SilverStone Fortress FT02 Mid Tower Case Review

Conclusion

So there you have it!

It certainly looks like SilverStone has a winning recipe here; part TJ07, a bit of FT01 and a healthy dose of RV02 equals one awesome case. We have so many great things to say about the Fortress FT02 that we really don’t know where to begin.

From an aesthetics perspective, the FT02 is a pretty radical departure from the aggressive styling found in the Raven RV02. Although it employs a very similar cooling system, we were pleased to see SilverStone opt for a much more simple design that appeals to a wider audience. Not everyone liked the Raven RV02 for that reason. We’d also be confident in saying that the Fortress FT02 would look just as much at home on an office desk as it would on a hardcore PC enthusiast’s desk. Of course, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but there really isn’t much to dislike about the simple and elegant appearance of the FT02.

Aesthetics aside, one of the best improvements that the FT02 has made over the Raven RV02 is it’s removable hard drive caddy system that can be accessed regardless of what is installed in the case. One may also argue that the metallic front panel found on the FT02 is superior in quality to the plastic one found on the RV02. This is really where the improvements end, as the case’s best feature is actually what it shares in common with the RV02: it’s cooling system.

SilverStone has really impressed us with their “stack” cooling design since as we mentioned earlier in the review, the layout “just makes a lot of sense”. The three massive 180mm fans provide active cooling to just about every component in the case, and the overall positive pressure helps to aid in the natural convection effect to exhaust hot air from the top of the case. You really couldn’t ask for more effective cooling arrangement, especially with the motherboard angled the way it is to provide fresh air to toasty video card intake fans.

Perhaps one of the best perks the FT02 brings to the table is that it is not only incredibly potent in the cooling department, but manages to achieve this at very low noise levels. With the 180mm fans set to “High”, the case is very quiet but at “Low” the case is virtually silent. One can only imagine what it could do with higher RPM fans down below. This also brings us to one very important point: replacing these fans will be a bit hard since there isn't exactly a myriad of options in the 180mm range.

The FT02 also impressed us in the build quality department since like it’s predecessor it is built like a tank. We suppose they call it the “Fortress” for a reason. Although the unibody frame portion of the case is constructed of thick aluminum, other parts of the case are made of steel, making the FT02 a bit on the heavy side but nice and strong.

About the only unfortunate issue we see with the FT02 is the odd cable connection location at the top of the case and potential issues with longer optical drives. Innovative, out of the ordinary features do sometimes cause compatibility issues and are not always practical in every situation. Those with DVI to VGA adapters or DVI to HDMI dongles may run into problems and buyers need to remember that a few extra inches of peripheral cable will be required in comparison to a traditional case in the same location. We actually had to find a longer Ethernet cable to reach the port due to the distance to the I/O ports along the top of the case. But these are really very minor gripes when you consider the positive aspects of the FT02.

We are happy to see that availability of the FT02 already appears to be wide-spread for the B-W model reviewed today, with availability of the silver model to come shortly. Priced at around the $230 mark, the FT02 is not a cheap product but we certainly don’t expect it to be either. You get what you pay for, and we’d argue that the FT02 brings good value considering it’s awesome performance, high quality construction and very quiet operation.

With all of that said, we would not hesitate to recommend the SilverStone Fortress FT02 and are pleased to present it with Hardware Canucks’ “DAM GOOD” award.


Pros:

• Excellent cooling performance to all components within!
• Very quiet given it’s cooling and virtually silent when fans set to “low”
• Ventilation gap allows the case to work well on virtually any type of flooring
• Good cable management features
• Excellent SilverStone construction quality
• Simple and high quality appearance and black painted interior

Cons:

• Not all peripheral cables will fit under the top cover.
• Longer optical drives pose a clearance issue

A big thanks goes out to SilverStone for sending us this sample for review