Cooler Master's Storm Enforcer: The Not-So-Quiet Storm

Conclusion: The Enforcer Has Both Sound and Fury

Cooler Master's Storm Enforcer is fairly understated compared to many gaming enclosures, and it thankfully includes most of the features of modern cases along with some smart additions of its own. Cooler Master is helping lead the way by using the USB 3.0 motherboard header instead of just a routing cable (even though an adaptor would've been appreciated), and the auxiliary expansion slot just for ports is actually a nice touch that can help you get some additional mileage out of unused motherboard headers.

At the same time, the enclosure offers solid thermal performance. It consistently placed just behind our incumbent In-Win BUC, and slightly ahead of the BitFenix Shinobi (extending its lead under overclocked settings.) If thermal performance on a budget is your primary concern, the Enforcer certainly isn't a bad choice. Unfortunately for Cooler Master, it's also not your only choice.

Part of the problem is that the Enforcer has to run louder than competing cases to get those thermal results. The BUC runs cool and quiet under any circumstances, while the Shinobi is liable to meet or beat the Enforcer's performance with an extra fan or a different internal configuration, and the Shinobi sells for at least $10 less. Where things get really sticky is when you start looking at other enclosures in Cooler Master's own lineup. The HAF 912 may not have USB 3.0 support, but it's also $10 less, boasts many of the same features, and has a legion of happy owners behind it. Personally I'd like to bring the HAF 912 in to take a look at on its own. I'm willing to bet that without the door on the front, the increased ventilation from the unused 5.25" bays pays dividends for keeping temperatures in the whole system down.

Cable management also remains a sore spot with most modern cases, and this is something I've only seen BitFenix really get right (thus far) with their Shinobi. Being able to route cabling behind the motherboard tray is fantastic and really should be standard on nearly any modern case, but the clearance behind the tray in the Enforcer is nowhere near enough and at best pays lip service to the whole notion.

The Cooler Master Storm Enforcer is by no means a bad case, but there are better options out there. The Shinobi is less expensive and in my opinion more attractive, and with some tweaking could probably post numbers comparable to the Enforcer. Cooler Master also offers the similar and much beloved HAF 912, which has many of the same perks of the Enforcer at the same price as the Shinobi. Thermals and noise indeed go hand in hand, but sometimes not in the ways you'd expect. Sometimes a 200mm fan can be too much.