Installation:

The following components were installed in the Cooler Master Storm Enforcer mid-tower case for this review:

» ASUS M4A89GTD Pro/USB3 motherboard
» AMD 1090T processor
» G.Skill 8GB Sniper DDR3 RAM
» Thermaltake Frio CPU cooler
» eVGA GeForce 275GTX video card
» Kingston 128GB SSDNow V+ solid state drive
» Seagate 7200.11 1.5TB hard drive
» Seagate 7200.12 1.0TB hard drive
» LG Blu-Ray burner
» Corsair CS600 power supply
» Scythe Kama 2 45-n-1 Media reader

Installing the components into the system was simple, and there are no sharp edges to cut cables or skin.



Installation of the 5.25" and 3.5" devices went smoothly. Installing drives or other devices in the 5.25" drive bays is best done before installing components on the motherboard, but that is not completely necessary as you could come through the front of the case if you took the front cover off. The tool-less 5.25" mounting mechanism allowed the optical drive to be lined up flush with the front of the case, and it was easy to get the drive mounted securely.

After getting the system assembled into the Cooler Master Storm Enforcer, the first thing I did was to listen to the included fans. Even under a load (provided by a session of Futuremark's 3DMark Vantage) they were nearly silent. I could hear the hard drives over the dull hum of the fans with the side panel off. Both the intake and exhaust fans push a large amount of air which could be felt a few inches from the fan. I was surprised at the amount of air the intake fan seems to push.

The picture below shows the completed build with most of the cables routed behind the motherboard tray. Everything fits perfectly, and it shows the amount of room left for the extremely long video cards.



The large hole in the motherboard tray should be sufficient to support many different motherboards. This is quickly becoming a common feature to accommodate enthusiasts that change components to get the optimum performance from their hardware. Removing the motherboard to change the CPU cooler can take some time, so this hole makes changing the CPU cooler quick and easy, especially if it uses a custom support plate.



If you wish to rotate the removable 3.5" drive chassis, you will want to do this prior to installing the components on the motherboard. Removing the chassis or rotating it could allow better airflow from the front intake fan.