Cooler Master Storm Sniper Case Review

Interior Impressions pg.2


Perhaps one of the Cooler Master Sniper’s most touted features is its massive 200mm fans. It seems that case manufacturers are pushing the envelope more and more with oversize fans and this case is no different. Standard 120mm fans are positively dwarfed in comparison.

The main selling point of these larger fans is the claim that they are supposed to push more air at lower RPMs which will result in less noise produced. This is basically what everyone from a self-styled "gamer" to a HTPC user is looking for but if you are looking for a replacement, you may be fresh out of luck.


Two identical 200mm fans can be found both at the front of the case and the top; a front fan intake and a roof-mounted exhaust fan. Cooler Master also provides the option of installing an additional 200mm fan on the mesh side panel for direct motherboard cooling, but warns that very tall CPU coolers may interfere with this optional fan. Connectors for both LED and fan control are included for this fan already.


The 200mm fans used in the Storm Sniper are Cooler Master labelled fans that turned up very little information online. They are rated for a maximum rotational speed of 1000RPM and a noise rating of 23dbA. The 200mm fans spin as slowly as 500RPM using the included fan controller. Even though their CFM rating is not provided by Cooler Master, but we’d imagine it is fairly high considering its large diameter.

The 120mm exhaust fan turned up a bit more information as it appears to have been used by Cooler Master in quite a few of their cases. This particular model is a sleeve bearing fan rated for 1200RPM and a draw of only 0.16A at 12V. At full speed the fan is rated for about 44CFM and 19.8dbA.


Thanks to the plethora of I/O connectors and the integrated fan/LED controller on the top panel, a real rat’s nest of cables can be found behind the drive cage. It’s certainly not going to be easy to hide all of the leads, but there are plenty of places to zip-tie things down and the unused hard drive caddies can be used to stuff extra leads.


With the plastic top shroud removed, we’re greeted with a pleasant surprise. Not only can the 200mm exhaust fan be removed, but mouting holes for two 120mm fans or a dual 120mm radiator are already present. Thankfully, this means that no weekend dremel work is necessary to get a compact internal radiator installed.

The handles recessed underneath the plastic top are solid metal and very sturdy. Buyers do not need to worry about the top falling off, or the handles breaking when carrying around their rig.



Behind the motherboard tray, we find quite a few notches in the steel for zip-ties and a large cut-out behind the CPU socket. Cooler Master says this opening can be used to access motherboard back plates which in turn supposedly eliminates the need to remove the motherboard for higher-end heatsink installation.