Silverstone FARA 511 - It Could Have Been a Bit Better…

Silverstone is an interesting case manufacturer for me, and for a simple reason – either the case will be something great (like the Raven series, FT series, ALTA series) or it will fit more into the budget spectrum. In my opinion, Silverstone doesn’t really do anything in between. The case being tested today, intended for the EU market under the name FARA 511, belongs to the latter segment.

FARA 511 - Introduction and Specifications

The FARA 511 strongly reminds me of the recently tested Endorfy Arx 500. In terms of size, cooling, RGB fans, and cable cutouts… but I have to say it’s a slightly cheaper version than the aforementioned Arx 500. Silverstone installs “only” 120mm fans in the case, three of them, all mounted in the front. Unfortunately, Silverstone did not use the standard rubber protection in the cable cutouts, which is a shame since it’s a very inexpensive feature.

The case is in the ATX format with relatively decent cooling options…

Specifications

FARA 511 - Exterior

The case doesn’t stand out too much in the crowd, and the design is mainly highlighted by the front illuminated fans along with the side LED strips. The rest of the case has a standard design. The fact that the case belongs to the budget segment is also evidenced by the materials used, namely the relatively thin metal sheets. These thinner sheets can be found on the side panel and around the PSU shroud as well. While this doesn’t significantly affect the overall sturdiness of the case, it’s clear you don’t have a “premium” case…

FARA 511 - Interior

The Silverstone FARA 511 is an ATX format case, so it can accommodate motherboards ranging from mITX to ATX. Although Silverstone used 120mm fans in the case, you can also mount 140mm fans in the front and top – two in each position.

The interior of the case is fairly standard, with well-placed cable cutouts, but as I mentioned, the rubber protection in the cable openings is missing, which is unfortunate. However, where Silverstone didn’t skimp is on the fan hub, which can also connect to the lighting – this definitely saves a lot of time, especially when it comes to cable management.

The case is not entirely intended for the most powerful builds, as it supports CPU coolers with a maximum height of 162mm (so neither the D15 nor the D15 G2 will fit) and graphics cards with a length of up to 360mm.

FARA 511 - Installation

Installing individual components was a relatively easy task, and the only thing that gave me a bit of trouble was securing the cables in the back. The FARA 511 doesn’t come with any pre-installed cable ties. You’ll have to make do with wires or the included plastic zip ties.

FARA 511 - Performance

Well… to be honest, I expected something different, or rather slightly better temperatures than what I measured in the tests. It was clear to me that the FARA 511 would lag behind the Arx 500, but not by this much. Endorfy only outperformed it in the noise test, which was expected given that the case has fewer fans and they are smaller in size. What surprised me the most were the relatively weak GPU temperatures, both core and hot spot – despite the fans being relatively close to the graphics card, it wasn’t enough for better cooling. The fans are less powerful, and as a result, the cooling suffers.

FARA 511 - Conclusion

To be honest, the Silverstone FARA 511 disappointed me a bit, mainly due to the price-to-performance ratio. The case costs around 100 Euros, which is not cheap, and compared to the recently tested Endorfy Arx 500, the FARA loses out.

Small details like the missing rubber for cable protection, zip ties, and ultimately the overall performance indicate that the Arx 500 has the upper hand.

The FARA would be more successful in our market with a price around 70-80 Euros; unfortunately, at 100 Euros, it’s unlikely to attract many fans. If you still decide to go for this case, consider adding at least one fan to the rear. It was just shy of being a good budget case – either Silverstone should have lowered the price or added the missing extras to the case, or included an additional 120mm fan.​