Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
In terms of size, the SilverStone Precision PS05 is actually pretty standard for an ATX mid-tower case. Measuring in at 190 mm(w)x 466mm(h) x 485mm(d), it is slightly taller, but still smaller overall than the NZXT Beta. The NZXT Beta is a comparable case, due to the target market of both cases. The Precision PS05 supports both ATX and Micro ATX motherboards, as this is a mid-tower chassis. This case is built mainly out of steel and plastic; with the majority of it being made of the steel -- which includes the sides of the case, along with parts of the top and the front. For the parts that are not made out of steel, the Precision PS05 has a front plastic cover, as well as some plastic lining on the sides. The case is built very acceptably well other than the thin steel panels, but I really liked its sleek and clean look. Although this is only a budget case, the design for it definitely did not feel me feel that way.
At the front of the SilverStone Precision PS05 are four external bays for 5.25" drives, which can be used to accommodate standard IDE or SATA DVD drives, as well as the newest the latest Blu-Ray drives for watching high definition movies. Of course, if you have built a computer before, you should know this already, haha. Below that are two 3.5" cutouts for floppy drives, fan controllers, or whatever else that fits in 3.5" external drive bays nowadays. At the very bottom is a nicely shaped patch of honeycomb mesh serving as its front air intake. Although there is no fan near the front included out of the box, one can always be added to your preference. The blue power and HDD LEDs are located just above the front air intake mesh.
The sides of the case are quite bland to be completely honest, as one would expect from a budget case. All that are included on both sides are just two pieces of SECC, but with a slick outline of plastic around the top and front side corners. This pattern looks very similar to modern heatspreaders found on some RAM kits; with plastic pieces sticking out the top. Also seen in our photo above is the top part of the case, which includes the buttons and front panel input connectors, in which I will discuss about it later on in this review. In addition, the top also has patch of honeycomb mesh for airflow. This could lead to some dust problems as with all mesh designs, and may prove to be problematic if left unattended for a long period of time.
On the flipside of the case, there are many features that are also commonly found on modern cases. Starting from the top left, we have room for the motherboard I/O backpanel; to the right is a single 120mm fan for rear heat exhaust. Located below that are two cutouts for watercooling tubes, and seven expansion slots openings. The SilverStone Precision PS05 features a screwless installation system for its expansion cards, again we will cover in detail later on in this review. At the very bottom is a the power supply bay for bottom mounted units. According to the specifications, it has "unlimited space" for long power supplies.
As stated earlier, the top of the chassis is where the buttons and the front panel connectors are located. These are all slightly elevated off the platform in a shield-like shape. The inputs are then slightly recessed into the surface; going from the left side to the right side, we have an USB 2.0 port, two 3.5mm audio jacks, and a second USB 2.0 port. The reset button is located on the left side near the bottom of the shield shaped platform; while the power button is found at the opposite corner in this location. It would be nice to see an eSATA and Firewire port, especially the former since they are so rampant and used quite often nowadays. Either way, the top of this PS05 is good in terms of utility, but the plastic looks a bit cheap. Do keep the budget price of the PS05 in mind, however.
In addition to the side panels, both the front and top panel can be removed from the SilverStone Precision PS05, as shown. The front panel is quite easy to lift off, requiring only a small tug -- but not easy enough for it to fall right off by itself. On the other hand, the top panel is slightly harder to remove and takes a bit more effort, due to it using six clips instead of four. The top panel has two opens for two 120mm fans, while the front can accommodate one 120mm fan. Only one rear case fan is included, the rest are for you to purchase separately.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
