SilverStone Raven RV05 Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on December 24, 2014 10:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- SilverStone
- Case
Introduction
SilverStone is a company known for their atypical, sometimes even strange case designs. The ML04 and ML05 that we reviewed several months ago are a good example, but the company offers dozens of small form factor and unique enclosures, each designed with specific applications in mind. Their designs often bend (or even entirely neglect) the ATX design guide rules. The cases of the Raven series are another example as well, with the 90° rotated motherboard design. We hosted reviews of the first Raven (RV01), the RV03 and the RV04 during the past years.
With the exception of the RV04, which does not share the 90° design, the cases of the Raven series were somewhat bulky and excessively long – features that did not make them very popular among users. In response to that, SilverStone has released the RV05, the most compact case of the Raven series to date. Despite the reduced dimensions of the case, SilverStone boasts that it retains outstanding thermal performance and usability. We will provide an in-depth look at the Raven RV05 in this review.
SilverStone Raven RV05 Specifications | ||
Motherboard Form Factor | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | |
Drive Bays | External | 1 x Slim Slot Loading |
Internal | 2 x 3.5" (front drive cage) 2 x 2.5" (rear of motherboard tray) |
|
Cooling | Front | - |
Rear | - | |
Top | 1 x 120 mm (optional) | |
Left Side | - | |
Bottom | 2 x 180 (included) | |
Radiator Support | Front | - |
Rear | - | |
Top | - | |
Side | - | |
Bottom | 240 mm / 280 mm | |
I/O Port | 2x USB 3.0, 1x Headphone, 1x Mic | |
Power Supply Size | ATX | |
Clearances | HSF | 160 mm |
PSU | 170 mm | |
GPU | 310 mm | |
Dimensions | 529 mm × 242 mm × 498 mm (H×W×D) 20.83 in × 9.53 in × 19.6 in (H×W×D) |
|
Prominent Features | Signature RAVEN styling touches Revolutionary 90 degree motherboard mounting from RAVEN RV01 Breakthrough 5.25 inch bay-free design for unprecedented power to size ratio Two Air Penetrator fans included for great performance and quietness Positive air pressure design for excellent cooling/quietness and dust-prevention Quick-release latch for fast side panel removal Front access to main filter for easy maintenance Support for various liquid cooling radiator sizes |
|
Price | $117 Including Shipping ($107 after rebate) $115 for non-windowed version |
Packaging and Bundle
We received the Raven RV05 in a colorful, sturdy cardboard box. The artwork is very aggressive and a bit chaotic, with pictures of the case mixed with the shadow of a raven and numerous abstract shapes. The lightweight case is very well protected inside the box, with thick Styrofoam slabs ensuring its safety during shipping.
SilverStone supplies only the hardware essential for the installation of the components, a few simple cable ties, and a 120mm fan filter. There also is a very well written manual, but there are no extras such as cable straps or decorative stickers.
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Horza - Wednesday, December 24, 2014 - link
I'd assume our new evil corporate overlords, have decreed from their purch, that a Coke product must be in every review from here in /s. That or he was out of Bananas.JarredWalton - Wednesday, December 24, 2014 - link
Or it's there as a size reference, as readers in the past have requested something similar. If it were a Pepsi can we'd have similar complaints. Anyway, a 12 oz. can is a well-known size that people can visually compare.Horza - Wednesday, December 24, 2014 - link
Yeah, I got it hence the Banana comment. Just failing at humour.SpartyOn - Tuesday, December 30, 2014 - link
Coke is better than Pepsi, especially the pure sugar cane stuff out of Mexico. Don't degrade your high standards.(And everyone should know that image is for scale reference, nothing more.)
romrunning - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
Thanks for having that Coke can next to it. Very useful as a point of reference!I find it tough to tell how tall a case might be when the photographer does one of those "zoom-in" shots. This makes height of the case more visually apparent.
wrkingclass_hero - Wednesday, December 24, 2014 - link
Scale.Shiitaki - Wednesday, December 24, 2014 - link
The nicest feature of the rotated motherboard design was not mentioned, the fact that everything is connected at the top! It is so nice not having to crawl behind the case to connect cables. I have been using the RV03 for a couple of years and hate the installing hard drives. But with the fans connected to a fan controller, the noisiest part of the whole machine is the water pump on the cpu! Cooling has never been an issue, even with the fans turned way down.at80eighty - Wednesday, December 24, 2014 - link
funny. big slowdown in articles lately, and then holiday season, BAM 3 in a row. go chill now :)Oxford Guy - Thursday, December 25, 2014 - link
Ah, yes, the "aggressive" design. Corny is more the word I'd use. But, I don't pick cases based on how they look. If someone were to make a lime green and pink polka dot case with fake fur on it I'd buy it if it were a better value in terms of my functional needs. Still, of all of the "aggressive" design nonsense, I think Intel's tattooing of ssds with a skull logo takes the cake for ridiculousness.PC Perv - Thursday, December 25, 2014 - link
Coke can is better than nothing but an ATX board would have been better. I guess that would have blocked the view of the case a bit too much? Nice review, ty.