External Examination:

As mentioned in the specifications, the Scout 2 is available in black and gunmetal grey. We received the black model. Taking a quick look over the exterior of the Scout 2, it has a high quality flat finish. The back side is slightly flared out; it’s nice to have a little change to the normal flat side panels. Also, any extra space is helpful to allow for cable management. While the majority of the case is made out of steel, the front bezel and portions of the top panel are a mix of plastic and metal mesh. From this view, the top mounted handle is visible; we will take a closer look at this in a moment.



In the above picture we can see the front bezel, which isn't overly exciting, it is slightly recessed from the sides and has a metal mesh design from top to bottom. This allows for maximum airflow, which is a good thing provided a filter is pre-installed. The top portion of the front bezel has the typical 5.25" device bays, while the bottom portion is purely for airflow purposes.

On the top of the Scout 2, we see a sliding door that hides the front I/O panel which includes the headphone, microphone jack, two USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 ports. Directly behind the sliding door are the lighting switch, reset button, and a power button. One thing I noticed is that the fan LED switch is the same size and style as the reset button. Next is the handle, and an area for additional exhaust fans to be installed.



The handle is a nice change from the original Scout. Instead of being a rounded handle it is slightly tapered to allow it to fit your hand better. In addition it has a rubber coating, which will help keep it from slipping out of your grasp. Plus, the rubber coating makes it feel much more comfortable to carry.



The main side panel has a large portion of it flared out, which holds a small window and two 120mm case fan mounting spots. The window has been smoked to give it a darker, mysterious feel. The placement of the side panel fan mounts is nice, as it provides a way to direct the fresh air directly on to your video cards.



The back panel is pretty normal, with two water cooling holes, standard motherboard I/O plate, seven expansion ports, exhaust fan and a bottom mounted power supply. What isn't normal is the eighth expansion port for devices that don't have to plug in to a slot on the moterhboard. The bottom of the case isn't very exciting either, the key feature here is the included power supply filter, which slides out of the back of the case very easily. Unfortunately, this doesn't extend to the additional bottom 120mm optional intake fan, however there are supports for a fan filter, perhaps this is available as an optional accessory.