Bring your ideas to life – that’s the main aim of Cooler Master. The sense of joy, freedom and achievement – that’s what this company takes care of. During its 25 years on the market Cool master has surprised technological world by its first aluminum computer chassis and toolless motherboard heatsinks, and proved that airflow inside the case is also as much important for cooling system as fans and heatsinks.

So, you can guess that PC cases are also one of those products which have been constantly improved and updated. Cool Master provides a number of cases to choose from which vary in their size, options and price, and this review is namely about one of them – CM Storm Scout 2.

First impression

Before you open a side panel of any case you can already decide whether you like it or not just looking at its design. Obviously, that first impression may not coincide with your final verdict but it can affect your further actions towards the case.

CM Storm Scout 2 has a round futuristic theme, so if you prefer stuff like that then this case is definitely worth your attention. This mid-tower computer chassis has stylish steel reinforced carrying handles bolted to support beams of the core structure. Note that they have rubber coating and are rather strong (can handle up to 30 kg), what makes transportation easy and convenient. In fact, you will experience this from the very first second of case unpacking.

What is more, the corpus itself is quite flexible and thanks to this Scout 2 is very durable. This chassis takes into account all possible pitfalls, so its front I/O panel is fully steel and hidden behind the extra panel. By the by, except for front I/O there are power/reset switches as well as control for LED.

There is also a side panel window, which shows only the best part of the case inside. There you won’t see any optical or hard drives. Instead, you will enjoy a great view of CPU, memory and graphics cards. Behind the window there are also metal fan drills as a part of advanced cooling system.

Cooling System

Looking at CM Storm Scout 2 you will see that there are enough fan mounts to keep all PC elements cooled. This computer can support up to 9 fans including enlarged vents what plays a great part in cooling performance.

Now let’s have a closer look at Scout 2 cooling system. First of all, there are two 120 red LED fans, which can be controlled with a light push of the button on the front panel. Keep in mind that front panel can have either two 120mm fans or just one 140mm fan.

There is 120mm fan in the bottom of the case as well as one more fan on its top to release heat. By the by, you can also add two more CM fans as Scout 2 has optional dual 120mm fan mounts on the acrylic side panel window with mesh design for optimized airflow. Besides, you can place one more fan in HDD cage.

To keep your case always clean CM Storm Scout 2 has a convenient slide-out dust filter under PSU. There are also some more additional filters at the top, front and bottom of the case. But bear in mind, that if you involve all fans and fan mounts into your PC performance you can be annoyed by the noise they produce.

Well, CM Storm Scout isn’t as super quiet as Antec Sonata IV, but its cooling options are more than just impressive. Still, if you need silence you can either choose a pre-cited Sonata product or wait for the release of the newest Cooler Master models such as Cosmos C700P or MasterCase H500P.

By the way, choosing a CPU cooler for Scout 2, keep in mind that this chassis can host only those with 6.4-inch size.

Drive Bays and HDDs

This CM mid-tower case has 7 HDD bays including one 2.5-inch bracket. There are seven internal 3.5-inch bays, three of which are removable, and three external 5.25-inch bays placed on the front of the case behind the filtered layer. Note that you can also convert one 3.5-inch bay into two 2.5-inch bays.

By the by, Scout 2 has a removable HDD cage for long graphics card installation and supports up to 3 ODD tool-free bays. Furthermore, this computer chassis is SDD compatible and can host up to two SDDs.

Ports and Expansion Slots

Scout 2 has two USB 3.0 ports for fast smartphone and tablet charging, and file transfer. Besides, there are two USB 2.0 ports. As a typical PC case, this chassis has also got audio in/out ports. As to the expansion slots, there are seven of them.

PSU, Motherboards and Graphics Cards

As to the PSU, Scout 2 supports PS2 placed on the bottom mount of the case. This CM case is not only made of flexible material, it has also got a flexible inside build. The point is that this computer chassis can host any high-grade hardware of any size. Thanks to the removable HDD cage Scout 2 can support any NVIDIA or AMD graphics cards.

All you have to do to add a longer card is to remove the first HDD cage. Note that the maximum length of the card with HDD cage is 11.3 inches, and 15.7 inches without it. Scout 2 can also host micro-ATX as well as ATX motherboards.

Cable management and tool-free installation

Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 is one of those cases which are simple and easy to use. Choosing this chassis you will experience nice cable management, which includes plenty of rubber grommets to prevent any cable damages. Besides, this case presupposes tool-free installation as well.

Summary

Cooler Master knows what it does and Scout 2 can prove this. The case itself is good-looking without any sharp edges. There are great handles, so you can easily transport it wherever you want.

Choosing this PC case you can count on top-notch cooling performance and select any graphics card you like as there are no strict size limits. Still, remember that if you are looking for silence then this case won’t be the best choice.

Crucial has been known as the team of memory and storage experts for more than 20 years. Consequently, all their products are claimed to be adjusted to the new requirements and needs of users. And here we are to check whether reliability and compatibility are indeed Crucial key features.

This time the name of the game is Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer. This memory is aimed at the serious gamers, so if you are one of them – keep your head on a swivel!

First Impression

Ballistix Tactical Tracer modules are quite short – only 31mm long. Obviously, such compact size guarantees that you won’t face any troubles when fitting them in your PC case. Besides, if to take into account the fact that a great number of modern CPU coolers, under which you’ll have to put RAM, cannot boast of small sizes, the compactness of Ballistix Tactical Tracer modules looks like a real bonus.

As to the design of this Ballistix RAM, it’s not too much impressive. There is a combination of black and grey colors on the heat spreader, what creates a kind of military effect.
The speed of the memory is an average one but its timing is great – 1600MHz (8-8-8-24). If you belong to the category of those users who like to control everything then you will be pleased to learn that each module has an option of temperature probe. There is also the Sandybridge friendly voltage of 1.5v.

Still, the main feature which is more likely to impress Ballistix customers is the option of 18 LEDs. Yes, that’s true. This Ballistix RAM hosts 18 LEDs that you can program via the Crucial MOD software. So, at the top of each RAM module there are 10 Activity LEDs and there are also another 8 Running LEDs at the base. Note that you can control brightness and color of these two LED sets individually.

Each of the Ballistix Tactical Tracer modules have 4GB RAM, and on the whole there are 8192 MBs of DDR3 memory. Besides, they support Intel Extreme Memory Profiles (XMP) and are 100% tested at 1600 MHz in Intel based motherboards. Their SPD is programmed at JEDEC standard 9-9-9-24 values at 1333 MHz. By the by, this Crucial RAM is not only Sandybridge but also Bulldozer compatible.

Installation

As we have mentioned above, installation of this RAM is quite an easy process thanks to its size. There is no big deal fitting it under a CPU cooler and in the end you will find even some extra space between these two items of your PC case.

Afterwards you will have your BIOS check how well the memory was configured including its default speed and timing. At first you will get somewhat lower results (only 1066 MHz/9-9-9-24) but after setting the eXtreme Memory Profile (XMP) you will see how much higher the speed of your RAM is (1600 MHz/8-8-8-24).

The only thing here to be careful about is installation of the MOD software. You should be aware of the fact that it’s not a part of standard Windows package, so if you have this operating system you’ll need to do some extra work to install it. You can get this software either on one of the Crucial webpages or do some Google search for the other sources.

In fact, downloading and installing of MOD software is not a problem. The point here is that Ballistix Tactical Tracer does not include any instructions on where you can get this software. And we don’t really like it.

Performance

This Ballistix RAM shows great performance in the AIDA64 Cache and Memory Benchmark. Testing your PC work after Tactical Tracer installation you will see that it has nice Latency results, though they may not seem to be as great as G.Skill RipjawsX or Corsair XMS3 can offer.

Due to the temperature tab you will be able to monitor the temperature of the Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer modules by means of an on-board temperature probe. Note that it’s up to you to choose the temperature units (Fahrenheit or Celsius). What is more, you can have this information logged to a separate file or displayed on the screen of your PC using a handy widget.

Besides, there is an option of configurable alarm which can be turned on in case RAM modules reach a configurable temperature. Still, we can already say that there is a little chance that you’ll get this RAM overheat.

And now some words about LEDs. This Ballistix memory does know how to make its performance a true lightning show. You already know that it has 18 LEDs and that’s cool of course, but the best thing here is that it’s you who decides what kind of lightning show to enjoy.

Ballistix Tactical Tracer allows you to configure its LEDs performance via the lights tab in the Crucial MOD software. You can change the colors of 8 Running LEDs as well as 10 Activity LEDs. Note that this Crucial RAM can offer either a combination of orange & blue or red & green. What is more, there are four patterns you can choose from – Stereo, Inside Out, Lava and Streamer. Brightness can be adjusted to your taste as well.

Summary

Though Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer isn’t the fastest set of modules you can have, it does deserve to be called a reliable one. This RAM is never slow, shows high results when it comes to small overclock and shows stable performance at 1633 MHz.

There is no doubt that thanks to their LEDs variety these modules are good-looking. Ballistix Tactical Tracer is also rich in monitoring and customization options provided by the MOD software.
But on the whole, this memory is not too much impressive. The main thing about it is the availability of 18 LEDs. So, if you like such option then this Crucial RAM will definitely draw your attention. Otherwise, we advise you to look for something different.

Thus, PC cases also take a significant part in Antec manufacture. The company offers products to satisfy quite different needs. Here you can find both cheap and expensive computer chassis for workstation, gaming or any other specific purpose.

The highlight of this review is Antec Nine Hundred – a merge of elegant look and hefty cooling options.

Prima Facie

Well, this ATX mid tower case is definitely a representative of old classics. Antec Nine Hundred has got perforated front, rear and side panels with black finish. Its body is steel and sturdy with plastic top and bezel. Through its glass panel you can see lights of blue LED CPU fan which matches the blue LEDs of the chassis. Note that if you don’t like stuff like that you can always change the fans. By the by, there is also a top tray to store MP3 player and digital camera.

Antec Nine Hundred is not large but still can host large video cards. It is 19.4 inches long, 8.1 inches deep and its height reaches 18.4 inches. This Antec chassis is also somewhat heavy as it weighs 8.2 kg.

Cooling System

OK, it’s not a secret that if you want your PC to show top-notch performance then it should be provided with advanced cooling system. Though Antec Nine Hundred is not the newest model you can find on today’s market, its cooling system is something it should be proud of.

Its top 200mm TriCool exhaust fan, as well as one rear 120mm TriCool fan, have 3-speed switch control. The other two front 120mm special black TriCool blue LED fans have the same control type – it allows them to cool HDDs.

Besides, Antec Nine Hundred can host one optional 120mm fan to cool graphics card and one optional middle 120mm fan aimed to control the temperature of either CPU or graphics card as well. There is another optional 120mm fan mount placed on the window side panel for another fan to reach maximum VGA cooling.

Due to perforated front bezel air intake inside the case is maximized. What is more, HDD cages serve as air ducts to improve the general air intake. We cannot say that Antec Nine Hundred is super silent but its performance is not as loud as some of the high-end cases have. Just bear in mind that this computer chassis is aimed to keep all PC parts well-cooled. That is why it’s a nice option for gamers.

Still, such components as fan controllers or CPU coolers are not the part of this mid-tower case. Obviously, this is a great drawback but you can always improve the case yourself and choose the best fan controller or CPU cooler to meet your needs. Another thing we don’t like about this case is the absence of CPU cutout.

Drive Bays and HDDs

On the whole, Antec Nine Hundred has nine drive bays at the front which can be configured to your personal preferences. The point is that three internal bay cages are removable and can be easily repositioned.

So, there are three different drive set-ups. For example, you can have a chassis with three external bays, 5.25 inches each, and six internal 3.5-inch cases for HDD. The other version includes six external bays and just three internal. Finally, there can be nine 5.25-inch external bays only. Note that 3.5-inch bays are removable while 5.25-inch bays aren’t.

Each drive bay cover has lots of ventilation, and each hard drive cage has a blue LED 120mm fan to keep hard drives cooled. By the by, this case has two front loaded HDD cages which can host up to 6 hard disk drives.

Ports and Expansion Slots

Antec Nine Hundred has its external ports placed on the top of the case for easy access. They include microphone and headphone jacks, a FireWire port and two USB 2.0 ports. At the back of this mid-tower chassis, there are seven expansion slots.

PSU and Motherboards

This Antec case does not come together with ATX PSU but you can install it at the bottom of the case which has four soft rubber mounts to prevent PSU from getting scratched. By the way, here is the list of best power supply units you can choose from.

As to the boards, Antec Nine Hundred supports the standard, micro and mini ATX form factor motherboards. There is enough space inside the case so you can choose any best micro, mini or standard ATX board to boost your PC performance. However, keep in mind that Antec Nine Hundred isn’t provided with a removable motherboard tray.

Cable management and tool-free installation

Though Antec Nine Hundred is quite roomy and has enough space to host even cumbersome 850W or 1,000W power supply units, its cable management seems only to suffer from this. The point is that if you choose a big PSU there won’t be much space for power cables. Therefore we recommend you to select a shorter PSU in order to prevent the case of being cramped.

But if cable management is something you can find in Antec Nine Hundred then tool-free installation is completely absent. Unfortunately, there is no such option as the tool-free installation of drivers in drive bays or cards in the expansion slots.

Summary

Antec Nine Hundred is like an old friend. You know that it’s not perfect but still, you can always rely on it. This mid tower case has a good cooling system which can be further improved by you. It supports three types of boards and is well-equipped for PSU. Still, remember that PSU is something you will need to buy yourself.

There is a wide range of drive bays and HDDs. Its stylish look is combined with durable quality. On the whole, Antec Nine Hundred seems to be a nice choice but it does have a host of things to be improved. It would be much better to have an option of tool-free installation and USB 3.0 ports. Fan controllers, as well as CPU coolers, would be a great addition as well, especially if to consider its average price of over $90. Still, you can also pay attention at Antec newest models like P8 or P110 presented this year at Computex show.