Cooler Master ATCS 840 Full Tower Case Review

Exterior Impressions

When we actually took the ATCS 840 out of the loving embrace of its shipping box we instantly understood how down right perfect and fitting the exterior B&W art work was. Honestly, this really is the mirror image of the HAF 932, for as cutting edge and aggressive as that case is, this case is all about classic clean looks and lines which are designed to blend into darn near any environment.


As we said, this case is all about smooth lines and the top of the case is the very epitome of clean lines. However, don’t let that clean look fool you, as this case does share the same design philosophy as that of the HAF: the top of it is segmented into two distinctive zones. The back (approximate) three quarters is dominated by exhaust ports for two massive 230x200mm fans, this may be up from the one found on the HAF but does share a striking resemblance to that case's top exhaust section. As an added bonus, the metal mesh top can easily be removed by unscrewing the topmost two screws on the back and then sliding the whole works to the rear. This gives you easy access to the fans for cleaning and more importantly will make removing them (if you want) and swapping in three 120mm fans easy. We will see if this makes installing our triple fan radiator easier as well later in the WC’ing section.


Also unlike the HAF 932’s top, the front quarter of this aluminum monster appears unadorned. However, with a simple downward push of your finger, a hidden connector panel rises up allowing you access to the ATCS’s “front panel”. This panel has (from right to left) four USB ports in two groups of two, a headphone jack, MIC jack, Firewire port (400 not 800 style) and e-SATA port.


In front of the hidden ports (though hidden may be to strong a word as the panel does have a large “push” word) is your typical large power button, HDD activity LED, Power LED and small reset button. These in and off themselves are nothing remarkable, but what is worthy of mention is the fact the power and reset buttons are also made from aluminum and blend in seamlessly with the rest of the case. The fact they are made out of aluminum (while a nice bonus) is not the reason we mention them, the reason they are so noteworthy is because this little touch highlights what the design philosophy of this case really is. The ATCS 840 really is all about blending in and not drawing attention to itself; even if doing so takes away from the functionality of the case.

We are not fond lovers of power buttons which are not countersunk nor in anyway easily distinguishable by touch alone. It may be a case of form over function but we are willing to give it a pass as it does keep the lines and overall beauty of this case from being marred; but Cooler Master how about making the buttons out of textured or brushed aluminum next time? Then at least it would feel different than the rest of the case and reduce the curse worthy times the button is accidentally pushed while blindly groping for a USB port (or thumb drive plugged into a USB port) at night.


Moving onto the front of the case you can see that it (just like the HAF 932) is a door-less design. However, unlike the HAF the front of this case has no mesh for air movement; to be more precise the 5.25 bay covers are solid aluminum. This may seem like form following function (something which this reviewer hates with a passion) but in reality this not only makes the case extremely stylish in an old school sort of way, it controls internal air flow; and when properly done (which this case is as we shall show you in a few moments) reduces dust accumulation inside the case and can actually lower internal temperatures.

Lowering internal case temps with less air movement sounds illogical, but in reality its more specific to say: less unpredictable / uncontrollable air movement can reduce case temps. The reason the HAF case is able to make the relatively open air concept work is via brute force; this is in keeping with the aggressive styling of that case but it certainly would not be a good fit for a Air Thermal Chassis System. This case has monster fans and is every bit as effective as the HAF 932 but it does it with simplicity and elegance. By engineering the points of entry and exit of the air flow, Cooler Master’s engineers are able to “reuse” this air to cool multiple components. This is something which you cannot plan and design for if the front of your case is full of little air holes! As we said its elegant and simple in concept but oh so effective in its execution…and perfectly in tune with the philosophies behind this case.

Overall you have six 5.25 bays which, in this day of multi-format optical drives, should please everyone and allow for more than enough room for future expansion. Honestly, if you need more than 6 bay drives you really need a Stacker 830.


Directly below the optical bay drives is the large shield with CM sigil embossed into it which hides the internal air dam intake.


When you do remove this air dam (by simply pushing it to the left and then prying out the right side) you can see how Cooler Master is able to keep dust to a minimum in this case. This is one area where this case not only matches but easily exceeds the HAF 932. In the HAF 932 review we bemoaned the fact the case had only faux dust filters and thus it may become a dust bunny heaven if not cleaned regularly. Well Cooler Master certainly did not go for fake anything with this case. Between the air dam and the fan itself is a full sized air filter which is easily removed for cleaning. By including this nifty little plastic part Cooler Master has taken this case to a whole new level; a feat which we are surprised has happen so quickly given the height which the HAF 932 has set the bar.