UPDATE - Fractal Torrent fan hub issue details - ruclips.net/video/ytxtbLou978/видео.html Hopefully this gets views. We're always nervous about view count on videos that positively review a product; sadly, they tend to underperform versus the average, but the Fractal Torrent really deserves the recognition and renown. It's good. Get a behind-the-scenes Fractal Torrent video with Patrick on Patreon: www.patreon.com/gamersnexus Check out our revisit review of the Silverstone RV02 ruclips.net/video/otiIWhPKc20/видео.html Grab a GN Modmat, Mouse Mat, Shirt, or other item: store.gamersnexus.net/
Not gonna lie, it is more entertaining when you blast something vs say its good. A positive review just feels like an ad, lol. I think that says more about the viewer than the creator, though.. Still watched it, it was still entertaining, love you GN
This was one of my all time favorite reviews. I don't watch GN to see products get slammed. I watch you because you do rigorous testing and honest reviews. Great to see a product in the market place that meets your standards.
Don’t worry about views. You are at a position where you get them regardless. Especially pls don’t end up being one of these channels I watch where they just do only what gets views.
@@GamersNexus As it should be! BTW, thanks a lot for your videos. It helped me decide my first PC case and went for a Lancool II Mesh that I absolutely loved.
Yeah this has definitely made me even more of a Fractal fan, love their aesthetic. Cool to see Steve happy about a case. The only thing I am concerned about is where I would mount the 240mm AIO I just bought recently, in the front? Tubes on top of course!
I think he liked the Define 7 too, just with the caveat to remove the door and consider removing that obstructive fan filter with all those weird plastic bits coming off of it.
Considering a positive review is usually "this case is.... fine" or "we wouldn't be against it if you bought this case", straight up saying the case is good means it must be the best thing since sliced bread, lol.
True, but the lack of 5 1/4" bays is a no-go for me. WAY too many case manufacturers are just completely overlooking them nowadays. With that said, at least the Phanteks Enthoo Pro is still being sold, which is a damn good case overall.
@@arnox4554 they aren't really overlooking them, they know 99% of people won't use them so they remove them for better front fan compatibility and general aesthetics, optical media is long dead, and most other 5 1/4" bay peripherals you can buy you can just get a version of them that mounts externally
Yeah not great advert..gigabytes 3080 l got..and trying to find their software for it..plus the state of their websites...then these exploding psus...yeah gotta say l wouldnt buy anything gigabyte at mo..
Yeah this case is off the chain. I hope they keep producing it for a long time. In addition to all of the great features you covered, I'm also a fan of the top-mounted PSU. Having the PSU on the top means I can put server-grade motherboards inside - usually these have their power inputs on the top. This means it's SSI-CEB compatibility really means something. I won't be building anything in the near future, but this goes to the top of my list for when the time comes.
This is very obviously a case that had some engineering put into it. Clearly they started with an idea of great airflow, and worked around it to make it also look good. I like when functionality doesn't come as an afterthought.
This would take some getting used to the PSU placement again. After GN's review of the 011 dynamic and the rear PSU compartment, not sure I want to go back to this style. Having good airflow is nice, just really appreciate the 011's not being so top heavy much more.
Excellent intake in the front, excellent intake right below the GPU. I honestly don't know how you'd really get much better than this. I want this case. Thanks for the great review!
I love the long fan cable lengths in the Fractal Meshify 2 XL. I'm glad they brought them back to another case. More manufacturers need to be doing this.
i like the positive content because it shows you don’t just trash every product you review, you just have high standards, and it makes a recommendation from GN very significant. Love the case and cooler reviews!
Yes, we need to avoid the peasant sucking up to a king approach that many take. Instead, we need the consumer shareholder approach. We should be able to reign any company to our favor no less than a larger individual shareholder does with hard factual data to benefit the consumer space. It's like trying to argue against a mutually beneficial relationship you can't unless you're a masochist lol. Our lives, our spending power, so it should be our future for us to decide.
there's a whole system in place to take your money and give you trash. capitalism or "the free marketplace of whatever trash we sell you" good to have somebody who's speaking the truth
Its fractal design. Fractal for cases, Noctua for fans/coolers, Seasonic for PSUs, Samsung for SSDs, WD/HGST enterprise for HDDs, etc. Fractal will repsond to you within 24 hours, theyll also send shit across the world to you for free if you need it. Like Noctua. Good luck in dealing with all those chinese case brands. Lian Li make good cases but their support is night/day compared to Fractal.
@@fredfinks there are good cases as fractal too, noctua is overpriced, seasonic is good but there are cheaper/better models than seasonic's, who tf buys samsung SSDs and why does HDD choice matter in basic PC building? its not like u gonna use the HDDs for windows, there are literally no difference between WD/toshiba/seagate HDDs. yeah there are a TINY difference between those but its so insignificant it doesnt even matter. samsung SSDs arent bad but they are too pricey, there are SSDs similar to theirs with similar/better performance. so stop with this "A BRAND for that and B BRAND for that" it doesnt work like that in PC building.
@@fredfinks Vouching for this. Although I no longer use a Fractal, their customer service was extremely responsive and nice and sent me a front panel cable replacement for the then-already-old Define Mini non-C, no cost no receipt awkwardness required. (They also ignored me when I emailed back asking where I can leave a positive feedback for their customer service, but I digress.)
Finally doing an all-new build and this case was a no-brainer, based on GN testing and reviews. Thank you, GN team, for always helping to guide us in a good direction.
Same. I've long thought modern cases with open tops seemed ill suited for air cooled CPUs, for the reasons stated in this review. Moving air directly above the CPU cooler (whether in or out) doesn't make sense. And I prefer air cooling, because of the greater reliability, longevity, and cost-effectiveness while barely-if-at-all compromising on performance. This case absolutely nails the needs of air cooling, in addition to being a perfectly good design for water cooling as well, with some limitations.
Fantastic review and what an awesome case. I just received mine today and I did NOT expect it to be as big as it is or as nice as it is. Much nicer in person I think.
Can we stop for a moment and give Fractal some appreciation for making the supports for the nylon mesh match up with the ribs in the front panel of the case, so that it reduces the amount of airflow blocked by the mesh support? Just a nice little attention to detail bit there. I'm not in the market for a new case right now, but if I were, this would definitely get consideration. Well done, Fractal.
Agreed, I've always been a fan of Fractal's mesh filters, even if some people avoid using them for increased airflow. I just like the idea of having blocked out majority of the dust and reducing the amount of dusting I need to do, especially when my case is on the floor.
I really like the combination of high front airflow + bottom airflow. Fits very well with an air cooling focused build and high wattage GPUs these days. For water cooling I'd probably go with something else, the O11's layout is more ideal there.
Fractal Design is top notch brand like Noctua. Theyll send you stuff for free if you need it across other side of world. I have always droned on about Fractal & other top brands. You may pay more, but if you want high chance of headache free its no brainer. Case = Fractal, Cooler/Fans = Noctua, PSU = Seasonic, SSDs = Samsung, HDDs = WD/HGST enterprise. (im not getting into CPU/mobo, but when working in large hardware retailer i saw more RMAs of one CPU brand in 1 month, vs a lifetime of dead cpus from other brand) Ill let you guess whos who.
after buying the mini C define series 2 years ago Id defs consider another mini for my next build, the mini C is an amazing case for its price that supports the noctua D15
I'm here just to say that positive content is also appreciated. I find the design of the case without exhaust and positive pressure interesting, it's quite different from what we are used to seeing.
I just finished my dream build with this case. 3080, I7 12700K. I went from a cheap Corsair case to this. At first I thought something was broken, the computer was so quiet and cool. I plugged in a Wat meter and ran some benchmarks. Nope, it's just that cool and quiet. It's incredible how much difference there is to the old case. Sure, it's expensive, but for me it was worth every cent.
There are 2 things which are still a deal breaker for me. Iam not sure if it has a dust filter, which is a must, and it needs 360mm Radiator support on the top but that area is blocked by the ugly Psu holder .. Not only ugly but it blocks one of the most used areas for 360mm rads
This might just be the most positive GN review ever. For cases it almost definitely is. Good job, Fractal, you played hardcore and got past the last boss.
All jokes about black rectangles aside, that's why I like them: I don't want a _gamer_ case. I want a case that looks sleek and simple but isn't a pain to work in. The Define 7 and Meshify 2 are awesome for that, especially since they come with solid side panels as well.
I have a fractal design r4 from 2011. I'll pass on new front panel usbs if I have to, the sheer sound deadening that case is capable of is insane. I'm sure it has its drawbacks, but I don't care. It's a black, inoffensive box, that knows it's place. Be silent. I don't want to hear, or see it. Throw a disc in a cd drive in it, and it begins a clear hum-buzz. Throw it in the second case I have right here, from cooler master, with no deadening, and it sounds like a table saw.
I went Gigabyte MB in my last build and have built a couple of rigs because of the great VRM results around the CPU block. Also, have used their GPUs. My son and a friend have bought their monitors, they look nice. I can’t even imagine what they were thinking releasing these PSUs, to protect brand image.
always good content! Keep it up, love the numbers, the comparisons, everything gives every competitor a fair shake. Heading over to buy something to support my fellow nerds... keep it up!
You can't deny Fractal has a record of trend-setting with their designs. Glad to see something truly new in the case space that doesn't sacrifice any one aspect to achieve greatness in another. Just wish it wasn't $$$.
I have always droned on about Fractal & other top brands. You may pay more, but if you want best chance of headache free its no brainer. Case = Fractal, Cooler/Fans = Noctua, PSU = Seasonic, SSDs = Samsung, HDDs = WD/HGST enterprise. (im not getting into CPU/mobo, but when working in large hardware retailer i saw more RMAs of one CPU brand in 1 month, vs a lifetime of dead cpus from other brand) Ill let you guess whos who.
The first words of Gamers Nexus in a review: "We like this case." GN never says we like this, wtf D: this has to be the best case in the history of mankind lol
Just ordered this after watching this “old” review. I’m actually excited for once in a long time with regards to the pc space the past couple of years. Thanks, back to you Steve!
When this includes five large fans I think people should be VERY lenient on the price factor for this case, you're saving at least $50 in your build by getting this vs. the competition.
Your point is well taken, but $50 seems like a mild overstatement. Cheaper cases often come with 2-3 fans, so this case only nets you 2-3 more. You can buy a 5-pack of Arctic P14s for like $35. I think they cost about $10 individually. The Torrent does look like a nice case, though, and $200 certainly isn't a bad investment given that you can reuse cases for multiple builds. Glad to see a return to top-mounted PSUs, which IMO were always unfairly derided. Bottom mounting has its downsides too; for example, I'm not thrilled about putting the intake for my most important component right up against a carpeted floor. Also a modular PSU on the bottom can crowd out bottom intake fans, even in cases that are explicitly designed to accommodate them (like the Define R5). Fractal obviously came to a similar conclusion in designing the Torrent. Shame that the Torrent doesn't have more space for HDDs.
My friend mentioned this case shortly after you posted this video, I ordered one that day. Well finished a loop in it and must say that it was very nice to build in.
Hi, Im really glad you actually liked a case! :D really nice to see! I'm rocking a O11 dynamic mini with a custom loop atm, and im happy with it so far :)
I prefer watching videos of products you guys like. It's easy to bash on something not well made, and get a laugh out of it, but seeing an objective review of a good product makes me genuinely satisfied
I have to say another amazing review and I don't even need a case but still really enjoy your work. I got the phanteks p400a D and it's a great case overall for my first pc. Thanks Steve from the U.K.
Yay for Fractal for winning Steve over! As someone that has used a Define R4, Define R6, and currently using a Meshify 2 XL (and the R6 reused as a NAS build), I've always liked Fractal cases and I love their expansion into newer designs. It's a shame that the Torrent isn't really a watercooling-optimised case otherwise I'd get one...
I can't imagine being one of the fractal engineers and seeing this review. It's extremely rare to see Steve this positive about any case. The engineers should show this review to their superiors to get a bonus. 😅
Fractal CS is amazing. They've always been extremely helpful. Even out of warranty they only charged me shipping for a replacement part. Fractal service is among the best in the business.
Unsurprising that fractal did a gud one. A good design company that stays in their lane like noctua. They’ve had some misses but my meshify c is very nice to work with.
@@OptimumSlinky I came to these comments just to see what OP was talking about. Now I remember the Nano S where only blower style coolers would work decently because of damn nearzero clearance between the PSU cover and the GPU fans.
Really hope GN compare these 180mm fans to Silverstone's. Strangely Silverstone have recently announced Air Penetrator PWM ARGB 180mm fans - MAKE THEM FIGHT!
I love Fractal cases. They are well-made using durable materials with their customers in mind. Good air flow and cable management. Looks nice without being ostentatious to boot.
My Fractal Define 5 has seen several builds over the years & I still love it. Fractal builds outstanding well designed cases. You will never regret ANY of their products, They make very good PSU's and AIO stuff too.
Fractal has made a customer for life out of me, their cases always feel well thought out and perform competitively on all the cooling benchmarks; not to mention their quality and innovative featuress. I'm on my fourth Fractal case and I will certainly getting this case for a new build!
Me too. They're now "good unless proven otherwise" in my books. Too many good cases, too many people happy with their after sales support for me to be skeptical by default anymore.
I will probably buy a Meshify 2 Case cause it's cheaper and I personally like the design of the front more. But still every case from them looks better and has better airflow than my current one. Also I just like their the most out off all the cases I have looked at for a new build.
I've got the Meshify C myself. Not the best performing case, but its my first build, and I loaded it up with the 7 fans it would hold. The cable management is amazing, especially from a newbie's point of view. The design is attractive in a minimalist sense, intake air filtration does really well, and the case itself is just solid.
Late to this party, but I love the guy picking his nose in the reflection at 12:32. Awesome job on the review, helped me decide this was the case for me even 1 year on.
@@kingjon5818 Nah look again, fingers are up by eyes but where's that thumb at, only backed up by the after rub. I know a sneak nose pick when I see it, I was 9 years old once. :P
Fractal has always been decent but this is on another level. Everything seems like it was actually considered for its function instead of just thrown on because they had machining for it already lol hope other companies follow. Thanks for highlighting it Steve!
They always been GOOD for me. The best. I worked at large retailer and built hundreds of systems. The only brand that had no threaded screws and NEVER required pushing back plane in to fit mobo (as in the case is straight & true) was Fractal. Their support is 2nd to none. Will answer you within 24 hours and send you stuff anywhere in world for free if you need it. Like a Nocuta. Ive personally had a $400 lian li case, they make good stuff but their support? no competition vs fractal.
Great review! I got the P400A because of your review on it and turned out great. I remember you saying the P400A felt ancient inside. Funny part was my last build was a Pentium 2 in a case that only had a tiny rear exhaust fan almost twenty years ago. So to me the P400A felt like a alien space ship to build in when I finally got my 5800x and 6800xt. RGB didn't exist either lmfao.
Your content is incredibly helpful. Your videos are informative, detailed, honest, transparent, etc., etc. So thank you. Because of your recommendations I purchased the Torrent for my build. The name of the Torrent could be due to the torrent of air flow through the case, not the public software.
Was very interested to watch this review. "Overall positive" is about the highest praise GN gives a case... It seems like a very nice case, and I am planning to shop this price range on my next build, but I'm not sure this has knocked me off the Define 7 yet.
So cool to see such a positive review, this must certainly be Hardware of the Year, with that level of competency and attention to detail, being such a rare commodity today. Good job Fractal, I think I know what my next case will be!
You have shifted to a different timeline. Trump didn't happen, we saved the climate 40 years ago, everyone is wearing masks and getting vaccinated because they care about their peers, and Steve can like a product.
Bought the case last week to accommodate my huge Aorus 3080 master. Amazing case with amazing thermals. Even my wife was talking about how cool it was and that never happens. Love the integrated gpu bracket so much too. Fractal has a customer for life. I loved my old Meshify C but this case is on another level.
Fractal is killing it lately. Built a new PC last year in the Meshify C after seeing positive reviews on this channel, and I absolutely love it. Great performance with no compromise on the aesthetics. Good to see that they are still innovating high quality airflow cases, and branching out to different price points as well.
Thank You! I had seen this case but wanted a review before committing. Thank you GN for being so critical. With component shortages I held off on buying anything for a while but this review has me excited. Fractal definitely earned my money here with an excellent fan equipped case.
I have this case now for 2 years. Very good case. Very quiet and keeps temps cool. Also easy to work with and attractive looking in person. Totally recommend.
As somebody still using a limited edition white RV02, modded for a 540 rad (180x3) in the bottom. It makes me so happy to hear somebody who still knows about this.
It's funny that they have their own tools that they sell on their store, but Steve continues to use the Phillips screw driver provided by BeQuiet's cooler in their videos. Don't get me wrong; it's a great screw driver I love mine as well.
Such beautifully designed case, wow. Always was a fan of positive pressure, bottom to top cases. DIY'd my Cooler Master CM 690 II to that configuration long time ago.
As always a very informative and thorough review. It is good to see positive videos that for once are not full on shill. My only issue was your choice of PSU in this case, surely you should have fitted a Gigabyte one ;) .
This looks like a solid case. I picked up a Meshify C a couple years ago for a spare build and really like it. Fractal seems to have their stuff together with cases, so I'd be more than willing to spring for another in a future build.
They definitely do! They try to put it under the carpet as much as they can! What we would have hoped to see is full ”send your psu back to us we will send something much better back”! Noup… nothing like that did not happen until the pressure did get too big…
This is a serious contender for my next build, It's a little higher in price then i typically pay for a case but seems to fit my needs and the cooling is amazing.
Always enjoy your content! Now even more so that i just got my custom pre-built using the juggernaut that is the LianLi o11 Dynamic Evo. Going from a Dell 7559 to this is amazing. It was made very well saving $500-1,500 for similar builds. I can play games again , steam and not crash when workiing! Again many thanks for advice when getting this beast made.
Awesome review Steve! I was about to buy the Meshify as a case upgrade from the budget Focus, but this has peaked my interest, that front panel design is very eye-catching. Glad to see Fractal kicking ass and with your seal of approval, this case seems like a superior choice. Anything that isn't an 011 Dynamic is interesting at this point.
The O11 is both easy and really good for water cooling at the same time. You can cram in 3 rads or 2 rads + one of the aftermarket distro plates specifically designed for the case. I get why people like it, but it definitely has been a bit overused, even for simple air cooling setups it wasn't really designed for.
I've been a happy Fractal Designs customer for a while now. Thoughtfully designed, practical, well performing, good value, good build quality, tasteful aesthetics. I'm not surprised they put out another good product.
I wish you would do a video, or series of videos, that specifically looks at cases where components and windows are on the right, rather than left side of the cases. They are hard to find, and are even harder to find good reviews and comparisons of this style case. I’d gladly pay top dollar for a good case with that layout, as where my desk has to be, my case has to sit to the left of my desk, but I’d still like to be able to view it’s interior and components
UPDATE - Fractal Torrent fan hub issue details - ruclips.net/video/ytxtbLou978/видео.html
Hopefully this gets views. We're always nervous about view count on videos that positively review a product; sadly, they tend to underperform versus the average, but the Fractal Torrent really deserves the recognition and renown. It's good.
Get a behind-the-scenes Fractal Torrent video with Patrick on Patreon: www.patreon.com/gamersnexus
Check out our revisit review of the Silverstone RV02 ruclips.net/video/otiIWhPKc20/видео.html
Grab a GN Modmat, Mouse Mat, Shirt, or other item: store.gamersnexus.net/
Well, it has my view!
Hopefully it does well I've shared on my social media accounts. It's been 18 minutes and it has 6k views
Not gonna lie, it is more entertaining when you blast something vs say its good. A positive review just feels like an ad, lol. I think that says more about the viewer than the creator, though.. Still watched it, it was still entertaining, love you GN
This was one of my all time favorite reviews. I don't watch GN to see products get slammed. I watch you because you do rigorous testing and honest reviews. Great to see a product in the market place that meets your standards.
Don’t worry about views. You are at a position where you get them regardless. Especially pls don’t end up being one of these channels I watch where they just do only what gets views.
Positive and happy Steve? Damn, best marketing ever for Fractal
Companies have finally learned that our critical outlook benefits them greatly when they release something really good!
@@GamersNexus for those who care lol
@@GamersNexus It's like how my dad never once approved of me and if he did I'd be blown away!
@@GamersNexus As it should be! BTW, thanks a lot for your videos. It helped me decide my first PC case and went for a Lancool II Mesh that I absolutely loved.
Yeah this has definitely made me even more of a Fractal fan, love their aesthetic. Cool to see Steve happy about a case. The only thing I am concerned about is where I would mount the 240mm AIO I just bought recently, in the front? Tubes on top of course!
Case is so good, Steve had to mention Gigabyte just to reach his normal review roast quota.
Ouch🎇 :)
The level of vitriol he has towards them right now means we'll get plenty of meme worthy quotes about it.
🤣🤣🤣🤣💪🏽gold
Thanks Steve, back to you Steve
Steve from GN: "We like this case!"
Everyone at Fractal's HQ: *pops Champagne*
Engineers listen to Steve and you will make the company the best it can be. Just don't forget about Steve.
a complete 180 from the fractal era lol
I think he liked the Define 7 too, just with the caveat to remove the door and consider removing that obstructive fan filter with all those weird plastic bits coming off of it.
@@misfortunearchitect7261 The meshify is good too from memory
12:29 When your nose scratching gets immortalized in the video by spinning case reflections.
Nice job fractal.
Considering a positive review is usually "this case is.... fine" or "we wouldn't be against it if you bought this case", straight up saying the case is good means it must be the best thing since sliced bread, lol.
ahahahahah
True, but the lack of 5 1/4" bays is a no-go for me. WAY too many case manufacturers are just completely overlooking them nowadays. With that said, at least the Phanteks Enthoo Pro is still being sold, which is a damn good case overall.
It looks like you could slice bread with the front of this case hahaha
Finally a company whose products I own gets praised by GN, not (deservedly) getting shat on.
@@arnox4554 they aren't really overlooking them, they know 99% of people won't use them so they remove them for better front fan compatibility and general aesthetics, optical media is long dead, and most other 5 1/4" bay peripherals you can buy you can just get a version of them that mounts externally
I'll never get tired of the clip montage of Gigabyte PSU's blowing up
"and can be removed if they haven't arc welded themselves to the chassis" LMAO the Shaaaade :P
Want to see a 10 hour compilation of it?
Yeah not great advert..gigabytes 3080 l got..and trying to find their software for it..plus the state of their websites...then these exploding psus...yeah gotta say l wouldnt buy anything gigabyte at mo..
@@kingarthur7250 did your PC blow up so you couldn't finish the comment? hehe
Didn't you see the press release? It didn't blow up. Some tech outlets just made it feel so unappreciated it just couldn't live anymore.
Yeah this case is off the chain. I hope they keep producing it for a long time. In addition to all of the great features you covered, I'm also a fan of the top-mounted PSU. Having the PSU on the top means I can put server-grade motherboards inside - usually these have their power inputs on the top. This means it's SSI-CEB compatibility really means something. I won't be building anything in the near future, but this goes to the top of my list for when the time comes.
This is very obviously a case that had some engineering put into it. Clearly they started with an idea of great airflow, and worked around it to make it also look good. I like when functionality doesn't come as an afterthought.
"That's if it hasn't arc welded itself to the chassis" - Pure gold.
I probably laughed a little too hard on that one.
80+ Gold?
as soon as i heard it i knew i fould find this comment below :D
I came to the comments to make sure that was mentioned. And so not disappointed. Lmao. So beautifully said.
wait where was this, and can someone explain the reference?
That top mounted PSU is oddly nostalgic.
Nice to see a different style from Fractal.
Been thinking that, with the increased thermals of GPUs, going back to top mounted PSUs is not a bad idea.
I exclusively build sleepers and only now realized that this is an oddity lol.
Nostalgic but at the same time found a way to improve on what made top mount psu's annoying.
@@sirmonkey1985 i always hated cable management of the top mounted units.... until i saw this.
This would take some getting used to the PSU placement again. After GN's review of the 011 dynamic and the rear PSU compartment, not sure I want to go back to this style. Having good airflow is nice, just really appreciate the 011's not being so top heavy much more.
Excellent intake in the front, excellent intake right below the GPU. I honestly don't know how you'd really get much better than this. I want this case. Thanks for the great review!
I love the long fan cable lengths in the Fractal Meshify 2 XL. I'm glad they brought them back to another case. More manufacturers need to be doing this.
i like the positive content because it shows you don’t just trash every product you review, you just have high standards, and it makes a recommendation from GN very significant. Love the case and cooler reviews!
Yes, we need to avoid the peasant sucking up to a king approach that many take. Instead, we need the consumer shareholder approach. We should be able to reign any company to our favor no less than a larger individual shareholder does with hard factual data to benefit the consumer space. It's like trying to argue against a mutually beneficial relationship you can't unless you're a masochist lol. Our lives, our spending power, so it should be our future for us to decide.
there's a whole system in place to take your money and give you trash. capitalism or "the free marketplace of whatever trash we sell you" good to have somebody who's speaking the truth
"Congratulations Fractal, you've won the game!"
Im shocked, just shocked I tell you!
Its fractal design. Fractal for cases, Noctua for fans/coolers, Seasonic for PSUs, Samsung for SSDs, WD/HGST enterprise for HDDs, etc. Fractal will repsond to you within 24 hours, theyll also send shit across the world to you for free if you need it. Like Noctua. Good luck in dealing with all those chinese case brands. Lian Li make good cases but their support is night/day compared to Fractal.
That line made me lose The Game.
@@fredfinks seasonic is not the best psu OEM lol. There really isn't a best.
@@fredfinks there are good cases as fractal too, noctua is overpriced, seasonic is good but there are cheaper/better models than seasonic's, who tf buys samsung SSDs and why does HDD choice matter in basic PC building? its not like u gonna use the HDDs for windows, there are literally no difference between WD/toshiba/seagate HDDs. yeah there are a TINY difference between those but its so insignificant it doesnt even matter. samsung SSDs arent bad but they are too pricey, there are SSDs similar to theirs with similar/better performance. so stop with this "A BRAND for that and B BRAND for that" it doesnt work like that in PC building.
@@fredfinks Vouching for this. Although I no longer use a Fractal, their customer service was extremely responsive and nice and sent me a front panel cable replacement for the then-already-old Define Mini non-C, no cost no receipt awkwardness required.
(They also ignored me when I emailed back asking where I can leave a positive feedback for their customer service, but I digress.)
Finally doing an all-new build and this case was a no-brainer, based on GN testing and reviews. Thank you, GN team, for always helping to guide us in a good direction.
Same. I've long thought modern cases with open tops seemed ill suited for air cooled CPUs, for the reasons stated in this review. Moving air directly above the CPU cooler (whether in or out) doesn't make sense. And I prefer air cooling, because of the greater reliability, longevity, and cost-effectiveness while barely-if-at-all compromising on performance. This case absolutely nails the needs of air cooling, in addition to being a perfectly good design for water cooling as well, with some limitations.
Fantastic review and what an awesome case. I just received mine today and I did NOT expect it to be as big as it is or as nice as it is. Much nicer in person I think.
That side-by-side when you were referencing cases in the same catagory was damn nice
Can we stop for a moment and give Fractal some appreciation for making the supports for the nylon mesh match up with the ribs in the front panel of the case, so that it reduces the amount of airflow blocked by the mesh support? Just a nice little attention to detail bit there.
I'm not in the market for a new case right now, but if I were, this would definitely get consideration. Well done, Fractal.
Agreed, I've always been a fan of Fractal's mesh filters, even if some people avoid using them for increased airflow. I just like the idea of having blocked out majority of the dust and reducing the amount of dusting I need to do, especially when my case is on the floor.
I really like the combination of high front airflow + bottom airflow. Fits very well with an air cooling focused build and high wattage GPUs these days.
For water cooling I'd probably go with something else, the O11's layout is more ideal there.
Fractal Design is top notch brand like Noctua. Theyll send you stuff for free if you need it across other side of world. I have always droned on about Fractal & other top brands. You may pay more, but if you want high chance of headache free its no brainer. Case = Fractal, Cooler/Fans = Noctua, PSU = Seasonic, SSDs = Samsung, HDDs = WD/HGST enterprise. (im not getting into CPU/mobo, but when working in large hardware retailer i saw more RMAs of one CPU brand in 1 month, vs a lifetime of dead cpus from other brand) Ill let you guess whos who.
@@fredfinks Well now I just feel like I'm hanging as far as the cpu RMAs.
Lots of neat features on this case, nice to see Fractal innovating since their chassis have been very similar on the inside for many years.
I actually really appreciate good case reviews. I’m looking for a good case for a new build and this really helps
Hey, *I* was gonna say that...
I’m loving the Gigabyte burns that are put into the review. They burn almost as bad as a Gigabyte power supply
Ouchy Ouch Ouch! 🎇🎇
@@BeB02090 Annnnnnnd the GPU is dead.
@@matasa7463 And there ain't no bringing that one back. It's gone.....
I hope Fractal makes this a full-fledged Case Series, and go "Torrent Compact" and "Torrent Mini"!
Torrent Mini could be an buy for me, after the reviews are in of cause ;).
well they could rain down a torrent of case models.
That would be great. I really like the look of this case but full tower is too big
Micro Torrent Thepiratebay Edition IS the ultimate naming scheme available for a PC case in this Universe.
after buying the mini C define series 2 years ago Id defs consider another mini for my next build, the mini C is an amazing case for its price that supports the noctua D15
I'm here just to say that positive content is also appreciated. I find the design of the case without exhaust and positive pressure interesting, it's quite different from what we are used to seeing.
I just finished my dream build with this case. 3080, I7 12700K. I went from a cheap Corsair case to this. At first I thought something was broken, the computer was so quiet and cool. I plugged in a Wat meter and ran some benchmarks. Nope, it's just that cool and quiet. It's incredible how much difference there is to the old case. Sure, it's expensive, but for me it was worth every cent.
There are 2 things which are still a deal breaker for me.
Iam not sure if it has a dust filter, which is a must, and it needs 360mm Radiator support on the top but that area is blocked by the ugly Psu holder .. Not only ugly but it blocks one of the most used areas for 360mm rads
@@ICEMANZIDANE It has easily removable dust filters both in the front and bottom.
"Gigabyte PSUs are easily removeable as long as they haven't arc welded themselves to the chassis"
Sic burn.
Still not as bad a burn if you got one of their PSUs from a bundle on Newegg
oh yeah, they burn sickly for sure
This aged both like milk and fine wine at the same time.
@@NoTraceOfSense fermented milk?? yummy
This might just be the most positive GN review ever. For cases it almost definitely is. Good job, Fractal, you played hardcore and got past the last boss.
Thought I heard boss music playing in the background 😂
@12:30 guy in the glass reflection picking/itching his nose shoutout. MVP.
I'm honestly such a case nerd, I love these case reviews so much.
All jokes about black rectangles aside, that's why I like them: I don't want a _gamer_ case. I want a case that looks sleek and simple but isn't a pain to work in. The Define 7 and Meshify 2 are awesome for that, especially since they come with solid side panels as well.
I have a fractal design r4 from 2011.
I'll pass on new front panel usbs if I have to, the sheer sound deadening that case is capable of is insane.
I'm sure it has its drawbacks, but I don't care. It's a black, inoffensive box, that knows it's place. Be silent. I don't want to hear, or see it.
Throw a disc in a cd drive in it, and it begins a clear hum-buzz. Throw it in the second case I have right here, from cooler master, with no deadening, and it sounds like a table saw.
I love my Define 7!
Also those blackout cases can accomodate one of those pink "waifu" GPUs without anyone being the wiser.
I agree. I have the R5 and the R7, and plan to keep them until the ATX standard dies.
It can be more than a black rectangle without being "gamer."
I would like to thank Gigabyte for the endless supply of jokes.
Would you go as far and call it a Power Supply of Jokes?
@@irgnedeinname id rather not have it kill me
I went Gigabyte MB in my last build and have built a couple of rigs because of the great VRM results around the CPU block. Also, have used their GPUs. My son and a friend have bought their monitors, they look nice. I can’t even imagine what they were thinking releasing these PSUs, to protect brand image.
@@abunchofiguanaswithinterne2186 bruh 😹
@@ninez5740 if you have one of their waterblocks or A520 boards (which i doubt given what you said about VRM), you should be careful
always good content! Keep it up, love the numbers, the comparisons, everything gives every competitor a fair shake. Heading over to buy something to support my fellow nerds... keep it up!
2 years later and we have 2 of these cases in our house largely due to this review. Absolutely love em. Thanks!
You can't deny Fractal has a record of trend-setting with their designs. Glad to see something truly new in the case space that doesn't sacrifice any one aspect to achieve greatness in another. Just wish it wasn't $$$.
Agreed. The included fans do add incredible value IMHO. Can't wait to see "street" price of the beast.
@@BeB02090 Cases usually retail at close to MSRP even in Russia.
@@DzinkyDzink for better or worse.
They're never really drop in price either, so expensive case will stay expensive until discontinued.
I have always droned on about Fractal & other top brands. You may pay more, but if you want best chance of headache free its no brainer. Case = Fractal, Cooler/Fans = Noctua, PSU = Seasonic, SSDs = Samsung, HDDs = WD/HGST enterprise. (im not getting into CPU/mobo, but when working in large hardware retailer i saw more RMAs of one CPU brand in 1 month, vs a lifetime of dead cpus from other brand) Ill let you guess whos who.
The first words of Gamers Nexus in a review: "We like this case."
GN never says we like this, wtf D: this has to be the best case in the history of mankind lol
Fractal sales : stonks
Just ordered this after watching this “old” review. I’m actually excited for once in a long time with regards to the pc space the past couple of years. Thanks, back to you Steve!
I did the same such a nice case to will with. Also big enough to double as a coffee table 😂
@@alistairmckellar wish I could attach a picture she is certainly a big beach.
Bought this case after this review, drastically lowered my GPU temps over my NZXT H710. Thanks for the awesome reviews!
Would have bought it much sooner, but it got stuck in recall, so had to wait a while. I'm not even going to be using the fan hub
Holy crap at 12:30 I just casually picked my nose and saw the reflexion in the plastic of a guy picking his nose. My heart skipped a few beats.
When this includes five large fans I think people should be VERY lenient on the price factor for this case, you're saving at least $50 in your build by getting this vs. the competition.
True, true !!!
I am curious though whether Silverstone's new Air Penetrator 184i ARGB fans are better though...
Your point is well taken, but $50 seems like a mild overstatement. Cheaper cases often come with 2-3 fans, so this case only nets you 2-3 more. You can buy a 5-pack of Arctic P14s for like $35. I think they cost about $10 individually.
The Torrent does look like a nice case, though, and $200 certainly isn't a bad investment given that you can reuse cases for multiple builds. Glad to see a return to top-mounted PSUs, which IMO were always unfairly derided. Bottom mounting has its downsides too; for example, I'm not thrilled about putting the intake for my most important component right up against a carpeted floor. Also a modular PSU on the bottom can crowd out bottom intake fans, even in cases that are explicitly designed to accommodate them (like the Define R5). Fractal obviously came to a similar conclusion in designing the Torrent.
Shame that the Torrent doesn't have more space for HDDs.
@@RedundancyDept My estimates are a bit behind the times, last year it was hard to get fans but I guess things have settled down.
@@RedundancyDept Not 180mm fans.
My friend mentioned this case shortly after you posted this video, I ordered one that day. Well finished a loop in it and must say that it was very nice to build in.
Hi, Im really glad you actually liked a case! :D really nice to see!
I'm rocking a O11 dynamic mini with a custom loop atm, and im happy with it so far :)
I prefer watching videos of products you guys like. It's easy to bash on something not well made, and get a laugh out of it, but seeing an objective review of a good product makes me genuinely satisfied
Same
"We like this case."
Dogs and cats living together!
Mass Hysteria!
Run for the hills!
I have to say another amazing review and I don't even need a case but still really enjoy your work. I got the phanteks p400a D and it's a great case overall for my first pc. Thanks Steve from the U.K.
Yay for Fractal for winning Steve over!
As someone that has used a Define R4, Define R6, and currently using a Meshify 2 XL (and the R6 reused as a NAS build), I've always liked Fractal cases and I love their expansion into newer designs. It's a shame that the Torrent isn't really a watercooling-optimised case otherwise I'd get one...
There are 2 things that never gets old: Coolermaster H500P falling apart in Steve's hand and Gigabyte PSU exploding.
Cooler Master fixed the H500P. I wonder if Gigabyte will.
Nice try.
And NZXT H1 riser catching fire and MSI dragon being buried
I can't imagine being one of the fractal engineers and seeing this review. It's extremely rare to see Steve this positive about any case. The engineers should show this review to their superiors to get a bonus. 😅
I agree!
Awesome review. Thanks for all the hard work you put into your reviews.
When Steve is visibly excited in the opening sequence you've made a good product
Holy shit, shots fired 🤣 almost spat my drink out when he said “if they haven’t arc wielded themselves to the chassis”
just put down an order for the torrent, and I just can't wait to get it. and steve just made me even more hyped!
Fractal CS is amazing. They've always been extremely helpful. Even out of warranty they only charged me shipping for a replacement part. Fractal service is among the best in the business.
Unsurprising that fractal did a gud one. A good design company that stays in their lane like noctua. They’ve had some misses but my meshify c is very nice to work with.
Eh, Fractal has had some misses; its ITX case was atrocious.
Love my meshify c too
@@OptimumSlinky I came to these comments just to see what OP was talking about. Now I remember the Nano S where only blower style coolers would work decently because of damn nearzero clearance between the PSU cover and the GPU fans.
Fractal definetly had some bad Cases but also alot of good ones. Got the Meshify 2 Compact and a Noctua Cooler and they work beautifully togheter :D
Meshify c gang here. Fractal is serious company, totally agree
My Thoughts: "Sounds good but I don't need a new case"
Steve: "it revives 180mm fans"
My Thoughts: "Hmm maybe it's time for a new case"
I'm seriously thinking about an upgrade to this from fractal 5. Perhaps when the new cpu's and ddr 5 finally kick in.
Are they standard though? 200 would have felt safer.
180mm... the forgotten bastard child, and one which you will forget about as quickly as you remembered they existed
It got me looking on My LancooI II mesh. Do I need a 360 THICC rad in front?
Really hope GN compare these 180mm fans to Silverstone's.
Strangely Silverstone have recently announced Air Penetrator PWM ARGB 180mm fans - MAKE THEM FIGHT!
Was planning to buy a Corsair 7000D. Then this video came up. Thanks for making me re-consider. Been looking for a proper Full Tower for months!
I love Fractal cases. They are well-made using durable materials with their customers in mind. Good air flow and cable management. Looks nice without being ostentatious to boot.
My Fractal Define 5 has seen several builds over the years & I still love it. Fractal builds outstanding well designed cases. You will never regret ANY of their products, They make very good PSU's and AIO stuff too.
Fractal has made a customer for life out of me, their cases always feel well thought out and perform competitively on all the cooling benchmarks; not to mention their quality and innovative featuress. I'm on my fourth Fractal case and I will certainly getting this case for a new build!
And they look good on top of everything! A rare feat among a space with 1000 brands!!
They even have excellent customer support, should you ever need something replaced.
Me too. They're now "good unless proven otherwise" in my books. Too many good cases, too many people happy with their after sales support for me to be skeptical by default anymore.
I will probably buy a Meshify 2 Case cause it's cheaper and I personally like the design of the front more.
But still every case from them looks better and has better airflow than my current one.
Also I just like their the most out off all the cases I have looked at for a new build.
I've got the Meshify C myself. Not the best performing case, but its my first build, and I loaded it up with the 7 fans it would hold. The cable management is amazing, especially from a newbie's point of view. The design is attractive in a minimalist sense, intake air filtration does really well, and the case itself is just solid.
Late to this party, but I love the guy picking his nose in the reflection at 12:32. Awesome job on the review, helped me decide this was the case for me even 1 year on.
His eyes
@@kingjon5818 Nah look again, fingers are up by eyes but where's that thumb at, only backed up by the after rub. I know a sneak nose pick when I see it, I was 9 years old once. :P
This is superb! I had no idea a case could look this good.
Fractal has always been decent but this is on another level. Everything seems like it was actually considered for its function instead of just thrown on because they had machining for it already lol hope other companies follow. Thanks for highlighting it Steve!
They always been GOOD for me. The best. I worked at large retailer and built hundreds of systems. The only brand that had no threaded screws and NEVER required pushing back plane in to fit mobo (as in the case is straight & true) was Fractal. Their support is 2nd to none. Will answer you within 24 hours and send you stuff anywhere in world for free if you need it. Like a Nocuta. Ive personally had a $400 lian li case, they make good stuff but their support? no competition vs fractal.
Always been a fan of fractal cases. Perfect black rectangles.
Great review! I got the P400A because of your review on it and turned out great. I remember you saying the P400A felt ancient inside. Funny part was my last build was a Pentium 2 in a case that only had a tiny rear exhaust fan almost twenty years ago. So to me the P400A felt like a alien space ship to build in when I finally got my 5800x and 6800xt. RGB didn't exist either lmfao.
Your content is incredibly helpful. Your videos are informative, detailed, honest, transparent, etc., etc. So thank you. Because of your recommendations I purchased the Torrent for my build.
The name of the Torrent could be due to the torrent of air flow through the case, not the public software.
Seeing Steve smile actually made me smile.
Yes, Steve smiling seems to be rare indeed!
Yeah… that happens too seldom… pity that most pc hardware are… well not so good to put it nicely….
Could it be said that this is a "Best Case Scenario"?
thanks
Slow clap engaged.
Was very interested to watch this review. "Overall positive" is about the highest praise GN gives a case...
It seems like a very nice case, and I am planning to shop this price range on my next build, but I'm not sure this has knocked me off the Define 7 yet.
Commenting because you and your team are amazing and I keep forgetting to like and comment on all your videos!
For the first time in many years I'm actually excited to get my hands on this case, well done Fractal well done.
So cool to see such a positive review, this must certainly be Hardware of the Year, with that level of competency and attention to detail, being such a rare commodity today. Good job Fractal, I think I know what my next case will be!
Outstanding case I got mine! Impressed with the cooling an air flow. Air cooled CPU heatsinks love this case.
Great review guys. Will definitely consider this for my next build
I was super stoked when I saw the video on Patreon. I was hoping to not wait too long to see the review.
I'm sorry did I have a stroke or did Steve say that he likes something?
You have shifted to a different timeline. Trump didn't happen, we saved the climate 40 years ago, everyone is wearing masks and getting vaccinated because they care about their peers, and Steve can like a product.
@@sverebom7069 oddly political reply
@@sverebom7069 and GPU's roam the streets looking for their next meal
Bought the case last week to accommodate my huge Aorus 3080 master. Amazing case with amazing thermals. Even my wife was talking about how cool it was and that never happens. Love the integrated gpu bracket so much too. Fractal has a customer for life. I loved my old Meshify C but this case is on another level.
Did you AIO cpu?
Finally, Steve gets the fresh cool airflow his majestic hair needs!
Fractal is killing it lately. Built a new PC last year in the Meshify C after seeing positive reviews on this channel, and I absolutely love it. Great performance with no compromise on the aesthetics. Good to see that they are still innovating high quality airflow cases, and branching out to different price points as well.
Thank You! I had seen this case but wanted a review before committing. Thank you GN for being so critical. With component shortages I held off on buying anything for a while but this review has me excited.
Fractal definitely earned my money here with an excellent fan equipped case.
I have this case now for 2 years. Very good case. Very quiet and keeps temps cool. Also easy to work with and attractive looking in person. Totally recommend.
Awesome review! It has style and full functionality
Found the case for my next PC build
The depressing side effect of things being good is that they can’t be roasted by Steve.
Thats why they kept roasting gigabyte instead lmao.
@@frodothehobo9581 they literally roast themselves like their psus
Awesome work Steve and GN! Gotta remember this case for 20 years in the future, when components become affordable again and it's time for an upgrade!
The case looks great! If I was building now, I would definitely be considering it.
As somebody still using a limited edition white RV02, modded for a 540 rad (180x3) in the bottom. It makes me so happy to hear somebody who still knows about this.
It's funny that they have their own tools that they sell on their store, but Steve continues to use the Phillips screw driver provided by BeQuiet's cooler in their videos. Don't get me wrong; it's a great screw driver I love mine as well.
Love my BeQuiet screw driver too!
Mine became a popular resident in my tool bag. Really decent screwdriver, especially for an included one.
Such beautifully designed case, wow. Always was a fan of positive pressure, bottom to top cases. DIY'd my Cooler Master CM 690 II to that configuration long time ago.
As always a very informative and thorough review. It is good to see positive videos that for once are not full on shill. My only issue was your choice of PSU in this case, surely you should have fitted a Gigabyte one ;) .
Thanks for the review! I've been looking for the right case to replace my Fractal R5 and this is the one!
This looks like a solid case. I picked up a Meshify C a couple years ago for a spare build and really like it. Fractal seems to have their stuff together with cases, so I'd be more than willing to spring for another in a future build.
Agreed 💯
Have the Meshy C as well.
With added fans, its an awesome case. Bought mine per Steve's review. This be my next one.
Fractal has always been solid when it comes to cases.
“…with one exception…”
ROFL. Keep up with the swipes at Gigabyte - they deserve the abuse.
They definitely do! They try to put it under the carpet as much as they can! What we would have hoped to see is full ”send your psu back to us we will send something much better back”! Noup… nothing like that did not happen until the pressure did get too big…
This is a serious contender for my next build, It's a little higher in price then i typically pay for a case but seems to fit my needs and the cooling is amazing.
Always enjoy your content! Now even more so that i just got my custom pre-built using the juggernaut that is the LianLi o11 Dynamic Evo. Going from a Dell 7559 to this is amazing. It was made very well saving $500-1,500 for similar builds. I can play games again , steam and not crash when workiing! Again many thanks for advice when getting this beast made.
Awesome review Steve! I was about to buy the Meshify as a case upgrade from the budget Focus, but this has peaked my interest, that front panel design is very eye-catching. Glad to see Fractal kicking ass and with your seal of approval, this case seems like a superior choice. Anything that isn't an 011 Dynamic is interesting at this point.
since you said it, time to increase the view count for the 011 again lol
The O11 is both easy and really good for water cooling at the same time. You can cram in 3 rads or 2 rads + one of the aftermarket distro plates specifically designed for the case. I get why people like it, but it definitely has been a bit overused, even for simple air cooling setups it wasn't really designed for.
I've been a happy Fractal Designs customer for a while now. Thoughtfully designed, practical, well performing, good value, good build quality, tasteful aesthetics. I'm not surprised they put out another good product.
its like Seasonic releasing a good PSU, or Noctua releasing a good fan/cooler. We not on poverty line, and we old enough not to put up with crap.
I wish you would do a video, or series of videos, that specifically looks at cases where components and windows are on the right, rather than left side of the cases. They are hard to find, and are even harder to find good reviews and comparisons of this style case. I’d gladly pay top dollar for a good case with that layout, as where my desk has to be, my case has to sit to the left of my desk, but I’d still like to be able to view it’s interior and components
Looks like a great case, amazing airflow performance. Reminds me of the old FT02 from Silverstone in performance.
A case that has won the end-game. Truly high praise from Steve!
Just saw Fractal Design post a picture of this on Instagram and the first thing I thought was "Steve is gonna love this case."
Wow : ) thanks guys, been searching for a good case as I have a budget : ( lol - awesome work team, learnt alot from you.
I like that Steve and Patrick both want to do something interesting and fun with the case since they like it so much!