Silverstone Case SST-GD98LED

Reviews: Cases

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Richard Poelling
Kurtis
SilverStone
Aug. 14, 2004

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Inside the Case

Looking at the case from the top reveals additional ducting for the CPU. The ducting runs next to the power supply and vents out of square holes cut into the top panel. To move the airt, Silverstone uses a small enclosure that sits over the CPU that will direct the airflow near the CPU, rather than through the rest of the case. Depending on the type and size of cooling solution you will be using, the swing-down ducting may prove to be more of a hassle than a help, but nevertheless, it is a good idea. If anything, it does provide a good source of fresh air to be blown over the CPU rather than as an exhaust port.

Mounted directly in front of the power supply is the bracket for the hard disk drives. To install a hard drive, the drive cage is released by the removal of a single screw, then slid backward. Although two hard drives can be mounted here, getting the cables to fit may be next to impossible. Even using rounded cables will most likely result in large excess cable to contend with. My suggestion would be to keep it to a single drive.

Mounted alongside the vertical duct is a small intrusion detection switch. Although not a necessity feature, it is always nice to see. Although most people know when others are mucking around in their machine, this switch coupled with a motherboard with the proper connections is a nice feature to have.

Moving down to the main interior of the case, you will notice the mounting brackets for 2 rear 80mm exhaust fans. These are of the snap in variety, so no special screws or retention devices are needed besides what is already present. Cooling this case should not be a problem even with most modern processors. A single fan is all that is absolutely necessary, but two fans are always good insurance. Adding two fans at lower RPMs and you have a case that not only cools, but also shouldn't take out your hearing. Of course, as you add fans, you also add wires, so cable management in such a small case is a must.

Mounting a 5 ¼ device is a very easy task. Removing the drive cage requires the removal of two screws, after which the cage slides out. After the cage is removed, it is only a matter of installing your devices and slipping the cage back into position. The hardest part will be getting the horizontal offset right such that the device sits flush with the front.

Finally, at the bottom, all of the assorted wires and hookups are located. These include the front MIC, USB, and headphone jack wiring harnesses. This case includes the standard wires such as the power button, reset switch, etc. At the bottom of the case is also located a large grill which will further aid in the machines cooling capacity. This grill is most functional when the provided legs are used to raise the machine up high enough not to restrict the airflow. This will be most noticeable on carpet.

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Page 3 of 4

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Page 1: Introduction & First Impressions
Page 2: Opening the Case
Page 3: Inside the Case
Page 4: Quality Check & Conclusion

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