Cooler Master ATCS 840 Full Tower Case Review

Installation

As with the HAF, the first thing we are going to do is install the PSU. Since this is mainly a bottom mounted PSU case we are going to go with the default location. Just be aware that if you are willing to give up a boat load of the cooling potential of your ATCS 840 you could install either a second PSU in the “normal” top location or leave the bottom area open. One thing worth mentioning is that this case requires a PSU stiffener bracket (which is included in the accessories bag of goodies) if you do go for the top location. So be careful and don’t throw anything away.

Actually, installing the PSU is as simple as can be. You take off the side panel and slide in your PSU. You need not worry about flipping the power supply or anything like that and should in fact install it in its normal orientation with its fan pointed down (this assumes you have a PSU with a bottom mounted fan, if it is a power supply with back mounted fan please ignore this). Underneath the PSU shelf is a large fan cutout so it should be able to suck in more than enough air. In this instance we have gone with our tried and true Seasonic S12 600W which is a standard-length ATX power supply.

This case’s installation procedure for your hard drive is exactly like the HAF, with the only difference being you can cram 6 hard drives in this drive cage instead of just 5. As with that case, we recommend removing any drive caddy you plan on leaving empty. This will help with case air flow, but be careful and put the unused caddy somewhere which is not only safe but also memorable.


To install a hard drive, the first thing you have to do is release a caddy from the cage by opening the front door of it and pulling it out. Once this is done you then mount the removable drive caddy onto your drive. This too is a tool-less installation process in that the mounting pins which secure the caddy to the drive are locked into position and then you bend the flexible caddy around the drive and lever the pins into position. This may sound complicated but if you start with one side of the drive locked into position and then bend the caddy over the other side it becomes extremely easy to accomplish. In what is becoming a reoccurring theme, you can further lock the drive in place with screws but this really is overkill.


When this is accomplished you simply slide the drive caddy into one of the 6 positions and swing its door closed to lock the caddy in place. The only caveat to this installation process is the same one we raised with the HAF: this process is quick and easy but if you are using older nosier drives (or Raptors) this setup has no noise dampening features so you may want to take this into account and plan accordingly. Though in all honesty, with the solid side panels this is much less of a concern than it is with the more open air design of the HAF 932.


It might be old fashioned of us but the next thing we like to install is our optical drives. As with the HAF this means first uninstalling one of the six 5.25 aluminum cover panels; though this is not complicated and you do not need to remove the front face of this case. All you have to do is remove one of the side panels, reach into the bay area and push one of those bad boys out the front. When this is done all you need to do is push the drive most of the way in, push the button on the appropriate one click tool-less fastening system and then slide the drive in further until you here a click and you can’t move the drive anymore.


With all the non motherboard related items installed we then move unto the motherboard area. Unlike the HAF this means removing the motherboard tray from the case. To do this you unscrew four screws and slide the tray out the back by holding onto the included handle. As mentioned earlier this is as slick as greased lightening so be careful you don’t need to use much force and flinging the motherboard tray across the room would be….ill advised.