A Closer Look – Exterior
Now that we’ve torn away the wrapping like a kid on Christmas morning, let’s get to the main event: the case itself.
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After getting things clear of the packaging, we first have a look at the front of the case. Simple is the watchword here, with nothing marring the matte black surface other than the five 5.25″ drive bay covers and a small SilverStone logo near the bottom |
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Moving to the top of the case, we see that much of the interesting stuff is concealed under a perforated mesh grille that can be popped off. Near the front, we see the power button, reset button, power and HDD activity LEDs, and a sliding door that conceals the front I/O panel. On this panel are two USB 2.0 ports and ports for headphones and microphone. An e-SATA port would have been nice, but all the essentials are covered here. |
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Removing the top grille, we see one of the first major differences about this case. Yes, those are the mounting points for the motherboard and power supply there. In this case, as with the Raven RV-01 that preceded it, the FT-02 mounts the motherboard sideways, so that the rear I/O panel and expansion slots are on the top side of the case. The hole near the back is not a handgrip, as you might suspect, but rather a pass-through for the various cables one would normally plug in. With the mesh top on, this lets the case retain its sleek look while affording ease of hook up—a major plus for frequent LAN party-goers. Next to the I/O plate hole is a 120mm fan, which serves as the FT-02’s sole exhaust. Next to the fan are a trio of switches that control the speed of the three intake fans below. |
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Moving to the back of the case, one can see an intake filter for the power supply. Since many high-performance PSU’s get their needed cooling via a bottom-mounted 120mm fan, this allows the PSU to draw cold air from the outside, rather than from the already-heated case interior. |
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Not much to notice here, other than the wide rubber feet at front and back that keep the case from sliding about. |
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Next we move to the left side of the case, where we find—nothing! Yes, one gets at the guts of this case from the right side, which may run counter to the expectations of some. Note the two thumbscrews at the top of the panel, which hold it in place. |
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On the right side of the case, we see somewhat more of interest, including the window that lets one show off the interior. |
Absolutely awesome case. It gets better the more you look into it. Plus Silverstone does a really excellent job on the fit and finish of their products. A+ for the engineering team over there.