Article by: Joe Anderson (Hardware Reviewer)
Edited By: Nathan Glentworth (Owner / Head Editor)
Product was submitted by: Silverstone
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SILVERSTONE RAVEN 3 (RV03)
IN THE UNITED STATES
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SILVERSTONE RAVEN 3 (RV03)
IN CANADA
PRODUCT PICTORIAL AND WALKTHROUGH
With all the packaging materials removed, we can see that the Raven 3 has a more aggressive look than its older siblings, with an armor-plated look for the front and top panels. SilverStone calls the accent strips “champagne,” but I'd call them gold in color and I'm not all that fond of the color choice here. Fortunately, the Raven 3 can be had with the less garish option of gray trim, or the intrepid user can easily remove the trim strips and paint to any desired color. The right side panel has a placement in the center for an optional 120mm fan and a PSU vent area at the lower front of the panel.
Seven big-bay covers dominate the front façade, and each features a chevron design, while the power and reset buttons reside at the top of the panel, just below the chevron power on indicator. Behind this feature…
…a flip-up door reveals the I/O panel. It's relatively Spartan, featurewise, consisting of a pair of USB 3.0 ports flanking the obligatory audio jacks. While the door is of plastic construction, it seems quite sturdy, while opening and closing with ease. Moving further back…
…the front and rear fan controls live in a little cave of their own. Slide switches provide two speeds (stamped H and L,) to the attached fans, but I couldn't find any information on wattage rating. As we'll see in a bit, this may not be a real issue. Users may be tempted to use this opening, in conjunction with a similar opening at the rear of the top panel, as a couple of “handles” with which to move the Raven 3 about. This would be a mistake, as only the rear handle would support the weight of the chassis.
A sharp pull on the top panel reveals what we would normally see on the rear panel of a conventional case. A 120mm exhaust fan, complete with chrome fanguard, finds a home next to the motherboard I/O opening, and there is a pair of grommetted holes to run wiring or tubing through. The eight expansion bays feature vented, replaceable cover plates and the side panels are each secured by a pair of thumbscrews. At the rear, you can see the aforementioned handle feature.
