Anyone Get The Coolermaster Stacker Yet???

Scroatdog

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Mar 17, 2003
Messages
1,432
I'm currently watercooled in my ATC-201SX from Coolermaster, but then I saw the CM Stacker. It has so many possibilities, like being able to mount a 3 120mm fan rad in the front with no case modding whatsoever. My mid-tower is fine for now, but of course I will never be happy with it. I'm limited to the Black Ice Micro II rad because of my case, and the fact that I'm not mechanically inclined enough to mod my case for a bigger rad.

Just wondering if anyone's currently using the case and what they think.

:confused:
 
Just got mine yesterday. one of the first 2 in canada! It's a real beauty. As far as mounting the rad, keep in mind a 3X120 rad in the front wold pretty much mean you have no room for drives. There is an intake at the bottom of the case that can accomodate a rad nicely, though.
 
I got mine early last week.

A bit of a warning though, there is a small production problem. One of the motherboard mounting nuts isn't threaded correctly. I have gone through 3 of them, all with the same problem. Fortunately, there is a Cooler Master DC here in Ontario (California) that we investigated the 2 last ones, since I thought I was loosing my mind, breaking off two standoffs in 2 different cases.

They are sending this info back to Tai Pei. It will only affect you if you are using a motherboard like the A7N8X Deluxe or similar sized boards. They had put in a Soyo Dragon and didn't have the problem, since it is much narrower. The nut is on the 3rd major row, bottom of the case (up about and inch, there is another one closer to the edge).

We broke a 3rd standoff while in their offices here and I took a 4th one home, which still had the problem. Since it is only for the corner of the MB, I just went with it.

The cross flow fan was at the DC yesterday and I should be able to pick it up tomorrow.

The case has a steel frame with alluminum sides, top and front panel.

Another note, the 3.5" floppy face can only be used with the 4 to 3 drive cage, which means you would have to remove the 12cm fan. You can then put in your own 8cm fan instead. I just left my floppy out of the case (only used it for BIOS upgrades, anyway).

Keith
 
Thanks for the replies, guys. Very informative. I may wait and see if they are going to release another version in all brushed aluminum, similar to my case. I like the brushed aluminum look better than the current look of the CM Stacker. I wonder if putting aluminum drive plates on it would help???
 
The one I got is all brushed aluminum, except the front bay covers, and the io panel, which are black....

The pics show black panels, but I haven't seen one like that yet...
 
djagentorange said:
The one I got is all brushed aluminum, except the front bay covers, and the io panel, which are black....

The pics show black panels, but I haven't seen one like that yet...

Now, if only they begin to offer an aluminum IO panel and aluminum front bay covers....... then I would probably jump at it.

I don't know. Why can't I just be happy with my current rig?
 
I like the black covers, it accents (breaks up) the alluminum. It also looks okay with my beige drives (matched previous case). Now I will have to either paint/die my drives or replace them.

Keith
 
Kyle said on the main page that he just got one for his own PC.

I got the Cross Flow Fan fan on Friday and saw a couple of degree drop everywhere in the case (I guess you could say "across the board":)).

This case is getting more and more expensive. $167 from Sundial Micro, $39 for the fan, another $42 for the Aerogate II fan controller, and who knows how much the etched window will be?


Keith
 
I just received my CM Stacker yesterday. It is a good looking case, no doubt. It is also huge. Going from a Coolermaster STC-201 to this case, there is a big size difference and I have had to rearrange everything at my desk to accommodate it. That's no big deal though.

I am having the same problem as dropper stated above though. One of the standoff holes is not threaded right and I broke off two standoffs (very easy to break) in that hole. Right now I am stuck with that one hole with a broken screw stuck in it that I can't get out. I put my motherboard in anyway, since the broken screw was in a corner. I have a Asus p4c-800 deluxe in case anyone is wondering. That was frustrating to say the least, and I have emailed Coolermaster about this problem, still waiting to hear back.

Also, I really bought this case because of the ability to fill the front up with 120mm fans and to convert it to BTX whenever those boards arrive. Well, correct me if am wrong, it appears that for every 120mm fan you want to install on the front, you have to buy an extra 4 to 3 drive cage. Can anyone with this case confirm this? That is somewhat disappointing to me, there should be a way to mount the fans without having to buy that accessory.

All in all though, I like the case. The option to put two power supplies in it, is a bonus. The ability to switch to BTX is another plus and it just looks cool.

Hopefully Coolermaster will resolve these issues and help us out who have already purchased the case and are having these kind of problems.
 
Yeah, the only way to get the up front fans is with the 4 to 3 drive cage. Who knows how much that will be?

Big Warning to Others: If you can get a standoff to go in, don't force it, it will only break. I have had 4 of these cases and all 4 have had the problem in the same location. Short of finding a tap that will fit that screw, no amount of using another screw to thread it will work. The screws included are softer than the bolt and you are only weakening the screw.

I have a contact at the Cooler Master DC and I will call him today and see if I can get any more info about this. Edit: They don't have any more info, yet.

Keith
 
i've got one on the way for a review..

which standoff hole is not threaded properly?

anyone know what thread the standoffs are?
 
The standoff hole I am having problems with is the one in the upper-right corner of my motherboard. It is not the one in the upper-most right portion of the tray though. It is the last one on the right of the second-to-last row. I say upper-right from the perspective that you are looking into the case from the back where the PCI slots are.

Man, I hope this isn't confusing you.
 
I first saw this case on frozencpu.com and the size just seemed perfect for my new rig, i was looking for a big case to put my dual rad watercooling setup in. Has anyone modded the side panel to put a window in it? i'm not to sure about that big mesh circle it has...whats the space between the bottom of the circle and the bottom of the case?

I haven't found anywhere in the UK that sells them so i would have to import one, thats why i've been holding off.

I'm sold on this case now and will probably buy one at the end of summer for my new rig, hope they are in the UK by that time!
 
How many of you bought this case from frozencpu.com like me? Did you case come with two 120mm coolermaster case fans? Does anyone know how many CFPM these fans move and how loud they are? I have some Silenx 120mm fans I was going to put in there, only if they moved more air than the ones that came with it.

Oh, and are the 4 to 3 drive cages for sale anywhere right now? I want two 120mm intake fans on the front to keep things nice and cool.
 
kraken0698 said:
How many of you bought this case from frozencpu.com like me? Did you case come with two 120mm coolermaster case fans? Does anyone know how many CFPM these fans move and how loud they are? I have some Silenx 120mm fans I was going to put in there, only if they moved more air than the ones that came with it.

Oh, and are the 4 to 3 drive cages for sale anywhere right now? I want two 120mm intake fans on the front to keep things nice and cool.
The fans are Cooler Master fans, very quiet and my case is cooler than my old case with 3 120's (Liteon FS020, also a beast). It only comes with the 2x120'x and 1x80.

AFAIK, the cages aren't yet available. The only accessory right now is the crossflow fan, which works nicely.

To answer another question, the standoffs are M3 with an internal thread of #6-32. Love when they mix English and Metric. The problem standoff, if the case were lying down with the PCI slots towards you, it would be the 3rd full row of standoffs, on the very right. It is about a half inch from the edge of the MB tray. Their is another standoff position close to it, right on the edge. The Asus A7N8X Deluxe's top right corner mount is right there. A Soyo Dragon would not have the same problem.

mbstand.jpg


Keith
 
Per the review, the case does come with a detailed manual now, plus the top dents are gone. I don't get any aditional vibration noise from my fan mounted on the side. Unlike steel, aluminum doesn't resonate, so it should actually dampen any vibrations.

The face plates are tough to remove, but a little screw driver can help. You need to be careful, though, because the aluminum can scratch easily.

The case comes with wheels, which is nice for a big case.


Keith
 
My case has the dents at the top and I can confirm that motherboard standoff hole in the picture is the same one that I am having problems with on my case. Still haven't heard back from Coolermaster about it either.
 
dropper said:
Unlike steel, aluminum doesn't resonate, so it should actually dampen any vibrations.

everything resonates, but at different frequencies.. ;)
 
Stang Man said:
everything resonates, but at different frequencies.. ;)

Okay, be it a very low resonation. Make an aluminum bell and get back to me. :)

Keith
 
kraken0698 said:
My case has the dents at the top and I can confirm that motherboard standoff hole in the picture is the same one that I am having problems with on my case. Still haven't heard back from Coolermaster about it either.

First case I had, had the dents. My current one does not. May just be a hit or miss issue. It was much more pronounced on the preview boxes (saw one at the Cooler Master DC) and it didn't have a problem with that standoff.

Keith
 
Are you guys kidding me!!!? :eek: Maybe I'm just misinformed here, but why would you pay $167.00+ for a case (*A Coolermaster none the less) with an aluminum bezel, but a SECC chassis?
 
Kalsun...MK said:
Are you guys kidding me!!!? :eek: Maybe I'm just misinformed here, but why would you pay $167.00+ for a case (*A Coolermaster none the less) with an aluminum bezel, but a SECC chassis?


because, look at what kind of case it is, the expandibility and such. It would be nice to have one made of aluminum, but for a case like this, that needs to be sturdy, steel is the best choice.

i myself, would prefer a case made of stainless steel instead of aluminum or whatever.
 
on a steel case, the side panels are what cause most of the weight increase over an aluminum case. i like this idea, because the steel frame makes the case rigid, and the aluminum keeps it from weighing too much. it wouldn't get much lighter if an aluminum frame was used either, because the frame doesn't make up that much of the case and also the frame would have to be thicker if it was aluminum to maintain the same rigidness.
 
Kalsun...MK said:
Are you guys kidding me!!!? :eek: Maybe I'm just misinformed here, but why would you pay $167.00+ for a case (*A Coolermaster none the less) with an aluminum bezel, but a SECC chassis?


read the review at the link i posted, you'll see why people are willing to spend that much....it's an EXTREMELY versatile case
 
Yeah, it's so nice that I have put up with 4 returns on it, all for that same screw.

Keith
 
i think after the first return or two, i would have just used one of those plastic standoffs that doesn't actually screw into the case, it just snaps into the hole in the mobo.....if you have the screw-in type standoffs on all the other holes in the mobo, it won't hurt a thing to have one of those type standoffs.

granted, you did pay quite a bit for the case and want it to work correctly, but all that over one little screw-hole? :rolleyes:

there comes a point when it's not really cost-effective to screw around with it anymore (be it shipping costs, downtime, etc.), especially when there's a cheap, quick, & easy fix readily available
 
Both the local shop and the Cooler Master distribution center were local to me ;) , so it was more of just trying to get to the bottom of the issue, whether it was just me, or the whole production line.

Keith
 
1 thing besides the bad-tapped motherboard mount, is that the damn psu won't go in without taking off the fan guard.
 
Stang Man said:
1 thing besides the bad-tapped motherboard mount, is that the damn psu won't go in without taking off the fan guard.

Well hell that's not a big deal, my Lian Li PC65B has the same problem.
 
qdemn7 said:
Well hell that's not a big deal, my Lian Li PC65B has the same problem.


well, at least with the Lian Li, you can guide the power supply up through the inside of the case.


with the Stacker, you have no choice but to remove the fan guard copletely, because there are holes and support bars that'll go right through it.

DSC01141.jpg
 
Stang Man said:
well, at least with the Lian Li, you can guide the power supply up through the inside of the case.


with the Stacker, you have no choice but to remove the fan guard copletely, because there are holes and support bars that'll go right through it.
I see your point. But with my PC65 and my Antec Truepower 430, I still have to completely remove the fan guard every time I want to install or remove the PS.
 
qdemn7 said:
I see your point. But with my PC65 and my Antec Truepower 430, I still have to completely remove the fan guard every time I want to install or remove the PS.

not if you pull the power supply ou tthrough the inside of the case, instead of using the power supply bracket.

here, you have absolutely NO choice whatsoever.
 
Stang Man said:
not if you pull the power supply ou tthrough the inside of the case, instead of using the power supply bracket.

here, you have absolutely NO choice whatsoever.
OH, OK, NOW I understand. :eek:
 
Back
Top