SilverStone Milo ML03 HTPC

Examination:

The SilverStone Milo ML03 is derived from the Grandia GD05 but is pushed down to a smaller scale with a height of just 105mm and 340mm depth. While the case may be small, to accommodate the storage needs of today's HTPCs, up to three 3.5-inch HDDs or five 2.5-inch SSD/HDDs can be installed. There is also USB 3.0 support and room for four fans.

A flip-down cover conceals the 5.25-inch drive bay on the front of the ML03 while running along the bottom edge of the enclosure are the two USB 3.0 ports (that are also backwards compatible with USB 2.0), two audio jacks, and the power/reset buttons. The front panel is made of reinforced plastic while the case itself is made of 0.8mm SECC steel.

On the top of the chassis is a ventilation area aligning with the CPU socket area of most motherboards and is also where the included fan filter can be positioned.

At the rear of the chassis there is the motherboard's I/O panel area, four half-height expansion slots, and the power supply area. Above the I/O panel is also a full-length expansion slot for installing any fan controllers or other devices that do not need to be connected to an actual PCI/PCI-E slot. Another small but pleasant feature of the ML03 is a Kensington lock slot so that you can secure the case and its lid as a possible deterrent from theft.

Inside the layout of the ML03 is quite simple but easy to work with. Due to the compact size of this enclosure, only half-height expansion cards can be used, the power supply should be 140mm in length or shorter, and the CPU cooler must be 70mm in height or shorter. As with all of SilverStone's products, the user's guide fully documents the installation/setup process and different storage possibilities.

Years ago at Phoronix we have also reviewed the SilverStone Milo ML01 and Milo ML02 enclosures.