A Case Study: Building Myself A New Rig

I recently reviewed Cooler Master's ATCS 840 case for an upcoming issue of CPU Magazine, and I liked it so much I decided to build my own rig out of it. Cooler Master is releasing the ATCS 840 on November 25th to commemorate the launch of the original ATCS (Active Thermal Convection System) cases, which were first released in 1999.

However, aside from sharing a similar look and being made of aluminum, the new ATCS 840 (MSRP $279) meant little to its older cousins. Packed with modern conveniences, this new ATCS can easily handle virtually all of today's high-end hardware. First of all, this thing is huge with a capital "H". The ATCS 840 isn't really that much taller than most full towers, but it's wider (9.57 inches) and deeper (24.8 inches). It's so big and roomy that the ATCS 840 can easily accommodate an expanded ATX motherboard, such as Intel's D5400XS Skulltrail furniture, with some space left over. It also has a slide-out motherboard tray that makes assembly a bit easier, tool-less mounting systems for hard drives and optical drives, a concealed top I/O bezel, and strategically placed holes for easier cable management.

The Cooler Master ATCS 840 also includes impressive standard cooling. Instead of the usual 120mm fans, the ATCS 840 has three 230mm fans (two on top, one on bottom front) that move a lot of air without making a lot of noise. And the low noise they produce is much deeper than smaller fans, which I personally find more tolerable. Optional hard drive and graphics card cooling upgrades are also available to further improve the cooling of the case, and the top of the case is designed to accommodate a cooler should you want to ditch the stock fans altogether and integrate a liquid cooling system.

If you haven't seen the ATCS 840 yet, you can check it out on Cooler Master's website here. It might not have the flash and some of the wilder-looking cases of today, but if you're an old-school geek like me, you'll probably like the ATCS 840's muted aesthetic. i know i like it

By: A Case Study: Building Myself A New Rig