SilverStone's back at it again with the Raven RV02. First off, it's smaller, measuring in at 643mm x 503mm x 212mm (compared to RV01's 660mm x 616mm x 280mm) and is equipped with five 5.25in bays (eight without 3.5in holder), three 3.5in bays - down from six on the RV01 - and a 2.5in drive-holder, perfect for SSDs.
The construction is the same, that is, plastic outer shell and SECC (steel) body.
SilverStone reckons that it has a few improvements over the first-generation model, including housing motherboards that can take four dual-slot cards up to 10.5in long. It also ships with a single exhaust 120mm fan and three independent-speed intake 180mm fans - one up from the RV01, and it keeps the rotated-component theme going. We wonder if the imbalance between intake and exhaust manifests itself in less-than-ideal cooling?
There's also the now-customary cutout on the motherboard tray for through-the-board fitting, and the 3.5in drive-bay's suspension system has been upgraded over the previous model. Further, SilverStone adds mountings to fit a radiator.
Ignoring the smoke, you can see the 2.5in drive on the 'far' side, behind the 5.25in bays - situated in the same place as the Fortress FT02.
Expect to see it in the UK in the August/September time-frame. Pricing is yet to be finalised but the indications are that it could come in at between £100-£120, including VAT, making it cheaper than the larger RV01. Bring it down to £99 all in and it will surely tempt the enthusiast. What do you think?
