A Closer Look - Outside

The chassis itself is higher than it is wide. This is due to the motherboard tray's 90° rotation. The base of the RV05 also tilts forward slightly, and the front is shaped in a way to offset that tilt.


The front looks much like a shield with a V-shaped edge along its top half. While made of plastic, it is rather sturdy, which results in a nice feel. Look at the rear and you will see that there is nothing but a large air vent. This is where the PSU will sit with its power plug facing upward, in a position similar to that of any discrete card you may install. Simply imagine taking a normal chassis with a bottom-mounted PSU bay and tipping it on its front.


A small window in the main side panel will give you a nice view of the hardware inside, and it even lets the curious onlooker see the two large fans within. There is a windowless option as well should you dislike the window. the opposite side comes with a completely solid panel without any air vents or openings anywhere.


Silverstone placed a dust filter on the chassis' underside. Shaped to fit the chassis perfectly, it may be pulled out through the front. A slimline, slot-loading ODD drive in a vertically position may also be accessed through the front. There is no eject button, so you will have to give the command to, for example, eject a CD over your operating system. The V-shaped edge also sports a similarly shaped power LED as a part of its design.


Silverstone placed two USB 3.0 and the usual audio I/O into the top - with a rubber cover on top of those. While such a cover is nice because it goes with the RV05's look and feel, you have to make sure not to loose it. The top panel is essentially a guard underneath of which you will find all the plugs and connectors of the fully assembled system. It may be removed for readily available access to the I/O traditionally found in the rear.


Just like the rear of a normal mid-tower chassis, the RV05's top has been divided into three areas. The front may hold a 120 mm fan, and there are seven motherboard expansion slots behind it. The aforementioned PSU bay with two sets of mounting holes, which allows you to install the unit with its fan facing out- or inward, has been put all the way into the back. Considering SilverStone also included a magnetic dust filter, I strongly suggest installing the PSU in a way that allows it to draw fresh air into the enclosure.


You may also control the two 180 mm Air Penetrator fans within the chassis over two small switches in the front's backside. Each of these fans has its own dedicated switch to, for example, push more air across your GPUs with one while minimizing the amount of noise emanating from the other.