Cooler Master Storm Stryker - First Impressions and Very Disappointed

[gerardbeekmans]

Hi guys,

 

I've picked up a Storm Stryker with the intent to purchase a Storm Trooper over the next couple of days as well and wanted to share my experiences with it.

 

The very first motherboard standoff I attempted to put in broke off on me. I've been doing this for some 18 years now. I've never ever broken a standoff. Imagine my surprise. After a slight grumbling when I realize there's no way to remove it but to drill it out. I take care of it and continue on, thinking maybe I just put too much pressure on it.

 

Then another one breaks off. And. Another. That's three! After the 2nd one I started to go really slowly and carefully and after the third I gave up trying to screw them all the way in and stop at the slightest hint of resistance. Some went all the way in, most are off by a few millimeters. The motherboard definitely is not mounted flat and is flexing in a few areas because of it. But it fits, it's safe and everything still works out. I read I'm not the only one who had this happen to them so that points the finger at sub-standard quality parts provided by Cooler Master.

 

In retrospect I should've stopped after the 2nd one broke and gotten different standoffs. As it turns out, I had run out of spares after a previous PC build, hadn't restocked yet and the stores were closed. Bad luck.

 

The rubber cable management grommets are nice but aren't staying put. They are hardly "abused" and "worn out" after only two days and, again, it seems I'm not the only one.

 

It really left a bad taste, though. I really don't want to tear it all down and return the case to the store and start all over again with a different one so I decided to forge ahead and make do with it.

 

Now I'm also back to square one on deciding which case to get now that the Storm Trooper is off the table. I can't justify the risk.

 

All in all it's very disappointing. It had such potential. This is shaping up to become one of the less enjoyable PC builds. The case looks so nice on the outside, and still does, but I'm going to cringe if I ever need to get back in there to make changes.

 

I hope you guys are faring better!

 

Ciao,

G

 

[airdeano]

 

Hi guys,

 

I've picked up a Storm Stryker with the intent to purchase a Storm Trooper over the next couple of days as well and wanted to share my experiences with it.

 

The very first motherboard standoff I attempted to put in broke off on me. I've been doing this for some 18 years now. I've never ever broken a standoff. Imagine my surprise. After a slight grumbling when I realize there's no way to remove it but to drill it out. I take care of it and continue on, thinking maybe I just put too much pressure on it.

 

Then another one breaks off. And. Another. That's three! After the 2nd one I started to go really slowly and carefully and after the third I gave up trying to screw them all the way in and stop at the slightest hint of resistance. Some went all the way in, most are off by a few millimeters. The motherboard definitely is not mounted flat and is flexing in a few areas because of it. But it fits, it's safe and everything still works out. I read I'm not the only one who had this happen to them so that points the finger at sub-standard quality parts provided by Cooler Master.

 

In retrospect I should've stopped after the 2nd one broke and gotten different standoffs. As it turns out, I had run out of spares after a previous PC build, hadn't restocked yet and the stores were closed. Bad luck.

 

The rubber cable management grommets are nice but aren't staying put. They are hardly "abused" and "worn out" after only two days and, again, it seems I'm not the only one.

 

It really left a bad taste, though. I really don't want to tear it all down and return the case to the store and start all over again with a different one so I decided to forge ahead and make do with it.

 

Now I'm also back to square one on deciding which case to get now that the Storm Trooper is off the table. I can't justify the risk.

 

All in all it's very disappointing. It had such potential. This is shaping up to become one of the less enjoyable PC builds. The case looks so nice on the outside, and still does, but I'm going to cringe if I ever need to get back in there to make changes.

 

I hope you guys are faring better!

 

Ciao,

G

 

 

welcome to the LinusTechTips forums!

 

have you contacted the Cooler Master Customer Support in your region? they

possibly can shed some light upon your issue. yeah, after a small problem on

motherboard standoffs, the whole experience could be zeroed out.

[gerardbeekmans]

No, I haven't done so yet -- it's too late here. Maybe I'll bother with it during business hours one of these days but I guess I have to be prepared to take everything out to possibly exchange cases at the least. That I'm not willing to do anymore. So I'm not sure what really can be done other than just vent.

[Coltaine]

 

Hi guys,

 

I've picked up a Storm Stryker with the intent to purchase a Storm Trooper over the next couple of days as well and wanted to share my experiences with it.

 

The very first motherboard standoff I attempted to put in broke off on me. I've been doing this for some 18 years now. I've never ever broken a standoff. Imagine my surprise. After a slight grumbling when I realize there's no way to remove it but to drill it out. I take care of it and continue on, thinking maybe I just put too much pressure on it.

 

Then another one breaks off. And. Another. That's three! After the 2nd one I started to go really slowly and carefully and after the third I gave up trying to screw them all the way in and stop at the slightest hint of resistance. Some went all the way in, most are off by a few millimeters. The motherboard definitely is not mounted flat and is flexing in a few areas because of it. But it fits, it's safe and everything still works out. I read I'm not the only one who had this happen to them so that points the finger at sub-standard quality parts provided by Cooler Master.

 

In retrospect I should've stopped after the 2nd one broke and gotten different standoffs. As it turns out, I had run out of spares after a previous PC build, hadn't restocked yet and the stores were closed. Bad luck.

 

The rubber cable management grommets are nice but aren't staying put. They are hardly "abused" and "worn out" after only two days and, again, it seems I'm not the only one.

 

It really left a bad taste, though. I really don't want to tear it all down and return the case to the store and start all over again with a different one so I decided to forge ahead and make do with it.

 

Now I'm also back to square one on deciding which case to get now that the Storm Trooper is off the table. I can't justify the risk.

 

All in all it's very disappointing. It had such potential. This is shaping up to become one of the less enjoyable PC builds. The case looks so nice on the outside, and still does, but I'm going to cringe if I ever need to get back in there to make changes.

 

I hope you guys are faring better!

 

Ciao,

G

 

 

I had one standoff break when I recently moved my parts over to a Storm Trooper, but that actually wasn't the standoffs fault all the standoffs went in just fine, but one of the screws I used was either getting cross threaded or *something* but I decided to try and force it and the standoff broke. So yeah, I've currently got one standoff just kinda hanging there, but it's just one so I can't be bothered to fix it.

[Admire]

I very interested to hear more because I have to admit that I had my eyes very firmly set on the Storm Stryker for my next build. It was actually properly one of the few things that I was absolutely certain of in terms of parts.

 

Did you have any other problems with the case and which parts of the case seemed to be of bad quality?

[gerardbeekmans]

I didn't have any further problems with the Stryker case beyond that first issue. I didn't go for the Trooper as my second case and, instead, picked up a NZXT Phantom 820 tonight. I've only unboxed it thus. Aesthetically speaking I quite like what I'm seeing so far. We'll see what happens during the build. I've got to get this Stryker finished up for my son first before I can tear down the contents of my Silverstone FT02 and transplant them into the Phantom.

[TeeBlack]

Sorry you are having trouble with your case. I currently use a storm trooper and never had any problems with the stuff you mentioned. Like the others have said I would call CM and talk to them about it.