Hardware SilverStone Raven RV03 Review

Does the RV03 build on the excellent performance of the RV02, or fall short of greatness?

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2011/06/08/silverstone-raven-rv03-review/1

 

"This is a pre-production issue, and SilverStone has confirmed that the second production run – due to start in May – will use a longer cable. "

^ Think there's a mistake there, unless the second line production has already started?

This makes the RV02 even more appealing to me right now - do we know if they will cease production of the RV02 now the RV03 is coming to market?

 

You mention the roof grill yet provide no picture!

 

Good review. I was worried for a moment it would be better than my RV02, making me want to spend more money, but seeing as it seems to be equivalent on most features I am happy with what I have. It seems to me to be the case to get if you want something slightly smaller than the RV02. I do get some odd looks when hauling it into LAN parties..

 

I hate side-mounted fan slots and unnecessary intake grills on otherwise smooth case surfaces - they spoil the looks, no matter how much they aid cooling.

Also, this looks somewhat cheap and plasticky, even more so than earlier Ravens. I'm not sure if the lighting in photos are to be partially blamed, but it's not a feature one would like in Silverstone case.

But that's just me.

 

Sorry to bother but I'd like to see a system built into the case. Otherwise nice review.

 

"Once the PSU was installed, the rest of the build was a breeze. " Not if you want to use the HDD-bays in the 5,25" rack. Just getting the upper rack out means undoing 12 damn screws. In the day when everything is made tool-free that's just pretty damn far from a breeze in my books.

Other than that, yes, it's a good case.

 

+1, just to see how it all fits

 

Any pics with everything built into the case so we can see how much space there is between the vent at the back and the typical fan position on a long(ish) graphics card?

 

and to see what cables coming out of the top look like

 

I did shoot a couple of pics with the case loaded with HD6870 and Noctua NH-D14. Plenty of space, but the HD6870 isn't really the longest card out there, either.

The cables are pretty neat, and you can always hide them inside cable spiral and just use a zip-tie to tie them to the rear fan grill. Makes the whole system look rather clean.

 

i nearly bought the raven RV02 last week but settled for the CM-690 II, instead

 

I should have a pic of that somewhere. It's not in the review as i'm still out in Taiwan and it's on my PC in the UK. I'll dig it out when we get back.

 

Silverstone Gave me this case last April. And I haven't started mounting all the parts. So I guess reading this review gave me a head start. I'll definitely will mod this one.

 

Looks hideous.

 

It continues to baffle me, how Silverstone manages to build something like the MAINGEAR Shift based on the Raven design (which at 54.5 cm manages to be even shorter than the RV03) and yet they keep turning out hideously-looking cases in their own Raven series. Truth be told, the only Silverstone case I truly admire is the FT02. Alas, it needs a room of its own because of its size.

 

It's about time they made one of these cases with the system built on the right and the window on the left. It's a shame the case looks like a dead Transformer.

 

I'm with almost everyone else. No explanation can describe the scale and detail that a few pics of a fully loaded case can accomplish. Why do you not show some pics if you actually go through the bother of testing a case? Are you hiding something? Afraid that you're going to give away some huge corporate secret? Are your building skills so sloppy as to obviate any trust in your reviewing techniques?
Your rating system is still the most worthless part of your reviews. I'm still waiting on that magic case that receives 100% from which your review system must originate to legitimize your ratings. The standard shown with which to compare all others. Until that time your rating system is at best esoteric. And at worst, completely ludicrous.

 

Not necessarily - it could be that an amalgamation of ideas would make a case score 100%, which they've seem in seperate cases but not all in one case.

Or perhaps they have some imagination, meaning they can think of other stuff they want to see in a case.

 

I have had my RV02 for about 10 months now and really do love it. It is so quiet, runs amazingly cool and does look great. The rotated mobo is fantastic, I dont know why more case manufactures dont do it, unless SilverStone have a nice patent out on the arrangement. Unless some other company is able to make the rotated mobo cases then I can only ever see my next case being a Silverstone case.
It is clear the HDD placement is still something that they need to work on. I really dont know why they dont get rid of some of the 5.25 inch bays. Does anyone really need that many? I have only really used my optical drive to install the OS and install the occasional game.

The inside looks great too and everything is super easy to get to.