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Accessories

Model No.	SST-GD05B(Black)
Material	Aluminum skin over plastic front panel, 0.8mm SECC body
Color	Black
Motherboard	Micro ATX, Mini-DTX, Mini-ITX
Drive Bays	External - 5.25" x 1 Internal - 3.5" x 2 , 2.5" x 1 or 3.5"x 1, 2.5"x 2
Cooling System	Rear - 2 x 80mm fan slots (optional mounting)
	Side Fans (also compatible with 80mm fans) Left - 1 x 120mm intake fan, 1200rpm, 20dBA Right - 2 x 120mm intake fans, 1200rpm, 20dBA
Expansion Slots	5
Front I/O Port	USB2.0 x 2 Audio x 1 MIC x 1
Power Supply	Support standard PS2 (ATX)
Expansion Card	Support graphics cards up to 11 inches
Net Weight	4.7kg
Dimension	440mm (W) x 150mm (H) x 325mm (D)

The GD05 is SilverStone's latest addition to the popular Grandia Series SFF (Small form factor) / HTPC (Home Theater Personal Computer) enclosures. This model was released shortly after the GD04 and is basically the same enclosure with a few small modifications. The GD04 received a 9/10 and an editors top pick award here at the lab. We're testing this new model to see if the changes will bring the GD05 up a notch. The GD04 had one major shortcoming that kept it from a perfect score. The optical drive bay has a slot for the drive tray to pass through, but if no optical drive is used, there is no way to cover that opening.  There is also no way to install any other devices in that area (except maybe an internal hard drive with the use of a 3.5” to 5.25” converter bracket).

The first noticeable change to the GD05 is the use of a standard 5.25" drive bay. The bay cover can be left in place if no optical drive is used. The bay can also be used to install other types of 5.25" devices like fan controllers, LCD's, media card readers, etc. Minor changes are the placement of the power and reset buttons, and the front panel USB and audio / mic ports. These are all now located on the left side of the front panel. This move should help with cable routing as those motherboard connectors are usually closer to that side of the case. The GD05 is about two lbs. lighter than its predecessor due to the redesigned front panel which is made from plastic and covered with an aluminum skin.  This does not detract from the aesthetics of the case at all and will actually allow SilverStone to sell this model at a lower price point. The front panel still looks just as good and will fit in perfectly with high end entertainment components as a HTPC or even sitting on a desk as a SFF PC. 

The GD05 supports Micro ATX, Mini-DTX, and Mini-ITX motherboards just like the GD04 ( they share the same chassis).   This model is currently only available in black.  Storage has not been changed from the last model at all. The GD05 has room for 2 full size 3.5" hard drives and one 2.5" SSD or notebook drive. You may also use one 3.5" drive combined with two 2.5" drives instead. There are cases of this type with greater storage capacity, but with large Terabyte drives at bargain prices, the need for multiple drives isn't what it used to be. The interior has excellent air flow with the three included filtered 120mm fans. The filters are removable, but must first be unscrewed.  There is room to add two optional 80mm fans on the rear of the case if needed. The positive air pressure design returns in this latest revision, providing an excellent cooling solution for high end parts.  The fans are all intake fans that force hot air out through the exhaust vents in the top and rear of the case.  SilverStone did a great job assessing the GD04 and what needed to be changed to make the GD05 that much better.

Features

Packaging

Here's a look at the packaging for the GD05. The large foam blocks do well to protect the case for shipping. The box and packing foam are the same size as what was used for the GD04.

The accessory box includes all the necessary case screws, a user manual, rubber PSU feet, a molex to fan plug adapter, and some wire ties.

Interior

The interior design is surprisingly spacious, although there are a few size limitations to be aware of when choosing parts to install inside. The case supports Micro ATX, Mini-DTX and Mini-ITX motherboards. The rear expansion ports are full size, so you won't need any half-height cards to use this case. You can install up to two video cards that are less than 11" in length.

Cards that vent exhaust through the PCI slot are recommended to reduce heat inside the case. The optical drive and hard drive mounting brackets are positioned so that the drives are up and out of the way of other components. The case supports full size ATX power supplies, but extra long ones may require the 120mm fan to be removed or replaced by a smaller 80mm fan. If an optical drive is installed, the CPU cooler is limited to a maximum height of 70mm. If no drive is used, the CPU cooler can go up to 120mm.

The Build

Conclusion

When we reviewed the GD04 not too long ago, we unanimously agreed to give it our editors top pick award. Even though it received a 9/10, we were a bit disappointed because it came so close to a perfect score. We just couldn't overlook the 5.25" drive bay issue and realized that the case could be improved. SilverStone responded to all and made the GD05 not only an excellent HTPC enclosure, but a perfect SFF case as well. The front panel looks great, and at a lower price than the GD04, what's not to like. The GD05 still feels solid and well built. The redesigned 5.25" drive bay will appeal to a larger group of PC builders than the previous model. With a MSRP of $99.99 (we have already seen it as cheap as $89.99 at Fry's Electronics), the case has all of the features that make building a PC a fun experience. K.S. Studios gives the GD05 our highest rating of 10. Well done SilverStone.

2/5/09 -Keith Soreghen-

Thermal tests were run using Speedfan 4.40. Two instances of Prime 95 were used to max out each CPU core for max load. 3DMark06 was used to stress the GPU for testing. Ambient room temperature was 70 Degrees Fahrenheit. The GD05 has awesome numbers when using either the stock CPU cooler or the SilverStone NT01-E. Both setups fared well when compared to the Cooler Master HAF922 mid-tower case. The HAF922 just barely beats out the GD05 which runs almost silent. Of course, the fan-less NT01-E cooler runs the CPU hotter than the stock fan with active cooling, but it is well within safe range. The cooler is a good choice to keep fan noise to a minimum.

SilverStone Grandia Series GD05 case

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Exterior

SilverStone's Grandia series gets a facelift. The frame is the same as the GD04, but the front panel has been redesigned to be more user friendly. The 5.25" bay can now be used for any compatable device. The cover for the bay is actually made of plastic, but has a textured finish to match the look of the aluminum front panel. We were fooled into thinking it was aluminum until it was removed to install a drive. The back of the case has room to mount two 80mm fans if you need additional cooling later on. There are four expansion ports and one port above the PSU opening that can be used for a daughter board. The top of the case has a vent for warm air to escape through.

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The GD05 uses special golf bladed fans that are quieter at faster speeds. The three filtered 120mm fans push air in on both sides and vent through the top and back of the case. This positive air pressure design forces hot air out of the case and allows almost silent cooling to be achieved. The fan filters can be removed for cleaning, but the fan screws will have to be removed first. The single left fan can be replaced by an 80mm fan if a PSU longer than 180mm needs to be used.

The hard drive bracket includes rubber grommets to reduce vibration. The bracket can be used to install two 3.5" hard drives and one 2.5" SSD or notebook style hard drive. You can also choose to go with two 2.5" drives and one 3.5" drive if you'd like. The optical drive bracket supports one 5.25" drive and the installation couldn't be simpler.

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The bottom of the case has a filtered vent for the PSU fan. The rubber PSU feet can be installed to help support the weight of the PSU. We installed them on the fan side of the PSU because it is being installed fan side down to pull cool air from outside of the case.

A PSU up to 180mm in length can be installed without needing to remove the side fan. If more room is needed, the fan can be removed or replaced with a 80mm model. The PSU can be mounted with the fan towards the bottom of the case to take advantage of the filtered vent. The SilverStone ST60F PSU is a perfect fit. The 24pin power cable comes close to the fan when it is installed with the fan side down, but was easily installed.

Here you can see the hard drive bracket with a 3.5" drive installed. The yellow rubber grommets help to control vibration. The Black rubber piece is to help route airflow in the case. The optical drive mounts to the bracket with the included screws.

The modular PSU cables and silent fan keep things cool and quiet. The extra room inside the case allows for better airflow. There is plenty of room for a non-modular PSU if necessary. The cable tie down slots are great for keeping cables out of the way and allowing a neat wiring job.

Even with all of the parts installed, the GD05 still has plenty of room to route cables. The parts used represent a typical home theater PC build, but your options are many. The GD05 will support up to two graphics cards 11" in length. It is totally possible to build a high performance rig using this case as there are some Micro ATX gaming boards that have everything a gamer would need.

You can also use a motherboard with integrated graphics if you want to cut down on fan noise and heat. The interior is spacious and the parts are easy to install. I had no trouble installing any parts, even the PSU had plenty of room.

Thermal Tests

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Two 80mm exhaust fans can be installed over the I/O slot, though it really isn't necessary based on our testing. The 5.25" drive bay cover is plastic but looks exactly like the aluminum that covers the GD05's front panel.

Both the stock AMD CPU cooler and the SilverStone NT01-E cooler fit perfectly inside the case. SilverStone recommends that a 65W processor is used to prevent overheating when using the NT01-E without the optional 60mm fans installed on it.

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