Hello and welcome to the very first review victim of Spider's Webb, I'm Spider and I am the new review team manager for Hardware Hell. The product caught in my web today is one that is unique and so this review will not be your "standard" case review. I'm not going to build a system in the case, nor am I going to put it though any kind of testing other than to take you on a tour of it from all sides. My reason for this is two-fold, first off it would be a crying shame if this got scratched or marred in ANY way!! Secondly, this is being given away on our site and I don't want it handled too much before shipping out to some VERY LUCKY new member of www.hwhell.com . Well now that I think I've got your attention and your wondering just exactly what/which case this is , I'm proud, honored, and quite privileged to announce that this review is of the CMCSX Stacker 830 Blue Dragon!

ABOUT CSX

Custom Painting By:

You can learn more about
SMOOTH CREATIONS at:
www.smoothcreations.com

I got the package from UPS and could tell by the box this case is a monster. It took myself and my Daughter to get it in the house, not because of weight, but just the shear size of the shipping box. Once inside , I opened the outer box to find that there were foam corners holding the actual CSX box inside, This was good because I could tell that UPS wasn't too concerned about the "FRAGILE" warning printed on the shipping container. After wrestling the CSX box out and placing it for photo's you can see that the box doesn't hint in any way as to whats inside or what your really getting. Now when I contacted Cooler Master, I wasn't given any kind of warning as to which case they sent or which custom paint job they had picked so i was just as excited as anyone would be to find out what was inside the box. After cutting the tape and snapping a couple pictures of the packing job which is top notch I took the case out and set it up for even more pictures ** Are you drooling in anticipation to see the actual case yet? instead of just how its packed. Too bad , NO PEEKING! **. You can tell that CMCSX really cares about their product and wants it to get to the customer in pristine condition because not only do the double box it, but they then wrap it in a cloth cover which is in turn wrapped in a plastic cover. While this is great attention to detail and product care, its like that present you get from you older Brother or Sister on Christmas thats been wrapped with 5 rolls of tape just to torment you!

Ok so now is the moment you've all been waiting for , and me too, the actual case. I "Unveiled" the beast with my wife and kids in the room , and there was an audible GASP that filled the room. I was struck dumb by the sheer beauty of the case immediately!!Now I know your seeing the pictures, but they really do not do this paint job any justice. This is one of those thing where nothing less than seeing it up close in person in all its glory would let you know just how fantastic this custom painted case really looks. The attention to detail is astounding, and you could spend hours looking it over and you'll keep finding new minute details that from a few feet away aren't that noticeable. From the dragon's scales , details in the eyes, and facial features to the subtle fades in color from blue to black that breath life into this mighty dragon. Everywhere you look your eye will catch more and more of just how much effort was put into painting this Coolermaster Stacker 830.

This particular version of the Stacker , minus the paint job, has been reviewed at several sites, so finding out how it preforms and how doing a system build with it is an easy task, but I however won't be installing anything or removing parts. I will give you some idea of what your getting in terms of a full tower case and I'll also list the spec's taken from the Coolermaster site.

SPECIFICATIONS

Available Color:

Silver ( Black Mesh ) / Black

Dimension (W / H / D):

(W) 250mm x (H) 536mm x (D) 638mm

M/B Type :

E-ATX, ATX, m-ATX,

Material:

Aluminum : 1.0 mm

Weight:

Net Weight : 14.5 kg

Gross Weight : 17 kg

3.5" Drive Bay:

4 (Hidden) from one 4-in-3 Device Module included

Two 3.5 face plates included

5.25" Drive Bay:

9 (Exposed)

Cooling System:

One 120x120x25 mm front fan (Blue LED),

One 120x120x25 mm rear fan (exhaust))

Support up to 9 x 120 mm fans

Front fan x 3,top fan x 1, rear fan x 1,side fan x 4

(side fan tray can be installed with 140 mm fan)

Retailing liquid holes

Expansion Slots:

7

I/O Panel:

Dual I/O Panel in the front and top USB 2.0 x 4, IEEE 1394 x 1, MIC x 1, SPK x 1(Support HD Audio)

Power Supply:

Standard ATX PS2 / EPS 12V (optional)

Looking at the interior through the side panel window you can see this chassis comes equipped with three fans. There is one for intake at the front of the case, one for exhaust at the upper rear and one more in the top for exhaust. All three fans are 120mm blue L.E.D clear plastic Cooler Master branded and should keep the air flowing quite good especially in a chassis this size. If you take a look at the picture of the back of the case you can see the handle which is for the slide out motherboard tray. Having a removable motherboard tray is a big plus for any chassis and makes installation of parts easy, Although you may find that if your using a really big/tall heat sink you may still need to install the motherboard the "old school" way by placing it into the case on the tray.

A few more things of interest to you might by the warranty, and the fact that you can become a member of the CSX which will entitle you to special discounts and offers. The warranty that they offer is actually impressive in it own right, in that its 5years out of the box and also a limited lifetime warranty on the paint against blemishes and defect in craftsmanship.

Although I'm going to try, words really cant describe the level of craftsmanship of this custom painted CM Stacker. From the second I took it out of the box until the second I re-wrapped and packed it up I was totally impressed. From the intricate details to the high gloss finish to the stunning color this case is a work of art that any person would love to have as a show piece in their home. If sex were a computer case, it would without a doubt be a CSX/SmoothCreations custom painted chassis. The only downside to this case is the price tag. While I understand why they would and do ask $1000+ USD for a masterpiece like this, its still a very hard pill to swallow.I would therefor like to say that I award the CSX CM Stacker 830 Blue Dragon a resounding 9.5 out of 10 and award it the Hardware Hell GOLD Award.

I would like to thank CoolerMaster, CSX, and Smooth Creations for sending us this chassis for review, and also say good luck to all the folks entering the contest to win this beauty.