The CM Storm Scout 2 PC Case

Every once in a while we get a mid-tower chassis that breaks all of the rules and brings us something new that we rarely see with other typical mid-tower chassis’. When I get a chance to look at these types of ground breaking cases, I start to get a sense of renewed faith for mid-tower chassis designs. Could case manufacturers be making making design changes based on customer feedback?

The Cooler Master Storm Scout Series came out in 2009 and has been one of the most popular cases sold by Cooler Master over the past 3.5 years. The Cooler Master Storm Scout was an awesome case for the time, but it is now lacking many of the features that consumers want to have today. Cooler Master went back to the design team and had them work on the Storm Scout 2. The goal was to keep the predecessor’s overall look and feel, but update it and add the new features that are needed. This is no easy task, especially when you are working with one of your best sellers! 

Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 Features:

• Ergonomic steel reinforced carrying handles bolted to support beams of the core structure
• Dual USB 3.0 support for 10x faster file transfer and high current smart phone / tablet charging (~1A)
• Supports up to 3 ODDs (tool-less), 7 HDDs and 2 SSDs for increased expandability
• Supports up to 9 fans, including dual 120mm fans on the acrylic side panel window
• Top panel LED switch to disable the LEDs of two separate LED case fans
• Supports all high-end graphics cards on the market after removing the 1st HDD cage
• Dust filters for PSU (slide out) and top panel

The Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 has an MSRP
of $99.99, which is actually $10 less than the original Storm Scout case when it came out in 2009.  Not bad considering that you are getting a slightly larger case with more fans and higher-end features like USB 3.0 front panel headers! The Storm Scout 2 is available in either Gunmetal Grey (SGC-2100-GWN1) or Midnight Black
(SGC-2100-KWN1) color schemes. A quick look online this morning and we
found the Gunmetal Grey for $99.77 shipped and the Midnight Black for $99.77 shipped.
The CM Scout 2 carries a two year parts and labor warranty. The original Cooler Master Storm Scout is still a great case and now that the new Storm Scout 2 has been released you can find the original for $59.99 with free shipping!

Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 Specifications:

• Available Colors: Midnight Black & Gunmetal Grey
• Materials Appearance: Polymer, Coated Steel Mesh and Body
• Dimensions: 230 x 513 x 517.5mm / 9.1 x 20.2 x 20.5 inch (W x H x D)
• Net Weight: 8.3 kg / 18.3 lb
• M/B Type: Micro-ATX, ATX
• 5.25″ Drive Bays: 3 (exposed)
• 3.5″ Drive Bays: 7 (hidden)
• 2.5″ Drive Bays: 2 (converted from one 3.5″ drive bay)
• I/O Panel: USB 3.0 x 2 (int.), USB 2.0 x 2, Mic x 1, Audio x 1 (supports AC97/HD Audio)
• Expansion Slots: 7
• Cooling System: Top: 120mm fan x 2 (optional), Front: 120mm fan x 2 or 140mm fan x 1 (optional), Rear: 120mm red LED fan x 1 (with LED on/off function), Bottom: 120mm fan x 1 (optional), Side: 120mm fan x 2 (optional), HDD cage: 120mm fan x 1 (optional)
• Video Card Length: 11.3″ with HDD cage or 15.7″ without HDD cage
• CPU Cooler Height: 5.8″ with side fan or 6.4″ without side fan
• Warranty: 2 Years

After a quick glance at the specifications we can get an idea of just how much
larger this mid-tower chassis is, and that it does not fall in line with
traditional sized mid-tower chassis’. This chassis also comes in two
color options a Gunmetal Grey, and in Midnight Black; the chassis we
are looking at today is the Midnight Black Storm Scout 2. The Storm
Scout 2 can utilize up to 9 optional fans (I will show you their
location throughout this review), and can handle video cards up to 399mm
(15.7”). One of the most notable things that made the Storm series
chassis popular and is still carried over to the Storm Scout 2 and that
being a built in carrying handle for easy portability.

The only way we can answer this
question is by turning the page and find out first hand. Without further ado, let’s go ahead and turn the page and find out what exactly does Cooler Master has in store for us with their newer addition of chassis’ the Storm Scout 2.