Cooler Master’s popular CM Storm Scout was
clearly designed with LAN parties in mind. Its vented and windowed side panel
does a nice job of showing off just enough of its owner’s component choices,
its front panel provides convenient access to all the ports you’ll need for a
long weekend of gaming with headphones and whatnot, and of course it has
conveniently placed handles for lugging your pride and joy to and from the LAN.
Cooler
Master CM Storm Scout 2
Now Cooler Master has unveiled the Scout’s
successor, the CM Storm Scout 2, and it is clear at a glance that the company
has done its homework. Available in either black or gunmetal gray, the Scout 2
has cleaner, smoother lines and a more pleasing look overall, along with a few
nice upgrades.
For starters, the Scout 2 gives you more
options and flexibility. It has more internal drive bays (including two SSD
mounts vs. the Scout’s one) and more fan mounts throughout, although it is only
a slightly larger case. It also weighs nearly a pound less, which is good news
if you intend to put its stylish handles to use and carry it into your favorite
LAN event. There’s also more space from front to back in line with its seven
expansion slots, letting you install video cards just over 15.5 inches in
length when the top HDD cage is removed, should the opportunity present itself.
Speaking
of the Scout 2’s carry handles, they are reinforced with steel and bolted to
case’s frame; they feel very sturdy. Another nice touch for travel is the lid
that you can slide into place over the external I/O ports in case you get
caught in the rain between the car and the LAN
.
In short, the CM Storm Scout 2’s suggested
retail price of a hundred bucks gets you an attractive case that’s big enough
to support high-end hardware (and plenty of it), but not so big that you can’t
take it with you when the game is afoot.
|
Information
Price: $99.99
Website: www.coolermaster-usa.com
Specs: Dimensions: 20.2 x 9.1 x 20.5
inches (HxWxD); Motherboard support: mATX, ATX; Bays: 3 5.25-inch external, 7
3.5-inch internal, 2 2.5-inch internal (converted from one 3.5-inch bay);
Fans (included): 1 120mm LED rear; Fans (optional): 2 120mm top, 2 120mm or 1
140mm front, 1 120mm bottom, 2 120mm side, 1 120mm HDD cage; Front panel: 2
USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0, audio I/O
|
