Silverstone Fortress Series FT04 Chassis Review

Final Thoughts

Price

There is no doubt about it, this is an expensive chassis and £175 is enough to make anyone think twice before opening their wallet. Yet there is a level of design, build quality and features here that go a long way to justifying the cost and lets not forget the colossal aluminium front panel door is no doubt an expensive features, albeit a feature that is worth it because it looks stunning. Also, the dual 180 Air Penetrator fans and fan controllers do add to the overall value.

Overview

There is a lot to love about this chassis and very little to dislike, actually I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about it! I can see right from the start that this isn’t going to be for everyone, it’s a little “out there” and unique from every angle, not to mention expensive.

The design is the real star of the show here and front the front panel door, down to the last screw it is clear that everything has been given careful love and attention. Little notches have been put into the body of the chassis to allow your screw driver to access tricky areas, little clips and straps have been added to the hard drive bays, cable routing holes have been placed in every spot you could need one and then a few more for good measure. The window panel is made of thick material and then padded to prevent it from rattling (something that often plagues many window side panels). The dust filters are easy to access and maintain and the PSU mount has been redesigned for easy access and maintenance. The whole chassis just screams quality and precision.

The chassis is big and very well made, which also means it is quite heavy and it’s certainly not something you’ll be wanting to drag around to LAN gaming events any time soon, not unless you invest in a robust set of LAN wheels.

For a high end system builds this is a great solution, more than enough room for a few graphics cards and the design lends its self well to those who want a build that focuses on air cooling. Of course, you can fit a 120mm water cooler in the back like we did with the H80i, or a 360mm radiator in the front, but those wanting a large custom water cooling loop without stripping out hard drive bays may want to look elsewhere in the Silverstone range.

Pros

• Flawless build quality
• Unique design
• Sound proofing materials are pre-installed
• Powerful 180mm fans pre-installed
• Built in dual fan controllers
• Easy access dust filters
• Plenty of room for high end components

Cons

• Expensive

“This is one of the coolest chassis on the market and while it may not have the potential for extensive water cooled rigs, it can still pack an incredibly high-end system in style.”