Contents
Conclusion
Is the SilverStone PS14 a Chenbro? Hardly. Entry-level Chenbro cases, which sell at approximately the same price are beefier, they have a better appearance, and they’re better built. They even cost a bit less (if you can get them at all). The main goal of this review was to examine whether the PS14 would be acceptable for an office environment. And the answer to that is that perhaps it would, but only just barely. In other words, the case could use some improvement.
First of all, the metal composition could have been better. This is not a heavy case at all, and taking into account the additional thickness that the powder coating adds to to it, I would estimate that this case uses 0.6mm steel or even thinner. I wish manufacturers didn’t cut back on the thickness of the steel when trying to cut corners. The powder coating was decent enough, but not the best. If you’re a case manufacturer, you should have a top-notch powder coating setup, and you shouldn’t sub-contract that out to someone else. There’s nothing wrong per se with the coating, but one would expect that a superior coating would have a more enamel like finish to it after baking. Good thing is at least that there is no window as in the PS13 (as it really makes little sense for office use) rather than full metal case.
The cooling for this case is adequate for what it is… and let’s not forget that this is indeed an entry-level case. If you need more, there are vacant fan positions you can fill. In fact it has an identical interior to the Redline RL05. Which brings us to the next question: Why on earth did Silverstone not choose a more professional-looking front panel design? They’ve already got a gaming version of the case, now why not make something with a little bit more conservative appearance to it to appeal more to the office sector?
Now, far from trying to detract from this case’s virtues, and it does have two very good things going for it for this market segment, and those two things are the bottom-mounted PSU as well as the modern front USB 3.0 ports. The latter might surprise some, but there are still quite a few budget cases out there with no USB 3 on the front. But it does have some serious issues which brings us to its price.
Yes, price. Finally, let’s discuss the value factor here, because Silverstone stated at CES in January 2017 that the case will retail for $40. Here’s my issue: I’ve been selling computers for a while. I know what the profit margins on cases are. Silverstone is still charging little too much. Yes, it is feature packed for what you’re paying, but Silverstone should not treat this model as its cash cow. Shaving a few dollars off here and there by conserving steel or using a rather basic PCB for the front panel is not the way to go here. Instead, they should have done what Chenbro does and used a proper PCB with filter capacitors for the audio jacks, and they should have made use of a thicker steel profile.
The final word is that if you’re considering a budget build and you have to choose between Thermaltake’s or Antec’s budget line or the PS14, then choose the PS14. But if you can get something a little better for an extra $10, then it’s well worth spending the extra money because in this price segment, pretty much every cent counts.
 Pros |
+ reasonable quality construction, no sharp edges + good SSD mounting options + good ventilation design + fan filters + mostly tool-less installation, thumbscrews provided + bottom-mounted PSU design + reasonable price |
 Cons |
− not the flimsiest, but not the best steel − not the most visually appealing design − not the best value for the money − an overall feel of too much cost-cutting |
 Be aware of… |
Thanks
We thank the Silverstone company for providing the Silverstone PS14.
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