New Silverstone FT02

I used a 4.5 inch whole saw rated for steal... But this damn case still made the whole saw dull...... I got threw the 4.5mm of aluminum with little difficult but when i hit the .8mm steal it was just scratching it. So i pulled out the old trusty dremel and used a diamond disc and cut the steal. Once cut it i used the dremel with a steal grinder to make the wholes line up correctly. All and all it was alot of fun except it took 8 charges on my 18v cordless drill. (I think i need a new battery :/). The 120mm whole is working great too raised the noise level up mabe 2 db if that which is not bad at all. Now just gotta find the awesome looking 120mm grill cover :/
 
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It's connected to the reservoir with a 45 degree fitting, and likewise with the radiator. I have used a few straps on the tubing to avoid it from kinking - just to be on the safe side.
Nice!...Thanx for posting it! :D
 
would be nice to see how you set this up!? I mean I see so many yet this one looks so simple, neat & does not look extreme expensive water cooling?...Can you let us know?...
I would like to see water cooling reservoir with pump setup in the bay drives, I see you cut the bottom cage out...I would do this! :D

The items used are:

  • Magicool 540 (180x3) radiator.
  • XS-PC Dual Bay reservoir for D5 pump.
  • XS-PC D5 Vario.
  • Alphacool 13/10 fittings x 8.
  • EK 45 degree fittings x 3.
  • EK HF Supreme Nickle Plexi.
  • AC GTX 680 Lightning full cover block.
  • Masterkleer clear tubing.
  • EK Blood Red coolant.

And yes, you can easily mod out the HDD cage and fan mounts. I even cut out the entire buttom of the case to increase air flow :)
 
Just got mine last night. I am a bit of an aluminum snob, but I think the chassis is elegant and high end looking despite some plastic.

Not a beginner case though is it? Seems like if they make a new revision they should work on its build complexity. The fan set up is pretty confusing.
 
Does anyone know if Silverstone will sell you a windowed side panel separately? When I bought my case way back when I didn't really want the windowed side, but next time I upgrade I think it might be nice to have it visible (and help give me some motivation to clean up the inside a bit better (not that it's a mess now).
 
Does anyone know if Silverstone will sell you a windowed side panel separately? When I bought my case way back when I didn't really want the windowed side, but next time I upgrade I think it might be nice to have it visible (and help give me some motivation to clean up the inside a bit better (not that it's a mess now).

Yeah, I'm sure they will. They'll even sell you a new top panel (pretty reasonable as I remember, too -- like $25 shipped for the top). Just email them.
 
So, felt like stirring up some relatively needless support - I've had a RV-02E in the past which I loved, and was planning a new build with a FT-02. The question that I'm left at is black or silver; I'm leaning silver, but I'm not sure how it really looks in person, and if it holds up well/shows wear poorly/etc.

Anyone have some input/regrets/or other ideas about your choice?
 
Yea, I had considered that. But at the same time, I'm not even sure I'll be putting in any 5.25's, as I have literally no need for a optical drive anymore...only thing may be a fan controller, and from what it seems there's a few good matching options on that front.
 
I have a question for FT-02 owners -

Has anyone ever modified their case in the expasion port area to get a dual-slot GPU in the 7th slot?

In a recent comparision test that included this case, Tom's Hardware pointed out something I was unaware of - that it looked as if the FT-02 was designed for 8 slots but to deal with the length of typical optical drives they modified the 8th slot area with a filler plate.

Since I need the 8th slot to use my motherboard's last PCIe slot (it's 8x) for a GTX 580, I was wondering how tricky this might be. If it isn't that hard, it would make me consider this case for purchase. I would most likely be using Silverstone's slot-load ODD bay accessory which means the additional space wouldn't be needed for a typical full-height/depth internal ODD.

Here's the image that shows exactly the area in question - from Tom's Hardware:

SilverStone_FT02S-USB3-0_slots.jpg
 
Could you see if a video card could fit in slot 2 of the motherboard, when you have the h100 like that. I ask because my pcie16 slot is slot 2, not 1.

If a graphics card is installed in slot 1 and it got a backplate, then it's a no. But I had a phantom 680 in before with no backplate which easily could be installed in slot 1 with enough clearance to the h100.
So there is no problem in slot 2 what so ever. :)
 
Awesome! Am I correct in that the FT02 comes with the mounting brackets for a 240mm rad at the bottom, or do you need to purchase that separately?
 
Update for my build. :)

BtK78550.jpg


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Hi!
I'm planning a new build in an FT02 (my first build) and was wondering how you installed that H100 on the 180mm fans??? I was planning to use an H80i mounted to the top exhaust, but when I received my Fortress yesterday I found the radiator mounting brackets...

If you could post pics or something of how you mounted the H100 I would be really really grateful!!! :)

Thanks,
4Strings
 
Hi!
I'm planning a new build in an FT02 (my first build) and was wondering how you installed that H100 on the 180mm fans??? I was planning to use an H80i mounted to the top exhaust, but when I received my Fortress yesterday I found the radiator mounting brackets...

If you could post pics or something of how you mounted the H100 I would be really really grateful!!! :)

Thanks,
4Strings

Well It's not easy, but what I did was that I got some help producing 180 mm - 120 mm adapter bracket to mount a h80. But later on I swapped it to a h100 by producing yet another adapter which was 2x 180 -> 2x 120 mm adapter bracket.
I don't really have any pictures to show you, but its a piece of plastic with some holes to "fit" the 180 mm and 120 mm screwholes.

Now that Kraken is being released I'm thinking about a 140 bracket :D
 
Well It's not easy, but what I did was that I got some help producing 180 mm - 120 mm adapter bracket to mount a h80. But later on I swapped it to a h100 by producing yet another adapter which was 2x 180 -> 2x 120 mm adapter bracket.
I don't really have any pictures to show you, but its a piece of plastic with some holes to "fit" the 180 mm and 120 mm screwholes.

Now that Kraken is being released I'm thinking about a 140 bracket :D
Thanks for the reply!
The Kraken is really tempting... I wish I had the patience to wait for it... :p

Do the adapters that you made look similar to the brackets that come with the FT02???
January2013010_zpsd5a30505.jpg
 
For those of you that feel this case may be out of budget - be sure to check Amazon Warehouse Deals. I just picked up a windowed black FT02 for $190 with free shipping. It was listed as possible damage to packaging. It arrived yesterday and it had a very small puncture in the box, but never touched the case. The case is in perfect new condition and the package was never been opened. Nice thing about Amazon Warehouse Deals has they have the same return policy, so if there was an issue - I could have sent it back for full refund and they usually cover shipping back if there is damage. Anyway, I was excited to save $70-$100 on such an awesome case!
 
For those of you that feel this case may be out of budget - be sure to check Amazon Warehouse Deals. I just picked up a windowed black FT02 for $190 with free shipping. It was listed as possible damage to packaging. It arrived yesterday and it had a very small puncture in the box, but never touched the case. The case is in perfect new condition and the package was never been opened. Nice thing about Amazon Warehouse Deals has they have the same return policy, so if there was an issue - I could have sent it back for full refund and they usually cover shipping back if there is damage. Anyway, I was excited to save $70-$100 on such an awesome case!

Is it the current USB 3.0 model?

That's a great deal...
 
Most current models are USB 3. Mine that I got after christmas in 2011 is USB 3.0 and I imagine a place like Amazon goes through so much stock that everything they have currently is USB 3.0
 
Is it the current USB 3.0 model?
That's a great deal...

Most current models are USB 3. Mine that I got after christmas in 2011 is USB 3.0 and I imagine a place like Amazon goes through so much stock that everything they have currently is USB 3.0

Yes - it is the most recent version with USB 3.0!

Couple things about Amazon Warehouse:

You have to check the site regularly because when they list something - they are in such small quantities usually.

When you find something you want, click the "X used from $XX.XX" link for the item.

In the condition column, you will see a general state of condition of the item. It will say things like: Like New, Used - Good, Used - Very Good, etc.

The column I like most is the Seller Information column. Here, Amazon will describe what is wrong with item. Mine said "Original packaging. Possible damage to packaging."
Basically, this is where you have to make a judgment call what you are willing to risk in buying the item.

I say that "Like New" with "Original packaging. Possible damage to packaging." is probably you best bets. Amazon doesn't want to risk sending it to a customer in new condition and risk the customer refusing shipment because a crushed corner on box or in my case a forklift puncture at bottom of box. Just make sure you check item as soon as it arrive so you can take advantage of Amazon's return policy.

Hope this helps!

On another note has anyone used a Zalman LQ-230 with this case yet?

I picked up one for $49.99 after rebate. I noticed everyone here seems to be using the Corsair AIOs or Custom Loops. Just curious if my LQ-230 will work in my new system. I assumed the only difference would be the thicker RAD. Still need to get CPU, MOBO and RAM to finish my build...
 
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Update for my build. :)

BtK78550.jpg


Nice...I'm all about the Black & Blue theme, I'm about to receive my other GPU for SLI, I have a question I been tryin' to get Black/Blue Sleeved Cables & everytime I check either I don't have the money or its not in stock :mad: my luck!
where did you get yours & was it recent?...Another thing I notice the HD slot with Blue Stripes is it tape or paint? > Here's a pic of my B/B setup with old 30' monitor
RigPix.jpg
 
Thanks for the reply!
The Kraken is really tempting... I wish I had the patience to wait for it... :p

Do the adapters that you made look similar to the brackets that come with the FT02???
January2013010_zpsd5a30505.jpg

The kraken is gone for me. Say hello to Swiftech h220 soon hopefully :D

Hmm I didn't get those brackets with my case, that's strange :/
But no not really, my adapter is the size of 180 mm x 180 mm including 120 mm x 120 mm screwholes inside. The rest is removed so maximum air can penetrate through.
I could take a picture of it, but at the moment I'm like 9000 km away from home and my case. :)

Nice...I'm all about the Black & Blue theme, I'm about to receive my other GPU for SLI, I have a question I been tryin' to get Black/Blue Sleeved Cables & everytime I check either I don't have the money or its not in stock :mad: my luck!
where did you get yours & was it recent?...Another thing I notice the HD slot with Blue Stripes is it tape or paint? > Here's a pic of my B/B setup with old 30' monitor


I bought them on ebay from a guy called modpcuk, but it wasn't recent and he doesn't sell anything atm. :(

The HD slot is film or tape. It's actually also on the corsair power supply and a few other places you can't see on this picture. :)

Nice case right back at you :)
 
The kraken is gone for me. Say hello to Swiftech h220 soon hopefully :D

Hmm I didn't get those brackets with my case, that's strange :/
But no not really, my adapter is the size of 180 mm x 180 mm including 120 mm x 120 mm screwholes inside. The rest is removed so maximum air can penetrate through.
I could take a picture of it, but at the moment I'm like 9000 km away from home and my case. :)

No problem!
Thanks! And I also can't wait for the H220... That thing is AWESOME! :)
 
Having asked for help on which case to choose here some time ago, I ended up buying a Fortress FT02 with window. It arrived about one month ago, and so far I just love it. :)

Now time for new components has come.
I plan to install an Intel i5 3570K on a Gigabyte Z77X-UD4H with G.Skill Ares modules, preferably cooled by a Thermalright Silver Arrow SE-B.

Does somebody run that combination (or a similar one) and can tell me if the Silver Arrow will fit?
 
I feel almost silly asking this, but what are the side panels coated with? Are they powder coated? One of my panels has fingerprint stains on them...
 
Does anyone else feel that the case needs to be a bit taller? I took out all the fans on the FT02 in my quiet rig and think that if they were still in there wouldn't be a lot of room for cable management, much less if someone wanted to put radiators at the bottom.
 
Does anyone else feel that the case needs to be a bit taller? I took out all the fans on the FT02 in my quiet rig and think that if they were still in there wouldn't be a lot of room for cable management, much less if someone wanted to put radiators at the bottom.

No, with the length of the case I definitely wouldn't want it to be any taller. If anything it should be a little wider so that there was ample room for cable management behind the motherboard tray.
 
Can someone help me figure out which non-reference heatsinks are compatible with this case? I currently have a 7950 Vapor-X [Horiz. Heatpipes] and it is completely impossible to run it vertical, it overheats. I've had it since Oct/Nov 2012 and only payed $240 AR

So I was looking at selling it and replacing it with another 7950 with the eBay deal going on, but I dont know if any work well here? MSI TF3 apparently works, but its already a weak cooler, so its not exactly an upgrade. I was considering a reference board and then a Arctic 7970 or Hybrid, although I'd rather stay with just a non-reference cooler.

ASUS DC2?
Gigabyte WF3?

It looks like my best option may be to just stick with this and run my case horizontal? This card I run 1200/1770 for regular use.
 
Been reading through this forum looking for a specific answer to my question, but I don't think I've

My FT02 3 base fans are connected directly to my 650W PSU using the splitter that came with the case. It's plugged into my "FAN ONLY" PSU cable. When I set the switches at the top of the box to "L" the fans simply don't spin. When I set them to "H" they start and run. However I am worried that their RPM is even lower than 700RPM, which would be BAD. Anyone encountered this issue? No way of knowing?
 
Been reading through this forum looking for a specific answer to my question, but I don't think I've

My FT02 3 base fans are connected directly to my 650W PSU using the splitter that came with the case. It's plugged into my "FAN ONLY" PSU cable. When I set the switches at the top of the box to "L" the fans simply don't spin. When I set them to "H" they start and run. However I am worried that their RPM is even lower than 700RPM, which would be BAD. Anyone encountered this issue? No way of knowing?

Your "fan only" connectors are likely undervolted. You want to hook up the fans to a standard 4-pin molex connector.
 
Your "fan only" connectors are likely undervolted. You want to hook up the fans to a standard 4-pin molex connector.

Oh yeah? was worried that would be too much (4 slots for only 2 pins with the included adapter) Will try it tonight. Thanks!
 
Each pin is a different voltage since different devices use different voltages. Your fans only need the +12V and ground pins.
 
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