Installation:
Installing the 2.5″ hard drives is very simple. Just place the drives into the FP36 and secure them with screws like any other drive. You can easily install both drives into the FP36 and then install it in your computers 3.5″ drive bay, which we will cover a bit later.
In order to use the USB 3.0 connections on the front of the FP36, you need to have a USB 3.0 motherboard. As you can see, you will need to run the FP36 connecting wires through a custom PCI slot cover provided by Silverstone, and connect them to your motherboard in the back I/O ports.
Once installed into your cases 3.5″ slot, you can see how nice the FP36 looks with its brushed aluminum front panel. This will help keep your case looking great as Silverstone look is almost always classy. We were curious as to why they have only two connections instead of four, which it looks like it could easily handle. Even if the other two were USB 2.0, it could make this product even better with four connections instead of two.
Conclusion:
For what the Silverstone FP36 is supposed to do, it does a great job. Installing the 2.5″ hard drives were simple and quick to install. Plus, having the ability to install two is a great feature! This could be good news for HTPC or mini-ATX users as well, because this could clear up some extra space inside your case. The great looking brushed aluminum front panel is something we have come to expect from Silverstone, and as always, it looks great.
However, as good as the FP36 was, we would like to see 2 more USB ports, whether they are 2.0 or 3.0 would not matter to us as much as just having four front connections. It would be an efficient use of space and not need a massive undertaking in a redesign.
For the price tag of $20, we cannot complain much about the missing two possible USB ports. It is very well made and feature rich for the price. If this is something you are looking into, then Silverstone has a winner and a quality name backing their products.
The Silverstone FP36 receives the TechREACTION.net Silver Silicon Award!
You can purchase the Silverstone FP36 at Directron!
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