SilverStone Precision PS07 Case Review Redux
by Dustin Sklavos on September 20, 2013 12:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- SilverStone
- MicroATX
I'll admit I'm not especially happy with using the mini-ITX testbed for micro-ATX enclosures; the problem is that micro-ATX, despite being essentially the most logical form factor for the overwhelming majority of builds, still has tremendous difficulty gaining traction in the industry. I've heard from higher ups at a lot of different manufacturers that micro-ATX doesn't really sell as well as it ought to; enthusiasts and more mainstream builders are still leaning towards full ATX, while mini-ITX is gaining obvious traction for simpler designs.
With all that in mind, I've actually used the SilverStone PS07's senior sibling, the Temjin TJ08-E, for a more powerful build and found it to be exceptional. This thermal design has a lot to recommend it, but it's interesting to see if SilverStone's eye towards efficiency helps distinguish the PS07 from the competing cases.
Thermals are good but not great. Keep in mind that the mini-ITX testbed uses a traditional downward-directed air cooler as opposed to a tower cooler; anecdotally, my experience is that tower coolers perform tremendously well in this chassis.
It's as quiet as any of the others, though. This is batting pretty far below the PS07's class.
Install a more modest HTPC style configuration and the PS07's performance is still a bit iffy. It competes but not especially strongly.
While the original version of the PS07 isn't listed here, I can confirm independently that the newer fans in this revision are most definitely quieter. Noise levels aren't ideal, but they're at least on the low side. Note that the PS07 runs substantially cooler than the Fractal Design Define Mini while being only fractionally louder.
Switch over to a more powerful graphics card and the PS07 starts really punching its weight. It's running consistently cooler than Fractal Design's Define Mini, while the Corsair Obsidian 350D offers better thermal performance but in a larger footprint.
And there's the proof. The PS07 is ever so slightly quieter than almost all of the competing cases.
The essential takeaway from the performance results here is that the PS07 becomes increasingly competitive the more you tax it. Fractal Design's Define Mini requires too much handholding to really shine, while the Corsair Obsidian 350D is by all rights not really an air cooling case and not designed with that in mind.
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cragAT - Friday, September 20, 2013 - link
This is my current case. I only had two minor issues with the build. The first being the space available at the top of the case due to my wanting to install my secondary HDD in the 2nd drive bay (SSD is attached to the bottom of the case, makes for a very clean and cool interior, easy to overclock). The second issue was the lack of space behind the motherboard tray for extra PSU cording. I either need to upgrade to a SLI setup or switch to a Modular PSU for my next upgrade. I also love how the inside looks, black and red on white is a very pleasing color combination.themie - Friday, September 20, 2013 - link
alrighttrburnham - Friday, September 20, 2013 - link
I have the previous version of this case, and it is wonderful. Being able to fit a Micro ATX board in there is great, especially considering the case is relatively small. Even at full load, I barely hear any noise coming out of there. The only complaint I have is that cable management is a little tough in places (as seen in some of the photos in this article) and there is no windowed version.jabro - Friday, September 20, 2013 - link
Great follow-up! I know you don't like to revisit past reviews, but this mini-review shows that it can be worth while in certain circumstances.You mentioned two changes for the "new" PS-07, thicker steel and better fans. Do these changes apply to both the black and white PS-07 models? (I believe that there was a difference in fan quality between the white and black models)
Do you know if the TJ-08e is also being updated with a thicker steel design?
emilyhex - Friday, September 20, 2013 - link
Looks great, I like the white.just4U - Saturday, September 21, 2013 - link
me to.. I'd like to see one of the DVD/Blu-Ray makers come out with a White model though.. preferably like the old Panasonic slot loading (tray-less) models.bobbozzo - Sunday, September 22, 2013 - link
Even if you found a white drive, it probably would have a different finish (less glossy, ...)marc1000 - Friday, September 20, 2013 - link
I know that for testing purposes a big and hot GPU is more usefull thank any small one. but for any real-use scenario for people wanting a silent+small+fast system (in that order), installing one mid-range GPU from the current 28nm generations would be a lot better.just get any of them with a dual-fan open-air cooler and be happy, as this layout is FAR more silent than any blower-like cooler used in high-end GPUs. They also consume around 110W of power on average if you use vsync to limit the refresh rate (the 140~150W values are only on the most stressfull tests, something we do not do on the real-world for very long), so it will not throw too much heat in the chassis.
I have a pretty crowded Micro-ATX case, just installed a Zotac GTX660 (the smallest possible) and it seems to be dead-silent - but I believe that any Radeon7870 with dual fans would be as silent as this one. Of course there is some noise on the system, but it is absolutely easier on the ears than the sound of coolers from the past.
I know this doesn't apply to benchmarking, but I wanted to share some thoughts on micro-atx builds. I see no reasons to go full ATX other than "bragging rights".
DanNeely - Friday, September 20, 2013 - link
One of the GPUs used in testing was a GT 450 which is an ~ 100W midrange card. (For thermal testing being obsolete isn't a problem and maintaining hardware continuity in testing is valuable.)marc1000 - Saturday, September 21, 2013 - link
Good point, DanNeely! I was looking only at the gtx560 results! I believe the gt450 is really similar to gtx660 in thermal output! of course the performance delta is a world of difference, but I believe gpus with real-world draw around 100W are the perfect companions to micro-atx cases. and right now this class is really high-performing-midrange.http://anandtech.com/bench/product/609?vs=660