Yesterday I couldn't decide between the R5 and Define S, now its easy. This is EXACTLY what I need! And it has dust filter on top! Thanks Logan, excellent review!
good case, discovered that just by being 10 cm shorter than my old (entry level) N300 it cools better despite having more restricted airflow at the front, less pressure loss from the intake fans i suppose
I originally thought this case was redundant, but I got to say I like the design. I don't care for watercooling, and I haven't used a dvd in years, so the lack of space isn't a big turnoff. Quite the opposite really! It's about time the market stopped catering to the watercooling pc builders.
And that's the reason why I watch your videos, anyone can take a product out of a box. You could make it shorter, for instance leaving out the "I choose this angle..." etc. But I am not at all tiny enough to make such decissions ;)
I have the Mini C version of this case and I love it! So much packed into the case and it looks so neat. All you see through the window is the Maximus Viii Gene, a Kraken with the 140mm radiator, Dominator Platinum's and the Palit Super Jetstream GTX980 Ti.
Lovely review. Notably better than some of your more recent, IMO. Still has the TTL, unscripted in-depth feel, but quite a bit more on-point, and polished. Very nice. One tip: Maybe try setting an exposure, rather than relying on auto-adjust. Your arm seems to screw with it, and it's quite distracting.
I am building my first pc and I chose this case for the same reasons u pointed out!I`m not building anything special at first but with this case I am able to add stuff and upgrade it easily! Thanks for a very nice review. Cheers.
i was jst waiting for you to talk about the power supply, the fractal website says that it only fits 175 mm, but you showed a 180mm in there, thats exactly what i was looking for thx alot
I love your product reviews...very in depth and answers questions other people just glare over a lot...my only request in case reviews would be for you to install some 240/280 AIO units so that we can see how they look and function in the case with fans attached...maybe show how the case would look if there were two rads installed (top and front).
I did measure to tell you about AIO's. As for testing AIO's with different fans thats too much work. As for the 'show rads' again I did measure and explain what could be fitted..... But......... ruclips.net/video/AFm7Q5tm7kI/видео.html
Thank you! This is at least the same 7th or 8th video I've watched on this case, but the first to specify that a 280 fan setup in the front doesn't require the 3.5" HDD cage or shelf above it to be removed.
Hehe love watching a review from 5 years ago of a case with a plexiglass window with a 5cm border "it's a lovely full sized window". It was a different time.
I just got the normal (non-compact) Define C - price stung a bit, but it's a very well designed case with excellent build quality and great fan/radiator support. Cable management is among the best I've ever encountered.
The version reviewed here is the normal define C. The reviewer is referring to the C as standing for Compact. Not sure if that's true anymore really, I think it's just a letter now, and besides there's now a Mini version of this case too.
And here I almost bought a Define S for a air cooled build.. thank you for reviewing this I had no idea this case existed. Question: When using the dust filter on the top should I be using airflow optimized fans or static pressure optimized fans? The dust filter is no where near is dense as a radiator but its still going to obstruct the air to some extent.
and Yes, I also really prefer a White Case..... with the RGB craze soo popular.... if you want to light up a case... get a White Case to really help the lights n colors pop
Hey, Tom, nice review as always. Do you know if you'll be getting the Mini C? If you do, can you have a look at the possibility of fitting a 280mm AIO on the top.
Thank you for answering. Let's say - windowless version, 120mm fan CPU air cooler + dual fan GPU air cooler. With the moduvent cover on. How should it behave in comparison to its cousins? I'm just asking because silence is a big factor for me.
At first, I thought the power/reset front panel buttons were at the bottom, then I realized you had the case upside down :p. It got me thinking, I think I'd actually like the buttons on the bottom of the case.
Looks like a perfect case for a typical vanilla build which doesn't need watercooling and too many drives. The reality is that the R5 (i have one) and the S may be a bit of an overkill for the average user.Price is similar to the direct competitor in this size which is the Corsair Carbide 400q.
I like my aerocool aero 800 it's cheap not perfect but does the job very well for a budget case, but I can see the small details as to why other similar cases are that little more pricey.
Great vid! Quick question from someone who has never built before; would the Asus Strix 1070 OC fit in here if I was only keeping the stock fan in the front? Also, would an NZXT X62 fit in the top and if I did, would I need to add any other fans other than the stock front and back 120mm fans? Thanks!
Awesome review, loving your channel. Im planning on getting this case with the Cryorig R1 Universal CPU cooler, whats the clearance like? Everywhere I look it looks like they wont fit.
Im also wondering this if anyone has a definite answer on it clearance for the cooler says its 168.3 mm and the case say 168 it looks like it fits in the video but the panel is barely on during it
I'm looking forward to buying one. I'd like to use NZXT Kraken X62 (280mm) for the CPU and get liquid cooling for 1080 Ti when (and if) it comes. (ATM I have 2x MSI 980 TI in SLI). Does the top support 280mm rads? One site said it does but the official site said only 240mm. I'm not sure what to do now. I would put 280mm on the top for the CPU and 280mm in the front for the new GPU. And also I'm coming from White Define R5. The top GPU runs so hot that I'm probably switching to one GPU.
I wonder if you could easily mount the fans on the outside of the front (sacrificing the front filter and cover of course), may need extra long screws.
only thing that disappointed me with this case was the acrylic side panel... I used a microfiber cloth to wipe away fingerprints while doing my routine dusting and it left a bunch of micro scratches on it...
Very nice detailed review. Thank you! I would have liked to see a AIO water cooler in there so I can see how it fits. I'm sure it will fit fine and will most likely use this case for my first PC build.
Thanks, but this is a custom job. I'm looking for one that installs an AIO cooler, like a Corsair 100/110 series. I sent a pre-sales request to Corsair to see if it would fit. Thank you.
Is this is the better way of mounting psu to this case? I have straight power 10 by be silent, top fan, and was wondering if I should mount it just like you did yours.
Hi Tom would it be possible to have gpu temps under load please with the same setup you have with the middle fan blowing air over the card? I have the msi gaming card like this one just want an idea of what to expect as if it's hot the fans spool up and the case would be noisy as I plan to have this case on my desk next to my monitor? Cheers
Is it possible to do water cooling without compromising hdd cage below? Perhaps a horizontal reservoir orientation beneath the graphics card. How much is the clearance of vertical mesh area near the pci slot?
Anyone in Britain under the age of at least 50 deals with shorter measurements in the metric system, rather than inches (although most people still deal with height of people in feet and inches). British people though mostly understand longer distances in miles. I'm English and 46 and I don't understand anything about PC's in inches.
Hi, thx for review. Can you give me advice? I have gtx 1070 founders edition and now I'm looking for case' which one can give norm temps and noise level? I think about fractal design define c or meshify c or core 2300. Or may be corsair carbide series 400q? Which will be better?
I wonder if an SSI CEB size (12 x 10.0 inch) motherboard would fit in this case. It is about an inch wider, front to back, than a standard ATX board. I have a workstation board that is that form factor that I'd love to put in one of these cases.
so if i use a smaller PSU and slide the HDD cage all the way over how much room will i have for radiator and fans? i want to put an alphacool eisbaer in the front
Looks like all other Fractal Design cases and all other cases on the market. If it was mad in carbon fiber or anything exiting like that maybe I would care about cases this day and age. And yes by the way, what gamer needs a full atx system when miniitx is more than enough? :P overclocker/system builder since early 90s :P
Hey Tom! As always, thanks for great video :) I am just wondering, would this be able to fit Rampage V Edition 10? My guess is that it won't be able to due to the indented grommets. (Please let me know) Thanks!
Thank you for your reply :) It's kinda weird that Fractal Design decided to leave more room between motherboard stand offs and grommet in Define C compared to Define S. I think Define S could have reduced size of HDD mounting plate since they made it wider than size that it actually requires to mount HDD on it.
I can't believe I just bought the corsair 400C right before this came out. The lack of space behind the mobo tray on the 400C is a total joke. FML. What cooler is that please?
that's super cool. Cryorig says the R1 is 168.3mm high and the case says it fits a max of 168mm but seeing is believing. love your channel btw, thanks.
OC3D TV Can I make a little request? Compare a Fractal Design R5 with air cooling with maximum performance (maximally overclocked CPU and graphics card) and minimum sound intensity with a case which aims at maximum cooling and contains watercooling. I don't think any of the known tech channels has done this before. I want to know to what extend a silent system throttles the maximum performance.
It fits any ATX, mATX, and Mini ITX Motherboards.. I don't know about some larger E-ATX boards with 8 RAM slots tho, they would probably interfere with the rubber gromits
Great vid . Can some one pls confirm .... will the Corsair h100i GTX fit in the roof of this case . ATM im using a S340 with the Corsair AIO on the front , would like better airflow for my GPU .
Always love to see NDA lift and ten "same" youtube videos pop up.
Congrats to Fractal on my perfect case. Just like my Define S, without the bulk. So awesome. Now what do I do with my S?
Yesterday I couldn't decide between the R5 and Define S, now its easy. This is EXACTLY what I need! And it has dust filter on top! Thanks Logan, excellent review!
good case, discovered that just by being 10 cm shorter than my old (entry level) N300 it cools better despite having more restricted airflow at the front, less pressure loss from the intake fans i suppose
I originally thought this case was redundant, but I got to say I like the design. I don't care for watercooling, and I haven't used a dvd in years, so the lack of space isn't a big turnoff. Quite the opposite really! It's about time the market stopped catering to the watercooling pc builders.
You can also mount a single 3.5" drive directly to the bottom of the case if you need to.
absolutely Hands down the best review of this case, answered all my questions pre purchase about a 360mm radiator install
Your reviews are always the best and so detailed. If I want to know if a product has any little issues you always spot them!
best review of this case I've seen so far !
absolutely! Hands down, answered all my questions pre purchase about a 360mm radiator install
How do you not have more subs? Your reviews are always so in depth! Keep it up man. Chuur, from New Zealand.
Because I talk to much for most people!
talk...talk more for us DADDY!
And that's the reason why I watch your videos, anyone can take a product out of a box. You could make it shorter, for instance leaving out the "I choose this angle..." etc. But I am not at all tiny enough to make such decissions ;)
yeah... attention span this days.... ... what?... attention ...span ... :)
I work at a school, tell me about it ;)
I have the Mini C version of this case and I love it! So much packed into the case and it looks so neat. All you see through the window is the Maximus Viii Gene, a Kraken with the 140mm radiator, Dominator Platinum's and the Palit Super Jetstream GTX980 Ti.
Best and most detailed review I've seen for a case yet. Well done!
Lovely review. Notably better than some of your more recent, IMO. Still has the TTL, unscripted in-depth feel, but quite a bit more on-point, and polished. Very nice.
One tip: Maybe try setting an exposure, rather than relying on auto-adjust. Your arm seems to screw with it, and it's quite distracting.
watched this video and forgot to like, realised 15mins later so I went back to it and smashed that like button cus it deserves it :)
Cosair 400c or Define C? Both are sooooooo good I cant decide!
Front dust filter and that small little metal front panel are so good.
I am building my first pc and I chose this case for the same reasons u pointed out!I`m not building anything special at first but with this case I am able to add stuff and upgrade it easily!
Thanks for a very nice review.
Cheers.
i was jst waiting for you to talk about the power supply, the fractal website says that it only fits 175 mm, but you showed a 180mm in there, thats exactly what i was looking for thx alot
I love your product reviews...very in depth and answers questions other people just glare over a lot...my only request in case reviews would be for you to install some 240/280 AIO units so that we can see how they look and function in the case with fans attached...maybe show how the case would look if there were two rads installed (top and front).
I did measure to tell you about AIO's. As for testing AIO's with different fans thats too much work. As for the 'show rads' again I did measure and explain what could be fitted..... But......... ruclips.net/video/AFm7Q5tm7kI/видео.html
Thank you! This is at least the same 7th or 8th video I've watched on this case, but the first to specify that a 280 fan setup in the front doesn't require the 3.5" HDD cage or shelf above it to be removed.
Hehe love watching a review from 5 years ago of a case with a plexiglass window with a 5cm border "it's a lovely full sized window". It was a different time.
I just got the normal (non-compact) Define C - price stung a bit, but it's a very well designed case with excellent build quality and great fan/radiator support.
Cable management is among the best I've ever encountered.
The version reviewed here is the normal define C. The reviewer is referring to the C as standing for Compact. Not sure if that's true anymore really, I think it's just a letter now, and besides there's now a Mini version of this case too.
This case is perfect for me. Never liked all of the drive bays in the R5, and the define S seemed a bit... empty.
it has a psu shroud that the define s and r5 lacks which is a plus for me, i would get it if i had a matx board
There is a ATX sized Define C you know.... www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-c/define-c-window
John Ivar Rubach That's the one TTL reviewed here. Maybe you meant the Mini C or the C without the window?
yeah...my bad. Had just been through four or five Mini C reviews and didnt notice this was the midtower...lol :-)
And here I almost bought a Define S for a air cooled build.. thank you for reviewing this I had no idea this case existed.
Question: When using the dust filter on the top should I be using airflow optimized fans or static pressure optimized fans?
The dust filter is no where near is dense as a radiator but its still going to obstruct the air to some extent.
YES! They finally got the dust filter and it is magnetic and actually great looking!
and Yes, I also really prefer a White Case..... with the RGB craze soo popular.... if you want to light up a case... get a White Case to really help the lights n colors pop
When Tom mentions it might get tight , from past reviews I understand that's not always a bad thing :)
great review Tom this case looks awesome swmall with a powersupply shrould
Hey, Tom, nice review as always. Do you know if you'll be getting the Mini C? If you do, can you have a look at the possibility of fitting a 280mm AIO on the top.
easily the best review of this case. keep up the good work.
Awesome video once again. How good is the C's silence vs the R5/S?
Depends how you set it up. Far too many variables.
Thank you for answering. Let's say - windowless version, 120mm fan CPU air cooler + dual fan GPU air cooler. With the moduvent cover on. How should it behave in comparison to its cousins? I'm just asking because silence is a big factor for me.
Sparkz get the corsair 400q . this case is a copy of the corsair 400c and the 400q is optimized to be quiet
Sparkz You are better off with just the Define R5 for pure silence
At first, I thought the power/reset front panel buttons were at the bottom, then I realized you had the case upside down :p. It got me thinking, I think I'd actually like the buttons on the bottom of the case.
The grill at the bottom is for the PSU to be mounted upside-down so the case may be placed on carpet.
How is the airflow for the hard drive cage? Seems fairly restricted.
i hope they do a matx/itx version in white!
Yes!!! Where is the white one @FractalDesign
Looks like a perfect case for a typical vanilla build which doesn't need watercooling and too many drives. The reality is that the R5 (i have one) and the S may be a bit of an overkill for the average user.Price is similar to the direct competitor in this size which is the Corsair Carbide 400q.
How are the thermals and noise levels compared to R5 ? I am thinking of ditching the R5, this seems to be a perfect alternative.
I like my aerocool aero 800 it's cheap not perfect but does the job very well for a budget case, but I can see the small details as to why other similar cases are that little more pricey.
Great vid! Quick question from someone who has never built before; would the Asus Strix 1070 OC fit in here if I was only keeping the stock fan in the front?
Also, would an NZXT X62 fit in the top and if I did, would I need to add any other fans other than the stock front and back 120mm fans?
Thanks!
Awesome review, loving your channel.
Im planning on getting this case with the Cryorig R1 Universal CPU cooler, whats the clearance like? Everywhere I look it looks like they wont fit.
Corsair need to take some inspiration from this, regarding the top panel filter and lid :p Any chance you'll be reviewing the Antec EKWB soon?
The fact that you have to pay $3.50 for the magnetic dust filter on the 350 makes me mad, main reason I chose this case over the Corsair variant.
So the CRYORIG R1 Universal can install in Define C and can be close the side windows, right?
Im also wondering this if anyone has a definite answer on it clearance for the cooler says its 168.3 mm and the case say 168 it looks like it fits in the video but the panel is barely on during it
I'm looking forward to buying one. I'd like to use NZXT Kraken X62 (280mm) for the CPU and get liquid cooling for 1080 Ti when (and if) it comes. (ATM I have 2x MSI 980 TI in SLI). Does the top support 280mm rads? One site said it does but the official site said only 240mm. I'm not sure what to do now. I would put 280mm on the top for the CPU and 280mm in the front for the new GPU. And also I'm coming from White Define R5. The top GPU runs so hot that I'm probably switching to one GPU.
I wonder if you could easily mount the fans on the outside of the front (sacrificing the front filter and cover of course), may need extra long screws.
Wait so this costs more than the Define S? The Define S is only $60 in the US?
only thing that disappointed me with this case was the acrylic side panel... I used a microfiber cloth to wipe away fingerprints while doing my routine dusting and it left a bunch of micro scratches on it...
Very nice detailed review. Thank you!
I would have liked to see a AIO water cooler in there so I can see how it fits.
I'm sure it will fit fine and will most likely use this case for my first PC build.
Try this: ruclips.net/video/AFm7Q5tm7kI/видео.html
Thanks, but this is a custom job. I'm looking for one that installs an AIO cooler, like a Corsair 100/110 series. I sent a pre-sales request to Corsair to see if it would fit. Thank you.
Point is a rad and fans in the top and in the front. Thats the same size as an AIO......
OC3D TV Understood, but I'm also concerned about the main water tube as it can hit the fan and or GPU.
Is this is the better way of mounting psu to this case? I have straight power 10 by be silent, top fan, and was wondering if I should mount it just like you did yours.
I'm curious though, say you did an SLI GTX 1080 Hybrid AIO coolers with an AIO on the CPU, can you fit 120mm AIO rads going sideways on the front?
I think I might get this to replace my S340, as it has trouble cooling with a radiator at the front.
Hi Tom would it be possible to have gpu temps under load please with the same setup you have with the middle fan blowing air over the card? I have the msi gaming card like this one just want an idea of what to expect as if it's hot the fans spool up and the case would be noisy as I plan to have this case on my desk next to my monitor? Cheers
Imagine 2x GTX Titan, i7 6700k, and all watercooled? That would be an insane, temperature cool, compact beast of a computer.
Is it possible to do water cooling without compromising hdd cage below? Perhaps a horizontal reservoir orientation beneath the graphics card. How much is the clearance of vertical mesh area near the pci slot?
Whoa. Apparently with enough foreplay you can fit an R1 in this mAXT case
This is the ATX case, note the 7 slot covers.
OK you are right. Do they have the same clearance?
the mATX version is the Define Mini
So, when is this going to be in stock?
For a British person, does it hurt when using inches vs mm?
Orion Agappe what?
Anyone in Britain under the age of at least 50 deals with shorter measurements in the metric system, rather than inches (although most people still deal with height of people in feet and inches). British people though mostly understand longer distances in miles.
I'm English and 46 and I don't understand anything about PC's in inches.
Hi, thx for review. Can you give me advice? I have gtx 1070 founders edition and now I'm looking for case' which one can give norm temps and noise level? I think about fractal design define c or meshify c or core 2300. Or may be corsair carbide series 400q? Which will be better?
I wonder if an SSI CEB size (12 x 10.0 inch) motherboard would fit in this case. It is about an inch wider, front to back, than a standard ATX board. I have a workstation board that is that form factor that I'd love to put in one of these cases.
so if i use a smaller PSU and slide the HDD cage all the way over how much room will i have for radiator and fans? i want to put an alphacool eisbaer in the front
Looks like all other Fractal Design cases and all other cases on the market. If it was mad in carbon fiber or anything exiting like that maybe I would care about cases this day and age. And yes by the way, what gamer needs a full atx system when miniitx is more than enough? :P overclocker/system builder since early 90s :P
Nice and deep review, really great job! I hope top magnetic filter could be sold for define nano S..:)
Hey Tom!
As always, thanks for great video :)
I am just wondering, would this be able to fit Rampage V Edition 10?
My guess is that it won't be able to due to the indented grommets. (Please let me know)
Thanks!
Ive not tried and its got a board in there atm. My best guess is it will be tight but should go
Thank you for your reply :)
It's kinda weird that Fractal Design decided to leave more room between motherboard stand offs and grommet in Define C compared to Define S.
I think Define S could have reduced size of HDD mounting plate since they made it wider than size that it actually requires to mount HDD on it.
Could an HX1000i be used with this case? Fractal says max PSU length is 175mm and the HXi is 180mm..
I can't believe I just bought the corsair 400C right before this came out. The lack of space behind the mobo tray on the 400C is a total joke. FML.
What cooler is that please?
its nearly unbelievable the R1 cooler fits in this case. Does it rub the window at all?
Not at all
that's super cool. Cryorig says the R1 is 168.3mm high and the case says it fits a max of 168mm but seeing is believing. love your channel btw, thanks.
If one didn't add a radiator at the front, but instead just 3x120mm fans, with 160mm psu, Then could you move bays at the bottom slightly.
So would actually fit a 280 rad on top?
(H110 from Corsair with 2 Noctua's PPC, just to give the "depth idea")
Perfect case to replace my old R4! Although, an option for a fan controller would have been nice ...
I know this is an old comment, but an NZXT Grid+ fits perfectly beneath the 2,5" HDD/SSD mounts.
Can that hdd think from back be removed for bigger psu???? I ordered that case and 180mm psu(5mm) too long
Technically I am nit in the moarket for a case right now. But I just want to have it and build in it!
Am actually thinking of buying it anyway XD
I almost bought the Corsair 400C, thanks for this one!
OC3D TV
Can I make a little request?
Compare a Fractal Design R5 with air cooling with maximum performance (maximally overclocked CPU and graphics card) and minimum sound intensity with a case which aims at maximum cooling and contains watercooling. I don't think any of the known tech channels has done this before. I want to know to what extend a silent system throttles the maximum performance.
With a rad on front (240), will the Zotac GTX 1070 AMP Extreme fit?
Strix gpu, Asus Aura mobo, some aura rgb led strips...would be killer. Now just need RGB psu.
I feel like there is something wrong with the camera, HD doesn't really look HD it looks a bit blurry
Do you think my 312mm graphic card wold fit? :/
What is this cpu cooler? And am thinking about getting this case
is there any room on the inside of the case for cpu-watercooling (240) at all? seems like it's not enough space there.
I cover water and rads in the video :)
Will this work with the Corsair ax1500? and the Noctua D15?
This or the P400TG?
Yeah, I'm gonna have to build a watercooling loop in this.
Will it fit a 300mm GPU with a front mounted X62 rad
Matx or atx?
does it require a smaller mother board or can it fit a 2011 board? i have an i7 4820 chip with a large mother board.
damn I never clean my dust screens.. I'm a lazy bitch..
It fits any ATX, mATX, and Mini ITX Motherboards.. I don't know about some larger E-ATX boards with 8 RAM slots tho, they would probably interfere with the rubber gromits
Nice case, dire choice in matx mainboards hinders this one. oh and no tempered glass obvs. ;)
Its full ATX.......
There are two versions, Define C (ATX) & Define C Mini (mATX). :)
OK thanks, they just went up the pecking order a bit with that info. :)
Could I squeeze a 180mm PSU into this? Fractal Design recommend 175mm so not sure whether to risk it :/
PSU area is tight, you may have to remove the mechanical HDD mount so you can get all the cables in
OC3D TV Thanks for the response!
Can you compare the define c to the r5?
Look here reviewzorro.com/fractal-design-define-c/
what's the red cpu giant fan?
Are the feet removable?
I just would like to know why you wouldn't like for your PSU to get fresh air rather than recycled hot air?
Aesthetics
psu are design to run upto 50 Celsius and case temps don't really go above 35 degrees
it's covered you can't see it, so what aesthetics are you getting from it
is that a atx mb in there?
Nice case, nice review, cheers Tom :)
if we install water cooling in front, what size gpu can fit it. these msi will be find?
is that an r1 ultimate or universal? would clearance problems not allow the front fan on it?
Nah. The front fan totally has clearance on that board. If all 4 dimms had been in, it might have been tight, but it has the space w/o for sure.
Not seeing a front fan on it.
Great vid . Can some one pls confirm .... will the Corsair h100i GTX fit in the roof of this case . ATM im using a S340 with the Corsair AIO on the front , would like better airflow for my GPU .
Yeah it will fit
what cooler are you using ?
Cryorig
Cryorig R1 Universal with custom R1 red mods
Would I be able to use this side panel with the window to replace the one on my fractal R5 ?
No
No E-ATX support though. :c
Very thorough, thanks.
If you were to do SLI/CF, the bottom GPU wouldn't get much air.