Ask Me Anything - Cooler Master Cosmos SE / HAF Stacker

jpishgar

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Hey there friends!

On the heels of their last successful AMA here on Tom's Hardware, Cooler Master has reached out to us for an opportunity to answer any questions you might have about the Cosmos SE and HAF Stacker launch which was unveiled today at PAX in Seattle.

Official Cooler Master Representatives are here to answer any question you might have on the new chassis. Whatever information they can share without their lawyers stopping them, they will - so have at it!

By way of introduction, the Cosmos SE is a mid-tower that carries on the legacy of the Cosmos S. HAF Stacker is a mod-tower that's purpose built. It's unique, and CM is patenting the design.

With that said, I leave the floor open for questions from you, and answers from Jonathan Loo and other CM reps.

Have fun!

Yours,
Joe Pishgar
Community Manager, Tom's Hardware
 

Jon_CM

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May 28, 2013
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My name is Jon, and I am a Senior Product Manager here in Cooler Master USA. HAF Stacker is unveiled today as well as Cosmos SE earlier this week. Anything is fair game.

This is the first mass production expandable PC chassis system to support multiple PC systems and multiple water cooling. You can make them independent or whatever configuration you wish.

 

Jon_CM

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May 28, 2013
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We designed it to intake fresh air from the bottom through a dust filter and exhaust out the front through the mesh.
 

rattlehead2112

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Aug 18, 2013
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Ok, that's so that the drive bay can be fitted right?
And in this case the cpu will have a hihg cooler clearance

What is the CPU clearance for a 915R?
 

Jon_CM

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May 28, 2013
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80mm is the clearance on 915R and 170mm is the clearance on 915F.
 

rattlehead2112

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Aug 18, 2013
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The max fan size on the sides?

No mounting for fans/ radiators on the top right?

For my next build I'm looking for a well ventilated miniITX standalone case,
915F looks like a good option!
 

cerefo

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Sep 19, 2013
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Just a common question: what is the name of that thing which is placed above Processor, and some thermal paste is applied between them.
Let call that component "X"
So please tell me the name of that component and also tell me that is there any X in which we don't have to apply thermal paste or the thermal paste is pre-applied?
 

Raihan Ahmed

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Jun 11, 2013
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Hi,
i have had a Coolermaster K-280 Mid Tower Case for about 6 months now and i lost the box which had the hdd bays and stuff which came with the case, and im in need of this part which im not sure what its called. however i can describe to you what it looks like and its role
so its a twisting mechanism thing which hold the hardrives and dvd drives in like a screw except its simple and twist and turn
if you have any suggestions on what this is called please let me know
thanks alot
 

blacklex

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Apr 7, 2013
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Hi,
I plan on soon getting a new case but not for ultra water cooling to any extent. can you tell me what this case offers me when I am just a gamer who wants a nice looking case?
 

johntimo

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Oct 15, 2013
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however i can describe to you what it looks like and its role so its a twisting mechanism WOW Gold thing which hold the hardrives and dvd drives in like a screw except its simple and twist and turn if you have any suggestions on what this is called please let me know
 

johntimo

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Oct 15, 2013
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This is the first mass WOW Gold production expandable PC chassis system to support multiple PC systems and multiple water cooling. You can make them independent or whatever configuration you wish.
 

Kraminius

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Oct 15, 2013
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The Coolermaster N200 is a micro ATX, and not a mini ITX. It has the same depth as a normal sized ATX case far as i'm concerned. I guess I'll just have to try and fit it in.
 

icehawk_1995

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Oct 26, 2013
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Hi, it says here that the Cosmos SE is classified as a mid-tower, but I read the size comparison, and it easily looks large enough in physical dimensions to be a full tower. Also has quite a number of expansion capabilities. I find it pretty much everything on an average full tower on it--what's missing?
 
Jul 27, 2013
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Ok... that is called a CPU cooler. Air cooling has a heatsink with a fan mounted to it to dissipate the heat from it. The heat reaches the heatsink like this: the heat from the CPU is transferred to the thermal paste, which transfers it to normally heat pipes, which transfer it to the heatsink to be blown away by the fan. Some heatsinks (like the stock heatsink that comes with your CPU) have preapplied thermal paste. I do not know if there is a CPU cooler that doesn't need any thermal paste, or if that is even possible...
 

spiritfly

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Dec 27, 2007
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Impressed by the Cosmos II, I've rushed to buy the Cosmos SE as soon as I heard about it. I'm not a gamer so I don't plan to add a powerful GPU, instead I wanted to build a powerful workstation, so I thought the Cosmos SE would be perfect for the job. To be frank I'm a bit disappointed. The design looks good on first glance, but when I actually received the case it felt a bit cheap.

The side panels are simple and thin steel they don't compress well, much like any ordinary case. The buttons don't feel smooth (power button got stuck a little). The space inside is not THAT big. I expected a lot bigger having seen the Cosmos II on a show. My sata connectors on the motherboard are on the side and it is very dificult to connect a new cable without getting the mb off. And they are directly above the rubber openings for the cables which makes things a bit tight: http://www.pureoverclock.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/511.jpg

No fan control is also a bit of a turn off for a case with 5+ fans. So much space for hard drives, but not a single internal SATA tray for hot-swapping.

I expected to receive something more high class being in that price range, but the fact is, it is just miles away in terms of build quality from his "big brother" cosmos II, not even close.

So my question is, should I replace it for a cosmos II? Like I said I don't plan to get a big powerful GPU. However it's still a workstation with i-4770K, I plan to add water cooling, and I want to have quick access to the inside, maybe swap some hard drive. The only reason I didn't went for the cosmos II is the VERY big size and it's price. But now that I've seen that cosmos SE isn't what I expected, should I replace it for Cosmos II?
 

jeff8297229

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Nov 9, 2013
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Hello I'm considering buying a cooler master storm Stryker (sorry of topic). I'm pretty noob on cases. I read in a review its better to put extra fans at the bottom to increase airflow but I have heard somewhere that of you put fans at the bottom you increase the amount of extra dust going in. How do I prevent it?
 

CM Nick

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Nov 4, 2013
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Hi jeff,

The CM Storm Stryker has dust filters in the bottom. So if you clean them often, the amount of dust getting into your case will less to none.
You can check the gallery of the CM Storm Stryker at this link.
Here you can see the dust filters and how easy it will be to clean them since they are removable.

Hope this will help you!
 

CM Nick

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Nov 4, 2013
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Hi legokill101,

There are small holes, but it will not give you unrestricted airflow. Only the possibility to run your tubing for watercooling or cables through it.
 

CM Nick

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Nov 4, 2013
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Hi,

The COSMOS SE is meant to be the little brother of the COSMOS II. Therefore it has not the same options as on the COSMOS II. So if you like the COSMOS II then I should go for the COSMOS II again. If you want a good fan controller, you can also look at the CM Storm Stryker/Trooper.
My suggestion is to go back to the store you bought it and try to get your money back.

Hope this will help you!
 

spiritfly

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Dec 27, 2007
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I'm afraid that the store where I bought it is not in my city and even if it was they won't return it back. The thing is that your colleague here, Patrick, suggested that I should go for a 240 water cooling, and that he placed his as an exhaust on the top position so I instantly bought the Cooler Master Seidon 240M without doubts that it might not fit in.

Well if you read my latest post on this topic, it seems like the 240m radiator won't fit in the Cosmos SE. I'm very disappointed by this, especially by the fact that Cooler Master representatives suggest setups which in reality do not work. I worked hard to get those components and I was very enthusiastic about this piece of hardware that I was going to build. I wanted to write a neat review about it on my blog, but now it's all ruined. And I'm also short on time for this. I need to get rid of my old PC soon and the new one is still sitting opened up on the table.

I came here to ask professionals and was all excited that official representatives answered to me, but now I'm left in the middle of nowhere. Greatly disappointed by all of this.
 

CM-Patrick

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Oct 31, 2013
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Dear Spiritfly,

I suggested how I have my radiator fans setup in my own personal case. As I stated in your thread regarding your Cosmos SE, you can install the fans in the exhaust or intake position since this is merely personal preference. Which every option you choose, the fans will need to be installed at the top of the case since Cosmos SE will not support the push/pull configuration that you are trying to accomplish.

I apologize that you are upset with my answers but I have done my best to help you with every questions you have asked.

Please let me know if there is anything more that I can help you with