New Silverstone FT02

Blackstone

2[H]4U
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Mar 8, 2007
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Have you guys seen photos of this thing yet? Amazing.

Edit: Over 2 million views of this thread and counting! 12/29/2022.
 
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I think it has great potential if the price hovers around the 200 mark, it basically took the issues with the Raven1 and the Fortress1 and improved on it (Hard drive cooling impeding GPU cooling and wasted space in the case of the raven). Three 180mm fans with all the heat pushed upward should give it great cooling potential. I also think its a very clean design.

I love the look of the 800D too, but I have a feeling the street price will be in the upper 300s which will put it out of reach of most [H] members.
 
Something I didn't like with the horizontal 180mm fans is that they're sleeve bearing fans, and as such are much noisier when mounted horizontally.
 
It seems to me this case addresses all of my concerns with FT01 including accessability of the fan filters, hard drive cages impairing the airflow to the video card, while keeping the mid tower form factor and very clean, sophisticated design.

The only issue is external cable management which might be a bit awkward, but the cables still ultimately end up out the back of the case. In this size case I am willing to sacrifice some accessability to the motherboard ports for better cooling and unique aesthetics. In the reviews of FT01 that I read, the CPU cooling was tremendous and the GPU cooling lacking. Now you have a positive air pressure case that directly feeds the video cards and is orientated to exhaust heat in the direction it rises to boot.

The price should be around $200.
 
I just moved my system into the (original) Raven and I have to say that I'm extremely impressed. It's not nearly as gaudy, heavy or plasticky in person as the chatter online made it out to be. Cable management was better than advertised as well. The FT02, though, looks like it addresses many of the shortcomings of the Raven - and I'll probably get the FT02 when it comes out. I'll skip the Raven 2 because I think it looks worse than the original Raven. The FT02 looks very nice.

So now the question is, when are these new cases going to be available?

edit: looks like the FT02 will be available in August for around $219. I'm in for one come August.
 
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Something I didn't like with the horizontal 180mm fans is that they're sleeve bearing fans, and as such are much noisier when mounted horizontally.

You are right on that as normal sleeve bearing fans become noisier only when they are positioned horizontally to blow air up because they vibrate a lot in that particular orientation (this is not a problem if the fan is blowing air down). Noise caused by vibration aside, sleeve bearing fan is still quieter than ball bearing fan. So when we were developing the 180mm fans for the Fortress FT01 and RAVEN RV01 case last year, we spent quite a lot of time solving this problem, eventally we found that a custom spacer designed to fit between the C ring and the bearing cover did the trick and eliminated the vibration.
 
You are right on that as normal sleeve bearing fans become noisier only when they are positioned horizontally to blow air up because they vibrate a lot in that particular orientation (this is not a problem if the fan is blowing air down). Noise caused by vibration aside, sleeve bearing fan is still quieter than ball bearing fan. So when we were developing the 180mm fans for the Fortress FT01 and RAVEN RV01 case last year, we spent quite a lot of time solving this problem, eventally we found that a custom spacer designed to fit between the C ring and the bearing cover did the trick and eliminated the vibration.

welcome, tony! thanks for the info. hope to see more help from you around the forums. i know people really respect and appreciate the help from manufacturer representatives like yourself.
 
You are right on that as normal sleeve bearing fans become noisier only when they are positioned horizontally to blow air up because they vibrate a lot in that particular orientation (this is not a problem if the fan is blowing air down). Noise caused by vibration aside, sleeve bearing fan is still quieter than ball bearing fan. So when we were developing the 180mm fans for the Fortress FT01 and RAVEN RV01 case last year, we spent quite a lot of time solving this problem, eventally we found that a custom spacer designed to fit between the C ring and the bearing cover did the trick and eliminated the vibration.

Interesting. I own a Silverstone FT01, and while the top fan isn't necessarily loud (I'm just very picky) the top 180mm is subjectively twice as noisy as the front intake. I may try switching the two to see if the difference is purely based on orientation.

In any case, good to see that you guys have put some thought into this- this is the sort of information that enthusiasts love to know. Also, definitely stick around; we love complaining to manufacturers :D

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I should add that with the top fan unplugged and a Gelid 120mm silent fan on the back (front 180mm stock) case noise drops below ambient for me, which is impressive.
 
ken- you're right that the top fan is noisier, but I only notice that with my ear literally touching the fan with the side panel off. For me as soon as my two caviar blacks spin up they become the loudest components (though overall still quiet). If I could just eliminate the HD noise...

Tony- what about an upgrade program? I'd love to try out the FT02, but I don't think I can justify another $200some case.
 
Why so many external bays? Useless.

You forgot "IMO" at the end of your sentence.

5 external drive bays is pretty standard and hardly excessive. Two opticals, one card reader and something like a fan controller and you've filled up four of them already. So is it really too many? Or useless?
 
Yeah I posted about this a while back during computex along with the Raven 2. All they need to do is make a Black FT02 and I'm sold.

No stealth fighter looks, and more drive bays for RAIDing.
 
Yeah I posted about this a while back during computex along with the Raven 2. All they need to do is make a Black FT02 and I'm sold.

No stealth fighter looks, and more drive bays for RAIDing.

In black it would certainly be more appealing. Regardles I'd like more pictures of it from more angles.
 
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If they continue in the tradition of the original fortress, there will be a black version and then a windowed version of both. I just went to check out the pics again and I realized there's none actually with the side panel attached. Perhaps just silver and black this time?
 
Here is a shot of a pre-production FT02 in black:

FT02B_01.JPG
 
I think the FT01 was a lot nicer looking.. all they had to do was fix those few fan/filter issues..
 
exactly why i've always like silverstone cases, just simple and clean. although i still think the TJ09/10 is the best looking case out there.

I can almost agree with you. The TJ-09 is a good looking case, but it isn't without its flaws. In the asthetics department on the FT02 I'd like to see a smaller logo. That's one thing I've never been a huge fan of. I own a TJ-09 mind you and its one of the few complaints I have about it. Another general complaint is with regard to the ultra thin side panels. I'd like to see these made thicker. The main reason is that when you start stuffing wires behind the motherboard tray, it can cause the side panel to buldge.

TJ-09 specific: The flip up USB/front panel ports on the TJ-09 could also be made to feel smoother. Mine almost feels like there is sand in it. When you push it down it makes a ton of noise which I don't like. That sounds like a very long list of complaints, but trust me, if you've ever read my comments in other case threads, that's a pretty high endorsement of a case. Normally I have much longer lists of issues with a case.
 
I can almost agree with you. The TJ-09 is a good looking case, but it isn't without its flaws. In the asthetics department on the FT02 I'd like to see a smaller logo. That's one thing I've never been a huge fan of. I own a TJ-09 mind you and its one of the few complaints I have about it. Another general complaint is with regard to the ultra thin side panels. I'd like to see these made thicker. The main reason is that when you start stuffing wires behind the motherboard tray, it can cause the side panel to buldge.

TJ-09 specific: The flip up USB/front panel ports on the TJ-09 could also be made to feel smoother. Mine almost feels like there is sand in it. When you push it down it makes a ton of noise which I don't like. That sounds like a very long list of complaints, but trust me, if you've ever read my comments in other case threads, that's a pretty high endorsement of a case. Normally I have much longer lists of issues with a case.

I have similar complaints on the TJ10 I have. Early on I had a rattling problem with the side panels because they were thin then it just disappeared after I took the case apart. And my panels do bulge slightly, but not too much since I use a modular psu and don't need that many connectors.

If they ever release a TJ09/10 v2, I think they should have thicker side panels, better cable management, and an easier way to access the middle intake fan.
 
I have similar complaints on the TJ10 I have. Early on I had a rattling problem with the side panels because they were thin then it just disappeared after I took the case apart. And my panels do bulge slightly, but not too much since I use a modular psu and don't need that many connectors.

If they ever release a TJ09/10 v2, I think they should have thicker side panels, better cable management, and an easier way to access the middle intake fan.

Agreed. Make the logo smaller and I think it would be an instant hit for them. Of course I'd like to see an 8th expansion slot so that I could use all four of my PCI-Express slots provided by my EVGA Classified board. However, that would likely require a significant redesign of the case, and truly few people need that.
 
I like everything about it except the lack of it being made entirely of aluminum, seriously bump it up to full body and frame aluminum and make it $300 like we know they want to.
 
I have similar complaints on the TJ10 I have. Early on I had a rattling problem with the side panels because they were thin then it just disappeared after I took the case apart. And my panels do bulge slightly, but not too much since I use a modular psu and don't need that many connectors.

If they ever release a TJ09/10 v2, I think they should have thicker side panels, better cable management, and an easier way to access the middle intake fan.

+1

Agreed. Make the logo smaller and I think it would be an instant hit for them. Of course I'd like to see an 8th expansion slot so that I could use all four of my PCI-Express slots provided by my EVGA Classified board. However, that would likely require a significant redesign of the case, and truly few people need that.

+1 also

I like everything about it except the lack of it being made entirely of aluminum, seriously bump it up to full body and frame aluminum and make it $300 like we know they want to.

Having used all aluminum cases (TJ09 and a slew of Lian Li's) for the last couple of years and swearing by them, I can tell you that steel isn't the evil people make it out to be. I just sold off my TJ09 and most of my LL's because I moved my system into the Raven - which is all steel and plastic (gasp!) . . . and the only thing you lose is pure aesthetics.

While you can't deny to beauty of a nice brushed/anodized aluminum case, it is not without its drawbacks as the others above have noted. My main complaints with all previous aluminum cases were the potential rattles, fragility and bulging of the side panels and how easily the interior gets marked up by the installation of parts. People complain that steel is ugly and heavy. As big as the Raven is, it is not at all heavy. It's very quiet and much more sturdy. Even the plastic doesn't look plastic - so it's all very typical Silverstone quality that you'd expect from their cases.

An aluminum exterior and steel interior on the FT02 will be awesome because I think that gives you the best of both worlds. I wouldn't let the steel parts deter you from buying the FT02 - it won't deter me that's for sure. Again, this is coming a someone who had nothing but all aluminum cases for some time now.
 
+1



+1 also



Having used all aluminum cases (TJ09 and a slew of Lian Li's) for the last couple of years and swearing by them, I can tell you that steel isn't the evil people make it out to be. I just sold off my TJ09 and most of my LL's because I moved my system into the Raven - which is all steel and plastic (gasp!) . . . and the only thing you lose is pure aesthetics.

While you can't deny to beauty of a nice brushed/anodized aluminum case, it is not without its drawbacks as the others above have noted. My main complaints with all previous aluminum cases were the potential rattles, fragility and bulging of the side panels and how easily the interior gets marked up by the installation of parts. People complain that steel is ugly and heavy. As big as the Raven is, it is not at all heavy. It's very quiet and much more sturdy. Even the plastic doesn't look plastic - so it's all very typical Silverstone quality that you'd expect from their cases.

An aluminum exterior and steel interior on the FT02 will be awesome because I think that gives you the best of both worlds. I wouldn't let the steel parts deter you from buying the FT02 - it won't deter me that's for sure. Again, this is coming a someone who had nothing but all aluminum cases for some time now.

Yes, but silverstone uses pathetically thin side panels (especially on their ft01). I guarantee the side panel on the FT02 will bulge very easily too.

I dealt with the FT01, and I did not like it. Build quality wasn't that great, and I hated the plastic hdd racks.

You prefer the raven over the b70 I sold you?
 
Yes, but silverstone uses pathetically thin side panels (especially on their ft01). I guarantee the side panel on the FT02 will bulge very easily too.

I dealt with the FT01, and I did not like it. Build quality wasn't that great, and I hated the plastic hdd racks.

You prefer the raven over the b70 I sold you?

Hey bud, I'm deciding between the two. The B70 cools A LOT better than the Raven for me (surprisingly). Granted it's been hot here the last two days but I thought the Raven would AT LEAST have better GPU cooling and equal CPU cooling - it has proven otherwise so far.

The thing I loved about the B70 is that the temps were within 1 to 2*C of each other with the side panel on or off - b/c the 140mm fans do a pretty good job bringing in cool air IF you remove the filters in front of them. The only thing I didn't like about the B70 was that (as you would know) it's just one ginormous black rectangular mass staring down at me on my desk. There's nothing awe inspiring about the exterior looks of the B70 at all - it's a big, black, boring rectangular box :(

The Raven, though steel and plastic, definitely has more character to it. I'm sad to say that when I put the side panel on, I gain 6 to 10*c in both CPU and GPU - which puzzles me. This is the same pet peeve that caused me to sell my all time favor TJ09-BW last month. So now I've got a Raven running with side panel off, which I hate.

The B70 is still sitting here . . . I might have to move everything back into it until I can get my hands on the FT02???


BTW, yeah, I did forget how thin the side panels were on my TJ09. I hated that too. Hope the FT02's is better than that. While the plastic HDD trays on the Raven (which I assume are the same as the FT01/FT02) aren't stellar - they're no worse than the fairly flimsy tool-less trays on the B70 so I call them a wash for now.


Here are links to pics of my system in both cases:

Raven:

http://imagehost.vendio.com/preview/ye/yenniedn/raven1.jpg

B70:

http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/yenniedn/b70a.jpg
 
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yeah, yenn, it's pretty weird how your b70 has better temps than the raven. If your main concern is truly cooling, you may want to look into the PC-P80. It has 3 140 intake fans, and plenty of space to put in more blow holes. It should give better temps than the B70, and it won't look like a lame rectangular box.

It does look like the FT02 will have good cooling, but it does look cramped in there, and I remember you saying you liked bigger cases.
 
I like the unibody construction and clean looks, but Silverstone's latest cases all have wacky airflow designs. Seems like the designers don't really know how to optimize airflow for cooling, so they just do a bunch of different things.
 
...have you even looked at the pics on the first page of this thread? Compared to say antec's evolutions, Silverstone has made revolutionary changes in this case. Look at the difference between a P180/182/183 and then look at the difference between the RV01 and RV02 and then the FT01 and FT02.
 
I like the FT02 overall, I just wish there was room on top of the intake fans for a radiator. I'm sure Feser or Thermochill would custom make a 3x180 rad if someone's checkbook was properly equipped, but the case simply doesn't look like there is enough room for it

Perhaps Silverstone should consider an FT02 "extended edition" for folks that run watercooling

Ditch one of the 5.25" drive bays, move the hard drive rack up a bit to make room for the radiator, and add an 8th expansion slot to the mobo tray, and make the mobo tray removable = EPIC WIN
 
The thing is, Silverstone does not have the best overall cooling--they never have. Silverstone is for people interested in a certain, high-end aesthetic. Each aluminum design they have is compromised in some way to achieve a certain aesthetic. I have the TJ07 and even though it is a terrific case, the stock configuration does not address video card cooling as well as cheaper cases like an Antec 900.

I like the FT02 design because it seems to have everything--with the motherboard rotated 90 degrees and the three bottom intake fans you have at least part of what makes the Antec 900 or Lian Li PC-P60/PC-P80 so formidable. Those cases have superior cooling ability and they all have three front intakes covering most or all of the motherboard tray. The FT02 seems to have this as well but by moving the intakes to the bottom they can leave five front drive bays open. In most designs the front intakes take up the drive bays. Then you add the positive pressure feature, easy access dust filters, sound reducing foam, and a really clean look and you have one attractive package. The look is very professional and adult. I don't like cases that look like aliens or toys.

It wouldn't have to have the best airflow on the market to win me over--I would settle for a compact, quiet, sophisticated looking case that gives each component the air it needs. I am very excited about this case.

Also even though I think moving the motherboard ports to the top of the machine might be a little a awkward, I think by covering that whole area and leaving only a single vent on the back of the case, they have created a very elegant looking case. I can't think of another midtower I find more attractive at the moment.
 
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I wish there was some sort of nice Silverstone aluminum optical drive cover for this case. Lian Li makes one but I don't think it is compatible without modification. I love silver cases but it is so much harder to blend an optical drive with a silver case. With black the drives don't spoil the look nearly as much.
 
Blackstone- In a test that included the FT01, antec 900, and the antec 1200, the original FT01 did fairly well considering its noise levels. (GPU used was gtx 280 with a qx9770)
http://www.custompc.co.uk/labs/238068/silverstone-ft01-w.html
1hr stress test: (GPU/CPU/HD temps)

FT01 (100/92/49)
900 (95/92/50)
1200 (96/90/48)
HAF932 (failed test, crashed 101+/87+/48)

while the FT01 posted the highest gpu temps, it pretty much matched the other cases in cpu/hd temps all while generating much less noise. Personally, 4C wasn't much of a compromise for me to give up, and I can only see the FT02 improving immensely in the gpu cooling area as well as overall with the improved design, all while not sounding like a vacuum cleaner.

keep in mind the ambient temps for the lab tests are set at 35C = 95F
 
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love the milky white, hope to see a windowed side panel version, this or the FT01 will be in my next build (maybe the TJ04 if I dropped the RAID0 idea or ran out of budget)

another pic:

2i77ns8.jpg
 
Blackstone- In a test that included the FT01, antec 900, and the antec 1200, the original FT01 did fairly well considering its noise levels. (GPU used was gtx 280 with a qx9770)
http://www.custompc.co.uk/labs/238068/silverstone-ft01-w.html
1hr stress test: (GPU/CPU/HD temps)

FT01 (100/92/49)
900 (95/92/50)
1200 (96/90/48)
HAF932 (failed test, crashed 101+/87+/48)

while the FT01 posted the highest gpu temps, it pretty much matched the other cases in cpu/hd temps all while generating much less noise. Personally, 4C wasn't much of a compromise for me to give up, and I can only see the FT02 improving immensely in the gpu cooling area as well as overall with the improved design, all while not sounding like a vacuum cleaner.

I know but five degrees difference in GPU temps is enormous. Note that the Haf932 crashed and the GPU was only one degree warmer than the FT01.
 
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