INTRODUCTION
I don't know how many of you out there have noticed but it's become increasingly harder for people to come across mid-tower PC cases that are quite "casual/normal" in design and are thus not aimed towards just gamers who are after something unique looking for their desks. Of course compared to 10+ years ago this is actually a good thing since back then there were just a bunch of "special" aluminum mid and full cases available for gamers in a sea of server-like models made out of thick metal (as expected back then we couldn't really complain about that). However many people have pointed that out to me lately so at exactly the same time i thought about getting my hands on a mid or full tower PC case aimed at gamers but with a rather "casual" exterior design SilverStone released their latest Redline RL05 mid-tower which i received soon afterwards and just finished wrapping up its review.
Founded in 2003, SilverStone is an established leader in its field, with an elite team of engineers; we started our quest of providing products that create inspirations. We have since expanded the lines of products as well as types of products we produce, giving our customers a wide selection of choices. With distribution centers in different areas of the globe, SilverStone products can be seen all over the world, not just for computer users but also for home entertainment use. Providing leisure with integration of advanced technologies that is functional and making them enjoyable to use. Here at SilverStone Technology, we continue to pride ourselves in providing the highest level of standards in designing and manufacturing computer enclosures, power supplies, and accessories. Our pursuit for the first class aesthetic appeal is relentless; our teams of devoted engineers are constantly searching for the best technologies that suit end-users with different needs and will make our products as technologically sound as they are beautiful.
The Redline RL05 is marketed as an affordable PC mid-tower aimed towards enthusiasts so right from the start it's obvious that SilverStone had to cut some corners while designing it. Still they did give it a very large acrylic side window, two 140mm pre-installed LED fans, removable air-filters, room for a total of 5 fans (4x140mm/1x120mm), mount areas for up to 3 radiators (280/240/120mm) and enough space for ATX and micro-ATX mainboards, 165mm tall CPU coolers, 373mm long graphics cards and 220mm long power supply units. We were somewhat surprised to see that SilverStone has also placed a USB 3.0/1 type-C port at the front of the case (since USB 3.1 Type-C cables are up to 1 meter long this can be very handy) to make it easier/faster for people to plug their brand new external drives (as long as they come with a type-c connector). These aren't features we haven't seen in the past by similar mid-towers so let's see what SilverStone has been working on with the Redline RL05.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
The RL05 arrived inside a plain cardboard box that has a product drawing at the front right next to the main product features.
An introduction to the product is printed on the left side right over the specifications table.
On the right side we see the main product features printed in 10 languages.
A drawing of the right side interior is placed at the rear of the box.
As usual the tower is placed inside a plastic bag and between two thick foam spacers.
Along with the case inside the box you will also find 5 cable ties, plastic bag with screws and spacers and the user manual.
THE REDLINE RL05 EXTERIOR
Thanks to the red and black combo at the front and the intake-like assents the RL05 does look a bit aggressive.
As mentioned in the introduction page the left side panel is mostly taken by an clear acrylic window.
Although rather simple in design and made out of plastic the fascia does add to the looks of the RL05.
On the right side of the fascia we find two USB 3.0 ports and the headphone and microphone plugs while on the left side we see the on/off and reset buttons with the on activity and power LEDs.
SilverStone has given the RL05 a single 5.25" optical drive bay (the USB 3.0 type-c port is placed right above it).
An air-filter is placed on the interior of the fascia along with two 140mm LED fans which can be replaced with a 240mm radiator.
Unfortunately removing the fascia and placing it back on is not as easy as with other towers since there is the USB 3.0 type-c connector at the top.
The top of the RL05 has enough room for either two 120/240mm fans or an 240/280mm radiator.
Turning the tower around we see the 7 PCI expansion slots and the fan and PSU areas (unfortunately no fan is pre-installed here).
The PCI expansion slots are held in place with regular screws and also feature a cover held in place with thumbscrews.
At the base of the Redline RL05 we see four tall rubber feet and a removable air-filter.
THE REDLINE RL05 INTERIOR
By using just a single 5.25" optical drive bay the RL05 has quite a bit of available interior space.
The 5.25" optical drive bay is completely removable, features an tool-less lock mechanism and can also accommodate an 2.5" drive inside.
Right beneath the 5.25" optical drive bay we see the two 140mm LED fans and the area where you can mount a 240mm radiator (perhaps even an 280mm one if you remove the 5.25" bay).
The mainboard tray has a vertical opening and two small holes for cable management and a very large cutout beneath the CPU area.
The PSU shroud makes cable management a breeze and as you can see it has two 2.5" mounts on it.
Taking a look on the other side of the mainboard tray we see plenty of room for cable management.
SilverStone has also placed two 2.5" drive trays on this side held by thumbscrews.
These trays may be small but they are made out of aluminum and are actually very sturdy.
SilverStone has also placed two 2.5/3.5" trays at the base of the tower.
Unfortunately these are made out of plastic but the good thing about those is that they feature a tool-less design (unlike the aluminum ones).
You can fit PSUs up to 220mm in length behind the shroud.
This is how the top looks from the interior of the case (notice the removable air-filter) and as you can all see you might have to remove the 5.25" optical drive bay to install a thick radiator and its fans.
BUILDING THE SYSTEM
As always the purpose of this section is not to build a functional system but rather to showcase what you can expect from the case at hand in terms of interior space.
Using a full sized ATX mainboard takes most of the mainboard tray but leaves plenty at the front where we usually find the 3.5” drive cages.
165mm may not be the highest we’ve seen a mid-tower go in terms of CPU coolers but you should have no problem using most in the market today.
Even if you were to mount a thick radiator and its fans at the front you should still have enough room to use a very long graphics card.
Remember to use a PSU at the rear of the shroud that doesn’t take all the available area since you may have issues with routing its cables.
NOISE LEVEL TEST
After giving it much thought we decided on performing noise tests with each PC Case we receive by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically ontop of each case to measure the noise levels emanating from the pre-installed fans at both 50% and 100% with the help of a fan controller (if the case doesn't have one we use our own).
CONCLUSION
Since the Redline RL05 mid-tower is nothing exciting in terms of exterior design it may not appeal to many gamers who care a lot about such things and are after a really special looking tower. At the same time however SilverStone has released a mid-tower also aimed at regular consumers who are after a relatively plain looking model to blend in on their desks without attracting too much unwanted attention. Now the good news is that although the Redline RL05 is a budget friendly model it still has enough space for a front 240mm radiator (280mm is possible if you remove the 5.25” bay), top 240/280mm radiator, 165mm tall CPU coolers, 220mm long PSUs and 373mm long graphics cards. Although SilverStone doesn’t really list this there’s also enough room inside the RL05 for up to seven 2.5” drives (two on the shroud, two behind the mainboard tray, two in bottom trays and one in the 5.25” bay) or five 2.5” and two 3.5”drives so you’re not running out of storage space anytime soon. Also since most USB 3.1 type-c portable drives in the market come with short cables (up to only 100mm long) the front type-c port is actually something we hope to see with more cases in the market soon.
SilverStone calls the Redline RL05 an affordable enthusiast mid-tower but just how much does it cost? Well currently you can find it for just USD59.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for just 59Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) so it’s priced exactly as you’d expect from an “affordable” tower. Of course at that price point we can’t complain about anything and since the Redline RL05 delivers in most areas it gets our Golden Award.
PROS
- Room For Up To Seven 2.5” Drives (Or five 2.5” and two 3.5” drives)
- Spacious Interior (165mm tall CPU Coolers / 373mm long Graphics Cards / 220mm long PSUs)
- Room For Up To Two 240/280mm Radiators
- Full PSU Area Cover (Shroud)
- Two Pre-Installed 140mm LED Fans
- Front Type-C USB 3.0/3.1 Port
- Price (For Some)
CONS
- Overall Build Quality
- No Rear Exhaust Fan
- Removable Air-Filters (Not Very Easy To Remove & Attach)