 230mm fan at the back of the case (haha), but we’re sure if they’d been given the chance they would have done. Instead the main exhaust fan for the ATCS 840 is a rather standard 120mm complimented by a honeycomb grill that runs down the right hand side of the expansion slots.
 
 Cooler Master ATCS 840 PCI Vents Cooler Master ATCS 840 PCI Vent
 
Here we see the “External Air Duct” mounted to the PCI expansion slot area. The idea behind this system is to draw the hot air from devices such as graphics cards and the general system out the back of the case and redirect it sideways. This prevents hot air from ‘bouncing’ back into the case when it is pushed up against a wall and will hopefully help to keep system temperatures lower.