SilverStone Lucid 05 @ TechPowerUp
APH Networks sees the SilverStone Lucid 05 as a budget friendly midrange ATX mid tower that still manages to pack in a surprising number of premium touches. Its headline feature is the 270 degree tempered glass panoramic view, paired with three 120 mm ARGB PWM fans (including reverse blade units at the front) and an 8 channel PWM and ARGB hub that keeps both the preinstalled fans and additional units synchronized. The case is straightforward to build in for a standard mid tower: installation is smooth, fan cabling is already centralized, and the fans themselves are described as reasonably quiet with smooth running motors. At full speed they land around a 3.5 out of 10 subjective noise rating, dropping to roughly 1.0 when slowed, making the Lucid 05 generally suitable even for users who care about noise, as long as they remember there is no additional sound dampening built into the chassis.
The SilverStone Lucid 05 is a bigger brother to the Lucid 04, being able to fit an ATX board vs. MicroATX, besides more potent liquid cooling. As such it is better suited for a larger target audience, while also improving on some functional aspects. While losing the small-form-factor appeal, these advantages make the Lucid 05 not just better value, but also more useful.
Those premium elements come with clear cost cutting measures to keep the MSRP at about 86 US dollars. The steel panels are quite thin, making the case light but also easier to bend; one of the mesh panels even arrived slightly bent from the factory. There are no cable guides, tie points or Velcro straps behind the motherboard tray, and the rear expansion slots use old style break off covers instead of reusable, bridgeless slots. All dust filters are frameless magnetic sheets that work but feel flimsy, and the reviewer would have preferred a single combo audio jack rather than separate 3.5 mm jacks for modern headsets. Taking everything together, APH Networks gives the Lucid 05 a 7.0 out of 10 and concludes that it is a well priced midrange case with an attractive glass presentation and real premium features, as long as buyers accept the structural and convenience compromises needed to hit this price.
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