SilverStone Fortress FT01 Mid-Tower Case Review

Conclusion

Let’s break it down for those who have skipped straight to the conclusion, shall we?

From an aesthetics perspective, the FT01 is a case that just about anyone will like the look of. Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder as case aesthetics are very subjective. None the less, there are no flashy LEDs, stickers or oversize logos anywhere to be found. This case would look right at home on the desk of a hardware enthusiast just as much as it would on the desk of an office worker.

The build quality of the FT01 is near perfect. There are no sharp edges anywhere within this enclosure and the uni-body construction makes it not only a strong case, but removes the need for internal supports within. The black painted interior was a pleasant surprise and the brushed aluminum finish is top-notch just as the side panels have a nice heavy feel to them and lock into place very securely. We were unfortunately disappointed to see that our acrylic window arrived cracked in two places due to over-torqued screws. However, we are able to look past this issue as it is clearly a manufacturer's defect and does not appear to be wide-spread from what we can tell.

From a usability perspective, the FT01 introduces some very innovative features that make working with it a very pleasant experience. Our absolute favourite is the locking 5.25” drive bays which make installing an optical drive an absolute breeze. There are numerous cable management features found in the FT01 that make dealing with case header leads and a non-modular PSUs less of a daunting chore. SilverStone has clearly done their homework, as bottom mounted PSU cases can be a real nightmare to work with if not designed properly. We’re pleased to report that the FT01 is a big step up from the TJ09 and TJ10 in this regard.

Although being tuned for quiet operation, the airflow within the FT01 is good. The large 180mm top intake fan provides quite a bit of airflow to the top half of the motherboard including the regulation components and memory. Our biggest concern with regards to cooling is the front intake fan. The hard drive cages are far too restrictive and block much of the airflow. Although it does succeed in creating a significant positive air pressure within the case, direct airflow to the graphics card could have been improved.

Overall, we were very impressed with the SilverStone FT01. Priced at about $230, it is not cheap, but you certainly get what you pay for. Therefore, we’re pleased to award the FT01 with Hardware Canucks’ “DAM GOOD” award.


Pros:

- Very classy styling
- Plenty of space for ATX systems
- Excellent build quality and uni-body aluminum construction
- Oversize 180mm fans included and good rear ventilation
- 5.25” drive bay locks
- Good cable management features for a bottom mounted PSU
- Sound dampening material on both side panels
- Very quiet


Cons:

- Some quality control issues with the acrylic window observed with our sample
- Hard drive cages too restrictive and block intake airflow to graphics cards

Thanks to SilverStone for sending us this case