Silverstone TJ-10BW vs. FT02

[finbarqs]

Funny thing is that I have just received my verizon prepaid visa card for $150, and I used it to try and purchase an amazon gift card to purchase the Silverstone TJ-10BW. Unfortunately, It didn't allow me to purchase another gift card so it took away $1 for "verification processing". Of course, the $1 will be refunded to me. Anyways, When I realized that I couldn't order a gift with another gift card, I turned the tables around, and bought a gift card with my credit card, and planned on using the rest on the Verizon to buy the case.

Well, it didn't work because I only have $149 dollars now, and I was off by $1. At this point, I started to think -- Should I just add another dollar to buy the case now? Or shall I wait the 5-7 days to have the dollar refunded back. Well, strictly from a convenience stand point, I decided to wait t'il the dollar was credited back to my card before I purchase the case. Of course, amazon gave me the whole "Check with your bank to make sure you have fund!!!" for the time it couldn't place the order.

To make a long story short, I received the dollar back into my account, so I have the FULL funds. I'm on amazon.com's ordering page, and RIGHT BEFORE I hit "SUBMIT ORDER" I decided to go around to see if Silverstone has a newer model in line, and I'm not just being impulsive on buying this case that I've been salivating since it's release in 08'.

That's when I saw the Silverstone FT02. Oh goodness, that thing looked beautiful. Simple, very elegant, and the with the 90 degree inverted goodness, Airflow apparently seems to be better. Now there are some gripes on what I didn't like the about the case: The front 5.25" slots. There were way too many of them to make it "sleek" enough. I like the overall design without any complaints regarding the TJ10-BW. But I like the design better on the FT02 better, but have complaints about it. Of course, the cheaper price also helps my decision to lean towards the Sleeker FT02. However, The TJ-10BW isn't bad either and looks great, without any design complaints.

So now, I'm trying to figure out what I should do, and why the TJ-10BW is still the better case. I know it's an all aluminum design, which also helps me lean towards the TJ-10BW. But I don't know what everyone else's thoughts are on both cases, if I were to compare them. Acoustics, design, cooling, ease of access, build quality, are just a few examples of what I'm after. Part of my "spiritual" side tends to say "Hey, something stopped from making a mistake..."

I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and not everyone will agree with me on the looks of these cases. I was hoping the TJ-10BW would be my case for a VERY long time.

Anyone have any thoughts comparing the TJ-10BW vs. FT02?

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Cookie Monster]

As an owner of the TJ09BW which is pretty much TJ10 without the front panel door, I can point out several things.

Pros:
-I think it looks fantastic
-Up to 5 fan placements for optimal air cooling. (Ive added another 120mm fan in the form of silverstone CFP51 to increase the no of intake fans to 2)
-I like having a separate HDD chamber
-Removable motherboard tray
-Allows the user to watercooling by providing the option of installing a dual rad at the top.
-Did I mention it looks fantastic.
-PSU at the bottom of the case. Just like the HDD chamber its pretty much isolated from the rest of the PC.

Cons
-No dust filters mean this case is a dust magnet. Hard to clean the intake section of the case.
-Side panels are too thin.
-Cable management is abit tricky as it doesn't have much options for this. If too much cables are hidden behind the motherboard, the side panel could bulge.
-Stock fans are loud IMO, so a fan controller or different fan could be a must.
-Heavy so dont drop it on your feet!
-It rattled originally but I dont remember how i fixed that problem.

Because im having less and less time to do maintenance checks with my PC, especially having to clean the dust to maintain tip top cooling performance, im going with the silverstone FT-02 once its available at where I live.

The FT-02 will definitely have the cooling advantage.

 

[finbarqs]

I think i'm gonna lean towards the FT02... It just looks awesome... In Silver as well!! The TJ10-BW doesn't look bad at all, but I think if I want awesome style... no contest..

 

[finbarqs]

Now i'm reading regarding the difficulties of an optical drive to be mounted on the top bay... Hmm... I do have a 90 degree Sata cable, which will definitely help, but I still wonder if it's gonna be a main issue.. I generally don't like optical drives to be anywhere else but the top. I've read they both use HD Audio for the Front Panel Audio...

Anyone ever installed an Optical drive on the top mount?

 

[Alienwho]

I put together an FT02 for a friend the other day. Here are my thoughts as compared to my Lian Li Lancool PC-K62.

-While the FT02 is very large and spacious to work in, the case is a total pain compared to the completely tool-less PC-K62. Everything has to be unscrewed. This is the longest build that has ever taken me. Even something as simple as unscrewing, and then rescrewing the drive bay covers is a nightmare with this case. Plus they feel very cheap and flimsy and are a pain to reach.

-Don't even bother using the top optical drive bay. There is a rivet that pokes down from the top of the case that blocks the bay so the drive can't completely slide in. It sticks out about a quarter inch and can't be secured tightly. Additionally, the "tool-less" style clip things that are supposed to secure the drive bays are completely useless and cheap monstrosities. Absolutely terrible.

-Don't bother using the bottom drive bay either, a regular ATX motherboard will be in the way and you can't slide it in completely here either. Seriously I was blown away that two drive bays are completely unusable. I have never seen this before. Add this with how difficult it is to remove and attach the drive bay covers and I was absolutely fuming at this point. I spent at least a half an hour installing two DVD/Blueray drives. Unbelievable. I can't be the only person who has run into these problems.

-The hard drive holders do not securely fit into the slot. While they appear secure, if you do something as simple as plug in the SATA power cable it will push the holder right out of the slot. These are made of plastic and feel very cheap. I accidentally put one in upside down (because it appears you can slide it in either way, not to mention the fact that it easily fits either way) and when I secured the top part in it completely jammed in there and was a total pain to remove.

PRO's:

-Overall the case looks beautiful.
-Cable management is excellent.
-Orientation of the board is pretty cool and makes for easy access from the top of the computer.
-Case is just awesome looking.

This is the best engineered poorly engineered case I have ever seen, that's for sure. I'm glad I cheaped out and didn't purchase it for myself. I am inside of my case enough that I would go ballistic from frustration if I had the FT02.

 

[finbarqs]

i really love the look of the case.. but I really really want the top mount optical... I can't believe how I'm gonna make it a deal breaker because of that...

 

[Alienwho]

i really love the look of the case.. but I really really want the top mount optical... I can't believe how I'm gonna make it a deal breaker because of that...

I don't blame you. I was in love with this case until I actually used it by myself. If you wait for the next generation of cases to come out, I'll bet you will have a lot more options with the new motherboard mounting system. It's new still and they are figuring it out I guess.

Also keep in mind how deep the case is. It was a lot bigger and deeper than I imagined it would be. Just kind of reaffirms that I'm a solid mid-tower guy. It was annoying having to connect two SATA connectors to the modular power supply because the one couldn't reach both the hard drive and the optical drives. This was with a corsair 850.

It's just incredible how amazing this case feels and how it radiates such quality, yet at the same time in different ways it radiates cheap shoddy craftsmanship. Quite peculiar really.

It's a joke that it even mentions "tool free installation" in the newegg description page. There is absolutely nothing tool-less about this case. I've never used my screwdriver so much in one sitting. I completely recommend skipping this case unless you can find it for under $100. Even then, I would still choose my PC-K62 over this for $100 even.

 

[CurseTheSky]

You can mount a CD / DVD drive in the top bay, OR the bottom bay, depending on the drive.

For the top bay, it can't be a long drive. For example, my Blu-Ray drive wouldn't fit in the top bay, so I put it in the bottom instead. I have another regular DVD burner that fits perfectly in the top bay. I don't know what the limitations are on the bottom bay, but I didn't have any problems.

As far as the lack of tool-less, it's not that bad. Take both side panels off, remove two screws, remove the (now loose) bay cover, insert the drive, tighten two screws into the drive. While it's not quite as easy as some of the CoolerMaster cases I've used (push button), it was on par with my Antec P182 SE in the total time it takes to remove / add a drive, and easier than some cases which require the front panel to be removed.

I HIGHLY recommend the FT02, but only because of the functionality. It looks great, but I'm not happy with the amount of steel they used. There are some plastic bits too, but I could overlook them if it was otherwise all aluminum. Cooling wise, though, you won't find a better case, except for those Aerocool monstrosities or whatever they are.

 

[finbarqs]

I was looking for a optical slot loading dvd-rw... that is brushed aluminum... Also remember, I am also comparing this with the TJ10-BW... and that one has enough room for everything! So Huge cases I don't mind at all.... Now I'm thinking about moving back the TJ10-BW... I mean it doesn't look as good as the FT02, but it looks pretty nice and solid as well... Damn top mount optical!

 

[The Milkman]

what about the performance. I like tool less installation but I'm not going to installing so much, plus the most annoying things about installation are when the cables are in the way and lack of space.
The FT02 has plenty of space and good cable management, though I have read it has to little space between the back of the motherboard plate and the side panel and it's thus hard to run thick cables.

Alienwho is the installation with a tool worse then in other cases where you need tools or do you just hate not having tool less install.

 

[CraigRT]

FT01 not fitting your fancy?
I had a hard time picking a new case and I think this is the best looking case out there right now. I ended up buying an FT01B-W used.

I like it, but I agree with a lot of Alienwho's points regarding the FT02 (FT01 uses a lot of the same things)

I don't like the tool-less 5.25 drive mechanisms, or the fact you have to unscrew the bay covers which are a hassle, as stated.

I really just love the looks of the case though, and its a good blend of size/utility. It's smaller than the FT02 but still has reasonable room inside.

I do not mind the hard drive cage design myself... I just removed the 4 pod and left the 3 in the bottom for my 2 drives.

Case looks incredible on my desk, and is quiet as can be with the stock fans.

 

[finbarqs]

I just e-mailed silverstone regarding the top mount optical issues, and wondering if a revision will be in the works. If not... I guess i gotta go with the TJ10-BW

 

[Dorkenstein]

I bought an FT02 but I haven't opened it. It sounds like I should have done more homework before buying, but all the reviews I read were glowingly positive. Should I eat the restocking fee (20&#37 to return it or try to re-sell it?

 

[finbarqs]

just called silverstone, and they told me this:

Both enclosures (FT02 and TJ10x) contain the AC'97 Audio and the HD Audio headers for the case.

Both enclosures will be able to handle the 5970 beast that AMD produces.

When I told him about the issue regarding the top optical mount, he said "there's no issues what so ever".

clearly he didn't use that case before or tried to mount any optical drives. They should've done some testing before these things went into production! Otherwise, they would've fixed the main issue from day #1

 

[CraigRT]

I bought an FT02 but I haven't opened it. It sounds like I should have done more homework before buying, but all the reviews I read were glowingly positive. Should I eat the restocking fee (20%) to return it or try to re-sell it?

No, that is a great case..
It's just some minor nitpicks that make it annoying. (At least they're all no big deal to me)

 

[CurseTheSky]

No, that is a great case..
It's just some minor nitpicks that make it annoying. (At least they're all no big deal to me)

Exactly. People nitpick it because it's a $250 case. If it was a $50-80 CoolerMaster / Antec / NZXT, hardly anyone would care.

The case is EXTREMELY good, there are just a few annoying quirks that keep it from being "perfect," much like the CoolerMaster ATCS 840, HAF 932, Antec P182 / P183, 900, 1200, and many other popular cases. Most of those come in at lower price points and aren't the product of a "premium" manufacturer, so the complaints don't ring quite as loudly. It's similar to buying a BMW vs. buying a Chevy - if you found muddy footprints on your "brand new" carpet, you'd probably be more enraged if it was the "premium" BMW.

I'll say again, this case is nearly unparalleled for air cooling capacity and quietness. Yes, you can buy or make a quieter case, but I'd bet that it won't push as much air. You can also buy a case that cools a bit better, but it'll be noisy. The FT02 is wonderful in both respects.

 

[finbarqs]

yeah i think i'm gonna go with the TJ10-BW... that one looks pretty nice, and is I don't have any gripes about it...

 

[Compddd]

just called silverstone, and they told me this:

Both enclosures (FT02 and TJ10x) contain the AC'97 Audio and the HD Audio headers for the case.

Both enclosures will be able to handle the 5970 beast that AMD produces.

When I told him about the issue regarding the top optical mount, he said "there's no issues what so ever".

clearly he didn't use that case before or tried to mount any optical drives. They should've done some testing before these things went into production! Otherwise, they would've fixed the main issue from day #1

You're not going to buy the case because some dude on this forum doesn't know how to install an optical drive in the top slot? Look at the reviews, plenty of people installed an optical drive in the slot, (me included).

You will not find a better slient, cooling case

 

[The Milkman]

How much space do you need to the side to take out the filters? Can they bend a little, will that damage them. I don't have 180mm space besides my case, so I'm worried replacing the cables will be annoying.

 

[Alienwho]

You're not going to buy the case because some dude on this forum doesn't know how to install an optical drive in the top slot? Look at the reviews, plenty of people installed an optical drive in the slot, (me included).

You will not find a better slient, cooling case

Look at the top slot and see that silver rivet sticking out? Yes you do. This renders the top slot completely useless to long optical drives. Just because you have a short optical drive does not change the fact that the problem exists and is a major engineering flaw in the case that could have easily been avoided.

btw the optical drive that didnt fit was a blu ray. Do you have a blu ray installed there?

 

[NYHoustonman]

Look at the top slot and see that silver rivet sticking out? Yes you do. This renders the top slot completely useless to long optical drives. Just because you have a short optical drive does not change the fact that the problem exists and is a major engineering flaw in the case that could have easily been avoided.

btw the optical drive that didnt fit was a blu ray. Do you have a blu ray installed there?

It's an easily solved issue, but I really can't follow this reasoning... The FT-02 blows away just about any other case in air cooling capability, is well made, and (subjective) good looking. Is not being able to fit a long optical drive in the top slot - which you probably shouldn't do anyway as it likely blocks all airflow through the top (looking at my RV-02, a top mounted DVD burner drive only leaves about an inch) - really that big a deal breaker?

 

[finbarqs]

You know, I know it may not seem like a big deal for many people, but that is a big deal to me in terms of aesthetics. Besides that, I was actually look for a brushed aluminum slot loading blu-ray drive, and I can't find one.

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

I put together an FT02 for a friend the other day. Here are my thoughts as compared to my Lian Li Lancool PC-K62.

-While the FT02 is very large and spacious to work in, the case is a total pain compared to the completely tool-less PC-K62. Everything has to be unscrewed. This is the longest build that has ever taken me. Even something as simple as unscrewing, and then rescrewing the drive bay covers is a nightmare with this case. Plus they feel very cheap and flimsy and are a pain to reach.

-Don't even bother using the top optical drive bay. There is a rivet that pokes down from the top of the case that blocks the bay so the drive can't completely slide in. It sticks out about a quarter inch and can't be secured tightly. Additionally, the "tool-less" style clip things that are supposed to secure the drive bays are completely useless and cheap monstrosities. Absolutely terrible.

-Don't bother using the bottom drive bay either, a regular ATX motherboard will be in the way and you can't slide it in completely here either. Seriously I was blown away that two drive bays are completely unusable. I have never seen this before. Add this with how difficult it is to remove and attach the drive bay covers and I was absolutely fuming at this point. I spent at least a half an hour installing two DVD/Blueray drives. Unbelievable. I can't be the only person who has run into these problems.

-The hard drive holders do not securely fit into the slot. While they appear secure, if you do something as simple as plug in the SATA power cable it will push the holder right out of the slot. These are made of plastic and feel very cheap. I accidentally put one in upside down (because it appears you can slide it in either way, not to mention the fact that it easily fits either way) and when I secured the top part in it completely jammed in there and was a total pain to remove.

PRO's:

-Overall the case looks beautiful.
-Cable management is excellent.
-Orientation of the board is pretty cool and makes for easy access from the top of the computer.
-Case is just awesome looking.

This is the best engineered poorly engineered case I have ever seen, that's for sure. I'm glad I cheaped out and didn't purchase it for myself. I am inside of my case enough that I would go ballistic from frustration if I had the FT02.

my ft02 has a pioneer bluray burner in the top slot with room to spare.

my hot swap are nowhere near that loose.

hmm.

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

Look at the top slot and see that silver rivet sticking out? Yes you do. This renders the top slot completely useless to long optical drives. Just because you have a short optical drive does not change the fact that the problem exists and is a major engineering flaw in the case that could have easily been avoided.

btw the optical drive that didnt fit was a blu ray. Do you have a blu ray installed there?

i do. pioneer bdr-205.

 

[The Milkman]

Could any of you nice fellas post temp difference. From looking at sites the FT02 is cooler but only by very little tbh.
http://www.frazpc.pl/artykuly/836/SILVERSTONE/FORTRESS/FT02/W/zgodzie/z/prawami/fizyki
http://www.tweak.dk/review/SilverStone_Fortress_SST-FT02B-W/1068/19/1

Here an open bench is as good as the FT02
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...e-fortress-ft02-mid-tower-case-review-11.html

I don't know, maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, since good temps are always a combination of things that make a small difference and not of one single things. But still considering the amount of unobstructed airflow, and brilliant motherboard placement it's kinda disapointing.