A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the SilverStone KL07E sports a simple, understated design. The front and top panels are made of plastic and join at a 45° angle, which is a nice little touch. There is a shiny plastic element to give the case a bit of depth, which runs up the left side of the front, then spans across the front edge of the top and down the right of that panel. This insert is the core visual aspect of an otherwise very simple chassis design, so it is clear that SilverStone is gearing this towards someone who doesn't want their system to stand out, likely a professional working environment.


There is not much to say about the front besides what has already been mentioned. One noteworthy aspect is the complete lack of branding. If you were to see this case in the wild, there is no obvious indication that this is a SilverStone chassis. The power and reset buttons are embedded into the shiny strip on the left side of the front. These are shaped like that design element and as such blend right in - even more so, because SilverStone has opted not to label these either. In the rear, the Kublai K07E shows off its traditional interior layout with the PSU bay at the bottom. For those who know the original KL07, which we reviewed in 2017, it should be apparent that nothing seems to have changed on the exterior in the last 6+ years. Additionally, that view of the rear also suggests that the internals are very similar as well. That design language age is a bit surprising to see, considering cases have come a very long way since then.


Both sides of the chassis are completely solid, but there are fairly large air vents on the sides of the front and top panel to give any fans access to clean, cool air.


You may pry the front of the chassis off completely as the buttons are secured to the frame instead of the panel. The front is lined with dense sound-dampening material which is different to the foamy ones seen on the original KL07. SilverStone has also placed a dust filter across the entire height of the chassis to protect the three 120/140 mm fan-placement options there. Two of these are already filled with 140 mm fans. This means that the Kublai KL07 pulls in more air than it can push out as it pits two 140 mm intake units against a single 140 mm exhaust fan. This creates positive air pressure and is a means to help to keep the interior as free of dust as possible.


The PSU bay on the bottom of the rear comes with two sets of mounting holes so that you may install the unit with the fan facing up- or downward. Above that are the seven expansion slots, each covered by a metal mesh piece and held in place by a functional but somewhat inefficient locking plate. The 140 mm fan in the very top is set to push hot air out the back of the chassis. While there are elongated mounting holes for 120 mm units, the ones intended for 140 are don't offer such a flexibility. The rear is still functional by today's standards, but you won't find things like captive thumb screws on the side panels, which wasn't common back in 2017, either. There isn't a lot of clearance above the fans, which suggests that installing an AIO will be a tight fit, but we will get to that a little later. AIOs were simply not as widespread back then either and most users just used fans in the ceiling of their cases.


The top cover is completely solid, except for air vents on the side, similar to what is present on the front panel. Offering sound dampening while still allowing for as much airflow as possible is always tricky with these cases. You may pull the solid cover off to reveal dual 120 or 140 mm fan mounting positions protected by a magnetic mesh dust filter. The mounting holes are offset, to give you as much of a chance to install 280 mm AIOs or radiator setups as well.


In terms of I/O, the KL07E provides the usual modern set we expect from today's enclosures. These are the same as the original, but SilverStone has now opted to use black USB-A ports, which is a nice visual change. Once again, SilverStone has updated the sound dampening material from the thick foam, to a slimmer, but denser product. These also have the benefit of creating a larger void between the panels and the metal frame, thus allowing for better airflow. The same lining is on both side panels as well.


The underside of the case offers a dust filter to protect the PSU bay from large dust particles. It may be pulled out the back of the chassis for easy cleaning.