New Silverstone FT02

[Michaelius]

8 years and 1.5+ million views of this thread later, this original poster (me) finally got around to ordering this case to replace my FT01 for a new coffee lake build!

If a better case has come out since 2009 speak now while I can cancel or forever hold your peace!!

Phantex Evolve ATX with tempered glass side window. I got rid of my Raven 2 as hdd mounting was really outdated on those cases and overall size got problematic.

Would be cool if Silverstone made a refresh to address cable management and hdd/ssd mounting.

 

[Groto]

I’ve got a new Corsair H80i v2 with a X370 strix Mobo in this case. The usb cable coming out of the AIO for Corsair Link blocks the first RAM slot in order to keep the Corsair logo facing the right way. Anyone know of any completely flexible micro usb cables I can connect to the USB port out of the AIO so I can use the closest RAM slot?

 

[///AMG]

I think the FT-02 needs to go full aluminium, the case is so large and heavy now and not quite as functional as newer designs. I moved away from large designs to more compact ones, though I still have this case sitting around.

 

[Groto]

Anyone know of anything that would work?

 

[Tony Ou]

If you are wondering how your FT02 is holding up in terms of cooling performance compared to modern cases, GamerNexus just re-tested a RVZ02-E they had from 2012, which is the same internally as FT02 with AP181 fitted, the result should be unsurprising to most of you:

I’ve got a new Corsair H80i v2 with a X370 strix Mobo in this case. The usb cable coming out of the AIO for Corsair Link blocks the first RAM slot in order to keep the Corsair logo facing the right way. Anyone know of any completely flexible micro usb cables I can connect to the USB port out of the AIO so I can use the closest RAM slot?

Maybe you can look for low profile Micro-B cables to see if they work?

 

[Groto]

If you are wondering how your FT02 is holding up in terms of cooling performance compared to modern cases, GamerNexus just re-tested a RVZ02-E they had from 2012, which is the same internally as FT02 with AP181 fitted, the result should be unsurprising to most of you:






Maybe you can look for low profile Micro-B cables to see if they work?

Thanks I found one awhile back like that that worked.

 

[johnnysd]

If you are wondering how your FT02 is holding up in terms of cooling performance compared to modern cases, GamerNexus just re-tested a RVZ02-E they had from 2012, which is the same internally as FT02 with AP181 fitted, the result should be unsurprising to most of you:






Maybe you can look for low profile Micro-B cables to see if they work?

It is such a great case. It is completely silent for me from 3 feet or so, and it is still the best cooling case you can get.

That said, in today's world the drive cage area, and cable management is just not great. It seems like very little engineering would need to be done to optimize the drive cage for modern drives and SSDs and fix cable management. They should also offer an all aluminum option so it doesnt weigh as much as it does.

Despite the shortcomings, still my favorite design, and the filler panel at the top is SO SO convenient.

 

[DoubleTap]

I wish they would make a new FT02 and FT03 but Silverstone seems more interested in following the crowd and making generic looking cases that could be made by anyone.

Meanwhile, Coolermaster seems to have a new case with dual 200mm fans on the bottom and a vertical layout.

 

[Tony Ou]

I wish they would make a new FT02 and FT03 but Silverstone seems more interested in following the crowd and making generic looking cases that could be made by anyone.

Meanwhile, Coolermaster seems to have a new case with dual 200mm fans on the bottom and a vertical layout.

Hope you are not forgetting the bulk of Cooler Master's case lineup is made up of generic cases. If anything, they are probably more interested than we are in producing those because that's where the biggest sales volume come from, is just the media don't reporting them.

We've definitely heard the feedbacks that people want more of our 90 degree rotated motherboard cases (even though sales have been flat since the launch of RV05 and FT05), most of our unique retail case design focus has been on small form factor the past several years. The current LD03 project (also called SG14 back in 2017) is something we've been working on for a while and is a spiritual successor to the FT03:
https://www.eteknix.com/silverstone-continue-to-innovate-in-small-chassis-market/

As for an ATX sized tower case with the same features, it has gone through a couple of redesigns already but we aren't ready to show/finalize it yet. Though it'd be interesting to know what past and current owners would be willing to pay to upgrade to a potential RV02/FT02 successor. RV02 debuted at around $170 while FT02 was close to $250 in 2009/2010. Taking into account of inflation and raw material prices have gone up, would you guys still be interested if the new case will now cost around $300? If not, what price point would you prefer and what sacrifices would be acceptable (e.g. fans, I/O ports, material, drive cage, etc...).

 

[DoubleTap]

Hope you are not forgetting the bulk of Cooler Master's case lineup is made up of generic cases. If anything, they are probably more interested than we are in producing those because that's where the biggest sales volume come from, is just the media don't reporting them.

We've definitely heard the feedbacks that people want more of our 90 degree rotated motherboard cases (even though sales have been flat since the launch of RV05 and FT05), most of our unique retail case design focus has been on small form factor the past several years. The current LD03 project (also called SG14 back in 2017) is something we've been working on for a while and is a spiritual successor to the FT03:
https://www.eteknix.com/silverstone-continue-to-innovate-in-small-chassis-market/

As for an ATX sized tower case with the same features, it has gone through a couple of redesigns already but we aren't ready to show/finalize it yet. Though it'd be interesting to know what past and current owners would be willing to pay to upgrade to a potential RV02/FT02 successor. RV02 debuted at around $170 while FT02 was close to $250 in 2009/2010. Taking into account of inflation and raw material prices have gone up, would you guys still be interested if the new case will now cost around $300? If not, what price point would you prefer and what sacrifices would be acceptable (e.g. fans, I/O ports, material, drive cage, etc...).

Thanks Tony, I know the market has changed a lot in the last 6-7 years since I bought my FT03 Titanium. Right now there is a glut of standard ATX cases with the same layout - power supply shroud, open interior, tempered glass with small gaps to let in the air, etc. These all seem functional but boring.

Your new FT03 style case looks interesting, but honestly, if I was going to go ITX, it would be extremely difficult to compete with the Ncase M1 (for many reasons, including the optical slot)

However, I'm still looking for a premium mATX case. I'm using the Core V21 and it works great, but it's big and not much to look at (sorrry TT rep who reads this later, no offense)

I don't really have a budget - the $130-200 would be ideal, but I want a horizontal layout (like the V21) or a vertical layout (like the FT03)

At the end of the day, I'm the last person you should listen to. I'm not representative of the most customers in the case market - I want performance and a premium look and I'm willing to pay for it if I see it. Just have not seen it yet.

 

[THUMPer]

Hope you are not forgetting the bulk of Cooler Master's case lineup is made up of generic cases. If anything, they are probably more interested than we are in producing those because that's where the biggest sales volume come from, is just the media don't reporting them.

We've definitely heard the feedbacks that people want more of our 90 degree rotated motherboard cases (even though sales have been flat since the launch of RV05 and FT05), most of our unique retail case design focus has been on small form factor the past several years. The current LD03 project (also called SG14 back in 2017) is something we've been working on for a while and is a spiritual successor to the FT03:
https://www.eteknix.com/silverstone-continue-to-innovate-in-small-chassis-market/

As for an ATX sized tower case with the same features, it has gone through a couple of redesigns already but we aren't ready to show/finalize it yet. Though it'd be interesting to know what past and current owners would be willing to pay to upgrade to a potential RV02/FT02 successor. RV02 debuted at around $170 while FT02 was close to $250 in 2009/2010. Taking into account of inflation and raw material prices have gone up, would you guys still be interested if the new case will now cost around $300? If not, what price point would you prefer and what sacrifices would be acceptable (e.g. fans, I/O ports, material, drive cage, etc...).

Tony, the largest selling points for me are

1. Airflow - Open fronts/mesh. The Lian Li PC-9F is a great example. Two fans with filters and an open vent in the front.
2. Material - Aluminum is great but Steel can be if its thicker and the paint doesn't chip easily. My biggest complaint with steel cases, is the ability to scratch the paint very easily when you are swapping parts around. Screw holes and so on.
3. Looks - I don't really care for RGB. But the Tempered side glass is a nice feature. A real step up from an Acrylic panel
4. Price. $200 ish for me if it has all the bells and whistles.

 

[Tony Ou]

However, I'm still looking for a premium mATX case....

A big portion of our customers are not typical as evidenced by our large small form factor case and PSU lineup so your feedbacks are more valuable to us than probably for others!

If you are looking for a Micro-ATX case, maybe also check out the just released Lucid LD01. It has functional stainless steel frames holding the tempered glass with excellent cooling for graphics cards and adequate cooling for CPU. Its layout is similar to TJ08-E's design but with contemporary updates. Instead of making the tempered glass panels just windows for seeing RGB and lights from the inside, we purposely gave them very dark tint so that the beauty of the glass (and stainless steel holding them) can stand on their own in making the case look good.

 

[Tony Ou]

Tony, the largest selling points for me are

1. Airflow - Open fronts/mesh. The Lian Li PC-9F is a great example. Two fans with filters and an open vent in the front.
2. Material - Aluminum is great but Steel can be if its thicker and the paint doesn't chip easily. My biggest complaint with steel cases, is the ability to scratch the paint very easily when you are swapping parts around. Screw holes and so on.
3. Looks - I don't really care for RGB. But the Tempered side glass is a nice feature. A real step up from an Acrylic panel
4. Price. $200 ish for me if it has all the bells and whistles.

Thanks for the feedbacks!

From your description, maybe the Primera PM02 could work for you?

1. It has open front with three 140mm PWM fans on the front and another 140mm fan in the rear.
2. All steel front panel with excellent paint job matching the rest of the body.
3. No RGB included, just a discreetly lit SilverStone logo projected to the bottom front (can be disconnected separately) and has tempered glass side panel.
4. Less than $150

 

[DoubleTap]

A big portion of our customers are not typical as evidenced by our large small form factor case and PSU lineup so your feedbacks are more valuable to us than probably for others!

If you are looking for a Micro-ATX case, maybe also check out the just released Lucid LD01. It has functional stainless steel frames holding the tempered glass with excellent cooling for graphics cards and adequate cooling for CPU. Its layout is similar to TJ08-E's design but with contemporary updates. Instead of making the tempered glass panels just windows for seeing RGB and lights from the inside, we purposely gave them very dark tint so that the beauty of the glass (and stainless steel holding them) can stand on their own in making the case look good.

Hi Tony,

Thanks for responding, truly - Silverstone is my favorite case company by far so if I'm critical, it comes from a place of love.

10 minutes ago, I sold my beloved FT03 Titanium (for $25 after listing it for 2 months on craigslist)

I asked myself - as much as I love the case, why am I not using it right now?

I used it to run GTX 680s and 780s in SLI - back when those were new cards - and it worked well but it wasn't what I'd call quiet.

I use the large and very quiet Arctic Accelero xtreme III cooler on my 1080 Ti and a Noctua DH-15S and all Noctua fans to keep the noise down:

I've used this type of cooler on 3 other cards - an HD 5990 and two GTX 480s. I'm pretty sure it killed my HD 5990 due to sag and while they have improved them, I wouldn't mount it in a case where there was any chance it could sag - so it has to be either vertical or in a hanging / 90 degree orientation.

The LD01 is a nice looking case, but whether it's reasonable or not, I just worry too much about GPU sag.

If I was going to update the FT03, I'd use a 180-200mm bottom fan (and maybe top fan too) and I'd make the panel next to the GPUs a mesh panel with at least 2x 120mm fan/rad slots - it's a common mod in SFF forums. Maybe slim down to an SFX PSU and re-think the storage options - keep the hot swap bay, but offer more SSD mounts. Give it a Titanium/Charcoal frame with some black mesh and accents and it you'd have a small foot print, high airflow, 90 degree Fortress case that would be a stand out.

Nothing against the glass - it looks nice, but everyone is doing it right now and while I don't even mind the RGB+TG look, I'd rather be fast, quiet and ugly

 

[Tony Ou]

I've used this type of cooler on 3 other cards - an HD 5990 and two GTX 480s. I'm pretty sure it killed my HD 5990 due to sag and while they have improved them, I wouldn't mount it in a case where there was any chance it could sag - so it has to be either vertical or in a hanging / 90 degree orientation.

The LD01 is a nice looking case, but whether it's reasonable or not, I just worry too much about GPU sag.

If I was going to update the FT03, I'd use a 180-200mm bottom fan (and maybe top fan too) and I'd make the panel next to the GPUs a mesh panel with at least 2x 120mm fan/rad slots - it's a common mod in SFF forums. Maybe slim down to an SFX PSU and re-think the storage options - keep the hot swap bay, but offer more SSD mounts. Give it a Titanium/Charcoal frame with some black mesh and accents and it you'd have a small foot print, high airflow, 90 degree Fortress case that would be a stand out.

Thanks for the feedbacks on the FT03, you do realize that adding an 180mm fan plus extra clearance for 2 x 120mm rads/fans will make the case a lot bigger or taller. It may come close to FT05's size, which is a relatively compact ATX case.

As for GPU sag in the LD01, that is not an issue because we've added a holder to prevent it. I've highlighted that part from LD01's product page below in case you missed it:

 

[Aenra]

it'd be interesting to know what past and current owners would be willing to pay to upgrade to a potential RV02/FT02 successor

Assuming it's of import, i'd have to start with what i find problematic; give you my line of thinking as it were:

- You made 90 degree cases that had the depth of a UHAUL van, but only fit ATX motherboards... i mean seriously..
- You made 90 degree cases that could fit SSI-EEB mobos, but had a 165 cooler height restriction.. who told you i want a van for a case but not a Themralright cooler for example? Why would i buy the van then? I can fit 165 anywhere. If it's already huge, 7 more mms width won't change much and i can fit any cooler i like.
- You offered said same cases in a fortress edition, except they had quality issues.. front foor coming to mind (scraping floor, not closing all the way, etc), or more plastic than could ever be excused given the pricing at the time.
- You recently made a new FT, except it has even more plastic and is way too small to boot. Aaand, a bit too trendy.

So to answer, if you made a chassis that:
- Had FT02 levels of cooling potential
- Fit SSI-EEB
- Allowed for 175 max cooler height
- Came in a fortress edition that was worth the name designation? (no plastic, no glaring quality issues)
- Was offered in a non-glass/acrylic window variant (because some of us want only the case, not a pretty lights display)

I'd pay any price. Right now
And i sincerely hope you get to make one.

Best regards.

* am fully aware how few people share my wishes, yes, lol. Am also aware i'm part of that minority that will pay when it's worth it. It's a minority that has kept many companies up and running for years and years.

 

[auntjemima]

I am currently looking at an ML09 for an HTPC. I was directed towards these cases a while back and I love them all. Minimalistic.

 

[ChineseStunna]

Been checking out this thread for a long time and finally about 5 years ago managed to get an Black FT02 with USB3.0 (sadly not the Red/Black edition) and it's been my favorite case so far (still rocking it), since building from the mid 90s and working in the hardware industry for a few years.
Tony Ou To answer your question, I'd gladly spend $400 for a quality replacement, some of the "shortcomings" for the case brought up by others are understandable design trade-offs I imagine the original Raven/Fortress team made and it's better/worse for different people in different situations.
Some personal thoughts:

1. 5.25" drive bays, please keep them! I believe this is one of the major challenges of making the case shorter length wise. Most people this day and age don't really need them as evident by many case designs including Silverstones that have removed them. It's amazing to see mid-towers fit EATX dual CPU motherboards. Personally I don't like this trend as I feel they provide a variety of options as the number of accessories such as fan controllers, water cooler reservoirs, drive cages etc have make lots of possibilities available. I went from a single optical drive to just a 3x5.25" drive cage for a 120mm fan which I've turned to exhaust hot air out front (lowered CPU temps about 7C) along with 2 2.5" SAS drive cages
2. I think the case could be a bit taller so we can fit EATX motherboards fully, as ThreadRipper and Xeon SP sockets have gotten bigger, so will the boards. Numerous TR boards already use EATX
3. Fan controller - have something like the Silverstone CMD01-ESA fan/thermal control hub built in and wire the fans there. One of the biggest common complaints has been fan controls currently are under the top cover which has to be removed into order to actually adjust fan speeds. It's unfortunate that NVidia ESA didn't really take off but I love the idea of software controlled fan curves and ideally movable thermal probes that can be moved to specific hotspots to drive fan behavior. This is something I'm accustomed to on servers (esp. Supermicro) as their boards/chassis has pre-defined wiring so the board knows which fan to speed up if something gets too hot. This is harder in the customization/enthusiast market as every build is different so the ability to move the thermal probes would be great!
4. More exhaust fans - I understand this case was designed to be "positive pressure" but personal experience currently shows that even adding an exhaust fan at the front (see my first point) has dramatic effects on the thermals of a already amazing case.
5. Needs improvement - 3.5" drive cage, not sure if it's even needed (could use adapters in 5.25" bays?) if so, please make a better version without the flimsy feeling plastic. The hotswap idea was nice and I use many hotswap bays, but proper metal backed ones with metal trays are needed here.

Having build/used cases from pretty much all the big names, I love Silverstone products, you guys design things in a very thoughtful manner - not in a "do it because we could" but "do it because we should" way. Defining new trends that's actually beneficial performance/noise etc, currently own and use 3 of your cases and will continue to be a supporter

 

[Blackstone]

Bump. Been running my FT01 for ten years!

 

[Revenant_Knight]

My FT02 is still pushing a 2600K at 4.7ghz on air with a 980ti. One of my favorite cases of all time.

I honestly wish they would do a modern version. Give it a bit more room for cable management, more SSD slots, and remove the 5.25 bays without changing the look, feel, or build quality of the case in general.

I’d really like a miniaturized version for ITX.

 

[Blackstone]

Have you guys seen photos of this thing yet? Amazing.

Edit: 1,567,050 views of this thread and counting! 04/18/2016.

Bump.

 

[johnnysd]

https://www.eteknix.com/silverstone-continue-to-innovate-in-small-chassis-market/

As for an ATX sized tower case with the same features, it has gone through a couple of redesigns already but we aren't ready to show/finalize it yet. Though it'd be interesting to know what past and current owners would be willing to pay to upgrade to a potential RV02/FT02 successor. RV02 debuted at around $170 while FT02 was close to $250 in 2009/2010. Taking into account of inflation and raw material prices have gone up, would you guys still be interested if the new case will now cost around $300? If not, what price point would you prefer and what sacrifices would be acceptable (e.g. fans, I/O ports, material, drive cage, etc...).

Hi Tony - I would definitely be willing to pay in the $300 range for a FT02 replacement and upgrade. Better cable management, better fan controller, more sound proofing, same motherboard orientation, better 2.5" support and less 3.5" drives and especially better front panel I/O. I am building a new system in Janauary would love for it to be in a revised FT02

 

[THUMPer]

Hi Tony - I would definitely be willing to pay in the $300 range for a FT02 replacement and upgrade. Better cable management, better fan controller, more sound proofing, same motherboard orientation, better 2.5" support and less 3.5" drives and especially better front panel I/O. I am building a new system in Janauary would love for it to be in a revised FT02

https://www.techpowerup.com/268350/...af-case-improved-vga-airflow-vs-original-ld03

Review -
Not that great.

Then more info about an SG14 -

 

[johnnysd]

https://www.techpowerup.com/268350/...af-case-improved-vga-airflow-vs-original-ld03

Review -
Not that great.

Then more info about an SG14 -

Not really looking for a mini-ITX case and maintaining the quietness and the inverted motherboard design of the FT02 is important to me

 

[jeremyshaw]

Not really looking for a mini-ITX case and maintaining the quietness and the inverted motherboard design of the FT02 is important to me

There is the FT05, which basically nixed the 5.25 ODDs.

EDIT: oh, wow. They were in stock earlier this year, now OOS everywhere.

 

[johnnysd]

There is the FT05, which basically nixed the 5.25 ODDs.

EDIT: oh, wow. They were in stock earlier this year, now OOS everywhere.

Yeah Amazon even redirects to the Ft01

 

[FaRKle0079]

Wow, seeing this thread get bumped up again gives me memories. Another "decade club" FT02 user here too.

Here's my "new FT02" wishlist:
1) Bottom that officially supports 3x180mm radiator. I had to cut out the bottom mesh to get it in there.
2) Height that allows 3x180mm radiator plus 180mm fans to fit below drive cages.
3) Keep 5.25 bays! I use 4 of them (fan controller, WC reservoir, dual DDC pumps, and ODD).
4) More room on the back side for cable management.
5) More top exhaust fan options.
6) Filter that slides or sticks onto bottom of intake vents that you can remove without having to take the side off.

 

[johnnysd]

Wow, seeing this thread get bumped up again gives me memories. Another "decade club" FT02 user here too.

Here's my "new FT02" wishlist:
1) Bottom that officially supports 3x180mm radiator. I had to cut out the bottom mesh to get it in there.
2) Height that allows 3x180mm radiator plus 180mm fans to fit below drive cages.
3) Keep 5.25 bays! I use 4 of them (fan controller, WC reservoir, dual DDC pumps, and ODD).
4) More room on the back side for cable management.
5) More top exhaust fan options.
6) Filter that slides or sticks onto bottom of intake vents that you can remove without having to take the side off.

Love item 6. Don't watercool so no real thoughts on those. OK with the 5.25" drives remaining. Would like bigger quieter fans throughout but the design itself is so efficient for airflow tyou dont need much to cool even a high powered system. Wish there was an update coming.

 

[Tony Ou]

Thanks to johnnysd for sending the pm!

I'll repost my answers to him below for other FT02 to see here:

We also consider FT02 to be one of our best cases ever. We are currently still working on the "Alta F1" which is slated to be release in Q4 of this year. It's closest to the FT02 in terms of layout and specification compared to our other recent offerings, it indeed will have better I/O at the front (Type-C), up to four 2.5" drive support, and better sound dampening. Don't know if 5.25" is crucial for you to have though, because it doesn't have any just like most enthusiasts cases nowadays. So yeah I hope this is enough to have you consider SilverStone again come January!

And regarding FaRKle0079's wishlist, I think maybe the "Alta S1" prototype could come closest to it, but that case is much bigger than FT02 and does not have 5.25" bays!

 

[FaRKle0079]

I'll repost my answers to him below for other FT02 to see here:

We also consider FT02 to be one of our best cases ever. We are currently still working on the "Alta F1" which is slated to be release in Q4 of this year. It's closest to the FT02 in terms of layout and specification compared to our other recent offerings, it indeed will have better I/O at the front (Type-C), up to four 2.5" drive support, and better sound dampening. Don't know if 5.25" is crucial for you to have though, because it doesn't have any just like most enthusiasts cases nowadays. So yeah I hope this is enough to have you consider SilverStone again come January!

And regarding FaRKle0079's wishlist, I think maybe the "Alta S1" prototype could come closest to it, but that case is much bigger than FT02 and does not have 5.25" bays!

Looking forward to it! I still have my TJ07 laying around too. The FT02 is still serving me excellently.

 

[caw2007]

Still down for an FT02 that dumps the 3.5 drive bay..

 

[Folly]

Just bought one of these after a 5 year hunt, so excited to finally get my hands on one and so lucky to spot it within 10 minutes of being posted on eBay, swapped it for £100 cash and a couple of old cases.

Awesome thread and a very useful resource, I have quite a few questions and no doubt some have already been answered, I'm slowly reading my way through the posts but it's close to 100 pages so if anyone can save me some time it'd be very much appreciated.

* I intend to remove the bottom 3.5'' cage, what would be the best way to go about this and will it cause any structural or rigidity issues?
* I'll be using my current GPU which is a hybrid with a 120mm rad, I ordered a mountain mods triple 5.25 drive bay fan mount and plan to use the fan as an exhaust blowing out the front, anyone done anything similar? and any reasons why that would be bad idea?
* Would really like to use my current CPU AIO cooler which is an Arctic freezer II 280, was thinking about mounting this on top of the front 180's, same questions as above and also are there any brackets or adapters you could recommend for that purpose?

I love this case, I never felt this enthusiastic about a piece of hardware before.

Edit
''Though it'd be interesting to know what past and current owners would be willing to pay to upgrade to a potential RV02/FT02 successor.''

1 - Less plastic and no rivets, a toolless design would be nice
2 - Keep the 5.25'' drive bays but perhaps find a way to make them more modular and adaptable for things like mounting watercooling reservoirs, that space at the front end is a key reason why the case works so well. Include 5.25'' to 2.5'' adapters and lose the 3.5 cage altogether
3 - A little more room for cable management, 4-6 mm would be great, maybe some 2.5'' mounts in there too
4 - Upgrade the bottom fan mounts and brackets with steel or aluminium, and please make them easier to take out and put back
5 - Lose the fan controller
6 - Other than that keep it as close as possible to the FT02 in looks and internal dimensions

I'd pay £300 for that, maybe more, even after spending 5 years hunting for this case I'd still buy an updated version, the FT02 is the one, look at the view count on this thread, this is what people want so remake this case but make it better.

It will sell, have the confidence to ignore the latest fads like RGB, tempered glass and PSU shrouds, just take what's already there - the best air cooling chassis in existence - and update it in quality of life respects for the 2020's.

 

[Blackstone]

I’ve been running this case for a decade continually. Damn fine slab of aluminum.

 

[Folly]

Two of the intake fan mounting sections (the lower parts that attach to the case) are damaged, it looks like the previous owner snapped some of the little clips trying to get them out. After searching fruitlessly for many hours for replacement parts I decided to have a go at modifying the upper sections of the bracket assembly. By carefully cutting away much of the bracket it was possible to fashion two new tabs that fit nicely into the existing holes furthest from the motherboard. Unfortunately the other end of the bracket won't quite reach to do the same on that side.

Here's my solution, it works well and keeps the fan snugly affixed to the bottom of the case, I've ordered a Demciflex magnetic filter to stick underneath too, so the end result is fans lowered by a couple of centimetres and dust filtration kept out of the interior of the case.

The Bungee idea came to me out of the blue, I'd been working on a design for a kind of clasp that would run through the existing holes mobo side and grip the bottom of the case and the top of the fan, but the bungee solution is far cheaper, much less hassle and easier to use, removing the fans (which are screwed to the modified bracket) is now a ten second toolless job. The bungees can't be seen (not that it matters with no side window), I'm still waiting for the anodised washers to arrive so not sure if they'll be visible from the side, although I think not unless you get down level with the bottom of the case, the welled design of the washers also means that the knots in the bungee cord will be concealed.

For each fan you just need 2 x fan screws, 2 x washers and 2 x 3'' lengths of bungee cord, plus some decent plastic cutters and sandpaper, I'll post pictures when it's all done to show how it looks as well as how to convert the bracket, it's a relatively cheap and easy way to lower the fans (which adds space) and make them 'quick release' (which saves time), plus it'll spare you the bother of hunting in vain for replacement lower brackets, and money should you ever actually find some.

 

[IdiotInCharge]

Here's my solution

Picture man, pictures!

(or Lady, or whichever, it's a forum)

 

[Folly]

Picture man, pictures!

(or Lady, or whichever, it's a forum)

Man

It's still a WIP, however the concept works, the fan sits flush to the case bottom, the small tabs seem plenty strong enough and when properly inserted they apply a small amount of upward pressure on the fan causing it to kick up a centimetre or two, the bungees threaded through each of the adjacent holes and hooked onto fan screws will pull the fan back down and hold it firmly in place, still waiting for the washers but as soon as they arrive I'll put it all in the case and take more pics.

For now here's the modified bracket, you can see by comparing with the as yet untouched bracket what has been removed, the two little tabs are just the remnants of structure that was already there.

 

[Folly]

Here's a pic with the fan in situ

 

[WorldExclusive]

Thanks to johnnysd for sending the pm!

I'll repost my answers to him below for other FT02 to see here:

We also consider FT02 to be one of our best cases ever. We are currently still working on the "Alta F1" which is slated to be release in Q4 of this year. It's closest to the FT02 in terms of layout and specification compared to our other recent offerings, it indeed will have better I/O at the front (Type-C), up to four 2.5" drive support, and better sound dampening. Don't know if 5.25" is crucial for you to have though, because it doesn't have any just like most enthusiasts cases nowadays. So yeah I hope this is enough to have you consider SilverStone again come January!

And regarding FaRKle0079's wishlist, I think maybe the "Alta S1" prototype could come closest to it, but that case is much bigger than FT02 and does not have 5.25" bays!

Good to see you're still at Silverstone Tony.

It's been years since I've been active here. I still consider the FT02 to be the best case ever made.
Since then, I've purchased the In-Win concepts like the S-Frame and D-Frame cases since Silverstone drifted away from this layout in high-end cases.
I recently bought the Raven RVX01 and I'm disappointed with it. No cable management whatsoever.

Hopefully Silverstone can return to their glory some day.

Again, the perfect Silvertsone case will be:

A true FT02 / TJ07 combination. Same size as a TJ07 but with the FT02 motherboard layout.
All aluminum unibody with generous cable management.
No middle divider like in the TJ11 which contributed to wasted space to mount the fans.
Four bottom 120mm fans for 480 rad support. PSU mounted at the top like the FT02. (120mm fans used to keep the TJ07 footprint.)
Removable motherboard tray to keep the spirit of the TJ series.
All SDD space at the back of the motherboard tray. (It not a high storage case, most people will start to move towards NVME drives so four 2.5" spaces for SSD/HDD is fine. No 3.5" drives)
The front of the case can mount an acrylic waterway.
Modest clearance on the bottom and top using the "curved" unibody structure. You may want to include right angle adapters for I/O.
Sleek brush aluminum design like the TJ07, not the industrial matte look of the TJ11. (The ridges and USB ports on the TJ11 drove me nuts.)
All black and all Silver versions. Special Edition White version with black interior.
Price: $299-399 (maybe a bit more based on material cost)

It can be done, the RVX01 is a rough example of it but with more width and without the side mounted HDD cage.

Update: Tony, I just listened to your interview with Bill Owen in 2017. I bought the S-Frame for $800 in 2015.
If it's something special, like the carbon fiber cases you spoke about, we will buy it. (Ultra eXo Carbon Fiber came out in 2007.)
In Win in my opinion has taken over the premium/bespoke market from Lian Li and Silverstone.
I would think Corsair, CM, NZXT etc had a lot to do with the market shifting to sub $200 steel cases.

 

[Tony Ou]

Big thanks to everyone for the feedbacks again. The FT02 was one of the those rare products that looked just right immediately when first conceived. Below is a concept drawing from our own archives:

Remarkable how very little was changed from this concept to production!

 

[Folly]

Big thanks to everyone for the feedbacks again. The FT02 was one of the those rare products that looked just right immediately when first conceived. Below is a concept drawing from our own archives:
View attachment 257320
Remarkable how very little was changed from this concept to production!

There's a reoccurring thread on the /G/ tech board called 'Post aesthetic cases' and this case always makes an appearance along with the TJ-07 and a selection of other old Silverstone classics, it seems that you really hit a magical creative streak circa 2000 - 2010. I know that the company has changed a lot since then as has the industry itself, and full tower cases are perhaps not as popular as they once were, but I can't help but feel if you resurrected a selection of your most loved models, maybe did a limited run of a few hundred, keeping the aesthetics as close as possible to the originals but bringing the interiors etc up to date, I think you'd sell out very quickly.

What sets this case apart for me though is the fact that it's so good at doing what really matters, keeping your components cool and dust free as well as looking stunning, trying to replicate the performance side of things but with a newer trendier aesthetic would be like putting a Rolls Royce merlin engine from a Spitfire into a new modern Cessna airframe, it might even fly better than the original but nobody is going to care.