Cooler Master Storm Trooper Gaming Case Review
Author: Dennis Garcia
Published: Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Case Layout and Construction
As casemodders we are often curious about the construction of a case to ensure that is well built and can stand up to whatever mod we are planning to do and the Trooper appears to have both of those aspects covered.
For those of you who favor external watercooling gear you'll find three cable ports across the back of the case with two of them large enough to pass 3/4" O.D. tubing and thus finally allowing you to use high end cooling outside of the case.
For those of you who favor external watercooling gear you'll find three cable ports across the back of the case with two of them large enough to pass 3/4" O.D. tubing and thus finally allowing you to use high end cooling outside of the case.
Cable routing has become to be the make or break point of many high end chassis designs and while the Trooper only has 3 routing points they are all extremely large and located at every key location on a standard motherboard.
The best part about the default layout is that it appears to be designed with two distinct wiring zones with a preference to have the majority of the cables behind the motherboard tray.
For additional strength each of the case corners features a riveted connection and reinforcement plate as needed. Of course all of the edges have been rolled for strength and safety.
The best part about the default layout is that it appears to be designed with two distinct wiring zones with a preference to have the majority of the cables behind the motherboard tray.
For additional strength each of the case corners features a riveted connection and reinforcement plate as needed. Of course all of the edges have been rolled for strength and safety.
You will find two very sturdy carrying handles on the Trooper to help facilitate moving your powerhouse around. While the primary purpose of the carrying handle is to help LAN gamers it is also helpful around the house, especially when it comes time for upgrades or regular cleanings.
The photo here shows what the top of the Trooper looks like without the stylish top plastic. As you can see the two handles are firmly attached to the chassis with the exposed handle having a nice rubber grip. The secondary handle is a nice addition both as it protects the top plastic but also gives you some additional leverage to move the chassis around.
The photo here shows what the top of the Trooper looks like without the stylish top plastic. As you can see the two handles are firmly attached to the chassis with the exposed handle having a nice rubber grip. The secondary handle is a nice addition both as it protects the top plastic but also gives you some additional leverage to move the chassis around.
Speaking of panel plastic you will find only two major plastic components on the Trooper, the front bezel and the top plastic. Both panels feature a black rubberized coating and actually do a great job at keeping fingerprints from ruining the finish.
Despite their only being two major body panels the CM Storm Trooper has a very sleek and unified design. For instance that carrying handle is visually integrated into the top plastic to the point that you know it exists but are not bothered by having it there. The venting found on the back of the top panel appears to be styled after a Lamborghini and does a great job at concealing what lurks underneath.
Despite their only being two major body panels the CM Storm Trooper has a very sleek and unified design. For instance that carrying handle is visually integrated into the top plastic to the point that you know it exists but are not bothered by having it there. The venting found on the back of the top panel appears to be styled after a Lamborghini and does a great job at concealing what lurks underneath.
