Page 4 - Installation and Conclusion
Overall, the entire installation for the SilverStone Primera PM01 went well. Not all the motherboard stand offs were installed for an ATX motherboard, so I had to install the rest. At first, I thought this would be simple, but there was no adapter included to install standoffs. Therefore, it took a few more minutes. The included instruction manual is sufficient, but could have been better to make the entire process clearer. This picture also shows how much room there is inside the case. I installed an ATX motherboard, and there is even a little bit of room between the motherboard and the rubber grommets. Otherwise, the rest of the installation process went well without further issues.
Here is a full picture of the back of the Primera PM01 after everything has been installed. As always, with cable management in the back, there is enough room, but more will be appreciated. The Velcro straps were a big help in tying cables down, especially the 24-pin connector. The power supply chamber also has enough room for storing all the unused cables. To the left of the rubber grommets, you can see the water reservoir mounting holes, and that quite a bit of room is reserved for it. I did not use any of the cable management loops, but there was a sufficient amount to further help with cable management.
Here is the completed build. I really like the three red LED fans shining through the front mesh covering. The entire case lights up because of the red LEDs found right next to the power supply chamber, plus some found by the top panel. As aforementioned, the lights can be adjusted with a small button found on the top I/O. There are other options for colors with the SilverStone Primera PM01. There is also a white glossy finish with blue LED lights, or a matte black finish with red LEDs. The SilverStone Primera PM01 that I built in is the glossy black version with red LEDs.
The front fans are optimized for air intake, and three 140mm fans should draw quite a lot of air in. The PM01 is actually one of the best cases for cooling performance in the market this year. One of my biggest considerations for fans is the noise they make. This can be reduced by adjusting their speed. The front fans created the most amount of noise. On a scale from one to ten, where one is silent and ten is a jet taking off, the front fans would be 3.5/10 when the computer is idling. When the computer was under load, the fans would not speed up much when controlled by my motherboard, and so they went up to 4.0/10 in my personal opinion. The rear exhaust fan is quieter and during idle is at 3.0/10, and under load 3.5/10.
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Most cases are fairly similar in design, with the usual rectangular shape, and maybe a few differences on the top or the front. This is not a bad thing, since this typically works really well. The SilverStone Primera PM01 is certainly not your common case. With that in mind, the important thing to consider before buying the SilverStone Primera PM01 is what do you actually need it for. If you want custom water cooling, then a budget case will probably not be able to support it, while higher end cases will. The SilverStone Primera PM01 falls into the higher middle end of things, especially with its MSRP of $120 USD. There is a lot of features to support massive amounts of airflow into the case, and it is big enough for many components to fit inside. With the price comes a few nifty additions, such as the included LEDs and the fan hub, although this is becoming quite standard with the competition as well. Depending on if you like red or not, the included LEDs could be a hindrance as they cannot be easily removed. Thankfully, they can be turned off or even dimmed. At this price point, a three speed fan controller would be useful for the fan hub for more manual control over the fans. Otherwise, the case supports big radiators, and most of the cooling will be mounted in the front. The power supply cover is effective at producing two separate temperature zones while keeping a very clean appearance. The rest of the case is also very open and clean, due to the absence of 5.25'' drive bays and the hidden nature of the 3.5'' drive bays. The biggest issues I ran into was during the installation process, where the instruction booklet could be clearer, and an adapter for the motherboard standoffs should be included. But most of these are just minor issues. Overall, I am pleased with the SilverStone Primera PM01, and it was ultimately a pleasant experience building in it and using it day to day.
SilverStone provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.5/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
The SilverStone Primera PM01 is an aggressive looking case filled with features and advanced cooling performance for the enthusiast.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
