Introduction
Silverstone just announced the availability of the brand new RL06 desktop computer chassis for Singapore last Friday. We were honoured to be one of the first few to have our hands on this shiny new chassis. In this article, we are going to take a deep dive into the Silverstone RL06 mid-tower chassis to understand the different features and performance characteristics that Silverstone has put into the RL06.
Design
Silverstone designed the Redline series with a bold objective in mind. They wanted to bring a desktop computer chassis with great cooling capabilities and high end features to the mainstream consumers by keeping it affordable. This is why the Silverstone RL06 spots multiple properties which are usually only available on higher end desktop chassis.
While we will be testing on a white version of the Silverstone RL06, this case is also available in black. Silverstone has designed the RL06 to look like no other case in the market. The white version is designed with the contrast of both black and white, while the black version has hints of red which brings out the chassis’ sophisticated design lines. Both variants look unique in their own ways and should stand out from any other customized PCs that your friends own.
Exterior
The simple black and white combination of the Silverstone RL06 exudes a minimal design vibe, perfect for anyone who just wants a clean and simple build. The first thing that captured our attention was the front panel of this chassis. Silverstone has decided that 5.25 inch bays are a thing of the past, and have totally eradicated the support for these drives on the RL06. This in turn, allows up to 3 x 120mm white LED fans to be placed at the front, to effectively take in huge amount of cold air from the environment into the case to cool the different components.
The Silverstone RL06’s body is generally made from steel, so that it can be strong enough to support any of the heavier PC hardware. One of the main highlight of the case is its slightly tinted side window that will show off the lighting and components of your setup nicely.
At the top of the case, an additional 2 x 120/140mm fan can also be installed. As hot air rises, these fans can remove hot air out of the case with ease. This feature also makes it possible to install a 240mm radiator for water cooling solutions. The case is also equipped with 2 x USB 2.0 and 2 x USB 3.0 quick access I/O ports. It also features the standard 3.5mm headphone and microphone audio jacks.
The Silverstone RL06 features an additional 120mm fan at the rear for exhaust. With 3 x intake fans and 3 x exhaust fans, the airflow will be balanced, and components within the case can be cooled efficiently. This case also support 7 x expansion slots and a standard ATX power supply regardless of length.
To maintain a clean outlook, Silverstone did not design the right side panel with a protrusion which could have allowed more cables to be routed to the rear of the case. Alternatively, they made up to this shortcoming with an even better design. This design will be discussed in the next section.
Interior
In order to cables to be properly hidden, SilverStone has decided to separate the PSU area from the main PC component area. This brings about benefits in both cable management and heat management. All cables coming out from the power supply will be hidden from the viewer through the windowed panel. The heat from the PSU and hard drives will be separated from the main PC component area, allowing a more targeted cooling of individual components.
The power supply unit is clearly separated from the main PC components with a shroud. There are multiple holes on the top of the shroud to allow cables to run through the case from the power supply to the respective components. Additionally, there are standard holes on the motherboard tray for proper routing and cable management to take place. Hinges are also in place to ensure that cable ties can be easily deployed for the best possible cable routes.
Moreover, the motherboard tray features an extra large CPU mounting hole. This allows easily installation or replacement of CPU coolers. Finally, we will not require to remove the whole motherboard in order to replace the CPU cooler!
Understanding that PC enthusiasts would not want to their PC components dirty, Silverstone has made sure that every single fan intake area will have a dust filter. These dust filters can be easily removed. Specifically, the top dust filter is intuitively designed and attached to the top intake fans by the use of magnets. This new innovative feature is indeed worth praising, as it has made removing and washing of fan filters so much easier. The front and bottom fan filters are also physically attached to the chassis, and are specifically designed for fuss-free removal.
Taking a closer look at the bottom of the case, we realised that there were two finger notches that can help the builder to spend less effort in removing either side of the side panel. The bottom of the case also features 4 case sturdy case feet that are each attached with a rubber support. These rubber supports prevent too much vibration from the fans to cause noise on the case, and also denies any possible scratch marks when dragging the case across a surface.
Expansion Features
The Silverstone RL06 holds up to 3 x 3.5inch hard drives and 2 x 2.5inch SSD/hard drives. These drive bays are designed for the ease of installation. The 3.5inch hard drive bracket allows complete tool-less installation. On the other hand, the 2.5 inch brackets can be removed from the case for more flexibility in the installation of the 2.5 inch drives.
The chassis also has 7 x expansion slots that supports multiple graphics card setups.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
The Silverstone RL06 is a spacious mid-tower chassis which features multiple innovative features to achieve the best possible cable management, heat management, airflow and ease of installation. We loved the idea of the separation of the PSU area from the main PC component area, which allowed us to have much more versatility in cable routing and management. However, we would not be sure if the total removal of 5.25 inch drive bays could be an act of hostility to end users, as we understand that many users still use these bays for installation of expansion and I/O interfaces.
The Silverstone RL06 is currently available in Singapore. It is sold at a price of SGD$125 and will be backed by a 1 Year warranty by local distributor AverTek. Only the PRO version is available in Singapore which features 3 x 120mm fans on the front and 1 x 120mm fan at the rear. (The unit for review is the PRO version)
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