SilverStone Fortress FT01B-W Review

SilverStone Fortress FT01B-W Review

Grading

Functionality (40%): I have never been
to fond of Mid
Tower chassis. I really like to have the extra room that a Full Tower
offers, allowing the user to do what they want without the constraints.
I was actually a little surprised that I was able to fit the Quad SLI
setup in the FT01 as easily as I was. Once I had finished wiring the
FT01 for the Quad SLI configuration, I was very pleased that I was
actually able to get all those wires out of sight. The FT01 showed that
it had a complete grasp on the cooling side with the positive pressure
design, while making my job of keeping the system clean easier.
Unfortunately the task of cleaning the filters in the case isn't going
to be something so easily done. The top and lower filters will require
some disassembly to access the filters, which will be a bit more
challenging with hardware installed in the chassis. The added option of
having your hard drives hot swappable is another great feature that
isn't very common. The limitation I hit with the CPU coolers is another
area that you will want to watch. Just remember that if your cooler
extends past the upper edge of the motherboard, you might have a
problem with clearance. Silverstone has done a great job at giving us a
case that does have its added benefits, while at the same time, it does
have a few quirks. Overall, I think the FT01 has earned a 9 here.

Value (20%): The Silverstone FT01 can be had for
around $199 - $230 US (with or without window). Honestly, you will get
what you pay for when it comes to high-end cases. The Silverstone FT01
is by no means the most expensive mid tower chassis on the market, but
it does fall in that high-end area with other known manufactures like
Lian-Li and Zalman. Having had my hands on several Mid Tower chassis
over the years, I feel that sometimes, it's necessary to spend a little
extra to get the quality and performance you want in a chassis.  We
will give it an 8.5 for value.

Aesthetics (40% of final score): The
Silverstone Fortress FT01 is an absolutely amazing looking chassis.
With the design styling taking after the original TJ07 chassis,
Silverstone gave the FT01 a little more pronounced definition in the
lines of the case. Everything seems to flow from one panel to the next.
Although the mixture of the anodized brushed aluminum panels, and the
matte finish of the main chassis might not be an exact match, I do feel
Silverstone did an excellent job at fitting the two processes together
in one design. Adding to the the look is the black powder coated
internals of the chassis. The FT01 is simply screaming for a hardcore
system to be installed. Although I would have liked to seen the top
fans mesh grill match the fronts, and would have liked to seen the
front I/O ports handled a little differently. I feel the Silverstone
FT01 warrants a solid 9.5 for aesthetics.

Summary:The
Silverstone Fortress FT01 is a well built and designed chassis. It
offers large cooling fans that will affectively cool your hardware
without the insane noise levels. The unique uni-body design of the
chassis gives it a great look as well as offering a solid platform to
build from. The chassis is available in four different options and will
be sure to please anyone looking to build an outstanding Mid Tower PC.
We wouldn't expect anything less from Silverstone.