SilverStone Raven RVZ01-E Review

Performance Analysis

Performance is pretty much in line with what we see from the Fortress FTZ01, which is hardly surprising since the two are almost identical in terms of thermal layout. With an unobstructed fan pointed straight at the CPU cooler, the RVZ01-E matches the best result we've seen with a delta T of 48°C – there aren't many cases to compare this one too, but it's hard to imagine a case this limited in CPU cooler height doing much better than this.


Similarly, with another unobstructed fan pointing directly at our GTX 980's intake fan, the card peaked at a delta T of 47°C, this time a little behind the best result of 45°C, but still good enough to demonstrate that the RVZ01-E can handle itself and adequately cool a powerful gaming rig.

Vertical mode provides the best results since both side panels have unrestricted access to cool intake air. Horizontal mode understandably doesn't really affect the CPU temperature, but the GPU did go up by 6°C – similar to what we observed in the Fortress FTZ01. This is because the GPU is now very close to the floor and has a lot less air around it.


In terms of noise, the two fans are relatively quiet for low-profile models. We didn't test it, but in the vertical orientation you could probably run a non-overclocked system quite safely without using either of the supplied fans if you're keen to reduce noise.

Conclusion

The RVZ01-E is a very incremental upgrade to the RVZ01. As reviewers, this means it's hard to get that excited, since we've seen most of what it offers before. However, the RVZ01 is already a great case, and there's truth in the old saying about not fixing what isn't broken, and since both the RVZ01 and RVZ01-E will continue to be sold alongside each other, SilverStone is simply giving users more choice when it comes to this chassis design, which is no bad thing.


It's impressive that you can now fit an ATX PSU in this case, although it's not something we're convinced is necessary given the availability of SFX PSUs (most notably from SilverStone itself) with wattages high enough to power pretty much any modern single GPU system. The resultant loss of the 3.5in drive mount and slimline optical support also reduces your options and the case's flexibility – having four 2.5in mounts is nice, but not something we're that likely to use. We'd still choose to use an SFX PSU here if possible, as well as a short cable set, but we've shown that using an ATX PSU is possible, and that may appeal to users looking to repurpose an old PSU or keep noise levels down – the bigger fans on ATX models tends to make them quieter than SFX counterparts.

In the end, the RVZ01-E is still a great chassis, and the amount of high-end hardware you can cram inside is definitely impressive, even two years after the original RVZ01. For cable routing, you'll need to work with it a bit, and it probably isn't a case suitable for serial upgraders. The absence of a PSU dust filter also irks us a little. Nonetheless, with its excellent cooling on top of everything else, it's easy to recommend to those looking to build a powerful mini-ITX system, especially if you've got an eye on tucking it away in somewhere in the living room.