SilverStone SETA A1 Overview
As mentioned in the introduction, the SETA A1 is a mid-tower case, supporting motherboard up to E-ATX in size, though it would be quite a tight fit. The SETA A1 is available in three color scheme: Rose Gold on White, Silver on Black, and Titanium on Black. Our review sample is the Titanium on Black model, which features a dark gray brushed aluminum front facade. Aside from this unique front facade, the SETA A1 appears to be a pretty standard issue mid-tower ATX case. Reviewing the feature list of the case, we were not blown away by any one particular item, though there are some interesting things that stand out when taking a closer look at the SilverStone SETA A1.
Starting with said front, we find a full-height aluminum panel that features a curved design up and down the sides of the panel. The top and bottom edges of the panel have a smooth wave design to them, revealing a curved black plastic sub-panel that makes up the remainder of the front facade. The aluminum portion of the front is positioned about 5/8″ in front of the plastic frame, allowing for air to freely flow into the front of the case from the top and bottom. Mounted near the top and bottom openings between these two materials are the two included lighting features of the case. A light strip in each location follows the angle of the aluminum panel’s wave design, giving a back lighting glow behind the aluminum panel. Both strips are connected to a single ARGB connector for synchronized lighting effects.
We would like to point out one point of frustration with SilverStone and the SETA A1 while we are talking about the front of the case. SilverStone has opted to place a sticker on the front panel, urging caution when pulling to remove the front panel. We have no qualms with this warning, but we do wish a vinyl sticker was used here as opposed to the paper-based sticker that we found. Removal of this sticker took us quite a bit of time as the sticker was continually tearing, and then we had to spend time removing all of the leftover adhesive. This isn’t a huge problem, but just something annoying that could be easily fixed.
Removing the front panel of the case reveals one of the more unique features of the SETA A1. Behind this panel are two included 200mm fans. SilverStone has also designed the SETA A1 to allow either three 120mm fans or two 140mm fans in this location, though the use of the included 200mm fans will allow for nearly silent intake fan operation. Unfortunately, the plastic portion of the front panel is designed with 120/140mm fans in mind, as the cutout clearly shows. This small cutout size will reduce the amount of airflow available to the 200mm fans, though spinning as slowly as they do, this will more than likely not be too big of an issue.
Moving to the left side of the case we find a fairly standard implementation of a tempered glass side panel. The SETA A1 uses a full-sized glass panel to show off the entire interior of the case, and a metal strip on the front and back of the panel are used to attach the panel to the rest of the case. Two thumbscrews are used to secure the panel in place. Like most modern cases that opt for a tempered glass side panel, the SETA A1’s panel utilizes a black border to hide the internal framework of the case that would otherwise be visibile.
The right side of the case features a standard steel panel, which is secured at the back with two thumbscrews.
The backside of the case shows off a pretty standard layout.
A single 120mm fan can be installed at the back of the case, and the mounting slots for the fan allow for ample vertical movement in order to adjust the fan’s position for optimal cooling.
As this is a mid-tower case, there are seven add-in card slots, along with two vertical slots for the use of an optional vertical video card mount.
The bottom of the case is home to the power supply, and mounting options for fan up or fan down installations are present.
There is also a full-length, removable dust filter just below the power supply which we were quite happy to see.
At the top of the case, towards the front, we find a nice and updated offering of buttons and ports. Starting from the left, we find an illuminated power button, a small reset switch (which we wired up to the ARGB controller), 3.5mm headset port, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a hard drive indicator light. We are pretty happy with this offering of ports, and the lack of USB 2.0 ports isn’t a drawback in our opinion, especially with the inclusion of the Type-C port.
Taking up the majority of the remaining space up top is a large ventilated section with room for multiple fan and radiator sizes. Dual 120mm or 140mm fans can be installed at the top of the SETA A1, while a single 120mm or 240mm radiator is also possible. A removable dust filter is held in place by your standard magnetic strips.
