Cooler Master Storm Scout Case

Conclusion

So what do I think of the CM Storm Scout?  The included feature list is certainly quite comprehensive for a budget case.  The overall design clearly shows that they had gamers in mind.  The integrated handle is an especially nice feature for people who frequent LAN parties, making the task of carrying your computer from the car to the game much easier.  The look and feel are certainly distinctive: the Scout won’t be winning any industrial design awards, but no one will mistake it for mom’s crappy old Dell box.

Unfortunately, it feels like they got a bit rushed when it came to laying down the fine details.  The CPU cooler cutout and zip tie anchors on the motherboard tray point towards a desire for good cable management, but the cable channels and strategic cutouts that should have accompanied them are strangely absent.  The drive bay design is clearly taken wholesale from earlier Cooler Master cases: this is a good thing for the 5.25″ bays, not so much for the 3.5″ hard drive bays.  The chassis as a whole is compact, but compact can also mean cramped if your system has grown much beyond the basics.

So is it worth buying?  The answer is: it depends.  Someone looking to construct a quad-SLI, overclocked, watercooled beast is certainly going to look at something else.  The young high school or college student constructing his first gaming rig, however, will have a different set of needs.  If you’re looking to construct a decent gaming machine for LAN parties, and want a case that does the job without breaking the bank, the Scout might fit your needs.  With an average online price of $92.41 before shipping (as of 9/2/2009), the Scout does offer a value that is hard to beat in the sub-$100 range.

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