Installation
The motherboard installation went smoothly and we noticed that the rolled steel is not everywhere, but there were no sharp edges. After mounting standoffs and with removed drive cages, we had plenty room to work. ATX motherboard fits nicely, but some bigger platforms like EVGA X99 FTW (150-HE-E997-KR) may block cable passages along the front edge. It can make problems for enthusiast builders who are using oversized motherboards.
With the motherboard in place, it was a simple matter to install power and cables. With some cable routing openings blocked, many were still usable with soft grommets, it was easy to complete our build. The result turned out clean build with little effort.
Technical specifications
Type : Mid-Tower
Motherboard Support : ATX, MicroATX, Mini-ITX
Dimensions (HxWxD) : 18.3"x7.9"x19.7"
Space Above Motherboard : 2.0"
Card Length : 11.2" (16.5" w/o Center Cage)
Weight : 17.1 lbs
External Bays : 2 x 5.25"
Internal Bays : 6 x 3.5", 4 x 2.5"
Front Fans : 2x 120mm (2x 140mm)
Rear Fans : 1x 120mm (None)
Top Fans : None (3x 120/140mm)
Left Fans : None (2x 120/1x 140mm)
Right Fans : None (None)
Conclusion
When you say the name Supermicro most of us think about server cases and racks, which can hold a lot of hard drives from top to bottom. More affordable and light gaming case such as S5 is something new from Supermicro. It is never easy to get to a new market segment but Supermicro build itself a nice team of gaming component expect that can help in the process. For a first mid tower, Supermicro S5 looks good but there is place for improvement. One can have a feeling that there is more than meets the eye.
The Supermicro Gaming S5 mid tower chassis looks very appealing from the front and the removeable magnetic dust filters are a nice touch. However when you look at the case from the side it will look like most other closed computer case. It would be nice to see a window, to be able to give us a glimpse inside of the machine. Bulding in the motherboard is very clean with all the cable routing openings, but we miss the possibility to look inside. There is little point of putting too many hours in all the cable management without the window.
The chassy offers a very good performance and flexibility, and with its $99 USD price, it is not the cheapest on the market. Few will find the need for all those drive cages unless you have gazillion of GB of "movies". There is definitely some space for a less expensive model with one drive cage at a more attractive price.
The S5 has the looks, the minimalistic design is definitely appealing. Many will like the brushed aluminum that gives it a premium look and feel and the red / black combination looks great. This is the first case of probably many to come from Supermicro, but the company is off for a good start.
chassis