Resolved.

[Nighted]

What case?

That Silverstone FT02. The Raven looks ok, but sort of like a cheap Lian Li knockoff. I admit the cooling setup looks cool in them but doesn't appear any more innovative than what's already out there. Only my opinion though. I'm sure others like the more rounded looks compared to the ubiquitous rectangles most of us use...but still, it looks like a freakin' air cleaner.

 

[SylarPowers]

Btw, I only preodered that FT02bw, cancelled a day later. I'll check out silverstone @ ces with anticipation tho.

 

[zero2dash]

Aye, unless someone is having trouble moving their case around and absolutely needs to shave ~5-15lbs

Yeah, more like the 15lbs, not the 5lbs.
And it has nothing to do with moving the case around a lot. Conversely anyone on the aluminum > steel bandwagon can use the excuse "oh well you say you need a steel case due to sturdiness, how often are you kicking your computer case or using it as a stool?".

Most Al cases are thin and rickety or else the better Lian Li/Cooler Master/Silverstone products are made with thicker stuff which raises cost too much IMO.

Those cases (specifically the Lian Li's) cost the same as the FT02. $200-$250 price range.

I really liked it on the earlier pics (FT02) when it looked white. Guess it was the flash or ambient lighting, but hell it was sexy in white. The silver is very nice as well; silver or white, I'll take either over black. (Need the bezels though. )

 

[Omerta]

i really don't understand why anyone would pay more than even $150 for this case. It's not a full-tower and has a bunch of plastic in it. Not to mention Silverstone is known for ridiculously thin side panels. It also looks very ugly. Yes, it is "simple," but it's an ugly kind of simple. It looks like an air purifier. I'd much rather have the RV02.

 

[coconutboy]

Yeah, more like the 15lbs, not the 5lbs.
And it has nothing to do with moving the case around a lot. Conversely anyone on the aluminum > steel bandwagon can use the excuse "oh well you say you need a steel case due to sturdiness, how often are you kicking your computer case or using it as a stool?".

The Lian Li pc-p50 armorsuit is very similar to Lian Li's Lancool pc-k60. Nearly the same size, features etc. The weight difference is 7lbs... those aren't tiny cases, they're well over 19" in height and depth and are just shy of the internal space needed for EATX compatibility. So yes, 5-15lbs is accurate. You make a lot of assumptions in your statements; not everyone uses their case in the same manner and most people, even enthusiasts, do not buy full-size towers that create a 15lb weight disparity.

As for the stiffness provided by steel, you may not think it's relevant, but plenty of other people do. Even a good steel chassis will flex and bend; aluminum just exaggerates things. I've owned two quality aluminum chassis and both of them require a lot more babysitting when cleaning air filters (which I do several times a week), moving them about the house or going to LAN parties. My gaming boxes are mounted to my desk via brackets, several feet off the floor. This means I need a stiff chassis or I have to take up more floor/desk space which I do not like. These are the kinds of concerns I had that pushed me away from the Cooler Master 840; at nearly $200, it's a lil' rickety for my needs. YMMV.

Those cases (specifically the Lian Li's) cost the same as the FT02. $200-$250 price range.

If you'd been paying attention to the thread, you'd know I've been saying the FT02 is (currently) priced too high versus its competition. However, there are great deals to be had for those wanting quality all-aluminum cases so not everything costs ~$200+. Sylar mentioned above that he purchased the Lian Li pc-b10. It's a great case, and supposedly very quiet while also offering excellent cooling. But if you don't care about the front door panel or the extra 120mm fan in the front, the Lian Li pc-7fn is a very similar case for ~$100 less. I'm not knocking Sylar's decision because everyone has their own criteria, but this does show ya don't have to spend $200+ to get a great Al case. I also notice that NZXT is now offering a newer version of their (steel) Tempest case that has some good improvements for those wanting alternatives to the Antec 900/902. NZXT painted the interior black, added a cpu cutout, altered the sidepanel for more room behind the mobo and a few other tweaks. Great value for ~$110.

i really don't understand why anyone would pay more than even $150 for this case. It's not a full-tower and has a bunch of plastic in it. Not to mention Silverstone is known for ridiculously thin side panels. It also looks very ugly. Yes, it is "simple," but it's an ugly kind of simple. It looks like an air purifier. I'd much rather have the RV02.

I do agree that anything over ~$200 makes this case a tough sell versus its competition, but why are you complaining about the plastic, yet you'd prefer an RV02? There's a minimum of plastic in the FT02. Strong stuff, like ABS, isn't the evil demon people make it out to be. Only the cheap junk is a worry.

 

[SylarPowers]

if you look at the details closely, my case is like the starship enterprise. Not the biggest, however it's clearly lian li's flagship mid tower (build and feature wise). The pc-b25f might cool a bit better yet is a step back in build quality, the pc-X1000 while uber nice is a bit too expensive/tall/hard to wire, and the other high end lian li's are of the 24"x24" big box calibur.

but not everyone needs the pc-b10's rubber lined panel edges, stronger framework, clean look, single thumbscrew easy panel relase latches and sound absorbing foam, etc. Some are content with a shuttlecraft or science vessle. They all take you to space like.

same with the ft02. Some will dig the unibody, looks, rotated mobo, etc, and some will find more value in something like th CM 840, which has been $180 delivered on newegg before. Me? I'm happy enough with my $220 delivered pc-b10.

 

[Silver5656]

man anybody else getting sick of waiting for this to show up

 

[yenniedn]

man anybody else getting sick of waiting for this to show up

I would guess everybody is???

 

[WorldExclusive]

I would guess everybody is???

Nah, I'm done waiting. The sites that has it for sale wants $245+shipping so I'm going to pass on it. Bought a Cosmos S for less than $140. Good luck to everyone else waiting for this case, I hope it lives up to the hype.

 

[yenniedn]

I got the RV02 (to replace the RV01) when it was first released - and the plan at that time was to have the RV02 be the stop-gap until the FT02 became available. But the more I use the RV02 and the more I study the FT02, it looks like I'll be sticking with the RV02. With the interior being almost the same, the exterior of the RV02 has a tad bit more character than the FT02 - which looks more and more plain to me everyday. The RV02, on the other hand, has really grown on me.

Knowing me though, I'm fairly sure that I WILL buy the FT02 anyways once it is widely available. I'm going to pay the full retail for it though. The first one I see (whether on ebay, Craigslist or whatever) under $200, I'll grab it just to satisfy my own curiosity. Only once I'm able to compare the two next to each other will I be able to decide on one or the other for sure.

 

[zero2dash]

I wish I would have bought your RV01 when you sold it
IMO RV01 = better outside design (again IMO, I think the 02 is too plain looking)
RV02 = better inside design

Maybe they'll make an RV03 with the outside of the 01 and the inside of the 02.

 

[coconutboy]

Totally agree about wanting to see an RV03. In pics when I saw the original Raven I thought it looked "okay" (but definitely unique) whereas most people instantly have a strong like/dislike for its looks. My g/f hated the RV01 when we saw it online. Then we saw it in person at Microcenter along with a good number of other cases like the Zalman GS1000, Cosmos (both versions), CM 840, Antec p193, FT01 etc. I then spent a lot of time with each chassis tearing them apart (and constantly being harassed by the salespeople, ugh). The Raven made a lot better visual impression when seeing it in person to the point that my lady actually thought it looked decent and not as bad as in pics/videos. I just wish the cooling wasn't so mediocre which is why I won't buy one.

Based upon the recent designs from Antec, Silverstone, Cooler Master, NZXT and Lian Li, there are many cases close to what I want. I'd expect a chassis mfg to hit the mark soon. I'm looking forward to CES 2010 (and the other trade shows) to see what's in the pipeline. I do like the FT02's clean lines and understated styling, but it's a lil' too bland as others have said.

Bought a Cosmos S for less than $140.

PLEASE tell me that there's more Cosmos S for sale at that price?!? I didn't wanna pay $200+ and then have to still spend another $35 for an extra hdd cage to fit all my drives. But for $140 I'll buy a Cosmos S in a heartbeat. That's a steal!

 

[WorldExclusive]

PLEASE tell me that there's more Cosmos S for sale at that price?!? I didn't wanna pay $200+ and then have to still spend another $35 for an extra hdd cage to fit all my drives. But for $140 I'll buy a Cosmos S in a heartbeat. That's a steal!

I actually got it for $120 w/ free shipping during the Black Friday sale at their store. It's a refurbished case but I like it better since it actually been tested and cases don't go for that much in the FS/T thread anyway. If you buy a $200 case, be prepared to lose $50-100 between discounting the price and shipping cost so much. So why not buy it cheap and sell it for cheap.

http://cmstore.coolermaster-usa.com/product_info.php?products_id=106

 

[coconutboy]

Dude, I just saw your reply. THANK YOU!! If I do end up buying the Cosmos (I'll probably decide tomorrow), I owe you a drink if you're ever in the Los Angeles area. This offer is almost too good to pass on even w/ the poor dust filtering.

Edit- damn, decided the offer was too good to pass on, and was going to buy it tonight. They're out of stock

 

[Elios]

looks to much like a mac for me >.>
it would a lol to build a hackintosh in it though lol

 

[Flanno]

I purchased my FT02 from Scan.co.uk yesterday. Black, non window version. Worked out at over 270 euro!! Should have it Monday.

 

[acheleus]

I thought I would post my first impressions of the Black Windowed FT02 I received today. I ordered this from FrozenCPU on this Wednesday December 3rd and paid $249 + $18 standard UPS ground, and to my surprise it shows up today! Turns out it was drop shipped directly from Silverstone which is in Souther California where I live. Yes it was still an expensive case but well worth it in my opinion.

First of all I really liked the pictures of this case from the first time I saw it, looked very clean and classy. I have delayed my new PC build a couple months as I waited for this case to ship.

Ok, folks, for those of you who like the looks of this case from the pictures you will like it much better in the flesh....IMHO this is the best PC case I have seen and yes I have seen a lot of very high end Lian-li cases, coolermasters, thermaltakes, and even the old Silverstone FT01s, RV01, RV02, etc. The fit and finish of the case is spectacular and while it does have the plastic top piece, I can tell you that blends in with the rest of the aluminum case seamlessly. You have to touch it to realize it is plastic. Additionally, for those of you worried about thin flimsy side pannels, they are not at all thin and flimsy but a good thickness to prevent dings and dents from happening easily like you would see in the Coolermaster 840 for instance. I really wasn't sure about the window version but tired of waiting and that is what was available first so I said why not, I can show off all my nice parts I guess. I really like the window, it is nice and big showing the entire motherboard. It is not flush as I would have preferred but honestly from a distance you would never notice.

As you move inside you go from Aluminum to Steel which I honestly don't care about at all. What is fantastic is that the inside is painted all black to match the rest of the case. There is also great wire management, nice big processor hole for changing your cooler without removing your motherboard and nice fit for all of my components The power supply mount also works very well.

I almost caved in and bought the RV02 a couple weeks ago for about $100 less than I paid for this and I am very happy I held out for the FT02. The only similarities are the layout inside but when you move outside this is where there is simply no comparison between the Ft02 and RV02. The RV02 is all plastic exterior and just looks cheap where as the FT02 is mostly a nicely painted aluminum that just looks fantastic.

Now, is the roughly $270 I paid for this including shipping to much? well I might say it is too much for any case; however, when you compare them to other cases such as the Lian Li pc-b10 discussed earlier, then I say no it isn't. I am sure those that simply don't like the look for the FT02 will not agree with me which is fine, but for me the FT02 is a much nicer case than the Lian Li pc-b10 for the same price. First of all the FT02 really is a full tower case in terms of space, it is just that it is oriented horizontally if you will instead of the traditional vertical layout. What I mean is that the case would be considered a large mid-tower when considering the height, but when you factor in the length then it has as much room as the average full tower case. The case is very big, and very long.......

 

[WorldExclusive]

Good to know that you like it.

You got a break on the shipping charge. Frozen will ship it to me for $40 which brings it to $280+
For that price I rather get the TJ07.

 

[ND40oz]

Good to know that you like it.

You got a break on the shipping charge. Frozen will ship it to me for $40 which brings it to $280+
For that price I rather get the TJ07.

Exactly, the TJ07 and FT02 are the same price at Scan, real tough choice, especially since the FT02 isn't even EATX or SSI EEB compatible.

 

[ryken]

pictures!

 

[tylerchris]

Hi, have been lurking in the background for a couple of months,yes I too wanted news on how to get hold of this lovely case.[H]|Forum was the most informative on the net
Anyhow apart from a little willy waving(Inow have mine)
Thought you ma be intrested in a couple of pics.

This is my first build so please don't be too hard.
No problems with the case at all they even provide a Molex adaptor for the bottom three fans,pretty useful as theCorsair H50 had nicked a couple of the three pin sockets
Cheers.Chris.

 

[coconutboy]

Grats on your FT02, and It's great to see a post that shows hardware installed. Also, question(s) for you guys who already have purchased FT02s: does it look like removal of the window will easily allow it to be reinstalled on the interior of the case? Is the window mounted w/ nuts 'n' bolts, push pins or something else? Does it look like it'll rub up against the hdd bay, optical drives, PSU or anything else if moved to the interior? Any info (maybe with pics?) would be greatly appreciated!

The reason I ask is, Frozencpu currently has the non-windowed version in stock for $229 and shipping is less than $20. The windowed version is $249. If I can just swap the window location easily, I'm so sick of waiting I might just buy IF the window can be moved to the interior. And if the window can't easily be moved to the interior, that $229 is a damn tempting alternative. For reference, of the 73 caseporn pics I have of this case, these are the only two I have showing the interior window panel.

I'm sooo sick of waiting to see what the newegg price will be. My trigger finger is getting itchy because $229 and fedex only adding on another $17 and change is pretty tough to resist. Looks like Silverstone was fair on pricing and it's the retailers who have been gouging by $20-40 when you include the inflated shipping fees.

 

[yenniedn]

^^^If the FT02's window is the same as the RV02, then it's mounted using allen bolts - should be simple to move it to the inside and remounted there - though I'm not clear as to why this is such as a big deal for you???

 

[coconutboy]

Thanks yenniedn. I want the window on the interior, but if it is rubbing on something, I'm better off buying the non-windowed version and just cutting my own. But the window can be moved easily that saves me time along w/ $10-20 (depending on retailer) since I don't plan on only mounting the window against the interior; I'm gonna be a little more creative with how I do it, so this kinda stuff all adds to the cost and I'd hate to spend an extra $10 for the windowed version only to find it won't work. Making this info even more important to me is that Silverstone won't be selling replacement parts so I can't make mistakes.

Something else I wanted to mention for the few who might care. I was rereading a number of the Raven2 reviews/user comments around the web, and I've noticed a trend that might explain something. Everyone says the FT02/RV02 are very quiet cases, but opinions vary a bit on the cooling and I think I know why. The CPU cooling is great and gets no complaints, but the GPUs are a different story. It's the same problem many cases have, but from what I've read, it especially hurts the RV02/FT02's performance. If you are going to run multiple GPUs and have a motherboard that places your vid cards in a tight config, you'll likely get better GPU cooling using a different case. But if your mobo provides a 2 slot gap (or more) so the cards aren't smushed together, or if you're only going to be using a single board, then the RV02/FT02 are outstanding cases cooling-wise. Not the best, but damn good considering how quietly they run. For reference, most of the current p55 mobos from MSI/GIgabyte/etc will be fine since you'll have a 2 slot gap between GPUs. However, if it can't be helped and a user's mobo does end up smushing 2 vid cards into 4 consecutive PCIe slots, I wonder if perhaps the squished multi-gpu cooling results will be better depending upon which slots are used?

Notice the cards skipping the 1st and 2nd slot. The Asus board is squishing those GPUs together which is always a bad idea. If limited RV02 commentary about squishing/spaceless GPU cooling is anything to go by, this is type of situation is worse still in the RV02/FT02 vs cases with side fans or which place the mobo/GPUs farther away from the (usually frontal) intake fans. Counterpoint: then again, maybe it just depends on which 4 slots the vid cards get squished into. Looking at the expanded picture from above, my gut instinct says the cooling is better for those two CPUs since the gap between them is centered off to the edges of the fan where more airflow is generated versus the fan's center/spindle/dead zone. If the vid cards were moved to the right by a slot or two, that might actually hurt gpu airflow. Impossible to say till there's enough user feedback.

 

[Silver5656]

damn people are already getting this in california, but no frys or micro center has it?

 

[ryken]

thanks for the pics, case looks really nice.

 

[coconutboy]

damn people are already getting this in california, but no frys or micro center has it?

Fry's and Microcenter are usually slow to get in new case products as are other b&m chains. The early product usually shows up first at smaller etailers along w/ a couple of the big places like Newegg/Tigerdirect/Directron.

 

[Gemütlichkeit]

Does the FT02 come with those little holes to route some 3/4" OD Tygon® tubing through? Or will I have to go drilling into a brand new 250USD case? 'Cause I'm gettin' one and there isn't room inside to mount a Powercooler LCS 5870 and also plan on running water through several radiators.

The Raven 02 has them, but located on the bottom which, IMO, is really tooopid (they should be in the back). I like the Raven otherwise & was set to get it until I discovered the FT02.

I'm hard for the FT02.

Waiting for NewEgg to list it (and get the LCS 5870 back in stock). Probably going to be January before I start building....

 

[coconutboy]

Don't own one myself yet, but in my bucketload of FT02 caseporn, I don't see anything for external rad tubing. Unless the aesthetics have you drooling, this case is otherwise garbage for watercooling, especially when compared to similarly priced competition.

 

[Gemütlichkeit]

I don't think there are any cases that are optimal to water cool as an integral configuration. (Hence the need for those 2 little holes.)

There are a few fundamental issues;

1. Hard to fit enough radiator into a case to remove enough heat. If cooling both an OC'd CPU and OC'd GPU, the radiator should be able to remove 500W or more.

2. Internal radiators typically require that the fans are mounted cheek by jowl with the radiator. There is a dead spot in the center of the fans (where the fan motor is located) that means the radiator fins in that area aren't seeing any airflow. Fans should be mounted so as to be separated from the radiator by at least a couple inches to create a mixing plenum. This allows the forced air to be equalized across the radiator & make maximum use of the radiator surface area.

3. If you look at the internally mounted radiator builds people have come up with, they either have the radiator being cooled by air from outside the case--which means the air heated by the radiator is being directed inside the case to 'cool' the other motherboard components--or, the radiator is being 'cooled' by the already warmed air from inside the case. It seems like it would be better to cool both the radiator and the motherboard with (thermally speaking) virgin air.

If the desire is to have everything needed to run the computer located within the case, prehaps to lug it to LAN parties & such, I understand mounting the radiator internally, or even those custom monstrosities where radiators are mounted to the case externally on the top, side, and/or bottom.

In my case (no pun intended) it's probably not going anywhere once it finds a spot on my desk. So, the solution is to have a little cooling factory somewhere off to the side consisting of an enclosure, dust filter, radiators, fans, reservoir, and pump. The case then needs only a couple of quick disconnects to attach the cool water supply and the heated water return tubing.

In short, IMO, *all* cases are 'garbage' for watercooling. Just curious--are there any you consider otherwise?

 

[WorldExclusive]

Water is used to cool components with less noise, period. Buy an affordable system and these days internal is the way to go. Having some high-end or external water cooling system is a waste of money. Sooner than later all of those parts will end up in the FS/T Thread away. Check for yourself.

Air Is Free!

 

[acheleus]

Hi all,

Ok, here are some pics with partial build, still waiting on my new Noctua NH-D14 Cooler and memory.

 

[acheleus]

Hi Coconutboy,

Not sure why you want to move the window inside, but from looking at it, I think you could do that. The window is just screwed in and the screw holes go all the way through. There is plenty of room so it would not rub against anything that I can see.

Gemütlichkeit,

I do not see any whole for water tubes. Honestly this is by no means a good water cooling PC, it is made for air cooling.

 

[Gemütlichkeit]

Water is used to cool components with less noise, period. Buy an affordable system and these days internal is the way to go. Having some high-end or external water cooling system is a waste of money. Sooner than later all of those parts will end up in the FS/T Thread away. Check for yourself.

Air Is Free!

Agreed--water does cool w less noise.

As for wasting money on computer stuff, I'm pretty sure one can purchase a perfectly good, fairly spiffy, complete system for under $600.00. And yet, some people still seem to be willing to drop $200 plus just for a case. And $200 or more just for a CPU. And $200 or so just for a motherboard. And, for those of you keeping score at home, they still don't have a graphics card or ram. Are they wasting money?

Air *is* free, but it still takes a $90 CPU fan/cooler to move it most effectively, and it is a fact that a waste-of-money water cooling system cools better than air and allows much better overclocks for those who, like me, are into such unnecessary exploits.

 

[Gemütlichkeit]

Thanks ancheleus.

As regards the FT02 being a water cooling case or not... A couple 1" holes and a couple of grommets will make it (or any other) case perfect for water cooling.

 

[Gemütlichkeit]

ancheleus

You're running 3(!) graphics cards?? What kind are they? And what kind of power supply are you using?

Heck, while I'm at it, what is that SSD you've got there too?

 

[coconutboy]

Loving the case pics gentlemen, please do keep them coming. *clicks save

acheleus, thanks for the info, sounds like if we do buy, the windowed version will be the way to go. Also, please give updates as time goes by as to how your GPU temps are, and if you're ocing etc. Your build would be a solid example of the type of build I read a couple RV02 owners complaining about. Only downside is the 5800s run fairly cool to begin with (ours never comes close to trouble)..

 

[coconutboy]

Water is used to cool components with less noise, period.

I disagree with this broad generalization. Personally, I am 60/40 on running water for my next build, and "yes" I will be doing it mainly for quiet computing rather than outright cooling performance, but plenty of other people want their 4GHz+ overclocks, TECs etc. YMMV.

In short, IMO, *all* cases are 'garbage' for watercooling. Just curious--are there any you consider otherwise?

Depending on how much surface you need, there are lots of choices. In my situation, I'm planning for radiator overkill w/ easy flowing rads and low rpm fans. Minimum of 2x36cm rads or a similar amount of capability. My short list of good choices atm although CES in January will likely bring some new contenders-

~Silverstone TJ07

~Thermaltake Mozart TX (fully aluminum version). If you don't mind the aesthetics (I love them), this case is a bargain for someone needing lots of rads. At release it was too expensive, but nowadays I can pick one up for under $240 out the door from local retailers.

~Corsair 800d. Like the FT02, I find it a lil' bland visually. Then there's the mediocre hdd cooling, and that top exhaust is so ugly I'd cut it out and replace it w/ something from mnpctech etc. Otherwise, this case is a winner. Love the blacked out interior and cable management.

~Thermaltake SwordM. This case's critical flaws are a lack of DUST FILTERS and too few hdd bays (you can buy a bay device for more), but after that it's a great deal. Currently I can pick one up for under $240 out the door, toss a few $$ at it to fix its flaws, and have a great watercooling case. For my needs though, I'd rather have the Mozart TX. The tall cube footprint will work quite nicely with my desk mounting system.

~Lian Li. Too many good choices to list. Pick one.

 

[acheleus]

ancheleus

You're running 3(!) graphics cards?? What kind are they? And what kind of power supply are you using?

Heck, while I'm at it, what is that SSD you've got there too?

Ok, here is a run down of parts, and yes I "waste" a lot of money on this stuff, but I love it!

Motherboard = eVGA P55 Classified 200
Processor = Intel i7-860
Video cards = 3x eVGA GTX275s
Power supply = 1200 Watt Ultra X4
SSD = 160GB Intel X25-M G2
Hard Drives = 3x 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM drives in RAID 5
Memory (still on the way) = 8GB G.SKILL Ripjaws DDR3 2000
Upgraded 180mm fans to Silverstone FM-181ball bearing 500rpm - 1300rpm fans.
And new Noctua NH-D14 on the way.
Also going to replace the top fan with 140mm Noctua NF-P14 FLX - On the way too.

Oh and yes I agree, poke a couple holes and you now have a great water cooling case. I am not ready to go down the water cooling side yet but by all means have fun with it.

 

[acheleus]

Loving the case pics gentlemen, please do keep them coming. *clicks save

acheleus, thanks for the info, sounds like if we do buy, the windowed version will be the way to go. Also, please give updates as time goes by as to how your GPU temps are, and if you're ocing etc. Your build would be a solid example of the type of build I read a couple RV02 owners complaining about. Only downside is the 5800s run fairly cool to begin with (ours never comes close to trouble)..

I will let you know on the GPU temps, that will be my challenge I know. That is also why I upgraded the fans from the start. I looked high and low for somebody that had upgraded the fans on the RV02 to see if that helped, but found nobody. As I said, I love this case so I wanted to try and make it work The fans of course added another $75 to my cost......oh well it is only money right!!