Clash of the Titans - TT Tai Chi vs. CM Stacker 830
by Joshua Buss on February 23, 2006 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Thermaltake Tai Chi (cont’d)
The Tai Chi doesn't really do anything too out-of-the-ordinary when it comes to its components, and, in fact, is very similar to the hugely popular Armor and Kandalf cases released previously. For instance, the hard drive cage with attached 120mm blue LED fan is identical; however, this means that it inherits the not-so-appealing trait of requiring either a magnetic screwdriver or simply a little patience to secure drives in the cage with standard bolts.
Moving downwards, we find the Tai Chi's motherboard tray. This concept is simple, but the Tai Chi executes it slightly differently than previous incarnations, with it only being the plate itself instead of the plate plus back of the case. This is what allows the change from an ATX to a BTX style to be relatively simple – only the rear needs to change.
After putting the motherboard on the tray, putting it over the standoffs, and sliding it towards the back, two screws (one at the top and one at the bottom) are used to keep the tray from sliding forward.
The Tai Chi doesn't really do anything too out-of-the-ordinary when it comes to its components, and, in fact, is very similar to the hugely popular Armor and Kandalf cases released previously. For instance, the hard drive cage with attached 120mm blue LED fan is identical; however, this means that it inherits the not-so-appealing trait of requiring either a magnetic screwdriver or simply a little patience to secure drives in the cage with standard bolts.
Click to enlarge.
Moving downwards, we find the Tai Chi's motherboard tray. This concept is simple, but the Tai Chi executes it slightly differently than previous incarnations, with it only being the plate itself instead of the plate plus back of the case. This is what allows the change from an ATX to a BTX style to be relatively simple – only the rear needs to change.
Click to enlarge.
After putting the motherboard on the tray, putting it over the standoffs, and sliding it towards the back, two screws (one at the top and one at the bottom) are used to keep the tray from sliding forward.
Click to enlarge.
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chynn - Thursday, March 2, 2006 - link
Yes, you can. I'm surprised AnandTech missed that option in their review. I like mounting inverted (BTX-style) ATX motherboards because that points the HSFs on my graphics cards (I run SLI) up to help dissipate heat.Googer - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
let me rephrase that.Is it possible invert the motherboard on the CM Stacker by installing the tray on the left side in place of the usual right side
By inverting the motherboard (insalling on the BTX side) it may allow for better CPU cooling sine the processor would be sitting on the bottome getting plenty of cool air and allowing hot exhaust to escape upwards.
kextyn - Friday, February 24, 2006 - link
I believe it would depend on which CM Stacker you get. I have the original and I run my ATX motherboard inverted on the opposite side just for this reason (cooling.) Also because I have an XP-120 on the CPU and don't have to worry about clearance issues with the PSU.If you're going to buy a Stacker I suggest looking at the specs on all of them before deciding. If I was going to buy another one I'd get the original again. It offers the full 12 5.25" bays in the front, dual PSU's, ATX/BTX/Inverted ATX/Inverted BTX, and I think more mod potential than this new one. The reason is because it's so basic that you can just cut and add stuff wherever you want. The only thing I like about this new one is that 4x120mm fan array on the side. But if I really wanted to I could mod the side of my case for that.
Googer - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
Also will a PC Power and Cooling Turbo Cool 850 or any other oversized PSU fit in to either the Thermaltake or Cooler Master?chynn - Thursday, March 2, 2006 - link
Yes, the PCP&C 850W PSU should fit in the Stacker. You might have to orient the PSU so the cables exit from the bottom side to clear the 120mm fan in the top center, but the Stacker will let you do that.Matthews316 - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
I own the Thai-Chi, and my PC Power and Cooling 1 KW (same size as the 850) fits just fine. I heard a rumor that oversized PSU's, such as the PCP&C 850/1KW, won't fit in the CM Stacker 830. Can anyone comment on this?JoshuaBuss - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
I would say that as long as there's nothing protruding from the sides, top, or bottom of the PSU, it'll fit in the stacker fine... length isn't the issue, it's the sides, top, and bottom you'd have to watch carefully.Googer - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
What a tough decision it would be to choose between those two cases, both are feature rich and well though out and designed. (if price was not a concern)yanquii - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
I love seeing case reviews on this site, especially considering how sparsely they are reviewed. What I would like to see are some reviews done on some cases that don't look like they came off they toy isle from the nearest Dollar General store. It would be sweet if you guys could do some reviews on the higher end offerings from Silverstone; especially the TJ07.yanquii - Thursday, February 23, 2006 - link
oh, and Lian-Li. I remember when Coolermaster was pumping out the sweetest cases you could buy. I love simplicity and elegance, and it seems that most companies are all about gaudy flash.