Review: SilverStone Raven RV05

Conclusion

SilverStone's big-and-bulky Raven began life as a somewhat unusual PC enclosure aimed squarely at high-level enthusiasts. Realising that the premium end of the market may be drying up, the new RV05 takes the stack-effect formula and makes it more accessible to mainstream users.

Priced at £83, SilverStone's fifth-generation case is far more forgiving in terms of footprint, yet remains adept at its primary task, which is cooling high-end parts with bottom-to-top airflow. The unorthodox layout does introduce a few challenges - PSU sizing and cable management being chief among them - but for gamers seeking something that's a little different to the norm, the RV05 can be both interesting to look at it and rewarding to build into.

There are, we feel, two major question marks; is it able to house your existing components without any major complications; and do you like the way it looks? It's a little too outlandish for our personal tastes, so we'll patiently await the sleeker Fortress FT05, but if the answer is yes on both counts, the RV05 provides good cooling performance, low noise and a little bit of quirkiness at an agreeable fee.

The Good

Most affordable Raven to date
Very good out-the-box performance
Fan controller keeps fans running quiet
Offers something a little different to the norm

The Bad

Looks are an acquired taste
Long PSUs obstruct 3.5in drive cage
Cable management is tricky

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SilverStone Raven RV05

HEXUS.where2buy*

The SilverStone Raven RV05 chassis is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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