Silverstone Raven

Testing

Methodology

Naturally, much of the testing when it comes to cases is entirely subjective. Do you like how it looks? Is it easy to work with? Nevertheless there is still some useful empirical cooling data that can be recorded. I compared the Raven to the excellent Antec Twelve Hundred to see which of these two full-tower workhorses is more effective at cooling a powerful overclocked gaming rig. Each of the cases was subjected to the same “race conditions” testing, with the side panels shut and the same, real system installed within.

Test Rig

Results

In terms of cooling performance, the Raven does a stellar job. The CPU temperature was a little hotter than the same components within an Antec Twelve Hundred, but then that case does have a 220mm fan directly above the heat sink. Video card temperatures were around two degrees cooler than the Antec case, however, no doubt thanks to the 90 degree rotation of the motherboard and the fact that the 4890 expels heat directly upwards. It should also be stated that although the top stealth panel does a great job of hiding the unsightly cables, it does impede airflow a little.

Strength

The Silverstone Raven is an extremely sturdy chassis. You’d have no trouble with flexing or vibration in a case as solid and weighty as this one, and although much of the exterior is plastic, it’s a far cry from the cheap fascias you may be used to on entry level ATX cases.

Noise

Unlike the Antec case, the Raven uses three-pin tails on each of its fans. We like this approach more than the 4 pin Molex solution of Antec’s cases, as it allows high end motherboards to control fan speeds up and down as required. Each of the Raven’s fans has clearly been carefully chosen for their quiet and smooth acoustic profile. At full speed we still couldn’t hear the Raven’s case fans, even with the re
t of the system set to run at its quietest possible level using Speedfan.

Cost

£145 for a case certainly isn’t cheap, but then Silverstone’s products are rarely aimed at the value-centric audience. For a case of this workmanship, the price is definitely fair.

Cases