VPN: FT02B
Product ReviewsSILVERSTONE Fortress Series FT02B Black Computer Case
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55%
18%
27%
0%
0%
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With 11 User Reviews
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 Rating: Review Date: 05/25/12  |
Cons: Fans
Pros: Quiet, good padding |
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Rating: Review Date: 03/18/11 |
Cons:
Not much. Blue LEDs are obnoxious?
Pros: Attractive, minimal, functional. Comment:
Make no mistake, I really like this case. That said, from a ex-Mac-user's perspective:The case is quiet, but certainly not silent. I can clearly hear the fans, although it is a constant, white noise. The hard drive is audible, if barely.The case is well put together, but not perfect nor seamless. The top cover is a bitch to remove; the front bay covers are at slight angles. The power and reset LEDS are quite large and bright. I don't like blinky lights. I put black electrical tape over them so I can sleep better.The case isn't really aluminum; It's steel with steel sides, and an aluminum ring over the front-top-back-bottom. Somehow it weighs like 60lbs, which is your first clue. That's not really a con; I actually like the heft. It smacks of quality. It is called the Fortress...I think my next case will be the Raven 2 or 3; it's the same case, but with a significantly lower price tag. The fit and finish on the FT02 is nice, but for me, not $240 amazing.All in all, recommended. |
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Rating: Review Date: 03/08/11 |
Cons:
completely ignored by NCIX for a week, not a good first impression. I have not experienced this before regarding online stores.
Pros: should be a strong solid case, as it is heavy Comment:
when i ordered the photos depicted a case with a window. when it arrived i was excited, only to find it was without the side window. I phones and emailed as they requested, and explained their photo is misleading.never once had a reply until today when i called asking for a manager, within 20 min i had my RMA JUST IN TIME FOR THE CASE TO BE SOLD OUT!no i have 3 grand in computer equipment sitting in boxes, and an empty place where my previous pc was. I sold it to a friend the same day my case arrived expecting to have it built the next day.Thank you NCIX, I now must wait EVEN longer. Also thanks for changing the picture for the rest of the customers. |
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Rating: Review Date: 12/18/10 |
Cons:
- Can be quite tricky to install the top 5.25" optical drive, as the space for it is shorter than usual, and has no tool-less option. Also with an SLI/CrossFireX setup, you'll need a right-angle SATA cable.- It's a bit awkward to reach to the bottom of your PSU to install modular cables, especially if you have a lot installed already. Probably won't be an issue with shorter PSUs.- Mounting a closed-circuit water cooling loop as a CPU cooler (e.g. Corsair H50/70, Coolit ECO, etc) can be tricky due to the orientation of the top exhaust, but it is possible.- Most people complain about there not being enough room behind the motherboard tray for excess cables, but with a modular PSU I had next to no issues.. it just looks like it'll be a tight fit.- The hard-drive cages/trays that it comes with didn't work well with the OCZ SSD adapter I have, but it wasn't impossible to install the adapter--just tricky.
Pros: + Case practically cable manages itself.+ Great cooling from AP181 fans and 90-degree rotation of case.+ Room for a plethora of optical or storage drives.+ Exterior seems highly scratch resistant.+ Positive air pressure and filters ensure little to no dust buildup inside. Comment:
This was my second ever from-scratch PC build, and the last one I had done was 5 years ago, so I was a bit worried about setting up everything, especially in such a radical design (the 90-degree orientation leads to some issues during installation, but nothing that would detract from the value of the case) but all worked out in the end.The three 180MM AP181 fans along the bottom have really long cables to connect to any point on your motherboard, and the cable-routing options make it easy as pie to route cables wherever they may need to go, even though there are no rubber grommets covering the openings in the case.Temperatures are nice and low in this case, even at full load, and the built-in controllers for the AP181 fans (High or Low, no dial or anything) let you quiet the case down when you don't need tonnes of cooling.The case is quite sturdily built, but it is also quite heavy once you've installed everything in it. It only comes with room for one SSD/2.5" drive, which is on the back of the motherboard tray, but it's easy enough to mount the SSD there with the included bracket.Ultimately, this case was designed to be cool, quiet, and efficient, and even though I don't have a fan controller set up in it yet (still in the mail!) the fans it comes with seem to be nice and low db-wise. |
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Rating: Review Date: 10/15/10 |
Cons:
Price? (worth it)Didn't come with the AP181 fans
Pros: Amazing coolingVery QuietEasy to build in Comment:
Amazing case. Build a system in one for a friend, was very easy and worked extremely well. Went on sale and I managed to get free shipping so it was really hard to pass up. Case is extremely easy to build in, love the dust filters, case is always clean, and it cools extremely well.A little sad mine didn't come with the updated fans (AP181) but I guess all the stock is still getting switched over. Still worth it, and I'll just use the money I saved to grab a couple of the AP181s, unless NCIX loves me and hooks me up hahaha.I kinda wish there was a way to check before you ordered, but so far the only way is to look on the box. So if anyone is in the store, look at the picture on the side of the box, where it describes the fans. If it says Air Penetrator, then you're getting the good fans!I've read tons of reviews, and this is easily the best Aircooled case out there, along with the HAF X, but I'm not a kid anymore, and the FT02 is much classier looking, and quieter! |
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Rating: Review Date: 09/21/10 |
Cons:
priceQChhd cageno Silverstone Air Penetrator AP181 included
Pros: Aluminum unibody90 degree designtemperature Comment:
I returned the FT02B-W(with many problems) and purchase this case(gave another chance). Eventhough the QC is still the major problem of the case( hhd cage is too lax..etc), it is way better than the one with window. |
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Rating: Review Date: 09/03/10 |
Cons:
Some places cut corners, weak packaging for mid-premium case.
Pros: High quality, solid, and great looking case. Excellent air channeling layout. Comment:
I find most cases are made with thin metal sheets and lots of plastics. But then again, most cases dont cost $250.This case is very solid and feels very high quality. For example, when you remove the side panel, it doesnt buckle unlike most side panels. However, the unibody construction also means it is quite heavy.Good layout, good airflow, and easy to do cable management.My only big issue is that the packaging is quite inadequate for such heavy and expensive case. Sure, I don't expect the packaging to be in the same level as Thermaltake Level 10, but at the same time, Silverstone could have at least double boxed it. Also, they could have filled the box with packing pallets or air pillows. As a result of UPS's brutal handling of such heavy case, some of the screws in my case feel out and got pushed against the external case, leaving some scratches and marks... I suggest you do local pick-up if possible.Other than that, awesome case! |
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Rating: Review Date: 06/18/10 |
Cons:
Quality Control, Size, Noise Level
Pros: Great Layout, Fantastic Cooling, Easy to Build, Noise Level Comment:
Fantastic Case, really happy with it, however the case packaging was missing the PSU filter and one of the HD cages was semi melted - terrible Quality Control by Silverstone and a HUGE dissappointment after spending $250, I expect better than that for such an expensive case.Noise level is great, but at the same time still a little more noisy than I expected, the top exhaust fan needs thermal control or speed control.Would I buy it again, probably not, I'm I happy, yes. |
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Rating: Review Date: 05/15/10 |
Cons:
- 7 expansion slots
Pros: - Build quality- Great air flow- Dust filters- Sound dampening material Comment:
Good looking case with great build quality and attention to details. Very quiet but with great air flow. I was concerned about the plastic parts, but they are well integrated. |
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Rating: Review Date: 04/14/10 |
Cons:
Could have put fan adjustment sliders on exterior/ back. Having to take the cover off to change speed is a little irritating. Power/reset buttons should have been under the same slider as the usb/audio ports. Could have used a tiny bit more space in the behind motherboard tray.
Pros: Looks, Cooling, Quality. Just a fantastic case. Comment:
I had a CM 690 II advanced. My cooling was barely adeuqate. The fans clicked, which was annoying. I saw this case reviewd by several sites and was immediatley smitten with it. I live in an enviroment where dust is an issue (forced air heating) and was looking for a positive pressure case.This case met all of my expectations and more. It looks sexy, cools extremely well, and is quiet even on the higher setting. The finish is one of the best I ever had in a case. The weeknesses I listed take absolutely nothing away from this incrediblee case.Very highly recommended. |
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Rating: Review Date: 03/07/10 |
Cons: -Heavy (to be expected)
Pros: -SEXY-Handle for carrying-All-aluminum construction-Sturdy-High air flow-Tool-free design-Back panel ports... on top-Dust filters-All aluminum frame-Spacey-Noise dampening foamThe list goes on... Comment:
Wow. After buying an UGLY HAF 932, I decided it was too big, had dust problems and overall was not worth the purchase. I sold it to a friend, and put the money towards this.Wow. Just wow. Everything is impeccably constructed. I get compliments at LAN parties for its sheer beauty.Recommended a *thousand* times over. This has to be the BEST case on the market, nothing comes close. |
I bought this for my new setup and was quiet disappointed in the fans that came with the case. One of the fans at the bottom make a ticking noise and another makes a off-hum sound. I'm running two of the fans atm and it seems fine, but still. Everything else seems to be great. There were no chips on the paint and everything seems to be running smoothly. If you read some official reviews, they'll tell you all about it.