SilverStone's New Fortress FT04 Flagship Enclosure Promises Much
by Dustin Sklavos on January 10, 2013 11:21 PM EST- Posted in
- CES 2013
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- SilverStone
No trip to CES would be complete without a visit to SilverStone, but this year was especially important for me. I've been a longtime advocate of the Fortress FT02 as possibly the finest air-cooling enclosure ever built, but their Temjin TJ08-E took me (and even some of their engineers) by surprise. That Micro-ATX enclosure turned out to produce absolutely stellar thermal and acoustic performance with a single 180mm fan, strategically positioned, and I remember telling their rep after I'd reviewed it that I wanted a full ATX model. He demurred about as much as you conceivably can in an e-mail, which was all the confirmation I needed that something like it was in the works.
That something like it will be materializing as the Fortress FT04 and its less expensive cousin, the Raven RV04. Both share the same basic chassis (much as Antec's P280 and Eleven Hundred cases do), but the FT04 benefits from brand new AP182 fans, an attractive aluminum door, and a slicker finish overall. SilverStone's internal testing suggested that the FT04 might actually be able to outperform the venerable FT02 despite featuring one less fan due to smarter filter and grill designs that allow more air to pass into the enclosure. The FT04 also enjoys analog fan controls for both AP182 fans.
Unfortunately I don't have photos immediately available (they're enjoying a leisurely stay in my luggage, which is awaiting transfer to my plane back to the "friendlier" climates of the bay area), but they'll be added when available. In the meantime, the RV04 and FT04 are due to be launched soon, with prices hovering around $150 for the RV04 and $200 for the FT04. That makes them on the pricey side, but if they're anything like the FT02, they might just be worth the expense. More to come (including a review sample) soon.
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skidd - Thursday, January 10, 2013 - link
Starts praying "Please make it in white, Please make it in white, Please make it in white..."althaz - Friday, January 11, 2013 - link
The fact that there's a door turns me off. Aside from the low noise and stellar cooling, one of the things I love about the FT02 is the fact that there's no door. That said, I guess I only use the DVD drive about once every couple of weeks (or less, thanks Steam) and I'm sure Silverstone aren't dumb enough to put the USB ports or fan controls behind the door, are they?Still as an owner (and fanboy) of the FT02, I'm going to have to take a look.
On another note I wouldn't mind something that looks a little bit different. Still needs to remain classy and reserved, but a little bit of silver trim on the front or something can't hurt can it (as long as it's the same material as the rest of the case)?
Ilias78 - Friday, January 11, 2013 - link
Dustin, honestly - next time you have to comment something about cases - and especially during a show - dont even think about posting something without pictures included. I dont care if your pictures are even in another dimension. Informing us about a new product that IS on display during CES and not having any pictures to show it, its annoying beyond belief.SunLord - Friday, January 11, 2013 - link
Based on the photos of the FT04 elsewhere online it's nothing like the FT-02 and little different then most other cases layout wise save the motherboard is flipped so the cpu is at the bottom and the pcie slots are at the top. It also looks to use plastic instead of aluminumImperfectLink - Friday, January 11, 2013 - link
Dustin your writing skills are improving! Despite this being a small blurb, I enjoyed reading it and not just cause I share your views on content.Keep up the good work and have a safe trip home.
lmcd - Monday, March 25, 2013 - link
Now could we just get the FT02 with USB 3, new mesh and new fans?