Silverstone ML05 ITX Case

What exactly uses double half-height slots ? Because I can't think of a GPU that is low-profile but needs two of them and this is for mITX only which only has one PCI-e slot per sé (excluding mini).
 
As I don't care for double half height slots this item is perfectly fine for me.
Just what I wanted for our sleeping room with my E350M1, picoPSU, slot-in drive and some HDDs.
Have asked Silverstone if they knew availability for Europe.

Edit: looked up the manual and took a look at page 6 for an example build. On the bottom of the page you can see that
one can place four 2.5" HDDs in the hard drive case which I think is pretty nice click
 
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I have a double-ish slot passive Asus 520 (34mm thick) in my itx ML03 build. It might overheat in the ML05 anyway, oh well. That card replaced an Asus 430 card (23mm thick), the one pictured in the manual. I didn't like its noticeable fan noise.

The $20 sfx AL-8250SFX 250W also has the quietest fan I own. If it isn't true 10db or less during sub 50w usage I would be extremely surprised. Its completely inaudible from over a foot away. My "14dBA" Noiseblocker fan sounds like a hairdryer in comparison to it. Although, mine is now over four years old so I don't know if anything has changed in newer revisions.

Edit: It seems like getting a SG06-Lite for the same price is a better choice for anyone wanting to use a graphics card. As long as they don't mind the shoebox form factor that is.
 
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Availability from German retailer Alternate is estimated for 25. August, so still some time to go.
Too bad :(
 
Good grief, how did Silverstone fuck this one up?

If they made this case DTX-compatible they'd've increased its usefulness tenfold.

As it stands, any GPU you try to put in that thing (even the Sapphire 7750) is gonna get choked by the proximity to the PSU.

Bad, bad Silverstone! No dinero for you!
 
How does this compare to the Antec ISK 300-150 in size.

The ML05 is basically the same shape but is a tad bit larger in size. Its a bit longer and that adds up to about 4.5 cubic inches larger, not much at all.
 
Looks like a Lian-Li pc-q12 with a slot. Why not go for double-height?
 
I wish it had a double half height slot, but overall it looks pretty nice. The front is not exactly my taste but its not terribly ugly.

The fastest low profile GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500290

Also a lot of single slot GPUs have dual slot coolers.

All low profile/half height graphics cards use the second slot for D-sub/VGA connector so ML05 can accommodate it directly on its rear panel with the connector cutout:

ml05-back.jpg



Availability from German retailer Alternate is estimated for 25. August, so still some time to go.
Too bad :(

It shouldn't take that long because our European branch office should have already received their first shipment of ML05. You may want to check with them again later this week.
 
It shouldn't take that long because our European branch office should have already received their first shipment of ML05. You may want to check with them again later this week.
Sounds good, thanks for the update! Will keep an eye out for it.
 
All low profile/half height graphics cards use the second slot for D-sub/VGA connector so ML05 can accommodate it directly on its rear panel with the connector cutout:

ml05-back.jpg





It shouldn't take that long because our European branch office should have already received their first shipment of ML05. You may want to check with them again later this week.

Tony a lot of the coolers on half height card protrude over the single slot width.
 
Tony a lot of the coolers on half height card protrude over the single slot width.

When you say "a lot", you might mean "a few". This case isn't meant for any low-profile card because it has a low-profile slot. This is meant as a HTPC or likewise build.
 
When you say "a lot", you might mean "a few". This case isn't meant for any low-profile card because it has a low-profile slot. This is meant as a HTPC or likewise build.

You are wrong plain and simple. The power supply is that of an SFX, overkill for any HTPC to begin with, so why alienate your user base and not allow support for a dual slot low profile card to begin with. Here are some examples of how many dual slot cards there are just from a 2 minute search on newegg.

I counted 27 cards where the width of the cooler would overhang the second slot and not be able to be used in this case, all for a lousy 14mm.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500290
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103236
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121722
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121771
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814139076
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121778
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500304
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150655
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121711
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150565
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121712
 
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Tony a lot of the coolers on half height card protrude over the single slot width.

Sorry, I see what you mean with the double slot requirement. Your concern was the GPU coolers on some of the cards, not the extra connector. But you shouldn't worry too much because there are still a lot of options that will fit in the ML05. A quick scan of the products after searching for "low profile graphics card" at Newegg turned up over 180 results and many of them comply to standard one low profile slot design. Also our demo system at Computex had a Sapphire 7750 card and that ran perfectly fine in our test before and after the show.
 
I think this is a perfect case for an APU build.
Put in an A10-6800K (modest OC with NH-L9a). Crossfire it with low-profile 7750 if needed.
The size is just right.

Would love to see pictures of the multi-purpose bracket applications and its clearance in relation to CPU cooler.
 
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You are wrong plain and simple.
I'm not wrong. I didn't state any wrong fact. The fact is, there are almost two hundred low profile GPU's listed at Newegg and the 27 you counted are not "a lot".

It's not like any case with a full-profile dual-slot capability supports every dual-slot card out there. There are plenty of them that exceed PCI-standards.
They didn't claim it would fit anything else than a single-slot: Expansion Card: 1x low profile, width restriction-2.95" (link)

The power supply is that of an SFX, overkill for any HTPC to begin with, so why alienate your user base and not allow support for a dual slot low profile card to begin with.
So you expect Silverstone to force you to buy a PicoPSU, that they don't sell, or build a specific PSU in the case and raise the price, just so you have some more GPU options ?

I'm getting the feeling you think your specific desires are the ones that the general buyers also have. As Tony Ou already said, their demo model at Computex was already running one of the fastest low-profile GPU's (HD 7750) at single-slot without problems.
 
You were trying to negate my point by minimizing how many dual slot cards there are available on the market, which is untrue. Secondly, a nice chunk of the htpc crowd is made up of silent pc enthusiasts (silentpcreview.com/forums). This crowd tends to use passive cards, most of which are dual slot.

Also if the sole purpose of this case is a HTPC you do not even need a low profile card. Both intel and amd offerings are more than capable of playing any media content available.

To your last point that I am trying to have this case built to my needs instead of the larger community needs may be slightly valid, but I don't think my point is arbitrary because of that. I am happy silverstone is creating this case. But I think most people would agree that this is too big for what it can offer. So many people buy the Wesena or Streamcom variant that use the pico psu and are half the size of this case. This case looks cheap when you see it for $45 on newegg but then add their complementing PSU and you are at $110.

If you move the psu to the left side of the motherboard and added the second slot it would at least be something different from what is already out there.
 
You were trying to negate my point by minimizing how many dual slot cards there are available on the market, which is untrue.
I was saying that ~15% of the cards doesn't represent "a lot". You don't use words like "a lot" and "many" when you're describing less then 1/5th. It's more than a few, I'll give you that.

Secondly, a nice chunk of the htpc crowd is made up of silent pc enthusiasts (silentpcreview.com/forums). This crowd tends to use passive cards, most of which are dual slot.

Also if the sole purpose of this case is a HTPC you do not even need a low profile card. Both intel and amd offerings are more than capable of playing any media content available.
So your entire point is moot then ? Because if it is needed for HTPC builds, it needs dual-slot, but a seperate GPU isn't actually needed. But I don't agree with you on that, the better HTPC builds that focus on quality will still use/need dedicated GPU's.

To your last point that I am trying to have this case built to my needs instead of the larger community needs may be slightly valid, but I don't think my point is arbitrary because of that. I am happy silverstone is creating this case. But I think most people would agree that this is too big for what it can offer.
To me it seems rather packed in it's demo configuration. I don't see any substantial space wasted. Your desire for dual-slot can only make it bigger, too. Just for the sake of a few more passive options.

So many people buy the Wesena or Streamcom variant that use the pico psu and are half the size of this case. This case looks cheap when you see it for $45 on newegg but then add their complementing PSU and you are at $110.
A good PicoPSU with power brick costs about the same as Silverstones SFX PSU's, but Silverstone doesn't earn a dime on PicoPSU's. They also have much less power, although that is debatable if it really needed. I don't expect a company to shove me to the competition when they have a solution on-hand. I don't see HP making printers that use Canon cartridges.
 
i do agree, as a massive silverstone enthusiast (check sig), that they haven't made any quality HTPC cases since the hey-days of the Lascala range.

i basically want them to reinvent the LC11, only using a discretely hidden 140mm fan with filter. And an SFX passive PSU, of course.
 
I broke down backordered one of these from amazon. It'll be the 8th mini-itx case I own and 6th Silverstone. They sure are piling up around here.

Having a SFX psu while being unable to fit my current gpu or a Zotac 650 is a huge bummer though. However, I like the height for more cpu cooling options and 80mm case fan compatibility. That setup works extremely well in my ML03.

This case's unique feature for me is the 4 slot 2.5" drive cage. That's something my small power brick cases can't do and something a build of mine could use.
 
i do agree, as a massive silverstone enthusiast (check sig), that they haven't made any quality HTPC cases since the hey-days of the Lascala range.

I think our newer Grandia cases are really good and certainly superior technically in terms of space efficiency and cooling performance than the older Lascala cases. Have you tried our GD07 or GD08 yet? :)
 
i have seen the reviews, and I certainly accept that a lot of thought has been put into the cooling and filtering, but the problem principally lies around personal tastes.

htpc's sit in the middle of your living room, on display, and people have a wildely different personal taste's on what looks nice.

what i am basically saying is that neither of the new grandias suits me, which is my problem rather than a fault of the cases, so what i really want is a more choice on presentation within the same basic chassis design.

much as is the case with the old lascala's, something for everyone.

that said, time has moved on and silverstone with it, so i'd like to see mATX Grandias with SFX powersupplues.

the quality is there, no doubt, but i am less convinced by the current range of mATX htpc's, as I want clean clean lines and quiet filtered cooling.

SST will get there in there in end, but maybe not in time for my next HTPC.

cheers Tony :)
 
A silly question, but would a normal ATX power supply fit in one of these? Got an old blue storm that has more than enough power for the Linux box I was thinking about putting in this.
 
Heya Tony,
Just wondering about the CPU cooler height. Is 70mm the absolute or recommended maximum? Can we say, shove in an 80mm cooler inside?
 
It looks nice but ISTM that the optical drive will block the CPU cooler.
 
Heya Tony,
Just wondering about the CPU cooler height. Is 70mm the absolute or recommended maximum? Can we say, shove in an 80mm cooler inside?

70mm is the recommended maximum as you need to account for production variance and at least a little bit of distance between the fan and the top panel to avoid excessive back pressure and air turbulence. With that said, 80mm would have no chance of fitting in ML05.


Tony: was watching this YouTube video below and noticed the employee at the Silverstone booth was named Tony. Is this you?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsf_oD-3nBY

Yes.


Very nice find Screes! Wondering where to order this? Just checked and their English website is garbage.

At 14.4 liters, that case is twice as big as ML05, which is only 7 liters. If you are OK with a case that big, why not go for our ML03 or ML04 then (15 and 16 liters)? They also fit standard Micro-ATX motherboard and standard ATX PSU (make sure you get 140mm deep ones though).
 
Tony, any plans for a vertical stand? or does it already include one? (Also a little detail of being able to rotate the logo + see below)

Also really wish you guys would stick to the large snowflake (without "SilverStone") like the FT03s. This stopped me from getting the SG08, you guys had it on the SG07 and 08 prototype... so close!

mini.jpg


It was so beautiful...
 
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Tony, any plans for a vertical stand? or does it already include one? (Also a little detail of being able to rotate the logo + see below)

Also really wish you guys would stick to the large snowflake (without "SilverStone") like the FT03s. This stopped me from getting the SG08, you guys had it on the SG07 and 08 prototype... so close!

mini.jpg


It was so beautiful...

There are no plans for vertical stand with the ML05. Proportionally the case doesn't look right with it standing vertically (looks fat).

We sometimes spend days figuring out logo placement as the rule of balance and proportion works differently for different form factor cases. It's in art, so in the end, SG07's front and FT03 were deemed fit to use snowflake logo while SG08 (in our opinion) was better balanced with full logo.
 
Here's a smartphone photo of a finished build in the case, well without any hard drives. I'm trying Openelec XBMC on a usb stick first.

Please ignore the distortion, the case is square!

CKr0jsr.jpg


I haven't actually used it yet but here my thoughts from someone with half a dozen current ITX builds:
  • All the case screws were normal 6-32s and all but the 4 flex bay ones are the same length. Very convenient. Edit: There seems to be three lengths but all are 6-32s.
  • Before I had installed anything I noticed one of the power switch wires had cleanly broken off from the switch. The wires bend near the switch to make right angles because there's so little clearance depth wise. They appear to be very vulnerable, be careful with them. I soldered it back and used some hot glue to secure it.
  • USB 3.0 internal cable routing is a travesty in itx builds. The header placement on my Asrock is probably at the the limit for being able to work with the flexbay mount.
  • SATA cabling for the rear two cage drives looks to be a huge PITA when using a GPU. A custom sata power cable designed for 4 2.5" drives would go a long way here. Silverstone is making one with two plugs.
  • A Noctua NH-L12 will fit when only using the bottom fan (66mm height of 70mm max). No ODD though. Possibly great for a hotter AMD apu build. This amount of height and cooling potential is rare in small HTPC cases. Only the Realan E-I7n comes to mind and it costs twice as much as a ML05 + Apex 250w sfx combo.
  • If you place the case on top of a tv stand or can look down at the top of it, a silver psu really stands out. I'm assuming typical silver slim ODDs would too. Paint them black if that matters to you.
  • The clear front face plate looks nice with its depth. Its like a glossy finish on a TV, so that could be a negative if there's a lot to reflect in front of it. The SilverStone text and logo are small and not too obtrusive. The power led projects up into the clear acrylic and not forward into your viewing area. It's relatively dim and unobtrusive. I like the look overall.
  • Space utilization is vastly superior to my same sized Antec ISK 300-65. The only things the Antec has going for it are: the sideways stand option, gpu ventilation, and it's (over)built like a tank.
  • The ASUS GeForce GT 430 is probably going to run pretty hot without fresh air and the psu cables sitting in front of its fan. I removed it to try the Intel Openelec build first. I'm not actually sure what OS this build will end up running.
  • I'm going to try using a PicoPSU with my passive 2 slot Nvidia 520. Maybe with and without an undervolted 80mm fan where the SFX was. In my ML03, one Nouiseblocker 80mm fan kept the passive video card from getting hot.
  • I think I like it enough already to purchase another.
 
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