A Closer Look - Outside

We were fortunate enough to get the white variant. I am sure the others will look just as good, but our sample's black and white colors 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.


The entire front is covered by metal mesh, with the bottom half acting as an air vent to the two possible fans. The rear offers 7 + 1 expansion slots and a bottom-mounted PSU bay. The eighth slot has a special cover that can be used to secure your gaming gear against theft during a, say, LAN party. Both sides of the CM Scout 2 have an extruded design element that adds space for large CPU coolers on one and room for cable routing on the other. A well-placed window and two 120 mm fan-mounting options can be found on the main panel. There are unfortunately no dust filters for these fan placements.


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. These are covered by the exact same material to keep the overall look of the front uniform.


Turning the case around, the aforementioned PSU bay is in the very bottom. There are two sets of mounting holes, which allows you to install the power supply 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 traditionally aligned above one another, but the eighth slot has been placed vertically to the others. You can find a 120 mm exhaust fan in the very top. It is, unlike the LED-equipped fan in the non-advanced unit, a black 120 mm unit. Two large openings for water cooling also allow you to route such systems through the back of the case.


Cooler Master has hidden the I/O behind a sliding cover on the top. The usual pair of audio and two USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 connectors, each, should cover most needs, offering ample flexibility and connectivity.


You will find three large buttons in the middle. The left button is used to toggle the fan's LED on/off, the large button in the middle is the power button, and the other is the reset one. The large vent towards the rear can be removed by releasing it from within the case. It does come with a dust filter and removing it reveals two additional fan placements. A rubber-lined handle can also be found on top of the case. It feels quite sturdy; filling the case up to rim should still allow you to use it. Cooler Master advertises the fact that the grip has been reinforced with steel--a good move.


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 a dust filter for the middle vent as well.