Just wanted to mention one thing that Jay forgot to mention about the new Define R6. That modular HDD plate that he removed can actually be shifted back into the case to be in line with the motherboard plate. Then on the backside of that HDD plate, you can still mount two 3.5" HDD's on it. So you wouldn't lose all 3.5" HDD support. Great review otherwise Jay!
Something I was literally asking myself when Jay removed that plate! Thanks for the input! I've had a Define S for about two years and still have no major reason to switch to a new case; dat R6 tho! Best tempered glass iteration yet! One thing though: WHY NOT INCLUDE THE TYPE-C FRONT PANEL PORT?!? From a customer's standpoint it looks like a blatant cash grab, guys. That's vitually the only thing keeping me from buying one. Think about that!
@@Draxxuzownzu The R6 has better airflow/cooling potential. Both have great build quality, but the R6 is slightly better. I own both, and the R6 is the better case, but it takes up alot more space, compared to the Meshify C.
Fractal Design's after-sale services kept me as a loyal consumer. They'd go above and beyond by sending replacement parts (even when I fucked it up) via priority mail from Sweden to wherever the heck you are.
Thats all true, i once had a problem with the front panel connectors on a Fractal case, and they just sent me a new one, took 2 days to get it and they didnt even mention telling me to send the old back. :D
They told me to buzz off. I had to fix a panel that arrived badly bent with a hammer. The merchant was no help and Fractal was no help. Really made me angry and I am looking at cases from other manufacturers for several other projects. A nice case design is useless when it arrives all smashed up and you can't get a replacement.
Tried too hard to find a fault with this case. But nah, Fractal knocked this out of the park this time. All they need is a competitive price for the base version.
I found one, which keeps me from buying it.. u can't do push pull with a rad in the front without taking the whole hdd bay off, then you only have two ssd mounts... I have 3 ssd's and push pull in my corsair carbide 400c... sad, this is a really nice case...
I ordered one because it's a modern case that still has provisions to mount a perfectly good optical drive. Not many cases are like that anymore unless you go with something that was designed in the late 1990s.
Nice case! I actually appreciate them providing a 5.25" bay. I do a lot of Blu-ray ripping for my Media server and it's great to have the option. Thanks for the review!
Yep, bought it like 2 months ago for good price during sale for my new pc I will be building this year and pretty much the only problem I found with it when I was playing around with it was the top panel where it is actually pretty hard to remove the dust filter from it without a screwdriver or something. Had to actually watch a vid on youtube to find out how to go about it without possibly damaging it :D
I think the reason the front panel hinge opens right to left is to allow people to open the panel for better airflow without having to worry about too much excess fan noise because the panel acts a barrier. Great review, Jay!
Hey Jay, just wanted to say, I picked this case up today because of this review. I'm visiting here in southern California from Colorado and went to the Microcenter you shop at in Tustin. Talked to some workers there and they knew exactly who I was talking about. Hoping to run into you there but I wasn't so lucky. Back to Colorado tomorrow. Excited to put this case to work!
@2:22 in my experience with tempered glass, you're actually MUCH safer with the pane facing the floor. TG can take an enormous amount of impact to its face without breaking, but the slightest tap to its edges can cause it to shatter. I worked at a window manufacturer, and spent half a day smashing these large TG panes so they'd fit in the recycling; nobody told me about the edges, so I was trying to smash them face-on with a hammer, and failing.
I had an R5 for a while and love it. Mine came with 2 bay drives that I don't use, and the first thing I did was switch the door...My big rad fit it perfectly, and the dust covers work great. The one thing i did not like was the old panels on the top. . There were 3 of them, and it's easy to struggle putting them back on in the proper order if you don't pay attention, which I didn't..I broke two clips, but Fractal sent me new replacements at no charge.
I'm a a painting modder and just had one of these land in my studio for a Ryzen /AMD custom painting. I came to you to see how it all comes apart and am loving this case more and more by the minute! I am off to buy some Ryzen and Amd color paints and back at it. Can't wait to get started: top, front, metal side and the indoor panel behind the cool glass.
Gotta love Fractal Design, I’m using a define r5 and they’re cases have always been top quality and this r6 looks fantastic too. Might think about changing to this case
Oh you mean a 5.25" floppy disk reader, yeah that's way oldschool like pre 1991 086 and 286 computers. Back in 1992 my 386 and 486 computers both had 3.5" floppys. When CD drives came 1995 3.5" was the only drive that lived onwards to pentium 90 and 160.
#1 feature. optical drive #2 size fits just right, not too huge and supports e-ATX. was actually hoping you show us the space left after an E-ATX is fitted in.
You know, it may not seem like it...but I was going through a lot of depression today Jay, and you cheered me up within the first 10 seconds. Idk how, but I guess it's just your personality. I have a lot going on and I'm thankful for you. Thanks and Merry Christmas. :')
So glad to see they moved the front I/O off of the panel so it can be removed without messing with all the wires, and I love that there's still a 5 1/4 bay. Almost certainly going to be my next case.
I think that front partial panel that covers the HDD trays, could be custom made in either clear acrylic or tempered glass to show off the reservoirs if you were doing a custom water cooling system. But, yeah... no complaints here overall about the case. Nice. Great video as always Jayz.
@JayzTwoCents - I'm not sure how true this is, but I asked the same question about the IO door to a guy I know who designed custom computer cases and had contacts at Corsair, MasterCase, etc. He said that the reason the door usually ships on that side is so that, if you set the case on the floor or low shelf, you'd probably put it on the right side of you. With the door on that side, if you swing your chair around and accidentally hit the open door with your knee, it will simply close the door, whereas if you hit it with the door on the other side, you might snap it off. Again, not sure how true this is across the industry, but it made a small amount of sense. I still like it better the other way.
Jay, you hit on exactly why I'm looking through and commenting on an older video. At 4:14. the 5 1/4 bay... I must have a 5 1/4 and even a 3.5 for my needs (DVD in one and multi SD in the other). I know I can get these externally, but WHY!!! Why have something your using frequently clutter up a desk ot take up a USB. Most people that are hard core into 3D printing will tell you exactly why an internal SD is needed, and most who do 3D design back-up, archive and even distribute via DVD as it is not erasable or editable. So why do case manufactures turn their backs on us? This is what leads to my case.... building new rigs in older cases simply because there is no other good options out there.
I am getting ready to do my first build, to spend more time with my son. An idea I got from a certain celebrity that you did a build for. I have been trying to find the best case to do it in and I think this is it. Thank you.
So far I liked every single new thing about this case, except the fact that the front is completely covered, I think if it was just all mesh it would be better for airflow and would look really nice with RGB fans. Although it is mostly an aesthetic thing.
Because of you, Hardware Canucks and Gamers Nexus, I pulled the trigger on this case. My current case is approximately 15 to 20 years old. The old look at it and you cut your fingers type case. 😬🤣 I am not a materialistic person, as long as it works, I keep things until they break. I am transferring my hardware now. I have been cleaning and dusting everything before I transfer the hardware of course. Thank you for your very informative and entertaining videos. Keep up the great work.👍
Really? a *30$* addon for USB-C ?! This should have been included. Other than that, i'd really like to see an ''air flow'' version of this case. No need for angular design in the mesh tho, just plan and simple straight Mesh/Vent.
Benoit Levesque i guess their reason Was that there are still too few devices that use it? Also define is about silence, airflow is still average, gamernexus review. The meshify is the airflow one.
Most, if not all new gadget (external ssd/hdd, phone, tablet, camera etc) that are coming out in 2018 are all going to be USB-C .. seriously there's no reason, at this point, to not include a USB-C on the front I/O. The front panel can be totally be removed and replaced with something else, it would be so easy to make an airflow version. The R6 also has a totally different internal layout than the Meshify (which is a very small ATX chasis).
Definitely feeling this more than R5, I have an R4 housing my current rig but after it's gone, this R6 is totally a contender for a case for my next rig.
I just bought the Fractal Define C Mini TG and WOW is this case slick! I think my next gift to myself is this R6 to put my old build on (which is still plenty capable but needs dust therapy and good cable management) Thanks for the review Jay!
I love their cases, I have one at work. They are so quiet you cant even tell the computer running. This case will be next case for sure. It's so clean and has that elegant design and look in my opinion.
Finally ! I've been looking for a case to replace my white R5 for so long, but none can match its simple design and ease-of-use. When will the R6 be available ?
The R6 seems to be the same size, so no problem there. @TheMaiminMatty Nothing wrong with the R5, I love it, that's why I haven't changed since. But I want tempered glass and a PSU shroud so this is the perfect case for me
Same here, looked everywhere to get an even good looking case, but with PSU Shroud and other goodies, and Fractal delivered it itself. Plus it's quite a bit better then the R5. Sometimes waiting is worth it.
Hi Jay, the left-opening front door makes sense. But only if you have your case on the floor, to the left of a desk. That way the desk frame won't block the sidepanel window view, you wont hit the case with your legs (the desk is not in the legspace) and the door opens correctly.
if you take off the side wall, are you still able to install 2x3.5" drives in the bottom area? also, does using the 5.25" drive at the top make it impossible to use a 360mm (or 240mm) radiator up top? ive been looking for a new case forever that is open concept, that I can install a 5.25" bluray drive, 360mm+240mm rad, 2x3.5" drives, 1x2.5" SSD, AND is still a mid tower. by the look of that if you can install the 3.5" drives in the bottom with the wall off there will be enough room in the front for a 360mm rad still, the big question is can you have a 240mm in the top with a 5.25" drive installed. otherwise the case looks perfect for my use.
Adam Marcucci if you relocate the the removable pannel to the back of the case you can mount 2 3.5 drives to the back of it. And not sure about the 360 rad with the drive may but in the front yes. Unsure about the top. Just look at some pictures and figure it out for yourself.
If I remember correctly from another review video, you won't be able to put a 5.25" drive there with a 360 rad at the top. But a 240 at the top is possible with a Bluray drive.
Is there a reason we still get supplied with USB 2.0 ports on the front-end? Since USB 3.0 is generally backwards compatible wouldn't it make more sense to have all 4 as USB 3.0? Or am I missing something?
Motherboard headers are different for usb2.0 and 3.0. You are suggesting to drop front panel usb support for older motherboards or if board has just one 3.0 header, you could use only two of four usb3.0 ports.
Motherboards only give you so many usb 3 ports. The rest are USB 2. If they weren't accessible from the front they would probably go into waste. Also many peripherals don't need usb 3 anyway. Mouse and keyboard for instance. Also often usb 2 is preferable due to its generally more reliable/robust drivers. Ah and there is also the fact that Windows 7 (for those who still refuse to go win 8.1 or 10) upon initial installation doesn't have native usb 3 support (it gets it later when it updates) so you wouldn't be able to use your keyboard/mouse (though still that's not an argument for having usb 2 in the front but having usb 2 in general).
For troubleshooting, USB 3.0 requires drivers which do not work in safe-mode, BIOS, OS w/e. This is the same reason many display still have a VGA port.
If you remove the drive sledges and move he cover to the back you can still fit two 3.5" drives on the back of it. You can also take the SSD trays from behind the motherboard and put them above the PSU. If you buy 6 extra drive sledges and 2 extra trays, you should in total be able to fit SIXTEEN 2.5" drives.
I'm in love with my Define R4, but when it comes time to upgrade, I might just have to get the R6. My one complaint is that there aren't any side panel options like the R4/R5, where the window took up only part of the panel. But everything else, especially the hard drive support, is phenomenal
Finally a mid tower that properly supports EATX motherboards. This combined with the optional Type C front panel make this a winner. I will be ordering one ASAP.
Ha! I was looking for an R6 review, but thought you might not be doing one, then I remembered you do a lot of FD stuff and low and behold, here’s the review lol! Thanks J!
I think it's a really nice case. Looks very well designed, and reasonably flexible. I personally wouldn't get one, i'm old school, and like having a few external 5.25 bays to chuck things into, but for the majority who have up to date stuff, and really only use USB keys etc, it's ideal.
I just build my latest using the gunmetal without a glass side panel. ASRock Taichi, 8086K, Alphacool 240, WD 500 NVMe, Sapphire RX580. This baby should be good for at least 10 years. This case is amazing.
Jay digressing all day all night. And it seems like I've found the case I want, good airflow, and tempered glass side panel without having it's own set of 4 screws on display which is just absolutely stunning.
+JayzTwoCents 1:27 And this is exactly why some of us are not fans of glass side panels. They pickup fingerprints and whatnot so easily. However this design, with the ability to mount them on both sides, is really very cool! 4:14 It's a deal breaker for a lot of us who still use optical drives frequently. Thank You Fractal! 15:06 The only thing I would change is to make the case just tall enough to fit a second 5.25" bay in. Otherwise, this case is bad-ass!
i don't really care for this case (I have a phanteks evolv), but the fact that you can install glass / metal panels on both sides if you wanted and that you can make the front cover swing both ways is really really cool. I'm sure whoever buys this case will love it for many years (y)
Wow it’s a master piece, I have a node 304 and I hadn’t any problems at all to fit a gtx 1080Ti with water cooling and water cooled i7 processor. They (at fractal design) are for sure brilliant Sweden engineers 👏
This is the first time in a long time, where i actually consider changing my case out! Would love to see you build in this with a watercooled CPU + GPU, hopefully with the raiser option, or a reason why you wouldnt do it!
Top of my wish list, thanks Jay and thankyou Fractal. In the process of building a PC for the wife, so I guess she could now have a better looking case than my corsair 750D so I might need to order two to keep up with her.
10:45 I love this video for its comprehensiveness. However the marked off time stamp is a godsend. I thought I would have to make sure a h100i could fit at the top, but it could actually fit at the side! I "need" to have at least 4 HDDs on my computer and was worried I wouldn't have the option. So this definitely ensures I will get this case for my next build
Few things I would add is integrated RGB uv lighting and a meshify front panel option for even better air flow, and a buying option to order with 2 glass side panels if wanted
DIY tip: I'm no fan of gimmicky RGB lightning, but I used the MSI Tomahawk Z390 RGB's function to show CPU temperature as a visual indication. Since I have the closed case (so no glass look trough) version of this R6, I soldered a 4 wire lead with 3 resistors (leveling the R-G-B brightness) to a single 5mm RGB LED, connected it to the RGB-jumper on the motherboard and attached it close to the HDD-LED on the front panel (white milky plastic on the inside, thus shining trough, just with a tie-wrap, so gluing needed). So while blinking blue on drive activity, the indicator turns green, blue, red with the temperature. A useful visible "non-visible" extension to this case. :-)
I only have one suggestion - The vertical GPU mount - Move it "back" as far possible, so that you can actually mount any height GPU without choking the airflow against the tempered glass panel. (Perhaps a bracket like the coolermaster mastermaker case, amazing implementation for vertical mounting). If they cant move it back, maybe an extra fan mount behind the "cover plate" on the right, so you can blow air through the card from the right directly in line with the card. Love this case though, might even pick it up for my new build end of next year ^.^ (Currently running 2600k & 1070)
Dear Jay, please do a build in this case cramming in all the liquid cooling. Love the case! Also I wish more case manufacturers would allow to upgrade the front panel IO.
Jay PLEASE make a white build! would love to see build with "all you can put in it" while keeping the aesthetics in mind. And of course a really nice JayzTwoCents logo on the wall :3
This is going to be my next case when i upgrade my i7-4790k to Ryzen 7 and i will have room for my 6 - 3.5" Hard Drives nice one Fractal you realy did listen to us normal PC Builders
Wow, that is a really nice case. Kinda makes me wish that I waited just these few months longer before I upgraded my case. Love the lay out as Jay said, it was well thought out.
I have this case coming this afternoon and can't wait. For me the 3.5" HDD and 5.25" support drove me to this case. Like Jay said everyone is deleting the optical drive bay and I am old school and like my spinning plastic media.
Just wanted to mention one thing that Jay forgot to mention about the new Define R6. That modular HDD plate that he removed can actually be shifted back into the case to be in line with the motherboard plate. Then on the backside of that HDD plate, you can still mount two 3.5" HDD's on it. So you wouldn't lose all 3.5" HDD support. Great review otherwise Jay!
Thank you this was EXACTLY what I wanted from you guys
I guess my comment about that is now useless haha
He also forgot to mention the 2 ssd mounts on the psu cover
Fractal Design Support not feeling the all black front panel on the white case. Please make it white like the previous all white R4.
Something I was literally asking myself when Jay removed that plate! Thanks for the input! I've had a Define S for about two years and still have no major reason to switch to a new case; dat R6 tho! Best tempered glass iteration yet! One thing though: WHY NOT INCLUDE THE TYPE-C FRONT PANEL PORT?!? From a customer's standpoint it looks like a blatant cash grab, guys. That's vitually the only thing keeping me from buying one. Think about that!
Almost 2020, and it's still one of the best cases on the market.
Yep. I bought one last month and I love it!
Bought one yesterday. It's a beast. No real cons. I only use SSDs though, so kinda overkill I guess, haha.
how does it compare vs the meshify c?
I’ve had my build now for a year using this case and am very happy with it. Agree it’s a great case in so many ways.
@@Draxxuzownzu The R6 has better airflow/cooling potential. Both have great build quality, but the R6 is slightly better. I own both, and the R6 is the better case, but it takes up alot more space, compared to the Meshify C.
Fractal Design's after-sale services kept me as a loyal consumer. They'd go above and beyond by sending replacement parts (even when I fucked it up) via priority mail from Sweden to wherever the heck you are.
Thats all true, i once had a problem with the front panel connectors on a Fractal case, and they just sent me a new one, took 2 days to get it and they didnt even mention telling me to send the old back. :D
They told me to buzz off. I had to fix a panel that arrived badly bent with a hammer. The merchant was no help and Fractal was no help. Really made me angry and I am looking at cases from other manufacturers for several other projects. A nice case design is useless when it arrives all smashed up and you can't get a replacement.
I want a TG panel for my regular Define C Mini I brought in June, let's see what they say.
+Guilherminho you would have to pay for one. They are not just Gonna send you a free one lol
Hi Ernie!
Still has a 5 1/4" bay for those that want/need that option. Glad to see this.
Tried too hard to find a fault with this case. But nah, Fractal knocked this out of the park this time. All they need is a competitive price for the base version.
Agree, this one is just perfect! Other manufacturers need to listen to the consumers like Fractal does.
Fault = nothing to fill that massive spot that opens up in the bottom when u take the HDD wall off.
I found one, which keeps me from buying it.. u can't do push pull with a rad in the front without taking the whole hdd bay off, then you only have two ssd mounts... I have 3 ssd's and push pull in my corsair carbide 400c... sad, this is a really nice case...
Axiom you can still mount stuff on the PSU shroud or in the cable management area
@Axiom It has the 2 up front SSD mounts on top of the PSU shroud and 2 hidden ones behind the motherboard tray. Promo video shows it nicely.
Still the best Mid-Tower in 2019 if you ask me.
but it is a challenging category Phanteks P600S, Evolv X still hold their own... so is this R6 a size 600?
Absolutely agree, not a big gamer but this is the "dream" case I have been looking for for years..... It is on my order list!
Hey can i fit 3x 120mm in front ?
I ordered one because it's a modern case that still has provisions to mount a perfectly good optical drive. Not many cases are like that anymore unless you go with something that was designed in the late 1990s.
getting a new gaming pc for the cyber monday, and getting this as a case. love the dvd/blu ray slot, and the good airflow
I'm so glad it has a 5.25" drive and it looks really clean. I wonder how good they could make their Fractal XL case if they updated that.
It will be just perfect
Wow. I’m currently building my new Ryzen rig and I’m glad I saved the case for last. Because this is what I’m putting it in.
This case literally goes down the line, and checks every box. GJ Fractal, TY for actually listening.
Nice case! I actually appreciate them providing a 5.25" bay. I do a lot of Blu-ray ripping for my Media server and it's great to have the option. Thanks for the review!
It’s not the best mid-tower case in 2017... it’s the best mid-tower case in late 2018.
Yep, bought it like 2 months ago for good price during sale for my new pc I will be building this year and pretty much the only problem I found with it when I was playing around with it was the top panel where it is actually pretty hard to remove the dust filter from it without a screwdriver or something. Had to actually watch a vid on youtube to find out how to go about it without possibly damaging it :D
For me this case is the most close to perfection I've ever seen!
Dang that's one well designed case.
Make a starwars black Intel and white AMD with the starwars GPU's. That would look soo sick!
Holy shit you're right
Stormtrooper themed with the Titan Xp Empire Variant
I think the reason the front panel hinge opens right to left is to allow people to open the panel for better airflow without having to worry about too much excess fan noise because the panel acts a barrier. Great review, Jay!
Hey Jay, just wanted to say, I picked this case up today because of this review. I'm visiting here in southern California from Colorado and went to the Microcenter you shop at in Tustin. Talked to some workers there and they knew exactly who I was talking about. Hoping to run into you there but I wasn't so lucky. Back to Colorado tomorrow. Excited to put this case to work!
I think this is more like an update to the Define C! I have a Define C and I've never been so in love with a PC part than when I bought the Define C!
@2:22 in my experience with tempered glass, you're actually MUCH safer with the pane facing the floor. TG can take an enormous amount of impact to its face without breaking, but the slightest tap to its edges can cause it to shatter. I worked at a window manufacturer, and spent half a day smashing these large TG panes so they'd fit in the recycling; nobody told me about the edges, so I was trying to smash them face-on with a hammer, and failing.
Now THIS is an interesting/useful comment!
I have watched many RUclipsrs video about this case, and you are the only one that tested if the tempered glass fit on the other side, nice review!!!
Wait wait wait this DOES have a 5.25" drive bay?!
Damn. I might have to buy this.
I had an R5 for a while and love it. Mine came with 2 bay drives that I don't use, and the first thing I did was switch the door...My big rad fit it perfectly, and the dust covers work great. The one thing i did not like was the old panels on the top. . There were 3 of them, and it's easy to struggle putting them back on in the proper order if you don't pay attention, which I didn't..I broke two clips, but Fractal sent me new replacements at no charge.
YES! 5.25INCH BAY DRIVE IT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY I STILL KEEP MY DEFINE R5
I'm a a painting modder and just had one of these land in my studio for a Ryzen /AMD custom painting. I came to you to see how it all comes apart and am loving this case more and more by the minute! I am off to buy some Ryzen and Amd color paints and back at it. Can't wait to get started: top, front, metal side and the indoor panel behind the cool glass.
finally, i've been waiting for fractal to update the r5 for usb type c
I got the Define R5 this summer, and I absolutely LOVE it. Seriously. Fractal Design builds some great cases.
I love but R2 XL, but the R6 is just amazing..if they made a XL version id be all over it
Gotta love Fractal Design, I’m using a define r5 and they’re cases have always been top quality and this r6 looks fantastic too. Might think about changing to this case
A 5.25" bay...it's so beautiful...praise the lord i can install my floppy drive \(ツ)/
Mat Crumby Error you mean a DVD drive. Floppys use 3,5" bays
Got a frame that changes a 5.25" bay to a 3.5" bay ;)
Oh you mean a 5.25" floppy disk reader, yeah that's way oldschool like pre 1991 086 and 286 computers. Back in 1992 my 386 and 486 computers both had 3.5" floppys. When CD drives came 1995 3.5" was the only drive that lived onwards to pentium 90 and 160.
5.25 and 3.5 inch bays arr still current for Blu-Ray drives, fan controls, USB hubs and SD card reader though
I still use my DVD burner a bit, I'll have to grab this case.
Thank you Jay and Fractal. I think I've just found my next case and would be my first Fractal, really look forward to seeing a build in this case.
#1 feature. optical drive
#2 size fits just right, not too huge and supports e-ATX. was actually hoping you show us the space left after an E-ATX is fitted in.
You know, it may not seem like it...but I was going through a lot of depression today Jay, and you cheered me up within the first 10 seconds. Idk how, but I guess it's just your personality. I have a lot going on and I'm thankful for you. Thanks and Merry Christmas. :')
Awesome, hope you do a build (video) in this.
So glad to see they moved the front I/O off of the panel so it can be removed without messing with all the wires, and I love that there's still a 5 1/4 bay. Almost certainly going to be my next case.
I regularly use dvd's so this is good knews :D
I think that front partial panel that covers the HDD trays, could be custom made in either clear acrylic or tempered glass to show off the reservoirs if you were doing a custom water cooling system. But, yeah... no complaints here overall about the case. Nice. Great video as always Jayz.
@JayzTwoCents - I'm not sure how true this is, but I asked the same question about the IO door to a guy I know who designed custom computer cases and had contacts at Corsair, MasterCase, etc. He said that the reason the door usually ships on that side is so that, if you set the case on the floor or low shelf, you'd probably put it on the right side of you. With the door on that side, if you swing your chair around and accidentally hit the open door with your knee, it will simply close the door, whereas if you hit it with the door on the other side, you might snap it off.
Again, not sure how true this is across the industry, but it made a small amount of sense. I still like it better the other way.
Buying one in the next few weeks... My daughter has an R5 and absolutely loves it... This case offers even more.
Jay, you hit on exactly why I'm looking through and commenting on an older video. At 4:14. the 5 1/4 bay... I must have a 5 1/4 and even a 3.5 for my needs (DVD in one and multi SD in the other). I know I can get these externally, but WHY!!! Why have something your using frequently clutter up a desk ot take up a USB. Most people that are hard core into 3D printing will tell you exactly why an internal SD is needed, and most who do 3D design back-up, archive and even distribute via DVD as it is not erasable or editable. So why do case manufactures turn their backs on us? This is what leads to my case.... building new rigs in older cases simply because there is no other good options out there.
I am getting ready to do my first build, to spend more time with my son. An idea I got from a certain celebrity that you did a build for. I have been trying to find the best case to do it in and I think this is it. Thank you.
Nobody:
Jayz: *cleans the glass*
Jay and science studio are by far my favorite tech youtubers. I really like the way they do their reviews
So far I liked every single new thing about this case, except the fact that the front is completely covered, I think if it was just all mesh it would be better for airflow and would look really nice with RGB fans. Although it is mostly an aesthetic thing.
just remove the door
Because of you, Hardware Canucks and Gamers Nexus, I pulled the trigger on this case. My current case is approximately 15 to 20 years old. The old look at it and you cut your fingers type case. 😬🤣
I am not a materialistic person, as long as it works, I keep things until they break. I am transferring my hardware now. I have been cleaning and dusting everything before I transfer the hardware of course. Thank you for your very informative and entertaining videos. Keep up the great work.👍
Really? a *30$* addon for USB-C ?! This should have been included.
Other than that, i'd really like to see an ''air flow'' version of this case.
No need for angular design in the mesh tho, just plan and simple straight Mesh/Vent.
Benoit Levesque i guess their reason Was that there are still too few devices that use it? Also define is about silence, airflow is still average, gamernexus review. The meshify is the airflow one.
Most, if not all new gadget (external ssd/hdd, phone, tablet, camera etc) that are coming out in 2018 are all going to be USB-C .. seriously there's no reason, at this point, to not include a USB-C on the front I/O.
The front panel can be totally be removed and replaced with something else, it would be so easy to make an airflow version. The R6 also has a totally different internal layout than the Meshify (which is a very small ATX chasis).
Benoit Levesque Why include it when a lot of motherboards out there don't even have the front hub to support it?
for ''future proofing''
a case can last you a decade, the rest inside won't
actually the USB-C option is $20 shipped on amazon
Definitely feeling this more than R5, I have an R4 housing my current rig but after it's gone, this R6 is totally a contender for a case for my next rig.
Amazon Link To Nowhere -- My favorite Talking Heads song. Has this case been released yet?
I've been looking everywhere I can't find it either.
2018
Just pre-ordered one from New Egg. It becomes available 1-15-18
I just bought the Fractal Define C Mini TG and WOW is this case slick! I think my next gift to myself is this R6 to put my old build on (which is still plenty capable but needs dust therapy and good cable management) Thanks for the review Jay!
9:24 what did you break there? something came off of the case when you took the harddrive case out.
FoxyRaven-TV he broke a little plastic pin that’s on the case. I have one and it’s really easy to break it off.
@@rohilx9771 is it important?
@@elchotocorazon no answer from him since then, might have been triggered some bumm effect...
I recently picked up a Node 808 by FD, I love all the attention to detail they put into their cases.
Can you get the r6 without a window? I’ve grown to loathe windowed panels in my old age
Taurean Smith yes. It is all on their webpage. Thank the gods yes. Put it under your table for silence too.
And here I am finally excited for a windowed case that fits my aesthetics! XD
You can always trade the glass panel for the non-glass panel with someone who wants two glass window side panels.
I love their cases, I have one at work. They are so quiet you cant even tell the computer running. This case will be next case for sure. It's so clean and has that elegant design and look in my opinion.
Finally ! I've been looking for a case to replace my white R5 for so long, but none can match its simple design and ease-of-use.
When will the R6 be available ?
Anything wrong with the r5? why upgrade?
cause it's massive
The R6 seems to be the same size, so no problem there.
@TheMaiminMatty Nothing wrong with the R5, I love it, that's why I haven't changed since. But I want tempered glass and a PSU shroud so this is the perfect case for me
Same here, looked everywhere to get an even good looking case, but with PSU Shroud and other goodies, and Fractal delivered it itself. Plus it's quite a bit better then the R5. Sometimes waiting is worth it.
It's buyable right now, but Fractal has said for it to be steadily available in a week or so.
Hi Jay, the left-opening front door makes sense. But only if you have your case on the floor, to the left of a desk. That way the desk frame won't block the sidepanel window view, you wont hit the case with your legs (the desk is not in the legspace) and the door opens correctly.
2 weeks ago i finished my Custom Water Loop in my Define S SO Screw it i need to do it again when this case is out i think daaaaaaawm xD
WarmSoftKitty nd why u say that its j7st fun to build looks btw hilarious and u have some kind a spacial thing
Thanks for the review Jay. I bought a Fractal Design Define C this year to transplant my comp into and I love it. Fractal Design makes quality cases!
not possibly... IT IS THE BEST case of 2017
Wow this case has so many great features, vertical GPU, hard drive cage and radiator support, and even a 5.25" bay!
Awesome case and great video as always!
I just bought a Thermaltake core P5 in Tempered Glass a month ago. It is an Amazing open air case. Vertical, Horizontal, or even Wall Mountable.
if you take off the side wall, are you still able to install 2x3.5" drives in the bottom area? also, does using the 5.25" drive at the top make it impossible to use a 360mm (or 240mm) radiator up top?
ive been looking for a new case forever that is open concept, that I can install a 5.25" bluray drive, 360mm+240mm rad, 2x3.5" drives, 1x2.5" SSD, AND is still a mid tower.
by the look of that if you can install the 3.5" drives in the bottom with the wall off there will be enough room in the front for a 360mm rad still, the big question is can you have a 240mm in the top with a 5.25" drive installed. otherwise the case looks perfect for my use.
Adam Marcucci if you relocate the the removable pannel to the back of the case you can mount 2 3.5 drives to the back of it. And not sure about the 360 rad with the drive may but in the front yes. Unsure about the top. Just look at some pictures and figure it out for yourself.
Adam Marcucci after reading your comment again yes a 240 will fit with a 5.25 drive and a 360 in the front.
If I remember correctly from another review video, you won't be able to put a 5.25" drive there with a 360 rad at the top. But a 240 at the top is possible with a Bluray drive.
This might finally be the case I've been waiting for.
I love your videos! Do you actually read the comments?
No. Well usually I don't, now I did.
Only the mean ones apparently. :(
This just became the case for my next two builds and I am like Jay, I can't think of anything that I'd change on it.
Is there a reason we still get supplied with USB 2.0 ports on the front-end? Since USB 3.0 is generally backwards compatible wouldn't it make more sense to have all 4 as USB 3.0? Or am I missing something?
Motherboard headers are different for usb2.0 and 3.0. You are suggesting to drop front panel usb support for older motherboards or if board has just one 3.0 header, you could use only two of four usb3.0 ports.
That's a fair point. Completely forgot about that. Consider my question answered!
Since its downward compatible, shouldnt there be adapters? From the usb 2 header on the mobo to the usb 3 port
Motherboards only give you so many usb 3 ports. The rest are USB 2. If they weren't accessible from the front they would probably go into waste. Also many peripherals don't need usb 3 anyway. Mouse and keyboard for instance. Also often usb 2 is preferable due to its generally more reliable/robust drivers. Ah and there is also the fact that Windows 7 (for those who still refuse to go win 8.1 or 10) upon initial installation doesn't have native usb 3 support (it gets it later when it updates) so you wouldn't be able to use your keyboard/mouse (though still that's not an argument for having usb 2 in the front but having usb 2 in general).
For troubleshooting, USB 3.0 requires drivers which do not work in safe-mode, BIOS, OS w/e. This is the same reason many display still have a VGA port.
If you remove the drive sledges and move he cover to the back you can still fit two 3.5" drives on the back of it.
You can also take the SSD trays from behind the motherboard and put them above the PSU.
If you buy 6 extra drive sledges and 2 extra trays, you should in total be able to fit SIXTEEN 2.5" drives.
3.5" Motherboard
Introducing the new generation M.2 NVMe Motherboards!
isn't a Raspberry Pi mobo about that size?
DumbSloth87 its 3.4 inches by 2.2 inches 85mm x 56mm
legit read it same time as he said it
I'm in love with my Define R4, but when it comes time to upgrade, I might just have to get the R6. My one complaint is that there aren't any side panel options like the R4/R5, where the window took up only part of the panel. But everything else, especially the hard drive support, is phenomenal
I love pugs.
Awesome!
Same
Finally a mid tower that properly supports EATX motherboards. This combined with the optional Type C front panel make this a winner. I will be ordering one ASAP.
Ha! I was looking for an R6 review, but thought you might not be doing one, then I remembered you do a lot of FD stuff and low and behold, here’s the review lol! Thanks J!
I think it's a really nice case. Looks very well designed, and reasonably flexible. I personally wouldn't get one, i'm old school, and like having a few external 5.25 bays to chuck things into, but for the majority who have up to date stuff, and really only use USB keys etc, it's ideal.
I just build my latest using the gunmetal without a glass side panel.
ASRock Taichi, 8086K, Alphacool 240, WD 500 NVMe, Sapphire RX580.
This baby should be good for at least 10 years.
This case is amazing.
Nothing needs to change. I have a R5 and this will be my next case!
Jay digressing all day all night. And it seems like I've found the case I want, good airflow, and tempered glass side panel without having it's own set of 4 screws on display which is just absolutely stunning.
+JayzTwoCents
1:27 And this is exactly why some of us are not fans of glass side panels. They pickup fingerprints and whatnot so easily. However this design, with the ability to mount them on both sides, is really very cool!
4:14 It's a deal breaker for a lot of us who still use optical drives frequently. Thank You Fractal!
15:06 The only thing I would change is to make the case just tall enough to fit a second 5.25" bay in. Otherwise, this case is bad-ass!
i don't really care for this case (I have a phanteks evolv), but the fact that you can install glass / metal panels on both sides if you wanted and that you can make the front cover swing both ways is really really cool. I'm sure whoever buys this case will love it for many years (y)
Wow it’s a master piece, I have a node 304 and I hadn’t any problems at all to fit a gtx 1080Ti with water cooling and water cooled i7 processor. They (at fractal design) are for sure brilliant Sweden engineers 👏
Definitely a huge improvement than what we've seen before. Can't wait to see other manufacturers doing the same.
This is the first time in a long time, where i actually consider changing my case out! Would love to see you build in this with a watercooled CPU + GPU, hopefully with the raiser option, or a reason why you wouldnt do it!
Ive been looking for ages but this practicality and feature set has had it sold!
Top of my wish list, thanks Jay and thankyou Fractal.
In the process of building a PC for the wife, so I guess she could now have a better looking case than my corsair 750D so I might need to order two to keep up with her.
10:45
I love this video for its comprehensiveness. However the marked off time stamp is a godsend.
I thought I would have to make sure a h100i could fit at the top, but it could actually fit at the side! I "need" to have at least 4 HDDs on my computer and was worried I wouldn't have the option.
So this definitely ensures I will get this case for my next build
Few things I would add is integrated RGB uv lighting and a meshify front panel option for even better air flow, and a buying option to order with 2 glass side panels if wanted
I don't think I've wanted a case more than I want this one. Great review, Jay!
There is nothing wrong with that case it is an absolute beauty, and as you said it certainly looks like Fractal listened to the masses
DIY tip: I'm no fan of gimmicky RGB lightning, but I used the MSI Tomahawk Z390 RGB's function to show CPU temperature as a visual indication. Since I have the closed case (so no glass look trough) version of this R6, I soldered a 4 wire lead with 3 resistors (leveling the R-G-B brightness) to a single 5mm RGB LED, connected it to the RGB-jumper on the motherboard and attached it close to the HDD-LED on the front panel (white milky plastic on the inside, thus shining trough, just with a tie-wrap, so gluing needed). So while blinking blue on drive activity, the indicator turns green, blue, red with the temperature. A useful visible "non-visible" extension to this case. :-)
This is the most perfect case, definitely going to be on my top list of everything
I only have one suggestion - The vertical GPU mount - Move it "back" as far possible, so that you can actually mount any height GPU without choking the airflow against the tempered glass panel. (Perhaps a bracket like the coolermaster mastermaker case, amazing implementation for vertical mounting). If they cant move it back, maybe an extra fan mount behind the "cover plate" on the right, so you can blow air through the card from the right directly in line with the card.
Love this case though, might even pick it up for my new build end of next year ^.^ (Currently running 2600k & 1070)
Dear Jay, please do a build in this case cramming in all the liquid cooling. Love the case! Also I wish more case manufacturers would allow to upgrade the front panel IO.
Nice case... I have it's little brother, the Nano S, I used for my mini ITX build which I am very happy with.
Jay PLEASE make a white build! would love to see build with "all you can put in it" while keeping the aesthetics in mind. And of course a really nice JayzTwoCents logo on the wall :3
Just got this case, love it, and I did move the door as soon as I got it, I didn't like it opening up from the wire management side of the case.
A week and a bit before 2019 and it is still the best case imo.
This is going to be my next case when i upgrade my i7-4790k to Ryzen 7 and i will have room for my 6 - 3.5" Hard Drives nice one Fractal you realy did listen to us normal PC Builders
I have the R4 and love the case but for my next build I would now love to go for the R6 with all the added options for water cooling upgrades.
I think that is how all GPU'S should mount. Finally show of the dam things. Very well laid out case, wouldn't change anything.
Wow, that is a really nice case. Kinda makes me wish that I waited just these few months longer before I upgraded my case. Love the lay out as Jay said, it was well thought out.
I have this case coming this afternoon and can't wait. For me the 3.5" HDD and 5.25" support drove me to this case. Like Jay said everyone is deleting the optical drive bay and I am old school and like my spinning plastic media.
best FDD R6-Video I've seen! I like how you care about the details. Keep it up!
I might even rebuild my system in one of these with a few upgrades here and there. This is a gorgeous case which 'fixes' my issues with the R5. Nice.
Awesome tip, changing the front door hinges to the other side!!! Many thanks J