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The new Cooler Master Storm Trooper is a case that is getting a lot of attention. It is a full tower chassis able to handle an array of hard drives, graphics cards and XL ATX motherboards. It also has full dust filter coverage, a fan controller, an external SSD drive hot-swap dock and two uniquely designed modular hard drive cages. The appearance is also something you won't forget in a hurry.
Specifications:
| Model Number | SGC-5000-KKN1 | ||||||||||||
| Available Color | All Black | ||||||||||||
| Material | Steel body, Front Mesh / Plastic bezel | ||||||||||||
| Dimensions | (W) 250 x (H) 605.6 x (D) 578.5 mm (W) 9.8 x (H) 23.8 x (D) 22.8 inch |
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| Net Weight | 13.7 KG / 30.2 lbs | ||||||||||||
| M/B Type | Micro-ATX, ATX, XL-ATX | ||||||||||||
| 5.25″ Drive Bay | 9 | ||||||||||||
| 3.5” Drive Bay | 8 (converted from 5.25” bay by two 4-in 3 HDD modules) | ||||||||||||
| 2.5” Drive Bay | 13 (converted from 5.25” bay by two 4-in 3 HDD modules) | ||||||||||||
| Cooling System |
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| Expansion Slots | 9+1 | ||||||||||||
| I/O Panel | USB 3.0 x 2 (internal), USB 2.0 x 2, e-SATA x 1, Audio In and Out ( Supports HD audio) | ||||||||||||
| Power Supply Type | Standard ATX PS2 / EPS 12V | ||||||||||||
| Maximum Compatibility | CPU cooler height: 186 mm / 7.3 in GPU card length: 322 mm / 12.7 in |
The CM Storm Trooper case is shipped in a huge, heavy box with a futuristic image of the product on the front.
It is shipped protected between thick pieces of Styrofoam and covered with a soft protective cover to help against scuffing.
There is a box shipped with the product which contains 7 plastic drive bays. We will look at these later in the review.
The CM Storm Trooper is an angular case with some dramatic edges cut into the corners. I think it looks really good, and different to anything else I have seen in recent months. It weighs 13.7 kg, so you won't be lugging this about without some effort. Case dimensions are 250 x 605.6 x 578.5 mm. It supports Micro ATX/ ATX / XL-ATX motherboards.
There are 9 expansion slots at the rear, with a large fan set to exhaust at the top. There are routing holes for watercooling kits here as well.
The side panels follow the same angular design with plenty of venting holes to support substantial air flow. There are mounting holes on the right side panel for two 120mm fans.
Cooler Master have built a carrying handle into the top panel, which looks dramatic and very futuristic. It is rubberised to ensure it won't slip out of your hand easily and according to Cooler Master will support 43 kg of weight, which is rather impressive. This section has a removable dust filter section which slides out from the rear of the case, a great touch.
The top I/O panel is very different to anything else we have seen. In the center is a giant illuminated power button with the Storm logo taking prime position. Below this are buttons for the built in fan controller which can control the lights of the installed fans as well as the RPM of four fans. At the side are ‘+' and ‘-‘ buttons which vary the fan speeds from 1 to 6. In this area are power and hard drive activity LED's, a headphone and microphone port and reset button. Cooler Master have also included four USB ports (2 x USB 2.0 and 2 x USB 3.0) with an ESATA port above. Cooler Master have intentionally spaced the USB ports far apart to ensure that fatter devices won't cause installation problems for others close by.
The Storm Trooper includes an ‘X Dock' slot at the top to allow for the hot connection of a 2.5 inch drive. This is ideal for quick access to a storage drive.
Underneath the case are two pull out, cleanable dust filters. The smaller filter at the bottom of the picture above is designed for the power supply. The larger filter would be ideal for a large radiator.
The front of the case is meshed to allow for maximum airflow from front to back. At the bottom is a removable panel which hides the parts tray.
We received no manual with our sample so we only noticed this tray storage system when we heard the rattling of screws and components inside. Two screws need to be removed to pull out the tray inside. This contains all the screws, bolts needed for the system build. Cooler Master also include a handy EPS 12V power extension cable and some cable tidies along with some eight long screws for mounting 120mm fans to the side panels. When you are finished with the build, you can use this tray to store all the remaining parts. Clever.
Removing the side panels for the first time may require the use of a screwdriver, as our thumbscrews were very tight. Inside, the case is painted completely black.
Two 120mm fans cool the 3.5 inch drive bays behind them, directed in parallel with the side of the case. These are LED models which light up. We found that the cages at the front can be rotated sideways so the fans suck in air from the front of the case. Keeping them mounted sideways however is better for neat cabling routing.
The top of the case has two large fans (140mm rear and 210mm top), both set in exhaust position. At the rear of the case are 9 expansion slots, so plenty of room for Quad SLI or Crossfire configurations if needed.
Removing the other panel allows us to see the motherboard tray better and the routing positions.
There are a large number of holes and rubber covered areas for effective cable routing.
The reverse view of the two 120mm fans, covering both 3.5 inch drive bays.
At the top of the case, in the 5.25 inch drive bay area is a little PCB which controls the top control pad system, it requires a molex cable for power. 5.25 inch drives are held in place with screws.
There are seven tough plastic drive trays supplied which support both 3.5 inch and 2.5 inch drives.
Installing a 3.5 inch drive is painless, and tool less. Each side of the tray clips into the relevant holes at the side of the hard drive.
The 3.5 inch drives slide into place and lock automatically. We really like this system and the plastic bays seem strong enough to withstand some abuse over the years.
2.5 inch drives need to be screwed into the bays from the underside, as shown above.
As before, simply slide the drive bay into position and it locks. Unlocking the drives requires a little pressure on both side panels, then they can be pulled out.
Installing a power supply is as easy as we hoped, simply screw into place from the rear. Cooler Master include some anti vibration strips in this area to stop unwanted noise from the power supply during operation.
The motherboard standoffs aren't installed out of the box, but Cooler Master supply a handy screw down tool meaning a screwdriver can be used to firmly bolt them into place.
There is plenty of space to work with inside the Storm Trooper which makes a system build as easy as possible. The case can support graphics cards up to 322 mm in length.
Above, the system powered up, after the system build. It looks rather attractive in the flesh.
Above a short video of the fans in action from various settings on offer.
On this page we present some super high resolution images of the product taken with the 24.5MP Nikon D3X camera and 24-70mm ED lens. These will take much longer to open due to the dimensions, especially on slower connections. If you use these pictures on another site or publication, please credit Kitguru.net as the owner/source.
Today we are building a high performance enthusiast level system for testing. For a change we are using the AMD FX 8150 processor with an Asus motherboard. We are going to review the Enermax cooler shortly so we exchanged it for a Noctua NH D14 for this section of the review.
Processor: AMD FX 8150 Black Edition.
Motherboard: Asus CrossHair V.
Cooler: Noctua NH D14.
Memory: ADATA 1600mhz Gaming memory.
Graphics Card: HIS HD6950 ICE Q.
Power Supply: Corsair TX750M.
Boot Drive: Intel 40GB SSD.
Secondary Drive: 1TB Samsung.
Windows 7 Enterprise Edition 64bit
Thermal Diodes
Raytek Laser Temp Gun 3i LSRC/MT4 Mini Temp
Digital Sound Level Noise Decibel Meter Style 2
Firstly let us have a look at the chassis design and airflow, as it comes ‘out of the box’.
The front mounted fans suck in air from the front of the case, backwards, while the large 140mm and 210mm fans at the rear exhaust warm air.
We have placed thermal diodes into 5 case positions. 1: at the top of the case, beside the optical drive bay. 2: beside the CPU cooler, next to the exhaust fans. 3: Next to the drive bay rack. 4: In the very center of the chassis, next to the graphics card. 5: close to the power supply, underneath the lower section of the mother board.
Ambient room temperatures were maintained at 23c throughout.
The AMD FX 8150 Black Edition was overclocked to 4.8ghz with a +0.125 boost in core voltage.
The case certainly flows a lot of air as we can see from our results. The diode reports are interesting, especially in the middle of the case as the temperatures are maintained within 2-3 Celcius.
We take the issue of noise very seriously at KitGuru and this is why we have built a special home brew system as a reference point when we test noise levels of various components. Why do this? Well this means we can eliminate secondary noise pollution in the test room and concentrate on components we are testing. It also brings us slightly closer to industry standards, such as DIN 45635.
Today to test the chassis we have taken it into our acoustics room environment and have set our Digital Sound Level Noise Decibel Meter Style 2 one meter away from the case. The room rates as 21dBa before powering on the system (air conditioning unit in the far corner of the room causes this).
As this can be a little confusing for people, here are various dBa ratings in with real world situations to help describe the various levels.
KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refrigerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum
We have replaced the graphics card with a Sapphire HD5670 Ultimate edition.
The case noise can be tuned, however the above is at the performance setting, which is clearly audible, although not intrusive.
I think the appearance of the Cooler Master Storm Trooper Case will split opinion. Like Marmite, people will either love or hate the looks.
It isn't very often I remove a case from the box and spend a few minutes analysing the design. The top section of this case is a fantastic showcase of engineering prowess and it is like nothing I have ever seen before. It is almost as if HR Giger had input in the design phase, mirroring the outer shell of an alien carcass.
On a technical level, the Cooler Master Storm Trooper is clever enough to ensure a high end system build is easy to undertake. It isn't perfect, because I am so used to the Lian Li lever locking system on the expansion slots that I cringe when I see screws now. The use of steel and plastics may keep down costs, but when compared against an aluminum construction it weighs a ton and immediately loses some sex appeal.
In regards to dealing with high end components, this case has ample cooling proficiency, ensuring SLI and Crossfire systems would perform very well. With the vast space inside and the ability to cope with huge graphics cards the high end audience will warm to the Storm Trooper immediately. It can also house the largest motherboards on the market, as well as multiple radiators and a vast array of 5.25 inch and 3.5 inch drives.
Construction is first class and there are no sharp edges and unfinished or marred surfaces, it also feels strong enough to last a very long time and we have no concerns with any of the plastic surfaces being easily susceptible to damage. The inclusion of a carrying handle is inspired, however with the final weight after a system build it won't be the easiest chassis to carry around. I would love to see one of these chassis constructed from high quality aluminum.
Pricing in the United Kingdom is very competitive, with OCUK stocking them for £139.99 inc vat. With many Lian Li cases being sold for upwards of £300 we can see how the use of steel and plastic can lower the cost to the consumer.
Pros:
- Very unusual design and quite attractive.
- good cooling capabilites.
- loads of space inside for the highest level system builds.
- support for dual radiators.
- painted interior looks great.
- Fan controllers.
- Plenty of drive bays for storage.
- Carry handles.
- Great design for cable management.
- Value for money.
Cons:
- Its steel, so its heavy.
- Appearance might not appeal to everyone.
Kitguru says: If you want something eye catching at a good price and able to handle high end system builds, then this deserves a serious look.
I really like the top part of this case, very different as reviewer says.
Interesting that the drive bays can be rotated inside, never seen that done before.
the appearance is too complex for me to find it attractive,. I like simple lines.
I do agree it is certainly stand out. but for me, ill pass.
The internal design is good, but im not sure about that handle section. Seems a bit daft with such a heavy steel case to expect people to carry them about…….
Great images guys. really helped me check out parts of the design. im buying one when they are in stock.
any ideas when that might be?