SilverStone again turns traditional
case design on its head
SilverStone’s cases rarely respect the
norms of layout and design, but this approach has seen it produce some
masterpieces like the Fortress FT02. The Raven RV04 is another example of this
ethos, and with it SilverStone has opted for an upside down motherboard on the
left side of the case with a window on the right panel.
The RV04 is oddly designed from the outside
too, as its door is open down both sides and protrudes from the case. Strangely
for SilverStone, the case isn't up to scratch in terms of build quality. The
steel used throughout is rigid and well-machined, but the excessive plastic
leaves a lot to be desired. The panels are poorly aligned too, but the door is
the worst aspect by far. It's loose on its hinges, doesn't stay shut properly
and even struggles to open without sometimes catching on itself. It's actually
bewildering that it passed the initial design stages.
SilverStone’s
cases rarely respect the norms of layout and design, but this approach has seen
it produce some masterpieces like the Fortress FT02.
With a pair of USB 3.0 ports and the
regular audio jacks, the front I/O panel on the right side of the case will
fulfil most needs. The power and reset buttons, meanwhile, are found on top of
the door.
Behind the door is a large, plastic
clip-out dust filter covering the two front mounted fans. A second dust filter
is found in the roof protecting the PSU, and can be easily slid out the rear of
the case.
The two intake fans are 180mm Air
Penetrator models, which have been used to great success in previous
SilverStone efforts. Just above them are a pair of fan control switches,
allowing you to independently select between three speeds for both fans. Oddly,
there's no exhaust fan, although an extra 120mm mount for one is found at the
back. This is the case's only extra fan mount, which shows how confident
SilverStone is in its cooling arrangement and also means that water- cooling
support is practically non-existent.
Thumbscrews for the roof and side panels
mean they're all easy to get off. The top section of the case is where optical
drives and the power supply are installed, and the PSU area has anti-vibration
strips where the unit rests.
The
two intake fans are 180mm Air Penetrator models, which have been used to great
success in previous SilverStone efforts.
The main section of the chassis is where it
gets interesting, as the motherboard tray and all the drive cages are fully
removable. The main drive cage at the front can hold up to five 3.5"
drives, each of which are protected by padding to dampen vibrations. It's also
angled so as to allow air from the front fans to pass straight through it.
Above the main cage and behind the top intake fan is a plastic divider,
designed to separate and focus airflow from the fan over the separate expansion
slots.
The two lower drive cages hold one
3.5" drive each and can be made into hot- swap bays with a separate
SilverStone accessory. The tool free clips on these mean it's simple to get
drives in and out, and SilverStone has assured me that the loose fitting drives
I experienced here will no longer be an issue in the retail version of the
case.
SSDs are secured beneath the lower drive
cages so must be screwed into the floor of the chassis. While this does save on
space, it makes installing and wiring up the drives very fiddly.
In terms of cable management, there's also
lots of room behind the tray for thick power cables, but disappointingly none
of the routing holes have any rubber grommets on. Nevertheless, other than the
lower drive mounts, most users should have little difficulty keeping their
system tidy in the RV04.
The
two lower drive cages hold one 3.5" drive each and can be made into hot-
swap bays with a separate SilverStone accessory.
At its highest speed, the RV04 is on par
with the FT02 in terms of CPU cooling, which is a brilliant result given the
latter's dominance in this area generally. Its GPU temperatures are a little
behind (although still a cut above most cases), but this is understandable, as
the graphics card rests a little further from the intake fans than it does in
the FT02. While it's not quiet at full speed, it doesn't create a huge racket
either.
Dropping the fan speeds produces far nicer
noise levels in return for only slightly elevated temperatures, which is even
better. The unrestricted airflow through the chassis combined with dual Air
Penetrator fans is clearly a winning combination.
The excellent cooling potential of the RV04
is something of a saving grace, as there's little else for which to recommend
it at its current price. Areas of questionable build quality, excessive plastic
and an infuriatingly designed door aren't complaints that should be levelled at
a $203 case. Nevertheless, if it's piqued your interest, the upcoming Fortress
FT04 is set to retain the internal design but make additions like an aluminum
exterior and sound proofing, so could well be worth looking into if you're
after a premium air cooling chassis.
At
its highest speed, the RV04 is on par with the FT02 in terms of CPU cooling,
which is a brilliant result given the latter's dominance in this area
generally.
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Details
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Price: $203
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Manufacturer: SilverStone
·
Tel no: 4-888282281238
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Website: www.silverstoneteic.com
·
Required spec: SSI-EEB, SSI-CEB, E-ATX, ATX,
or micro-ATX system
Ratings
·
Overall: 6
·
Quality: 7
·
Value: 4
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