Exterior Design
The very first thing I noticed when unpacking this case is the handle. It isn’t the first case I have seen with a handle on it, but it is the first case that I haven’t felt the handle flex. The thing is just plain sturdy, comfortable to lift with, and something I wouldn’t be afraid to use. The style is fairly subdued when comparing to the Enforcer. The size becomes part of the styling when we take a look at the front. The black mesh bay covers run down the whole front of the case with up to nine drives. The CM Storm logo is featured on the bottom front of the case, which also serves as a door to the toolbox. (We will have more on that during the installation portion of this review.) The black mesh style is prominent on the side as well.
The front control panel is sloped slightly, which makes it easier to see what ports are what when trying to plug something in while sitting on top of a desk. There are some interesting features to be found here, a 2.5” SSD dock just below the ports, two USB3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, eSATA, audio jacks, power/reset buttons, and a fully integrated fan controller.
The far side of the case is identical to the other with the black mesh opening to promote airflow through the drive bays. The rear of the case is where you really get the idea of how much hardware one could cram into this thing.
Let’s open this case up and see how the interior is designed. Nine expansion slots with a wire lockdown are the most noticeable features here. You can also see the bottom mount PSU position, which I am a fan of. On the top you can see three openings for water-cooling support. Both the top and bottom of the case feature fan filters that you can easily remove them, clean, and replace all without opening the case.