Gadgetory

coolermaster has released their first all-new chassis of 2011 under the CM storm brand it's geared for gamers and enthusiasts here we have the CM storm enforcer a modestly sized mid tower that takes much of its successful layout and design from the cooler master half series and gives it a unique aggressive look the case rings in at $89 where there's a large amount of competition and not just from other manufacturers but from Coolermaster themselves so let's see how the enforcer stacks up the exterior design is inspired by the idea of an armoured soldier or cyborg while it may not be for everyone it sits right in with a unique gaming look that CM storm products aim for and it stands out among the sea of simple box towers the front has a 200 millimeter LED intake fan and behind the front door there are four external drive bays with a three and a half inch option front ports include USB 3.0 USB 2 audio power and reset I should also point out that for USB 3 they are using the new standard internal USB header connection but unfortunately there isn't any sort of adapter to plug into the back of an older motherboard now at the top there is space for an optional 200 millimeter fan or dual 120 millimeter fan the back of the case shows water tubing holes 120 millimeter exhaust fan 7 plus 1 PCI spaces and bottom mounted power supply if the interior looks familiar that's because it's nearly identical to that of the half 9 1 - alejo we know to be tried tested and true and now it has the added bonus of a black paint job at the bottom we have a dust filter under the power supply separate two and a half inch drive caddy with support for two drives six three and a half inch toolless drive bays for two lists five and a quarter inch bays and plenty of space throughout the motherboard for cable routing one fun feature of this case is the ability to quickly remove the hard drive cage or rotate it so the drives are perpendicular with the case overall it's a layout that works great for a mid-tower gaming case it allows for the most flexibility when choosing what kind of hardware you want to install moving on to the installation you'll see the case fits full sized ATX motherboards while still providing room to work with larger video cards are also not an issue with this case as it fits 11 inch long cards with the drive cage still in place and if you need more room simply leave it out unfortunately something that we felt was missing from this system was thumb screws whether it was on the expansion slots or the retention system for the SSD in drive cages everything still continues to require a screw driver despite its small stature cabling and the CM enforcer is surprisingly good there is just enough room behind the motherboard tray to run thick wires though you won't be storing them there and the drive cages are pushed in for extra storage though you may have to get creative if you want to use all of the bays and that is the new CM storm enforcer Coolermaster has provided a very unique looking case that keeps up with the always interesting design of the CM storm brand and while it may not be your cup of tea it's sure to get people looking if you want to take it out in public the case features great airflow potential for its size and has an interior layout that allows for some pretty serious gaming hardware to be installed Coolermaster has made some pleasant additions from the half 91/2 framework including a new black interior USB 3 and more toolless trays unfortunately given the fact that it is so similar to a vastly cheaper half nine one two it does make us have to ask the question is it worth the rather large price premium add to that that cooler masters own award-winning 692 is just a little step up in price and offer some of the best features in this market and you see the cooler master is kind of competing with themselves so while the enforcer may be a very good case it doesn't necessarily represent good value and that is it for this episode of the hardware connects products case I hope you enjoyed this review if you have any questions or comments leave them in the youtube comment section below subscribe if you haven't and we'll see you next time