Page 3 - Physical Look - Inside
The process of removing the side panels on the SilverStone Lucid LD01 is pretty straightforward. With the tempered glass panels on both side, you can unscrew the two thumbscrews at the back and slide the glass off. The glass is held on the metal rails with metal clips and slide off easily. Unfortunately, the thumbscrews at the back are not captive, so be sure not to lose them. More case manufacturers are including these thumbscrews and they should be the standard nowadays. The tempered panel is heavily tinted, but it does not have any sort of cushioning around its edges or sides. This is especially disappointing since the front and side glass panels make direct contact with each other. I already started seeing some chips on the edge of the side panels due to this contact. Rubber cushioning would also help to reduce vibrations and any resultant sounds. There is no black rim around the glass to hide handling marks, but the metal frame does provide an area for users to hold the panel without smudging the panel.
After you open up the panels, you can get a closer look at the inside of the SteelSeries Lucid LD01. This inverted layout, as I have already mentioned, is pretty unique for me, though SilverStone has changed their internal layout in the past. Generally, an inverted layout has some advantages for cooling parts like open-air graphics cards. Since heat rises, the fans on those cards would be directed to let air escape out the top of the case. The inverted layout also means the opening to the major components exist on the right side of the case. The area with the rectangular opening can fit motherboards in the micro ATX and mini ITX size. The overall area is pretty open for the motherboard and expansion cards. With practically nothing between the front and back of the Lucid LD01, this should allow for air to flow from front to back, even with the intake restrictions. The power supply shroud cover is found in black at the bottom of the case. This separation divides the motherboard area from the power supply basement. The shroud ends at the front of the case, where you can slot in radiators or fans here.
Starting at the back, you can get a better look at the inverted layout. As you can see here, the five expansion slot covers are located at the top and held in with screws. The grille at the back allows you to place a single 120mm radiator or fan here, where you be a bit more flexible with placement due to the rail design. As you can tell, SilverStone has not included any fans here or at the front, meaning you will want to grab your own fans for intake and exhaust. At the bottom of the case, you can see we have a single opening between the shroud and the motherboard area, to let you pass cables through here. I would have liked to see another opening here but closer to the back, as this would provide a closer routing option for CPU power cables, but it is not a huge deal.
Not exactly pictured here is the top panel, where you can put more cooling options for your devices. Users can put two 140mm fans or up to a single 280mm radiator. You probably do want to watch out for thickness on the radiator here, as SilverStone recommends nothing thicker than 55mm. However, the grille is properly offset to avoid interfering with the motherboard. Interestingly, we do not have a whole lot of routing holes for cables at the top of the case. In fact, there is only a single square opening at the very top of the case, which is also slightly obstructed. Considering the bottom of a mATX motherboard is where you may find inputs like the front panel audio, I would have expected at least a larger routing option. We will see what this translates into later in our installation process.
As for the front of the case, we have a few other interesting things. As I already wrote, we do not have any fans included with the Lucid LD01, so you will probably want to fill the front with some intake. Speaking of which, SilverStone allows users to put up to two 140mm fans or a single 280mm radiator. However, you should limit your front cooling options to a maximum of 55mm in thickness, as anything thicker will start interfering with the power supply shroud. There is a maximum of 71mm here, but you probably want a bit more space for wiggle room. A single plastic frame with mesh lining exists at the front to filter incoming air. Moving closer in, you can see we have a single plastic protrusion. This is supposed to be a support bracket for graphics cards, especially those longer ones. It is not the most flexible option, especially if a video card is any shorter, but it is nice to see one included. Close by, we have a pair of routing holes to let you pass other cables through to the motherboard. They are both lined with rubber grommets, which is great for hiding excess cables.
On the flipside, the SilverStone Lucid LD01 has several things of note. Starting from the bottom, we have the area for the power supply, as well as a drive cage. With it installed in its current position, power supplies are limited to 160mm in length. However, it can be moved forward to allow for more cabling room. As for the cage itself, this bracket holds three tool-less sleds for 3.5" or 2.5" drives. At the front of the case, there is an indented area to allow you to route your power cables here. This has quite a bit more cabling space, as well as two Velcro straps to contain all the cables you may place here. There are also quite a few cable tie points, which is excellent to see. Otherwise, you can see all of the top panel I/O cables here. They are all black in color and blends in with the subtle design language found on the Lucid LD01. This includes the case cables for switches and LEDs, two USB 3.0 headers, and audio ports. Unfortunately, we do not have the faster Gen. 2 USB 3.1 Type-C, but I still am happy to see the updated physical plug.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
