Silverstone Fortress FT05 Mid-Tower Chassis Review

Peter Donnell / 10 years ago

Final Thoughts

Pricing

There’s no easy way of putting it, as the Silverstone FT05 is certainly classed as a premium chassis and it has the premium price tag to match. At £131 + shipping, it’s out of the reach of your average consumer, but for those who have the extra cash to spend, you’re certainly going to get a lot in return for your investment.

Overview

It’s a bold design and despite its somewhat minimalist exterior, it’s also incredibly beautiful. Those who make the investment in a high-value premium chassis like this will not regret it. Build quality on the Silverstone FT05 is just like every other Silverstone chassis we’ve ever tested, or that I’ve ever owned; absolutely perfect. From an engineering perspective, Silverstone are big innovators and while they make a lot of new products each year, every single one of them has been designed to be a good as it can possibly be. The Fortress FT05 has so many little details that you notice over time, from well placed holes and cutaways to allow easy access to screws or clips, custom side panel release mechanisms to remove the need for screws on the exterior of the chassis, dual fan control switches, high-quality sound dampening materials, premium quality dust filters in easily accessible places and thick and durable panels. The whole thing has been well thought out and put together with precision; you quickly see and feel why you’re paying over £100 for this chassis.

I must admit that the design isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste, but keep in mind that at the heart of it, this is the Raven series chassis with a sleek makeover. If you want the louder and rather aggressive style of the Raven RV05, you’ll still find all the same features you have on the Fortress. However, if you want a more refined and minimalist rig, then the Fortress has got a lot to offer. The lack of a side panel window is a shame, as the interior looks stunning, but the thick side panels and sound dampening material are for those who want a system that is as quiet as possible; an aspect further enhanced by the use of powerful low-RPM fans in the base of the chassis.

There really is little else to say about this chassis. It promises to be a premium quality product and it delivers on that promise without skipping a beat. There’s room for multiple high-end graphics cards, a high-end PSU and enough storage to satisfy most users; you really can’t ask for much more than that.

Pros

Exceptional build quality
Sound dampening material
Dust filters
Bold aesthetics
Tool free side-panels
Slot loading ODD bay
Air penetrator fans
Dual fan controll switches

Cons

It is expensive

“Silverstone have proven time and time again that they can deliver premium quality products, packed full of features that are both innovative and practical. It may be expensive, but the overall design and featutes on offer goes a very long way to justifying the price, easily the best Fortress series chassis to date.”