New Silverstone FT02

Hmmm, I emailed SS two days ago and got a call from the rep about a replacement window for a FT02. Then I emailed about shipping yesterday and got a response today.
 
I'm loving the look of this case for my next build, the sleek lines are a nice break from the usual LED android cases.
But I can't stand the massive Silverstone badge on the front, this may seem minor to most people but it's a terrible design flaw IMO. I've read through this whole thread and caught two or three people mentioning that it was just a metallic sticker and not actually machined on.
Can I ask those people who already have this case, is the sticker in a recess cut into the aluminum or is it just placed on the face?
Like if I were to remove it would there be an oval recess on the face where it used to be?
I know it sounds ridiculous but I couldn't stand dropping $300AUD on this thing only to have that slight imperfection annoy the hell out of me.

I have the exact same question. Can anyone answer?
 
Sucks to hear many of you having problems w/ Silverstone's customer service, but it seems like that's the norm from many case manufacturers these days. The forums here and elsewhere show quite a few complaints regarding Antec, Lian Li, Cooler Master, and even Corsair (which used to have a pretty good customer service AFAIK) so I guess they're just not that worried about pissing off the odd buyer here and there.

Hi,
Still can't believe that a soft bristled paintbrush left all of the scratch strokes over the window, as you said my Lian-Li never had a problem with it scratching.

I haven't owned/scratched enough case windows to know who makes them well or not, but I have built quite a few enclosures over the years for subwoofers/amps using plastics like lexan/plexi/etc. Brushes are often made using hair fibers or synthetics that can do some damage to even well-polished surfaces. For cleaning plastics, the way to go is definitely using a soft cloth or else be sure of the brush you're using. Years ago I, too, learned this lesson the hard way. Cost me a couple hundred bucks. :mad:
 
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Does anyone have a SLi setup in here with either 280s or 285s? I'm curious about the idle/load temps with default fan settings (on the cards)...

In addition to the results from MissJ84, a few people earlier in the thread had setups w/ 2-3 260/285/etc GPUs. A quick check on my part turned up zero2dash's post and he shared a lot of good info throughout the thread. There were also posts by a number of other people, so even though it's a lot of pages, just start sometime around late November or early Dec and you oughta find some more temps.
 
Looking to have my case custom modded and am looking into machine tool cutting or water jet cutting, but was wondering if anyone knew the exact thickness of the side panels? Anyone know the exact material???
 
Just received an FT02B from a member on here. Comparing it to the RV02 I just had, the RV02 is more exciting but the FT02 is more solid. I like the FT02 better though. Time to water/laser cut the side panel:p.

Looking to have my case custom modded and am looking into machine tool cutting or water jet cutting, but was wondering if anyone knew the exact thickness of the side panels? Anyone know the exact material???

The side panels are steel and probably 1/8 of an inch.
 
anyone know how long your SATA power cables need to be to reach from the PSU to your 5 drives? seems pretty tough.

Dont have a spare SATA power cable handy to measure, but running a Corsair HX750 W I have 3 drives powered on one cable and can make it back to the PSU with some room to spare. Powering the SDD in its default position makes using that Sata power cable for anything else fairly impossible. Throw in SATA optical drives and I have used all 3 of my SATA power cables and would have a difficult/impossible time trying to power 5 drives without extension/additional cables/some other method.

Just received an FT02B from a member on here. Comparing it to the RV02 I just had, the RV02 is more exciting but the FT02 is more solid. I like the FT02 better though. Time to water/laser cut the side panel:p.

The side panels are steel and probably 1/8 of an inch.

Side panels measure to 1/32", but would guess it was designed in the metric system, so .8mm. They edges are folded over so double thickness.Not the strongest, but I dont find them too flimsy either.

I have the exact same question. Can anyone answer?

Yes, it is a recess, maybe 1/16" or less. The 'sticker' (if that is what it truly is) has a texture and depth to it and is not nearly as offensive as I originally thought in the pictures. I was reading this exact thread on how to remove before I got it and decided I don't mind it.

Everything about the case is like what someone said earlier in the thread, the pictures just do not do it justice. Especially the finish, a very sexy matte black.

So far very happy with the case and its cooling. For reference I am running an i7-860 with Hyper 212 Plus,and an ATI 5850
 
Just received an FT02B from a member on here. Comparing it to the RV02 I just had, the RV02 is more exciting but the FT02 is more solid. I like the FT02 better though. Time to water/laser cut the side panel:p.



The side panels are steel and probably 1/8 of an inch.

Plan to mod this and have been debating between machine shop at engineering school, laser cutting, or water jet cutting.

The folks with the laser cutter warn orf discoloration/warping/singing from their process. The other two both say their own process is the best from a cosmetic stand point. Do you have any thoughts???

I am planning to put in 6 small windows (4 square, 2 rectangular) with inlayedrouted colored transarent plexiglass and white led or CCFL back lighting. Any thioughts or suggestions???
 
Plan to mod this and have been debating between machine shop at engineering school, laser cutting, or water jet cutting.

The folks with the laser cutter warn orf discoloration/warping/singing from their process. The other two both say their own process is the best from a cosmetic stand point. Do you have any thoughts???

I am planning to put in 6 small windows (4 square, 2 rectangular) with inlayedrouted colored transarent plexiglass and white led or CCFL back lighting. Any thioughts or suggestions???

I have no suggestions, only a request. You better post pics of that!! Sounds sexay. :D
 
I'm having some thoughts about this case.
Is it possible to take the two 6-pin connectors behind the motherboard tray and the up to my 5870's? I would rather have it that way, then have to go on top the fans. I got the Corsair HX850W and was wondering if the cables are long enough?

If you check this image you can see it would perhaps be to tight for the cables to go behind. What do you think?
http://www.xcpus.com/Images/Docs/doc160/ft02_panel off.JPG
 
I'm having some thoughts about this case.
Is it possible to take the two 6-pin connectors behind the motherboard tray and the up to my 5870's? I would rather have it that way, then have to go on top the fans. I got the Corsair HX850W and was wondering if the cables are long enough?

If you check this image you can see it would perhaps be to tight for the cables to go behind. What do you think?
http://www.xcpus.com/Images/Docs/doc160/ft02_panel off.JPG

You can buy extensions apparently. However, not sure if that model will make it. Let me know, I am about to pull the trigger on that (the 750W variant) or a PSU from Silverstone.
 
I have no suggestions, only a request. You better post pics of that!! Sounds sexay. :D

You better believe I'll be posting it up here in the case mods and this thread and maybe even over on bit-tech. I have high hopes for it, the colored plexi looks really nice once backlit.
 
Plan to mod this and have been debating between machine shop at engineering school, laser cutting, or water jet cutting.

The folks with the laser cutter warn orf discoloration/warping/singing from their process. The other two both say their own process is the best from a cosmetic stand point. Do you have any thoughts???

I'm going to try water cutting the panel. Since your going for a more intricate design, I'm not sure which method would be best.
There is a company the does custom laser cutting for PC case in Europe and I didn't see any discoloration or warping in their panels.

I'm having some thoughts about this case.
Is it possible to take the two 6-pin connectors behind the motherboard tray and the up to my 5870's? I would rather have it that way, then have to go on top the fans. I got the Corsair HX850W and was wondering if the cables are long enough?

If you check this image you can see it would perhaps be to tight for the cables to go behind. What do you think?
http://www.xcpus.com/Images/Docs/doc160/ft02_panel off.JPG

That's how the cable should be wired. There's really not that much space to wire all of your cable behind the motherboard tray.
Silverstone wires all of their RV02/FT02 cases like this. You can still hide the cables but they will run across the fans which is not the recommended method.
 
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I can't believe the drop in temps i got from switching from my Cooler Master Cosmos (wish S sidepanels) to an FT02. My GTX 285's in SLi dropped incredibly.

The primary card pushing 2 monitors dropped from about 75 idle to 53 idle. The secondary card only pushing 1 monitor dropped from about 63 to 50. I haven't checked them under load yet, but thats an incredible drop.

Only thing I hate about the FT02 is the minimal lack of space for SATA power/data cables for the optical drive bays. My 2nd GTX 285 is pushing right up against it, it was a really tight squeeze. They are really short drives, too.
 
You can buy extensions apparently. However, not sure if that model will make it. Let me know, I am about to pull the trigger on that (the 750W variant) or a PSU from Silverstone.

I've sleeved the original cables so doesn't really want to use extensions :(
 
I have the Silverstone Strider Plus PSU and it's made for the RV02/FT02 cases. All cables lengths are perfect and easy to sleeve since it's 100% modular.

OK here are some mock-ups of the window I'm planning to cut into my FT02B(non-window version). Which is better?

Stock
http://i39.tinypic.com/9lcop2.jpg

Small custom window (larger than stock, mounted inside the case, flushed with no screws)
http://i43.tinypic.com/8yyvxg.jpg

Large custom window (largest, mounted inside the case, flushed with no screws)
http://i40.tinypic.com/24l0faw.jpg
 
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I think they both look great. Not necessarily better than the stock window's shape and placement, but no worse either. Just different. If you go for the bigger cutout, will there be enough room for the inside-mounted window to not bump into the hdd/5.25 cage?

The bigger window obviously draws the eyes more to the innards of the case instead of the nice curves/rounded edges of the ft02. If your case is going to be positioned in such a way that people never see the left side w/ the non--windowed panel, I'd prolly go for the smaller one that doesn't detract so heavily from the chassis's shape. The larger one is also gonna show more clutter and wiring from the frontal/hdd bays which could be a really nice thing if you're gonna do a pimp wiring job, or other blingy mods. Unless I decide to keep it mostly stock, one of my plans if we pick an ft02 is to have a couple individually aimed white LEDs aimed at the vid cards and CPU on a toggle switch. Perhaps I'd also drop in a pair of CCFLs for when I wanna illuminate the entire interior. But if you're not gonna be a neat freak w/ the 5.25 bay wiring, it might be better to not extend the window over that region.

You'll also have to decide if you want the PSU wiring that runs to the vid card to be visible or not.
 
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WE - I'd go with smaller.

FINALLY got an email from Silverstone saying my replacement window would ship "via FexEx" (I'm assuming ground). Guess I'll wait til that comes in for my teardown/cooler swap (unless I get to it this weekend). Just got a new car Wednesday, been tinkering with that and letting the computers sit for awhile. :D (05 Mazda6i)
 
I like the small custom window also. It opens up the side just a but more.
Either tomorrow or next week I'll get the panel cut.

I'm going to also start a build log soon. I need to start on a few things before I can post pictures(just dont want to post a bunch of text). It should be up by the middle of April.
 
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Yes, it is a recess, maybe 1/16" or less. The 'sticker' (if that is what it truly is) has a texture and depth to it and is not nearly as offensive as I originally thought in the pictures. I was reading this exact thread on how to remove before I got it and decided I don't mind it.

Everything about the case is like what someone said earlier in the thread, the pictures just do not do it justice. Especially the finish, a very sexy matte black.

So far very happy with the case and its cooling. For reference I am running an i7-860 with Hyper 212 Plus,and an ATI 5850

Thanks, I still haven't decided on a case yet, and the more I consider other cases and pick out their flaws the less the badge on the front of the FT02 bothers me.
I'm also wondering if the window can be mounted on the inside with the screws on the outside? I mean, are the screw holes in the window itself threaded giving the screws something to grab onto if I wanted to do this?

WorldExclusive I'm loving your custom window designs, the smaller version looks best, I was thinking of doing something similar but decided that I'm way too lazy :p
 
I'm also wondering if the window can be mounted on the inside with the screws on the outside? I mean, are the screw holes in the window itself threaded giving the screws something to grab onto if I wanted to do this?

According to the peeps who bought an ft02, the bolts go all the way through and can be removed. So you can mount the window to the interior (this was something I also specifically asked about because I'd do it, too), but you'll have to fiddle around a bit with the sound dampening material on the panel's interior. The window should also fit on the interior just fine w/o hitting the hdd/5.25" bays.
 
Does anyone have a SLi setup in here with either 280s or 285s? I'm curious about the idle/load temps with default fan settings (on the cards)...

Even though I have 260's, I just wanted to follow up on my reply before. Remember I do have one space between cards and they're overclocked to 702/1513/1224.
Auto (40%) idle 39/under load 76
65% idle 35/under load 63

I'd just like to add that I've owned a lot of cases (Lian Li, Antec, , Silverstone, etc.), and I'm totally in <3 with this case!!!
I'm not saying there aren't some minor issues, but whenever I get a new case, I usually get frustrated with options or lack thereof.
Edit: I'd also like to add that my HDD temps have dropped a few degrees with temps ranging from 22-31C.

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/6170/dscf0057k.jpg
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/6918/dscf0058o.jpg
 
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WE, do you still have the Obsidian? What are your thoughts on it vs the FT02? Apples and oranges, I know, but still interested.
 
The Corsair went to my friend, as soon as I got it from MC he bought it from me. I teased him with it because he wanted one before I did.

My thoughts on the FT02:
Appearance - When I removed the FT02 from the box, the overall look wasn't that exciting. Why? I just had a RV02 a day before that I got for a friend. The RV02 has a lot more going on and looks awesome in person. I kinda wished I got a RV02 also. The FT02 surprisingly soft to the touch and has a beautiful matte finish. The interior looks great, but I'll take the interior of the RV02 over the FT02.

Function - The reason why I will take the interior of the RV02 is one obvious design flaw, the 5.25" bay. The 5.25" bracket is shorter on the FT02, so your ugly gray DVD extends out the back. Also the covers for the bays are held by screws versus the clip in covers found on Lian Li cases. The FT02 comes with one less fan grill because of the HDD cage. I remember one forum member complaining about HDD trays staying in the bays, I have the same issue of HDD trays falling out when rotating the case. Seven PCI slots instead of the eight PCI slots on the RV02. When picking up the case from the rear to move, the top has to partially pop off to get a good grip. The window side of the case rattles a bit when tapped(I have the non-window version). This just could be my case but I worry if this will hum when my build is complete. The motherboard side panel is solid.

Since the HDD cage is larger and covers the first 180mm fan almost completely, using a dual slot card on the 6-7 PCI slots will position the card very close to the HDD cage. I don't know how much air this card will get, but with X58 motherboards like the P6T Deluxe that positions the last 16x PCI on the 6th slot of the case, it could yield less cooling than the card directly over the fan. I could be wrong, but it should have been considered in the design to use one less HDD tray. If you look at the case, the last HDD tray is longer than the 5.25" bay. I just received the case so I don't have any cooling or sound tests.


Quality - Excellent feel and workmanship on the aluminum. Very sturdy. The power and reset buttons feel high end. The case feels and looks like good money was spent for it. I do have some concerns though. I'm very careful with my PC, but like one reviewer pointed out on Newegg, the paint/powdercoat can chip if you're not careful. Over-tightening screws always chip paint/powercoats. If you accidentally scrape against the finish, little silver lines will start to show. It seems many of the black powedercoated cases have this issue but the RV02 didn't, because it's made from black plastic. Overall the FT02 is better when handled gently and the aluminum body is superior in this comparison.

Value - I got it for a sick price, so value doesn't mean that much here. If I paid retail for the case I would be excited if I never received the RV02 first. The RV02 is highly recommend at $160 from Amazon but not so much for the FT02 at $230-240. Both cases do exactly the same thing but IMO the RV02 is better for a gaming platform. Like Tony from Silverstone said in the videos on Youtube, the Raven is for gaming and the FT02 is for silent computing. I see why now.

Shockingly, I prefer the RV02 over the FT02 for a gaming case and the FT02 for slient computing. The RV02 has features that were omitted in the FT02 for extra HDD storage. Every one's opinions and needs are different, but if you never seen a RV02 in person and own the FT02, be thankful for not having to justify why the FT02 is better.

Appearance - 8
Function - 8*
Quality - 9
Value - 7
Overall - 8

Now let me make this clear, the FT02 is a great case and I will keep it. If I didn't have the RV02 it would have recieved a 9, but both cases are 8's IMO.
 
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Appearance - The interior looks great, but I'll take the interior of the RV02 over the FT02.
The only thing I didn't like about the RV02 interior (from photos/video) was the HDD cage orientation.

Function - The 5.25" bracket is shorter on the FT02, so your ugly gray DVD extends out the back. Also the covers for the bays are held by screws versus the clip in covers found on Lian Li cases. The FT02 comes with one less fan grill because of the HDD cage.
Agree completely. Clips for the bay covers would have been a nice touch, and at this price point really could have been engineered and included (one would think).

Seven PCI slots instead of the eight PCI slots on the RV02.
Not an issue for me now, but will be when upgrading.

When picking up the case from the rear to move, the top has to partially pop off to get a good grip. The window side of the case rattles a bit when tapped(I have the non-window version).
The lack of good handholds is actually quite annoying when working on the case. It's fine now that everything is assembled and the case is just sitting there, but when I was opening it up every other day it was a pain. My window side panel doesn't rattle at all, though.

Since the HDD cage is larger and covers the first 180mm fan almost completely, using a dual slot card on the 6-7 PCI slots will position the card very close to the HDD cage. I don't know how much air this card will get, but with X58 motherboards like the P6T Deluxe that positions the last 16x PCI on the 6th slot of the case, it could yield less cooling than the card directly over the fan.
My cards are installed in slots 3-4 and 6-7. Using 6-7 places the card directly over the area between the front and middle case fans, where it's not likely receiving a ton of airflow. It sits at 40C when idle. The primary card sits at 53C at idle.

Appearance - 8
Function - 7
Quality - 9
Value - 7
Overall - 8

Now let me make this clear, the FT02 is a great case and I will keep it. If I didn't have the RV02 it would have recieved a 9, but both cases are 8's IMO.
*Very* thorough comparison. Thanks.
 
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My cards are installed in slots 3-4 and 6-7. Using 6-7 places the card directly over the area between the front and middle case fans, where it's not likely receiving a ton of airflow. It sits at 40C when idle. The primary card sits at 53C at idle.

That's weird, the temps are kinda reversed when looking at it on paper.
I think an 8 is a high score, a 9 is an almost perfect case and no such case exists to receive a 10.
 
That's weird, the temps are kinda reversed when looking at it on paper.
I think an 8 is a high score, a 9 is an almost perfect case and no such case exists to receive a 10.
Crossfired, that 6-7 card is in a lower-power state at idle. The main card (3-4) sits at 400MHz GPU core clock and 1250 MHz memory clock, while the linked card (6-7) is way down at 157 MHz GPU core clock and 300 MHz memory clock.
 
Feature-wise, the X900 is outstanding and it must flow ridiculous amounts of air. Funny the similarity between those cases.
 
Just picked up my FT-02 from frozenCPU. They are here in Rochester, 15 minutes from my house and had one in stock!!!
 
Ok, this time it's really done ;) I Swapped out the Vapor-X 5750s for Vapor-X 5870s and swapped out the Q6600 overclocked to 3.6 GHz for a Q9650 that I overclocked to 4.05 GHz. There are no more changes in store until it's time to swap out the mobo, processor and RAM for a 1366 setup.

Final Specs:

Engine: Q9650 @4.05 GHz on GA-EP45-UD3P // Noctua NH-D14 Heat Sink + 3x CM R4 // Mushkin Blackline PC2-8500 2GBx4 @ 1066 MHz
ECU: OCZ Vertex Turbo 120 GB SSD // 3x Seagate Barracuda 500 GB // LG 22X and Philips 20X DVD-RW
Fuel Pump:
Corsair HX1000
HUD: 2x 5870 Vapor-X (Crossfire) w/ 3x SyncMaster 2243 (Eyefinity)
Chassis: Fortress FT02B-W

Here are photos with the new cards installed. There's not really much to see. I still need to hide that one wire loop next to the ATX power header...missed it when putting the cards in, then forgot about it since that bit's hidden behind my monitor when I'm actually using the system.


img1036k.jpg



img1031d.jpg



img1032g.jpg
 
I must say after opening this, it is an absolutthing of beauty. FroznCPU had the ATCS and Corsair cases out and unboxed and they looked great, but this thing is just so damn slick and elegant. I can't believe how big the 180mm fans are. I boxed it back up until the rest of my parts arrived next week, but I'm going to take it out to look at it again. It is true what others say, this is so much more beautiful in person, truly amazing!!!
 
I must say after opening this, it is an absolutthing of beauty...slick and elegant...so much more beautiful in person, truly amazing!!!
+500 It's a very elegant-looking case (imo). A friend of my wife's thought my computer was a Mac for that very reason. She hadn't seen a PC that looked that good, lol. Silverstone would sell more of these if stores would actually display them. None of the stores local to me even carry it :rolleyes:
 
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