SilverStone SG01
Gamers rejoiced when Shuttle introduced their SFF systems. The lightweight and portability of the small systems gave gamers no reasons not to attend a LAN party. Instead of lugging around a huge steel tower, gamers can walk around with an LCD in one hand and their SFF in the other. The performance of Shuttle's SFF puppies did not disappoint either. The only thing that was lacking would have been the overclocking department. The overclocking options were limited and for those who overclock, it was a big turn-off. Some case companies have realized that the demand for smaller form cases are rising and they have created their solutions to accommodate the needs of both gamers and overclockers. SilverStone is one of those companies. My first encounter with the SG01 was earlier this year at Computex 2005 in Taiwan. It looked phenomenal. The biggest hype during Computex 2005 was perhaps ATI's Crossfire. I was told by SilverStone that the SG01 was designed to be able to handle the heat output of two ATI video cards in Crossfire mode. For such a small case, that's certainly more than impressive. That is what I call gaming on the go. A good case would not be considered a good case if installation is a huge hassle. Some of the biggest annoyances with cases are limited space and the need to squeeze in your hardware. The SG01 is already small in size, which is good for portability, but can the case offer easy installation of your hardware?
SilverStone SG01 External Have you ever picked up something using a lot of strength expecting the thing to be heavy? That was exact situation when I picked up the SG01. It was incredibly light. It seemed like it weighed about the same as a motherboard package. The case was very well protected with soft foam, not Styrofoam. This prevents the case from getting any dings and scratches. Styrofoam does a good job at protecting the case, but there are still times when the case can get dings. It has happened to me numerous times. The sample I received came in an all black finish. The entire chassis is constructed of aluminum, hence the light weight. The SG01 allows two 5.25" drive bays but no 3.5" floppy bay. At the top of the case is a small blowhole that allows room for a small 60mm fan. The case did not come with one so you'll have to install one yourself. The sides are punched with holes to allow air ventilation. The air vents may not be as effective as having case fans, but it'll certainly cut down a great deal of additional noise. SilverStone SG01 External Continued Being that this is a case suited for LAN parties, the SG01 comes with many connections located at the front. There are the usual headphone and microphone jacks, a single IEEE 1394 port, and four whopping USB ports. Most cases come with just two at the front but the SG01 comes with four. I guess there are ways of filling it up. To the left of the front connections are the power button, reset button, power LED, and HDD activity LED. One huge annoyance with SFF systems is the power supply requirement. There is set standard form and in the case that you need extra power, it's hard to find one that fits in your case without causing compatibility issues. The SG01 has been designed to allow fit of standard ATX power supplies. This means that you can use the beefiest power supply you want without running into much trouble. Right below the power supply are some more ventilation holes for increased airflow. The case does come with one exhaust fan and it is 60mm in size. SilverStone SG01 Internals Cracking open the case is very simple. The shell is held on by four screws at the back of the case. The entire cover slides out rather easily once the screws are removed. Once the shell is removed, you'll immediately notice the included 80mm intake fan. It's directed right at the hard drive cage to provide cooling to your fast hard drives. There is a metal bar on the top that stretches from the front to the back to provide extra support for the external shell. Imagine placing your monitor on top of your case and seeing it crash through into your system. How painful would that be? Specifications There are a couple of precautions you must take before you invest your hardware into the SG01.
A CPU cooler that SilverStone recommends would be their latest NT03. It is short in height but has been designed to work very well in tight spaces and small cases.
Installation Much to my surprise, installing hardware in the SG01 was far from painstaking. The only hard part would probably be tucking away the cables. The hard drives are very easy to install because the hard drive cage is removable. Simply unscrew the two screws that keeps the hard drive cage attached and slide the cage out. From there, it's child's play. There was ample room around the motherboard area. The Abit micro-ATX motherboard used for the installation process fit so easily, it was like spreading butter on bread. Of course not frozen butter, but you get the idea. If your motherboard doesn't come with all of the necessary onboard devices, you may want to install add-on cards. If you're a gamer, this process is certainly a "must," since you will be adding a powerful video card for your gaming pleasure. Access to the PCI slots are blocked off by the 60mm exhaust fan. In order for you to remove the PCI brackets, you'll have to remove the 60mm fan bracket first. I think it's been well designed. SilverStone didn't make it hard on users by forcing you to reach in tight places with a screwdriver. It's just one extra step you take to complete your installation process. Here, you'll see a couple of pictures with most of the hardware installed. I didn't have the power supply on me, but our local resident editor used a OCZ ModStream 520W for this system. Everything looks rather nice and tidy don't you think? My regular tower does not even look as clean as this. I need to learn some cable management skills. Conclusion and Thoughts
SilverStone continues to excel with each new case introduction. It is a little sad that they have not focused too much on towers for regular systems but the SG01 sure makes up for it. It allows enthusiasts to build their own SFF without sacrificing flexibility in their hardware choices. The only downside would probably be the price. Coming in at a little under $200, this case is not very affordable. It seems like it has been designed for those who can really dish out the greens for a high end computer system. I guess it can be justified in that, not all gamers are overclockers and so they'll end up spending a lot of money on building a good LAN system anyway. Either way, for the money you spend, you'll be getting a case well worth the money. The entire chassis is made of aluminum. The finish is exceptional. Installation is a breeze. Cooling has been made sufficient to handle high end video cards and CPU's. There are just so many positive features to the SG01 that makes it a worthwhile investment. For those who want to build a SFF system without buying a semi "pre-built" unit, look no further. This is it.
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We would like to thank SilverStone for providing us the sample. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit us up in the forums. You can also check out more of our latest reviews on the front page.
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