SilverStone LD03 Overview
Once removed from its packaging, the unique shape and design of the LD03 is quickly made apparent. With a front and sides adorned in angular tempered glass panels, the LD03 is not intended to be your basic case. Available solely in a black color scheme, the LD03 is comprised of a steel frame, plastic accents, and tempered glass side panels. With a nearly square base, the LD03 does not have a large footprint, but it also isn’t that tall either, standing at just over 16″ tall.
From the front, the LD03 features a tinted tempered glass panel that is attached to a plastic frame. The angled top and bottom edges of the glass panel give way to the exposed angular plastic frame that makes up the remainder of the case facade. Both the top and bottom visible plastic portions feature angular openings for some passive airflow, and the bottom section features the SilverStone name and logo.
The left and right sides of the case also offer tinted tempered glass panels, and also give way to the steel frame hiding behind, as well as the plastic top cover of the case. One thing to note regarding the side panels is the lack of any external mechanisms for keeping the panels in place. SilverStone has implemented a mechanism for securing the side panels, as well as the front, that allows the exterior of the LD03 to be as sleek as possible.
The rear of the LD03 is not what we expected when we first got a look at the case. Instead of your standard power supply opening, motherboard I/O opening and expansion card slots, the backside of the LD03 is a bit more subtle.
A small perforated area towards the top right of the back panel offers some passive cooling for add-in video cards, and a removable 120mm fan filter allows for clean, external air for the power supply. Again on the backside of the case there are none of your standard thumbscrews for keeping side panels attached to the case. More to come on this feature.
Flipping the case on its back, we can see that the underside of the LD03 is quite unique as well. A removable plastic frame and fine mesh filter help keep dust out of the case, and also acts as a filter for the included bottom-mounted 120mm fan.
This whole frame and filter combination is easily removed, and actually allows for video cards up to 309mm in length to be used in this case.
A rectangular opening in the bottom of the case means that lengthy cards can actually extend outside the case, so long as they fit the opening. Four rubber pads sit at the corners to keep the LD03 firmly in place.
The top portion of the LD03 may be the most unique portion of the case’s exterior. Sitting on top of the steel frame of the LD03 are two plastic covers that add a few inches in height to the case. The largest cover features an angular hatched pattern that makes up the majority of the top of the case, and acts as a secondary grille to allow heat to escape from the internal frame of the case.
This cover can be easily removed via two tabs on the rear portion, and it also features a cutout for cable routing.
The second portion of the top cover is home a pretty standard assortment of conveniences. Two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, along with a headphone and microphone jack provide connectivity at the top of the case, while an illuminated power button gets things started. A recessed reset button is also available here, as well as a small disk activity LED.
Also found on this second portion is a small, removable plastic cutout that lets you easily access the top-mounted power cord connection for the LD03. This connection helps to re-route power to the power supply mount at the bottom of the case without having to snake a cable through the case yourself.
With the removable section of the top of the case out of the way, we can now see the cutouts and features typically found at the back of a case. A single 120mm fan come with the case, and provides exhaust duties, along with quite a bit of perforation for some additional passive cooling. A standard motherboard I/O shield cutout is present, as are two add-in card slots for a video card or other add-in component.
