Reviews 51946 Published by

Benchmark Reviews posted a review on the CM Storm Scout 2 Gaming PC Case



I reviewed the first CM Storm Scout when it was released in the first half of 2009. Back then, it was a unique combination of form, function, and swagger. The built-in handle made it a natural for LAN parties, but the size and weight meant two things - you could pack in some serious hardware, and you needed he-man muscles to carry it around. Perhaps surprisingly, that combination turned out to be very popular, and Cooler Master was encouraged to bring the basic design up to date. Kinda reminds me of the "Black Betty" VW Beetle commercial from a few years back... The 2012 version, called Scout 2, is larger in every dimension, but about .4kg lighter, out of the box. Part of that weight reduction can be attributed to the reduction in the number of fans supplied. The Original Scout had two 140mm fans that don't come with the Scout 2.

The design of the Scout 2 is very much true to the original, no major shifts in form or function have been introduced. The handle on top looks the same, but different, and yes it's improved. The airflow is generally the same, and is highly configurable, like the original. The drive bays are mostly arranged the same, but there's now a removable section of HDD storage, to accommodate longer (399mm) video cards. There's the same combination window/side fan mount on the left-hand side panel, but the 2012 version has the two fans side-by-side on the bottom in order to feed the graphics card more air. I could go on for quite a bit longer, but the basic premise is that almost everything that you liked about the original CM Storm Scout has been updated and improved. Every designer has the equivalent of Buyer's Remorse. As soon as the ink is dry on a new drawing, and the package has been released to manufacturing, the second thoughts start to creep in. "You know, I should have made that part a little stronger.", "I wish I'd spent more time on that front panel, it looks a little clunky.", or "Why did I let Frank work on that switch design, it looks like everything he's ever done - tacky." You get the picture; everyone wants a second chance to do it better. Heck, look at the divorce rate in the US, it's not just industrial designers who want another go....
  CM Storm Scout 2 Gaming PC Case Review