Cool as a Cucumber?
In order to test the thermal performance of this case with our chosen components an NZXT Sentry LX was used with its capable little temp monitoring sensors. We placed the probes strategically within the case and around our components which included a Quad Core Extreme CPU, 4GB DDR2 Memory, and a Zotac 9800 GT 512MB Synergy video card. That’s just about the maximum configurable system.
Idle temps registered a 23 C temp inside the box with our Sentry LX. It gets warm at a Lanparty sitting in between all those gaming machines. The environment is also comparable to a kitchen or enclosed closet or rack where you’d find an HTPC. Load temps registered a 29 C temp now that the Quad CPU system was consuming some wattage. That’s very admirable cooling offered by the SG05’s single 120mm fan. Your thermal mileage with your selected components will vary, but at least you know that the case can’t be the one to blame for glitches.
Over time the front 120mm fan will need cleaning to maintain optimal cooling. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to remove the case cover to get to the tabs holding on the bezel. At that point you can remove the fan filter for cleaning. It’s not an ideal process, but it’s also not hard to do at all.
Final Thoughts and Conclusions
The SG05 Zotac system was quite the sensation at Infernalan. Depending on your tastes, comments ranged from being cute from the ladies to how very cool it was to have a small system that can play the latest video games. Granted, the ZOTAC system was slightly customized with plexi-glass in place of where the venting had been cut out, but our sample here was built up pretty much identical.
What really got people was the fact that it could be moved anywhere super quick and easily. With your standard case out of the way, there was so much more room for the 26″ Wide screen monitor, Razer Destructor gaming surface, and customary LAN Party snacks.
Despite the Silverstone SG05’s small size, it stands tall in a class of its own. Even though it seems harmless, it actually has some teeth for battling the heat monster. It handled a competent gaming configuration quite nicely without ever letting me know it was there. Many were especially surprised that a 300 Watt SFX power supply could handle the job. Once again it’s further proof that clean wattage means superior performance. The kind of power you feed your system does have an affect on its overall performance and reliability.
A lot of common sensible planning and effort was put into this chassis design. If it weren’t for the massive lengths of today’s video cards, it could have been even smaller. But, that’s the current state of graphics and Silverstone did an excellent job of keeping things neat and organized. The SG05 prices in at $99 from various retailers. Given the features, cooling performance, and construction, it’s worth every dollar.
Pros
- Great cooling performance
- Well designed and fabricated
- Doesn’t draw blood
- Modification potential
- 300 Watt Fortron Power Supply
- Strong rail amperage
- Priced well among others
Cons
- Installing a Slim CDROM Drive requires minor modification
- Shell and Bezel must be removed to clean filter
Overall Rating: 9.0 / 10.0
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