BIOS: Technology Means Business

The new Cooler Master Stacker 830 (£179) PC enclosure mixes striking good looks with powerful functionality. Breaking away from traditional PC case design to provide individual styling, its streamlined and robust tool-free aluminium chassis and black mesh panels look awesome. Be warned though: it’s huge and should only be considered if you have plenty of floor space. But this isn’t a system for SFF wimps - it’s for those who want to rule the world...

Succeeding the original Stacker, Cooler Master has spent a lot of time improving the internals of the enclosure. It has also opted to go from a steel construction to aluminium (with the exception of two plastic pieces on the front). Another neat feature is the option to remove or reverse the front door, thanks to the spring-loaded hinges.

To reverse the door, the hinges and retention magnets are simply reversed and the door hinge is inserted on the opposite side (no tools are required). Once you remove the door, you can see all the drive bays in all their glory. The metal mesh acts as airholes, and allows up to three 120mm fans to be installed from the top to the bottom. Obviously, if the door is kept closed, this will be less effective.

Judging by the specifications, the height of the original Stacker and the new Stacker 830 have remained constant but the depth and width have been expanded (250x638x538mm). Despite the increase in dimensions, Cooler Master has kept the weight of the Stacker 830 around that of the original, which is close to a whopping 14kg. The most prominent change about the updated Stacker is its exterior; a single aluminium door serves to conceal the staggering number of drive bays available and helps to give it a clean appearance.

The Stacker 830 is a dream machine in the making. It provides ATX/BTX dual support (E-ATX, ATX, m-ATX, BTX, m-BTX and PICO-BTX), good upgrade options and superior thermal performance. Designed for optimal thermal management, the Stacker 830 can accommodate up to nine 120mm fans. It can also be used with Cooler Master’s latest liquid cooling system for the ultimate in thermal performance, silent operation, and outrageous looks.

The enclosure’s exterior is almost entirely aluminium, with the exception of the top two end panels (also double as carrying handles), which are plastic. The front is equipped with a stylish curved door (think Alienware) that is vented in the centre with a large black mesh grill. The side and top panels are also vented, allowing you to see fully into the case from most sides. To access the case, you simply move a couple of levers at the rear of the unit and then slide a panel off. The process requires no tools and can be done quickly and easily without having to tilt the system (take note Dell!).

The front panel of the case opens to the left or right while screwless slots with a specially-designed fan frame and side opening panels make for fast tool-free upgrades. Support for nine 5.25-inch drives and multi-positioning for the 4-in-3 device modules provide maximum flexibility, while the supplied PSU can be installed upwards or downwards for better airflow and cable management.

Other key features of the Stacker 830 include dual I/O panels (four USB 2.0 ports, FireWire, microphone and headphone) at the front and top for easy access and an innovative mechanism that provides simple conversion from an ATX to BTX form factor without the need to buy a separate rear panel. Less impressive are the Power and Reset buttons which are noisy when pressed.

Working with the Stacker 830 is a joy thanks to removable motherboard tray. And due to the size of the enclosure, there’s plenty of workable space. Another surprise it that although the case is literally just a library of 5.25-inch drives stacked on top of each other, Cooler Master has included a range of adapters for hard disk drives that convert an external 5.2-inch bay into an external 3.5-inch bay. The external 5.25-inch drives are attached using a series of sliding clips and are available on both sides to secure a drive in place.

Cooler Master’s Stacker 830 enclosure is the perfect accessory for tuners. It’s very well built, looks great thanks to its aluminium and black grill design, and is a pleasure to use thanks largely to the removable motherboard tray and large working area. Cooler Master even throws in a fan bracket which holds four 120mm fans (can be removed) and integrated carrying handles are the icing on the cake. It’s pricey, but the Stacker 830 ranks as one of the best desktop enclosures currently available. [8.5]

[Best Case Pricing UK]
[Best Case Pricing US]

Got this product? Got a camcorder/mic? Let us post YOUR video/podcast review!