Assembly

Installing the motherboard is done by traditional means with the use of spacers and screws. There is a ton of room around the board, and if you look closely you will notice a set of zip tie hooks neatly arranged all around the board as well. It would have been nice to have at least one slim grommet covered opening at the right edge, even if it was partially covered by the motherboard, as that would eliminate the need to route wires across that little gap down the line.


The SilverStone Alta F2's biggest unique selling point, besides the size, layout, cooling and included fan types is the ability to install your GPU in three distinctly different ways. Firstly, there is the variant where you may assemble it straight up, taking advantage of the 90° turned board. The second detaches it from the motherboard using the included PCIe ribbon cable, but keeps the upright orientation. This is unique but also something we have seen possible in a small number of other enclosures.


The third and likely best way overall is the ability to mount it vertically while tilted forward a little bit. This is also detached from the motherboard, so that it acts as its own independent heat source instead of heating up the components around it. On top of that, thanks to that tilt, the bottom mounted fans will cool it directly as well. Lastly, this configuration gives you full access to the ceiling of the chassis for a massive CPU radiator for example. Thanks to the included metal support bracket, you won't have to worry about the GPU sagging either.


Adding an SSD to the system is generally done the same way, regardless of which tray you use. The drive is secured on the mounting plate using traditional screws and that whole contraption may then be put back where it came from within the chassis by attaching it to the case body with the help of the thumb screws.


To add a 3.5" drive into the case, you may also use the two floor mounted trays. We however opted for the front cages instead. This requires you to pull off the cover & unscrew several screws. Once detached, it may be filled with the drive label facing forward in the case. The connectors are pointing down towards the motherboard tray, so connecting power and data to these may be a bit tricky.


Installing the PSU is straight forward, thanks to the dedicated housing and the openings through which you can route the thick cables. Lastly, as mentioned before, you may install an AIO of up to 480 mm in size. While we used a 240 mm variant in this build, there is so much room toward the motherboard that this will also be the case when employing a longer variant as it would have the same width.


With everything installed, the SilverStone Alta F2 makes a clean impression. There are a few wires that poke across the hard drive bays in the front towards the edge of the motherboard, but black on black, you won't really notice too much. In the rear, cable management isn't perfect, but thanks to the large canvas of the chassis, it at least does not feel cluttered either.

Finished Looks

Turning the Alta F2 on, there is just a white power LED lighting up in the front to let you know that the system is up and running without looking at the interior of the chassis. Our sample was affected by an issue where the entire front panel wasn't supported well enough and pressing down on the brushed aluminium area around it would flex enough to trigger the buttons behind it. SilverStone has fixed this issue and is offering a replacement part free of charge for anyone affected.


Through the front of the case, you can clearly see the 3.5" drive at an angle, thanks to the gently tinted front glass. That is both cool but also not the prettiest unfortunately. While purely subjective, I am sure this look will be quite the decisive factor when it comes to the purchasing decision. Even though the build doesn't have a ton of ARGB elements, you can still clearly see the black components within. In the rear, all the wiring will come out the top opening of the case, unless you have your GPU installed horizontally. The location of the opening actually does make sense, as you are likely going to be placing this massive and heavy case on the floor instead of on top of your desk.