Page 4 – Installation and Conclusion
Following APH Networks standards, the first component I plop into the SilverStone Precision PS10 is the power supply. I have had zero issues with this, as the bottom of the case has no obstacles like hard drive bays in the way. I also had an easy time putting a larger power supply like the Cooler Master V1000 1000W without worrying about fitting issues. The next step is to place the motherboard in. The motherboard I placed into the PS10 is an ATX sized motherboard; namely the Gigabyte Z87X-D3H. Mounting the motherboard itself proves to be tricky, as some of the holes were not aligned properly. This means a lot more effort than what is required, especially when putting the risers on. Otherwise, installing the motherboard is not too difficult.
Before I actually mounted the motherboard though, I pre-routed the power supply cables to ensure for a better cabling job. One thing I am quite happy about with the Precision PS10 is the placement of holes in perfect spots to allow wiring through the back. I also am using the hard drive bay area for wire storage, as I do not have five drives to put into my computer, unlike Editor-in-chief Jonathan Kwan, haha. All the holes also are rounded off, but they do not have any rubber grommets covering it. The rounded edges are meant to protect the wires from rubbing against the edges and weakening the wires, but grommets would have been nice. On the other hand, these rubber edges are usually only found on more expensive towers, so it is understandable. I should also mention I did not test with an aftermarket cooler. For reference’s sake, the maximum height of the CPU cooler is 169mm. You should have no problems fitting in large heatsinks like the NH-U14S or Noctua NH-D15 in single fan configuration.
Sliding in a Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB is as easy as it looks, with the plastic bay sliding and snapping into place. Be sure the plastic tray actually produces an audible snap, or you may find your hard drive falling to the floor when tilted. I have to say, while this tray is not very innovative per se, it is very handy and it is a great feature to have, considering the target market. Afterwards, I plugged in the SATA 6Gb/s cable and power cable while wiring it through the SilverStone Precision PS10 with ease. As I mentioned prior, there is no second fan at the back, so I installed my Noctua NF-S12B FLX into the back area, which fit perfectly. It is quite a shame SilverStone does not include a second fan, but luckily I do have a fan from Noctua kicking around.
Finally, the last fun part is the graphics card. The first thing I have to do is bend out two of the back covers. Afterwards, I can slide the card into its slot on the motherboard, and screw it in. As I have mentioned before, the area to screw in the card is protected by a small plastic swinging door, making it easy to hide the screws at the back. While the SilverStone Precision PS10 itself is small, it does offer ample space to fit larger video cards. The maximum length of the GPU is 11.5” or 292.1mm. This is a bit smaller than other cases I have seen, like the Cooler Master N400, which can hold 320mm. Overall wiring and mounting is a straightforward process, but it really takes a bit more effort to clean up the cables, especially with the lack of extra room. Even with extra twist ties, there still is quite a bulge issue from the cables.
Popping my computer into place, I pressed the cut-out power button, and the system came to life. The blue LED shone brightly, and the red LED mixed in during activity creating a really nice gradient as I have mentioned before. Now we come to the most important part of the review: Sound testing. According to the standard APH Networks sound scale, where 0 is silence and 10 is loudness, the SilverStone Precision PS10 is around a 2.5/10. Note that I did this sound test without the Noctua fan installed, just to provide a better representation from what SilverStone can do. I can definitely say the insulation works quite well, as it blocks out a lot of the fan noise, especially at higher loads. I should also note on average, my computer runs a degree or two Celsius higher than normal, and this is to be expected considering how difficult it is to make a material that is soundproof, but not a heat insulator at the same time. These numbers are a bit better than most budget cases, and I think SilverStone hit the nail on the head in achieving a “stealth” tower.
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I think SilverStone understands the importance of silence, and this translates into a great chassis, which offers quite a bit of value. For one, SilverStone has provided a lot of removable vents to make it easier to clean these areas. Most lower-end cases do not even have these kind of extra openings to begin with, and seeing them on the Precision PS10 is a bonus. The overall aesthetics is a subjective choice, but I will say the front LED implementation is awesome. The internal drive bay for both the 5.25" and 3.5" is implemented quite well, as installing drives into the SilverStone Precision PS10 is painless. Finally, the main thing that SilverStone set out to prove was sound insulation, and they certainly deserve props for an excellent choice of material. Not only does it insulate sound while keeping the noise to a low hum, it does not affect internal temperature either. On the flip side, the SilverStone Precision PS10 is not all golden. One issue is everything that is missing from the SilverStone Precision PS10. From the lack of a back fan, to non-rubberized feet and pegs where the power supply sits, it is a bit lacking in extras. Again, for $50 USD at press time, I can understand some things had to be omitted, but I feel like they may have cut back a little bit too aggressively. In addition, there are a few small refinements needed, such as making sure the holes in the case are fully threaded to allow for the risers to sit. Adding just a tad more space at the back behind the motherboard would be much appreciated, and would make wiring much easier. In addition to these suggestions, it would be nice to see SilverStone move the front I/O ports to either the top or the bottom, so that users can easily connect their peripherals without worrying about them. Finally, adding rubber grommets to the holes in the case would be an awesome addition, but it is not required considering the target market of this case. All in all, the SilverStone Precision PS10 is silent, but there are compromises you have to make that may hold this case from being golden.
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 aren't 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 7.2/10
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.
At an MSRP of $50 USD, the SilverStone Precision PS10 is a great choice for a value-oriented silent-focused build.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
