SilverStone Fortress FT05 90 Degree ATX Full Tower Review @ [H]

I've just tried to do some more cable management and once again the FT05 defeated me when I tried to route everything behind the motherboard tray. I put in some adjustable self adhesive cable clips in the front, below the motherboard to hold the motherboard and GPU power cables, and it's now looking quite nice from that side, but it's still a mess if you look behind the motherboard tray. There's simply too little room.
 
There's simply too little room.
yup, this is one of the few drawbacks, i feel silverstone could have made it 5mm wider and help the user with the cable management, its really tight on the back, but doable, just not that easy, like we see on most cases these days.

Medium? I thought there was just L and H on the AP182 fans?
AP182 has a knob, which allows almost any range that the fan is capable. AP181s on the other hand has a switch, on the TJ08-E had Low and High, on the FT05 i never checked, since i swapped the fans.
 
yup, this is one of the few drawbacks, i feel silverstone could have made it 5mm wider and help the user with the cable management, its really tight on the back, but doable, just not that easy, like we see on most cases these days.

It also needs 5mm more between the motherboard and the front of the case. You have to fit the CPU power cable and any fan cables before screwing in the motherboard.

Fortunately for me, the GPU and motherboard power cables are already black so the pair of black cable clips was sufficient.
 
AP182 has a knob, which allows almost any range that the fan is capable. AP181s on the other hand has a switch, on the TJ08-E had Low and High, on the FT05 i never checked, since i swapped the fans.

We updated the AP181 to three speeds with the introduction of RV04 back in 2013, in case you are wondering:

Original AP181
Low = 700rpm
High = 1200rpm

Updated AP181
Low = 600rpm
Medium = 900rpm
High = 1200rpm
 
After looking at loads of reviews and after owning an ft02 since they launched (and swapping last year to a 750d) its surprising that silverstone didn't address some of the issues with the ft02 and implement them into this case.

Obvious ones being:

More space needed at the back panel so cables don't bulge it outwards.

More cable management routing options, rubber grommets would probably help tidy the look of the interior instead of seeing cables dangle around close to the fans.

Better ssd support, the implementation on the ft05 seems like an afterthought.

Maybe a shroud of some description to cover the end of the psu to keep the cables under wraps?

More cable tie spots on the backplate.

Possibly make the gap at the bottom with the fan filter taller so its easier to get in and clean dust out.

Make the rear exhaust have mounting holes for either 120mm or 140 mm so it gives some options for aio coolers instead of being restricted to 120mm only.

And for silverstone in general its obvious that they need some kind of spares listing on their site so its easy to direct order, at the minute you have to jump through hoops to get any replacement parts. One of the reasons i switched to a 750 d was having multiple ssd drives and adopters not playing nicely with the drive sleds and the hot swap connectors. Plus you only got 1 ssd adapter with the ft02 and ordering more was a nightmare, more often than not emails would get no response. The silverstone eu\uk dept needs a good boot in the ass.

And as a question for Tony, what happened the silver ft02 with window? I could never find that anywhere, silver with no window seemed to be available but i could never find silver windowed version.
 
Here's another issue with the FT05: the PSU is so close to the motherboard that you cannot put a dual-slot GPU in the end PCIe slot.
 
And as a question for Tony, what happened the silver ft02 with window? I could never find that anywhere, silver with no window seemed to be available but i could never find silver windowed version.

Thanks for the feedbacks Chris.

As to your question regarding FT02S-W (silver with window), they are harder to find due to slower runway so many stores don't carry them anymore. However, our European office still has them in stock so you should be able to special order them (if not listed) from a local SilverStone reseller.
 
Thanks for the feedbacks Chris.

As to your question regarding FT02S-W (silver with window), they are harder to find due to slower runway so many stores don't carry them anymore. However, our European office still has them in stock so you should be able to special order them (if not listed) from a local SilverStone reseller.

Is there any reason why there's not a website with spare parts on that we can order form direct? Corsair has this and its pretty handy to get spare parts from. With silverstone we have to rely on email and in my experience it's only occasionally they get answered. I needed a new psu filter for my ft02 as the clips had snapped, emailed about it a few times and never got a response. :(
 
Is there any reason why there's not a website with spare parts on that we can order form direct? Corsair has this and its pretty handy to get spare parts from. With silverstone we have to rely on email and in my experience it's only occasionally they get answered. I needed a new psu filter for my ft02 as the clips had snapped, emailed about it a few times and never got a response. :(

Our online e-mail form was down for nearly a week earlier this year, maybe you were one of the unlucky ones that send a message then. For spare part purchases from our European office, please try the below direct e-mail address:

[email protected]
 
Our online e-mail form was down for nearly a week earlier this year, maybe you were one of the unlucky ones that send a message then. For spare part purchases from our European office, please try the below direct e-mail address:

[email protected]

Well got a component list from them early last week, mailed back what i needed for a quote twice now and no response so far :(
 
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Built in this case about a week ago. Fairly pleased with it. The mention of cable management is indeed interesting in this case, however unless you are taking photos to display some cables being in front of the tray but tucked away from the fans is irrelevant. The gap between the slot loader and motherboard tray should be utilized, and there should be plenty of space to route cables underneath the motherboard itself if you want a perfectly clean build. This of course adds a lot of effort most people would find aggravating.

The AP182's (and newest AP181s) do allow you to ziptie to the corners if you so choose. With one GPU, I found this unnecessary, as there is enough of a gap in front of the AP182 to tuck 2x GPU cables, routing them around the AP182 from the PSU.

In terms of sizing, side by side the the NZXT S340, the FT05 is barely any wider or taller. This means the 36L figure of the S340 does not include the feet, while the 46L of the FT05 is the entire chassis. The S340 is probably 42-44L in actuality.

I find I greatly dislike the PCI slot cover employed on this case. While the TJ08-E one was annoying, this one is downright frustrating.

Regarding CPU cooler compatibility. The official specs state 162mm max height. Based on what I can surmise, this is the windowed version.The non-window should allow 165mm coolers, as the acrylic panel appears to be about 3mm in thickness.

Based on specs, you would assume the NH-D15 does not fit the windowed version. This is not a correct assumption.

The NH-D15 is 160mm in height. The additional 5mm comes from the outside fan which typically sits over DIMM slots and must be mounted higher. Therefore:

1) If you don't use this outside fan, it fits. The fan that sits in between the towers can be mounted much lower and is not affected.
2) If you use a 120mm fan on the outside, it will of course fit, as long as you are mindful of the heatsink size on your memory modules (no different than the NH-D14)
3) If you do not have more than 2 DIMM slots on either side (Some X99 ATX and all X99 mATX), you will be able to mount the NF-A15 fan much lower and run into no issues.

This is probably the biggest dual tower cooler that can actually fit the windowed version of the case. I have not kept up to date with all the new manufacturers that have come onto the scene, so feel free to correct me. The Silver Arrow IB-E is technically 162MM (SB-E is 165), but it's fans also sit higher and will cause issues it seems.
 
Got the case and loving it so far except cable management issues. Quick question about HS to be installed:

Noctua NH-D15
Thermalright Silver Arrow IB-E
Thermalright Macho Rev.B

Main target it quietness, not overclocking (CPU 2500K)
 
So uh, I just moved my build over to this case, it was a long process and a bit hard for me (guess I'm not very good at this lol) but I'm fairly pleased with the result.

However now that everything is setup I am surprised by the noise which is quite bad. I'm coming from an old Antec 902 with all fans running on minimum speed (not very noisy but also lacking any sort of vibration or noise dampening so not amazingly quiet either, 2x120 intakes, 1x120 + 1x200mm exhausts so a lot more fans than the FT05...).

I'm not sure what's going on, might be vibrations (got 2 7200 rpm HDDs) and the fact that I'm close to the top of the case? I'm not sure how I could fix this (the vibrations I mean, of course I can move the case around a bit). And yes fans are running on Low, on High it's absolutely unbearable for me (which is weird after reading the reviews, I did not imagine they could be that loud).
 
Sigh, I'll run tests without the HDDs and see if I can do anything about it but this really sucks on a 170€ case. I really want to love this case but I'm not quite ready to buy 2TB+ of SSD storage :p

I think I must have messed up something though, my 980 ti is getting really hotter and louder than before despite the ambient temp being MUCH lower than the previous days/weeks (I'm talking 10-15c vs 25-30c lol). :confused: I'm tired so it will have to wait tomorrow but there's something really not right (or my previous case was just THAT good but I find that hard to believe).
 
Spinning drives belong in a NAS far away from where you sit anyhow. :)

You might try putting a few layers of cloth between the drives and the side of the case, if it fits.

I can barely hear my fans even on high so I wonder if you've got some sounding board action going on.
 
Spinning drives belong in a NAS far away from where you sit anyhow. :)

Sure it will come to this eventually, but that is not realistic for me right now. Not at all. I must have those 2Gb+ of storage inside my case (and I do already have 2 SSDs including a 512Gb one). And it also has to be two drives not just one (of course a single SSD would be fine) because one is used for live video recording (in 1440p@30-60fps that is pretty demanding) while the other holds a large amount of frequently accessed data (and also a lot of single player games). Give me an affordable 2Tb+ SSD (or 2x1Tb) and I'll happily jump ship though :p But those 1tb platter Blue drives are really nice for the time being, quiet and fast.

And yes, everywhere I read that the fans are audible but not loud on high while they are whisper quiet on low. This is not my experience so far. When I booted with the fans on high it was terrifying lol. On low it seems okay, I think it's just the vibrations that are bothering me.

When I get back home I'll run some tests without the HDDs and see how it goes. I would really hate to have to return this and go back to my old case, I love the compact form and how easy it is to clean up the dust filters etc.
 
I can barely hear my fans even on high so I wonder if you've got some sounding board action going on.
No fan above 1k rpms is quiet, on high the AP181 are very noticeable, probably your environment is noisier so you dont distinguish or the niose blends, but there is no way an AP181 at 1k rpms is quiet. In my experience the AP181 are quiet around 450rpms, and the most i like is around 700rpms, above this for me simply not worth the amount of noise they produce.

Sigh, I'll run tests without the HDDs and see if I can do anything about it but this really sucks on a 170€ case. I really want to love this case but I'm not quite ready to buy 2TB+ of SSD storage :p
Drop the 7200rpms drives, get a WD Red or Green, you can find them from 1tb to 6tb, try to go with only one if you can to avoid more noise, and get a decent sized ssd to fit your os/programs needs.
 
Well, it's definitely the HDDs that are causing me trouble. Right now I put them on top of my case (in the Silverstone plastic cage) with some clothes to avoid vibrations and while I can hear the spinning noise, it's much better than having the whole case vibrate lol. There is so little room inside I don't know what I could possibly do to fix the issue honestly, short of building some sort of rubber cage or whatever. I do plan on going full SSD for my main rig eventually but right now that would be way too expensive.

That being said I'm not impressed with the thermals when gaming, it must be conflicting with my GPU fans somehow, I've never seen my 980 ti get this hot and this fast, I really don't know wtf this Herculez X3 cooler is doing but it's going nuts and this wasn't happening at all in my Antec 902, even with high ambient temp. I'm still within my return window so I may go back to the Antec this week end and return it :(

And yeah I'm not sure how you can find the fans quiet on medium or high (I just tested without any HDDs connected to be sure), your environment must be much noisier than mine, even on low they are clearly audible to me - though it's perfectly acceptable and definitely qualifies as "quiet".
 
My case is on carpet and under the desk so I bet that helps a ton, plus the ceiling fan is going and often the AC is running. Compared to my old case with 120mm fans it's quiet. Not silent by any means. Far quieter under load as well as the other fans don't ramp up as high, although I have a different, likely quieter, CPU cooler fan.

This case is poorly suited to HDs IMHO as it has no vibration damping for them and a small space to mount them in.

I find it very odd you're getting higher GPU temps, are you running the same fan profile for it?
 
Yep, I haven't changed anything regarding my GPU, not even the drivers. It's not overclocked and I have never touched the fans or anything.

My CPU is not running any hotter on the other hand (with an old Noctua NH-U12P cooler), and mobo etc. seem fine as well. There just seems to be some heat build up around the GPU somehow... I have re-done the cabling and everything when I took out the HDD case (which didn't help the temps btw) so it seems really strange to me. I mean ok my Antec 902 had good airflow but THAT good?
 
Well, it's definitely the HDDs that are causing me trouble. Right now I put them on top of my case (in the Silverstone plastic cage) with some clothes to avoid vibrations and while I can hear the spinning noise, it's much better than having the whole case vibrate lol. There is so little room inside I don't know what I could possibly do to fix the issue honestly, short of building some sort of rubber cage or whatever. I do plan on going full SSD for my main rig eventually but right now that would be way too expensive.

That being said I'm not impressed with the thermals when gaming, it must be conflicting with my GPU fans somehow, I've never seen my 980 ti get this hot and this fast, I really don't know wtf this Herculez X3 cooler is doing but it's going nuts and this wasn't happening at all in my Antec 902, even with high ambient temp. I'm still within my return window so I may go back to the Antec this week end and return it :(

And yeah I'm not sure how you can find the fans quiet on medium or high (I just tested without any HDDs connected to be sure), your environment must be much noisier than mine, even on low they are clearly audible to me - though it's perfectly acceptable and definitely qualifies as "quiet".

The case does better with partial exhaust heatsinks like the MSI Gaming 4G where the heatpipes predominantly run horizontally instead of vertically. The Herculez has vertically running heatpipes that might be at the point where you would see some temperature effect (I think it was 10" or so of a vertical heatpipe run where it would start to be a noticeable detriment to cooling), but it shouldn't be too drastic of a temperature difference either way. This issue got brought up with the FT02 but no one had a clear conclusion on it.

Can you try it in another slot? Try it with the bottom fans off too to see if it is something with air circulation.
 
You didn't install a fan on the top (by the MB port block) did you? That or an overactive CPU cooler fan could be creating a hot zone near the GPU. Also make sure both of the big fans are running, only one could make for some weird air pockets.
 
No I had no extra fan installed. I don't have another PCI-E slot (well there's that x4 one but yeah no thanks). The Noctuas on my CPU fan are locked at 900 rpm with ULNA adapters, and they are plugged straight into the PSU, they don't ever go any faster or any slower.

I'm back in the Antec now and yep GPU temps are miles better, I know Furmark is not a very realistic test but I can tell you there's a huge difference between my GPU fans having to run at up to 60% versus hovering at 46% lol In games it's night and day as well.

And tbh I find the Antec quieter (or maybe it's just a smoother sound signature?) overall. All the fans are running at 900rpm or less and the PSU is a Seasonic X-560 so semi passive.

So yeah the Silverstone is going back, I thought it would work for me but it seems not. I could have spent more time with it but I don't feel like it to be honest. It's relatively expensive so I expected better and didn't think I would have to spend much time tinkering with it. Yeah it's compact and kind of nice but I feel it's missing some things to be a real hit. Slightly better cable management, a better HDD cage etc. would certainly change my mind. I'm sure the GPU temp issue could be fixed one way or another but I'm moving on - maybe the next Silverstone case will be the one though? By then I should have a full SSD setup at least :p
 
Sounds like the GPU cooler you have doesn't react well to the 90 degree rotation then. You could probably test this easily by rotating your Antec case 90 degree to see if you get similar increase in GPU temperature.
 
Sounds like the GPU cooler you have doesn't react well to the 90 degree rotation then. You could probably test this easily by rotating your Antec case 90 degree to see if you get similar increase in GPU temperature.

Yes it does appear to be so. I just did some testing and also just raising the speed of the 200mm exhaust fan at the top of my Antec case (creating a strong negative air pressure) somehow increased the temps of my GPU rather than decrease it. Weird.

This GPU cooler is pretty poor anyway, I'm not sure why the version used on the 780/780 ti got good reviews (note that this isn't exactly the same model as the one used on the Inno3d iChill Ultra X3 version, it's a cheaper and older one : http://geizhals.at/p/1275005.jpg ) as those cards supposedly had a similar TDP to the 980 ti. Still, I can manage to keep it somewhat quiet and not too hot in my current case but I will probably end up getting a Prolimatech-MK26 or similar since I care so much about silence and it's currently throttling slightly in some situations.

I will maybe get a Fractal R5 along with it to quieten the whole rig further. It's a big case though, nothing like the FT05 but I think it might be a smarter choice for me.
 
Two Titan X GPUs and a Nofan CR-95 in a FT05

Outside view:

FT05_Outside_view_zpsvsrg8ueu.jpg


Inside view:

FT05_Inside_view_zpsqyklgtcz.jpg


Close-up of cabling at bottom:

FT05_Main_Cabling_2_zpsyvborgz6.jpg


Those are a couple of adhesive clamps from B&Q keeping the cables sort-of-tidy.

The horror story at the back:

FT05_Back_zpsqm7cvi9e.jpg


I could not keep the 3.5" drive bay and decided to remove the optical bay as well.
 
Looks so cramped, the Titans must be getting pretty loud. Doesn't the CPU get a little hot as well under very heavy loads? Heatsink is practically touching one of the GPUs.

edit : actually the i7-3770S is probably fine temp-wise, but pairing that with 2 Titans X seems pretty odd to me. I'd have put just one (or a 980 ti) along with a Prolimatech MK-26 or similar for truly quiet computing.
 
That No-Fan is awesomely large and should be a perfect fit for that 180mm fan right below it :)
 
Looks so cramped, the Titans must be getting pretty loud. Doesn't the CPU get a little hot as well under very heavy loads? Heatsink is practically touching one of the GPUs.

edit : actually the i7-3770S is probably fine temp-wise, but pairing that with 2 Titans X seems pretty odd to me. I'd have put just one (or a 980 ti) along with a Prolimatech MK-26 or similar for truly quiet computing.

They'd be okay - it's a positive pressure case, and overwhelmingly so. The two 181 AP's intakes below provide plenty of air to all the components and remove it via pressure out through the ample ventilation at the top of the case. Both of those cards being reference means they are taking in air and assisting with exhausting out of the case directly. When I tested this case vs the FT02 (had both together for a short time), my temps in the FT05 were actually better. The third fan in the FT02 is superfluous, adding no benefit.
 
Actually, the fans aren't necessary - I removed them when I was using the FT02 - because all the heat is going upwards and out. But the FT02 is just too big, so I cut down to the FT05. Unfortunately the FT05 could really do with being just that bit wider so that cables can be neatly routed around the back and with the PSU in the same place as it was in the FT02.

The Titan X next to the CPU is quite audible because it's in game mode all the time because I have three monitors attached.
 
No thanks, I will upgrade to an RV03 only if they made one with watercooling in mind
that'd be perfect
 
No thanks, I will be upgrading to an RV03, now only if they made one with watercooling in mind that'd be perfect
 
Even the FT05 seems a bit big....wonder if they'll make a mini variation with 120/140mm fans like the FT03
 
My latest Silverstone FT05 build.

This is by far one of the most difficult cases I've ever worked on, but it was soooooo worth it. Took me almost all day to wire this beast.

Upon leaving Microcenter yesterday, I picked up a bulk bag of 100 zip ties. I used almost all of them.

Album here.
http://imgur.com/a/7fKf5

==========

First up, the mod I had to do to the optical drive caddy. I purchased Silverstone's own CP10 cable set meant for their own slot load drive. Interestingly enough, Silverstone did not design their own case with their own unique cable in mind. This right angle cable would get caught on the plastic housing and not allow me to install the caddy. So out came the dremel and drill. Note the 4pin molex to SATA power adapter plug (bought separately) so I didn't have to use extra cables off my PSU.

RAfnpI8l.jpg


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Next, The front panel cabling and fan wires. I plugged the 2 Silverstone 180mm fans directly into the motherboard, but disabled fan control in the bios opting to use the case's built in fan control instead. There is a crap ton of wires here, bundling them together and snaking them behind the motherboard was a real chore. The biggest trick to pulling this off is actually removing the bottom plate so you can remove both fans. Removing the intake fans allows you to snake several thin cables in the tiny crevice between the fans and the motherboard tray.

lU0vx4tl.jpg


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More front panel cabling and the 8pin EPS connector.

1w8X0oOl.jpg


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24pin ATX power and USB 3.0 plug. By far the worst offenders.

1iTr4FOl.jpg


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SATA, Front Panel connections, and modular PSU plugs. I highly recommend anyone building in this case avoid right angle connectors. There is very little room to fit a right angle plug in your SSD on the back panel, and right angle connectors on the HDD's actually make things worse since the design of the HDD caddy would force right angle cables to bend back on themselves.

Instead, SATA III cables with tiny latching plugs work really well. I recommend these.

hR8oLPjl.jpg


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The backside where the magic happens. If done right, you can allocate the entire 2nd 2.5" drive bay to cable management. If you have more SSD's, then I suggest mounting them in a PCI slot with one of these (1. or 2.)or figuring out a way to mount them elsewhere.

2SPhniKl.jpg


==========

Full view of the hardware. Most cables are hidden. Note the special Vault-Tec bobblehead that helped with the necessary stat increases on my dexterity and patience.
Ted's just pissed off he didn't get to do something kinky with zip-ties.

NaVk6Sml.jpg



==========

All buttoned up. Now I just got to deal with the cables coming out the top.

ahau0OFl.jpg
 
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That's a lovely piece of work. The back still really looks like a dog's dinner, doesn't it? Whoever at Silverstone decided to change the placement of the PSU from the FT02 needs to be shot. I have two SSDs and could never manage to route the cables around them nicely - particularly the ATX power and GPU power cables.

For the cables coming out the top, I got some AV cable trunking and put them in that. I see 4 cables coming out of your PC - monitor, power, USB 2, and USB 3, I guess - but I have 3 monitor cables, and it makes a large bundle.

Just a thought, but have you tried putting the CPU fan on the other side of the cooler? You've already got air blowing up from the case fans, so you'd get a push+pull arrangement for the airflow.
 
That's a lovely piece of work. The back still really looks like a dog's dinner, doesn't it? Whoever at Silverstone decided to change the placement of the PSU from the FT02 needs to be shot. I have two SSDs and could never manage to route the cables around them nicely - particularly the ATX power and GPU power cables.

For the cables coming out the top, I got some AV cable trunking and put them in that. I see 4 cables coming out of your PC - monitor, power, USB 2, and USB 3, I guess - but I have 3 monitor cables, and it makes a large bundle.
Thank you. I really put a lot of work into it. As I mentioned, it took almost an entire bag of 100 zip ties and a lot of planning just to get it looking that good. I honestly prefer this placement of the PSU as it is ideal for my desk arrangement and running cables.

There's actually 6-7 cables coming out my PC, a few you don't see. Power, 2 DVI, 1 CAT6, Speaker (bundled) and 3 USB. Thanks for the tip, I will probably get some split loom tubing to hide most of them.

In regards to cable management:
That lower 2.5" drive slot is absolutely essential to hide some of the cables.
I see you have 2 video cards and a set of extra USB ports eating up your PCI slots, so you can't really use those slots to put a special 2.5" drive bracket in there that I suggested in my previous post.

However, all is not lost. I have identified 4 more places to stash an SSD. 1 of which requires a small mod to the case.

2 of the 4 other spots are directly next to the SSD #1 spot. Simply put, you can get some double sided tape and put an SSD right on the PSU and on the motherboard tray (after removing as small section of metal). See illustration below.

The 3rd spot is on the front panel of the case on the foam insulation. You would mount it in the area in front of the CPU cooler near the bottom of the case... just above the white plastic piece that houses the light up Silverstone logo. Orient the SSD so the cables are headed towards and behind the motherboard tray. This spot won't be ideal if the optical drive bay is in use, but it is doable. I've measured that panel, and you can fit at least 3 more SSD's up there if you don't have too many obstructions such as wires or massive CPU coolers. Even with your NoFan heatsink, you should be able to mount an SSD in the spot shown.

The 4th spot is in the optical drive caddy itself if you aren't using an optical drive or need the area for cable management. Again, not ideal, but doable.

b07mzx2h.jpg


Quartz-1 said:
Just a thought, but have you tried putting the CPU fan on the other side of the cooler? You've already got air blowing up from the case fans, so you'd get a push+pull arrangement for the airflow.
I thought about it and gave it a try today. It makes zero difference. These 180mm fans have so much CFM and static pressure that the temperature difference is negligible.

There is one case where that arrangement is worse, but only barely. The GPU I have is a an EVGA GTX760 4GB FTW with the ACX dual fan cooler which only barely exhausts out the pci bracket. A lot of exhaust comes right out the side towards the window. If and only if the intake fans are on low, I'm gaming with an overclock on the GPU, and the GPU fans are near 100%, then there is enough hot air coming out the side of the GPU and heat off the back that the CPU fan being 2 inches further back on the backside of the heatsink pulls slightly warmer air in through the front and open sides of the heatsink.

The difference is at most 2 degrees at load in favor of the fan in front. With the intake fans on medium and high, there is so much air coming in things are about equal. But I like the fans on low because it's quiet. If I had a GPU that exhausted fully out the pci bracket, things might be different.
 
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However, all is not lost. I have identified 4 more places to stash an SSD. 1 of which requires a small mod to the case.

2 of the 4 other spots are directly next to the SSD #1 spot. Simply put, you can get some double sided tape and put an SSD right on the PSU and on the motherboard tray (after removing as small section of metal). See illustration below.

The 3rd spot is on the front panel of the case on the foam insulation.

I hadn't considered those. I'll have to give it a go the next time I open up the case. Thanks.
 
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Got the case, like it but yeah cable management is quite something...a little more room behind the mobo tray would fix many of the difficulties. The case really doesn't have room for more than 1 spinning hdd the cage really gets in the way of the psu.

Right angle connectors for sata drives which is all i have form my psu was probably the most frustrating thing and should be a consideration in psu choice with this case.

Only other thing i'd change is maybe shave down the height a bit at the top where the handles and cables go feels like it's unnecessarily tall, feels like the handles and top section could be cut in half and be more than enough room.

Do love the case though, the filters is a bit plus for me that i can just remove them without having to take things apart. Just felt like i was working in a mini/micro atx case working cables instead of a mid-atx which wasn't surprising just felt like it didn't have to be so because you'd want to avoid laying cables in the path of those nice 180mm fans.
 
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