| SilverStone SST-PS07B mATX Computer Case |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | |||||||
| Written by Doug Dallam | |||||||
| Thursday, 29 December 2011 | |||||||
Page 5 of 5
mATX Chassis Final ThoughtsFirst off, this isn't a case with which you'd want to constantly swap components. This is more of a "build it then leave it" style of case because you'll need to take the case completely a part screw by screw and install your components screw by screw, and this goes for the hard drives and optical drives too, as there are no tool-less mounts here. The front fans are fairly easy to remove though. Simply remove the drive cage and pull the fans out of the back (screws are in front for easy access). For such a small internal area, SilverStone engineers obviously thought much about the PS07's design, and also about OCing in it. With nearly a inch of space for cable routing, and the ability to mount 180mm PSUs and 13.9" video cards along with a full tower cooler, they really did their job. The easy to clean front and power supply filters are also well designed, and even elegant. Other than having a lot of screws, comparatively speaking, the PS07 takes into account almost every single detail which you might come up against. One problem is that if you use the top drive cage with drives in it, you'll need to mount the cooling tower fan on the back near the exhaust port (if you have a fairly fat tower). That's probably not a problem since you'll be sucking air through the tower and blowing it out of the back exhaust port. The manual says that SilverStone tested a nonOC'ed Core i7 with the PS07 using a tower cooler--without the fan--and it didn't overheat (PS07 manual 47). So, you have that option too. If you aren't going to OC, and you're not planning on swapping components much, then the PS07 is unquestionably a very nice choice with everything you'll need plus the advantage of a small footprint. It's a solid and well thought out case. Of course you only get two 5.25" drive bays, but for most people, that's enough. (I could even do with that since I rarely use my internal card reader. Having only two bays would leave me with one optical drive instead of two, which I don't need, and my hot swap 3.5" bay, which I do need.) The question whether or not we can seriously consider the PS07 while OCing, however, remains. The PS07 is touted as having excellent positive airflow and supports large tower coolers, with an option to water cool, and an option to run your PSU downward to help suck air out of the case, and so I'd say yes, we can OC in this box. I'm quite sure my air cooled i7 920 at 3.8Ghz would run just fine in this case. Of course, cooling performance varies depending on variables, so take that into consideration. 
SilverStone PS07 ConclusionWith a small footprint and lots of internal space, there isn't much wrong with the SilverStone PS07. It's a well thought out case, with the arguable exception of so many screws needed for assembly. Appearance is always subjective, but this case is marketed squarely for more mature tastes, with no fancy LEDs or other outside flair, while retaining a sleek and solid look. For that reason, the PS07 retains an all business appearance without being overly boring. Construction of the PS07 is above average with the only aspect a little thin being the top PSU mount, which becomes substantially sturdy after the removable top is screwed down. There were somewhat sharp edges on the top outside edge of the frame, where the side panels mount on both sides, but they are outside of the working area. Aside from that, everything is smooth with attention to quality. The paint is very thick and the plastic has a matte-like aluminum finish to it. Functionally speaking, the PS07 is a design with obviously much attention to detail. The manual is full of measurements in every aspect, such as cooling tower height, PSU and optical drive limitations (which are almost limitless), ram height to hard drive specs, and cable length recommendations. Along with that, the manual includes alternatives for placement of hardware. It's one of the best manuals I've seen. It's hard to believe but you get 13.9" of video card space, 180mm of PSU space, 6.5" of tower height space, and nearly an inch (15/16th") of cable space, plus enough internal bays for five 3.5" drives and one 2.5" drive (or mix and match). On top of that, you get excellent and easy to remove front and top filters. This is excellent functionality. The only downside is that the PS07 is not a tool-less design, and incorporates many screws. Value is good for a case with this much attention to detail. Costing less than $79 at NewEgg, price may be a little high for a micro case, but with all of the functionality, I can't really hit it either. Incredible functionality in such a small package is the main reason the SilverStone PS07 mini-tower computer case receives the prestigious Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award. Pros:
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