One of the biggest decisions you have to make while building a computer is picking the best PC case for your rig. There are plenty of PC cases to choose from different manufacturers like Corsair, NZXT, etc. We think Fractal Design is also a top pick in the community when it comes to PC cases. The company makes a ton of quality cabinets, so there’s a very good chance you’ll find one that suits your needs. Picking the best Fractal Design PC case, however, can be a little daunting due to the number of available options. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best Fractal Design PC cases that are worth considering for your next PC build.
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Best overall Fractal Design case: Fractal Design Define 7
There are a couple of different variants of the Fractal Design Define 7 cases on the market right now, but we think the original Define 7 is the best overall Fractal Design PC case you can buy. This mid-tower PC case is suitable for a variety of builds — be it an entry-level PC or a high-end gaming rig. This also happens to be one of the best-looking cases on the market. The Fractal Design Define 7 is available in both black and white colors. This is a great option for those who’re looking to buy a white PC case for their setup.
The Fractal Design Define 7, as you can see, comes with an anodized aluminum front panel with a brushed aluminum finish. There are vents on both the front as well as the top panel for airflow. You also get an option to choose between a solid or a tempered glass panel for the side. We recommend picking up the tempered glass panel if you want to show off the internals of your build. One of the best things about this PC case is that its chassis opens up to fully expose the case interior. That makes it easier for you to build inside the case.
The Define 7 isn’t an airflow case by design but you do get a lot of space to add case fans and radiators for cooling. The case comes with three pre-installed Dynamic X2 GP-14 fans out of the box. These are 140mm fans that are great for moving air in and out of the chassis. There’s space to add more fans to the case, but you’ll have them separately. You can install another 140mm fan on the front in addition to the two that are already installed. There’s space to add three 120mm or 140mm fans on the top panel too. You can also install two 120mm or 140mm fans at the bottom while a 140mm fan is already pre-installed on the back.
As for the radiator mounting options, you can install up to a 360mm radiator on the front, and up to 420mm radiator on the top. You can also install a small 120mm radiator at the back along with up to 240mm radiator at the bottom. It’s also worth pointing out that all the vents are covered with dust filters to keep the dust and dirt away from the internal components.
The Fractal Design Define 7 has plenty of space inside the chassis for all the components. You get clearance for a GPU with a max length of up to 491mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 185mm. Fractal Design also makes it easier to manage cables inside the case as there’s dedicated space to route cables. All things considered, the Fractal Design Define 7 is a solid case to consider. It’s suitable for a variety of builds. It’s also a decently priced PC case for all the features it brings to the table.
The Fractal Design Define 7 is a solid mid-tower PC case that's suitable for a variety of different builds.
Second best overall pick: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact
The Meshify 2 Compact is one of the most popular Fractal Design cases on the market, and rightfully so. It’s our pick for the second-best Fractal Design you can buy, next to the Define 7. There’s a lot to like about the Meshify 2 Compact including its bold, stealth-inspired aesthetic. The Meshify 2 Compact is a solid airflow case that comes with a mesh front panel and plenty of space for mounting case fans. The Meshify 2 Compact comes with the iconic angular mesh front panel for filtered airflow.
The Meshify 2 Compact also has vents on the top panel for airflow. You also get the option to choose between a solid or a tempered glass side panel. A tempered glass panel will let you see the internals of the chassis and add to the overall aesthetics of the build. There’s space to install fans at the back of this front panel to help move more air in and out of the chassis.
The Meshify 2 Compact is a mid-tower PC case that supports ATX, mATX, and mini-ITX motherboards. It comes with two Dynamic X2 GP-14 140mm fans installed on the front along with a 140mm Dynamic X2 GP-14 fan at the back. You can install another 140mm fan on the front, and there’s more space to install two 120mm or 140mm fans on the top and a 120mm fan at the bottom. It’s safe to say that there’s plenty of space to install a case fan on this case for the best airflow. As for the radiator support, you can install up to a 360mm radiator on the front, up to a 240mm radiator on the top panel, and a 120mm radiator on the back as well as the bottom panel.
The Meshify 2 Compact has plenty of room inside for all the high-end components you plan to use for the build. The case has clearance for a GPU with a max length of up to 360mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 169mm. There’s also cable routing space inside the chassis that lets you manage the cables easily. The Meshify 2 Compact has seven expansion slots for things like the GPU and other expansion cards. Unlike Define 7, however, there are no vertical slots that let you mount the GPU vertically. That being said, the case has two 3.5″ and up to 4 2.5″ drive mounts for storage drives. You can install an ATX PSU in the case with a max length of up to 200mm.
Overall, we think the Meshify 2 Compact is one of the best ATX PC cases on the market right now. The case also comes with 5 years warranty in case something goes wrong. This case is suitable for a variety of different builds, which is why it’s our second best for the best overall Fractal Design PC case. You can hit the below to find the best price for this case online right now.
The Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact is an excellent ATX case with plenty of space inside the chassis and a mesh front panel for airflow.
The Vector RS is the only case in Fractal Design’s case lineup that looks entirely different. It’s got a completely different design that is nothing like the other cases we’ve mentioned in this collection. While the other Fractal Design offers a more minimal and muted, the Vector RS comes off as a shiny case with RGB lights. It screams performance and gaming in a way the others don’t. That makes sense for the Vector RS because it is one. We recommend the Vector RS for those who’re looking to build a high-performance PC with powerful components.
The Vector RS is a full tower that comes with plenty of space. This is the case you’d want to buy if you’re looking at a high-performance build with, say, a custom water cooling loop. The Vector RS PC case, as you can see, comes with a solid panel on the front with some air vents towards the sides for airflow. There’s also a tinted tempered glass on the side that lets you show off the internals of your PC. The case, unlike the other Fractal Design case also has RGB lights.
For the top, you get both tempered glass panels as well as mesh panels with vents for airflow. You can switch between the two quite easily depending on the kind of usage. This makes it is a versatile case. The solid tempered glass panel is good to suppress the internal noise while the panel with ventilation will allow for better airflow. It’s worth pointing out that other Fractal Design PC cases don’t offer this functionality.
The Vector RS PC case also comes with three Dynamic X2 GP-14 140mm fans for airflow. There are of them installed on the front while the last one is installed on the back panel. In addition to that, there’s a ton of space to add more fans as well as radiators inside the chassis. You can install another 140mm fan on the front and up to three 120mm or 140mm fans on the top panel. There’s more space to add up to two 120mm or 140mm fans at the bottom. When it comes to the radiator support, you can install up to a 360mm radiator on the front panel, up to a 360mm radiator on the top panel, and up to a 240mm radiator on the bottom panel.
The Vector RS also has enough space to accommodate a fully water-cooled system, complete with a pump, reservoir, and more. There’s also enough clearance to run the tubes for coolant. You can use either an E-ATX, an ATX, an mATX, or a mini-ITX motherboard with this case. You get clearance for a GPU with a max length of up to 440m and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 185mm. You can also mount your GPU vertically inside this chassis thanks to the vertical expansion slots. The Fractal Design Vector RS costs a bit more than some of the other cases mentioned in this list, but we think it’s well worth the asking price.
The Fractal Design Vector RS is a full-tower case that has plenty of space for a high-performance build.
Best budget Fractal Design PC case: Fractal Design Meshify C
The Fractal Design Meshify C is similar to the Meshify 2 Compact in more ways than one. The Meshify C is more affordable than the Meshify 2 Compact, yet it offers almost all the same set of features. It also adopts a design that favors airflow, making it a great option to consider even for a relatively high-end build. The front panel is the same mesh panel with angular mesh patterns. It’s identical to the one you get on the Meshify 2 Compact case.
The Meshify C has vents on the top for airflow. You can install fans and radiators on the top panel for more cooling. The thing about this case is that it comes with dust filters for all the vents despite the affordable price tag. Having a dust filter is crucial as it keeps you internal components of the PC from getting choked due to dust or dirt particles. You get an option to choose between either tempered glass or a solid side panel. The overall size of the chassis is also big enough to accommodate all the high-quality components for your build.
You get a total of seven expansion slots in the case for your GPU and other expansion cards that may want to add to your rig. Sadly, there’s no option to mount the GPU vertically. This isn’t a deal-breaker considering the relatively affordable price tag of the case. This particular case has space for either an ATX mATX or a mini-ITX motherboard. As for the component clearance, you can install a GPU with a max length of up to 315mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 170mm. You also have dedicated space inside the chassis for routing the cables.
The Meshify C comes with two 120mm pre-installed fans out of the box. You get a Dynamic X2 GP-12 installed each on the front as well as the back panels. There’s space to install two more 120mm fans on the front panel, two 120mm or 140mm fans on the top panel, and a single 120mm fan at the bottom. Additionally, you can also install up to a 360mm radiator on the front panel, up to a 240mm radiator on the top panel, and a single 120mm radiator on the back panel. This is one of the few affordable cases on the market that offers these many radiator mounting options.
The front panel IO comes with two USB 3.0 ports, audio ports, and a power button. The case also comes with two 3.5″ and three dedicated 2.5″ drive bays to add storage to the rig. The Meshify C, as you can see, comes with all the bells and whistles that you’d expect from a premium, high-quality PC case on the market. There’s not a lot to complain about the Meshify C, especially when it’s one of the most affordable mid-tower cases on the market. You can always step up to the bigger Meshify 2 Compact case if you want slightly better features and more space, but we think the Meshify C is plenty for most users looking to build a PC in 2021.
The Fractal Design Meshify C is a more affordable version of the Meshify 2 Compact. It looks identical to the standard variant and offers almost the same set of features.
Best airflow case: Fractal Design Torrent
A lot of Fractal Design PC cases are known for their airflow capability, but we think it’s the Fractal Design Torrent case that does it the best right now. This is one of those PC cases that screams airflow from the moment you look at it. The front of the case, as you can see, is essentially a grille that lets the most amount of air inside the chassis. You can install fans on the front panel for better airflow too. There’s space to install three 120mm or 140mm fans on the front. You get two Dynamic GP-18 or two Prisma AL-18 140mm fans pre-installed out of the box depending on the version of the case you get.
In addition to that, you can install as many as three 120mm, three 140mm, or two 180 mm fans at the bottom of the case. There’s also space to add an additional 120mm case at the back for exhaust. The Torrent case also comes with dust filters for the front as well as the bottom panels, which is good. It would’ve been nice to have vents on the top panel too, but you get a solid panel on the top. That being said, the Torrent still has plenty of vents to move the air and out of the chassis, so no complaint there.
The Fractal Design Torrent case, as you can see, comes with a tempered glass side panel. It lets you see the internal components. There’s a ton of space inside the chassis for all the high parts that you plan on installing in your rig. This is a mid-tower PC case and you can use either an ATX, an mATX, or mini-ITX motherboards. You can check out our collection of the best motherboards to find some of the best boards on the market right now. The Torrent case is available in a bunch of different colors to choose from including an RGB variant that comes with RGB fans.
You get space for two 3.5″ and up to four 2.5″ drive bays for all your storage needs. You can also install a full-sized ATX PSU inside the chassis. In terms of component clearance, you can install a GPU with a max length of up to 461mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 188mm. There’s also space inside the chassis for a ton of radiators. You can mount up to a 420mm radiator on the front panel and up to a 420mm radiator on the bottom. The rear panel can also hold a small-sized 140mm radiator. You also get dedicated cable routing space, which we’ve seen on other Fractal Design PC cases.
Overall, it’s safe to say that the Fractal Design Torrent PC case is a fantastic option to consider. It’s just as good for a mid-range build as it is for a high-end PC. We recommend picking up a good quality AIO liquid cooler if you’re planning on using it for a high-end build with, say, an Intel Core i9-12900K.
The Fractal Design Torrent is a solid PC case with plenty of room inside the chassis and a lot of vents for airflow.
Best silent PC case: Fractal Design Define R6 USB-C
Silent PC are mostly preferred by those who’re working in, say a professional studio or other working environments where they don’t want any unnecessary noise. A silent PC case can do a lot of good to eliminate the noise coming out of your PC. This may not sound significant, but it’ll be hard to go back to a normal PC case after using a silent one. The difference is very noticeable. If you’re on the market to buy a new silent PC case, then recommend checking out the Fractal Design Define R6 case. We’re checking out the one that comes with a USB Type-C port on the front.
The Fractal Design Define R6 PC case is built for silent computing. It comes with an industrial dampening on the side, top, as well as the front panel. This makes up for a quiet operation even when the PC is under load. The Define R6, as you can see, doesn’t have any mesh panels like some of the other Fractal Design cases. Well, that’s by design because it allows the case to be silent. Airflow cases with a ton of vents and case fans are not suitable for quiet operation.
That being said, the Define R6 is still a fantastic PC case for airflow. It comes with two Dynamic X2 GP-14 140mm fans pre-installed on the front along with a Dynamic X2 GP-14 140mm fan at the back. In addition to those fans, there’s space to install another 140mm fan on the front, up to two 140mm fans on the top panel, and a single 140mm fan at the bottom. It’s worth pointing out that all the vents are covered with dust filters, which is good for the overall health of the PC. The case also has a ton of space for all the internal components and the radiators that you plan on mounting for your build.
There’s space to add up to a 360mm radiator on the front panel, up to a 360mm radiator on the top panel, a 240mm radiator on the bottom panel and lastly a 120mm radiator on the back panel. You can build using either an E-ATX, ATX, mATX or an mITX motherboard inside this chassis. In terms of component clearance, you can install a GPU with a max length of up to 440mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 185mm. There’s also dedicated space to route cables inside the chassis as we’ve seen on other Fractal Design PC cases.
You also get seven horizontal as well as two vertical expansion slots, which means you can mount your GPU vertically if you want to. There’s also space to add a ton of drive bays to take care of all your storage needs. The front panel includes two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports. This is in addition to the USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port and a couple of audio ports. Overall, it’s safe to say that the Fractal Design Define R6 is one of the best silent PC cases around. If you’re looking to buy a Fractal Design case and want something for a low noise operation, then this is one to buy.
The Fractal Design Define R6 is a solid option to consider if you want a silent PC for your setup to maintain low noise output.
Best micro ATX PC case: Fractal Design Define Mini C Tempered Glass
We’ve got another Fractal Design Define case for you in our collection. This time, it’s the Define Mini C PC case. The Define C mini is relatively smaller which is why we think it’s a good mATX PC case. In fact, the company says this case is smaller than your average microATX PC case This case offers a good mix of features that makes it a good airflow as well as a silent option for those who’re looking for the best of both worlds.
The Fractal Design Define Mini C, as you can see, comes with a solid front panel with air vents on the sides for airflow. The side panel is tempered glass in this particular variant. You can also buy a variant of the case with a solid side panel if you don’t like the see-through side panel. The top solid panel has air vents for airflow and you can install fans there to move more air in and out of the chassis. The tempered glass side panel is easily removable as it uses thumbscrews.
The Define Mini C uses ModuVent technology for sound dampening, allowing it to be quiet. Both the side as well as the front panels are lined with industrial-grade sound dampening material. The solid front panel of the case limits the airflow a bit, but you still have plenty of air vents and space to add case fans. The Define Mini C also comes with two pre-installed fans, which means, it’s somewhat ready to be used out of the box without having to spend too much money on fans.
The Define Mini C comes with a Dynamic X2 GP-12 120mm fan on the front as well as the back. There’s space to add two more 120mm or 140mm fans on the front. The top panel can also hold two 120mm or 140mm fans while the bottom panel has space for a single 120mm fan. All the vents are covered with dust filters, which is a standard in most Fractal Design cases. In terms of the radiator support, you can install up to 280mm radiator on the front, up to a 240mm radiator on the top panel, and a single small-sized 120mm radiator on the back panel.
The Define Mini C, despite its small form factor, has plenty of space for all the components. The case offers clearance for a GPU with a max length of up to 315mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 172mm. You can use either an mATX or a mini-ITX motherboard to build inside the chassis. There’s also a dedicated space to route cables, which is not usually in small PC cases like this one. You only have five expansion slots in this case, but that should be enough to fit just about any GPU on the market right now. The front panel includes two USB 3.0 ports, audio in and out ports, and a power button with an LED indicator. Overall, we think the Define Mini C is a good option to consider if you’re in the market to buy a small-sized PC case.
The Fractal Design Define Mini C is a small-sized PC case. It's a good option to consider if you're working in a small and confined space.
Best mini-ITX case: Fractal Design Node 304
While the Fractal Design Define Mini C is a good option to consider as a small-sized PC, we think the Node 304 is the true winner for the SFF PC case. As such, it’s our pick for the best mini-ITX case in this collection of the best Fractal Design PC case. The Node 304 is available in both black and white colors and we think both of them look equally good. This is a compact modular case and it’s very easy to work with. That being said, this is strictly for those who want something small and compact to fit into their setup.
An SFF PC case isn’t the best option to consider when it comes to features, but we think the Node 304 strikes a good balance. Fractal Design has managed to add a ton of features to make it a viable option on the market for those looking to buy a small PC case. The Node 304 comes with anodized aluminum panels for all sides. There’s not a lot of air vents on this case, but you do get one on the sides for the fans. All the air vents are covered with dust filters, which is a nice addition. A lot of case manufacturers tend to avoid that.
The Node 304 is an SFF case, which means the airflow is going to be limited. It is, however, well managed in this case. You get as many as three Series R2 hydraulic bearing fans with this case along with a fan controller. You can only mount a total of three fans inside this chassis, so it’s good to see that you don’t have to spend more money to add more extra fans. Two of these pre-installed fans are on the front while the other one is at the back. There’s no space to mount radiators inside this chassis, so it’s best to stick to a fan cooler for the CPU.
When it comes to the component clearance, you get space to install a GPU with a max length of up to 310mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 165mm. You can use an ATX PSU with this case with a max length of up to 160mm. As for the motherboard compatibility, you can only install a mini-ITX board inside this small chassis. The Fractal Design Node 304 comes with two expansion slots and six drive bays. It’s safe to say that you won’t run out of storage between the storage drives and the M.2 SSDs installed on the motherboard.
The Fractal Design Node 304 is an excellent miniITX PC case, but it goes without saying that it’s not for everyone. SFF PC cases are very difficult to work with and they’re not the best option for a high-end build. These small cases tend to have very limited space inside the chassis to install high-performance components. It’s also very difficult to maintain proper airflow. But if you’re hellbent on buying a miniITX enclosure then this is as good as it gets.
The Fractal Design Node 304 is a mini-ITX PC case that's perfect for small setups with limited space.
Best Fractal Design PC cases to buy in 2021: Final Thoughts
Fractal Design has quite the list of PC cases in its portfolio and we think you’ll definitely find something that suits your needs. The Fractal Design Define 7 is a good option for most people who’re looking to build a mid-range to a high-end PC. The Meshify 2 Compact is also worth considering if you want more airflow inside your case. If you’re leaning towards a high-performance build then we recommend checking out the Vector RS. It’s a pretty big chassis with plenty of space for all your high-performance components and a custom water cooling loop. We’ve also added a couple of microATX and mini-ITX options that are worth considering.
Picking a PC case is only a part of the PC building process. If you’re building a new PC then you might want to check our other collections including the best CPUs and the best DDR5 RAM module list too. As always, we also encourage you to join our XDA Computing Forums where you can discuss your builds and get more product recommendations.
The post These are the best Fractal Design PC cases you can buy in 2022 appeared first on xda-developers.
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