SilverStone Raven RVZ01: One Of The Best Mini-ITX Cases For Building A Linux/SteamOS PC
When opening the box for the SilverStone Raven RVZ01, it does immediately alert the customer to being a unique product and recommending to read the user manual before proceeding with the installation, since this isn't like your conventional computer case, even among HTPC enclosures. Included with the mini-ITX chassis was a SilverStone product catalog, the RVZ01 manual, and all the needed mounting hardware for building the system. The case comes pre-installed with fans in two of the three 120mm fan slots. The packaging for the RVZ01 was sufficient and everything arrived in great condition without any scratches or other imperfections.
Computer case reviews aren't common at Phoronix these days, but as explained a few months back when reviewing the Fortress FT04, SilverStone cases tend to be very interesting and unique that they always manage to catch my attention and actually get me excited -- the RVZ01 is no different from SilverStone's other products. Thanks to SilverStone for providing this review sample. Pricing on the RVZ01 is currently about $85~95 USD from major Internet retailers.
On the front of the SilverStone RVZ01 are two USB 3.0 ports, headphone jack, and microphone jack. Along the bottom edge of the case are the power and reset switches along with LED indicators. Along the top-left edge of the front panel is the opening for the slim-slot-loading optical drive bay if you're still reliant upon CD/DVDs in your system. The front panel is made of plastic but the RVZ01 body is made of steel. This plastic is formed with the "signature RAVEN styling touches" inherited from its bigger sibling, the RV01.
On the top of the chassis is one of the 120mm fans, which spins at 1500RPM and rated at 18 dBA noise while at the bottom are the two other 120mm slots. All three slots are covered by magnetic fan filters, which are great to see. Going back many years, fan filters weren't always incorporated into SilverStone case designs but as of late they have been, which is great to avoid the chore of having to clean constantly running PCs. On the bottom side is also the exposed ventilation area for the SFX PSU.