Grading

Functionality (40%): I have never been to fond of Mid Tower chassis. I really like to have the extra room that a Full Tower offers, allowing the user to do what they want without the constraints. I was actually a little surprised that I was able to fit the Quad SLI setup in the FT01 as easily as I was. Once I had finished wiring the FT01 for the Quad SLI configuration, I was very pleased that I was actually able to get all those wires out of sight. The FT01 showed that it had a complete grasp on the cooling side with the positive pressure design, while making my job of keeping the system clean easier. Unfortunately the task of cleaning the filters in the case isn't going to be something so easily done. The top and lower filters will require some disassembly to access the filters, which will be a bit more challenging with hardware installed in the chassis. The added option of having your hard drives hot swappable is another great feature that isn't very common. The limitation I hit with the CPU coolers is another area that you will want to watch. Just remember that if your cooler extends past the upper edge of the motherboard, you might have a problem with clearance. Silverstone has done a great job at giving us a case that does have its added benefits, while at the same time, it does have a few quirks. Overall, I think the FT01 has earned a 9 here.

Value (20%): The Silverstone FT01 can be had for around $199 - $230 US (with or without window). Honestly, you will get what you pay for when it comes to high-end cases. The Silverstone FT01 is by no means the most expensive mid tower chassis on the market, but it does fall in that high-end area with other known manufactures like Lian-Li and Zalman. Having had my hands on several Mid Tower chassis over the years, I feel that sometimes, it's necessary to spend a little extra to get the quality and performance you want in a chassis.  We will give it an 8.5 for value.

Aesthetics (40% of final score): The Silverstone Fortress FT01 is an absolutely amazing looking chassis. With the design styling taking after the original TJ07 chassis, Silverstone gave the FT01 a little more pronounced definition in the lines of the case. Everything seems to flow from one panel to the next. Although the mixture of the anodized brushed aluminum panels, and the matte finish of the main chassis might not be an exact match, I do feel Silverstone did an excellent job at fitting the two processes together in one design. Adding to the the look is the black powder coated internals of the chassis. The FT01 is simply screaming for a hardcore system to be installed. Although I would have liked to seen the top fans mesh grill match the fronts, and would have liked to seen the front I/O ports handled a little differently. I feel the Silverstone FT01 warrants a solid 9.5 for aesthetics.

Functionality	9
Value	8.5
Aesthetics	9.5
Total Score	9.1