The SilverStone Fortress FT05 Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on June 5, 2015 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- SilverStone
- Case
SilverStone is a well-known manufacturer, distinguished for their atypical, strange case designs. The company offers numerous enclosures that partially or completely neglect the ATX design guide. The ML04 and ML05 that we reviewed several months ago are but a pair of examples of their HTPC solutions, while the Raven RV05 with its rotated motherboard tray was a prominent specimen of their unique tower designs. Today we are having a look at the Fortress FT05, a case very similar to the Raven RV05, although not quite the same.
The latest Fortress series case also has a rotated motherboard tray, a design that is inherited from the Raven RV01, but retains the compact dimensions of the Raven RV05. SilverStone boasts that the compact Fortress FT05 offers exceptional thermal performance and easy maintenance despite its compact proportions. However, that was the case with the Raven RV05 as well and our review revealed that this design is far from perfect. The Fortress FT05 retails at double the price tag of the Raven RV05 as well, making it a rather expensive small tower case, and a bit of an uphill battle for SilverStone.
| SilverStone Fortress FT05 Specifications | ||
| Motherboard Form Factor | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | |
| Drive Bays | External | 1 x Slim Slot Loading |
| Internal | 2 x 3.5" (rear drive cage) 2 x 2.5" (rear of motherboard tray) | |
| Cooling | Front | - |
| Rear | - | |
| Top | 1 x 120 mm (optional) | |
| Left Side | - | |
| Bottom | 2 x 180 mm (included) 3 x 120 mm or 2 x 140 mm fans can replace the stock fans | |
| Radiator Support | Front | - |
| Rear | - | |
| Top | - | |
| Side | - | |
| Bottom | 240 mm / 280 mm | |
| I/O Port | 2x USB 3.0, 1x Headphone, 1x Mic | |
| Power Supply Size | ATX | |
| Clearances | HSF | 160 mm |
| PSU | 170 mm | |
| GPU | 310 mm | |
| Dimensions | 483 mm × 221 mm × 427 mm (H×W×D) 19 in × 8.7 in × 16.8 in (H×W×D) | |
| Prominent Features | Aluminum wrap-around exterior with classic SilverStone Fortress styling Revolutionary 90 degree motherboard mounting from RAVEN RV01 Breakthrough 5.25 inch bay-free design for unprecedented power to size ratio Two Air Penetrator fans included for great performance and quietness Positive air pressure design for excellent cooling/quietness and dust-prevention Foam padded interior for advanced noise absorption Quick-release latch for fast side panel removal Exterior access to main filter for easy maintenance Support for various liquid cooling radiator sizes |
|
| Price | $180 Including Shipping (No Window) $206.6 Including Shipping (With Window) |
|
Packaging & Bundle
SilverStone supplies the Fortress FT05 in a large, dark cardboard box. There is little artwork to talk about, as the company limited it to a dark picture of the case itself. Thick Styrofoam slabs and a black nylon bag protect the case during shipping.
SilverStone supplies virtually only the hardware essential for the installation of the components, a few simple cable ties and a 120mm fan filter. There also is a very well written manual, but no extras such as cable straps or decorative stickers.
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maximumGPU - Friday, June 5, 2015 - link
i can't decide if i should get this. I'm running an FT02 and it oozes quality, but is getting too large and i have no use for optical drives.This looks fantastic, but the extremely cramped space is a turnoff, especially considering i'm running two gpus. Noise is also a big concern for me, and my experience with the AP180 mm fan is that they are definetly not silent, unless you run them at really low speeds.
My other contender is the H440. Great looks and quiet but alas with much more plastic and inferior cooling.
Boffinboy - Friday, June 5, 2015 - link
I have the exact same dilemma! The trend for AIO cooled graphics cards could solve this. Out of interest, what coolers are you running your graphics cards with? Blower or dual fan?maximumGPU - Friday, June 5, 2015 - link
dual fan. I know it doesn't sit right witht the vertical cooling, especially in sli, but the new style 0dB coolers are just fantastic when you're not gaming.Boffinboy - Friday, June 5, 2015 - link
I know some have the fins in vertical orientation and seem to work OK. I originally had some EVGA ACX-style cards, and the fins were horizontal - they performed terribly. I'm due a graphics upgrade and not sure whether to try SLI with dual-fan cards with vertical fins e.g. MSI.maximumGPU - Saturday, June 6, 2015 - link
yes i run 2 MSI gaming (980) and the cooling is fine, although i wouldn't say it's fantastic. 1 gpu has a delta T of 45, which isn't too bad. the other runs hotter at 55 with a higher gpu fan speed.Boffinboy - Monday, June 8, 2015 - link
Thanks, that's helpful to know for my next upgrade!Samus - Friday, June 5, 2015 - link
I've had an FT01 since 2008 and use an FT03 and FT03-mini at work. They ALL ooze quality. It was about time someone dethroned Lian-Li in the aluminum department...I'd tried a lot of different cases over the years as I built PC's for friends (and as a MAR member I was getting Windows\Office licenses for education/non-profit super cheap) and other manufactures such as Cooler Master (Praetorian) and Corsair (Obsidian) tried and tried, and while well reviewed, just aren't completely thought-out designs. The quality from many of these manufactures is top notch, especially the aluminum anodizing and finishing, but there is always at least one huge problem. The Praetorian didn't cool well and collected a ton of dust due to many fans, and the Obsidian, especially the high end models like the 800D, just don't look professional enough to put under my desk at work.
Silverstone (with the exception of the Raven series) look great at home or in the office with very neutral, unoffensive, yet non-traditional\unconventional designs.
der - Friday, June 5, 2015 - link
Hmm....it's aite
wurizen - Friday, June 5, 2015 - link
This is one of the greatest cases for under $180, in my opinion. I say that because of the construction and the quality. And sure it takes more time to assemble it than a huge case. But, with care and some thinking, which you guys apparently take the time nor care (just look at how you run the cables!)--this case can look very tidy. Even on a corsair AX760 which I use, the cables can be undone, even without removing the HDD case. And, if you wanna make it easire, remove the HDD case. So, your opinion on that is skewed or not correct. Again, there doesn't seem to be care, time and/or sound judgments on this review. Are you guys behind time? Swamped with so many products that your review and the way you assemble this case with a lack of care or tidiness is subpar?wurizen - Friday, June 5, 2015 - link
correction! I meant to say, "Which you guys apparently DON'T take the time nor care (just look at how you run the cables!)"