Tuesday, January 8th 2019
Silverstone Cases on Display at CES 2019 Including an All New Raven Prototype
During our visit with Silverstone, we had the opportunity to check out their new case lineup which consists of numerous new designs including an all-new Raven prototype. Keeping the unique internal layout established by the previous generations alive, the new Raven has the motherboard I/O pointed towards the top with two 180 mm air penetrator fans located at the bottom operating as intakes with a single 120 mm fan at the top as an exhaust. The design makes use of the simple concept that heat rises to great effect. Drive space is limited to a single 3.5" or 2x 2.5" drives, meaning as of now builders eyeing this new design will want to stock up on M.2 drives. While we don't have official specifications in regards to radiator support, we can say there is plenty of room to set up a water cooling loop multiple mounting points provided near the back and sides of the chassis.
Moving on the side panels are both tempered glass which gives the case a uniform look, however, thanks to that, you can forget about hiding your wire mess behind a solid back panel. Instead, the Raven Prototype will be better suited for those who meticulously route their cables keeping things exceptionally neat and tidy. As for the front panel I/O, it is located on the top left above the side panel and consists of 2x USB 3.0 ports and the usual microphone and headphone jacks. In general, the angular design of the previous Raven cases remains but has been toned down just a bit, giving this latest iteration a sleeker, stealthier appearance.They also had other cases on display including the PS14-E which is a standard ATX mid tower case that while not extravagant delivers on features that we have come to expect in the segment including a PSU shroud, 1x 120 mm fan slot and 4x 140 mm fan slots. Drive bays are plentiful as well with 1x 5.25" external and a 3.5" or 2x 2.5" internal drive bays alongside two more 2.5" drive bays. Front panel I/O consists of 2x USB 3.0 alongside microphone and headphone jacks.
Meanwhile, the RL08 right next to the PS14-E has been designed for Micro-ATX systems and features no windows or tempered glass panels. Instead, it has a solid red panel which will immediately grab your attention. However, It should be noted that the final color will have a deeper red tone. Moving on to storage options it internally supports up to 3x 3.5" drives or 5x 2.5" drives. As for fans, the RL08 supports 1x 120 mm fan and 4x 140 mm fans by default.
The PS16 Micro-ATX chassis also makes an appearance, but it doesn't quite stand out. It features an all-black design with bumped out side panels for extra clearance along with a mesh front for improved airflow. Regarding connectivity the front panel I/O is the same as previous cases with the PS16 filling the role of a prototypical entry level chassis.The LD03 Mini-ITX case is will likely make small form factor enthusiasts drool. It sports tempered glass and mesh side panels for looks and cooling with enough space for even a fairly large air cooler to fit without issue. Front panel I/O is again the same 2x USB 3.0 ports along with microphone and headphone jacks. Drive bays are limited to a single 3.5" bay or 2x 2.5" bays which with the rise of M.2 should be enough for most users. When it comes to cooling it has space for 2x 120 mm fans along with a single holder meant for an 80 mm fan which is about all one can expect considering the size of the case. Overall it is a sleek chassis that is a tad reminiscent of Silverstone's Fortress series just smaller and with current design trends in mind.The CS381 Micro-ATX case is geared more towards storage. It offers 8x 3.5" or 2.5" hot-swap drive bays along with two more 2.5" bays for good measure. Cooling consists of 2x 120 mm fans and 2x 120 mm fan slots. In general, this case is a good option for those wanting to build their own NAS or just have a thing for mass storage in general.They also had a rackmount chassis on display as well which supports the SSI-EEB form factor with room for up to five 120 mm fans. Drive bays consisted of either 2x 5.25", 2x 3.5" or 4x 2.5" along with another 2.5" bay located internally.All the cases shown here are in their final forms. However, availability and pricing were not revealed during our visit.
Moving on the side panels are both tempered glass which gives the case a uniform look, however, thanks to that, you can forget about hiding your wire mess behind a solid back panel. Instead, the Raven Prototype will be better suited for those who meticulously route their cables keeping things exceptionally neat and tidy. As for the front panel I/O, it is located on the top left above the side panel and consists of 2x USB 3.0 ports and the usual microphone and headphone jacks. In general, the angular design of the previous Raven cases remains but has been toned down just a bit, giving this latest iteration a sleeker, stealthier appearance.They also had other cases on display including the PS14-E which is a standard ATX mid tower case that while not extravagant delivers on features that we have come to expect in the segment including a PSU shroud, 1x 120 mm fan slot and 4x 140 mm fan slots. Drive bays are plentiful as well with 1x 5.25" external and a 3.5" or 2x 2.5" internal drive bays alongside two more 2.5" drive bays. Front panel I/O consists of 2x USB 3.0 alongside microphone and headphone jacks.
Meanwhile, the RL08 right next to the PS14-E has been designed for Micro-ATX systems and features no windows or tempered glass panels. Instead, it has a solid red panel which will immediately grab your attention. However, It should be noted that the final color will have a deeper red tone. Moving on to storage options it internally supports up to 3x 3.5" drives or 5x 2.5" drives. As for fans, the RL08 supports 1x 120 mm fan and 4x 140 mm fans by default.
The PS16 Micro-ATX chassis also makes an appearance, but it doesn't quite stand out. It features an all-black design with bumped out side panels for extra clearance along with a mesh front for improved airflow. Regarding connectivity the front panel I/O is the same as previous cases with the PS16 filling the role of a prototypical entry level chassis.The LD03 Mini-ITX case is will likely make small form factor enthusiasts drool. It sports tempered glass and mesh side panels for looks and cooling with enough space for even a fairly large air cooler to fit without issue. Front panel I/O is again the same 2x USB 3.0 ports along with microphone and headphone jacks. Drive bays are limited to a single 3.5" bay or 2x 2.5" bays which with the rise of M.2 should be enough for most users. When it comes to cooling it has space for 2x 120 mm fans along with a single holder meant for an 80 mm fan which is about all one can expect considering the size of the case. Overall it is a sleek chassis that is a tad reminiscent of Silverstone's Fortress series just smaller and with current design trends in mind.The CS381 Micro-ATX case is geared more towards storage. It offers 8x 3.5" or 2.5" hot-swap drive bays along with two more 2.5" bays for good measure. Cooling consists of 2x 120 mm fans and 2x 120 mm fan slots. In general, this case is a good option for those wanting to build their own NAS or just have a thing for mass storage in general.They also had a rackmount chassis on display as well which supports the SSI-EEB form factor with room for up to five 120 mm fans. Drive bays consisted of either 2x 5.25", 2x 3.5" or 4x 2.5" along with another 2.5" bay located internally.All the cases shown here are in their final forms. However, availability and pricing were not revealed during our visit.
9 Comments on Silverstone Cases on Display at CES 2019 Including an All New Raven Prototype
PLUS now you can put a 2x120mm or seems 2x140mm radiator on the back. Amazing design !
raven is space eater and the layout is questionable
Testing done back on the FT02 had the layout giving an extra 120mm fans worth of cooling for free.
Furthermore, you have airflow literally cm's away from your components, meaning little dispersion or loss of pressure before hitting components, and with how the fans are positioned, you have generally separate cooling areas for the GPU and CPU.
Not to mention, the layout design completely solves GPU sag.
The only downside is as you mentioned, the layout takes up space because of the need for space underneath to drag cool air in, and space above for cabling.