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, Dedicated GPU
I wish we'd had a GeForce GTX 670 or 680 on hand to really give the SilverStone FT03 Mini a proper thrashing, especially since they advertise the case running those cards on their site. As it stands, the Zotac GeForce GTS 450 Eco isn't going to light the world (or the case) on fire but should at least give us a clear idea of how it holds up under an increased thermal load.
The FT03 Mini continues to put in a strong performance, providing thermal performance that actually meets and sometimes exceeds that of a much larger case. SilverStone's 140mm Air Penetrator fan in the bottom of the case is working its magic; these really are excellent case fans provided they're used in the right places.
Fan speeds are mostly comparable, with the CPU fan speed ever so slightly in favor of the FT03 Mini. Either way, there's thermal headroom to spare, but keep in mind the FT03 Mini is achieving with one 140mm intake fan what the GD07 needs three 120mm fans to achieve.
The two are basically indistinguishable in terms of raw noise levels, and both are very well suited to their intended tasks. The FT03 Mini isn't just cool; it's quiet, too.
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Flunk - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Ridiculously hot and noisy. I have an SG03 and while it's a great case and good fun the thermals are annoying.Synomenon - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Did you guys get to test it with a liquid cooling kit such as the Antec Kuhler 620 or Corsair H60? It would be great if you could update this review later on with a build utilizing one of these liquid cooling kits AND a GTX 670 / 680.jigglywiggly - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
why are you guys reviewing a fridgegonks - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
I thought it was a trash cannikotttin - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Hi there,How is the cabling going with this case? I see that the electric plug is facing upward. Same goes for the GPU ports.
Does this mean that the plug and HDMI cables are going out through the top of the case? If so, this is not very elegant in a living room.
Thanks for the clarification.
piroroadkill - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
It has a cover, and a slot at the top rear of the case, so they'll come out the back, but at the top. Well, they actually come out of the top, but the cover.. covers them up.marvdmartian - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
The biggest problem I saw, is that the PSU is on one side of the top divider (which contains the power & reset buttons, and the USB ports), and the slot for all the cords is on the other side of it. Which means you're going to lose 6-8 inches of power cord, just routing it around that obstruction.IMHO, it would have been a better idea to either shorten that divider (so the power cord could be routed in a shorter direction), or a second slot provided. The second choice would be a fairly easy modification, though, if one were so inclined to do so.
Bobsy - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
I have the same concern. Are there any pictures of this case with cables plugged in, so that we can see what it looks like for real? Cables coming out the top seem to be a show-stopper for me - I say "seems" because Dustin does not mind, so surely he found a way to set it up properly. I would like to know how this can be done.Thank you.
nikotttin - Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - link
see:http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1642182&...
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1642182
jabber - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
...I have no idea of the orientation or what way goes where etc.