Silverstone Raven RVZ02 Mini ITX Case Review

I did a quick count and there are three systems in the Hardware Asylum Labs running Mini-ITX motherboards.  These aren’t high powered workhorses but rather small functional machines designed for a certain purpose.  The first is a Linux based server.  This might offend Linux zealots but I use the OS as a server and simply needed a processor hooked to a hard drive.  Next is the Hardware Asylum Podcast machine that you can find in the builds section.  This machine was designed as a multipurpose system and needed to be portable, small is good.  Finally, the last machine is a LAN gaming box.  I wanted something portable but it also needed to have some power.  The Raven RVZ01 seemed like a good choice at the time but maybe I could have done better?

In this review I’ll be looking at the Raven RVZ02 from Silverstone.  This is a Micro-ATX based computer case designed to be not only small but versatile by allowing you to install a wide array of different hardware.  As I have mentioned many times before the Small Form Factor (SFF) machine will be a driving force in the PC market and Silverstone is no stranger to building small cases.

While a Steam Machine comes to mind when you think of small cases you must remember that a Steam Machine is nothing more than a PC running a version of Linux designed to play games.  The hardware and cooling are what you would find in any personal computer.

Model No. SST-RVZ02B (black)
Material Reinforced plastic outer shell, steel body
Color black
Motherboard Mini-ITX
Drive Bay External Slim optical 12.7mm or 9.5mm x 1 (9.5mm compatibility limited to tray type) / Internal 2.5” x 2 (one additional 3.5” or 2.5” space depending on expansion card installed)
Cooling System Rear Passive exhaust vents / Side Oversized vents over CPU/motherboard and expansion area
Expansion Slot 2
Front I/O Port USB 3.0 x 2 / audio x 1 / MIC x 1
Power Supply SFX & SFX-L
Expansion Card Support graphics card up to 13", width restriction – 4.78"
Limitation of CPU cooler 58mm
Net Weight 3.3kg
Dimension 380mm (W) x 87mm (H) x 370mm (D), 12 liters
Extra Support two Kensington locks