Bigger isn’t always better. This is especially true when it has to do with a computer that may need to be transported or might have to fit inconspicuously in an area with limited space. A few great examples of these situations would be a LAN Party system where having a powerful and easy to carry system would be beneficial. Another great example would be the need for a small system that occupies limited desk or counter top space. Applications for a Home Theater PC that needs to fit in a closet or rack out of sight also come to mind.
While Micro ATX systems have become more common in some instances, performance based m-ATX were few and still manage to weigh almost as much as their full sized brethren. The only thing left to do is make it even smaller. However, the lack of performance components available for such small form factor applications have only left enthusiasts wanting and waiting. That was until ZOTAC did their part by being the first to launch the 9300-ITX WiFi Motherboard which full CPU, memory, and video card expansion found in regular m-ATX and ATX computers. This means that power and portability were here. The question is, what do we build it in?
Silverstone forsaw this new evolution coming and got to work with their engineers to create something worthy of such innovative computing. They recently released the SG05 Enclosure for Mini-DTX and Mini-ITX systems. Check this gallon sized unit out.
The Important Information
The chassis includes many of the basics found in standard ATX cases. What you get is a compact, light weight case offering plenty of ventilation. Despite its size, there’s plenty of room inside for expansion and configuring your system as you see fit.
The SG05 is fully featured with the following list of standard equipment:
- Mini-ITX / Mini-DTX Form Factor
- Full I/O Panel Access
- Supports 2.5″ and 3.5″ Hard Drive
- 80 Plus FSP Group 300 Watt Power Supply
- Supports 9″ long PCI Express
- Lightweight Chassis
- Plenty of space for Retail CPU Coolers
- USB and Audio Front Panel
- 120mm Cooling Fan
All of these features make it possible to build a capable system using a board like the ZOTAC 9300-ITX board. Since the board also features a PCI-E expansion slot for a performance graphics card, we’ll definitely be putting the SG05’s support of 9 inch long PCI-E cards to the test. In fact, all these cards should potentially work:
- ATI Radeon HD 4850/4830 – 9″
- NVIDIA GeForce 9800GT – 9″
- NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT/GSO – 9″
- NVIDIA GeForce 8800GS/GT/GTS – 9″
- NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 – 9″
Other features that make this box capable of supporting a performance system include support for Retail CPU Coolers which will allow some headroom in the type of CPUs we choose to use. Silverstone also includes an 80PLUS rated FSP Group 300 Watt Power Supply to feed your components. All of this can be had for around $100 or less which is pretty amazing in itself. Small case, small price I guess?
What’s In The Box?
The Silverstone SG05 arrived in a surprsingly small brown product box. If it weren’t for the picture on the box, it might have passed for CPU cooler given its weight. Inside the box was a well packed case along with power cord, extra screws, extra motherboard standoffs, manual, and extras for managing wires. There’s at least double of everything for getting your system built.
Innovative Thinking at its Best
The SG05 reveals its true inspiration once removed from the box. The case measures in at about 7″ tall by 9″ wide by 11″ deep. That’s about half the size of a standard Micro-ATX case. It weighs in at about 5 pounds if that helps give you the correct impression and is completely manageable unless you are truly a weakling. The only thing missing is maybe a handle on top?
Looking at the front of the case, you can just make out the 120mm cooling fan behind the mesh and filter screen. There’s an access plate at the top which would seem to suggest there’s room for a slim lined CD ROM. However, a little modifying might have to be made to the internal chassis. You’ll see why in a moment.
One thing the case offers is ventilation. About half the area of the black case shell is machined out to allow maximum air flow without exposing too much of the chassis. The special case featured at the 2009 Spring Infernalan was modified by Silverstone to offer two plexi-glass windows on each side which points to a potential upgrade kit, or if you’re a modder, pottential ideas for slicing and dicing to make your own custom mod.
The back of the case is essentially a scaled down version of an ATX. There’s the standard PSU placement, I/O area for the shield, and two PCI slots. The two slots are there in case you have a video card that has the dual PCI mounting frame. You don’t want any movement inside such a portable little box.
A Look Inside the Silverstone SG05
All it took was a Philips screw driver to remove a few screws from the back. The lid slides back, then up and off easily revealing a unique, compact chassis. It’s fabricated with standard steel used in many a computer chassis, but without the extra thickness. Feeling around the chassis, no sharp edges or razors were evident. The metal seems well machined with a little buffing added to limit slicing and dicing of the fingers. You can also see the two places for hard drives near the front of the case. The first spot is quite obvious with its hanging tray. Just above that is another partially enclosed bay for another drive. Two screws hold the bottom most tray in place.
On the top left in the back, you can see the 300 Watt PSU. Its power specs are noteworthy. The 3.3V rail produces 20 amps, 5V rail 22 amps, 12V1 rail 16 amps, and 12V2 rail 14 amps. That’s some nicely allocated amperage where needed. It’s also why it can power a standard Core 2 series processor, 4GB of memory, and up to a GTX 250 video card. The unit is made by FSP Group (Fortron) and are known for making compact server PSUs for mission critical applications.
The very top of the chassis has what appears to be a spot for a Solid State Drive or a very fast notebook 2.5 inch drive like the Seagate 500GB 7200.4. This is also where a slim CDROM drive could be added by bending down the tabs as I noted earlier. Silverstone does offer kits called the TOB02 (Blu-ray) and SOD01 (DVD/CD) just in case your local computer store doesn’t stock them. Unfortunately, you’re still going to have to bend tabs to make either one work.
Other details include two holes with clear grommets installed that serve as a means to protect needed wiring for whatever device is installed in this bay.
Behind The Mask
There are six plastic tabs that hold the face of the SG05 in place. Starting with the lowest tab on once and working on up is the easiest way to loosen the face. At this point, you need to cautiously make sure the wiring and PCB modules they’re plugged into clear the chassis face frame.
Once open, you’ll see the fan filter which can be slid up and out. If you use the system often, you’ll definitely need to access the front for periodic cleaning. While it’s not an ideal design for quick maintenance, it’s not exactly hard to do. Anyone will be able to do this without issue.
Installing Your Favorite ITX System
Our favorite ITX system includes the new ZOTAC 9300-ITX WiFi Motherboard. It’s the only one on the market that supports a full x16 PCI Express video card, your choice Intel LGA 775 Processor, and DDR2 memory.
The ideal thing to do is remove the PSU chassis support beam and the possibly the hard drive chassis support beam as well. Since, I only needed the lower slot, the tray can be removed by taking out the two visible screws. Then the tray slides out held in by three small slotted tabs. Then the motherboard can be screwed in to place, processor installed, and retail CPU cooler installed without fuss.
Finally, you can install the memory with ease and replace the PSU and bracket. You’re done!
Once the system is installed, you’ll notice that there’s about 2 inches between the PSU and retail CPU cooler. It appears a lower profile aftermarket cooler like those offered by Noctua can fit. Just make a note of the space between the memory placement and CPU cooler before ordering.
Flipping the case to the other side, you can see just how nicely a longer video card fits. The 9800 GT 512MB Synergy is rather lengthy card just narrowly missing the 120mm cooling fan which. This is why the chassis won’t work with a GTX 260, but a GTX 250 should be fine. Besides that, anything larger would need a larger PSU which isn’t a Silverstone option at the moment.
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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Silverstone SG05 Micro-ITX Enclosure Photo Gallery
