Cooler Master CM Storm Scout 2 - A Worthy Successor?
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Page 3 of 5 - Interior Design (Part I)
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Interior Design (Part I)
Interior Design (Part I)
We slid off both the side panels to reveal a compartmentalized interior; the drive bays on one side while the other can accommodate motherboards of mATX and ATX form factors. According to its official specifications, the Scout 2 can accommodate graphics cards of lengths up to 399mm (15.7 inches), this is possible if we remove one of the side panels of the 3.5-inch HDD cage. With this side panel in place, the longest card that can fit is of 287mm or 11.3 inches in length - this is probably just barely enough to fit most of the commonly sold graphics cards, but some extreme cards would have difficulty to fit unless the drive cage panel is removed. Over on the other side, we also noticed the rectangular cut-out at the motherboard panel to accommodate CPU cooling solutions that may require access to the backplates of the boards. There are also a number of rubber grommets to cover the cut-outs for cables on the motherboard panel. And while we're discussing on the internal components from the following photo, you might want to note that there is a bundled rear 120mm cooling fan with red LED for added visual effect.
Referring to the below photo, we can see neatly bundled cables trailing from the front controls. The grommets function more to cover the cable cut-outs than to help bunch the cables together because they are thin and flaccid. We also noted that the thumbscrews that held the slot covers and StormGuard in place needed a screwdriver from them to be removed with ease. Fortunately, the installation of the drives at the 5.25- and 3.5-inch drive bays are tool-free. A 5.25-inch drive is held in place by a latch that can move into a locked position. Such a convenient mechanism can even be found in the entry-level Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus chassis. The 3.5-inch drive is mounted in place with HDD rails that we shall see in detail on the next page. As for smaller drives like 2.5 and 1.8-inch ones, there is only one drive adapter provided. Given that SSDs are gaining popularity these days, having only one drive adapter provided in a gamer-oriented casing isn't enough; at least two should have been provided considering future needs.
We proceeded to remove the front cover in order to study the front cooling options; we pinched the pair of bottom round clips and removed the cover with a quick jerk at its bottom finger grip. There are also top cooling options available as we view the top of the chassis from its interior.
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Page 3 of 5 - Interior Design (Part I)
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