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Installation

The first component I installed in the Cooler Master Storm Scout was the motherboard. This was fairly simple to install as there is enough space to manoeuvre the board into the case easily. Once fitted and screwed down, one small problem was made clear. The top of the motherboard is very close to the above fan and top panel, this makes it difficult to connect the 8-pin EPS connector if your board has one. Furthermore, there are no holes to route the cable through at the top of the motherboard plate. Moreover, any large heatsink may not be able to be installed due to the very close fan. It would’ve been better if Cooler Master somehow mounted this fan outside the case rather than packing it tightly inside.

To install any 5.25” bay the front cover of the enclosure has to be removed. This is very simple and just requires a tug on the bottom of the panel. Once removed, you can see that the front is made from ABS plastic – which is rather flimsy – and the mesh. The mesh is backed with foam to reduce dust and dampen noise.

The drive then simply slides into position with the tool-less clip on the left side securing it in place. It’s worth mentioning that you’re also suppose to secure some screws in the adjacent side, however, we found with just the tool-less clip, it secured the drive very well.

Installing a hard drive is also very easy and completely tool-less. Firstly, the drive rails are mounted on to the sides of the drive by popping the metal lugs on the drive rails into the holes of the drive. The drive can then be slid in – once it’s in it’s very secure. Please note though, the drive can only be installed with the sockets facing the non-windowed side of the case.

The CPU cooler I installed was a Noctua NH-U9B and required a back-plate. Normally I would whinge about installing a back-late (trust me, the extra effort gets annoying after a while), but installing one using the Cooler Master Storm Scout was a painless and quick operation. Due to the large hole in the back of the motherboard plate, you can install a back-plate easily with a motherboard installed. For many enthusiasts I can see this being very helpful.

Once everything is installed and plugged up this is how she looks. Notice all the space available below the motherboard, any larger PSU would easily fit.

Finished Job

Fortunately when I pressed the power button for the first time she powered up. I didn’t think the lights were working to start off with, so I pressed the button on the front to turn them on, but actually, they were working, they’re just very dim. Very dim in fact that they actually give hardly any light out inside the case, so if you’re one for bling bling, I’d consider installing some CCFL tubes inside for a more healthy glow.

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