Cases are the cornerstone of a new computer. The case determines the look of the computer, the expansion capabilities of the computer, what type of motherboard can be installed, and the type of video card. Founded in 2003, Silverstone manufactures cases, Power Supplies and other computer hardware including CPU coolers. Today I’m reviewing the latest addition to the SilverStone lineup, the SilverStone Fortress FT01.

• Positive air pressure design optimizes cooling performance
• Uni-body frame construction from the flagship Temjin TJ07
• Artful, understated design with excellent ergonomics
• Dual 180mm silent fans for outstanding cooling and quietness
• Minimal use of rivets for maximum serviceability
• Highly flexible drive storage options with hot swappable SATA adapter

The Fortress is a Mid-Tower ATX case made out of Aluminum for the body and outer frame. The case can take standard ATX and Micro ATX motherboards. This case is in many respects a smaller TJ07 borrowing the uni-body construction of that case design. The Net Weight of the case is 8.66kg which is quite light considering the size of the case.

One concern with the modern ATX case is the length of modern video cards. Video cards like the GTX285 or HD 4870 X2 are about 10.5″ in length, causing some cases to have space concerns about blocking a HDD cage. The Fortress FT01 supports 10.5″ consumer level graphics card without removal of a HDD cage, and 12″ workstation level cards such as the Quadro FX5600 and AMD FireGL V8650 with the removal of the middle HDD cage.

One of the big benefits of this case is the positive air pressure design. When the intake fan’s combined airflow is greater than the exhaust, a positive airflow is pressure is created inside the case. This has two benefits: Dust reduction and maximizing the graphics card cooler efficiency. In a negative air pressure design, there is more exhaust airflow than intake air can be drawn in from the unfiltered vents and gaps inside the case. In a positive airflow pressure case the air pressure forces air out of the case through the unfiltered gaps and vents, meaning that dust will not gather on the case.

The modern graphics card either has a fully enclosed card cooler or a partially sealed card cooler. In a partially sealed graphics card, heated air is blown partially out of the case with the rest remaining inside the case. On a negative air pressure case, the heated air re-enters the case through nearby openings and raises the case temperature. In a positive pressure case all heated air from the GPU will exit the case, keeping overall temperatures low. On a graphics card with a fully sealed cooler, the card does not exhaust heated air into the case but the fan is affected by the pressure inside the case. In a negative airflow pressure case the air will try to enter the case through all openings, forcing the graphics card fan to work harder to keep the air out. On a positive pressure case the air will try to escape out of the case through all openings and exhaust fans, allowing the graphics card fan to work more silently with more efficiency.