Silverstone FT02

[StockClocker]

Greetings, this is my first time posting on these forums and I thought I'd share my experiences with the Silverstone FT02.
Unfortunately, this isn't a new build but just a transplant of my current system.
I am taking the opportunity to upgrade the CPU heatsink to a Thermalright Venomous X and do a few minor things though.

I chose the black version without the side window.
Thought I would keep with the clean aesthetics of the design. That, and I was tired blinking LEDs lighting up the room at night.
Here is a side by side of the Cosmos S its replacing:


A testament of the size of the Cosmos, despite the FT02's 90 degree motherboard & PSU orientation, they're almost the same length.


A peek inside:


More to come....

[zc1]

Nice! Welcome to the forum!

I have the same case, but went with the windowed version. Yours is actually the first non-windowed one that I have seen.

[ZZLEE]

Got the 01 windowed :)

nice pics :)

[Polygon]

Love the design of this case. If only they made a bigger one :(

[martin_metal_88]

Originally Posted by nickpolyz

Love the design of this case. If only they made a bigger one :(

Yeah this is a huge issue for me to because the case is simply awesome.

[MarkOne]

only 1 1/2" more betwen the bottom fan and the motherboard. and this case will have be usefull

[StockClocker]

Here's a shot of the Venomous X backplate on the Rampage Extreme.
Unlike the TRUE, it's got a nice opening for the giant capacitor behind the socket.


The solder joints were uncomfortably close to the backplate though, but nothing a little trimming and electrical tape can't fix.
I really like the new retention mechanism compared to the Ultima 90 I was using, but really wished Thermalright would put a plastic layer on the top of the backplates to prevent shorting.

Motherboard in the case w/ Venomous X installed:


As in HWC's Rampage Extreme review, things get a little cramped when using the NB heatsink with a 120mm tower cooler.
The NB heatsink does get in the way of the fan clips, but thankfully, they are flexible so a little bit of maneuvering is all that's needed to get the fan installed.

Here's another shot at a different angle.


Here are some observations of the case itself.
The FT02 was definitely designed for elongated PSUs in mind, not to mention the strap blocks the intake.


The length of the 5.25" drive bays was also lacking.
I could not use the top bay with my DVD drive because I don't have any right-angled SATA power connectors, and I definitely can't upgrade to a Crossfire setup until I find one.


The build quality fell a bit short for a $200+ chassis.
Some of the plastics used feel a tad cheap and the Cosmos S was better built for a case in the similar price range.

[ottoyu34]

Looking good so far. nice motherboard

I have an idea for your back plate if you are concerned about the solder. You could do one of 2 things. Get a solid piece of vinyl then cut the excess off or goto staples and get some plastic lamiate? It's what a guy would use to protect a paper sign? I can't remember the exact name of the prodcut but thats where ya get it. It's clear so you could see where you need to cut the screw holes out. Conformal Coating might work too.

[StockClocker]

Originally Posted by HaDeS

I have an idea for your back plate if you are concerned about the solder. You could do one of 2 things. Get a solid piece of vinyl then cut the excess off or goto staples and get some plastic lamiate? It's what a guy would use to protect a paper sign? I can't remember the exact name of the prodcut but thats where ya get it. It's clear so you could see where you need to cut the screw holes out. Conformal Coating might work too.

Thanks HaDeS. I think I actually have some of the laminate you're talking about lying around. Will definitely give that a shot sometime.