Cases that provide external 5.25" are pretty rare these days. And while there are some that offer one or maybe two slots, once you start looking for more, the list gets pretty short pretty quickly. As such the SilverStone SETA D1 already manages to stand out in general. Pricing wise it is alright as well, considering that the chassis is geared towards more workstation geared users, utilizing thicker steel and solid construction. That said, we would have liked to see a few more quality of life features like PWM fans, thumb screws or Velcro strips which are all pretty standard even with enclosures in a far lower price bracket.

The biggest drawback of the case stems from the fact that SilverStone is using the same body for multiple case SKUs - just as the name suggests, the SilverStone SETA D1 is built on the same frame as the H1 and Q1 for example. In this variant, the body calls for compromises in the key selling point, which reduce its attractiveness in some of the advertised scenarios as you are simply left with less storage than what the case is capable of and ships with. SilverStone itself lists eight scenarios on its site to put the limelight on the versatility around storage and AIOs, but leaves long GPUs out of the equation completely. Once those are factored in, there are several build setups that somewhat diminish the storage prowess the SETA D1 is meant to provide in its purest form.

On the upside, SilverStone provides all the structural hardware to make the most of the body in terms of storage or even cooling, so you can really transform the case from any scenario. There are surely users out there with that need in mind, especially if that revolves around the potential for any 5.25" bays within the lifespan of the chassis. Thus, while this case may not be appealing to gamers or gaming enthusiasts, those wanting external drive bays and storage with the potential for the mindful compromise to enable large AIOs or GPUs, the SETA D1 offers that unique flexibility to cater to it all.