| Cooler Master Sniper CM Storm Case |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Mathew Williams - Edited by Olin Coles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thursday, 22 January 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cooler Master Sniper CaseWith the start of the New Year, comes a new line of gaming cases from one of the most recognized case manufacturers in the industry: Cooler Master. Launched this month during CES, the new CM Storm division of Cooler Master promises to be the ultimate solution for gamers. Do they deliver? We'll find out today as Benchmark Reviews takes a look at one of the first products to earn the CM Storm seal of approval: the Sniper Gaming Case SGC-6000-KKN1-GP. For the past few months rumors and speculation of Cooler Master's new line of cases has been a constant presence on the web, fueled, in part, by the company's own teaser videos. Cooler Master's CM Storm division has been working closely with gamers around the world to identify and focus on the factors that matter most to the gaming community. Labeled by marketers as "Storm Tactics," these factors include strength, security, and control. As the first product to launch under this new brand, the Sniper Gaming Case will not only have to prove itself, but also the design principles and market appeal of the entire CM Storm series.
About the company: Cooler MasterIn support of the CM Storm brand, Cooler Master launched a completely new website to showcase its products. The following is a short exerpt from that site, describing the CM Storm mission:
"Owning the PC trenches for almost two decades, Cooler Master's veterans present their scars from battles past as claims of triumph over the competition. United with a new generation of eSports athletes and engineers, now marching under the flag of CM Storm, the time has come to reveal truly ground-breaking, military grade hardware for the gaming revolution. Through long-standing research programs, CM Storm is co-developed with the world's most prolific enthusiasts and eSports prodigies. Thanks to intensive testing and continuous feedback, the CM Storm division has been able to encompass and improve upon gamers' needs and their tough to handle scenarios. By working directly with the gaming community we have injected our Storm Tactics into each and every product we make. Storm Tactics, with a heavily dedicated focus on Strength, Security and Control, will keep your most vital gear fortified and well tuned at all times. 2008 marks a new era for Cooler Master, as its fierce Storm Gear stands ready at bay to mobilize and back up your gaming skills. CM Storm - Arming the Gaming Revolution" Cooler Master Storm Features
SGC-6000-KKN1-GP Specification
Closer Look: ExteriorIn recent years, more and more hardware manufacturers have discovered the importance of not only making the product look visually appealing, but also the box it comes in. The CM Storm Sniper shipped in a well-designed, full color box with plenty of graphics and logos. Unfortunately, the one I received appeared to have some minor shipping damage. The box was intact, but I did discover a small dent in the side of the case. 
Small dents aside, one of the first things I noticed was the size of this case. While not much taller than the Antec P180B, the CM Storm Sniper is much wider. No doubt, this was done to accommodate the larger cooling fans that we'll discuss later. I was also struck by the amount of metallic black mesh used. Among case manufacturers, it's fairly common to use this material in the front of the case, but rarely is it used to such an extent on the side panel. 
Looking at the front of the Sniper Gaming Case, the five external drive bays are visible, with the bottom one configurable as a 3.5" or 5.25" bay. Just below that is the front air intake, illuminated by the blue glow of the included 200mm fan. At the top is the control center, which we'll cover in more detail on the next page.
The back side reveals a bit more of the internal layout of the case. As has been the trend among enthusiast cases, the power supply is mounted at the bottom of the case to enhance airflow. Four watercooling pass-throughs are also visible (two at the top and two at the bottom), as well as the rear 120mm fan. (Rubber grommets for the bottom set of pass-throughs are included in the accessory kit)
The side of the CM Storm Sniper avoids the typical acrylic window, in favor of a metallic mesh. While it obviously does not afford the same view as a clear window would, the mesh should allow for considerably more airflow to pass through the case. It will be interesting to see how this affects thermal performance, compared to the P180B, which utilizes a solid side-panel. Detailed Exterior FeaturesThe three factors ascribed to the CM Storm series--strength, security, and control--can clearly be seen throughout the design of this case. On the previous page we looked at the case as a whole. Its overall appearance can certainly be said to embody these characteristics, and in this section we'll take a detailed look at how some of the individual features of the Sniper Gaming Case add to this design goal.
The top-mounted control center, as the name implies, fits in directly with the idea of control, grouping together the most frequently accessed features. On the left side is the reset switch and power button followed by the fan controller. Cooler Master took a unique approach here by incorporating the light switch directly into a variable-speed fan controller. I read up on this feature before the launch of the case and I have to say, it turned out very well. As an added bonus, the controller has extra connections available if you wish to add your own fans. Moving on, you'll find a full allotment of I/O ports, including 4 USB, eSATA, FireWire, headphone, and microphone ports.
The top of the Sniper Gaming Case is also home to a built in carrying handle. Gamers will certainly appreciate this while trekking to their next LAN party, but even around the home it has its uses. I was initially concerned with the strength of the handle, as the top panel of the case is made of plastic to keep the weight down. A closer look, however, revealed metal reinforcement along the handle path, which offered me a great deal of reassurance.
Another concern of mine was the amount of dust that could build up on the internal hardware as the result of so much mesh. This was an issue that came up with the initial prototypes of the Sniper and Cooler Master took the feedback they received to heart. The production version of the case has an integrated filter lining on all of the mesh panels. While I haven't had enough time with the case to truly determine the effectiveness of the lining, so far it has been working well.
At the bottom of the Sniper, Cooler Master includes retractable feet. These not only add stability to the case, but also elevate it to allow cooler air to enter from the bottom of the case. While not immediately apparent from the photo above, there is a large, vented open on the underside of the case for just this purpose.
Rounding out our detailed look exterior features of the Sniper Gaming Case is the security element of the CM Storm series. To the right of the expansion slots is a second opening containing what Cooler Master have labeled the StormGuardTM. It's basically a removable metal cover, drilled out to allow you to loop the wires of your peripherals through it. By looping them through and locking the side panel of the case, it makes it very difficult for someone to get away with your gear in one piece. While the system won't prevent theft entirely, it should discourage it to some degree. Closer Look: InteriorThe interior of the CM Storm Sniper case takes on a similar look as the exterior, but with much more bare metal visible. Those of you who saw the prototype may remember the black-painted interior. I'm not entirely sure why Cooler Master decided against this for the production version. Perhaps there just wasn't enough interest to justify the extra cost. Nevertheless, with the case closed, it's not much of an issue.
Color differences aside, the interior of the Sniper looks very much like the prototype. The layout is typical of an enthusiast case. The power supply is mounted on the bottom, with the drive cages mounted toward the front of the case and an ATX motherboard panel occupying the rest of the space. With the exception of the power supply and motherboard mounting points, everything in this case is designed to allow for a screw-free installation.
The 5.25" drive cages should look familiar to anyone who's seen the Cooler Master Cosmos case. They make use of the same push-to-lock screw-less installation system. For those not familiar with this system, there are two metal pins on the backside that line up with the mounting points of the drive. One click of the button pushes these pins inward to lock the drive into place. A second push of the button pulls the pins back into their housing and releases the drive. I found the feature very easy to work with, but should you want to use traditional screws, the assembly can be removed.
The 3.5" drive cage of the Sniper Gaming Case is tool-less as well. There's room for five drives, each with their own removable tray. This can be useful for those who swap out their hard drives often, but the process of getting the drive into the actual tray can be a little disconcerting. More details on that are coming up in the next section, which covers installation.
The drives, as well as the rest of the case, are cooled by three included fans. The front and top fans come in at a hefty 200mm and glow blue when switched on via the control center. The rear fan is of the more common 120mm variety and does not contain any LEDs. All three fans are variable and can be adjusted through the control center as well. Cooler Master also includes a number of pre-drilled holes, allowing you to customize the fan sizes and placement. The top fan, for example, can be replaced with two 120mm fans or even a complete radiator assembly. The side panel and case floor can be equipped with additional fans as well.
One final feature that caught my eye was the paper motherboard template. While marking the standoff locations is not necessarily a new concept, I do appreciate that Cooler Master included this on the Sniper. Also labeled on the template, is the "CPU cooler replacement hole." As you'll see in the next section, this hole lines up perfectly with the CPU cooler backing plate and allows you to swap out the HSF assembly without having to remove the entire motherboard. Detailed Interior FeaturesFor the most part, installation with the CM Storm Sniper went smoothly. Cooler Master includes a number of features that help installation along, which I'll highlight here. As expected with a new product, however, I did run into a few issues as well.
With the motherboard standoffs attached according to the template, the motherboard easily slipped into place. Securing the motherboard and the power supply with the included screws was the only portion of the installation that required a tool. With those installed and the front I/O connections in place, I decided to give the tool-less expansion slots a try. The expansion slots are secured with a plastic latch that rotates backward to give you access to the slot and rotates forwards to lock it into place. While the system worked and did secure the video card, it was probably my biggest disappointment with this Sniper Gaming Case. The system felt very loose and I found small plastic shavings at bottom of the case after using it, likely from the plastic latches rubbing against the metal edges of the rear panel. It didn't exactly inspire the strength and confidence that the rest of the case did. Fortunately, the entire assembly can be removed and a more secure, direct screw method can be used.
Following the expansion slot experience, I turned my attention to another tool-less feature of the case: the hard drive trays. Similar to the 5.25" drive bays, the 3.5" drive trays use metal pins that secure the drive at its mounting points. These pins are held in place by a rubber jacket that then attach to the plastic tray. The odd part is that you have to bend the plastic tray around the drive to get all four pins in place and, if you aren't paying attention to alignment, you may end up popping one of the pins out of its rubber jacket. Overall, it's not too difficult to figure out, but it may have been easier to simply secure the drives to the tray with screws.
With everything installed, it was time for a little cable management. All of the Type A personalities out there will be happy to hear the CM Storm Sniper has a number of cabling paths and tie down locations throughout the case. They even include the zip ties. I decided to run the bulk of the cables behind the motherboard. This has become a popular method lately and Cooler Master facilitates it by including several well-placed cut-outs around the motherboard, as well as a spacious gap between the side panel and the interior motherboard panel. In the photo above you can also see the CPU cooler cut-out, which allows direct access to the backing place should you decide to replace the HSF.
Proper cable management not only enhances airflow, but also provides a very clean look for those who want to showcase their hardware. With everything installed and tied down, you begin to appreciate the size of this case. While the hardware I used is typical of most gaming rigs, the CM Storm Sniper should be able to handle high-end SLI and Crossfire setups as well. Water cooling is even an option with room for a dual 120mm radiator and removable hard drive cage. For our tests, however, the case will be kept in its original configuration. Testing & ResultsTesting MethodologyThe design goal of a case, other than looking good and protecting the equipment contained within, is to help bring cool air in and push hot air out. In testing the CM Storm Sniper Gaming Case, we'll look at how well it performs this heat exchange process in comparison with the well-known Antec 180B. To account for the variables experienced in everyday life, we've developed four test scenarios:
For the load tests, all four cores of the processor are maxed out using the Prime95's large FFT setting. Furmark is then started in stability mode to ramp up the load on the video card. In each test, the highest temperatures observed by SpeedFan and the ATI Catalyst Control Center in a one hour period are recorded. All enclosures are tested with the same hardware configuration, which is installed according to manufacturer specifications. Care is taken to ensure cable management and other installation considerations are as identical as possible between all test products. Test System
Benchmark Applications
Enclosure Test Products
ResultsWith air cooling, there is an inherent trade-off between cooling performance and noise. Some cases are designed to be quiet, others are designed for all out performance, but most fall somewhere in the middle. Both of the cases tested today offered variable fan speeds, which allow the end-user to find the compromise that best fits their needs. In the charts below, you'll find results for both low-speed and high-speed fan settings. Keep in mind that the cooling performance you experience will depend on your choice of fan speed, as well as the other cooling components in your system. With that in mind, let's look at our results.
The idle test serves as a baseline for all of the other tests. It offers the least heat output and the lowest temperatures you'd expect to see in a real word environment. Here we can see that the CM Storm Sniper, with its larger fans and open mesh design, offers much lower temperatures. Even at a low fan speed, it beats or matches the P180B at high fan speed, and does so with less noise.
At 100% system load, the last chart represents the highest temperatures you'd expect to see in a real world environment. While the temperature range between the two cases tightens up a bit, the clear winner in thermal performance is still the CM Storm Sniper. Again we see that, with the exception of the VGA temperature, the Sniper at low fan speed offers lower temperatures than the P180B at high fan speed. At high fan speed, the cooling performance of the Sniper is simply phenomenal. CM Storm Final ThoughtsCooler Master established the CM Storm division to develop new products specifically targeted toward the gaming community. From what I've seen in this review, the Sniper Gaming Case certainly lives up to that reputation. Moreover, I believe the design features and cooling performance offered by the Sniper will entice non-gamers as well. That said, let's take a closer look at how well Cooler Master met its design goals of strength, security, and control. In terms of strength, the Sniper does very well. The chassis is sturdy and well put together. Even with it fully loaded, I felt comfortable carrying it around via the integrated handle and at no point in the review did I find any defective or broken parts. In fact, the only shortcoming was a poor implementation of the screw-less installation features. Some of the screw-less solutions worked well, but I just couldn't bring myself to trust the plastic expansion slots, which did not hold the video card as securely as I would have liked. Fortunately, the Sniper includes traditional mounting holes as well, and I was able to simply use screws. The Sniper gaming case also brings with it, the StormGuard. This is the main security feature, which allows you to route your peripheral cables through the case thus deterring theft. With the high cost of gaming peripherals, it's easy to see how this might be a plus at a large LAN party or event. It may even appeal to business and institutions that frequently set up public computers. Speaking for myself, I would love to see one of these cases at the local library.
The final element of the CM Storm series, control, is perhaps my favorite feature of the Sniper case. Fan controllers aren't necessarily uncommon, but having one integrated directly into the case is a great feature. I also appreciate that everything was pre-wired; all that was required of me was to attach the 4-pin power connection. For those of you who put your case on the floor, you'll find that the location of the control center and I/O ports is perfect as well. Cooler Master really put a lot of thought into the Sniper and it shows. One final factor that I'd like to introduce to the StormTactics trio is performance. In terms of its cooling capability, the Sniper bested an old favorite of mine, the Antec P180 series. The open mesh design and 200mm fans, offer incredible cooling performance without sacrificing noise levels. If this is any indication of the things to come, the CM Storm division may quickly become a new favorite among gamers and enthusiasts. CM Sniper Case ConclusionThe Sniper Gaming Case has been an interesting product to review. It's not just the launch of a case, but also the start of a brand new division at Cooler Master. In support of the case and this new division, Cooler Master has launched a completely new website as well as several promotional videos and logos. In addition, the case arrived in a full-color box with plenty of graphics and specs. As far as I'm concerned, it earns top marks for presentation. Appearance is another strength of the CM Storm Sniper. While this is more of a subjective category, I think all can agree that Cooler Master achieved their goal of a military inspired design. The black mesh and accented fan grill look great, particularly when illuminated by the blue LED fans. As I mentioned in the previous section, the Sniper Gaming Case lives up to the strength element as well. I was initially put off by some of the tool-less installation features, specifically the plastic expansion slot latch, but that was easily solved by a couple screws. Other than that, the rest of the case is pretty much flawless. Nothing was missing our broken and I felt reassured knowing the handle is reinforced by steel.
The two other design goals, security and control, can also be seen throughout the case. The StormGuard works as intended, deterring theft by making it nearly impossible to remove the peripherals in one piece. Run a steel security cable through this system and you could easily secure the entire system to a desk or table as well. The control center is another great feature, adding functionality by grouping the most common switches and I/O ports in one location. I found the integrated light switch and fan-speed controller to be a particularly convenient design. Some features will be hit or miss depending on the person, but overall the Sniper has a lot to offer. From the box to the benchmark table, the the CM Storm Sniper has looked and performed beautifully. At $179.99 from newegg.com, it isn't exactly a bargain, but still less than many other enthusiast cases out there. If you're looking for a new gaming case, the Sniper is a great looking enclosure and offers some of the best performance I've seen from a mid-tower design. Pros:
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