Cons: Front fan not included, front-panel audio cable is too short, core fan needs maneuvering
The Bottom Line: For $50 (purchased at Newegg.com) you'll be hardpressed to find a similar combination of style, price, and functionality. Read on to find out more!
wsmunch's Full Review: Sunbeam Silent Storm IC-SS-SVBK Black/Silver Steel...
A brand new computer means a brand new case, at least for me. I wanted a mid-size tower that looks nice without looking garish, is roomy, has good airflow, is well-built, and is priced for the budget-minded. After a lot of searching and comparing, I ended up with the Sunbeam Silent Storm and have been very pleased ever since.
[] Construction [] The Sunbeam Silent Storm is pretty lightweight without feeling flimsy. I pressed down on top of the case and wiggled my hand; it's sturdy steel didn't have much movement like aluminum cases. The case's front door is connected by three plastic hinges which could break off if the open door was leaned on (but then it's not a carnival ride, it's a door that should be either open or shut). Otherwise the front door is thick and has a magnetic lock, which is far more elegant than some plastic hook or catch to keep the door closed. One aspect I truly appreciated was how the door accommodates drives or components that have knobs or protrusions and it stays shut without any force. The door swings open to the right, away from the user, so external drives can be accessed without having to reach around (like my last case). The switches are on the door's front, so people who like their case switches and who also like to keep the door open may find it irritating to reach around.
The case has a really tight assembly with nothing loose or rattling. The only part that has sharp edges are the metal braces that cover the external drive bays, but these are meant to be removed. You really have to work each of these pieces to get them out, and the edges are very sharp. I was being careless and cut myself while pulling out the second one, so gloves and patience are recommended unless you like your computer case drawing your blood. Otherwise, the rest of the metal is safe to touch. One thing that did stand out was the clean finish on all of the mounting holes and threads. I had no problem installing my motherboard smooth, flush, and secure without having to toy with any imperfect holes.
The rivets holding the plastic side window to the metal panel are backed by screws, creating a firm seal that doesn't crack or warp the plastic. I was rather impressed with the care taken, since I've seen side-panels that simply punch a rivet through the plastic and leave it at that (like my last case). I can move this case around and not have to worry about the side panel slowly slipping off or breaking around the rivets. The side-panel fan is screwed in just as well.
The Sunbeam Silent Storm has short feet, which can be an issue since the front door is flush. The tower rides low, so people setting their case on carpet (for the sake of hair, dust, and static electricity, PLEASE never set a computer on the carpet!) won't have an easy time opening and closing the door. This case must be used on flat surfaces only, preferably raised 3 inches off the floor so it won't pull in dust and particles as much.
[] Components [] The Sunbeam Silent Storm uses a rails and cage system for tool-less installation. While most people wouldn't have a habit of constantly installing and removing drives from their computer, it is pretty handy to never need a screwdriver or screws when sliding drives around. The rails fit snug on the sides of my drives, slide in smooth, and lock in firm in the case. The hard-drive cage accomodates a standard three drives, but it was a bit surprising that it didn't offer a lock-release mechanism. The cage has metal prongs on the top and bottom that fit it perfectly, but the only permanence comes from a single screw on the bottom of the case. Overall, the cage isn't going to move even without the screw, but that single screw just seemed out of place with the rest of the design.
The USB ports on the left side of the case are very handy due to the easy access. They're connected well, so they don't shift or move when one is plugging in a USB device that is a tight fit. The audio ports next to the USB ports could have been handy if the case's internal cables were long enough to reach! After I installed my motherboard, I found that the Sunbeam Silent Storm's audio cables were a couple inches shy of being able to connect; it was an oversight in design to assume the cables wouldn't have to reach the furthest corners of the case in order to be plugged in. Most motherboards I've seen recently have that audio connection on the bottom left.
Continuing with the tool-less installation, the case also has built-in plastic clips to lock down expansion cards. I found that all of my expansion cards were fantastically secured with these clips, with the exception of the graphics card. While the other cards locked in with a simple press of a finger, the graphics card required a bit of forcing to set the clip. I took one look at how the clip was straining against the weight of the card to keep it in place and decided that I'll just have to use a traditional screw. I wasn't going to risk the clip breaking off and letting the card shift, potentially damaging either the card or the motherboard over time. But the Sunbeam Silent Storm offers screw holes for those who don't want to use the tool-less clips to mount their cards.
[] Core Fan [] The one feature of the Sunbeam Silent Storm that really caught my eye was it's center bar with a "core fan". This was touted as improving air flow by adding fans (the bar comes with one 120mm fan but can hold two side by side) in the middle of the case. The center bar has four screws - two each on the top and bottom - for mounting. It also has two positions that are 7/8" apart horizontally, and it has holes to mount a single 120mm fan in 8 different vertical positions. The core fan can be reversed so it can blow from back to front, I guess, if someone wanted cooling to go across the drives in the bays (who overheats those drives?). The bar is removable, so I had nothing to lose and only an internal core fan to gain!
So when I started to piece my computer together, I found that the right position of the center bar placed the core fan directly above my motherboard power connection. This wasn't preferable since the 120mm fan would bear down on the cable and push it at a slight angle; I didn't want any constant force to possibly weaken motherboard connections. The left position gave a little more room and worked out fine. I kept my fan in the vertical position it came in (second from the top), which put it parallel with the case's exhaust fan. It also allowed a 2" clearance for my graphics card, which I put in my motherboard's slave PCI-E slot (closer to the PSU - I put it here for better air flow around the card since the master slot sits lower in the case). I had been hoping that there would be enough room to install a second core fan on the bar, but newer graphics cards (like my Nvidia 9800 GTX ) are about two inches too long to be able to fit. With the longer, modern graphics cards, I can tell that a single 120mm core fan could only be used in the top 4 postitions, since any of the lower ones would have space conflicts.
I do like the core fan, since the designers thought ahead to make it adjustable and removable (if needed).
[] Cooling [] The Sunbeam Silent Storm comes with three fans: rear exhaust fan, core fan, and side-panel fan. The first thing I noticed about the cooling was how silent the fans were; my laptop's cooling pad is noisier than these case fans. The fans also glow from blue LEDs too (for fish, women, and anyone else attracted by flashy or shiny things). I did like how the fans could be connected to the PSU or the motherboard.
I haven't tested/quantified the cooling power of these fans, but I can say that I love the setup and that I haven't had any system problems related to heat (or anything else for that matter). My CPU's fan blows out to the side-panel fan, which is on exhaust. The core fan blows across the CPU fan's toward the rear exhaust fan. These fans in conjunction basically shuffle any hot air away from the processor while creating a flow of cooler air from the side and front intake holes.
There is no fan in the front of the case, which was a bit of a disappointment. But the good news is that you can install a fan in the front of the case to create some really great airflow. The bad news is that it's sort of a pain in the butt to do. The hard-drive cage needs to be removed and the case's plastic front panel needs to be gently popped off before a front fan can be installed. The holes are there, but proper screws aren't included with the case. Installing a front fan would be a good idea for performance or gaming systems since graphics cards ride low in the case and the front fan would help to create an airflow that included the GPUs. The side-panel intake holes are too high to be as effective towards expansion cards.
[] VERDICT [] The Sunbeam Silent Storm is a top-notch case for the price bracket. There isn't much that more expensive cases can offer in terms of the difference in price versus utility (things like a top-exhaust fan or a motherboard tray are neat, but there is always some tradeoff either in price, size, or other features). The Sunbeam Silent Storm is roomy and has more than enough bays for the average user. It is very well constructed, sturdy, and has a classic look that should match with any computer environment. The installation and use is quick and easy, and the fans are silent and effective. The core fan, though not perfect, is a versatile addition that sets it apart from other towers.
The Sunbeam IC-SS-SVBK Black/Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case has a simple toolless design that makes putting in components easy. Compatible w...More at Newegg.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.