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SilverStone ML06-E Mini-ITX HTPC Case Review
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By Tom Jaskulka
Manufacturer: SilverStone Tek Co., Ltd.
Product Name: Milo Series ML06-E
Model Number: SST-ML06B-E
UPC: 844761012175
Price As Tested: $74.99 (Amazon | NewEgg)
Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by SilverStone Tek Co., Ltd.
Still one of the only players in the very small form factor market, SilverStone has consistently iterated on its various designs to bring us new improvements and features, case after case. Not content to rest with their niche ML05 HTPC enclosure, they dressed up the exterior with a full aluminum panel and released the ML06. That isn’t the case Benchmark Reviews is reviewing here – SilverStone decided they weren’t done, and evolved the internals of the ML06 into the product we see here today: the ML06-E. Featuring re-worked internals but the same exterior dimensions, the ML06-E is poised to be the best of the series so far. Let’s take a closer look.
There isn’t enough room in the ultra-small ML06-E for a discrete GPU (well, at least anything over a half-height GTX750ti), so for this review we’ll place the same APU-based system inside as the ML05 reviewed over a year ago. We’ll start with a look around the outside, then take a closer look at some of the detailed features of the ML06-E before building a typical HTPC system inside.
Features & Specifications
| Model No. | SST-ML06B-E (black) | |
| — | ||
| — | ||
| — | ||
| Material | 7mm aluminum front panel, 0.8mm steel body | |
| Motherboard | Mini-DTX, Mini-ITX | |
| Multimedia | — | |
| Drive Bay | External | 9.5mm/12.7mm slim slot-loading optical drive x 1 (replaceable with 3.5†HDD x 1 or 2.5†HDD x 2 or 120mm fan x 1) |
| None | ||
| Internal | 2.5†x 4 | |
| Cooling System | Front | — |
| Rear | — | |
| Side | 2 x 80mm fan slot | |
| Top | 1 x 120mm fan, 1500rpm, 18dBA | |
| Bottom | — | |
| Internal | — | |
| Expansion Slot | 2 | |
| Front I/O Port | USB 3.0 x 2 audio x 1 MIC x 1 |
|
| Power Supply | 1 x Optional standard SFX | |
| Operating system support | — | |
| Expansion Card | Single or dual slot low profile up to 6.9â€, width restriction-2.95″ | |
| Limitation of CPU cooler | 37~70mm (variable based on use of multipurpose bracket) | |
| Limitation of PSU | — | |
| Net Weight | 2.68kg | |
| Dimension | 350mm (W) x 99 mm (H) x 205 mm (D), 7 liters | |
| Extra | support Kensington lock | |
| Support VESA Mount | — | |
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SilverStone ML06-E Overview
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First up – a tour around the outside of SilverStone’s ML06-E HTPC enclosure.
The front of the ML06-E benefits the most from SilverStone’s signature brushed metal finish. A drastic improvement over the initial ML05’s acrylic, this solid chunk of aluminum really lends a premium feel to the entire case while remaining sophisticated enough to blend in with other A/V equipment. A cutout for slim slot-load drives marks the only visible opening on the front panel.
The left side of the ML06-E is reversed from the regular ML06 – normally, the power supply and drives are on this side, but the -E version swaps it up and places the PCI-E edge of ITX motherboards here. This allows (half-height only!) GPUs or other add-in cards to get the first shot at fresh, cool air.
The back panel clues us in to the internal layout of this model. It’s tough to tell without a comparison shot what has changed – let’s see if we can dig one up…
Ahh, there we go. The D-Sub connector punch-out and single-slot auxiliary PCI-E slot (for fan controllers, etc.) still return in their original locations above the rear motherboard I/O. The older ML05 pictured above only had space for a single-slot PCI-E card, while the ML06-E manages to fit a double-width card in the same total space by swapping the PSU over to the other side.
That side being of course, the previously-ventilated right side. On the ML06-E, this side is featureless.
The top panel is the only removable one with the main 120mm motherboard/CPU ventilation holes (along with a smaller set for an SFX PSU in the upper right) the only features. A new addition is barely visible beneath the ventilation holes; SilverStone includes a slim 120mm fan with the ML06-E.
No distinctive features on the bottom panel either. There are four rubber feet included with this case that will go here, but to save space they just arrive in the accessory package instead of installed (you’ll have to stick them on yourself).
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SilverStone ML06-E Detailed Features
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The Milo series of cases have always served a slightly different purpose than a typical computer case. Let’s take a closer look at what makes them different.
The accessory pack contains only the essentials, although the vertical stand/brackets are a new addition. A 140mm magnetic mesh filter accompanies a pack of screws and the rubber feet with some zipties and vibration-dampening grommets completing the lineup.
The front I/O consists of two USB 3.0 ports and the usual 3.5mm headphone/microphone jacks.
The power button is very discrete and a bit difficult to hit from the front. In a vertical orientation, it’s a simple matter of running your finger along the ridge and hitting the only button you can feel – the reset button on the left is recessed, you’ll need a tiny finger or some type of tool to actually press it.
The power/HDD activity LEDs are very subtle, and cast a very blue ambient glow (since they’re recessed, they remain pretty dim and only highlight the immediate surface the ML06-E is resting on). It’s a pleasing effect, especially for an HTPC – there’s only a slight hint the machine is powered on and working. Easy enough to tell at glance, but never distracting – this aspect was executed very well in my opinion. You’ll have to be careful if the ML06-E is used in a vertical orientation not to shine it directly towards an audience, but that probably won’t be an issue for most setups.
The internals follow the layout of the back panel. The motherboard sits underneath the “4-in-1″ multipurpose bracket (more on this later), with a 4×2.5” drive cage accompanying a structural cross-bar as the only other internal features.
The front I/O wires run across the front panel inside and should be long enough to reach any mITX motherboard. There aren’t any cable management channels to speak of, but there are multiple tie-down points on the front of the interior which should be adequate to keep cables out of the way of spinning fans.
Everything removes easily, freeing up direct access to any component. The structural cross-bar removes with two screws, but it is positioned so that it wasn’t really necessary to remove (unless you just wanted the extra freedom during the install). A slim 120mm fan is already fastened to the 4-in-1 bracket, and the drive cage removes with three screws (two on the front, one on the floor – each of these should be relatively easy to access with a system installed as well). I don’t have any complaints whatsoever for the internal layout, but I do wonder if the 4-in-1 bracket could be secured with a few magnets rather than screws. Accessing the motherboard after installation isn’t difficult, but it could be made even easier if you could just lift the multi-purpose bracket off of the chassis instead of removing the four screws at the corners. It already sits in four small depressions for the bracket, which would keep it in place without screws especially with the top cover on…Perhaps for the ML07?
Since the bracket is the same one used in the ML05, I’ll just borrow a few old photos to show the different configurations possible. As we’ve already seen, there’s enough space up here for a 120mm fan – SilverStone includes one of their new slim 120mm fans with the ML06-E. Two 2.5″ drives fit as well, although cabling might prove to be a bit of a challenge.
Finally, a 3.5″ drive can be mounted here, although you’ll decrease the available clearance for any aftermarket CPU coolers (without anything mounted to the bracket, there is 70mm of clearance available above the CPU socket). My experience with the ML05 showed this to be a questionable choice unless you’re going with an i3 or cooler CPU – a drive mounted here blocks most of the intake ventilation, so you’ll need a purpose-built system with carefully selected components to pull this configuration off. What about the “4” in “4-in-1”, you ask? The final configuration is that of a slim, slot-load optical drive mounted here instead – as with the ML05, while it’s nice that this is an option, such drives are generally $80 or more – an external or network attached drive makes more sense to me with these sorts of enclosures.
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Building in the ML06-E
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Building a system in a case is the simplest way to reveal any peculiarities, and with an enclosure as small as the ML06-E there’s bound to be some to uncover. Let’s get to it!
Installing drives is easy enough – simply remove the drive cage from the floor of the case where it is fastened by three screws (one on the floor, two on the inside/front panel). While I appreciate SilverStone’s confidence in my assembly capabilities, I always find myself wishing this was a tool-less drive tray. Once your drives are screwed in, you have to remove the drive cage again to access the two screws on the front side of the cage in order to remove/add any additional drives. Remember, it’s a niche case in a niche market though – perhaps the additional convenience might not be worth the additional cost? I can’t imagine anyone would complain, even so…
With the drives in, it’s time for the PSU. A quick glance might suggest it’d be easier to install the (SFX only!) PSU first, but it’s tricky to access that floor screw to fasten down the drive cage with the PSU cables in the way. Either approach should work with enough effort. Interestingly enough, the manual does a very good job with a recommended sequence for installing components; the drive cage is the last in the order. I, of course, in my infinite wisdom and countless years of (not) reading manuals, decided to do it the hard way my way. Thankfully, I didn’t encounter too many issues installing the drive cage first, but if you do it the way SilverStone recommends you’ll definitely want to remove the support cross-bar first.
The motherboard installs easily enough on the built-in standoffs. You’ll have to spend a little extra time keeping cables out of the way while trying to position the motherboard in place, as there isn’t much clearance at the front panel – just tilt it, rear-side down, to swivel it in place.
Mini ITX motherboards aren’t quite as standardized as their larger brethren, so your results may vary. On the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI FM2+ board pictured here though, the 24-pin ATX connection (as well as the SATA ports and USB3.0 header) is right up against the PSU edge.
Despite the tight fit, it actually ended up being a little more ideal than the previous ML05 where that thick cable had to run across the front of the case to connect to the motherboard. I should have just removed the stability bar to make it a little easier on myself, but it wasn’t too bad to connect.
If you looked closely at the previous image, you’d see the power/data ports of that 2.5″ SSD right up against the main 24-pin ATX cable. It’s pretty close quarters – you’ll have to choose your SATA cables carefully. I had some very slim cables on hand, but many of the connector housings on the cables most would receive with their motherboards will be an uncomfortably tight fit. 90-degree connectors might be an option, but only for one or two drives. With mini-ITX there are a lot of variables, but if you do lots of small form factor builds it might be worth picking up some purpose-built components. SilverStone actually has quite a few accessories in this segment like their short cable sets and CP06 SATA connectors, which makes sense given their focus on the SFF category.
The revised internal layout of the ML06-E turned out to be a nice match overall for the GA-F2A88XN-WIFI board (with the exception of the 4-pin CPU connector). The USB and front port cables (power/reset/LED) were pretty easy to tuck away and fasten to the front panel, keeping the overall motherboard free from most of the cables.
The front panel audio connector and 4-pin CPU/AUX cables weren’t in the most ideal locations, but they were workable nonetheless. It would have been a simple matter to tie up the CPU power cable along the back of the case but it really wasn’t in the way. The audio cable could still be snaked under a GPU if one was installed; that wasn’t a major issue either. Really, for such a tiny chassis, the ML06-E was surprisingly easy to build in.
Now to place everything back together. The multi-purpose bracket ends up right on top of the CPU cooler – wait a second, those stock AMD coolers are pretty tall, will there be enough room for the slim fan AND stock cooler? The Intel stock coolers aren’t quite as high, so let’s look through that side mesh and double-check before these fans start spinning.
I’d measure it, but I think we’d need some of those metal gap-thickness feeler gauges to check! (I’d estimate it’s about 2mm, if anyone’s really curious.) While this is one of the closest clearances I’ve seen lately, it performed flawlessly in operation. I’d recommend checking page 20 of the ML06-E manual for specific clearances (with the slim fan, there is 50mm available for a CPU cooler) to avoid any surprises – especially if you’re considering aftermarket cooling. 50mm leaves just enough room for aftermarket heatsink fans like Cryorig’s C7 or Noctua’s NH-L9a. Of course, SilverStone’s Argon line of coolers has a few options as well, although only the AR05 will fit along with the slim 120mm fan (the AR06 will fit without it).
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Testing & Results
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Testing Methodology
Since I still had the ML05 sitting around, I couldn’t help but do a quick comparison. Clearly the newest iteration should be the best performer (if only due to the included 120mm intake fan), but I was also curious if the new layout helped at all. A quick 3DMark run and some gaming were in order – how does the same system in two different cases perform?
Test System
-
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI
-
System Memory: 2133 MHz 2x4GB GSkill Ares
-
Processor: AMD A10-7800
-
Audio: On-board
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Video: Integrated Radeon R7
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Disk Drive 1: Intel 335 240GB SSD
-
Enclosure: ML06-E vs ML05
-
PSU: SilverStone SFX 300W
-
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
Results
I tested the two chassis in the same night to try and keep ambient temps as similar as possible (they were hovering around 20C). During the 3DMark run, the integrated GPU registered at 37C, and some extended gaming arrived at temps of 34C. Not bad at all – especially on a stock AMD cooler. I could hear the stock CPU fan spin up during some portions of the 3DMark run and while gaming, but the slim 120mm fan seemed to cancel out any of the harsher frequencies. From about four feet away I could still hear fans distinctly running, but it wasn’t harsh or annoying.
The older ML05 surprisingly managed similar temps running the same tests (I thought for sure the ML06-E would blow right past the fan-less ML05 in temperatures), although the stock cooler had to work (noticeably) harder – and therefore louder – to keep everything cool. In fact, while the registered temps are almost identical for the integrated GPU sensor, the two chassis felt very different. There were noticeable hotspots in the ML05 by the PSU and by the CPU socket on the “bottom” panel right beside the CPU (both chassis were tested in a vertical orientation), while the ML06-E felt about the same temperature throughout the external area. Cabling was a little trickier in the ML05 as well, which may have contributed to some of the hotspots.
Each chassis would likely perform even better with 80mm fans set up to exhaust the heated air, but the ML06 was better equipped in stock form to keep the heat manageable. Overall, it seemed the ML06-E was a better choice for HTPC and light gaming duties, especially for the warmer AMD APUs (it was close with the AMD processors, it would likely be a non-issue with a cooler Intel CPU). Although either case would make an excellent Steam box or streaming/set-top/HTPC enclosure, the ML06-E really did prove to be an evolution of the design. It’s better aesthetically, thermally and functionally – well done, I’d say.
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Mini-ITX Case Final Thoughts
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While I don’t think I can take credit, I’d like to think I’m partially responsible for the changes that resulted in the ML06-E. I liked the price point of the original ML05, I just couldn’t get over the plastic/acrylic front panel. For $25 more over the ML05, SilverStone added a 120mm slim fan (the ML05 didn’t have any active ventilation included), a vastly more sophisticated look and feel, and improved thermals. There’s still nothing quite like it on the market today, but even without much competition SilverStone wasn’t content to sit back and leave it alone – I’m glad they didn’t.
If I could use my super (humble) hardware reviewer/writer powers and suggest one or two more evolutions, I think this case would be perfect. The drive cage should really be tool-less – I’d love to see a way to slide in 2.5″ drives on their side. Just drop em in – I’d even be okay with fastening a rail to one side or something to facilitate this, but being able to lift them straight out of the chassis instead of dealing with a drive cage would be wonderful. The multipurpose bracket could benefit from the tool-less treatment as well – I’m just imagining four little magnets on the corners instead of the installation screws that hold the bracket in place. I’d love to be able to open the top panel and simply lift the bracket up to access the motherboard. These are all tiny issues that don’t necessarily apply to the overall purpose of the ML06-E, but I feel they’d be improvements nevertheless.
SilverStone ML06-E Conclusion
While this may deviate slightly from my normal method of rating, I thought it might be helpful to rate the ML06-E in the context of its original scores (in ML05 form). Given the ML06-E is an “evolved” version of the ML05, I thought it would be interesting to see where it has improved.
As with the ML05, I can’t say much about the performance – although the ML06-E is a definite improvement over its predecessor. By design, it’s a pretty limited case for a very specific type of build – although the new layout and included slim 120mm fan do a great job keeping everything cool. Your component choice will make the most difference in this category, but GPUs especially should find a better home in the ML06-E than in any of the previous cases.
The appearance of the ML06-E is in a different category altogether. While the ML05’s use of acrylic kept the price point down (and is still a nice option to have in the market – it wouldn’t be too tough to paint over that acrylic panel…), it really stole too much of the sophistication from what is, in all honesty, a pretty cool little case. It was such a minor aspect that didn’t affect performance or functionality in the least, but…I just couldn’t get over that acrylic and how it seemingly cheapened everything else. The brushed aluminum panel on the ML06-E is such a drastic improvement aesthetically, making this category win the award for “most improved.”
The original ML05 was constructed very well, but this version seems…better, somehow. It’s probably just a perceived difference due to the way the ML06-E feels while handling (that aluminum panel has a lot to do with it), but it feels like an improvement. I didn’t have any complaints with the original, and the ML06-E seems to do no worse. The typical SilverStone quality shows throughout – I’m not sure if I’ve ever had much of a complaint with any of SilverStone’s enclosures as far as construction is concerned.
I can reiterate my exact statement from the ML05’s section on functionality, as it is perfectly applicable to the ML06-E:
You can’t really rate the functionality of such a purpose-built case on the same criteria as every other PC case. It’s limited to SFX power supplies and half-height expansion cards, but that’s hardly a surprise given the miniature size. Accommodating an optical drive or 3.5? drive (or 120mm + 2x80mm fans) along with four more 2.5? drives (or six total using the multipurpose bracket) is pretty surprising, and impressive for such a small case. The ML05 resides in somewhat of a niche market, so it is hard to compare it to anything else – but I’d say the ML05 has above-average functionality for a case its size.
The same functionality is present in the ML06-E, but the reworked layout is a nice addition and improvement. Double-slot GPUs are now an option, but there are only a few half-height cards on the market that fit that criteria anyway. Still, it adds some nice breathing room to any potential card, and there’s always the prospect of filling that area with 80mm fans for additional airflow.
All of these improvements come at a cost; true to the Milo mission the ML06-E nevertheless manages to bring some big-case features to a very respectable price point. The ML06-E is available online for $74.99 (Amazon | NewEgg) and given the aesthetic and thermal improvements (don’t forget the 120mm slim fan and a few extra accessories) I feel that’s a very fair asking price. It isn’t quite the bargain of the original ML05, but if you take a hard look at what you get in return I think you’d agree it’s worth it. Of course, cases like these appeal to a very specific set of users, but for its audience I feel the ML06-E delivers quite a value. If anything, while it’s a slightly different category, SilverStone’s own RVZ01 SFF case can be found for a similar price skewing the value equation a bit (the Raven RVZ01 can fit full-size GPUs) – but I think the two cases are in different enough markets to avoid any cross-shopping conflicts. The ML06-E easily stands on its own for what it offers.
I still feel like taking credit for the new face of one of the most interesting cases I reviewed last year, but I know SilverStone has a demonstrated a tenacious appetite for iteration before – it was bound to happen eventually. However they arrived at the decision to take another look at the ML05, I’m glad they did – the ML06-E is a worthy evolution of the original. It’s not often you get to see a case get better in every way, but here it is. Nice work SilverStone!
Pros:
+ Great price for a niche market
+ Includes slim 120mm fan
+ Brushed aluminum panel a great addition
+ Makes for a perfect streaming/Steam/HTPC box
+ Improved layout really is an improvement
+ Clean lines blend in with almost any setup
Cons:
– SFX PSUs only
– Half-height expansion cards only
– Additional style is (fairly) reflected in additional price
– Needs more tool-less features! (Drive cage, multipurpose bracket?)
Ratings:
-
Performance: 8.50
-
Appearance: 9.50
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Construction: 9.50
-
Functionality: 8.50
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Value: 8.75
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Final Score: 8.95 out of 10.
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