Page 4 - Installation and Conclusion
SilverStone included brief installation instructions, with one bag that contains all the screws. I think there could be more instructions for beginners to help them figure out which screw to use for different components, but for experienced enthusiasts, a little bit of trial and error is not too bad. It is kind of easy to confuse thin threaded screws with a thicker thread if you have no previous experience though. The motherboard stand offs are not pre-installed, but it does not take that much longer to install them. The motherboard I/O plate fell out easily when it is just by itself, but I was able to squeeze it into place when I installed the motherboard. The rest of the installation went smoothly, and all the other components fit together nicely in the Redline RL05.
As you can see in my photo above, I did not put in a lot of effort into cable management on the back. There is about 25mm gap between the right side panel and internal tray for cables, which is generally sufficient, but more is always welcome. There are plenty of cable management loops to keep all the cables tied down, but I mostly just pushed everything together and stuffed unused cables into the bottom compartment. This picture also shows where the SSD mounts are, which I really like. I prefer to mount the SSD on the back of the case instead of the front, much unlike the BitFenix Pandora Window. Personally speaking, unless your SSD looks great, I will always want to mount it on the back.
Here is the completed build. I took this picture one day after finishing the build, and unfortunately there has already been quite a bit of dust built up inside. I think the dust filters could have been made better. I enjoyed the final look, and tried to make the build a red and black theme. I changed the fans colors to red, and luckily my motherboard already has a black and red color scheme. When one of my friends saw the front of the computer, he said it reminded him of TRON. It was not my intention, but I guess the front red stripe, and the red light shining through the mesh gives it that type of look. Not a bad thing, if you ask me.
Since I do enjoy my computer to be silent, even though I always have headphones on, I put the included fans to the test. They were not very loud, and it was not too hard to change the speed to make them even quieter. On a scale between 1 and 10, where 1 is silent and 10 is a jet taking off. I would rate the SilverStone fans at 4.0/10 running at max speed. However, the SilverStone Redline RL05 is not aimed for being quiet, and a good rule of thumb is always to instead create less sound than to dampen the noise already generated. Another thing is these fans are optimized to bring in as much air as possible, and sustain positive air pressure inside.
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In all budget cases, there are always compromises to be made. The SilverStone Redline RL05 does make some of these compromises, but it is a really functional case, with some good visual flare as well. I mean, if you like TRON, why shy away from the red accents? The case is solidly built with its steel construction, and it even comes with a side window. The cable management options and power supply cover are great additions to have a clean final appearance. There are enough cable management holes to route the cables around the case, and even a 5.25" drive bay, which is more based on your personal preference, but I think the flexibility is welcome, especially considering it was implemented in an unobtrusive way. The Redline RL05 also provides plenty of cooling options, from water cooling to just big air coolers. The case also has lasting value with its one USB Type-C port for anyone who require it, or will sometime in the near future have a USB Type-C device. My only complaint is the port looks really out of place. The SilverStone Redline RL05's MSRP comes in at $59.99 USD, which at this price point is pretty good, even though it does not come with any rubber grommets in the cable management openings. For practical areas of improvement, the dust filters are not as good as they should be, and could be magnetic to make removing them and cleaning them a much faster process. The top fan mounts should have more clearance for normal fans. The problem is with a standard motherboard, it can only accommodate low profile fans. I found that the buttons on the front of the case could be more responsive; sometimes, I felt like I did not actually press anything, even when they are actuated. Overall, the SilverStone Redline RL05 is a good mid-tower. It was easy to build in, and did everything a case should, but there are compromises you will have to live with.
SilverStone provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.0/10
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 Redline RL05 is a very functional budget case, with some visual flare to boot.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
