Cooler Master Stacker 830 Full Tower Enclosure

Exterior

Brushed aluminium. It is to computer cases what chrome is to Harley Davidson's. And the CM Stacker 830 just reeks of it.

The overall aesthetics of the case are extremely pleasing. Apart from the drool-worthy aluminium finish, the detailing is picked out in black - black mesh for the side, top and front panels for airflow, and black plastic for the top power/USB console and the front USB/Firewire/audio panel. There's not much patterning on the case which gives it a sleek and uncluttered look. The side panels actually extend back further than the rear of the case which makes the whole thing look like it was tested in a wind tunnel, but has the unexpected benefit that the rear cabling is mostly hidden from view.

The front door swings out to reveal the nine 5.25" bays. The door itself is mounted on pretty heavy-duty springs and features some notably strong magnets. This, along with the weight of the door itself, means that when it's open it stays open, and when it swings shut it stays shut - none of this yes-the-door-is-shut-but-there's-still-a-gap nonsense. As an added bonus, you can remove the springs and the magnets to remount the door so that it swings whichever way suits you best. Yes, the door is a swinger and is left-right-curious….heh heh!

Running up the sides of the front bays are two panels which swing outwards to reveal the catch mechanisms for the covers of each bay. The contents of all the bays are mounted from the front, and these panels help keep things nice and tidy once you're done.

As the door takes up pretty much the entire front of the case, this has necessitated the USB/Firewire/audio panel to be mounted up the top. This is a slightly curious spot as the only other USB ports are mounted close by on the power console. The front ports are just a touch too far away from the ground for comfort - any USB cables for peripherals positioned on the desk are likely to drag and get in the way of the door. This, along with the top-mounted USB ports, the power/reset buttons and HDD LED suggest that this case was really designed to be positioned on the floor rather than on a desk.