Introduction
Silverstone are no strangers to case designing, with over 30 different cases catering for everyones needs, they definitely should have learnt every trick in the book to make their cases the best.
About Silverstone
Founded in the summer of 2003, SilverStone Technology is now a proven leader in the field of aluminum enclosure design and manufacturing. Our expertise in creating functional works of art from ordinary electronics and computer components is widely recognized. Numerous designs and ideas for improving computer enclosures were first created by our talented team of engineers, who are regarded by many as leaders in their respective fields. Today, SilverStone Technology continues to garner attention and awards that reflect our original vision of creating the most advanced and beautiful products available on the market.
Silverstone’s take on the TJ08
For many, the Temjin series is a symbol of powerful full size tower cases, so when SilverStone engineers began working on a Micro-ATX tower case, they made sure it was as powerful as possible. The TJ08 was born with a setup that is simple yet unheard of in cases of its class. Equipped with dual 120mm fans and with only a short distance between them, a natural wind tunnel effect could be achieved to produce cooling efficiency rivaling the best full tower cases on the market. Besides having great cooling performance, the TJ08 is also an easy to use case with removable motherboard tray and logically placed buttons/connectors on its thick, beautifully finished aluminum front panel. If using top-of-the-line components in a micro tower was not an option before, it is now with the TJ08.
Specs
| Material |
Aluminum front panel, SECC body |
|
| Color | Black | |
| Silver | ||
| Motherboard | Micro ATX | |
| Model | TJ08S | |
| TJ08B | ||
| Drive Bay | Exposed |
5.25” x 2 |
| Internal | 3.5” x 2 | |
| Cooling System | Rear | 120mm intake fan, 1200rpm, 21dBA |
| Bottom | 120mm exhaust fan, 1200rpm, 21dBA | |
| Expansion Slot |
4 |
|
| Front I/O Port |
USB2.0 x 4 |
|
| Power Supply | Optional standard PS2 (ATX), Redundant PS2 | |
| Net Weight |
5.5 kg
|
|
| Dimension | 195 mm (W) x 381 mm (H) x 378 mm (D)) | |
The Case
After popping this baby out of the postage container, I was greated with clean angular lines and a nicely brushed aluminium front. The design for this centers around simplicity, and has turned out with great results. The front of the case has two 5.25” bay covers, and 2 floppy drive covers; both of these are brushed aluminium.
Below this, is the massive front fan grill with a large dust filter stopping your PC being coated with heat-trapping dust. Behind this grill, is a large, quiet 120mm fan. At the very bottom of the case, is a oval indentation providing connectors for four USB ports, one FireWire, line-out and mic sound I/O. The power buttons fit snuggly besides the 2 floppy drive covers, which are also very clean and simple.
The top left corner of the case shows the SilverStone logo in black, which adds a little bit more class to the case.
Behind this front facia, you find the shiny grey body of the case which can be taken completely apart; invaluable for installing a PSU, especially as this is a mATX case where space is already limited. The side panels are held on with standard case screws and slide off easily. One of the side panels has a rectangular grill on the side to increase airflow. Whilst a great idea, this grill doesn’t have a dust filter which may counteract the effects of the front filter.
At the back of the case, you find another 120mm fan, providing rear ventilation. This fan only just squeezes into the case, meaning the size of the case hasn’t been compromised to get better cooling. The effect of having two large 120mm fans and a very small case, is that the air insides is changed very quickly, which hopefully leads to lower temperatures inside.
Inside the case, there are two 5.25”, and three 3 ½” bays (one hidden). The 5.25” bays are riveted to the case whilst the cage below is removable meaning installing HDD’s or floppy drives (if you still use them) is made a lot easier. The cage is held on by 3 case screws, and slots in easily. This may seem like a rather unnecessary feature, but when it comes to installing drives in a cramped mATX case, this small feature becomes invaluable.
Another excellent feature is the removable motherboard tray, which is a great extra on any case, but on these smaller cases it makes the headache of installation a breeze. Accessible from the other side of the case, the motherboard tray simply slides out then tips towards you, allowing you to make light work of installation/upgrading/maintenance. Once you’ve sorted out the motherboard, the tray can be held in place by the means of two case screws, one of which also holds the side panel in place.
TJ08; in use
Due to the removable mobo tray, putting in the motherboard was easy, the hard drives slipped into place, and the optical drives were no problem. One issue that I had was the distance between the power supply and the optical drives. If you have a large PSU, then it simply won’t fit. I was lucky enough to find an old 145w half-size PSU that did the trick. Standard sized ATX PSU’s will fit but it’ll be a tight fit. If you are using a larger-than-average power supply, like the Spire Rocketeer SP-500w, then you’ll have problems.
Plugging in all of the front panel connectors was easy, due to the colour-coded, labeled plugs. All in all installation was quick and simple, despite the space limitations of a mATX case. After a quick session of cable management (read: tucking cables where you can’t see them) I was ready to power it up.
On turning on the case, the front power and HDD LED’s lit up with a satisfying vibrant blue which would be perfectly complimented by a front blue 120mm fan. The 120mm fans aren’t totally silent, but they definitely won’t get in the way of watching a DVD or playing the latest FPS. These fans definitely make a difference to internal temps, shaving a couple of degrees off both case and CPU readings.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a high-quality case, then any of the SilverStone range will suit your needs; they literally have something for everyone. The TJ08 is a great mATX with features normally seen on higher end cases. If you’re not shy of shelling out £60.99 on a case, then you’ll soon find your new best friend in the TJ08
| Pros | Cons |
| Great airflow | Price tag |
| Excellent, slick looks | |
| Easy installation |
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