Silverstone Precision PS07B Micro-ATX Case Review

1. Introduction2. The Silverstone PS07B: Packaging and Exterior3. The Silverstone PS07B: Interior and Installation4. Testing Methodology and Performance5. Closing Thoughts6. View All Pages

Lately there has been a noticeable increase in the number of PC chassis on the market with relatively new brands like Corsair and Bitfenix expanding their ranges rapidly to cater for a wider range of consumers.  Silverstone has been established in the PC case market much longer, though, and already has a large range of cases available.

In the past few years, Silverstone has made a name for itself by releasing a series of innovative products like the Fortress FT03 and Raven RV02 which use unconventional internal layouts to improve cooling and to save space.

Today we are going to look at the Silverstone Precision PS07B which is a mid-tower case designed to accommodate a Micro ATX motherboard.  Despite being smaller than most mid tower cases on the market which support ATX motherboards, it still has room for a whole host of top end components including the latest Radeon HD7970 and GeForce GTX 680 graphics cards.

Features

• Dual 120mm silent fan.
• Removable motherboard tray and top panel.
• Quick access filters to prevent dust buildup.
• Convenient wire and cable routing pathways.
• Adjustable holder for large CPU coolers and extra-long card support rack.
• Motherboard back plate opening for quick CPU cooler assembly.
• Independent airflow channel for power supply.
• Accommodate up to six 3.5 inch hard drives.

Silverstone supply the PS07B within a substantial cardboard box which should resist the knocks and bumps of negligent couriers.  The case is suspended between two polystyrene slabs within for added protection.

The included bundle contains all the items we would usually expect with a case.  All the screws are provided for installation alongside a detailed instruction manual.

It's clear that Silverstone are trying to appeal to a wide audience with this case as the design is subtle and understated.  The case is constructed from a combination of powder coated SECC steel and matte black plastic.  Even though the main area of the front panel is constructed from plastic, it looks much more like brushed aluminium, giving the case a premium look.  The strip on the left hand side is actually made from metal, though, and houses all the front panel connections.

The front panel connectors are located down the left hand side of the front panel alongside the power and reset buttons.  Even though there are only two USB connectors and two audio jacks located here, Silverstone has chosen to include USB 3.0 functionality.  These two ports are fed via an internal USB 3.0 header but there is a USB 2.0 adapter included for those with older motherboards.

There are only two fans supplied with the case which are both 120mm models located behind the door in the front panel.  There is a nylon fan filter included which can easily be removed for cleaning.  There is an additional fan vent in the top of the case which is designed to feed the fan on your power supply with cool air.  There is a magnetic dust filter included which fits over this vent but it can easily become dislodged.

Moving round to the back of the case there is space for an ATX power supply at the top.  Below this we find four expansion slots and an unpopulated 120mm fan vent.

To access the inside of the case we must first remove the two thumbscrews securing both side panels.  Unlike most cases on the market, the main compartment inside the case is accessed via the right hand side panel rather than the left.  Silverstone has powder coated the entire interior of the case black which is sure to make your components stand out well.

First of all we installed the power supply into the case which was a little more complicated than we were expecting as we had to remove the roof of the case to do so.  After doing this the power supply could easily be inserted and secured to the rear of the case using the four provided screws.  There are a number of holes cut into the motherboard tray for cable routing which should cater for the needs of most users.

There is plenty of room behind the motherboard tray for cable routing which makes it very easy to build a tidy system in this case, ensuring the best possible airflow.  The motherboard tray is removable to make the installation process easier but we found this wasn't necessary.

Installing the motherboard was quite simple as there is a fair amount of space to work with inside the case when the hard drive cages are removed.  The motherboard is actually rotated throughout 180 degrees in this case so the CPU socket is right at the bottom of the case and the expansion devices are at the top.

There is a large cutout in the motherboard tray to install CPU cooler backplates but we would always recommend attaching the cooler before installing the motherboard as it is usually easier.

There is plenty of room inside the chassis for long graphics cards to be installed with the hard drive cage removed.  For most users, this configuration will be preferable as there is still room for a solid state drive and one 3.5″ hard drive in the bottom of the chassis.  The expansion devices are secured in place using screws on the outside of the chassis.

Over on the left hand side of the main compartment, the removable hard drive cage which provides enough space for four 3.5″ hard drives.  There isn't any tool-less mechanism for installing hard drives so we are forced to use screws instead.  There are also two 5.25″ bays in the front of the case at the top but these aren't removable.

Both of the hard drive cages in the case sit directly in front of the two included intake fans so when they are removed, there is room for a thick 240mm radiator in the front of the case.  So the PS07B is ideal for those who want to build a custom loop or use a factory filled unit like the Corsair H100.

To test the Silverstone Precision PS07B we will be using the Intel Core i3 2105 CPU in conjunction with an Asus P8H67-M EVO motherboard.  To cool the CPU we will be using an Arctic Cooling Freezer 13.

Test System

Chassis: Silverstone Precision PS07B
Processor: Intel Core i3 2105
Motherboard: Asus P8H67M EVO
Cooler: Arctic Cooling Freezer 13
Memory: 4GB Crucial Ballistix DDR3 1333 MHz
Storage: OCZ Agility 3 240 GB
Power Supply: Antec 550W
Graphics Card: AMD Radeon 6670

Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Everest Ultimate Edition
Prime 95
Furmark

For our temperature tests, we used Prime95 and Furmark to load the system for 30 minutes and then recorded the temperatures using CPUID HWMonitor.  We then restarted the system and left it idling at the desktop for 39 minutes before recording the idle results.  The ambient temperature was maintained at 20c for the duration of the tests.

The results we recorded are quite acceptable but we feel that the system would benefit from the inclusion of an exhaust fan in the rear of the system in addition to the two intake fans, especially if you're planning to build a high-end system in this chassis.

For our noise level tests we replaced the AMD Radeon HD 6670 graphics card with a passively cooled HIS Radeon HD 5550 Silence.  We also turned off the CPU fan momentarily so we could be sure that the noise generated was only from the case fans.

The Silverstone PS07B was quieter than the minimum 30 dB sensitivity on our noise level meter so we were unable to accurately measure the result.  In the real world, this is one of the quietest cases you'll come across and it's completely inaudible when it's positioned underneath the desk.

Everything considered, we are quite impressed with what the Silverstone Precision PS07B has to offer.  The understated black finish will make this model appeal to everyone from home users to gaming enthusiasts.

Build quality is also excellent as we've come to expect from Silverstone and we have no doubts that this case will last most users a very long time.

Silverstone have clearly put a lot of thought into the internal design of the case as it's well suited to a number of purposes.  For those who want to build a compact gaming system, there is enough room for any graphics card currently on the market.

For those who want to build a home server, there are five 3.5″ hard drive bays.  For those who want to build a water cooled system, there is space for a thick 240mm radiator in the front.

We do feel that there are a couple of downsides to the chassis which may put some users off.  First of all, there is no provision whatsoever for tool-less installation which means that we had to use our screwdriver extensively throughout the installation process.  This made the installation process much more time consuming than usual.  This wasn't helped by us having to remove the case roof to install the power supply.

At the end of the day, value for money is going to be the main consideration for most people.  We feel that the retail price of a shade under £60 at Scan is a little pricey compared to the ATX offerings that are out there.  But for those looking for a very compact Micro ATX case, the PS07B is still a great option.

Pros

• Solid build quality.
• Sleek aesthetics.
• Good internal layout.
• Very quiet.

Cons

• No exhaust fan included.
• No provision for tool-less installation.

KitGuru says: A great option for those looking to build a powerful compact system

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