Today we inaugurate a series of articles about the famous SilverStone brand, starting with an analysis of its proprietary cooling solutions. Furthermore, we will present a series of cabinets each having different features, hence oriented to different user groups; we’ll also present during the analysis several interesting products, always of the same brand.
Pubblicità
Regarding the cabinets, we will examine the following models, several of which will be further analyzed in more detailed reviews:
ENTHUSIAST
- SilverStone Fortress FT01 Black, http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=200&area=en
- SilverStone Fortress FT02 Limited Edition (argument of a future and dedicated review), http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=242&area=en (link to the basic version)
PERFORMANCE
- Silverstone Raven RV03, precisely the first non-economic version, http://www.silverstonetek.com/raven/products/index.php?model=RV03&area=en
- SilverStone TJ09S-W ((argument of a future and dedicated review)), http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=94&area=en
MINI-ITX / HTPC
- SilverStone Sugo SG08 ((argument of a future and dedicated review)), http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=317&area=en
In addition the following products will be analyzed:
FANS (dedicated chapter)
- SilverStone AP181 Air Penetrator, 180mm. http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=258&area=en
- SilverStone AP121 Air Penetrator, 120mm. http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=257&area=en
CAGE HARD DISK (short description)
- SilverStone CFP51, http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=40&area=en
- SilverStone SDP09, http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=278&area=en
BAG (brief description)
We would like to thank SilverStone for supplying the TJ09S-W and SG08 samples.
- Outstanding Design
- Perfect Quality
- Customer Satisfaction
We report a direct link to the SilverStone main site:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=94&area=en
SilverStone: looking at the past and present
SSF : Small Form Factor (SFF), low weight and dimensions, Mini-ITX
CROWN : Premium HTPC, high height, = 225mm, with a remote control. ATX/Micro-ATX
GRANDIA : Mainstream HTPC, height = 170mm. ATX/Micro-ATX
MILO : Slim size HTPC, height = 82mm, with remote control. MoDT Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, DTX
LASCALA : Classic HTPC, height = 100mm, classical conception. ATX/Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX,
TEMJIN : Premium tower, now flagship models, aluminum. Variable Standards
FORTRESS : Enthusiasts tower, aluminum, with excellent specs. Variable Standards
KUBLAI : Performance Tower, great quality, but with a lower price. Variable Standards
PRECISION : High-value tower with a modern look, great solutions. Variable Standards
RAVEN : Extreme enthusiasts, revolutionary conception and state-of-the-art innovations
We also quote the company milestones:
2011
- Jan - SilverStone releases its first smart NAS device, the Data Center DC01.
- Feb - SilverStone releases the Temjin TJ11, the first computer chassis with dual uni-body construction.
- Jun - SilverStone introduces a new line of desktop USB fan utilizing air channeling grille from its Air Penetrator series with the AP121-USB.
- Jun - SilverStone launches the first PCI-E expansion cards in the world to feature 19pin internal USB 3.0 connector with EC01 and EC03.
- Jul – SilverStone releases CP06, the first SATA power cable splitter to integrate capacitors.
- Aug – SilverStone releases Nightjar ST50NF, the most powerful fanless power supply yet.
- Dec – SilverStone launches Strider Gold Evolution, the first power supplies to integrate Air Penetrator fans.
2010
- Jan - SilverStone won iF 2010 Product Design award with the Fortress FT02.
- Feb - SilverStone announced HDDBOOST, a product designed to seamlessly combine SSD and HDD.
- Mar - SilverStone introduces the first computer fan to utilize an air channeling grille with the Air Penetrator.
- Apr - SilverStone releases its first retail SFX form factor power supply, the ST45SF.
- Jun - The most powerful Mini-ITX case ever created, the Sugo SG07 with 600W PSU included, is released.
- Sep - SilverStone releases the smallest ATX modular power supply in the world with the Strider Plus ST50F-P.
- Nov - SilverStone’s innovative Fortress FT03 chassis selected as an honoree for 2011 CES Innovations Award.
- Dec - SilverStone launches the world’s first retail computer case with USB 3.0 internal front port connector in the Milo ML03 HTPC case.
2009
- Jan - SilverStone introduced Sugo SG05 and brings Mini-ITX form factor into mainstream.
- Feb - SilverStone launched its first optical drive products, SOD01 (slim DVD) and TOB02 (slim Blu-ray).
- Apr - SilverStone released its most powerful consumer PSU ever in the 1500W Strider ST1500.
- Jul - SilverStone released the second chassis to utilize 90° rotated motherboard configuration in the RAVEN RV02.
- Sep - SilverStone released Grandia GD04, the most powerful Micro-ATX HTPC & SFF case yet with three 120mm fans in 21 liters.
- Nov - SilverStone launched Strider Plus series PSU, combining features from Olympia, Decathlon, Element, and Strider series into one series.
- Nov - SilverStone released Fortress FT02, the first product to combine three unique SilverStone features into one chassis (stack effect, positive pressure, unibody).
2008
- Jan - SilverStone NVIDIA ESA Certified Chassis, Temjin J10-ESA announced.
- Jan - SilverStone announced its first gaming mouse, later named RAVEN RVM01.
- Mar - SilverStone presented the Fortress FT01, emphasizing the use of “positive air pressure” as preferred airflow management.
- May - SilverStone announced TJ10 NVIDIA Special Edition-TJ10B-WNV.
- Jun - SilverStone announced its first chassis with 90° rotated motherboard configuration in the RAVEN RV01.
- Jul - SilverStone announced ZM1200 & ZU1200 to support GTX 280 in 3-way SLI.
- Oct - SilverStone won Custom PC 2008 best chassis manufacturer.
2007
- Jan - SilverStone introduces Sugo SG03 and redefines SFF form factor.
- Jun - SilverStone attains ISO 9001:2000 Certification.
- Jun - SilverStone announced Crown CW03, the first HTPC case with 7” LCD touchscreen to support 1080P.
- Nov - SilverStone OP1200 1200W powered the system that broke 3DMark06 world record.
2006
- Mar - SilverStone announces its first liquid cooling device, Tundra TD01.
- Jun - SilverStone released Crown CW01-WD, first HTPC case to specifically support Western Digital’s RaptorX hard drive.
- Sep - The first retail computer chassis with mid-section air duct dedicated for GPU cooling, the Temjin TJ09, is released.
2005
- Feb - SilverStone becomes one of first two PSU manufacturers in the world to receive NVIDIA SLI certification.
- Jun - SilverStone becomes ATI’s hardware partner as a PSU vendor.
- Sep - SilverStone announces its first chassis built from unibody aluminum frame withTemjin TJ07.
2004
- Jan - SilverStone introduces its first chassis with integrated VFD in Lascala LC03V.
- Feb - SilverStone Technology GmbH begins business.
- Apr - SilverStone introduced its first fan-less power supply, the Nightjar ST30NF.
- Jun - SilverStone’s first cooler, later named Nitrogon NT01, announced.
- Aug - SilverStone introduces Lascala LC10M, its first chassis to include VFD/IR, remote, and multimedia software.
2003
- May - SilverStone Technology founded.
- Jul - SilverStone’s first power supplies, Strider ST360/ST400 released.
- Aug - SilverStone’s first desktop/HTPC chassis, Lascala LC01 announced.
- Sep - SilverStone Technology Inc. in USA begins business.
- Nov - SilverStone’s first tower chassis, Temjin TJ01 announced.
OEM Services and Industrial Business Services
SilverStone’s OEM/ODM competitive advantages:
- Creative Research & Development team with each member’s experience ranging from 5 to 10 years.
- Strict but practical manufacturing and quality control team with more than 20 years of experience.
- ISO 9001 certified company operating under a functional management organization to enable higher efficiency.
- Sales staff with excellent communication skills.
- Branch offices located in USA and Germany to serve customers worldwide for logistic support and after-sales service.
SilverStone’s competitive product lines span from PC (Personal Computer) to IPC (Industrial PC applications) fields, which is further evidence of our abilities:
- Extensive experience in mass-production technology for aluminum, metallic alloy, and other metal-related products.
- Comprehensive understanding of sheet metal, tooling mold, plastic injection, printing, coating, and painting methods.
- Fast turnaround from ID to mechanical design, with qualified engineering drawings.
- Proactive approach with the ability to overcome typical thermal and mechanical design limitations.
- Know-how in maximizing space utility for any given size.
For PSU (Power Supply Unit), SilverStone is capable of designing and supplying:
- Highly efficient PSU with ability to meet stringent environmental requirements and also third party certification such as 80 PLUS.
- High wattage PSU currently up to 1200W in ATX form factor and functional in all typical AC input range.
- PSU designed for specific focus on any of the required output rails.
- Low noise and low heat outputting PSU upon request.
- Non-ATX/PS2 form factors such as TFX, flex-ATX, Redundant, open-frame, and other non standard sizes.
SilverStone also supplies other product such as cooling devices with TEC (Thermo Electric Coolers), LCS (Liquid Cooling Systems), fan (Air Cooling), and enclosures for hard drives.
Why SilverStone? Some useful Interviews
We report some interesting interviews to SilverStone, made in these years. We thank SilverStone for the material used in this chapter.
Company History
We’ll report directly such interviews.
Ventilation, solutions and concepts
We prefer to use fans that can still be used to fit the width of the case, so you don’t use fans to go larger than 20 cm in diameter. Even if you put an even bigger fan on the side panel, to help cooling the graphics card, it won’t always be an improvement, in general terms. A well-designed case should not rely on ventilation, right on the large side panel, with the aim of good cooling performance. We have shown that this is true especially with the TJ10, which is officially certified for use with NVIDIA 3-way SLI. Many of our customers prefer to use their own fans so we don’t always include all the fans necessary within our cabinets. Even if we were to offer models of fans that can be adjusted in terms of speed, even in this case they may be dissatisfied with the quality of the included fans (for example, they may need a higher top speed or a certain color, or even LED ). The fans are now including a 3-pin connector, so that the user can connect them to the motherboard, which now offers many voltage settings. The speeds are usually aimed at maintaining a low noise level, but without sacrificing cooling performance provided by the cabinet. Undoubtedly, the ‘’PWM’’ factoris a nice feature to have in a fan, however, we believe that there are better solutions. We prefer to control the fan speed, based on ambient temperatures, this is what we used for our solutions in the series "SUSCOOL". This element can effectively change much more than what is possible with a PWM controller. It 'also pretty annoying to hear a fan constantly speeding up and down due to the sudden change of temperature ! If an heatsink is large and passive, but is not installed into a good cabinet, it doesen’t work well. This is why SilverStone publishes and include all the necessary information to users, to specify exactly how our heatsink are able to work with a cabinet model, to obtain good performance partially or totally passive.
Liquid, heat dissipation and noise
Vibrations, build quality and materials
For example, this is the line of production of the famous Silverstone FT-02:
Power supplies, voltage and stability
- Most PSUs reach their maximum efficiency at medium load conditions, to use a more powerful PSU in 'high-end performance of the system, which will result in greater energy efficiency.
- For overclockers, having a power supply with extra reserves can ensure that even in extreme conditions, the power supply can still provide stable output power.
- The demand for more computing power and graphics are still growing and we are seeing more games and software to exploit multi-core CPU / GPU, therefore. Knowing this, we expect high-end systems continue to increase the threshold required by the power supply, which must necessarily be high-power, and will not stop for some time in the near future.
Some examples of SilverStone innovations
In the following video we begin to understand why Silverstone is one of the most innovative brands in the industry, which will be analyzed in the CP05 Auxiliary adapter Kublai KL02 cases, hot-swappable. It is practical and quick to use and we highly recommend it because it can be easily be integrated in the KL-02 without the need of cumbersome additional hot-swap modules.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoNiEMPnSEk&list=UUig-yfqTR5tHwdxuxpmPK7w&feature=plcp
Another interesting product is the mouse named SilverStone RAVEN RVM01, notable also for tracking capabilities in non-conventional areas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcyO4Ws3sq8&list=UUig-yfqTR5tHwdxuxpmPK7w&feature=plcp
The following video shows you why Silverstone is also very popular in the PSU sector: ladies and gentlemen the Zeus 1200W model! It is worth noting the degree of automation achieved by this brand:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLNUwcz-Bt4&list=UUig-yfqTR5tHwdxuxpmPK7w&feature=plcp
Know-How Silverstone : positive pressure and stack effect
What is meant by positive and negative pressure inside a cabinet?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=douRh490E3I&list=UUig-yfqTR5tHwdxuxpmPK7w&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Xgjvf0SDc&list=UUig-yfqTR5tHwdxuxpmPK7w&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLOg9yI3rjs&list=UUig-yfqTR5tHwdxuxpmPK7w&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe-2ZqmSGug&list=UUig-yfqTR5tHwdxuxpmPK7w&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsmKHJq2aTs&list=UUig-yfqTR5tHwdxuxpmPK7w&feature=plcp
How do the positive and negative pressure influence the air flow in a cabinet? The main difference between positive and negative pressure is the way they affect vents and other ventilation slots of the chassis. This picture shows an example of a modern high-performance case, with additional air intakes that aren’t occupied by the cabinet fans. These openings can work either as exhaust or intake depending on whether the cabinet has a positive or negative air pressure, respectively.
The ventilation grilles are not the only place in the chassis that can be affected by the dynamics of incoming and outgoing flows: also fissures, shown in this photo, may be called into question. This is a first benefit from positive air pressure: dust removal. New models of cases usually include filters to avoid accumulation of dust inside the cabinet. If the case has a positive pressure, only the dedicated intake fans will require filters to reduce the total quantity of dust.
The diagram shows clearly that the cabinet with a positive pressure can prevent the accumulation of dust, thanks to dedicated filters placed in front of fans, which push the air out through openings where there are no appropriate filters. The idea is to use positive air pressure to build dust-proof cabinets, similar to the concept of cleanrooms, where filtered air pumped in with positive pressure helps keeping out the dust from the room. These rooms are used in fields like Hi-tech, medical and food processing systems, to prevent contamination or dust. Regardless of their size and their level, they are built to maintain a positive air pressure to remove dust.
The other benefit of positive air pressure is maximizing the efficiency of the heat sink video card.
Left, partially closed cooler - Right, totally closed cooler
Generally all the video cards are studied to exhaust hot air outside of the case, to limit the reintroduction of hot air inside the cabinet itself.
Partially closed cooler:
Totally closed cooler:
Taken from: http://www.silverstonetek.com/techtalk_cont.php?area=usa&tid=wh_positive
We also thank SilverStone for providing materials and pamphlets.
Air Penetrator? What they’re up to?
You can find more information about this fan in the Silverstone web site:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=258&area=en
Let’s take a look to their specifications and to the package.
AP121 TECHNICAL SPECS
AP 181 TECHNICAL SPECS
If we take a look at the specification it’s clear that we are in front of a great fan since the static pressure compared to the overall noise level it’s amazing. Unfortunately, we must note that the Air Penetrator fans are disadvantaged with high-spaced fins heatsinks, because they generally need a high flow rate (CFM) for better results. The Air Penetrator series are characterized by an excellent static pressure and low noise level but they are really deficient on the air flow side (only 35.36CFM), which is limited by the spiral filter. These fans are highly recommended with heatsinks that require high static pressure, with radiators with a close fin structure, or as chassis intake fans. Here you can see some pictures of the package, the bundle and the AP121 SilverStone fan:
It’s very interesting the presence of an Y-cable, with a 3-pin connection for two fans, and four excellent anti-vibration grommets.
This video will help you understanding the real potential and the characteristics of this new fan series by Silverstone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m8fC809TK0&feature=player_embedded
- FT01 POSITIVE PRESSURE
- FT02 STACK EFFECT
- RV03 STACK EFFECT
- TJ09 VGA AIR DUCT
- SG08 POSITIVE PRESSURE
NOTE : Red marked chassis will also be part of a more detailed review, soon
FT01–Black. Direct analysis of the positive pressure and technical details
Let’s summarize its most important features:
- Positive air pressure design optimizes cooling performance
- Uni-body frame construction from the flagship Temjin TJ07
- Artful, understated design with excellent ergonomics
- Dual 180mm silent fans included for outstanding cooling and quietness
- Minimal use of rivets for maximum serviceability
- Highly flexible drive storage options with hot-swappable SATA adapter
FT01 can support 10.5” consumer level graphics cards. The support for this type of cards does not require HDD cage to be removed. FT01 can support 12” workstation level graphics cards.
To support such long cards, the middle HDD cage must to be removed.
Positive pressure demonstration with this model :
http://www.silverstonetek.com/techtalk_cont.php?area=usa&tid=wh_positive
Positive pressure demonstration, part 2 :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLOg9yI3rjs&feature=related
Other interesting video about the FT01 capabilities :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe-2ZqmSGug&feature=related
Direct link for the manual’s download:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/downloads/Manual/Multi-FT01-Manual.pdf
Direct link for the SilverStones’s Question&Answer pamphlet:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=200&area=en
Direct link for the SilverStone’s suggested products, compatible with the FT01: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=200&area=en
FT01–Black, Part-2
Further explanations about the air flow in the FT01 can be found at this address:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/techtalk_cont.php?area=usa&tid=wh_airflow
The FT01 is a small concentration of advanced know-how in terms of heat management in a modern chassis. This case allowed us the installation of the Thermalright’s “HR02-Macho” heatsink in a totally passive configuration with great temperatures. Unfortunately this tests have been made some months ago, and we didn’t carry out professional measurement, following our test standards. We’ve tested the FT01 with another Thermalright heatsink, the “True Spirit 120”.
Let’s close this chapter with some more photos of this magnificent cabinet.
FT02. Stack effect description and details
Combining two of SilverStone's most distinctive computer chassis breakthroughs (the unibody construction of the Temjin TJ07, introduced in 2005, and the 90-degrees rotated motherboard mount of the RAVEN RV01 from 2008) the Fortress FT02 advances both chassis construction and thermodynamics in a forceful, streamlined design. With the Fortress FT02, SilverStone engineers have combined the rigidity of unibody construction with the unparalleled cooling layout of the RAVEN chassis, adding a hot-swappable hard drive cage and an acoustically padded interior for maximum versatility. The result is increased structural strength, increased storage capacity, and whisper-quiet operation. Available in black, silver and black-red (limited edition, 1000 units in total, with 3x AP181 180mm fans) colors, its elegant outer shell is perfectly accentuated by the U-shaped unibody aluminum frame that not only provides unique styling, but also functional purpose. The bottom gap from the frame to the main body actually serves as the main air intake area for its three massive 180mm fans, making it even suitable for use on carpeted surfaces. For professionals and enthusiasts looking for a silent workstation or gaming machine with maximum performance, there is no better solution than the SilverStone Fortress FT02.
Let’s resume its features:
- Revolutionary 90 degree motherboard mounting (from RAVEN RV01)
- Innovative 4.5mm aluminum unibody frame (from Temjin TJ07)
- Three 180mm fans for unprecedented positive pressure and stack effect cooling
- Supports liquid cooling radiator mounting
- Motherboard back plate opening behind CPU area for quick cooler assembly
- Supports 11” wide ATX motherboard
- Foam padded interior for advanced noise absorption
Direct link for the manual’s download:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/downloads/Manual/case/Multi-FT02-Manual.pdf
Direct link for the SilverStones’s Question&Answer pamphlet:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=242&area=en
Direct link for the SilverStone’s suggested products, compatible with the FT02:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=242&area=en
We will examine the hard disk cages in the full review. You can find an overview at the following links:
• SilverStone CFP51, http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=40&area=en
• SilverStone SDP09, http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=278&area=en
Regarding the detailed review of this case, we’ll refer to a future and dedicated article, which will be published very soon. Please stay tuned because we will review the Limited Edition version, of which have been produced in only 1000 copies! Do you want some pictures to understand what we're talking about? Delight your eyes:
RV03–Black. “Stack effect” and details
- Revolutionary 90 degree motherboard mounting (from RAVEN RV01)
- Includes two Air Penetrator 180mm fans for superb performance and quietness
- Support up to seven 120mm fans for exceptional cooling flexibility
- Motherboard back plate opening behind CPU area for quick cooler assembly
- Supports Extended ATX motherboard
- Supports eight expansion slots and graphics cards of any length
- Mandatory cable management design for clean looking system on every build
- Hard drive compartment with independent cooling zone
- Upscale and aggressive styling with dual-purpose front panel bezels
Direct link for the manual’s download:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/raven/download/Multi-RV03-Manual.pdf
Direct link for the SilverStones’s Question&Answer pamphlet:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/raven/products/r-qa.php?model=RV03&area=en
Direct link for the SilverStone’s suggested products, compatible with the RV03:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/raven/products/r-recommend.php?model=RV03&area=en
RV03–Black, Part-2
In the frontal panel we can even mount a giant integrated liquid-cooling heatsink, even a dual-fan style one like the Corsair H100, like we did in this review
http://www.xtremehardware.com/cooling/liquid/corsair-h100-201110315957/4/
Let’s report a quote from the H100 review:
"The temperatures obtained by the H100 are the best recorded to date, just above the H20 920 made by the Antec, especially in Push / Pull. By installing the H100 in the Raven 3, the temperatures have risen about just 3 degrees, demonstrating the excellent performance in environments with less ventilation".
Although the result wasn’t very high, due to the orientation of the cooler itself, the interesting fact is that it was possible to mount this kind of heatsink in front of the cabinet, and firmly! This is a clear indicator of the excellent design of this case, and its very good internal layout! In few other cases we could have done such a thing.
Regarding the famous Raven Series, we report a video directly made by SilverStone, showing an RV01:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Xgjvf0SDc&feature=player_embedded
We report a note about the temperature test of the Thermalright HR02 Macho heatsink, which has been mounted inside this cabinet, even in a fanless configuration. Thanks to the astonishing ventilation of the RV03, we’ve been able to bring the CPU up to 3.4GHz without fans on the heatsink!
"As shown by the graph, it’s evident that we are in front of a product that can achieve excellent operating temperatures. We were really surprised to see that this brand new heatsink held very good an Intel Core i7 920 with 130w TDP, in a fanless configuration (thanks to the excellent active heat dissipation of the two AP181 SilverStone fans, in the RAVEN3)! This result is remarkable. With the processor overclocked to 3.4 GHz, the situation starts to get complicated with a fanless configuration, otherwise if we install the Thermalright bundled fan it barely changes. Finally at the frequency of 4 GHz, the HR02 Macho can cope with the i7 920, in a very efficient and silent way."
Link to the review: http://www.xtremehardware.com/cooling/air/dissipatore-cpu-thermalright-hr-02-macho-201109055664/6/
We performed also some test of the Alpenfohn Peter VGA cooler, inside the Raven3 with its classical configuration, and rotating it of 90 degrees, in order to emulate a common cabinet design: http://www.xtremehardware.com/cooling/air/alpenfohn-peter-201109125697/4/
TJ09S-W Silver. “Air Duct” and details
- There’s the implementation of a proprietary cooling system for video cards. This is a dedicated ventilation duct that will allow the entrance of fresh air in front of the VGA’s PCB. This system will decrease both the temperature and the noise of graphics cards. Such a system has never been implemented and SilverStone in this field had always been at the frontline.
- All aluminum construction and a state-of-the-art manufacture, high overall stiffness and low weight. Maximum compatibility with standard ATX design, E-ATX, SSI, Micro-ATX. Advanced Layout, rivets reduced to a minimum, and advanced management of internal compartments
- Design with minimum size of fans of 120mm for high performance and low noise (we would like to point out that has become a Silverstone production standard, and very often 180mm models are installed).
- Semi Tool-less Layout, for an easier assembly (though we want to point out that SilverStone could adopt better solutions, because a large amount of screws are still needed)
- Styles and finishes that meet very high SilverStone standards
- Very advanced ventilation and internal dissipation, in addition you can install a fan to cool the hard drives and two 120mm fans in the upper compartment, possibly in input, thus creating the phenomenon of positive pressure.
- Extreme possibilities: it’s designed for liquid systems and it has holes dedicated for tubes in the back. At the base we can find a removable dust filter and a good management of dust in the power sector (though unfortunately we must unmount the power supply to clean it).
- The connection panel can be hidden in the roof and although it is not updated to the new USB3.0 standard, it is very solid and well-conceived.
- A good Hard disk management and accessible and functional anchoring system of 5.25'' units, unfortunately not tool-free but with anti-vibration strips that cover the entire contact surface of the hard disks. We suggest to screw them, even if is not necessary. The anchoring system of the expansion slots still uses dedicated screws (It’s the same on the latest SilverStone models, and we hope it willbe replaced soon with a tool-less design, which should also allow a side installation of an SSD)
Direct link for the official support and Q&A:
- http://www.silverstonetek.com/downloads/tj09manual.jpg
- http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=94&area=en
We report some other SilverStone direct links, relative to some accessory kits, perfectly compatible with this model:
- http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=94&area=en
- http://www.silverstonetek.com/downloads/pindefine.jpg
- http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=94&area=en
Sugo SG08 Black. Positive pressure in a Mini-ITX
To further increase the appeal of the interesting Sugo SG07, SilverStone engineers have developed a new version, the SG08. For the first time in a SilverStone product, they used a 1cm thickness (0.4 in.) of extruded aluminum to adorn the front panel. Finished with a finely brushed and anodized surface, the front panel of the SG08 rivals the best home theater systems in terms of quality and style. There were many prizes won from the previous version and we’ve got all of the interesting features of the Sugo SG07 in a different and better revision, with the new and powerful Air Penetrator fan, the AP181 180mm, with two speed switch, an easy to remove filter, positive pressure layout and last but not least, the inclusion of a power supply with the 80 PLUS Bronze certification, and power up to 600W, with an interesting current rating. Although compact in size, only 14.8 liters, the SG08 is still able to accommodate a powerful choice of components. Even the longest graphics cards, up to 12.2 inches, are easily supported in this cabinet. This extraordinary capability, together with the cooling power provided by the adoption of the AP181 fan, makes the SG08, your best choice for a Mini-ITX chassis. Today we'll show you some of its features, which will be further analyzed in a more detailed article.
- Cabinet SSF industry leader with a 180mm fan Air Penetrator for positive pressure. This feature will allow an enviable ventilation in such a small case
- Space for the installation of a CPU cooler high up to 117mm. This will allow maximum performance even within a very small form factor.
- Support for two 2,5” or 3,5” SSD / HDD.
- Includes an 80 Plus Bronze 600W power supply, certified @ 50 ℃ and equipped with a single +12 V high current rail for dedicated graphics cards. You can install even an Nvidia GTX 480!
- Possibility of setting a specific ventilation duct for graphics card to improve the overall cooling performance.
- Removable filters for cabinet fans, for power supply and VGA included.
- Supports long graphics cards (12.2’’) and up to 400W of power consumption! Vary impressive considering the smallest form factor.
- All aluminum construction with a 10mm thick plate at the front, for a unique and elegant design. Compatibility with Mini-ITX motherboards. Advanced Layout, rivets reduced to a minimum, and advanced management of internal compartments.
- Style and finish conform to the highest SilverStone standards
Direct link for the manual’s download:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/downloads/Manual/case/Multi-SG08-Manual.pdf
We report some other SilverStone direct links, relative to some accessory kit, perfectly compatible with this model:
- http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=94&area=en
- http://www.silverstonetek.com/downloads/pindefine.jpg
- http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=94&area=en
We will examine the SUGO Bag in the SG08 review, stay tuned.
Cooling and Revolution as priorities
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe-2ZqmSGug&feature=player_embedded
We also report a potential issue with this kind of cases, with the motherboard retention plate rotated by 90 degrees clockwise, an argument that our Xtremehardware staff have begun to analyze during the review of the SilverStone Raven 3, in another associated review:
Motherboard orientation in a normal ATX case:
Motherboard orientation in a Raven series case:
CPU cooler:
Source : http://www.silverstonetek.com/raven/products/r-qa.php?model=RV02-E&area=en
System and test methodology
We measured the temperatures at idle and full load with the software Realtemp. The full load temperatures were measured after 25 minutes of Prime95 "InPlaceLargeFFTs" (maximum stress and consumption), benchmark known for its ability to stress the CPU heavily, much more than any video game. The thermal paste used is the Arctic Cooling MX-4. We emphasize that the procedure for measuring the temperature is very rigorous and each reported number is verified, recalculated if suspect, using additional tests; a lot of attention is also placed at room temperature (Tamb) so that the results are as realistic as possible, reproducible and fundamentally correct. You can be sure that what you read here, with the same configuration and settings match, within experimental error, it’s the true value.
It was used a test session, with the following frequency:
Test results and Loudness
The fact that the TJ is able to achieve performance comparable to the Akasa Venom Toxic, which has an enormous open side window, is a very satisfactory result. It’s pretty obvious that the ‘’Air Duct’’ ventilation design have led, first, the reduction of the fans number inside the cabinet and, second, the improvement of heat dissipation performance. Regarding the hard drives we haven’t got a so breathtaking result, as hoped, but we need to remember that it’s possible to add a fan, and also improve the performance in this sector. This is also true for the CPU itself, given the absence of two fans on the top of the cabinet.
Temperatures FT02-LE:
We need comments? The highest performance ever achieved! A great case, especially for video cards. Thanks to the vertical orientation, even putting two GTX 480 in SLI, or any other video card in parallel, we don’t encounter the phenomenon of higher temperature for the first video card, the one closest to the CPU, due to the fact that the heat tends to rise. Fantastic performance, only for this reason we should recommend the purchase.
Noise TJ09S-W:
The cabinet is very quiet, very low dBA given the number of fans included and given the characteristics of 1200RPM and only 21dBA.
Noise FT02-LE:
The cabinet is quiet when the three A181 fans are set to 700RPM, 18 dBA, otherwise you can clearly hear their 34dBA at full speed, which grants unparalleled performances. However there is a comfortable fan controller, and even with fans at 700RPM, temperatures will not be compromised at all.
Conclusion and a look to the future
We have arrived at the conclusion of this article. Undoubtedly it is useless to list again, or to present for the last time the reasons behind all our interest in this great brand, but we want to conclude with a consideration:
Since we are end users, what should a case manufacturer try to make?
Certainly they should try to satisfy the end-user to build unconventional solutions with non-repetitive and advanced technical features, and with an eye to the purchase price. Well, we have focused precisely on Silverstone because it’s one of the most satisfying brands regarding all these demands, with the important basic principle that is to provide products with excellent build quality.
What does the future hold? Just a few pictures, we recommend that you get seated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygokobAfAe4&feature=player_embedded#!
Here the smallest of Temjin series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9WGtaDUIiE&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o5xF49cWAo&feature=relmfu
Regarding the cabinet considered today, what can we say? Qualitatively to the top, with a nice retrò design but always elegant and functional, equipped with advanced design features from the point of view of temperature control, and finally at a price balanced to what they offer, when precisely compared to the features.
We start from TJ09S-W, which is equipped with a convenient removable bulkhead and a proprietary system for optimizing the air flow in the direction of the video cards. All excellent features, but we have to point out some points that we were not convinced:
- Cable management definitely needs to be improved; we recommend the adoption of the thick rear space, and cable management system of the last Silverstone Raven03. In fact, large wires coming from the PSU, can even bend the right panel because of the small space available to accommodate them. We wonder why the designers didn’t avoid this problem. Anyway, just pass the wires off in the front, and you will not encounter this problem.
- Installation of hard drives "sui generis"; we wonder why the connectors are located on the left side panel. Obvious the reason is to make the disassembly easier, but fast-swap solutions could have been adopted, like for the servers, or like in the last simile and amazing Silverstone FT-02. However, just reverse the position and you will solve the problem.
- Presence of two unpaired fans above, you can’t mount radiators in the style of the corsair H100 240 x 120mm (length x height). It would be theoretically possible, but as it is not 100% compatible, we do not recommend it. Instead, 120mm x 120 mm(WxH) radiators are perfectly compatible, and recommended
The value for money is excellent and the price of 140€, considering the exceptional build quality, is very interesting. It will certainly be a good buy if you want a classic design cabinet in aluminum.
On the other hand, regarding the FT02, what we need to say? A wonderful example of what SilverStone is capable in the field of design, functionality, performance and layout, without mentioning the aesthetics that is very formidable. We do not add comments because it will be the subject of a next comprehensive review.,
Now we give a summary judgment also on the Mini-ITX Sugo SG08 enclosure, which also will be presented in an interesting review, soon. Even here we are before a flagship product that seems incapable to disappoint the audience. In fact, it comes with the best PSU for this power category, with the best fans around that grant an optimal ventilation, and it supports a good amount of hard drives . Despite this case is very small, it has an enviable height to grant compatibility with all the aftermarket coolers. The SilverStone Sugo SG08 can be defined as the most sublime, elegant and refined case in its category. Want more? We understand the need to go further and further, but in this case we cannot really complain.
With the FT01 on the other hand, we want to emphasize that the cooling solutions have been seriously treated by SilverStone. Its main feature is the presence of two 180mm fans that allow the adoption of a positive pressure system, well, what does it mean? This solution allowed us to keep the HR02 macho in passive configuration even overclocking a CPU i7 920 up to 3.2 GHz, at temperatures lower than many other non-passive heatsinks around! Absolutely spectacular. And it’s bundled with comfortable and removable anti-dust filters, maximum support for the latest generation graphics cards, good cable management, good disks support, optimal temperatures, and finally excellent build quality, combined with a very low noise emission (
The last but not the least, the famous Raven RV03: aesthetically pleasing, although we know that it can be a subjective assessment, it has a rigid structure, except perhaps a feeling of too plastic-oriented, ''but'' with an excellent overall quality. We noticed also some internal small painting imperfections. Very remarkable the total amount and quality of the bundled fans, especially the 2 AP181, and many other 120mm fans accessories. Another interesting thing is the benefit of a truly exemplary cable management system, which we hope will become an absolute standard in the case industry. Really good management of hard disks, even if by force of circumstances, however, there isn’t a fast-swap and tool-less system; compactness is significant, because it’s just a Mid-Tower, and finally it presents an economical MSRP. The overall feeling is to have got a high-end case, however, except for the front of hard plastic that still has a very modern look.
Now we go to the final evaluation
We thank SilverStone for the received samples, precisely the TJ09S-W and SG08.
Trinca Matteo, Leonardo Angelini, Xtremehardware.it Staff