Computing on Demand PC News & Reviews
If you are a case designer or manufacturer, you must be asking what you can do to differentiate yourself from the rest of the herd. After all, there are a ton of cases out there, but what will make yours stand out? Some may use fancy graphics, some will do it with price, and others will go right back to the drawing board. Computer cases have fundamentally stayed the same over the years. Outside of some minor changes like the PSU being moved from the top to the bottom, there isn’t much to guess about. Well, SilverStone has some ideas that may be able to change the way you look at your computer case.
Many of us were optimistic when AT Keyboards were replaced by PS/2 keyboards, when PS/2 mice were replaced with USB mice, when 3.5″ drive bays were replaced with extra fan spots, and now… 5.25″ drive bays with…. um… nothing? SilverStone takes what you know about computer cases and flips it on its side… literally. The FT05 is a departure from the norm. It is sleek, stylistic, industrial, modern… and sideways?
To get you an idea of what is going on here, first let’s get some of the basics out of the way. The FT05 is an ATX Mid Tower case that ships in black or silver. Both colors have options for side windows. The body is steel while the front, back, and bottom are aluminum… THICK aluminum. The case measures in at 221mm (W) x 483mm (H) x 427mm (D) and weighs in at 9.5kg. The FT05 supports only 2 x 3.5″, 2 x 2.5”, and 1 x Slim slot-loading optical drive. The case ships with two massive 180mm fans pre-installed at the bottom. The FT05, as with many other SilverStone cases, employs their Positive Air Pressure cooling to increase efficiency and decrease dust. Additionally, nearly the entire case is lined with a foam padding to reduce noise.
So, why did they choose to flip things around? SilverStone believed that the majority of the computer case goes by as wasted space. Empty 5.25″ drive bays, lost 3.5″ drive bays… all taking up valuable real-estate. These unused elements and the body structure supporting them acts as an obstruction to clean and direct airflow. With the space reclaimed, SilverStone was able to provide enough room for everything else you want and allow for tons of clean, unobstructed airflow.
