TheOverclocker Issue 21 | Page 45

“Much like the original Scout case, it has four USB ports at the front, the difference however is that there’s a slide cover provided for these.” CM Storm Scout 2 RRP: $99.99 | Website: www.cmstorm.com cmstorm.com m C ooler Master knows how to make cases. One may even argue that they make nothing else as well as they make cases. After all they’ve been at it for a long time and it shows. It’s in the little things where it’s most evident.. From packaging to presentation, it’s all done well with thought and practicality. As with many Cooler Master cases from recent years, you can install and setup your system without aid of the manual. It is that simple and certainly that easy especially with the CM Storm Scout 2. This is a mid-tower case, so any ideas you may have about building that ultimate 4-way Mutli-GPU system into this case should be rested immediately. No, this is for standard ATX motherboards and as such you should take great care as to planning what it is exactly you’ll be fitting into the system. Despite the size, the interior of this case is relatively spacious or at least a little more spacious than I had envisioned. Cable management is a breeze if only because there are several rubberised openings where you can push cables through, to and from the back of the case. As stated earlier, it’s in the little things that make the Scout 2 a breeze to work with. Aesthetically it won’t turn heads like the Cosmos 2, but it’s good looking even though it’s very subtle. The handles at the top of the case are strong and carrying this is not only simple but comfortable. It’s the one of the better LAN case on sale. It’s designed in a way to have the weight of the system be as evenly distributed as possible so even if you have to walk a distance it isn’t too cumbersome. This is a definite advantage for those who have to take their computers everywhere for LAN gaming. Features wise, it’s the standard affair. Much like the original Scout, it has four USB ports at the front, the difference however is that there’s a slide cover provided for these. Of more importance, two of the ports are USB3.0 compatible and all of them are placed horizontally as opposed to vertically on the original Scout. A small but necessary change, because you can now fit those big USB plugs, typical of high performance USB3.0 flash drives without rendering any of the nearby ports unusable. The top of the chassis near the front features three stylish but simple buttons that curve along with the case. The biggest one being the power button in the middle, to the right is the reset button and the left has the light switch, simple but effective. This case is charming in its simplicity, it doesn’t go overboard in anything but provides high quality finishes and sensible design to make it not only a pleasure to work in but attractive as well. For the asking price it’s more than a fair purchase and it definitely gets my approval, another stellar job from CM Storm then. [ The OverClocker ] The Score 9/10 Issue 21 | 2012 The OverClocker 45