SilverStone Fortress FT02 Mid Tower Case Review

Silverstone Fortress FT02 Mid-Tower Case Review

Manufacturer Product Page: SilverStone Fortress FT02
Product Number:
SST-FT02B (black)
SST-FT02S (silver)
SST-FT02B-W (black + window)
SST-FT02S-W (silver + window)
Availability: Now
Warranty: 3-Year
Price: $230-250 CAD. Click here to compare prices.




It has been just over a year since we looked at the very impressive SilverStone Fortress FT01. It’s top notch unibody construction, positive air pressure design and simple good looks earned it high marks in our books. Today SilverStone is back at it and we’ll be taking an in-depth look at their next-generation Fortress, the FT02.

Silverstone's FT02 continues to share some of the FT01’s great design considerations like unibody all-aluminum construction, positive pressure airflow and oversize 180mm fans. Cosmetically, it also looks quite a bit like the FT01 with a simple front panel and an overall minimalist design. But there is another case in SilverStone’s lineup that has a lot more in common with the FT02 than it’s predecessor, and that case is none other than the Raven RV02.

The FT02 employs the same unique 90 degree motherboard rotation found in the RV02 along with the same triple 180mm intake fans along the bottom of the case and the top-of-case cable connections and shroud. The cooling system configuration and fan placement is nearly identical, so we certainly have some high hopes for the FT02 based on what we have already seen with the RV02.

For those not familiar with the RV02, it’s key to high performance is both it’s huge intake fans and an overall positive air pressure design. Positive pressure is achieved through the use of use of greater intake flow than exhaust flow. Even a case having an equal number of identical intake and exhaust fans will still have an overall negative pressure due to the PSU fan, and sometimes the video card exhausting air from the case. SilverStone uses massive 180mm intake fans in the FT02 to outweigh the single 120mm exhaust fan which create a significant positive pressure zone within. Not only does this reduce the amount of dust entering the case but SilverStone also claims that it can benefit the temperatures of high-end video cards as well. Hot air from the cards is not allowed to escape at or around the PCI brackets in a negative pressure environment. In the FT02, a continuous stream of exhaust will be exiting the vented PCI-brackets as well as the other crevices in the case. SilverStone has a video demonstrating this effect at the FT02 product page and details the advantages of the design in the tech talk area of their site.

Although the RV02 has proven to be an excellent case, it’s overall aggressive appearance and plastic front panel didn’t appeal to everyone. Many enthusiasts prefer the simplistic design found with other high-end cases, and we believe that this is exactly where the FT02 fits in. SilverStone does not appear to have reinvented the wheel with the FT02, but rather made the revolutionary Raven stack cooling layout and performance available in a more elegant and simple looking outer shell.

One part TJ07, throw in the FT01 and mix with RV02. Let cool and what do you have? The FT02. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at this new mix and see just what is has in store!