SilverStone Raven RV03 Case Review

Introduction

SilverStone created a new chaper in computer case history with its Raven series of cases by rotating the motherboard 90° and making the rear panel of the motherboard to be on the top of the case, rather than on its back. This design change improves heating dissipation, since hot air tends to go up, and by putting the heat exhaust of the video cards on the top panel, it is easier for the air to follow its natural path. This concept was first introduced with the Raven RV01 and perfected with the Raven RV02 and the Fortress FT02. Now SilverStone is bringing a more economical version of the Raven, the RV03. Let’s see if this case is a good buy.

The Raven RV03 follows the normal way of installing motherboards; the motherboard tray is located on the right side of the case, making the left-side panel of the case the entry point to the computer internals. This is worth mentioning because the Raven RV02 and the Fortress FT02 use a mirrored design, where the motherboard tray is located on the left side of the case, making its right-side panel the entry point. The RV01 follows the traditional orientation.

Figure 1: SilverStone Raven RV03 case

Figure 2: SilverStone Raven RV03 case

The left-side panel has a big transparent window and a small ventilation mesh with big holes, while the right-side panel has a mesh for installing a 120 mm fan to cool down the bottom part of the CPU, also coming with a small ventilation mesh with big holes.

Figure 3: Left-side panel

Figure 4: Right-side panel