SilverStone Raven's unique case design highlights cooling, not to mention "ugly"
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted January 28th 2009 3:03PM
posted January 28th 2009 3:03PM
Those crazy kids over at bit-tech got their hands on SilverStone's new Raven RV01 PC case and have been kind enough to give us their impressions. The big news here is that the motherboard's been rotated 90 degrees clockwise, so that your expansion cards are slotted in vertically (they face up, not out the back). This is intended to facilitate cooling -- cool air is taken in at the bottom and exhausted through the top of the machine -- but as the reviewer points out, although this "seems the most logical orientation for a high-end PC," the actual case design is poor enough to rate as fairly frustrating. "For every welcome piece of design," he writes, "there's another to annoy." Cable management is described as nigh on impossible, especially with drive trays and mobo in such close proximity that there isn't any wiggle room. Judging by all this -- and by an appearance that betrays not one wit of "innovation" -- you might want to hold off on this bad boy. Someone is sure to take another stab soon, hopefully with a package that is nowhere near as goofy looking. Available now in the UK for £171.35 MSRP and Stateside for $249.99.
Man, but it is a cool kind of ugly you know?
totally, i actually like the design mainly because its doesn't have that carbon copy look all the other case designers put into their products.
It's kinda badass Apache helicopter ugly.
Sharp angled edges on a desktop PC of which I don't handle all day long, OK. Sharp angles edges on a cell phone of which I handle all day, not OK.
Touch Diamond I'm looking at you...
That looks a lot like what I imagine when I hear the phrase "bag of hurt" and yet.....it's strangely hypnotic when I gaze at it.
Lol. I like it. It kind of screams I'm here WHEN you want me and doesn't give a fuck what you think. In the end you buy it anyway. Lmao.
It's at least not some shitty piece of plastic like my Raidmax Ninja. I thought it'd be cool... but now it's really shitty to open the fucking door every time I wanna put in a CD or DVD or even turn on the God damned computer. *sigh* [/mini-RANT]
That's Optimus Prime's single cell ancestor. Actually four cores is more probable.
Engadget don't make me slap you. I asked you to do a story on this like a month or more ago. This thing looks like a freakin' stealth bomber how is that not cool. It just has too much testosterone for you apple lovin' sissy boys.
How about posting a front and side angle shot? Those are just the back.
I think most of my nerd friends would beat you guys up and hang you from your own tight whities.
I bet you guys drive Volkswagen Beetles with a sunflower in the little vase while listening to Boy George on your pink fake jewel encrusted ipod.
The Tumbler from Batman Begins and The dark Knight, right?
I guess Morgan Freeman with drew his resignation from Wayne Enterprises to design Batman's PC. He should have stayed retired.
Bruce Wayne: I need a PC.
Morgan Freeman: For what?
Bruce: Uh... I'm going spelunking.
Freeman: No, really for what?
Bruce: OK, don't tell anyone but I'm going to Bill Gate's LAN party.
am I the only one who finds it sexy? it looks like a stealth fighter or a reventon
Stealth fighter was the first thing I thought. Does not work for me though. That's a whole lot of ugly as far as I'm concerned.
+1 It does look stealth. I kinna like it (i still think that orange acer transformer lookalike case is the best, along with the cheese grater mac pro case)
I agree.
I really like the look.
I guess it's my kinda thing
Apparently, unless it isn't brushed aluminum with white or black plastic, it isn't "so so sexy."
It reminds me of last-gen stealth. Or maybe last-last gen considering the F-22 is stealth. You had the SR-71 (hot....balls hot), the one I'm referring to (nighthawk maybe?), then the B-2, and now the F-22. They lost me at the nighthawk, found me at the B-2, and gave me the business all night long with the F-22.
Where am I going with this?
I think the case is ugly as sin. It looks like one of those second tier cases with the aggresive styling (one has like...a shield on the front) that is completely pointless. I'm all for a great computer case (I've got a Cosmos S myself) but making a case look like it might cut you is just odd.
It's got a couple good points, but overall, ew.
Its not really ugly cheack out more pictures at performance pc. Its actually a pretty good design, just a bit on the big side. Seems like it was designed for extreme gamers.
It's not any uglier than dozens of other items on the market.
"I've seen uglier" is not high praise, you know.
it's not any uglier than other cases that Engadget has praised as "eye-popping" and "gnarly"
I like it, just like suprxtragrav said, it looks like that lambo. too bad it $250
note: everyone who downranked me in the last thread, look up the word sarcasm.
Downranking you now for caring what ranking your comments receive.
(prays that this mean-spirited jab will result in a high ranking.)
@Deuche ex Machina:
Snide and playful at the same time, I like it.
Will do A2M for highest ranking!!
(crossover joke. To the one person from Joystiq that got it....I salute you)
Well I guess that it is also like the lambo in the sense that it is expensive
i'd definitely buy this for $100
wtf? the board is mounted with the slots facing up? i kind of like the idea of the heat rising up and out, but i could see problems with plugging in cables to the expansion cards
And dust getting into the unused ports.
I like it. I wouldn't want it on my desk. Looks like a movie prop.
249.99 is most certainly ugly
it's a flipping case!
It's a sweet looking case, but the whole badonkhadonk shot with the cords all hanging out isn't what i'd call "attractive"
I held out for as long as I could. I've been eyeing this case for months, as Silverstone teased me with their website. This puppy was supposed to come out in November '08.
But, since Christmas my video cards melted and I've given up on PC gaming altogether.
If I was still in the game, however, I'd get this case. Silverstone's cases are some of the best available. This is their first venture "outside the box" of what they've put out in the past.
And it doesn't look that ugly. The case market now is either incredibly basic (like all other Silverstone cases) or incredibly gawdy.
I'm sure the backwards loading makes techies want to vomit, but I'd love being able to access all my connections from up top instead of having to pull my PC away from the wall, trying not to pull too far out as to unplug anything. And cooling is everything.
I'm in the "not ugly" category, and think the comparison to the Batman design ethos is spot on, but I wouldn't even think about spending 250.00 on a computer case.
$250US is actually not bad, when compared to silverstones other cases. their flagship TJ10 was at least $350 last time i checked. Then theres the Lian Li P80, which is a $450 case.
Two Words: Aggro Crag
the question is, do you have it?
GUTS!!!
Not so bad.
Like it
Me too... Nice to see innovation once and a while.
/me I'm still holding onto my Extremengine 3T! 250mm side fan and 140mm front fan sucking up nice cold air.
28C idle temps, and MB temps are low too.
I'd go for almost anything that doesn't look normal or generic. Unless it were to be modded or something.
Man you're right, that thing looks horrible. It's like someone took a bat to my square beige case (the ONLY one that will ever be aesthetically pleasing) and then scorched it with a flame thrower. Maybe with some TLC and beige paint it can live a respectable life...
I like it, but not at that price, I do like it a lot better than that ugly dubai themed blue case engadget shared before.
I can understand people not liking this. The little boy in me kinda digs it but I could never live with it and the things my guests would say behind my back. It's a bit over-the-top gamer'y but compared to pretty much every other case on the market, this and Silverstones in general, are effing super models. Which says a lot about the sad state of PC cases.
The land that industrial design forgot.
What are you talking about??? It is gorgeous...
That jumbled mess of wires makes it look 120% better!
I'll be afraid to have that. Looks like it going to transform into Megatron and kill me.