Silverstone Fortress FT04 Review

Up Close:  Interior Overview

Silverstone’s usual attention to detail and high build quality ensure the doors come off easily revealing the layers of high density foam aimed to reduce the sonic signature of the case.

     

 

We are a little perplexed at the combination of sound dampening foam and a window, which will do much to negate the benefits of the foam, but at least the thought is there.

     

 

The interior of the case isn’t overly spacious for a case this size, but does open up once the various drive cages have been removed.  Remember that the FT04 can take not just M-ATX (why?) and ATX but also the larger EATX form factor motherboards.  One thing we did expect to see though was rubber grommets over the management holes, but seeing them absent from the Raven did leave us with a sense of foreboding.  Regardless of this, the management holes themselves are actually well formed using rolling to smooth the edges and give a clean line.  Aside from the large CPU cut out, which will enable coolers up to 165mm in height to be fitted without removing the motherboard (or motherboard tray for that matter) there are plenty of other well distributed management holes about the interior, with full length channels running down the side and the base of the case.  Despite what may appear quite a small interior, the FT04 is still able to accept GPUs up to 13.3″ in length, so pretty much anything you care to sling into it.

     

 

Ah yes, the scissor jack CPU cooler support.  What do we make of this?  Plastic recycling bin that’s what we think!  It doesn’t even fit properly on top of the 3.5″ drive bay that supports it.

       

 

Let’s focus more on the floor mounted drive bays shall we and stay away from the fuggly and unnecessary CPU cooler support.  Both of them are quick release, with the left hand one being wired up for hot swap functionality.  Hot swap after you’ve removed the door that is.  They do however have handy dandy lanyards which feed round the back of the drives enabling to release them with a simple tug on the toggle.

     

 

The rest of the 3.5″ drive bays are found in a  rack towards the front of the case.  This sits off centre to the midline and is screwed to the drive bay below as well as to the case chassis.  There’s no quick release or even drawers here, it’s very old school, with just a coating of foam to nod towards vibration dampening.