SilverStone Raven RVZ01B HTPC

[tmlhalo]

Build number #13. Going to a family friend that is looking to get into PC gaming for exclusives. They are used to consoles and want to get rid of their desk so HTPC time! 

Parts:

• I5 4590S 
• Asrock H97M-ITX/AC
• GSkill 2 x 4GB 1600MHz 8-8-8
• Crucial MX100 240GB SSD
• 2.5 in Western Digital Black 750GB 7,200RPM 16MB cache HDD
• PNY Geforce 960 reference style cooler
• SilverStone RVZ01B Raven case
• SilverStone SFX 450w 80+ bronze power supply
• LG GS40N DVD Writer Slim
• Logitech MK520 mouse and keyboard combo
• StarTech 6 in slim line SATA adapter
• SilverStone FF121 fan filters

 

Reasoning:

• CPU was a good balance between clock frequency and voltage. They won't be overclocking. Upon opening it though I noticed Intel went with a solid chunk of Aluminum for the heatsink (no copper contact in the middle). I threw it out and replaced it with the stock cooler that came with my I7 4770k which has a copper core. 
• The H97 chipset was to take advantage of Intel smart caching if need be. It was also pretty impressive for the price. Wireless ac and Bluetooth for 80 bucks at the time of purchase. Considering I rarely see wireless ac adapters for under 30 it was a bargain. 
• Went with the reference style 960 because it compliments the airflow design of the Raven. You simply move the case fan to the second slot and it blow straight into the cooler of the gpu which pushes it out the back of the case. Idle temps sit 2c above ambient but I have not and probably will not be able to benchmark load temps.
• The SilverStone RVZ01B Raven was purely based on form factor and console like looks. I have to say this is a well made case. It came with a fan splitter and 3 okish dust filters. I don't recommend using them because it can cause the fans to make a buzz. Instead I put in some different ones. The SilverStone FF121 don't have the same type of buzz, instead there is a very low turbulent sound that you can hear starting at about 2 feet away. It is extremely soft but if possible go filterless and just clean often. I have to say the case is on the tougher side to work with. It isn't a rookie's first build case at all. If you're done ITX builds before it will probably land at a 6 out of 10 for difficulty. If you've never done ITX expect to have a pleasant evening at around an 8 out of 10. The biggest thing I can say is when installing the power supply make sure to flip the switch otherwise you're looking at undoing 20 mins of work to get to it again.

Pictures: (Don't mind the odd setup, it isn't staying here.)

 

 

 

 

[ltguy]

Nice case.... but whats the insides look like ???

[tmlhalo]

Nice case.... but whats the insides look like ???

Fair warning. This case has very little cable management and I'm not the best at cable management. The only spot to hide cables is by the power supply. It doesn't help that it is one drive away from being fully loaded. 

More pics.

 

 

 

 

[tmlhalo]

A bit more information. Reference style 960 in the case works great. While gaming (Vsync off, details cranked til the verge of dipping below 60 fps) it only got as hot as 58c for a 45 min test. CPU never went past 39c. The hottest part were the CPU VRMs which got to 61c. Considering the board doesn't have VRM heatsinks it is understandable.