New Silverstone FT02

[WorldExclusive]

Your point makes sense. I don't like neon fans and lights that much either but when it comes to a LC setup a UV light brings life to it. The FT02 has the rotated motherboard which is a plus but doesn't allow more room for a high LC setup if needed. This case would look awesome with vertical GPU waterblocks. I don't want to make sacrifices when it comes to a $240 case, but if LC is not in your plans it's not a big deal. If only the FT02 was released I'll probably see it as more exciting.

Many of us talked about this case being priced with other alternatives, i.e. Corsair 800D and various Lian Li cases. These cases shouldn't even be compared with the FT02, but when something is priced beyond it's intended price point, there will be some criticism. The FT02 was intended to be $200 but extra support brackets had to be added which increased cost. For $200. more then half of this thread would have purchased one without giving it a second thought.

 

[kiger]

I agree with the point regarding LC; and we should both agree that a true LC setup is not the equivalent of a tricked out civic.

I also agree that the $235 price for the FT02 is a little high; given its features and its shortcomings, I believe a $190 price point would be ideal. However, both the FT02 and RV02 are the best mid-towers hands down for air cooling when loudness is taken into account. If people want high end they will likely bite the bullet and buy FT02 otherwise they will opt for the much less expensive RV02 which does the same job, but does not have a high a build quality as the FT02. So there are choices, and people do buy the FT02; even though is probably should be $50 cheaper. Maybe there should be an option to buy it without the fans? That could legitimately knock some off the price for those that want to replace them.

 

[Omerta]

I would disagree about the FT02 being "boring". I break it down like this:

For me, the Dell case is boring because it is from Dell. It has a plastic front and a cheap aluminum interior which is unpainted. It also has little to no airflow characteristics. All in all, it is a boring case.

For me, the neon light cases are ghetto. I am 31 and have been building computers for a long time and while it is possible to do a neon case well, slapping a few lighted fans into a case with a few neon tubes is, at least for me, ghetto.

For me, the FT02 is hardcore. It feels extremely solid. The housing is not plastic and it has a subdued feeling to it. To the average layperson, it may look like another Dell case... but to me, I see a sleek case with perfect airflow, dust filtering (after modification), and style. I also know that underneath is a beast comprising quad 4ghz with HT, USB 3.0, a killer sound card and video card, etc.

I equate the FT02 to the Pontiac GTO. It is sleek yet subtle and houses 400 HP and quite a bit of torque. You could take it too the office and the average person would not give it a second look; they would likely think you were driving a generic coupe. If you park next to a tricked out civic with neon and a exhaust modification, a noob may be more drawn to the civic than the GTO because they do not understand. Yet the real enthusiast will only see the GTO. On a side note, it is a shame Pontiac discontinued the GTO and then got canned by GM. I would have loved to pick one up; but it's not happening anymore, especially since I got a wife and kid (doesn't fit into the "practical" car equation).

Yeah it's nice having a non-ricer case, but it's also nice having a case that will stick out to the average person. Cases like the 800D, TJ07, Lian Li V series etc offer a good mix of simplicity and being "different." The FT02 just takes simplicity too far, IMO.

BTW, I don't know why you posted that pic of the Pontiac. It's really not helping your point. The hardware you put inside of it has nothing to do with the case. Someone could just as easily put some pentium 4 system inside of it. Plus, people think of Lian Li/SilveStone as the "mercedes of cases," not some budget enthusiast car that is discontinued. I'd compare the Pontiac GTO to the CoolerMaster ATCS 840.

 

[yenniedn]

Thanks for clarifying for that guy...lol. But in all seriousness, the comparison to the dell case may have been a little off the wall, but it's still valid IMO. I remember when I got my Lian Li PC-B10 back from cyberdruid...and I was showing it off to friends and family...obviously they did not get why it was so special. And then, of course, my sister says..."what's the big deal? It looks like a regular black computer" Non-PC enthusiast people don't know that it's made out of aluminum, and how expensive an aluminum case is or the features a case may have. They just see it's a regular square black box and may think it's a regular old dell/HP or whatever, and the fact it's not plastic will totally fly over their head. I think the case I had that most impressed people was the Zalman GT1000 and the HAF 932 believe it or not. The FT01, which I think looks much better than the FT02 from an aesthetic standpoint, did not impress people when my main machine was in it.

Thing is, most of us appreciate the outer aesthetic design of the FT02 much more than we should. I think it's because there are so many crazy LED light cases out there that we just get sick of it and want something more "simple." Simple + Aluminum is what turns people on because we, as enthusiasts (mainly the ones who've been building PCs for a while), are so sick of seeing a million LEDs with plastic space-ship designs. However, I think the FT02 took it a bit too far when it comes to simplicity--it's just a really bland case with a brushed aluminum exterior. That Dell PC would look nearly identical if Dell used the same exterior materials. So that is why, at the same time, I want a case that will at least distinguish my PC as something more than a Dell to the non-enthusiast. The current 800D I have, which I haven't built anything in yet, will probably impress people just because of the sheer size of it and the window being shaped so differently. BTW, don't get me wrong--i'm not trying to impress people with my PC, but if I'm gonna spend so much time configuring and building it myself, I might as well show that it is different than some OEM PC you can buy off the market at Best Buy. Putting my machine in an FT02 simply will not do that for me.

BTW, I may have owned some nice cases, but no one has owned as many nice cases as you--not even close...lol

Well said. And I've only had as many nice cases as I've had because I buy them from YOU!

I would disagree about the FT02 being "boring". I break it down like this:

For me, the Dell case is boring because it is from Dell. It has a plastic front and a cheap aluminum interior which is unpainted. It also has little to no airflow characteristics. All in all, it is a boring case.

For me, the neon light cases are ghetto. I am 31 and have been building computers for a long time and while it is possible to do a neon case well, slapping a few lighted fans into a case with a few neon tubes is, at least for me, ghetto.

For me, the FT02 is hardcore. It feels extremely solid. The housing is not plastic and it has a subdued feeling to it. To the average layperson, it may look like another Dell case... but to me, I see a sleek case with perfect airflow, dust filtering (after modification), and style. I also know that underneath is a beast comprising quad 4ghz with HT, USB 3.0, a killer sound card and video card, etc.

I equate the FT02 to the Pontiac GTO. It is sleek yet subtle and houses 400 HP and quite a bit of torque. You could take it too the office and the average person would not give it a second look; they would likely think you were driving a generic coupe. If you park next to a tricked out civic with neon and a exhaust modification, a noob may be more drawn to the civic than the GTO because they do not understand. Yet the real enthusiast will only see the GTO. On a side note, it is a shame Pontiac discontinued the GTO and then got canned by GM. I would have loved to pick one up; but it's not happening anymore, especially since I got a wife and kid (doesn't fit into the "practical" car equation).

[SNIP]

I think you're missing Omerta's original point from several posts back. He's not comparing the build quality or design features of the FT02 to a Dell box - he's saying that a quick look at either and many (especially non-computer enthusiasts) will think they look very similar if not the same.

But otherwise, the FT02 IS BORING . . . aesthetically. There's no way around it - it's got very mundane, easily overlooked looks. Keep in mind that I'm saying that as an owner of the case - and I DO like it. The blah looks is the single biggest reason I didn't buy it immediately at launch. It wasn't the cost. It wasn't because I thought it should've been priced at some other price point and was $30 over that target. It was plain and simply the fact that nothing about the outward looks of the case really excited me.

But of course, my curiosity always gets the best of me and I always end up buying every single case I ever have even the most remote interest in so now I have the FT02 too. I do have to say (again) that the FT02 is MUCH nicer in person once you get a chance to see, touch, feel and play with it yourself instead of looking at 2D photos on the net. Regardless, it's still a pretty boring long rectangular black box with round edges sitting on my desk. Peek inside and it's a whole different story - but from the outside, it's very, very bland. You only have to look at Silverstone's own TJ09, TJ10 and TJ07 to find (much) better examples of how you can make an otherwise understated case still have some flair and look great.

Lastly, I've "ghetto-fied" my RV02 and now FT02 with two blue cathodes - but lighting is always a love/hate thing for most here. If done correctly, it certainly isn't ghetto. With the side panel on, you don't see the cathodes in the case - which is the way it should be.

Your point makes sense. I don't like neon fans and lights that much either but when it comes to a LC setup a UV light brings life to it. The FT02 has the rotated motherboard which is a plus but doesn't allow more room for a high LC setup if needed. This case would look awesome with vertical GPU waterblocks. I don't want to make sacrifices when it comes to a $240 case, but if LC is not in your plans it's not a big deal. If only the FT02 was released I'll probably see it as more exciting.

Many of us talked about this case being priced with other alternatives, i.e. Corsair 800D and various Lian Li cases. These cases shouldn't even be compared with the FT02, but when something is priced beyond it's intended price point, there will be some criticism. The FT02 was intended to be $200 but extra support brackets had to be added which increased cost. For $200. more then half of this thread would have purchased one without giving it a second thought.

I have to say, you're one of the most price conscious (and indecisive) people I've seen on here You seem to have gotten caught up in the "it's $239 (or $229 without window) but it really should be $199.99 so I won't buy it" mentality. I can see how someone would think like that - but you can also look at it in terms of it only being $30 (or $40)! I mean, come on - it's THIRTY DOLLARS!!! I've said it before and I'll say it again: you or I can easily spend that at lunch in a couple of hours.

The case is new so 1) availability is/was low, 2) prices will be inflated and 3) very few "slightly used" ones will be available for purchase at a discounted price. So if you really like the case (and I can't tell if you do - or if you really want the RV02 or even the 800D) then shell out the $30 extra for it. You'll really like the case when you open up the box - I assure you of that. And if that $30 really kills you, try to make it up in some other component - try to find that 5970 for $650 instead of the $700 going rate

Or for Gawd's sake pull the trigger on that $149.99 RV02 on Amazon. At that price you can hardly go wrong. But you gotta pull the trigger at some point!!!

 

[Riddleofsteel]

I bought one and haven't opened it. The criticisms in this thread are making me want to sell it.

 

[kiger]

Yeah it's nice having a non-ricer case, but it's also nice having a case that will stick out to the average person. Cases like the 800D, TJ07, Lian Li V series etc offer a good mix of simplicity and being "different." The FT02 just takes simplicity too far, IMO.

BTW, I don't know why you posted that pic of the Pontiac. It's really not helping your point. The hardware you put inside of it has nothing to do with the case. Someone could just as easily put some pentium 4 system inside of it. Plus, people think of Lian Li/SilveStone as the "mercedes of cases," not some budget enthusiast car that is discontinued. I'd compare the Pontiac GTO to the CoolerMaster ATCS 840.

I would compare the CoolerMaster ATCS 840 to a Chevy Camaro. You know, it might be kind of fun to post a pic of 10 different ranges of cases and try to match up cars to them.

Also, regarding the hardware inside... well, let me put it this way. A person will likely not expect to find a quad-core 4ghz chip with sick accessories inside a Dell; rather, one will likely expect to find a Core 2 Duo. Likewise, if you open up a Honda Civic you will not find a 500 HP engine.

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

I bought one and haven't opened it. The criticisms in this thread are making me want to sell it.

I just got mine 2 days ago, installed that night, spent about 2hr last night hiding wiring and ziptying everything. CPU running 10f cooler than in my p183, quieter, got the window, only complaint I have is I don't have an adapter yet for my 3.5" card reader.

I think I might add 2 light strips (hidden when side is on) as done well I think it would be nice, and never had a case with a window before either. Right now it's pretty dark in there.

Overall if my p183 was an 8 this is about a 9.5

 

[Riddleofsteel]

My previous case, which I still have, is an Antec Twelve Hundred. Is the FT02 cooler than that?

 

[WorldExclusive]

I have to say, you're one of the most price conscious (and indecisive) people I've seen on here You seem to have gotten caught up in the "it's $239 (or $229 without window) but it really should be $199.99 so I won't buy it" mentality. I can see how someone would think like that - but you can also look at it in terms of it only being $30 (or $40)! I mean, come on - it's THIRTY DOLLARS!!! I've said it before and I'll say it again: you or I can easily spend that at lunch in a couple of hours.

lol. I do waste money on other stuff that is worth much less. I've had about five cases within a year as of March and I lost money on the resell of three of them. I really want to make this next purchase to last for the next year or two. I'll be moving onto other hobbies and this one needs to be set. I pulled the trigger on the 800D from MC a few days and ago and now it's being shipped out today. I searched for better deals since there was still time to cancel the order if I found a better deal on another case.

 

[zero2dash]

If the RV02 had the RV01 outside and wasn't 27" deep I would have bought one of those instead.
The FT02 sticks a little off my desk but since the frame is unibody as it is, it doesn't wobble or scare me that it'll lose balance and fall.

WE I think you should just buy a bench and be done with it and forget about finding "the" case. I know my wife went nuts over cases coming in the door every other week during the worst part of my obsession; I can't imagine what your wife would say, it seems like you've had more deliveries than I have. No offense, all in good fun though...that's what being a geek is all about.

I just bought a Cogage Arrow to replace my U12P SE2 with....it looks a lot taller, hopefully it fits. I'm hoping it'll get here Saturday (which is why I paid the $15 for Priority Mail)...I'll post pics once it's installed. [crosses fingers hoping it's not too tall]

 

[WorldExclusive]

I'll stick with the 800D. When it comes to hardware I'm dead set on what I want so I barely discuss that in other threads. The case is my favorite part of the build because there are so many options. With hardware the choices are usually between two companies. If all cases looked like that Dell case that was posted I wouldn't even be into PC building no matter what's inside. I guess this will be my last few posts here in this thread but I'm glad that everyone feels they made the right decision with the FT02.

 

[m0rn]

I've been following this thread for a long time, and it's nice to see all these different opinions. I absolutely love this case as I'm a sucker for understated, or to some "boring" cases. If someone tried to give me one of those Thermaltake spaceships for free I wouldn't even want it, regardless of the airflow design, etc...

I bought one and haven't opened it. The criticisms in this thread are making me want to sell it.

I hardly take what is said here as criticisms, they're opinions on the aesthetics, you can only judge for yourself if you like the case, but I mean something drew you to buy it in the first place, might as well use it.

Functionally, I think the RV-02 and this case are out of this world, I haven't been this excited about a case since the original P180.

 

[Ryan45]

I just got mine 2 days ago, installed that night, spent about 2hr last night hiding wiring and ziptying everything. CPU running 10f cooler than in my p183, quieter, got the window, only complaint I have is I don't have an adapter yet for my 3.5" card reader.

I think I might add 2 light strips (hidden when side is on) as done well I think it would be nice, and never had a case with a window before either. Right now it's pretty dark in there.

Overall if my p183 was an 8 this is about a 9.5

Thanks for that, I have a P180 and I am looking at upgrading to the FT02 or 800D

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

Thanks for that, I have a P180 and I am looking at upgrading to the FT02 or 800D

I might add this is my first non-antec case in perhaps 10 years. No plans to return this pleasure of a case. Honest.

 

[pwrusr]

I bought one and haven't opened it. The criticisms in this thread are making me want to sell it.

I think you should ignore the critics and open the dang box and build your rig in it. Your computer will run cooler, quieter then it currently does and you're going to be happy

 

[Compddd]

yenniedn

I noticed you are putting a EVGA Classified 760 mobo in your FT02

Does it fit in the FT02?

 

[yenniedn]

yenniedn

I noticed you are putting a EVGA Classified 760 mobo in your FT02

Does it fit in the FT02?

Of course it does. Only (minor) issue is that if you're running SLI like me, you're going to be limited to using the smaller sized optical drives. My LG Blu-Ray wouldn't fit anymore due to the second GPU.

Other than that - fits fine. I just haven't finished the cabling to take decent photos yet.

 

[coconutboy]

I bought one and haven't opened it. The criticisms in this thread are making me want to sell it.

I've played the role in this thread as one of the FT02's biggest critics on several points, but by no means is it a bad product. Despite it's main caveat of being overpriced, it's still one of the very best cases on the market. Open your freakin box already!

My previous case, which I still have, is an Antec Twelve Hundred. Is the FT02 cooler than that?

Unless you were running your 1200 w/ only 1-2 hdds or doing something else odd for a case of that size (like running an mini-ITX system, or not using a dedicated graphics card etc), the FT02 should stomp the Antec silly. At the very least, the better hdd cages and lower dB levels of the Silverstone should be a welcome change. About the only place the Antec might gain an advantage, which still hasn't been proven conclusively, is in multi-vid card situations. In that situation, perhaps other cases with a side intake may outperform the ft02 at cooling 2-3 discrete cards, but there still hasn't been enough reliable testing on the matter to know for certain.

 

[kiger]

@RiddleofSteel

The FT02 is pretty fricking cool, though isn't the twelve hundred a full tower?

 

[Vonteme]

The silverstone logo is so turn off, why did they put it there? Is it so hard to make a flawless case like the Mac Pro case?
I would rather have a snowflake figure logo if marketing is a must.

 

[zero2dash]

If you don't like the branding sticker, remove it.
I hardly think the G5/Mac Pro is a flawless case. (I work with a G5 all day and the HDs run hotter than they should and there's no front intake fans)

 

[yenniedn]

The silverstone logo is so turn off, why did they put it there? Is it so hard to make a flawless case like the Mac Pro case?
I would rather have a snowflake figure logo if marketing is a must.

Damn. Nit-picking at its finest!

 

[xLAMBIEx]

The silverstone logo is so turn off, why did they put it there? Is it so hard to make a flawless case like the Mac Pro case?
I would rather have a snowflake figure logo if marketing is a must.

And whats with air port security these days? right?

 

[Vonteme]

If you don't like the branding sticker, remove it.
I hardly think the G5/Mac Pro is a flawless case. (I work with a G5 all day and the HDs run hotter than they should and there's no front intake fans)

I was referring to the look of the mac pro not the internal structure. The front looks really clean.

The problem is that you can't remove the sticker from FT02.

 

[zero2dash]

Uh...yes you can.

It's not a badge machined into the case, it's a metallic sticker with an adhesive backside.
Take a thin screwdriver or razor blade/Exacto knife, peel up a corner and pry it off. Use Alcohol or Goo Gone to remove the leftover adhesive residue. Worst case, use a hairdryer or heat gun to soften up the glue, then remove the sticker.

 

[yenniedn]

Uh...yes you can.

It's not a badge machined into the case, it's a metallic sticker with an adhesive backside.
Take a thin screwdriver or razor blade/Exacto knife, peel up a corner and pry it off. Use Alcohol or Goo Gone to remove the leftover adhesive residue. Worst case, use a hairdryer or heat gun to soften up the glue, then remove the sticker.

Speaking of which, my badge has been applied off-center!!! It's about 1/8" off! What's the Silverstone RMA Dept's phone #? This case is soooooo going back to them. Basturds!

 

[Vonteme]

Uh...yes you can.

It's not a badge machined into the case, it's a metallic sticker with an adhesive backside.

wow, thanks for informing that, now it will look nice without bloat!

damn the case is out of stock!

anyone got any picture withoout the sticker?

 

[zero2dash]

I like the sticker
It adds personality. Same as the LL sticker on the V series.
Hell at least the sticker's centered; Apple puts the power switch on the G5/Mac Pro somewhere on the left side (exact dimensions unknown). heh heh

In all seriousness, yeah, you can dig around the sticker. I saw your post yesterday and was like "no, it's gotta be a sticker" so I pried around it...sure enough, it's a sticker.

 

[Ryan45]

Ordered one today, I am hope that it will cool better then my p180 and still stay quiet. Should be here by Thursday.

 

[coconutboy]

p180 vs ft02? I think you just swapped a pencil neck geek for UNSTOPPABLE MACHO MADNESS!


P.S. That means you win.

 

[baco80]

@RiddleofSteel

The FT02 is pretty fricking cool, though isn't the twelve hundred a full tower?

You said you read a lot on reviews and advices about fans. How do you compare your "beloved" SCYTHE S-FLEX™ "E" 120mm to the Noctua NF-P14 FLX 140mm?

I dont have the case yet and don know well the bottom design; but dont understand quite well about the air uptake when placing the filters underneath the case (on the floor?). Perhaps the case is somehow kinda elevated over the floor, so the air may intakes from the downside and the filters catch up the dust at the base of the case?

Also, wouldn't, in any case, be needed al least 3 x 140mm magnetic filters to cover all the base for dust intake preventing?

 

[zero2dash]

You said you read a lot on reviews and advices about fans. How do you compare your "beloved" SCYTHE S-FLEX™ "E" 120mm to the Noctua NF-P14 FLX 140mm?

I can share my opinion on the P12 vs E which is that the E is better IMHO. P12 has better construction and bonuses (sleeved cable), E has less airflow noise. I would assume the P14 is identical. (CFM difference notwithstanding; I'm talking about the dB comparison)

I dont have the case yet and don know well the bottom design; but dont understand quite well about the air uptake when placing the filters underneath the case (on the floor?). Perhaps the case is somehow kinda elevated over the floor, so the air may intakes from the downside and the filters catch up the dust at the base of the case?

The case floor is raised up about 1 1/2" due to the unibody frame that goes around the bottom.

Also, wouldn't, in any case, be needed al least 3 x 140mm magnetic filters to cover all the base for dust intake preventing?

kiger put the magnetic filters on however there are easily removable filters on the inside of the case as well, sandwiched between the floor of the case and the 180mm fans. kiger wanted more filtration so he bought the magnetic ones for the outside as well.

 

[zc1]

I went ahead and installed a set of Silverstone FN181-BLs to replace the stock bottom case fans. These flow just as much air, and use only 3W, each. I also installed a Cooler Master R4 in place of the stock 120mm exhaust fan. In the photos you can also see the Noctua monster (NH-D14) that replaced the Corsair H50 for CPU cooling duties.

All I'm waiting for now (I think) is NZXT sleeved cable extenders for the 3-pin fan and ATX power connectors, and a new DVD drive.

 

[yenniedn]

ZC1 - awesome . . . I was thinking about getting those Silverstone BLUE LED 180mm fans too . . . but haven't gotten around to it. I took the 180mm fan grills off on both my RV02 and FT02 so I won't how those blue fans would look without the grills. I don't know that cooling is any better with the grills off (I do know that it doesn't look nearly as "finished" or maybe even ghetto without them) . . . but I have a nagging suspicion that I did it in preparation for a 5970 (or two) that's bound to find its way into the case!

Also, it'd be cool to get some clear before and after shots of the cabling once you get those NZXT extensions. I'm also thinking about getting those.

 

[baco80]

I can share my opinion on the P12 vs E which is that the E is better IMHO. P12 has better construction and bonuses (sleeved cable), E has less airflow noise. I would assume the P14 is identical. (CFM difference notwithstanding; I'm talking about the dB comparison)

Maybe Im missing on something, but at first view looks a no brainer:

SCYTHE S-FLEX "E" ---- 20.1 dBA -- 49.0 CFM (RPM 1200)
Noctua NF-P14 FLX ------ 10.1 dBA -- 71.2 CFM (RPM 750)

kiger put the magnetic filters on however there are easily removable filters on the inside of the case as well, sandwiched between the floor of the case and the 180mm fans. kiger wanted more filtration so he bought the magnetic ones for the outside as well.

Yes, i understand that. So I was wondering that 3 or 4 of those 140mm magnetic filters would be required to cover all the area at the floor of the case, right?

 

[coconutboy]

Maybe Im missing on something, but at first view looks a no brainer:

SCYTHE S-FLEX "E" ---- 20.1 dBA -- 49.0 CFM (RPM 1200)
Noctua NF-P14 FLX ------ 10.1 dBA -- 71.2 CFM (RPM 750)

I have no experience w/ either fan so I can't comment about which is best, but I can tell you to never trust in fan specs, regardless of the manufacturer. Company A might test on-axis at a distance of 1 foot. Company B meanwhile may test off-axis or at a distance of 1 meter which skews the ability to make meaningful comparisons.

www.silentpcreview.com/ is one of the few places that do proper testing of fans although the site seems to be down. There's also a couple sites in languages other than English that are pretty good at testing fans (although I'll be damned if I can remember them atm. computerbase.de perhaps? I forget).

So I was wondering that 3 or 4 of those 140mm magnetic filters would be required to cover all the area at the floor of the case, right?

If you look a few pages back in the thread, kiger related his experiences. IIRC, the holes on the bottom of the ft02 are sized for 140mm fans and there are 3 of them.

 

[kiger]

You said you read a lot on reviews and advices about fans. How do you compare your "beloved" SCYTHE S-FLEX™ "E" 120mm to the Noctua NF-P14 FLX 140mm?

I dont have the case yet and don know well the bottom design; but dont understand quite well about the air uptake when placing the filters underneath the case (on the floor?). Perhaps the case is somehow kinda elevated over the floor, so the air may intakes from the downside and the filters catch up the dust at the base of the case?

Also, wouldn't, in any case, be needed al least 3 x 140mm magnetic filters to cover all the base for dust intake preventing?

I spent about a week looking at 140mm and 120mm fans and my take on the matter is this:

1. I could not find any specifics on the airflow performance of the 180mm silverstone; but the silverstone 120mm are the lowest of the low when it comes to airflow (I can provide cites if needed). However, the 180mm probably puts out as much air as a "good quality" 120mm fan simply because it is bigger. Thus, the choice is really up to you. The main reason I swapped them out is that I did not like the original filter design and just wanted to scrap it all and start over.

2. Regarding the filters underneath, go read some detailed reviews and look at the pictures of the case and you will understand. Also, this is a shot of when I took everything apart. It is hard to tell, but the base of the FT02 sits on the ground and then the innards, which you see in the shot, sit about 0.5" above the base. This creates a gap through which air may flow through those perforations you see in the case. Regarding my desire to swap out the fans with 120mm Scythe and the magnetic filters, let me put it this way. Regardless of what you do, the case kicks ass. So buy it, then decide what you want to do. No harm in that right?

3. Regarding how many filters you need, just look at this picture.

4. Finally, the Scythe "E" vs. the Noctua 140mm... There are several reasons I did not choose that as a replacement for the 180mm fans. First, it is round and I don't like round fans; give me a square fan and call me anal and I'll be happy. Second, coconutboy is 100% right in that you never, ever, trust the ratings of a fan by a mfg. The goal is to find a review of the same fan by the same review site. Here is what SilentPC says about the Scythe "E": at 12v it is 23dBA@1m, 1230RPM, 34CFM, and 0.62W. They have not yet specifically reviewed the NF-P14, but they have reviewed the DH-N14 which includes the fan and they found the fan itself runs at 21dBA at 12v which is hardly any quieter than 23dBA. Also, at the low speed at which the fan runs 1200RPM, I can pretty much guarantee you will never see 71CFM. Take it for what you will, but those are my thoughts. By the way, the fan isn't exactly pretty; do you want three of those on the bottom of your nice black case?

 

[coconutboy]

Just wanted to add that Nvidia's Fermi has been popping up at CeBit. Officially, the card isn't supposed to be announced till near the end of the month (March 26th is the date that's getting tossed around). We also don't have exact measurements of the reference design yet, but eyeballing the pics vs the PCIe connector, the GTX 470 looks to be the same size or smaller than a GTX 285/Radon 5870. No idea on the GTX 480 yet. Linkage-

http://translate.google.com/transla...ia/2010/maerz/nvidia_gf100_fermi/&sl=de&tl=en

http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,...0-Fermi-graphics-card-pictured-at-Cebit/News/


Looks like FT02 should be plenty fine for single GPU Fermi.

 

[zero2dash]

Maybe Im missing on something, but at first view looks a no brainer:

SCYTHE S-FLEX "E" ---- 20.1 dBA -- 49.0 CFM (RPM 1200)
Noctua NF-P14 FLX ------ 10.1 dBA -- 71.2 CFM (RPM 750)

Until you've heard both fans - throw the specs out the window. Specs are useless. Specs (if true) are measured in an optimal environment, and unless you have the proper equipment, you'll never know if a fan actually puts out a rated CFM at a rated dB.

Noctua fans are more noisy. Ask anyone who puts their ear next to an SFF21E and a NF-P12; I've done it many times. Noctua's have more of an airflow 'whoosh' sound to them; the S-Flex is quieter. Whether it's the notches in the P12 fan blades or slightly higher P12 CFM, the difference between the two fans from a noise standpoint is quite noticeable to me.

I would assume any other Noctua fan performs just the same since their other P series fans have the same blade mechanics including the same notches. The S series are different, have different blades, no notches (IIRC), those may be better on noise but probably worse on CFM due to less blades.

Let me put it another way - I bought 9 SFF21E's; 6 months later I bought 2 Noctua coolers and 2 more NF-P12's. I was disappointed in the P12's from a noise standpoint compared to the S-Flex.

You'd probably get more replies on the fans in the Overclocking & Cooling subforum.

OT zc1, very nice!

I've been meaning to put up pics of the CoGage Arrow I got but I've had issues with it mounting properly because I got a screwed up 1366 bracket with mine that does not sit like it's supposed to, so the cooler does not mount properly (and it wobbles if you push on a corner). I went to MC yesterday and bought a new TR 1366 bolt through kit since neither CoGage or TR has responded to my emails about this and asking for a replacement 1366 backplate.

 

[zc1]

Thanks zero2dash and yenniedn!

I wish the Noctua fans were better-looking (common complaint), but they work great. If I come across some decent fan clips I'll see how it goes with them switched out for R4s.