SilverStone Fortress FT02 Mid Tower Case Review

Hardware Installation


Once we got everything installed into the case, we were greeted by what can only be described as a thing of beauty. The FT02 is nice and spacious and is a joy to work with.


Installing the PSU was probably the most difficult thing to do with the FT02, although had we read the instructions first, would have been an easier task. The small plastic clip and Velcro strap help to hold the PSU in place while it is screwed in. Once we got it secured, it felt nice and snug, even without the clip and strap, so we simply left them in the accessory box.


As you can see, our slightly longer than standard Antec Signature series PSU had no clearance issues whatsoever. The opening below the PSU is ideally located for cables to exit behind the motherboard tray.

We were also pleased to see that there is a small gap between the rear of the case and the 180mm intake fan that can be used to hide away extra cable leads.


With our Gigabyte EP35-DS4, the CPU socket lines up perfectly with the exhaust fan, which certainly aids in actively expelling hot air from behind the heatsink.


The biggest clearance challenge that the FT02 poses is with optical drives. Because the motherboard is so close to the drive bays, older and long optical drives may obstruct the lowest expansion slot, or the recessed slot covers as shown above. Thankfully, newer drives are short enough to avoid this issue.


We had no issues with video card installation, and would definitely recommend this case for multi-GPU setups thanks to the location of the intake fans.


The header and SATA connections pose a bit of a wiring challenge, but those who are patient can try to route these from lower tray openings or coil up extra slack behind the motherboard.