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Buy CM690 now or wait for CM Scout?

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necrokiller

necrokiller

Member
​
Joined
Apr 20, 2008
Location
Toronto, Canada
Looking to purchase a new case to replace my generic one, its too small to hold a GTX 260 with hard drives getting in the way. Currently I can purchase the CM690 for $115 (taxes and shipping).
CM690 specs:
Chassis Appearance: Black
Drive Bays 5 Exposed (without the use of exposed 3.5 inch Drive Bay),4 Exposed (with the use of 3.5 inch Drive Bay)
Material Chassis: SECC, Bezel: Metal mesh+ABS
Form Factor ATX, Micro-ATX
Expansion Slots 7 standard slots
Case Fans Front: 120 mm Blue LED fan x 1, 1200 rpm, 21 dBA,Rear: 120 mm standard fan, 1200 rpm, 21 dBA,Top: 120 or 140 mm fan x 2 (optional),Bottom: 120 mm fan x 1 (optional),Left: 120mm fan x 2 (one is optional)-up to 140mm fans
Dimensions (W)213 X (H)482 x (D)524.5 mm
Weight 9.8 kg
Front I/O USB 2.0x2, IEEE 1394 x1, MIC x1, eSATA x 1,SPK x1 (support HD Audio)
Click to expand...
The Coolermaster Scout seems to be a nice case too. I prefer the all black interior and better build quality than the CM 690. Its gonna be released on May 5th for about $135CAD. One thing I dislike about it is that there is not much clearance for a bottom-mounted fan on PSU.

CM_Storm_Scout_45_LED_On.jpg

Scout specs:
* Color: Black
* Material: Steel, ABS Plastic, Mesh Bezel
* Dimensions: (D)489 x (W)219 x (H)495.5mm / (D)19.2 x (W)8.6 x (H)19.5in
* Weight: 8.7 kg / 19.23 lb
* Motherboard Compatibility: Micro-ATX, ATX
* 5.25" Drive Bays: 5 Exposed (Without the use of exposed 3.5" drive bay)
* 3.5" Drive Bays: 5 Hidden (HDD); 1 Exposed (converted from one 5.25" drive bay)
* Front Ports: USB x 4, eSATA x 1, Mic x 1, Audio x 1
* Expansion Slots: Standard x 7
* Cooling System:
o Front: 140mm Red LED Fan (Included) or 120mm Fan x 1 (optional)
o Top: 140mm Fan (Included) or 120mm Fan x 1 (optional)
o Side: Transparent window; Supports 120mm Fan x 2 (optional)
o Rear: 120mm Red LED Fan (Included)
* Power Supply Compatibility: Standard ATX
Click to expand...

Is it worth the wait and extra money or should I just grab the CM690? Which is a better case for air cooling?
 
Okay.. but its also gonna cost be about $165 after taxes and shipping.... and I just saw a CM690 new one in the local classifieds for $75 with 4 extra 120mm fans. Should I go for it?
 
Yea, from your first post I thought the difference was $20 (135 vs 115), but for an extra $90 I would rather get the CM690 and pocket the difference. You won't be dissapointed with the CM690, its a very nice case for the price. I mean the main draw of the scout is the styling and the large hole behind the motherboard for heatsink mounting. I'm not sure if thats worth $90 (it isn't to me).

Then again if you plan to keep this case for a long time, it might not be a bad idea to spend a little more and get something you can keep for years. I've been using my Chieftec Dragon for 7 years because its a solid case with some great design features.
 
Thanks alot for you input. I just picked up the CM690! It should last me for a long time. I mean the build quality isnt that bad, plus CM690 is still a but more roomier than the Scout. I got it for $75 like I said. Im kinda tight on budget. I waited too long to buy the Cm690. The market price was $115 but I grabbed it $75 which is a great deal so Im happy with it. Aren't the prices insane down here in Canada, EH? :p
 
Last edited:
funnyperson1 said:
Y I mean the main draw of the scout is the styling and the large hole behind the motherboard for heatsink mounting. I'm not sure if thats worth $90 (it isn't to me).
Click to expand...

Yeah for $90 you can get a dremel and enough accessories for it to put a hole for heatsink mounting in lots of cases (among other mods)
 
Well, the scout looks nice. That will have to get added to my list of potential cases for my next build. Also on the list are the cooler master atcs 840, cooler master HAF 932, and the antec 1200. So far I'm leaning toward the atcs 840...
 
You made a wise decision necro; I absolutely love the RC690. Doesn't get any better for the money, probably up to the $200 range, at least IMHO from what I've seen.
 
necrokiller said:
^Thanks man. And I absolutely love you wire management. Top notch!
Click to expand...
Thanks! I discovered the key...plan every wire start to finish, don't clean it up after the fact. It never looked this good before, I can assure you. :santa:

EDIT - thought I'd post some suggestions since you asked, then decided to put them here instead of cluttering up the wire mgmt thread.
necrokiller said:
Just got my first new case...so my first attempt at some wire management...
Any suggestions/comments?
Click to expand...
Sure!
  • Use a wire tie mount directly behind where your 24-pin plug is on the board. Then route the 24-pin harness behind the MB tray and bend it around right where it needs to come out.
  • Same with the SATA cables & PCI-e cables.
  • Run the I/O panel header wires straight back behind the MB tray (see mine for an example, link in sig), then down and out the hole at the bottom. If you want to cut a little more distance out of it, drill out that wire-tie mount just below the MB and put some rubber around it. Makes a perfect outlet for those. Completely remove the stock giant plastic wire mounts (they should unscrew); they do nothing but get in your way and actually make wire management worse.
  • Last but not least, and this is for the future of course, the best thing I ever did was ditch my IDE drive. Those ribbon cables are ridiculous to have to hide. Even the tighter cables aren't much better. When you can and feel like it, replace that with an SATA drive to make your life much easier.
 
Last edited:
hokiealumnus said:
[*]Run the I/O panel header wires straight back behind the MB tray (see mine for an example, link in sig), then down and out the hole at the bottom. If you want to cut a little more distance out of it, drill out that wire-tie mount just below the MB and put some rubber around it. Makes a perfect outlet for those. Completely remove the stock giant plastic wire mounts (they should unscrew); they do nothing but get in your way and actually make wire management worse.
Click to expand...
Ive done that with the HD audio connector. Infact I did it the same way you have but you can't see that in my pictures due to the wireless adapter. Maybe I could've done the same with the USB header but I missed an opening perhaps? I completely agree about the plastic wire mounts. I can't get them to unscrew I thought id break them (maybe I will hah), but it made it very difficult for me to insert the graphics card. I couldnt even twist it the other way coz it would interfere with the floppy drive connection. Ill take em all out.

hokiealumnus said:
[*]Last but not least, and this is for the future of course, the best thing I ever did was ditch my IDE drive. Those ribbon cables are ridiculous to have to hide. Even the tighter cables aren't much better. When you can and feel like it, replace that with an SATA drive to make your life much easier.
[/LIST]
Click to expand...
I was thinking EXACTLY the same thing today. Im even gonna sell my IDE dvd drives now...and for the time being use one of my external ones whenever I need it. Thats why I never bothered to put them in.

Thanks alot. Appreciate your help :):)
 
My last case was a cooler master 690 and I thought it was a great case. There isn't anything about it that would keep me from buying it again, but I think next time I will go for a full tower case. The CM 690 is probably my favorite medium tower.
 
I bought my CM690 for like $75 after taxes, and I wouldn't spend a penny more. It's cable management is terrible, and interior just feels "unfinished". I would not buy it for more than 75, See if there's something else you can find
 
^Joker, I already bought it. And I did not spend a penny more than $75 on it! Infact, I got many extra fans with it at the same price.

Yeah build quality is debatable, but at that price point its decent for most people. It was either this or Antec 900, which is the worst when it comes to cable management to say the least. Im quite happy with my CM 690.
 
necrokiller said:
^Joker, I already bought it. And I did not spend a penny more than $75 on it! Infact, I got many extra fans with it at the same price.

Yeah build quality is debatable, but at that price point its decent for most people. It was either this or Antec 900, which is the worst when it comes to cable management to say the least. Im quite happy with my CM 690.
Click to expand...

cool, yeah @ 75 its a good case. My next one will have to be fulltower though. You planning on running some water in this case?
 
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