SilverStone FT03 Mini Review: We'll Make You Fun Size
by Dustin Sklavos on May 22, 2012 1:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Mini ITX
- SilverStone
Noise and Thermal Testing, IGP
Given the relatively small size of the SilverStone FT03 Mini, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect in terms of performance. It's true that an intake fan having a straight shot through all of the system's components can work wonders (see the FT02 and TJ08-E), but the FT03 Mini is more cramped and the air still has to wend its way through the cluster of power cables tucked inside. At the risk of spoiling the results, though, I was pleasantly surprised by just how well the FT03 Mini performed. Ambient temperature was ~24C at time of testing.
Without the dedicated graphics card, the FT03 Mini still put in a stronger performance than the much larger, ATX-sized GD07 (compared here due to the GD07 being tested with the Mini-ITX testbed, which was in turn tested with the Mini-ITX testbed due to having a very low heatsink clearance). The SSD ran toastier, but that's to be expected and still acceptable.
Thermal headroom in this configuration also looks to be roughly the same, if the fan speed is any indication.
The FT03 Mini doesn't just perform well, it's also pretty quiet. Without a dedicated graphics card we're looking at just three fans in the enclosure: the intake, the CPU heatsink fan, and the power supply. Given the efficient thermal design, none of them have to work terribly hard, and the result is a system that runs quietly.
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Spunjji - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Given that the power/cooling requirements of a Voodoo 3 barely register on the current graphics-card radar, I'm afraid I have to back up the "horrible ventilation" comment.GotThumbs - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
I'm sure Jobs would want you to take it as is...and be happy with it. Your such a good Ifanboy. Good boy.Oh...and "You're holding it wrong!". Words from a man who thinks everyone but him is an idiot. Maybe some are...but NOT the ones who can think for themselves.
Best wishes,
jonyah - Tuesday, June 5, 2012 - link
Ya, cause the Cube was such a big success. Ugh. Thank god we can build quality machines with parts off of shelf.mmagnum77 - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
95% sure that's a SG05BB with nice fancy aluminum panels slapped on each side.Either way... I'm not complainin'. I've been prepping a i7 3770S + AMD 7970 ITX build on Newegg, gonna be hard to pass this case up.
ViperV990 - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
As an SG05BB owner, yepp, the FT03-mini pretty much that.I hope the review will be amended with tests done with the GTX 670/680. I have a hard time figuring out just how much air the bottom intake can supply a 680.
Another interesting tidbit about this case is that apparently you can fit a closed-loop water cooler in it easily.
Personally, I'd probably prefer a version without the optical drive opening.
slacr - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
In this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTdUpSukEt8 the Silverstone rep states this exactly, so it's not something they're hiding.I would also prefer one without the optical drive bay, i'm in the process of modifying my mATX FT03 by removing the drive bay and relocating the PSU to allow better air inlet.
mmagnum77 - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Just kidding about the 7970. Apparently I glossed over the 10" GPU clearance spec, sigh... back to the Lian Li PC-Q08Br3loaded - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Why not the GTX 670/680? Both are quicker than the 7970 and use less power. The 670 is very short and costs less too.mepenete - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
This looks like an incredibly sexy (with the thermals/acoustics to back it up) case for an HTPC. I've been becoming more and more interested in Silverstone's case designs and this looks really promising. Simple lines yet still classy and not too understated. This would look excellent in a home theater cabinet.Great review as always.
Samus - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
put a Geforce 670 in there and you'd have something ridiculous.