Performance

Before I get to its performance, I would like to cover the highly efficient way the Raven RV01 uses to provide maximum cooling performance.  In fact, this is one of its main features and where they focused most of their time on when designing it.  This method they used is called the Stack Effect.

What is stack effect exactly?

Stack effect is a natural phenomenon of air movement driven by the difference in air density between the exterior and the interior of a structure.

What are the benefits of the stack effect design on the Raven RV01?  Let's cover them all below...

1. More efficient airflow

   Due to stack effect and the layout that takes advantages of it, the air inside the RAVEN RV01 has the natural tendency to rise up. This enables fans pushing in the same direction to achieve higher airflow and efficiency. As a result, lower speed fans can be utilized to achieve great cooling performance and save energy.

2. Quieter operation
   In order to create stack effect, the main component area is sealed off from the exterior environment. Noise generated from heatsink fans, hard drives, graphics cards, etc…do not have direct path to the exterior as seen in some chassis with large vents on side panels.

3. Reduce dust build-up
   The RAVEN RV01 is designed with positive air pressure in mind so dust does not enter the chassis from miscellaneous gaps. Case fans are also positioned to blow air in parallel direction as the motherboard expansion slots so when the system stops running, dust does not fall back and accumulate on the installed expansion and graphics cards.

4. Prevents heavy expansion cards from warping
   In traditional chassis design, cards are inserted into the motherboard slots at an angle that puts pressure on the expansion or graphics board. With high-end graphics cards now becoming heavier than ever, the chance of board damage due to warping is increasing. In the RAVEN RV01, the motherboard is positioned 90 degrees clockwise so the weight of the expansion and graphics cards are shifted to the stronger chassis rear plate as opposed to the board itself.

Silverstone also has two nice videos available.  Below are both Part 1 and Part 2 of this demonstration.

Now that we have an idea how this chassis is designed and the emphasis in its cooling capabilities, let's get to our actual performance results.  First though, let's have a look at the test system specs...

Lot's of temp readings where captured using different tools.  This included software tools SpeedFan and CoreTemp.  Hardware tools included the excellent Thermohawk 200 touch-less thermometer.  While this is my preferred method, I threw in common software tools for a comparison.  The ThermoHawk was used to capture temps of all main components within, something software tools simply cannot provide.  Temps where captured both idle and under load.  The excellent Q6600 (G0) was overclocked to a impressively high but stable 3.8GHz.  The ambient temperature during capture was a very modest 73ºF.

The readings here were impressive.  Keep in mind that I used what is the best CPU cooling option on the market and is why the CPU temps are this low.  Should you end up building a system with a standard air cooler or low end watercooling kit, CPU readings will be significantly higher and this extra heat will bump up all other temps slightly as well.

While some may think this stack effect design may be just a gimmick, I would disagree in this particular setup.  Take a look at this flash demo on Silverstone's Website.  That heat dissipation demo is exactly what you'll get.  If I put my hands over the top rear of of the case, I can feel all the hot air coming out.  Put your hands on both the front and back bottom of the chassis, and you will feel all the cold air coming in.  The overall design of this chassis is just remarkable folks.

Next:  Conclusions