SilverStone Fortress FT03-Mini review

Performance Analysis

Given that space is nearly a much a premium as is in a carbon nanotube, we were pleasantly surprised that our hardware was far from cooking itself. The Silverstone Sugo SG08 and BitFenix Prodigy were at least 5°C cooler on the CPU delta T and at least a hefty 10°C cooler on the GPU delta T, though, which doesn't speak highly of the FT03-Mini's cooling prowess.

While cooling didn't prove to be an issue, though, with no additional fan mounts, it's worth taking a look at our test system specs to gauge how well your system might fare - needless to say, there's little you can do to improve the situation, not that it's horrendous by any means. SilverStone's SFX PSU that it supplied us to test the case proved to be very quiet, as did the 140mm Air Penetrator fan - the latter probably because it's buried in the depths of the case.


Conclusion

Perhaps the main issue with the SilverStone FT03-Mini is its price. At over £100 it's one of the most expensive mini-ITX cases we've reviewed. While the Silverstone Sugo SG08 costs even more at a staggering £160, it includes a custom PSU, is equally tiny and boasts much better cooling. The design might not be for everyone either - it's an acquired taste, while the side panels can be fiddly, as can building a system into it in the first place.

However, once you've done this, there's very little else to dislike about the FT03-Mini. Compared to the BitFenix Prodigy, it's much smaller but has a fraction of the water-cooling and expansion potential as a result. It's a necessary trade off but this is likely to put many people off before considering the fact it costs around £40 more as well. While, this does net you superior build quality and a small, sleek home for decent gaming system, the competition offers some compelling advantages, particularly in the cooling and expansion departments.