Cases & PSUs

SilverStone PS07 Review

vortez
August 8, 2012 13 Min Read
3 0

The Precision Series recently had a new variant join the PS07 M-ATX chassis range. PS07W has the same features but is coated all-white. Let’s see how this case fares.




Product on Review: Precision Series PS07
Manufacturer and Sponsor: SilverStone
Street Price: £50 inc.VAT (GBP)

The M-ATX form factor has gathered momentum lately with an onslaught of offerings coming to such chipsets as Intel’s Z77. You can’t blame many for opting for the smaller form factor when you consider the wealth of features some motherboards provide. Corresponding to this there has been more demand for M-ATX computer chassis and we turn to SilverStone’s Precision Series today for one such offering.

Released back in April the PS07W – a white variant to the already popular Precision Series PS07, brings an alternative colour configuration to this M-ATX chassis. All-white externals and internals are a popular trend nowadays but can the PS07 deliver on features and price? Let’s find out!



SilverStone on PS07
As the first chassis in the Precision series designed for Micro ATX motherboards, the PS07 has a great balance between size and functionality. It utilizes SilverStone’s vaulted positive pressure design with easily removable filters on both the fans and the power supply to prevent dust buildup. Two front mounted 120mm fans can provide capable cooling for a complete build fully loaded with drives and components. To keep the noise profile low, an independent compartment with isolated intake vent for the power supply was implemented to keep PSU operating at optimal temperature. User-friendly touches such as removable motherboard tray and top lid make installation in such small chassis a breeze. But an all new backside cable routing design further increases PS07’s ergonomics with room for long power supply cables; thus eliminates the need for short cable kits such as SilverStone’s PP05 and allow users to use any power supplies they wish. For those interested in storage flexibility, PS07’s ability to accommodate one 2.5” and six 3.5” hard drives are greatly appreciated as well. Using an elegant front panel combined with aluminum accent makes PS07 at home in any environment with a clean, hidden side intake helping to minimize and direct noise away from users. If there is a need for a relatively small, understated, quiet, and advanced PC, the PS07 is a perfect choice.

Technical Specifications

Model No.
SST-PS07B (Black)
SST-PS07W (White)
Material
High-strength plastic front panel & aluminum accent, steel body
Motherboard
Micro-ATX, DTX, Mini-ITX
Drive Bay
5.25″ x 2
3.5″ x 1 (transfer bracket for hard drive installation)
Internal
3.5″ x 5 , 2.5” x1
Cooling System
Front
2 x 120mm fan, 950rpm, 18dBA (PS07B only)
2 x 120mm fan, 1200rpm, 18dBA (PS07W only)
Rear
1 x 120mm fan slot
Expansion Slot
4
Front I/O Port
USB 3.0 x 2 (backward compatible with USB 2.0)
Audio x 1
MIC x 1
Power Supply
Standard PS2(ATX) Optional, max length180mm*
Expansion Card
Compatible up to 13.5 inches in length
Limitation of CPU cooler
165mm
Limitation of PSU
Unlimited
Net Weight
5.2 kg
Dimension
210mm(W)x374mm(H)x400mm(D), 31.4 liters

Packaging & First Look


PS07 arrives with us in an eco-friendly double reinforced cardboard box. Significant features have been printed on the front and there are technical details on the side and back with an illustration of PS07 – pinpointing prominent features.

Inside, PS07 is covered in a clear plastic cover and held in place via dual polystyrene pillars to protect the case during transit.


PS07 packaging is eco-friendly


Removing PS07 from its packaging we get a first glimpse of this M-ATX chassis. PS07 is available in black or white, we are reviewing the white variant today. Many brands are giving an exact alternative to the traditional black chassis as strong favour has proved successful for the clean and clinical white computer case.

PS07 has very sleek and elegance lines. There is no arguing that this computer chassis has a professional and clean cut visual appearance. Both side panels are without any significant features and are solid steel. The quality of these panels are significantly superior to a standard case, there is no flexing. In order to appreciate the quality first-hand experience is key. Although not part of the side panels; the front panel has ventilation on either side, towards the front to encourage air to pass into the case for the front cooling fans.


Sleek, sophisticated and beautifully finished



Solid side panels complete the elegant look


On the next page we will continue our look at the external elements of PS07.

Exterior


The front of PS07 has a mixture of plastic and aluminium. The outer edge is aluminium whilst the centre uses largely plastic for its material. As with the other elements of this case the front fascia is subtle in its aesthetic design. There are 2x 5.25” drive bay covers at the top of PS07 which are removable from the outside of the case – a button simply needs to be suppressed on the side of the case. Running down the left edge are the front panel controls which we will look closer at below.

Around the back of PS07 is an instant pointer that the orientations within this chassis is vastly different to the common computer chassis. Not only is the motherboard tray upside down but it is also reversed -the tray sits on the alternate side and as a result at the bottom of the case is the rear I/O ports opening for the motherboard and a honeycomb mesh area with mounting holes for attaching a 120mm cooling fan (not included). Above this there are a total of 4x PCI expansion slot covers which have ventilation holes to encourage better airflow and then finally at the top is the location for mounting the PSU.

So as you can tell, vastly different from the plethora of cases that are on the market and that we review here at Vortez. This is of great interest; it changes the rules and causes the builder to think outside of the box.


The front and back of PS07


The lower region of the front panel actually opens out – this reveals a removable dust filter which has been placed behind 2x 120mm intake fans.


A removable dust filter behind a door


As already mentioned the front panel connectivity can be found running down the left side of the front panel. Available here are:

• Power/Reset buttons with activity LEDs
• 2x USB 3.0 ports via internal motherboard header
• Headphone/Microphone jacks


Front panel connectivity including dual USB 3.0


The top panel of PS07 is largely solid and without any features but there is a perforated mesh section marked out towards the back which has a removable dust filter. This dust filter has four strong magnets to hold it in place and covers the PSU when it is mounted. As you can appreciate, removing and cleaning is very easy.


The top of PS07 with removable magnetic dust filter for PSU


Finally, onto the underside. Here SilverStone have given PS07 4x soft rubber feet. Other noticeable aspects on the underside include more ventilation for the front intake cooling fans, screws to hold in the HDD cage which can be removed and the bottom side of the CPU cooler support.

The overall build quality of PS07 is very good; with a thorough look at the externals complete we will now take a look at the internal layout and features.


The underside of PS07

Interior


To remove both side panels two thumbscrews need to be removed and then they simply slide away from the case. With these panels removed we can begin taking a closer look at the internal layout and features.

PS07 is designed for M-ATX and has the motherboard tray to support this form factor along with Mini-ITX. The motherboard tray is actually removable – a series of screws hold it in place. All aspects of the interior have been coated in white in similar fashion to the exterior. There are cut-outs around the motherboard tray for cable management and there appears to be suitable space for the CPU cooler, graphics card and cable management too. As already mentioned the orientation of the motherboard tray within PS07 is upside down and on the alternate side compared with the traditional computer chassis.


An overview of the internal layout within PS07



Behind the motherboard tray


At the top of the chassis is the area for mounting the PSU. In order to install the PSU the top panel requires removal – six screws hold this in place. There is no anti-vibration padding for the PSU which is unfortunate to discover. Not only does padding prevent vibration but it also prevents scratching between the PSU and chassis.

There is a removable dust filter at the top corresponding to the PSU.


PSU is mounted at the top of PS07


HDD storage within PS07 comes in two forms – a lower and upper cage. The upper cage can accommodate 4x 3.5” HDDs whilst the lower cage can accommodate 1x 3.5” and 1x 2.5” drive.

The upper HDD cage can be detached after removing two screws and the lower HDD cage can also be removed after taking out the four screws on the underside of the chassis.

With the upper HDD cage removed this allows us to take a closer look at the dual 120mm intake cooling fans. These two fans are the only cooling within PS07 so if they are to be effective its important they push enough air across the system.


HDD storage within PS07



Upper HDD cage removed – dual 120mm cooling fans

Installation


Observing the features of PS07 gives us a good idea of how much potential this case has but without installing any kit inside it’s impossible to see how well it handles hardware and if there are any pitfalls. So in this section our new M-ATX system will be installed within PS07.

Installation takes a little longer than it would usually due to the orientation of hardware being slightly different; the top panel also needs removing in order to install the PSU.


Installing the PSU requires top panel removal


Cable management is easy to control within PS07 and SilverStone have made sure there is a cut-out at the bottom of the motherboard tray for (EPS) CPU-power. There are also plenty of room and areas for tucking redundant cables away.


Installation complete



Behind the motherboard tray


Another notable thing to consider with the installation process of PS07 is the HDD cage which is obstructed by the CPU cooler in some cases. It’s advisable to install the HDD within the cage first before installing the motherboard/CPU cooler. With the upper cage installed the graphics card has support for baring the weight (SilverStone also provide padding between the graphics card and HDD cage.


Installing HDD in the lower cage first is advisable

Clearance – CPU, GPU, Cable Management


Clearance options within a chassis are important as it reveals what hardware can fit inside.

The first aspect to consider is the CPU Cooler clearance. There is up to 168mm for the CPU cooler, this would include Noctua NH-D14, Thermalright Sivler Arrow and Alpenfohn K2.


168mm of CPU Cooler clearance


For graphics card clearance there is over 12” of clearance which covers all current offerings. Pictured is the XFX HD7970 which is 10.5” in length. SilverStone have designed the PS07 in such a way that the graphics card in the top PCI-E slot will rest on the top of the upper HDD cage, they also provide padding for the top of the cage to assist with this. As with the CPU cooler support, this is a good idea since graphics cards are also getting bigger and likewise, heavier.


Over 12” of graphics card clearance


Behind the motherboard tray there is just under 2cm of clearance for cable management. Additional to this there are also areas that are concave for tucking away any redundant cables.


Just under 2cm of clearance behind the motherboard tray

Thermal Performance Testing


Inside PS07 there are two 120mm cooling positioned at the front of the chassis. These fans are intakes and blow air across the system.

To discover the thermal performance of the PS07 I will record idle temperatures after 20 minutes from a cold boot. I will then stress the system and temperatures will again be monitored after 30 minutes have elapsed.

For the purpose of accurate analysis the idle and load temperatures for CPU and motherboard will be recorded and the range between idle and load will be calculated to determine how efficient cooling is. At the moment the MATX system is new and as a result this is the first case we have tested.

NOTE: Ambient temperature is 20C

System Components
CPU Intel Core i5 3570K
CPU Cooler Noctua NH-L12
Motherboard GIGABYTE G1 Sniper M3
Graphics XFX HD7970 Black Edition
Memory 4GB Kingston HyperX 1600MHz
HDD Kingston HyperX 240GB
PSU FSP Aurum 650M





Noise

Under operation the PS07 is very quiet. The two 120mm cooling fans emit low noise due to spinning at 950RPM each and the chassis is mostly closed off which means it’s actually quite difficult to hear any noise. PS07 is far from disruptive.

Conclusion


Drawing our thoughts to a close then, the PS07 is an impressive M-ATX offering from SilverStone. Whether you prefer black or white, the understated elegant design will satisfy a wide range of individuals including the enthusiast and gamer. Build quality inside and out is nothing short of brilliant and the feature-set is nothing to turn your nose up at.

Inside even though this chassis is specifically for the M-ATX form factor there is still space and clearance for high-end components including big CPU coolers and long graphics cards.



At this stage its difficult to analyse the thermal performance of PS07 due to us transferring to a new system and having no comparisons to observe but I would have liked to see push/pull airflow within PS07 rather than just having two slower spinning intake cooling fans at the front. Sure enough there is placement to support this but at stock it would have been nice to see one of the fans swapped into the spot at the rear of the chassis. As it stands, the cooling fans installed within PS07 generate very little noise and as a result no disruption occurs so on the flip side noise levels are down to a minimum.

I also really like the idea of having a CPU Cooler support within PS07. As CPU Coolers are getting bigger, the weight is a concerning issue – thus having a support only serves as being extremely useful.

Priced at just £65 the PS07 is an affordable M-ATX offering that won’t break the bank. The black version is slightly cheaper – coming in at around £10 less but regardless of which colour you opt for there is no denying this case is great value for money.

Elegance has made its way to M-ATX. The PS07 is an impressive offering to house a system, it has great build quality, sleek looks and won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

Pros
+ Sleek and elegant design
+ Great build quality
+ Very affordable
+ Good cable management options
+ CPU/GPU Cooler support
+ Clearance is good
+ Very quiet

Cons
– Installation can more time consuming
– Push/pull airflow is absent



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