First Looks
Looking at the case itself, the first words that come to mind are “sleek” and “functional”. The front of the case is bare save for the expansion slot covers, the power button and LED, and the front intake fan grille, with Silverstone’s snowflake logo in the center. The two grooves on the sides seem to serve no purpose but ornamentation, and they wrap around the rounded front top and bottom corners all the way to the back of the case. The LED in front, just below the power button, contains both the power and HDD activity LEDs. In practice, the bright blue glow of the Power LED washed out the rather weaker red HDD activity LED, which caused issues with identifying when the HDD was doing something. Swapping the plugs out on the motherboard header neatly solved the problem, but this is something Silverstone should address in future revisions of the case.
The top of the case has two features of note, the top-intake fan grille, and the front-panel inputs. As with the front grille, the top grille is larger than one would expect for a 120mm fan, and indeed both fans are larger—180mm, to be exact. As any experienced system builder will tell you, larger fans are better, where space allows. Larger fans can pull in the same amount of air with a slower rotation speed, reducing overall system noise. Slower rotation also means less wear on the fan bearings, which means a longer lifespan.
The other noteworthy feature is the front input panel. Having the panel on the top makes sense for many, given that stuffing the case under the desk is easier than trying to find space for it alongside the monitor on top. Curiously, the reset button is placed along the front edge of the panel module, though recessed. The placement does put it in easy reach while the case rests on the floor, but one wonders why the power button isn’t there alongside it. The USB ports are separated, one to either side of the array, with enough space between them and the other ports to allow for large flash drives to be plugged in without obstructing anything. The ports are angled such that flash drives will lay more or less flat in the recess, preventing accidental breakage of the ports from a careless sweep of the arm. A single 1394 port is also provided, for those that need it, as well as front inputs for headphones and microphone. In practice, the audio ports were unusable, introducing a rather loud whining hum into the signal, both on input and output. The quality of the noise suggested that the cable connecting them to the sound card is unshielded, something that could doubtless be fixed with a bit of aluminum foil and shrink-wrap tubing.
As you might expect, the bottom of the case isn’t much to look at, the only features of note being the four large rubber feet and the intake grille for the power supply.
Looking to the back, we begin to see some of the features that set this case apart. Aside from the 120mm exhaust fan—which came already installed with wire grilles on both sides to protect fingers and cables—we see rubber valves in place along the top, to support an external radiator for a watercooling system. The side panels are held in place with a pair of latches, which can be secured both by thumbscrews and by padlocks or a locking cable—handy for preventing unwanted poking and prodding at the insides of your system. Two extra pairs of thumbscrews can be used to further lock down the panels, to be absolutely certain nothing moves around.
I have had this case for about 2 months now, I could not be happier! One very important feature of the case that was overlooked in the reviewis the positive air pressure the chassis fans create. Here is a video on what exactly this means: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLOg9yI3rjs
Hi, very nice post. I have been wonder’n bout this issue,so thanks for posting
Hi, cool post. I have been wondering about this, so thanks for writing.
The case runs for around $220, not $275. For that, this case is not much more than many others. the CoolerMaster case you speak of, the CM ATCS 840, runs for about the same price, and is not nearly built as well…
Basically, at the end of the day,it breaks down to personal preference…I’m a Thermaltake Armor+ LCS man myself…
@Robert Johnson: A removable motherboard tray would have been nice, but difficult to do on a case that’s decidedly on the compact side of the mid-tower form factor. As Jason pointed out, the dual 180mm fans provide more than enough intake to compensate for the lack of side fans. Additional clearance for long video cards can be had by removing the top hard drive cage, which I noted in the review. Also of note, this case is the quietest aluminum case I’ve had the pleasure to work with. No rattles, no buzzing, no loose anything, and no hours of fiddling with tie-downs to hold wires away from exposed fan blades–something I certainly cannot say for many other “enthusiast” cases. And as for the price, I’m not sure where you’re getting the $275 figure from; a quick googling shows an average price of $210, which is much more reasonable for this kind of case.
Basically, most of your complaints seem centered around the lack of features for people who are constantly changing out hardware. That’s fine, but realize that this case isn’t designed for that. It’s a compact, quiet, sturdy case that is absolutely perfect for people who want to make their primary machine easy to cart to a LAN party, and at that it succeeds brilliantly.
I haven’t had the pleasure of holding this case in my hands, but from its looks I see a huge metal computer without plastic. The name Fortress tells me that if I decide to drop it off a two-story building, it will merely bounce. The roof, front, and floor of the case are one continuous ~5′ piece of steel, and I dare you to find a structural weak spot. I’ve seen cases that the lids pop off of, and front panels have flanges that break. This is a well-designed, good looking sturdy case, that takes a lot of physics into account too. Hot air rises, so why not have the PSU (with a vent) at the bottom of the case, and two 120mm fans at the top and back to pull out the hot exhaust? In another thought, the case is like a freaking giant heatsink, no need for excess side panel fans. Add sound-dampening material and fan filters, and I think Silverstone has given the consumer everything they’re looking for except a free beer with it.
Just so you understand, this is not my review. I am simply of the opinion that my staff member Will is correct in awarding this case the Awesome Hardware Award. Plus it is an enthusiasts case considering the features and construction. Not all enthusiast cases are meant for gaming, some are for design, cool and quiet, etc. As for features, you may be right, more and more cases on the market are coming with advanced features, so in this case you are paying for the material and construction.
Considering the rear 120, front 120, and top 120 a side mounted 120 is superflous. Also this case has a unibody design, find that on a another sub $300 case. You may want to also note the fan filters, side mounted window, side mounted hard drive rack, and additional wiring options, and noise reduction foam. I will admit the video card clearance may be an issue but my staff did not find it to be a problem. Perhaps you are simply looking for a diamond ring for the price of a cubic zirconia? I suggest you take a look at some wonderful options from the sub $30 category instead of the high end aluminum cases on the market. in my opinion this case, all things considered, definitely deserves the Awesome Hardware Award.
Jason, this is not an enthusiast chassis. Let’s compare Apples to Apples. If given a choice would you prefer the model you reviewed or a CoolerMaster Aluminum ATCS 840 with optional clear side panel which should be less money. My main beef with your review is that there are not enough features for the money. The ATCS840 has larger fans, removable motherboard tray, independent GPU cooling, CPU cooler cutout, etc. IF the Silverstone had those features then I would say you had a winner, but it doesn’t, so you don’t.
Considering the rear 120, front 120, and top 120 a side mounted 120 is superflous. Also this case has a unibody design, find that on a another sub $300 case. You may want to also note the fan filters, side mounted window, side mounted hard drive rack, and additional wiring options, and noise reduction foam. I will admit the video card clearance may be an issue but my staff did not find it to be a problem. Perhaps you are simply looking for a diamond ring for the price of a cubic zirconia? I suggest you take a look at some wonderful options from the sub $30 category instead of the high end aluminum cases on the market. This case, all things considered, definitely deserves the Awesome Hardware Award.
For 275 dollars I would have expected far more features for the Fortress FT-01. A removable motherboard tray is a lacking feature and failure of a cutout for easy CPU cooler replacement is bad. No possibility for side panel fans and will not accept an extended ATX motherboard. There is barely 12 inches of clearance for a video card. Sorry but my personal rating of this chassis is a bare satisfactory. No, it’s not worth the money and should never have received an AWESOME HARDWARE rating