discussion Cooler Master Storm Scout Mid-Tower Case Review

[lemonlime]

Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance

As you can see, the Scout bests our open bench testing, but falls short of the Sniper by about four degrees in our CPU testing. Although it doesn’t do as well in comparison to the other two cases in the chart, please keep in mind that it is a much smaller case (especially in comparison to the Spedo).

The motherboard sensor in the Asus M3A78-T is located between the two PCI-Express 16x slots, so lower temperatures read by this sensor usually equate to lower GPU temperatures. Interestingly, the Scout actually does a better job keeping this motherboard area cool than the Storm Sniper. This may be the result of either the closer front intake fan - due to the case’s shorter length - or a great deal of air flow created by the HD3850 fans blowing toward the expansion slots where it cannot easily escape. As you’ll see in a moment, the later may be the case.

Since our two HD 3850s are not identical, GPU1 is always a few degrees toastier than GPU2. Please note that this has more to do with the cards themselves than their relative positioning in the case.

Although the motherboard sensor told us that the Scout reduced the temperature between the GPUs, the GPU cores themselves were not cooled as effectively as they were in the Storm Sniper. We believe that this is due in part to the lack of vented expansion brackets to allow hot air to escape from around the video cards, but the compact nature of the case undoubtedly plays a role in this as well.

When it comes to full-load GPU testing, the Scout puts forth a decent showing considering its size. If you consider the elaborate ‘ATC’ cooling contraption in the absolutely massive Thermaltake Spedo, being only one degree behind is quite a feat.

With the GPUs at idle, there is very little difference between all four configurations, and only a one degree delta was observed between the best and worst in this particular test.

 

[lemonlime]

Cooling Performance pg.2

Cooling Performance pg.2

Hard drive cooling is an often overlooked aspect of case cooling, but it is perhaps one of the most important. It is a fact that hard drives kept cool outlive hard drives that run at higher temperatures. This becomes even more important with high-RPM drives like the Western Digital Raptor series. As you can see, the drive in the open bench configuration received no active cooling, and quickly exceeded 40°C.

When it comes to hard drive cooling, the Scout is actually the best of the lot. It shaved a full two degrees off of the Spedo and Sniper. The large 140mm front intake fan sits very close to the hard drive cage, and there aren’t any drive caddies in the way to restrict airflow.

The Scout is a few degrees toastier when it comes to PSU cooling in comparison to our other cases. The smaller size of the case was likely the main contributor to this. None the less, PSU temperatures were definitely maintained at very reasonable levels.

In our side panel fan testing, we see that the ideal orientation is to install two fans in an intake orientation. This allowed us to net a two degree improvement in CPU temperatures, while having the fan in an exhaust orientation actually interfered with the down-draft heatsink fan, negatively impacting CPU temperatures. With the top fan acting as an intake and lower fan exhausting, we saw no benefit to CPU temperature.

As you can see, the dual intake fan orientation definitely excels at cooling the area expansion slot area of the board. A very significant 10°C delta can be realized in this configuration. When mounted as exhaust fans, the side panel fans still manage a decent five degree decrease.

GPU load temperatures were favourably impacted regardless of the side panel fan configuration. Having both fans in an intake or exhaust position yielded almost identical results and a four degree decrease. Although this may not seem significant, it does help.

 

[lemonlime]

Conclusion

Conclusion

So there you have it! Let’s recap. From an aesthetics perspective, we believe that Cooler Master hit the nail right on the head. Obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we think that they were able to strike a good balance between a “higher-end, classy” appearance and the appearance of an aggressive looking “gamer” case. The Scout’s black powder coat finish and simple front panel give it that bit of class, while its large carrying handle, tinted side window and angled edges make more of a bold statement. Even the LED lighting can cater to either side of the fence thanks to the handy LED power switch on the top panel.

Looks aside, the absolute best aspect of the Storm Scout is its portability and LAN friendly features. This is – without a doubt – the most practical and LAN gamer friendly case we’ve seen to date. Cooler Master has basically taken all of the great aspects of the Storm Sniper – like the steel reinforced handle and the “Storm Guard” system - and rolled them into an even more practical and portable enclosure. Let’s face it; not everyone wants to cart around a case as large as the Sniper.

Build quality is another major ace up the Scout’s sleeve. Given its relatively modest price tag, we were very pleased with the sturdy steel construction and overall “solid” feel of the case. The plastic components of the case are also nice and thick and share that same sturdy feel.

From a performance standpoint, the Scout does very well given its compact nature. In many of our tests, the Scout faired almost as well as the gigantic Thermaltake Spedo, and wasn’t too far behind its big brother, the Storm Sniper. Installing an optional side panel fan can improve GPU and CPU temperatures even more. Not only does the Scout perform well, but it does so almost silently. This is one quiet case.

About the only negative thing we can say about the Scout is that it can present some cable management challenges. Cooler Master did include some important features that make a difficult job easier, but we still feel that a bit of additional space behind the motherboard tray could have further improved things in this regard. We also found the 5.25 inch optical drive difficult to insert due to a very tight opening. Removing the punch-out bay covers remedied the issue, so this is a pretty minor gripe.

We quite literally had to keep reminding ourselves that this case is not a $200 model, but only $125 Canadian. Given its price, you get an incredible little case for your hard earned loonie. Overall, we think the Storm Scout is an excellent case and as such, we’re pleased to award it with Hardware Canuck’s “DAM GOOD VALUE” award.


Pros:

- Very solid build quality
- Nice aesthetic touches like a painted black interior and black screws and cable ties
- Intelligent layout and good use of available space
- Very quiet
- Sturdy handle and security features for LAN events
- Lots of I/O connectors on the top panel
- Good cooling performance considering its size
- An excellent value at $125


Cons:

- Packaging a bit inadequate
- A little cramped making cable management tough
- Not much in the way of water cooling potential

Thanks to Cooler Master for sending us this case

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...master-storm-scout-review-comment-thread.html​