Cooler Master Storm Sniper Gaming case with an attitude! SGC-6000-KKN1-GP

Author: Jouni 'Jipa' Vasama Published: 10.02.2009 Manufacturer: Cooler Master Product Group: System enclosures In English Suomeksi

The Sniper - from outside

The overall looks of the case are pretty close to other aggressively designed gaming cases we've reviewed earlier - namely the NZXT Tempest and Antec 1200 and those indeed are the direct competitors of the Sniper. Also the feature set seems familiar with tons of cooling power and some nice specialities. The color is black all the way, which not only seems to fit the theme, but also is more resistant to fingerprints and small scratches than shiny mirror finish.

Also don't let the image fool you, it's one huge case. I don't know about you, but I think the dimensions managed to look way smaller at first. It might have something to do with the case being very wide that makes it look smaller.

The front panel is mainly covered in mesh, the five 5,25" bays have mesh covers and also there's a huge 200 mm intake fan hiding behind the mesh on the bottom part of the bezel. On the lower part of the front panel there's also an easily removable yet almost invisible dust filter assembly that can be just popped away. Easily removable dust filter is a thing you don't see in all gaming cases, and CM really got it right here.

On the roof there is the control panel and front panel connections. The connections include four USB-connectors, Firewire, E-sata, microphone and headphone jacks. Everything that could be asked for, really. On the far left there's a reset button, a large power button and next to it a huge knob for adjusting the fan speed of the two 200 mm fans. In the middle of this knob there's a switch for the LEDs on the two fans. Now this is a great feature for people who don't want the leds to shine around the clock, but the touch of the controls could be a bit better.

Both side panels have this curved shape that adds some personality to the case and in some cases may also help with clearance when using huge coolers. The left side panel is almost completely covered in mesh. Pesonally I would prefer either a solid side panel or a window over the mesh, because it will both hurt the airflow and provide a clear path for the noise. The mesh does look pretty nice and definitely suits the theme, but I'm just not convinced with the open design.

On the right side panel there's a similar bulge, but instead of large mesh there's just a stylish grey CM Storm-logo.

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