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Cooler Master did an excellent job in designing the Storm Trooper for the gamer and PC enthusiast markets.
Firstly, the outward appearance of the case is exceptional as it manages to nicely combine a clean look (through the side panels) with a more aggressive and rugged visual style seen with the top and front bezels. Traditionally I tend to prefer a cleaner looking case, but I have to admit the Storm Trooper really transcends the standard design and should appeal not to gamers and enthusiasts, but just about any type of DIY system builder.
Along with the aesthetics, the Storm Trooper also includes a very robust feature set. The most unique is the two top mounted handles which serve to make the already big case easier to carry. This is going to make it easier to either haul the Storm Trooper to LAN events, or just carry it over to a friend's house. The handles are reinforced to the chassis and can support up to 95lbs. Since most cases equipped with all high-end hardware will still fall well under the maximum weight threshold, the handles should be usable regardless of the type of hardware installed inside the Storm Trooper.
In addition, the Storm Trooper has ample room for high-end components. This is going to allow the user to install and transport all their extreme gaming gear, which could give them the advantage over gamers that choose to sacrifice hardware performance for a smaller and more portable rig.
To be sure, while the handles are going make transporting the case easier, they are not going reduce the weight of the case; they're simply a means to give users a better grip on the case. A heavy case is still going to be a heavy case regardless of handles, and if you have a hard time carrying around heavy equipment the Strom Trooper is still going to be hard to lug around.
On top of portability, the Cooler Master Storm also includes features such as damage resistant rubberized outer surfaces, an impressive top mounted control panel, support for up to 14 SSDs, ample room for all of today's largest components and accommodation for multiple water-cooling configurations. All of this makes the Storm Troop an ideal case for any gamer, and at $189 it is well below the price of other high-end cases such as the Corsair 800D or Thermaltake Level 10 GT.
The only thing we would have like to have seen added to the Storm Trooper is a USB 2.0 to 3.0 convertor. Not adding the convert is going to prevent anyone with a motherboard that only supports internal USB 2.0 connectivity from being able to use the two USB 3.0 ports on the front of the case. Overall this isn't going ot affect the case too badly, but anyone with an older motherboard one one that simply just doesn't include a USB 3.0 header might feel as if they got the shaft.
The only thing truly missing from the Storm Trooper (besides a USB 2.0 to 3.0 convertor) is a white and black color scheme to really evoke memories of that sci-fi classic (now available on Blu-ray, what timing), but maybe that could be something Cooler Master will consider in the future.
- Comment on this article (14)
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Looks like a really great case, though. Glad more and more companies are taking Corsair's cable management grommets and implementing them in their cases.
I just don't like cases without side panel windows, which is why I would never spend $190 on that case. IMO, the Corsair 650D is a better option than the CM Storm Trooper, but that's just based on personal preference for looks.
Also, plastic on a high end case ($180+) is not acceptable to me. All Aluminum or Aluminum/Steel should be the only materials used on the exterior of the case.
Also, it comes down to personal preferences. Some people really like the look of cases such as the HAF-X, which uses plastic and steel while others prefer an all metal frame.
I tend to like aluminum, but this case really looks good even with plastic bezels.
I had the NZXT Phantom for about a month, and the plastic actually made noise. Like when a house 'settles' and you hear creaks and cracks, the case did that. I hated it. The case was awesome looking, for sure, but the plastic sucked. Also, I just can't have a case without a side window. I want to see how pretty its guts are
The 650D is a great case, if you like the way it looks, buy it. It doesn't have poor airflow at all.
Qwark - The Phantom is a fantastic case for the price, I'd recommend it to anyone who liked the way it looked and wanted it. I just don't like cases without side panel windows, and the plastic is what adds to its looks. Couldn't really have made that case with all aluminum/steel. It's all steel except for the top and front bezel. Sturdy case, the plastic just made a little noise from time to time.
Nice case but the decision to make the only two intake fans point to the side of the case across the hard drives was a poor decision. Surely its a different look than the 800 other cases that have an intake from front to back but the airflow is less efficient. Otherwise looks like a great case with a wide set of features.
http://img.neoseeker.com/v_image.php?type=article&articleid=2902&image=1