Silverstone’s Sugo has long been regarded as one of the best built, most versatile small form factor case series on the market. Indeed, previous designs like the SG03 and SG06 have earned high praise here at Hardware Canucks. The latest addition to this lineup is the Sugo SG09, yet another small enclosure that has a surprising number of features packed into its diminutive design.
While the Sugo series runs the gamut if pricing, capabilities and features, the SG09 actually tries to integrate the best of previous generations into one all-encompassing design. Some may frown at this approach since it takes a jack of all trades, master of none approach but we actually find it quite enticing. Finding capable SFF chassis that also offer expansion options is very hard even though more and more gamers are actually looking to minimize the amount of space taken up by their gaming rig. Silverstone even offers a carrying case for the Sugo series, making them a prime companion when LAN gaming.
At just $99, the SG09 is significantly less than many of Silverstone’s other cases go for but that doesn’t mean any build quality compromises were made. There is a fair amount of plastic evident but Silverstone ensured that in every situation where it occurs, there’s steel or aluminum backing things up to maintain rigidity.
The front panel features a slot loading optical drive mount at the top alongside two USB 3.0 ports slightly further down. Meanwhile, the front-mounted fan area is actually where the power supply is located and features a removable dust filter. Silverstone has also included a strip of fans (two 80mm and one included 92mm) on the SG09’s side that direct airflow towards the graphics card. However, things here can be changed up with 80mm mounts offering secondary holes for 92mm fans while the 92mm area can use a 120mm fan.
The Sugo SG09 may not be as compact as other SFF chassis but a height of just 12” should ensure it fits literally anywhere.
Flipping the case around we can see that Silverstone has added another 80mm fan mount as well as a built out area that allows for cable mounting behind the motherboard tray. For those of you wondering, the intake duty is handled by a massive 180mm primary Air Penetrator intake fan that is actually mounted on the SG09’s top area
With such a small chassis, Silverstone has included a surprisingly large I/O area that boasts four expansion slots, a rear exhaust fan and secondary venting areas. There is also a speed controller for the top fan along with a 90 degree power plug.
The SG09’s overly generic design may not be pretty but it is small and practical. Also, most of this case’s defining aspects lie below the drab exterior.
The interior can’t be considered cavernous by any stretch of the imagination but Silverstone has efficiently used the allotted space. There’s support for not just one but two 13” long graphics, high end tower-style heatsinks, four SSDs, two hard drives and mATX motherboards which allows for a surprisingly varied number of hardware combinations. Unfortunately, getting access to the interior is a bit tedious since thumb screws haven’t been included and space for water cooling is nonexistent.
Along with the unorthodox PSU mounting area, anyone buying this case should be aware that Silverstone requires the system is installed in a specific sequence or components simply won’t fit. Luckily there is a great instruction manual. In addition, that oddball power supply mounting location has led Silverstone to highly recommend using a modular unit as there is only a limited amount of space available.
All in all, the Sugo SG09 looks like a great entry into the SFF market if you can put up with its bland looks. Make sure to view our entire review in the video above.
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While the Sugo series runs the gamut if pricing, capabilities and features, the SG09 actually tries to integrate the best of previous generations into one all-encompassing design. Some may frown at this approach since it takes a jack of all trades, master of none approach but we actually find it quite enticing. Finding capable SFF chassis that also offer expansion options is very hard even though more and more gamers are actually looking to minimize the amount of space taken up by their gaming rig. Silverstone even offers a carrying case for the Sugo series, making them a prime companion when LAN gaming.
At just $99, the SG09 is significantly less than many of Silverstone’s other cases go for but that doesn’t mean any build quality compromises were made. There is a fair amount of plastic evident but Silverstone ensured that in every situation where it occurs, there’s steel or aluminum backing things up to maintain rigidity.
The front panel features a slot loading optical drive mount at the top alongside two USB 3.0 ports slightly further down. Meanwhile, the front-mounted fan area is actually where the power supply is located and features a removable dust filter. Silverstone has also included a strip of fans (two 80mm and one included 92mm) on the SG09’s side that direct airflow towards the graphics card. However, things here can be changed up with 80mm mounts offering secondary holes for 92mm fans while the 92mm area can use a 120mm fan.
The Sugo SG09 may not be as compact as other SFF chassis but a height of just 12” should ensure it fits literally anywhere.
Flipping the case around we can see that Silverstone has added another 80mm fan mount as well as a built out area that allows for cable mounting behind the motherboard tray. For those of you wondering, the intake duty is handled by a massive 180mm primary Air Penetrator intake fan that is actually mounted on the SG09’s top area
With such a small chassis, Silverstone has included a surprisingly large I/O area that boasts four expansion slots, a rear exhaust fan and secondary venting areas. There is also a speed controller for the top fan along with a 90 degree power plug.
The SG09’s overly generic design may not be pretty but it is small and practical. Also, most of this case’s defining aspects lie below the drab exterior.
The interior can’t be considered cavernous by any stretch of the imagination but Silverstone has efficiently used the allotted space. There’s support for not just one but two 13” long graphics, high end tower-style heatsinks, four SSDs, two hard drives and mATX motherboards which allows for a surprisingly varied number of hardware combinations. Unfortunately, getting access to the interior is a bit tedious since thumb screws haven’t been included and space for water cooling is nonexistent.
Along with the unorthodox PSU mounting area, anyone buying this case should be aware that Silverstone requires the system is installed in a specific sequence or components simply won’t fit. Luckily there is a great instruction manual. In addition, that oddball power supply mounting location has led Silverstone to highly recommend using a modular unit as there is only a limited amount of space available.
All in all, the Sugo SG09 looks like a great entry into the SFF market if you can put up with its bland looks. Make sure to view our entire review in the video above.
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