SilverStone Precision PS05 Case Review

[nextpage title=”Introduction”]

The new SilverStone PS05 costs only USD 50 (Newegg.com offers free shipping plus a USD 10 mail-in rebate, making it the bargain of the month). Is it worthwhile to buy this case? Let’s check it out.

Of course the manufacturer had to save money somewhere to make this case so inexpensive: it comes with only one fan and you can clearly see that the plastic used is of an inferior quality as compared to more expensive cases. And the steel sheets used (especially the one used on the rear panel) are thinner than the ones used on more expensive cases. On the other hand, the PS05 comes with several features usually only found on more expensive cases.

In Figures 1 and 2 you can see an overall view of the SilverStone PS05. As you can see, both side panels are solid.

Figure 1: SilverStone Precision PS05 case

Figure 2: SilverStone Precision PS05 case

The front panel of the SilverStone Precision PS05 can be seen in Figure 3. This case has four external 5.25” bays  and two external 3.5” bays. A place for installing a 120 mm fan for cooling down the hard disk drives is available on the bottom part of the front panel, and you must remove the panel in order to proceed with this installation. An air filter is available for this fan.

Figure 3: Front panel

[nextpage title=”Introduction (Cont’d)”]

The top panel of the SilverStone Precision PS05 can be seen in Figure 4. It has a big removable mesh featuring an air filter that hides a place where you can install up to two 120 mm fans.

Figure 4: Top panel

Figure 5: Top panel with its mesh removed

The SilverStone PS05 comes with two USB 2.0 ports and the traditional mic-in and headphone-out jacks on its top panel.

Figure 6: Buttons and connectors

The rear panel and the interior of the SilverStone Precision PS05 are painted black. In this case the power supply is installed at the bottom of the case.

The only fan that comes with the case is located on the rear panel, a sleeve bearing 120 mm model (model DF1202512RFLN). No technical information about this fan was provided.

Two holes for you to pass hoses from certain liquid cooling solutions are available, but if these hoses are more than 0.5” (12.7 mm) in diameter, you will need to break the available protection in order to enlarge the hole.

The case also has a place for installing a nine-pin D-sub connector (i.e., a serial port connector). It has been years since we last saw a case with such a feature.

Only two slot covers are vented and re-usable. The other five slot covers are the type that you need to break out and throw away. The manufacturer probably didn’t add vented covers on all slots in order to save money. Above the expansion slots you can see the tool-less mechanism used by this case to hold daughterboards.

Figure 7: Rear panel

Now let’s take a look inside the SilverStone Precision PS05.[nextpage title=”Inside SilverStone Precision PS05″]

Both side panels are fastened to the case using black thumbscrews, which is great to see in a case from this price range. In Figure 8, you have an overall look at the inside from the Precision PS05. The interior is painted black. The motherboard tray has a big hole around the area where the CPU is installed, allowing access to the backplate of the CPU cooler, so you can replace the cooler without having to remove the motherboard. A hole in the power supply compartment allows you to route cables behind the motherboard tray. The motherboard tray doesn’t go all the way to the front panel, meaning that there is a communication between the area behind the disk drive bays and the back of the motherboard tray, allowing you to easily route and hide cables.

Figure 8: Overall look

Figure 9: A view behind the motherboard tray

This case supports video cards up to 11” (280 mm) long.

In Figure 10 you have another overall look inside the case. As mentioned, expansion cards are fastened to the case using a tool-less mechanism that can be better seen in Figure 11.

Figure 10: Overall look

Figure 11: Tool-less mechanism for expansion cards

This case has two air filters on its bottom panel. The first one (the one on the left-hand side in Figure 12) matches your power supply fan, while the second one is to be used together with an optional 120 mm fan. If you install this fan, don’t forget that air must flow from the bottom of the case to the top.

Figure 12: Power supply compartment

[nextpage title=”The Disk Drive Bays”]

The SilverStone Precision PS05 comes with four external 5.25” bays, two external 3.5” bays and four internal 3.5”/2.5” bays, all using screwless installation mechanisms. Each 3.5” drawer also supports 2.5” devices, so you can install up to four SSDs without any kind of adaptation – they, however, require the use of regular screws. The internal 3.5” bays also feature noise-dampening mechanisms.

Figure 13: The disk drive bays

Figure 14: One of the drawers for installing internal 3.5” and 2.5” devices

[nextpage title=”Main Specifications”]

The SilverStone Precision PS05 case main specs include:

• Style: Mid-tower
• Application: ATX and smaller form factors derived from this one
• Material: Zinc-coated steel (SECC)
• Power supply required: Doesn’t come with the product
• Available colors: Black with interior painted black
• Side panel: Solid
• Dimensions: 18.3” x 7.5” x 19.1” (466 mm x 190 mm x 485 mm) (H x W x D)
• Net weight: 13.5 lbs (6.2 kg)
• Gross weight: 16.0 lbs (7.2 kg)
• Bays: Four external 5.25” bays, two external 3.5” bays, and four internal 3.5”/2.5” bays
• Expansion slots: Seven
• Fans: One 120 mm fan on the rear panel
• Optional fans: One 120 mm on the front panel, two 120 mm fans on the top panel, and one 120 mm fan on the bottom panel
• More Information: https://www.silverstonetek.com
• Average Price in the US*: USD 50.00

* Researched at Newegg.com on the day we published this review.

[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]

The SilverStone Precision PS05 proved to be a fantastic option for users that want a case that is full of features and inexpensive. Of course you can’t compare the overall quality of this case with more expensive models, but it will definitely do the job.

Strong Points

• Air filters for the top, bottom and front fans
• Noise-dampening mechanisms in the internal 3.5” bays
• All internal 3.5” bays compatible with 2.5” devices, allowing up to four SSDs
• Screwless mechanisms on all disk drive bays
• Screwless mechanism for holding the expansion cards
• Hole in the motherboard tray for accessing the backplate of the CPU cooler
• Holes for routing cables behind the motherboard tray
• No sharp edges where you could cut yourself while building your PC

Weak Points

• No eSATA port
• No FireWire port
• Bay covers aren’t meshed (actually SilverStone explained us that if they were meshed, they would "spoil" the positive air pressure design used by this case when additional fans are installed)
• Only two of the seven slot covers vented and reusable