SilverStone Kublai Series KL06 Review - Review 2022

Small course factor (SFF) PC cases take been effectually for a long time, merely they haven't always been equally pop as they are now. Like anything else that has to do with engineering in the 21st century, the road e'er seems to lead to smaller and smaller products. Sure, some computer DIY hounds still build PCs in gargantuan enclosures, just as there'southward a market for gas-guzzling trucks with extended cabs. All the same, having a home-brewed PC with grunt no longer requires finding a home for a massive example.

Here'due south an example. You could slap an Intel Cadre i7-5960X Farthermost Edition (the top-end "Haswell-E") processor onto an ASRock Fatal1ty X99M Killer/3.1 Micro-ATX motherboard, and fill information technology with 32GB of DDR3-3000 RAM. So, you lot might install a 2TB Samsung SSD 850 Pro solid state bulldoze (SSD) flanked by an 8TB HGST Ultrastar hard drive, and circular things out with a pair of Nvidia GeForce Titan X or AMD Radeon R9 Fury X graphics cards.

Such a drool-worthy configuration capable of 4K-resolution gaming could fit into an SFF case like SilverStone's Kublai K06, and there'd withal be room for more hardware. Want to liquid-cool the CPU? Go right ahead. Fancy more than SSDs? The K06 volition hold upward to viii of them. Looking to feed this bad boy a high-end power supply to back up those video cards? Yes, it'll hold 1.

Not all SFF cases are so accommodating—non nigh. Apparently there's a learning curve for instance makers, as compromises and oversize cases are endemic of this market shift towards smaller footprints. We've seen cases that take up more infinite than the Kublai K06 inexplicably limit support to Mini-ITX motherboards, while others take put tight restrictions on component selection. We saw the latter scenario play out with Cougar'due south QBX, a Mini-ITX enclosure that got the size of the case right for such a build, but had some truly quirky ability-supply requirements.

SilverStone avoids these pitfalls with the Kublai KL06 ($69.99 MSRP). Now, it's not overly minor, as SFF cases go; measuring 15.9x8.3x14.8 inches (HWD) and rectangular in shape, information technology'south not much smaller than a typical mid-tower case. Equally such, it's big enough to back up a Micro-ATX motherboard, and then it does, which, equally we've pointed out, isn't always a given.

That'south non to say the Kublai KL06 is completely without compromise. If you own several iii.v-inch hard drives, only one will fit in this instance. Non without purpose, SilverStone is essentially testing the marketplace to encounter what kind of interest exists for cases that predominately favor 2.5-inch SSDs and laptop-style 2.v-inch hard drives. To that end, the KL06 accepts up to eight such drives spread out among iii different locations.

Other amenities that sometimes get slashed in SFF territory are present and accounted for. Things like flexible cable-routing options, tool-less drive installation, sound-dampening textile, a painted exterior, and fifty-fifty a removable motherboard tray are office of the package.

There'south really not much to complain about hither, and that happily includes the price. With an MSRP of $70, the Kublai KL06 could be, potentially, the least-expensive function of a high-finish build like the ane we outlined above. And if you're aiming in the other direction, the KL06 makes it possible to build a system that's equally pocket-sized as it is affordable.

Design and Features

The Kublai KL06 retains the classic styling that SilverStone'due south Kublai line is known for, though a certain toughness shows through the exterior, at least if you lot're looking at the front end or the stark sides…

Indented sections on both sides of the front panel sport a sleeky finish and run down the edge of both optical bulldoze trophy before slanting inward at a 45-degree bending. They and then go on to turn into hairline grooves that run the length of the forepart panel horizontally.

Also visible above, underneath the drive bays, is a large mesh grille covering two 120mm intake fans. This is easily removed by pressing on the clip at the bottom, so that you can clean the filter that's found on the back side. SilverStone'due south make and snowflake logo adorn the lower third section of the grille…

Down the left edge of the front panel are square-shaped power and reset buttons that sit flush with the front console, along with a pair of LED indicators (one for ability, one for bulldoze activeness). Front I/O ports sit just below, facing outward on a section of plastic that protrudes slightly from the case. They consist of ii blue colour-coded USB iii.0 ports, with separate headphone and microphone jacks sandwiched in between…

Between the glossy accents, the angled cutouts, and the mesh grille, the Kublai KL06 exhibits a fleck of visual dust that some gamers will be attracted to. Merely overall it'south withal a small design that more conservative builders will observe appealing.

The rest of the exterior is fairly nondescript, relieve for a magnetic fan filter that sits atop a naked vent on the acme panel toward the back. At first, we thought SilverStone messed up and forgot to fasten the grille to the example with screws, as the grille has holes in all four corners. What we couldn't encounter were the viii magnets on the underside. They exercise a skillful chore of property the filter panel in place, though SilverStone tapes the removable filter to the example and then information technology doesn't wing off during shipping.

The side panels are both held in place with thumb screws and slide on and off without much effort. There isn't anything visually exciting almost either i—they're both merely flat sheets of black-painted steel—though there'south a version of the Kublai KL06 that includes a side window. It's not very large, and unfortunately SilverStone missed an opportunity here to let users show off a side-mounted SSD, which you tin can cull to install in the top left corner. The window, alas, lets you peer only into the bottom right section.

Around back is a 120mm fan mountain. You'll take to provide your own fan, or y'all can relocate one of the included 120mm front intake fans to the back. If yous do the latter, just make sure to flip the fan effectually then that information technology's working as an exhaust, rather than fighting with the remaining front end intake fan.

While there's not a whole lot of excitement with the outside design, SilverStone decided to shake things up by putting the motherboard tray on the left side of the instance. That means you need to take off the correct-side console to install and access your build. While that'south not unheard of, the vast bulk of cases go the opposite road.

Unlike SilverStone'southward Sugo SG12 we recently reviewed, the inside of the KL06 is painted black…

That'south true of nearly the entire instance, save for the expansion-port covers and the included screws for mounting a power supply. If you have access to black screws that fit your ability supply, yous may want to use them, as silverish screws look a bit out of place and will drive you to distraction if you're OCD nigh such things. Otherwise, just keep reminding yourself that you're not likely to expect at the back of your case very often, so information technology's no big bargain, right? Right!?

Installation

Before we swoop into the installation, we have to honour SilverStone 1,000 geek points for including a thick and detailed user manual. It might seem silly to be excited about such things, merely smaller cases tend to take blueprint quirks that aren't always easy to figure out. They sometimes besides require you to install parts in a sure society, to avoid blocking access to essential areas in the class of your PC build. This is where a manual comes in handy, peculiarly for less-experienced builders. So, congrats SilverStone. Endeavor not to spend them all in one place.

SilverStone also gets props for including a removable motherboard tray. That's a pretty rare convenience nowadays, even more so in the realm of SFF cases. All the same, it'due south part of the Kublai KL06, if you want to take reward of it. That's non to say it'southward included out of necessity—y'all can build a organization inside the KL06 just fine without removing the mobo tray—only as a luxury.

The motherboard installs in the lower right section of the case with the power supply hanging directly above it…

If you accept feel edifice PCs, you're probably accepted to putting the motherboard in the upper-left part of the case, with the power supply at the lesser. But information technology's the opposite in the Kublai KL06. (In our sample build above, that's a Mini-ITX board you meet.)

To install the power supply, y'all need to remove a couple of screws on the dorsum of the case that hold the top console in place. One time you've taken the top panel off, you can fit a power supply up to 180mm long into the opening…

That's groovy, though getting the side panel back on is a royal pain. It slides back on easy plenty, simply the screw holes on the side don't line upwards just right. You have to push downward hard with one mitt and maneuver the screws into identify with the other.

That'south really the but difficult part virtually installing a system in the Kublai KL06. The remainder is easy, and flexible also. We spoke with SilverStone about the case's design, and the visitor told united states of america information technology didn't desire to put any limits as to what you lot can apply inside it. As such, in addition to beingness able to use a high-finish power supply, you can besides install up to two double-wide graphics cards upwardly to 13.5 inches in length, a whole bunch of SSDs (eight in all), and even a liquid cooler, all without compromise. (More on that in a moment.)

On the left of the case is a plastic 6-bay drive cage for SSDs that sits on top of a metal 3.5-inch drive bay. The tiptop section is a tool-less contraption—SSDs slide in sideways and click in to place. We take iii installed here and a fourth going in…

You lot can too install an SSD on the bottom of the example underneath the iii.5-inch drive bay. To practice and so, you need to flip the instance over and spiral it in from the lesser.

The ii drive cages are secured to each other, and if you plan to install a 240mm radiator up front, you can find additional mounting holes in the bottom of the case to move the cages back to make room for the water-cooling gear. This is part of SilverStone'southward no-compromise arroyo.

Ane of the coolest features of the KL06 is the aforementioned side-mounted SSD option. SilverStone includes a bracket with the bundled screws and zilch ties, which itself mounts in the upper left corner of the example. This allows you lot to show off your SSD. Information technology's totally vain, but some SSDs are meant to exist seen, similar Intel's snazzy SSD 730 Series with a pic of a skull on the casing. Let's look at it again, just because…

Over again, it'south as well bad you can't see it once the side panels are back in place, fifty-fifty if you lot purchase the windowed version of the KL06.

Our test build inside the Kublai KL06 consisted of a Mini-ITX Asus AM11-A motherboard, an AMD Sempron 3850 processor with its stock cooler, 4GB of Corsair Vengeance RAM, the Intel SSD mentioned in a higher place, and Thermaltake's TR2 480W power supply. We also played around with a few other SSDs we had on hand, as the KL06 volition happily have them similar a kid trick-or-treating for candy on Halloween.

There's a fair bit of space to piece of work in, and with a few well-placed cable cutouts, installation was a breeze. Without much effort, nosotros managed to snake well-nigh of the cables and wires behind the motherboard tray, as you lot tin can see here…

Backlog cables were either tucked behind the tray or shoved to the side and by and large out of sight backside the drive cage.

Determination

SilverStone made but 2 small missteps with the Kublai KL06. The kickoff is that you tin't evidence off your snazzy-looking SSD fifty-fifty though it's possible to mount it sideways, and the 2nd is that the pinnacle console is unnecessarily tough to get back on. Maybe we got a bum sample and it's an isolated incident, simply either way, it didn't sour our overall experience with the case.

The KL06 is a fantastic example of a well-thought-out design, one that, despite beingness an SFF case, will allow you to build a high-end PC without making compromises forth the fashion. Well, with ane exception: assuming you don't have a bunch of 3.5-inch drives yous're hoping to use.

Are PC builders set up to go about all-in with SSDs, or at least 2.5-inch platter hard drives? That'southward the gamble SilverStone is taking with the KL06. Working in SilverStone's favor is the fact that SSDs are getting faster, more capacious, and cheaper as fourth dimension goes on. You lot tin already purchase a 2TB SSD, and there's talk of much college capacities right around the corner thanks to advances similar vertically stacked NAND flash memory chips.

Shorter-term, two.5-inch mass storage is a platter world. Much of the speed and toll difference betwixt two.5-inch and 3.5-inch platter hard drives has disappeared, and it'southward easy to find 1TB and 2TB hard drives in the 2.5-inch form factor for very competitive prices. You could easily push 20TB in this case using just 2TB 2.five-inch hard drives and a single loftier-capacity (say, 4TB) three.5-incher.

Storage bated, the Kublai KL06 is about flexibility. If you want to build a wicked-fast liquid-cooled PC within the KL06, yous tin can certainly do it on a Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX foundation. Likewise, if you're aiming for a budget build, the KL06 volition play along with its friendly $70 price tag. High-stop, or low-end: What'southward not to like?

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Further Reading

• Easily On: Lian Li'due south Strimer Plus, an RGB Riot for Your PC'southward Boring Cables
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• Buying a PC Case: 20 Terms You Need to Know
• Akasa Launches Raspberry Pi Case With Thermal Kit

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/cases-products/10062/silverstone-kublai-series-kl06-review

Posted by: gilliamwough1983.blogspot.com

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