Page 4 - Installation and Conclusion
Starting on the back, I installed my power supply, a Seasonic FOCUS Plus 850 Gold 850W in place. This unit measures 14.0cm in length. With the drive cage installed, SilverStone indicates a clearance of approximately 25.0cm for the power supply and its cables. This should be sufficient for most PSUs, but you can always take away the drive cage if you do not need it. Next, I led the necessary cables for my system through the rest of case.
In the main area, I mounted a mini ITX motherboard into this system, which easily fits in the FLP02. This is the Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 with an Intel Core i7-6700K and a pair of Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200 memory modules. I mounted a Noctua NH-D12L on top, which is 145mm tall. SilverStone indicates a maximum 182mm height for the cooler, which should be enough for most air coolers. Otherwise, I did not have a graphics card for this system, so I left the slots empty. You are limited to 279mm in GPU length with a front drive sled installed and 386mm without. If you want to use the support bracket, you should not use GPUs wider than 153mm. After, I mounted an old DVD drive I had lying around to test out the 5.25" drive bays. Even if the black cover does not match, it is still charming to see. Afterwards, I routed all the necessary power cables and plugged them in as needed.
Before I finished connecting everything, I plugged in a Patriot Ignite 480GB and installed it on one of the drive sleds. I finished building the system by cleaning up the cables. Overall, building with the SilverStone FLP02 was a good but trying process. Again, I think the cable organization provisions from SilverStone in the FLP02 is a bit too basic. This could have been eased by moving the fan controller behind the case, which would reduce the number of unnecessary cables going through the routing holes. I also would have wanted a set of Velcro straps and a dedicated lane for cables away from the routing holes, so it is easier to lead wires through. Otherwise, there is enough space back here and I was able to slide the side panels back on without concern.
Once plugged in, I powered my system on to hear and see things turned on. There were no holes on the sides to let me peer inside, but the fans spun to life, and I saw different front I/O lights flash. It was a nostalgic moment to see such an old-looking box power on, even if it has slightly more modern components inside.
Using our standard APH Networks sound scale, where 0 represents silence and 10 indicates loudness, the SilverStone FLP02 is a 6.0/10 in the full speed turbo mode and a 3.5/10 in normal operation. As for noise suppression, the SilverStone FLP02 does not do anything to keep noise down, as there is no noise damping material. In terms of fan testing, when they were running full blast, I measured the three fans at 44.5dB(A) at a 50cm distance. A single SilverStone VISTA 120 fan produced a maximum airflow speed of 12.9km/h, or 8.0mph, directly at the outlet.
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In a day and age of constant advancements, SilverStone has answered the call of those who yearn for a simpler time, at least when it comes to their computer aesthetics. With the FLP02, we have a beige box that stands out from present day black or glass boxes that occupy most tables. There are many visual throwbacks with its front panel I/O switches and buttons, the fake drive covers with working levers, and the many random lines and slits. These nostalgic parts have been modernized, so they still are useful in today's context. Going deeper within, we have more conveniences, including an integrated PWM fan hub, graphics card support bracket, and support for top-mounted cooling. In addition, we have adequate clearance for CPU coolers, a longer graphics card, many drive locations including the 5.25" size, and a lengthy power supply unit. The installation process is also a smooth one, but we did start finding a few gotchas. The many rubber grommets on holes and cable tie anchor points are appreciated, as is the sufficient spacing behind the motherboard tray for thicker cables. However, the SilverStone FLP02 lacks any cable valley or Velcro straps at the back to keep the wires away from the holes. Furthermore, the PWM fan hub should be placed behind the motherboard tray, as it would reduce a lot of unnecessary cables in the main area. Otherwise, SilverStone should improve their packaging on their cases, as the current stiff Styrofoam is not sufficient in preventing potential shipping damage. At the time of the review, the FLP02 is available at $230. This is a hefty price to pay for a mid-tower ATX case, but it is also understandable given the boutique sort of market for the FLP02. If you are willing to shell out for this case, you will undoubtedly have a stunning and convincing throwback of a chassis in the SilverStone FLP02.
SilverStone provided this product to APH Networks for the purposes of evaluation.
APH:Renewal Award | APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 7.4/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The SilverStone FLP02 computer case is a faithful replication of the beige boxes from eras past, now modernized with appreciated additions.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
