Customer Reviews

SilverStone Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Uni-Body Frame Computer Case FT02B (Black)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I got tired of going through loud cheap cases. I've departed from the days of flashing lights, decked out in led fans, and fan controllers. This time around I was set on having a nice quiet build with a case that'll last me through several builds.

This case fit the bill. It was delivered to the office and was immediately surrounded by the geeks and programmers around me. It's a thing of beauty. The thought in design and attention to detail is evidence by the nice finish, huge huge 180mm fans on the bottom (3 of them), the space around the inside cabin for the install, the rubber grommets in the hard drive trays (vertical for better cooling), and I could go on. Even my girlfriend admired it's beauty and took the opportunity to explain that quality purses and shoes are the same way. I now understand how they can even contemplate spending hundreds of dollars on those things.

To address a few of the complaints other reviewers mention. My power buttons were flush. Panels fit square and true. My 7 year old dvd drive was a bit too long so I had to move it down a few brackets but that's an issue of the older drives. The opening for installing a cpu fan, I don't even know what this is about. The case is plenty roomy and has way more room than the typical mid tower. I always install the cpu and cpu cooler on the motherboard first and then move the whole motherboard into the case anyways. On that note, gigabyte x58a-ud3r, i7-920, Zalman cnsp10x quiet, and Corsair TR3X6G1600C7 XMS3 6 GB PC3-12800 fit just right.

As for cooling, I was getting about 31C without the top 120mm fan on. Had plenty of air flow through the case with just the bottom 3 fans. No overclock. There's a nice pleasant low frequency hum. My hp core2 quad at work is much louder.

Note that what other reviewers say about this case being big. It's significantly taller and deeper then the standard midtower. So get the measurements for the case and see if it works out for you. I'm extremely happy with this case.

I've owned this case for almost 2 years and have opened it many times and performed many hardware upgrades within. There were two primary reasons I purchased this: great air cooling and simple, elegant style. While these two aspects are far and away the best attributes of this case, there are so many negatives that I simply cannot recommend it overall. And believe me, I really wanted to love it but I just find myself frustrated every time I have to mess with it. Here's why (in order of most to least annoying):

1. Connections on the top of the case: It's cool to have the cables plug in on the top of the case underneath the vented cover -- this gives the case an overall cleaner 360 degree appearance. However(!!!), with this novelty also comes some frustrations. Specifically, you have to remove the top cover to plug/unplug any device, switch the fans between high/low, or remove either side panel (which also involves 2 thumbscrews per panel). The cover is a real pain in the butt to remove; you need two hands and you need to pull it with firm, even pressure or it will not come off (well, not without possibly breaking the plastic latches). Sometimes it takes me several tries to get it to come off evenly. Along this same vein, my cover tends to rattle on occasion -- the metallic-feeling mesh actually produces vibrations against its plastic frame that take some taps of the hand to remedy (and I'm using low-rpm, low-vibration case fans). One more thing to consider about having the ports on the top is that you might need longer cables and/or adaptors in order to put on the top cover. For example, my second monitor's DVI cable wouldn't reach all the way around my desk to the far port on my video card, so I had to pay extra to buy a longer DVI cable from Amazon. Any device will need just a little more length to plug in than the standard rear-input case. My keyboard's connection, which uses a usb-to-ps/2 converter, also wouldn't fit under the top cover, so I needed to buy a right-angle USB plug in order for that to fit. Ouch.

2. Cable management: Oh, yuck. While there are plenty of holes around the edge of the motherboard to pass cables through, there is maybe 1/2" of space behind the actual tray for cable routing. This means you have to be VERY careful how you lay your cables on the back, including proper orientation of any extra molex or sata connectors as well as not overlapping too much. This was another enormous pain and involved half a roll of painter's tape to hold everything in place (and boy is it ugly). If you don't cable it just right, the side panel either won't close, or it will close so tightly that it will actually bend slightly (and also deform the foam lining on the panel). My panel has a very slight bend to it because I couldn't find a way to keep all my cabling *quite* low profile enough. Additionally, because of the positioning of the items within the case (like the PSU being on the opposite corner as the hard drives), there're some pretty long distances you'll need to run cables. Prepare for headache and possibly buying some longer cables to help simplify things.

3. Motherboard tray back-plate cutout too small: I'm using an Asus P8P67 Deluxe socket 1155 board and the cutout on the motherboard tray is too small (or just not centered well) to properly install a back-plate for a cooler without removing the motherboard. Unfortunately I've had to change my cooler several times and each time I had to remove the motherboard because I can't access two of the mounting holes due to this misplaced cutout. I've wasted a fair amount of time due to this engineering shortcoming.

4. Hard drive mounting: I found that the hard drive cages, while a bit light-weight and not tool-free, work fairly well. Once you get the drives mounted in the cages they seem to slide in and out pretty easily. However, what's the deal with only including ONE hot-swap connection for the hard drive bays? All of the bays should have been hot-swap for a case of this price. To try and charge the consumer to buy the extra connectors at something like 15 bucks a pop is ludicrous. Speaking of hard drives, there's only one place to mount a small 2.5" SSD drive, and it's in a different plastic bracket mounted to the underside of the motherboard tray area. It's completely isolated from the rest of the hard drives and there's only room for one. Plus, it's so far from the PSU my cables just BARELY reached it -- also an enormous hassle. You might need to buy some longer cables here as well.

5. While the frame uses a rigid aluminum that feels sturdy, many of the components just feel kind of cheap for a case of this price. The side panels are overall pretty flimsy and easy to bend (see #2 and #9), the top cover is "plasticky" in both feel and appearance, the usb/audio connector panel/cover feels cheap, etc. It seems like you're paying for a quality frame with mediocre-quality components tacked on. For comparison, I found all of the pieces on my previous Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 of higher overall quality/feel.

6. Moving this case is a pain. While the hole you feed cables through at the back of the case serves as a nice handhold (albeit uncomfortable, that part is actually part of the aluminum frame), there's nothing in the way of handholds near the front. So you have to pick this beast up like a giant pile of logs. It's really annoying for a case of this size and weight.

7. 5.25" drive plug issue: This is a really common complaint about this board. The way the case is built prevents the power and/or sata connectors from plugging in to your top 5.25" drive unless you have a 90 degree connector.

8. USB/Audio/Power button panel: Why is there a sliding panel that covers the top usb/audio panel, but not the power/reset buttons? It's very realistic to drop something on, bump, or have my cat walk across this area and hit either button. I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the sliding cover at all. If anything, it just detracts from the look of the case without providing any real utility. It very much feels like this whole area of the case was a complete afterthought.

9. Side panels too difficult to put back on: This isn't a huge gripe, but aligning the the side panels to put them back on is less than ideal. This is especially true for the primary side panel, because the three 180mm fan filter tabs at the bottom of the case are so close to the mounting rail. I have to very carefully align the panel and then push firmly to get my panel to seat properly in this awkward gap.

10. PSU Intake vent size: I use a Corsair HX650 PSU and unfortunately the intake vent on the case is not the right size and/or positioned incorrectly. Part of my PSU's fan is blocked by the case. Not a huge deal but...really?

As you can see there are just too many downsides to this case for me to be able to recommend it. Does it cool well? Absolutely. Does it look pretty darn good? Yup. But after 2 years and building this list of negatives in my head, I just can't recommend this case to anyone going forward; there are way too many frustrations. I think I may go back to Cooler Master or some other brand in the future, and I'd recommend you do the same.

The case I received had none of the defects some of the others mentioned. It was perfectly packaged and shipped on time. The only gripe I have about it is how you remove the top cover. To remove the top cover you have to pull it with some force to lift it up. This could potentially scratch the paint job if you are not careful to pull with equal force on all sides (not easy to do). Other than that, it is quieter and sleeker than my older case the antec p180, which by the way was one of the best cases on the market in the past. One other thing, if you are using a wireless pc internet card, you have to remove the top cover, otherwise the top cover will interfere with the signal.

other than what was mentioned, It is a great case considering its revolutionary design. Heat flows upward as it does naturally and the aluminum side panels ensure adequate heat transfer with the surrounding environment.

If you received a defective case, I would get a replacement because as the majority have commented, this case is great.

I did a lot of research when I upgraded my system, and this one fit all my requirements. A multitude of useful innovations make this well worth the price.

Instead of having to slide your hard drives in right by the motherboard impeded by cables and cards, the bays open right out to the main side access panel - one of the bays has a hot-swap set up, too. Drive cables are routed out the opposite side, accessed via the other side panel. The hard drive mounts slide in with a locking mechanism (similar to dell servers) and the mounting screws have rubber gaskets to minimize sound and vibration, potentially prolonging HD life.

Airflow is common-sense: draw cool air from under the case and blow warm air up through the top. The entire floor of the case is 3 large fans, each with its own easy to remove mesh screen for minimizing dust and dirt contamination and easy cleaning (similar to a dryer lint trap). In addition, there is a smaller fan at the top to help draw hot air out the top.

The case is also designed for silent running: the side panels are insulated for sound, and even under heavy load with the video cards working hard and the hard drives spinning, it's whisper quiet. The large fans push more air at lower speeds, making for a quieter cool.

But the biggest design coup is the motherboard mount. Rotated so that the back panel of the motherboard is facing up, all of the power, network, video and USB cords are tidily routed up through a sturdy, but easily removable aluminum mesh panel. The PCIe cards are positioned right over the fans, and receive direct airflow, and because they're not right next to the hard drive bays, you can easily fit the bigger video cards with room to spare. There's also plenty of space for larger cpu fans or liquid cooling.

Sure the case is large, but the roomy compartment makes it easy to route your cables, cards, and drives and ensures all components are cool.

All the parts are sturdy, quality, and solid. No cheap, flashy, plastic parts to break. No shoddy paint scratching or peeling off.

If you don't mind a bigger case (they call it a mid-tower, but it's almost like a full tower tipped on its side), this case should last you through many upgrades. Actually, you'll probably never need to buy another case ever again.

I absolutely love this case and don't have much to add to the good things that everybody else has been saying (as well as the well-known minor issues).

I do want to add that this case now comes standard with USB 3.0 support for the top panel connectors, and the 3x180mm fans are now Silverstone's Air Penetrator fans (which have received almost nothing but rave reviews). I'm only saying this because if you watch/read any online reviews for this case from when it first came out, the top panel only had USB 2.0 and less-good 180mm fans in the bottom. Also, the Air Penetrator fans don't have those screw-on fan grills that the other fans had.

I was pleasantly surprised when I received my FT02 to find out that both of these upgrades are standard now and decided to write this review in case anyone was on the fence because of those things.

You get what you pay for that's for sure. This case is amazing. It is large for a reason: extremely quiet cooling that gets the job done. I can hardly hear the fans when I turn it on due to the insulation and the large fans. It also gives you low/high switches for the lower three large fans too which is nice. Air is pushed up and out the top of the case, so if you are going to put this in a cabinet or have the top covered then you might want to rethink your purchase or your placement. This is extremely professional case and if you want something that will last forever then you can rest assured this will be the best investment you can make in a case.

There are many great things about this case, from the solid construction, minimalist aesthetics, interior space, innovative rotation, great airflow (came with AP181 fans), sound dampening material, etc. However there are some little niggles that forces me to take away one star.

First, as is obvious, it is a *deep* case. The fact that everything gets plugged into the top instead of the rear means you can pretty much put the rear of the case flush against the wall but the front of the case still sticks out half a foot more than other cases. This may not be annoying for some, however it does cause some problems.

The mesh hood on top is high enough to provide ample room for cables to be plugged in but if you have a PCI(e) wireless network card there's no space for the antennae, though I suspect that it doesn't matter. I tried an old cheap wireless USB stick which fit quite nicely under the hood however, I kept losing signal. I suspect the mesh which lets air flow out of the top is made of aluminum and is causing interference so I had to purchase a different adapter.

The other problem due to the depth of the case when added with the position of the PSU mounted on the opposite side from the drive bays, you need cables at *least* two feet long to connect to the various drives. This depth also makes cable management a bit more difficult since the middle SATA power plugs less than two feet from the PSU create pockets of added thickness to have to route around. This does not include the problem with the cables from the front of the case, the previously mentioned USB, microphone and headphone which connects to the motherboard. The USB cable wasn't a problem since the corresponding pins on the motherboard was on the near edge but the Audio port was in the middle and the cable that comes with the case is not long enough to wrap around the far side or the bottom of the motherboard so I had to snake it across half the motherboard.

On the point of plugging in power, there was just barely enough room for me to plug in the power and SATA connection to my optical drive in the top slot and I'm not looking forward to changing it out when I finally get around to buying a Blu-ray.

Thinking about drives, unless I'm going blind there seems to be a lack of any eSATA ports in the case. There are two USB, a microphone and a headphone plug conveniently positioned and with a nice sliding cover but I would expect an eSATA port for a enclosure of this quality and price.

Overall it is a great case. I think most of my problems would be alleviated if they designed it with the PSU in the middle with the motherboard at the rear putting it one side and the drive bays on the other. This would make cable routing a bit easier as well as giving the external connections (monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc.) more cable to play with since the ports will be closer to the rear of the enclosure. As it stand now though, it is a step short of perfect.

FT02 gives power user the best of both worlds. It runs very very quiet yet provides amazing thermal performance to compliement any demanding build. I was previously using Antec P183 as my primary build, while P183 was an awesome case at its own right, the lack of interal space and just above average cooling had me looking for the next best case.

Ft02 blew through all my expectation. Standing next to Antec P183 you can really tell they belong in different league of build quality. Ft02 is clean, subtle like P183, but its full uni-body aluminum frame is just superior than Antec's steel-based gun metal frame. The thermal performance is superb, it brings down about 7-10 degree celcius my i7 @ 3.8ghz. Running prim 95 for 3 hours, the temperature never passed 69c with fans set to low and 65c with fans at high speed. (compared to 74c from P183) Keep in mind that all the cables rest on top of the case, so you can actually push FT02 closer to the all than any conventional case.

The motherboard cut out in the back is very very useful for users who like to modify cpu coolers, and you WILL need it if you are looking at high end case like this one. It's not as good as removable motherboard tray but it gets the job done. The cut out is big enough for various socktes of cpus, and cable management on this case is sufficient with multiple small hole here and there throughout the back plate. (unlike Antec P183, the cut out isn't big enough with intel i7 socket 1366)

Acoustic level is around 28 dBA with fans set to low, I won't call it inaduible but it's tolerable even for a bedroom pc. If this is for your work place or study room, you can have extra thermal cooling with fans set to high while it still relatively non-instrusive in noise.

Overall, I haven't been this satisfied with any pc enclosure for a very long time, FT02 not only looks fantastic but also with some of the best performance to boot. Simply flawless.

i received the case today. it is well built.

you can see all the "goods" on their website so i am not going to repeat.

i will list the "cons"

accessories: only 1 SSD mounting bracket. i could use a couple of 5"25 to 3"5 brackets. only 1 hot swap adapter.

on top of the case, it has mic and headphone jacks, and 2 USB 3.0 ports. some people complain about lacking of USB 2.0 ports, but it is backward compatible. i actually want to have USB 2.0 on the top because i have an USB 3.0 card reader which has USB 3.0 port. and my mobo only has 1 USB 3.0 header

the top cover is difficult to remove. i'd like it has a hinge and opens like a door. and mesh is too easy to be dented. as a matter of fact, mine came with a dent.

it doesnt have a 3.5" external bay. i had to buy the converter seperately SilverStone Aluminum Front Panel 5.25-Inch to 3.5-Inch Bay Converter FP55B (Black)

if i need another case, i would buy the same one again. the 90 rotated mobo design just makes a lot sense

this well executed beast of a case keeps everything cool with a common sense approach that works. air is drawn in from the bottom, directed up by three huge quiet fans, and sucked out of the top by another quiet fan, taking the heat with it. plenty of room for an aggressive system - my noctua nhd14 cooler doesn't fit in most cases. the only knock i have on it is the lack of cable management space - with as big of a case as this is, why not make it another half-inch wider to make cable management easier?