SilverStone Primera PM01-RGB Review

Performance Analysis

Performance is practically the same as it was with the PM01, and why wouldn't it be? The PM01-RGB continues to offer some of the best air cooling on the market. That trio of intake fans clearly delivers plenty of cool air to the GPU, and they also aid the CPU by forcing more exhaust airflow than the single rear fan can deliver by itself thanks to positive pressure.


We tested, as always, with the case fans at full speed, and the PM01-RGB is very noticeable in this state. However, now that it has PWM fan control, it's unlikely to ever need to hit such high speeds, and most modern motherboards have very strong fan control suites now to help you customise things in this regard. The more balanced approach SilverStone has taken here is to be commended.

Conclusion

The PM01-RGB joins a growing list of cases that are being revamped with tempered glass and RGB lighting. We're happy to see that SilverStone has addressed our key criticism of not having speed control integrated into its fan hub, as it now allows users to strike a balance between low noise during idle periods and high performance when stressing the system, all without manual intervention from the user. Other tweaks like the new front panel design are also welcome, and the cooling performance continues to impress.


That said, SilverStone is not without competition here, and most notable in this regard is perhaps the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Tempered Glass, being as it is a similar size and price. Both cases offer a solid roster of features that are likely to appeal to enthusiasts shopping with budget, including the PSU cover, Velcro cable ties, fan hub, and plenty of water-cooling support in addition to the glass and lighting. However, the Phanteks comes off as more well-rounded thanks to its external aluminium coating and better ease of use – small things like the absence of zip ties and a standoff tool and more pressing issues like the right side panel's attachment mechanism do take points away from SilverStone. SilverStone definitely has more RGB credentials and a few other advantages, however, so if these are important then it's an easy recommendation.