Introduction

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I would like to thank Cooler Master for providing the CM Storm Scout 2 review sample.

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Cooler Master is a predominant gaming case manufacturer known by many computer enthusiasts. They started their CM Storm brand aimed purely at the gaming enthusiast some time ago. The company managed to turn heads with their CM Storm Trooper/Stryker cases as these aimed directly at the LAN party goer with a viable set of features. The CM Storm Scout 2 is intended to offers a similar functionality, but in a smaller, more affordable package.

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<th colspan="2">CM Storm Scout 2</th>
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<th scope="row">Color</th>
<td>Black or Gunmetal Grey</td>
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<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Drive Bays </th>
<td>External: 3x 5.25" bays
Internal: 7x 3.5" bays, including 2x 2.5" variants with the use of an adapter</td>
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<th scope="row">Form Factor </th>
<td>Micro-ATX, ATX</td>
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<th scope="row">Expansion Slots </th>
<td>7+1</td>
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<th scope="row">Cooling</th>
<td>Front: 120 mm x 2 or 140 mm x 1 (optional)
Top: 120 mm fan x 2 (optional)
Rear: 120 mm fan x1 (with LED on/off functionality)
Bottom: 120 mm fan x 2 (optional)
Side: 120 mm fan x 2 (optional)
HDD Cage: 120 mm fan x 1 (optional)</td>
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<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Dimensions</th>
<td>(W) 230 x (H) 513 x (D) 517.5 mm
(W) 9.1 x (H) 20.2 x (D) 20.5 inch</td>
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<th scope="row">Weight</th>
<td> 8.3 kgs
</td>
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<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Switches</th>
<td>Power / Reset, Fan LED</td>
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<th scope="row">I/O</th>
<td>USB 3.0 x 2 (internal), USB 2.0 x 2, Audio In and Out ( Supports HD audio)</td>
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Packaging

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Cooler Master ships the CM Storm chassis in a full color package continuing the elite military/police force theme. On the front you will find an image of some SWAT team members, along with a few angle shots of the chassis. Turning the box around, the other side is used to go into great detail about what you will get when buying the CM Storm Scout 2. Both the left and right side hold further information and an additional picture of the case.

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Two Styrofoam spacers hold the chassis in place. Instead of the top and bottom, Cooler Master has chosen to place the spacers unto the front and rear instead. This decision is most likely due to the top handle, as it would require a much thicker and larger spacer to hold the chassis with such a configuration, which would, in turn, raise its overall shipping cost.

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You will get a simple manual and a 3.5" to 2.5" drive bay adapter, which comes pre-attached to two standard rails for the larger drive variant. On top of that, Cooler Master includes additional such parts to fill all hard drive bays, a bag of all black screws, and plenty of zip ties to keep things clean within the CM Scout 2.

A Closer Look - Outside

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We were fortunate enough to get the gunmetal grey variant instead of the black one. I am sure the latter will look just as good, but the different tones of our sample certainly add a bit of variety to the case. The overall construction can be considered very good. There are no parts that can be flexed out of place and the top handle is reinforced with steel, making it very sturdy.

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The entire front is covered by metal mesh, with the bottom half acting as an air vent to the two possible fans, while the rear offers 7 + 1 expansion slots and a bottom mounted PSU bay. The eight slot is filled with a special cover that can be used to secure your gaming gear, so that your gear doesn't get stolen during a LAN party. Both sides of the CM Scout 2 have an extruded design element to them, which adds space for large CPU coolers on one and space for cable routing on the other side. A well placed window and two 120 mm fan mounting possibilities can be found on the main panel. Unfortunately, there are no dust filters for these fan placements.

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Taking a closer look at the front, the bottom half cannot be removed, but comes with a dust filter and the CM Storm logo. Above that are the three 5.25" drive bays covered by the exact same material to keep the overall look of the chassis front uniform.

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Turning the case around, the aforementioned PSU bay is in the very bottom. There are two sets of mounting holes, so that you may install the unit with the fan facing up or down. Above that are the eight motherboard expansion slots. Each one is protected by black metal covers. Seven of these slots are aligned traditionally above each other, while the eight slot has been placed vertically to the others. You can find the only fan within the Scout 2 in the very top. It is a 120 mm, all clear unit with red LEDs embedded within. Two large openings for water cooling also allow for routing of such systems through the back of the case.

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Cooler Master has hidden the I/O on top, behind a sliding cover. The usual pair of audio, two USB 3.0, and two USB 2.0 connectors should suffice for most needs, offering ample flexibility and connectivity. You will find three large buttons in the middle area. The left one is used to toggle the fan LED lighting, the larger, middle one is the power button, and the last one is the reset one.

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Half the read is a large vent, which may be removed by releasing it from within the case itself. It does come with a dust filter and reveals two additional fan placements. A rubber lined handle can also be found on top of the case. It feels quite sturdy, so you should easily be able to fill up the case to the rim. Cooler Master advertises the fact that the grip has been reinforced with steel - a good move.

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While there are two openings on the underside of the chassis, one for the PSU and one for an additional fan, only the first has a dust filter. It would have been nice to have something covering the middle vent as well.

A Closer Look - Inside

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To gain access to the interior, simply remove the pair of thumbscrews holding each panel in place. There are various elements within the case which remain black, adding a nice contrast to the gunmetal grey. A large opening and various smaller ones can be found in the motherboard tray, allowing you to easily change the CPU cooler, and route the cables nicely within the Scout 2. With 20 mm of space within the case and an additional 6-7 mm from the extruded side panel, keeping things tidy and hidden should not be an issue.

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There are two sets of cages within the chassis, but the top one has a removable side to free up space for long graphic cards. It may also hold a single 120 mm fan if you do keep it in place. In the very top are the three 5.25" bays, each with the flipping lock mechanism. We have seen this before and while it works, it does not end up holding the drives all that well.

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The PSU bay in the bottom features four little foam dots used to place the power supply on. Above that are the eight expansion slots, each cover held in place by a thumbscrew. In the very top, the only 120 mm fan can be found. It has the signature, holographic Cooler Master sticker on it. The embedded LEDs are not powered through the 3-pin connector, but with a separate 2-pin cable. This one is attached to the LED toggle switch in the top of the chassis.

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Taking a quick look at the ceiling of the chassis, the space for the two 120 mm fans is revealed. Even though the configuration should allow for a 240 mm radiator to be installed, it remains unclear if there is enough space around these. On top of that, Cooler Master does not advertise any such compatibility.

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All the cables within the Scout 2 are black, which further adds to the overall design of the chassis. You will get your usual case and I/O connectors, along with two special plugs for the fan LEDs. Cooler Master should really have included two identical fans within the chassis.

Assembly

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Installing the motherboard is done by traditional means using the included spacers. There is enough room around the CPU cooler to allow for large coolers, but Cooler Master mentions a maximum height of 162 mm without the use of side fans. If you do choose to install such cooling units onto the side panel, the maximum size is reduced to 147 mm. Regardless, this means that most 140 mm and some 120 mm based tower coolers will not fit into the CM Storm Scout 2.

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Installing the hard drives is quite easy. For the 3.5" drives, simply use the included rails, which do not require any tools. Placing a 2.5" drive onto the tray, however, does use screws, which means using a screwdriver to secure it properly.

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Once ready, simply slide them into the bay of your choice until they snap into place. The connectors of each drive point away from the windowed side, allowing you to keep things clean and hidden in terms of cables.

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First, you will need to pry the front panel off the chassis to install an optical drive. Interestingly enough, this part is attached so firmly onto the case that I had to use quite a bit of force to make it come off. Once off, free up the 5.25" bay of your choice and slide in the drive. Make sure to flip the lever back on the locking mechanism, which allows for the pins to hold the drive in place. While the construction quality of this system is quite good, it does not possess enough strength to keep the drive from having a bit of play. You should really use one or two additional screws to eliminate any chance of vibration within the chassis.

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Installing the PSU does not bear any surprises. Simply put it in place and use the included black screws to secure it in place.

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Once everything is installed, the CM Storm Scout 2 makes a very clean impression. As you can see, when viewed from the backside, the entire cable mess is hidden nicely.

Finished Looks

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Thanks to the extruded side panels, placing these back unto the filled case is a breeze. When turned on, a somewhat dim red LED lights up on the front of the chassis. The LED toggle turns the only other lighting element, the LEDs within the rear fan, on or off.

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Taking a look at the front, the black elements really help the black optical drive fit right into the overall design. In the rear, all the cables and connectors are where you would expect them to be. Cooler Master has also done a very good job with the window. It is big enough to show all major components, but small enough to hide any cables. The placement of the handle is not random either, as the case stays level when being picked up - an improvement over the CM Storm Trooper/Stryker cases. But filling the Scout 2 to the rim with hard drives will also make it front heavy.

Value & Conclusion

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The CM Storm Scout 2 will set you back 99 Euro including taxes or 99 US Dollar including taxes.

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Very good construction
Extremely comfortable, sturdy, and steel-reinforced handle
Extruded sides for additional space
LED on/off switch
Space for up to seven other fans
Anti-Theft system for gaming peripherals
3.5" to 2x2.5" HDD bay adapter included
HDD rails for easy installation
screw-less system for ODD bays
Nicely hidden I/O panel in top
Gunmetal or black colors available

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Steep price for the feature set
Only one fan included
No dust filter on some intake fan locations
Compact dimensions do not allow for very large CPU coolers to be installed
No external 3.5" bay
ODD locking mechanism does not hold very well

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<tr><th>8.0</th>
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The CM Storm Scout 2 doesn't really offer a lot of functional features for such a price tag. It is, interestingly enough, 10 Euros more expensive in Europe and 10 USD cheaper in the US than the original Scout 1, something that makes little sense to me. The paint job is very good, the sides are constructed in a meaningful manner, and the interior layout leaves nothing to be desired. Its biggest selling point is the steel reinforced handle with the rubber grip, which is extremely well engineered, allowing you to carry the case and its contents around comfortably.<br />
But, in the end, the Scout 2 does not offer something vastly new over the Scout 1 by reducing cooling to a single fan, which essentially forces the user to invest even more money. While the case viewed on its own is quite alright, you may end up being happier with the Cooler Master HAF XM, which offers much more functionality, like hot-swap bays and plenty of cooling, for the same price, but not with the same ease of transportation. Or you could go for the CM Storm Trooper, which does cost 15 Euro more, but has an excellent handle like the Scout 2, plenty of fans, and a much longer list of features.<br />
Ultimately, Cooler Master needs to offer a better feature-set, with something really new over the older generation case for the same price, to justify a new iteration. The CM Storm Scout 2 only satisfies one of these aspects with a new and updated, but not really innovative, external/internal design.
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