Silverstone Raven Case Review

Since the demise of COMDEX, CES has become the place where hardware manufacturers have announced new products and features. From Nvidia to Lian Li, CES is one of the first real showcases of PC’s and gaming hardware, before CeBIT in March and Computex in June. When we visited Vegas earlier this year, we stopped by Silverstone to see what new products they were showing off. Knowing their tradition of high quality aluminum cases, we were not prepared for their major attraction: the behemoth that is known as the Raven RV01. After seeing a demonstration of its features, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on one and see just how this massive black beast works. Well, we’ve put it through its paces and are happy to report that it easily lives up to Silverstone’s reputation of excellent quality and cooling. First, let’s take a look at some of the Raven’s features.

Silverstone Raven
Case Type	Full Tower
Material	Steel/Plastic
Color	Black
Motherboard Support	ATX, Micro ATX, Extended ATX
Front Panel	2x USB2.0 1x eSATA 1x Intel HD Audio
Fans	1x 120mm Top Exhaust 2x 180mm Bottom Intake
5.25" Drive Bays	5
3.25" Drive Bays	6 (Internal)
Expansion Slots	7
Dry Weight	33.1 lbs
Dimensions	11.02" x 24.25" x 25.98"
Price	$249.99

The most noticeable feature readers are going to pick-up on right away is the vastly different motherboard orientation. Silverstone has turned the motherboard tray 90 degrees, so that the back panel now faces upwards. The Raven features two 180mm fans on the bottom of the case that pull air upwards. Silverstone told us the purpose behind this change was to make use of the heat stack effect, where hot air naturally rises due to its lower density. The belief is that this will allow for more efficient air cooling, while also reducing system noise with its slower moving fans. The Raven also makes use of positive air pressure, which allows it to keep dust from being pulled into small crevices in the chassis.

The following is a video sent to us from Silverstone that helps demonstrate how the Raven’s unconventional design works.