Page 2 – Physical Look – Outside
Looking at the SilverStone Precision PS10 reminds me immediately of a stealth aircraft, most notably the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk. The way the protruding areas come out from the case is quite similar to the protruding sides of the stealth plane. You can see the blocky, hexagonal-like lifts on both sides, as well as at the top vent. I think aesthetically it is a bit of an opinion thing. I personally am not a huge fan, as it ends up adding a bit of girth unnecessarily. However, it does align with the stealth theme SilverStone has going on, so I can understand their design choice. The entire surface is a matte finish and this prevents the easy spotting of fingerprints and dust. The PS10 is made up of steel sheet metal, with the front panel being what SilverStone describes as a "high-strength plastic". While you probably will not be drop testing this case any time soon, the Precision PS10 does feel solid in terms of build quality. Overall, the looks and build quality are of standard SilverStone quality, which is a compliment to both the case and the company.
Taking a closer look at the front panel, the selection of buttons and LEDs are as normal. At the very top is a power button, and its function is quite obvious. Underneath this is a boomerang shaped opaque area where the two LEDs shine through. The top part of the boomerang glows blue when the computer is turned on, and the bottom flashes red when there is activity. This makes for a really cool blend of the two colors, which I personally like. Underneath the translucent LED area is a reset button. As you can see from both of the buttons, they are somewhat like a cutout of the front panel. While it is functional to work, I would have preferred if they stuck with separate buttons, just to make the buttons easier to press. Of course, it would also be cool to have those flip switches you often see on planes for emergency or for launching projectiles, but I digress. Underneath the button area are the front panel I/O. Starting from the top, there is a USB 3.0 port, microphone input, audio output, and another USB 3.0 port. While using the SilverStone Precision PS10, I have found a few quirks I do not necessarily agree with. For one, the USB ports generally have enough room, but if you ever plug in a short-cabled device, like an external hard-drive, you will find the product hanging by the cable. I would have preferred they either put the ports way at the top so you can rest your peripherals on top or on the floor. Either way, it would have reduced the stress on the cables. Secondly, it took me quite a while before I finally could remember the top plug was the microphone input and the bottom was the speaker out. While there are small embossed logos to distinguish between the two, it is not sufficient especially when you use your SilverStone Precision PS10 in darker areas. It would be nice to add a bit of color to the plugs alone for convenience's sake, even though it detracts from the stealthy look. Finally, the last thing to note are the side vents on both sides. This has a removable cover to allow for easy cleaning while keeping the flow of air unobstructed. The removable cover is held by a tab, and therefore can easily snap in and out of the slot.
Flipping the SilverStone Precision PS10 around, we can see the other side as well as the back end. As you can tell by now, both sides are the same, with the same sort of bulge on each side, so there is not much more to note of it. Looking at the rear end, we can see the back is pretty normal, as you would expect. The cut-out area for the I/O ports on the motherboard lie at the top left side, with the 120mm exhaust vent right beside it. The vent is covered by a circular pattern, rather than the honeycomb like pattern seen on other cases. Above the vent are two indents used for water cooling. Despite this being a budget case, water cooling itself has come down in price quite a bit, and thus, it is understandable to see this addition. Underneath the vent are the expansion card slots, covered by the pop-off plates. There are seven of them in total, which is quite standard. There is also a small plastic swinging door, which is used to hide the area where users would mount their expansion cards with a screw. At the bottom is a large opening for the power supply to sit. All of these are quite standard, and the location of them is as I would expect. Finally, I will divert your attention to the top, where the top vent exists. Sitting on top of it is a mesh cut out, which is also easily removable for quick cleaning. The mesh is held on via magnets under the mesh. I have to say, I have not seen this type of usage of magnets before in a case, but it actually holds quite well.
Tipping the SilverStone Precision PS10 over, and we can see the base of the case. On the four corners are plastic feet to hold the case in place. Unfortunately, these case-base-place holders are not rubberized, and therefore are prone to vibration, especially on harder floors, like wood or tiles. One way manufacturers often reduce noise is by rubberizing the feet to absorb the small vibrations it may have with the floor, as well as hold the entire chassis in its spot. It does not play a big deal for me as I have carpet underneath my computer, but it will affect other users. In between the back feet is another removable vent area, which is once again used for easy cleaning by sliding out the mesh tray. However, unlike the other removable parts, this bottom does not always stay in its slots, and sometimes gets dislodged. As well, it actually takes quite a bit more effort to slide it back in. Otherwise, there is not much else worth noting, so it is time to take a dive into the SilverStone Precision PS10.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
