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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 NextSilverstone Fortress FT01
June 24, 2009 by Devon
Cooke
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Product |
Silverstone Fortress FT01
ATX Tower Case
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Manufacturer |
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Market Price |
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Silverstone has been making cases for a while, and it shows. At time of
writing, it has no less than 56
different case models on its web site. The cases are divided roughly into
ten different series, one of which is called the Fortress. The FT01 is, so far,
the sole model in this series, which sets itself apart by featuring what Silverstone
calls "uni-body" construction. Aside from the obvious marketing advantage
of using a slick automotive word like "uni-body", the design makes
for a more rigid body, with fewer separate parts that can warp or rattle. This
is not Silverstone's first unibody case — the
Temjin TJ07 has been around for three years — but the adoption of a
new name for the series suggests Silverstone may produce more of these
cases in the future.
Superficially, the FT01 resembles the TJ07 in its clean rounded
corners, which comes from the one piece aluminum extrusion that forums the top, front and bottom. It's considerably smaller, however, and the interior bears little resemblance to the earlier
case. This is a good thing — by and large the TJ07 disappointed us with
its noisy fans and tendency to vibrate. While the basic
construction material is still aluminum, Silverstone addressed
earlier shortcomings with touches such as foam-dampened
panels, and plastics and rubber to keep things tight, damped yet rigid.
The usual oversized box keeps things safe during shipping.
The other highly touted feature of the FT01 is that it is designed
for positive pressure cooling, with more and larger fans blowing into the case
than out of it. The positive vs. negative pressure debate has been simmering
along for years, and we have no desire to stoke the flames. While both
approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, what matters is the amount
of airflow, not how it is produced, and either approach can be effective.
Silverstone has an
informative page that lists some of the benefits of positive pressure.
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Feature & Brief
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Our Comment
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Positive air pressure design optimizes
cooling performance
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Positive air pressure isn't really desirable
in and of itself, but it does have benefits, such as the potential to reduce
dust build-up. |
Uni-body frame construction from the flagship
Temjin TJ07
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Uni-body in the case means the top, front,
and bottom panels are formed from a single piece of aluminum. Rivets and
screws are still used to attach the remaining panels and the interior. |
| Artful, understated design with excellent
ergonomics |
Now that's right up our alley! |
Dual 180mm silent fans included for outstanding
cooling and quietness
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We're always skeptical of "silent"
fans, but the trend towards larger fans has been good for making things
quiet.
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Minimal use of rivets for maximum serviceability
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That means screws, which means the potential
for loosening over time. On the other hand, some people consider a removable
motherboard tray an advantage. |
| Highly flexible drive storage options with
hot-swappable SATA adapter |
A little inconvenient given the side
panel has to be removed to get at the drive, but a welcome option. If nothing
else, it eases drive installation. |
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| Model No. |
SST-FT01B (black)
SST-FT01S (silver)
SST-FT01B-W (black + window)
SST-FT01S-W (silver + window) |
| Material |
3.0mm ~ 6.0mm uni-body aluminum outer frame
and aluminum body |
| Motherboard |
ATX, Micro ATX |
| Multimedia |
– |
| Drive Bay |
External: 5.25" x 5
Internal: 3.5" x 7 |
| Cooling System |
Front: 1 x 180mm intake fan, 700rpm,
18dBA
Rear: 1 x 120mm exhaust fan, 900rpm, 18dBA
Top: 1 x 180mm intake fan, 700rpm, 18dBA |
| Expansion Slot |
7 |
| Front I/O Port |
USB2.0 x 2
IEEE1394 x 1
Audio x 1
MIC x 1 |
| Power Supply |
1 x Optional standard PS2 (ATX) |
| Expansion Card |
Compatible with expansion card
up to 12” |
| Net Weight |
8.66kg |
| Dimension |
211 mm (W) x 486 mm (H) x 494.5
mm (D) |
| Extra |
One CP05 included for single
hot-swappable SATA hard drive, additional CP05 can be purchased separately |
It's instructive to consider the volume of the FT01 in comparison to some other cases. Note that the volume is based on maximum external dimensions, which can sometimes be signficantly higher than the internal dimensions.
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Volume Comparison of Various Cases
(based on external dimensions)
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Case
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Dimensions (W x H x D)
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Volume (liters)
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Silverstone Raven
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28 x 61 x 66 cm
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115
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Silverstone TJ07
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22 x 56 x 56.5 cm
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70
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Antec P183
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20.5 x 51.4 x 51 cm
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53
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Silverstone FT01
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21 x 48.6 x 49.5 cm
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51
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Antec Solo / P150
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20.6 x 43 x 47 cm
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42
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Coolermaster Sileo 500
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20 x 43 x 48 cm
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41
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Antec Fusion Remote Max
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44.5 x 19 x 45 cm
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38
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Antec NSK-3480
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20 x 35 x 35.5 cm
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25
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Shuttle SD11G5*
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21 x 18.5 x 20 cm
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11.5
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Lenovo M58p Eco USFF†
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27.5 x 24 x 8 cm
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5.3
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mCubed HFX Micro
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23 x 24 x 7.5 cm
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4
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* A barebones system, but a typical breadbox style SFF case.
† Typical corporate SFF PC.
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It's noteworthy that the FT01 is about the same size as the Antec P183, about 25% bigger than the classic mid-tower Solo or Sileo. It's substantially smaller than the previous unibody TJ07 and less than half the size of the recently reviewed Raven. So as enthusiast ATX cases go, it's not really that big.
| Help support this site, buy the SilverStone FT01B-W Black Mid Tower Case from one of our affiliate retailers! |
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