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Written by RotoSequence
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Page 6 of 6
Putting things in Perspective
The LC14 is a real beauty, but it has a few quirks, and one serious noise issue. A quiet system is critical to an enjoyable multimedia experience; the fan system is simply not up to par.
As a result of this, we cannot recommend the LC14 for purchase unless you include on your shopping list rubber grommets, a third party fan solution, and possibly some fan undervolting.
In order to help improve the quality of future products, we make the following recommendations;
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Improve the motherboard standoffs
- Provide acoustic dampening pads
- Provide rubber grommets to reduce vibrations
- Beef up the grip on the power and reset buttons
- Provide quieter fans
As it stands, Silverstone has provided a case with a lot of potential. However, with the amount of noise this case produces, it has a way to go before being ready for acceptance in the Home Theater market. We are awarding Silverstone a Bronze for effort; if this case was quiet without modification, it would be impossible not to recommend.
Pros:
- Looks incredible
- Two 5.25" drive bays
- Three 3.5" drive bays
- Works well with other Home Theater equipment
- Effective and reasonable layout
- Capable of cooling a Pentium 4 Prescott up to 3.4 Ghz
- No sharp edges to cut yourself on
Cons:
- No acoustic dampening capability
- Power button comes off too easily with removal of front drive panel
- Fans are loud
- Tedious assembly process
- Motherboard screws are difficult to remove
Special thanks go out to Silverstone for making this review possible.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Changes have been made to this review due to a misunderstanding; the original claims of quiet performance came from the notation on the box that the noise output for each of the 60mm fans is 23 decibels. However, this case was not intended to be quiet due to the intended support of the Prescott 3.4 Ghz Pentium 4 and its thermal dissipation of roughly 100 watts. As a result, changes have been made to illustrate both sides of the story properly.
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