UPDATE - Fractal Torrent fan hub issue details - ua-cam.com/video/ytxtbLou978/v-deo.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 ua-cam.com/video/otiIWhPKc20/v-deo.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!
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..
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
How would you run an AIO with it? I've had a couple top mounted but this looks like my gpu would block it mounted in the bottom, top has the psu, front would kill airflow? Cheers
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.
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.)
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
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.
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.
Really hope GN compare these 180mm fans to Silverstone's. Strangely Silverstone have recently announced Air Penetrator PWM ARGB 180mm fans - MAKE THEM FIGHT!
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…
“People don’t buy good cases” I mean I bought a case because you said “we don’t have a problem recommending this” & “we don’t hate it”. Pretty sure the 500A sold out solidly.
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
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
When it comes to buying a case where you already have fans from an older system or plan to replace them case manufacturers really should offer cases without any included fans for a discount. Sure I wouldn't expect the price discount to be equal that of the original fan costs as there are some logistical issues but they have been offering different variants of most cases for years now so it shouldn't be alien to them. I'd love to buy a "bare bones" case for a bit cheaper and not have the hassle of storing fans I'm not going to use anyway
Except that if having a certain spec of fans is central to the design, they could end up with angry customers because their three, 120mm fans, installed backwards, didn't produce good thermals.
I know that Gamers Nexus has the consumers in their hearts, and that they do a lot of good for them. But I always did and always will disagree vehemently about their opinions on what makes a case good. Airflow is overrated. Low temperatures as a measurement of case quality is, in my opinion, overrated. If I can hear the computer under load, it is too loud. Now, these are blanket statements, but I only mean to imply that after a certain point, the goal of lower temperatures becomes a red herring. A difference in opinion doesn't make anyone a bad guy, and having a plentitude of options is good for the consumer. As long as they remain as such, and not all push in a homogenous direction. I think GN has to be a bit careful and recognise their influence and impact on the industry in this particular regard. Peace.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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.
As a Swede I was allready eyeing this case to replace my OLD fractal case that won't let me put in a large GPU. Nice to see they still create great cases.
*shrug* DeepCool Matrexx 40/55 and CL500, DIYPC Vanguard V8, Apex A1, Corsair 275R Airflow, InWin CJ712...to name a few. Plastic front grills with fine mesh have been around for ages. A few angles added doesn't make it revolutionary.
@@MarkusArkus5 That's your prerogative. I was referring to the torrent's design, not the meshify. That said...Cooler Master K281 for pre-meshify textured fine mesh front. Still not sorry.
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.
I've been loving this case. One minor gripe I have about it (or rather with Fractal themselves) is that Fractal never made reverse flow fans which would look really nice in the bottom intake of this case. There are a handful of companies that make reverse flow fans but in my search none of them are compatible with RGB Fusion (but are compatible with basically everything else). So if you don't like seeing the X cage and want RGB fans, you should commit to basically any other RGB solution.
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
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.
It doesn't necessarily have a side panel fan, but holy shit. This is the first case that I've genuinely very interested as a replacement for my Cooler Master HAF X. I'd like at least one more HDD mount and will have to ditch my AiO (it's eight years old, I was going to have to replace it anyway), but for airflow this well implemented, I can deal with that.
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 should take Steve to some legendary downhill mountain biking place and film some fractal ads there with him in same fashion they did with Jayz and Kyle.
Inquiring minds want to know, is there any purpose in installing an exhaust fan? Or does such a well thought out airflow design make an exhaust fan unnecessary due to the pressure buildup inside the case and the only vent being the back?
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...
Steve smiles 😲 and be happy about a cage 😨 THX Fractal 😍for sending Steve a good airflow cage and also he is HAPPY about it 😉😂 Greetings from the Dutch Lowlands 😷 🤗
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.
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.
My favorite part of this review was forgetting that "torrent" has a conventional meaning in English (and not just internet-speak) that's appropriate for a high airflow case
Literally no one forgot that. We thought it was obvious enough that everyone knew that, but next time I'll be sure to explain every word I say. Frustrating that anyone thought the torrent comments were anything but a joke and kind of unbelievable, really. The word "torrent" (for downloading) came from a torrent of data, as in the normal conventional meaning of torrent.
@@GamersNexus Love your channel, you guys have transcended being a "regular tech" channel and have a major role in consumer protection at this point too. But with a name like Gamer's Nexus, I don't understand why you don't make videos about gaming on Google Nexus phones
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.
My 1st big mistake when I started building my own PC is that I chose aesthetics over function. I had this case with a massive front and side glass, solid top, rbg all over the place and only 1 exhaust. It was getting freaking hot and you could literally feel it in the room. Now I've changed to a front mesh with 3 exhaust and all black fans, kinda look sexier tbh.
Yea i did the same bought the Corsair Crystal 280x because it looked awesome^^ going for this case now in my 2nd build hopefully it will tame my i7 12th gen nicely :P
Everytime you reference "torrent", the file-sharing, makes me wonder if you know the original meaning of torrent, the flow of fluid (obviously the intent of this case and its airflow). 😅
Really love this case, even if I prefer not having a heavy brick on top, just for balance (it's not an actual problem, just for peace of mind). I prefer the O11 side psu implementation. But if I didn't have an XL already, this would be my case.
I love the styling on this case, and the design overall is really good. I, however, have invested a lot into my current PC in regards to fans and cooling. 2xLL140s, 3xLL120s, 280mm AiO. I'd love to see this case with a fanless version at a reduced price. Even with my fan composition, it would definitely cool better than my current Fractal Meshify C.
@@chiciu I have the white Meshify C. Been looking to get a new case that's a lil bigger. The Torrent looks great, but I don't feel like wasting money on the fans it comes with
So...This case is probably well suited for a system with a high-end air-cooled CPU, and a middle-high-end GPU? Or, have the awesome CPU thermal test results tricked me into thinking the GPU thermals are meh by comparison? I'm thinking an R9 5900X or 5950, with a high-end air cooler. And something like an RTX 3080 FE OC, or a RX 6900XT. (If I made a mistake with the X and the T at the end of anything, blame AMD for being confusing between their CPUs and GPUs.)
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.
Okay since fractal has been the gold standard for cases since the R4, seeing them do 180s will likely mean 180s will become standard now. Same way the meshify caused a wave of mesh front cases with transparent side panels and how the node 202 caused console shaped itx cases.
I just bought this case to pair with a 13900k and an icegiant prosiphon cooler ... first pc build too as my previous one was prebuilt (dont roast me) - should be sick
I don't think drive cage support is an problem at all. If your buying case that looks nice and has large window, you are probably not looking for a lot HDD space, honestly fact that this has support for two 3.5 drives is already pretty amazing. Not to mention hard drives are just not as popular nowadays anyways. If you want to do actual DIY nas system, you are definitely not building it in case like this, and honestly you should just buy/build separate NAS anyways if you actually need one. Check out TrueNAS for example.
Intake. Making it exhaust will pull the majority of the intake air from the bottom immediately out the front, reducing the cooling that your GPU, RAM, VRMs and other things can receive. Exhausts should only be top and rear.
This seems to be an awesome case, and I like how they designed it to put the power supply on top. But I must say that looking at those prices, it still amazes me how the Phanteks P400A, being less than half the price of this, it's still in a great position in the charts.
I bought the P400A for the build i bought for my son, and even though i have the Enthoo Evolv case because i love the design despite the somewhat poorer performance, I still eye my sons case jealously at times because of the meld of great performance and design.
Cases with odd sized fans can be a problem when it's time to replace those fans or when you want to modify the case for a theme. Nice looking case but I wouldn't buy it specifically because of the fans. Also not a fan of mounting the PSU in the top, making the entire PC top heavy. At least standard fans can be mounted but once again you are left paying for installed fans you may not use.
my question can you mount a 360mm AIO on the front with its 3x120mm fans but also still use the 180MM stock fans as a push pull set up ? and still have clearance for mobo and GPU ?
UPDATE - Fractal Torrent fan hub issue details - ua-cam.com/video/ytxtbLou978/v-deo.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 ua-cam.com/video/otiIWhPKc20/v-deo.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
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.
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
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.
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
"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?
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.
12:29 When your nose scratching gets immortalized in the video by spinning case reflections.
Nice job fractal.
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
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
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.....
Finally, Steve gets the fresh cool airflow his majestic hair needs!
How would you run an AIO with it? I've had a couple top mounted but this looks like my gpu would block it mounted in the bottom, top has the psu, front would kill airflow? Cheers
That side-by-side when you were referencing cases in the same catagory was damn nice
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 😂
"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.)
Me: "Damn, a positive review."
Steve at 0:11: "Unfortunately..."
Me: "That was quick."
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'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
"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
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.
It's hard to mentally get over wanting to put an exhaust fan in the back.
I did it only for my mental health. Even if it appear totally useless when i tested the temp gap. Not worst, just useless.
When Steve is visibly excited in the opening sequence you've made a good product
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!
“…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…
Could it be said that this is a "Best Case Scenario"?
thanks
Slow clap engaged.
“People don’t buy good cases”
I mean I bought a case because you said “we don’t have a problem recommending this” & “we don’t hate it”.
Pretty sure the 500A sold out solidly.
I purchased the P500A RGB because of Steve’s review as well. Love it!
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.
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.
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
When it comes to buying a case where you already have fans from an older system or plan to replace them case manufacturers really should offer cases without any included fans for a discount. Sure I wouldn't expect the price discount to be equal that of the original fan costs as there are some logistical issues but they have been offering different variants of most cases for years now so it shouldn't be alien to them. I'd love to buy a "bare bones" case for a bit cheaper and not have the hassle of storing fans I'm not going to use anyway
Except that if having a certain spec of fans is central to the design, they could end up with angry customers because their three, 120mm fans, installed backwards, didn't produce good thermals.
"We like this case."
Dogs and cats living together!
Mass Hysteria!
Run for the hills!
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
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
The case looks great! If I was building now, I would definitely be considering it.
I know that Gamers Nexus has the consumers in their hearts, and that they do a lot of good for them. But I always did and always will disagree vehemently about their opinions on what makes a case good. Airflow is overrated. Low temperatures as a measurement of case quality is, in my opinion, overrated. If I can hear the computer under load, it is too loud. Now, these are blanket statements, but I only mean to imply that after a certain point, the goal of lower temperatures becomes a red herring. A difference in opinion doesn't make anyone a bad guy, and having a plentitude of options is good for the consumer. As long as they remain as such, and not all push in a homogenous direction. I think GN has to be a bit careful and recognise their influence and impact on the industry in this particular regard. Peace.
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."
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.
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.
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
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.
0:02 Look how happy he looks :) He has shiny eyes
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
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!
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
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.
Holy shit, shots fired 🤣 almost spat my drink out when he said “if they haven’t arc wielded themselves to the chassis”
In this case, it's a good case. And it looks good as well.
Just in case you didn't know, this was a case of good cases.
Does it ? The front looks very weird imo
"We like this case"
Okay, who are you, and what have you done to Steve?
He was being held at gunpoint during the entire video
As a Swede I was allready eyeing this case to replace my OLD fractal case that won't let me put in a large GPU.
Nice to see they still create great cases.
Just keep Cheetos and Doritos away from it!
"If they haven't arc welded themselves to the chassis" holy shit I burst out laughing
Can't wait to see this front grill on the next gen of cheap airflow cases the same way the meshify grill was copied.
*shrug* DeepCool Matrexx 40/55 and CL500, DIYPC Vanguard V8, Apex A1, Corsair 275R Airflow, InWin CJ712...to name a few. Plastic front grills with fine mesh have been around for ages. A few angles added doesn't make it revolutionary.
@@madguitarist
Entire Fractal Meshify Series front panel: "What, am I a joke to you?"
I don't respect that you think the design of the grill doesn't matter. "Just a few angles", yet it was copied by how many companies?
Pretty sure nobody going to copy it, it's fck ugly
@@MarkusArkus5 That's your prerogative. I was referring to the torrent's design, not the meshify. That said...Cooler Master K281 for pre-meshify textured fine mesh front. Still not sorry.
"This case is good"
Yeah, well soon this case finna be sold out
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.
I've been loving this case. One minor gripe I have about it (or rather with Fractal themselves) is that Fractal never made reverse flow fans which would look really nice in the bottom intake of this case.
There are a handful of companies that make reverse flow fans but in my search none of them are compatible with RGB Fusion (but are compatible with basically everything else).
So if you don't like seeing the X cage and want RGB fans, you should commit to basically any other RGB solution.
crazy that years later the price hasn't moved an inch
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.
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
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.
It doesn't necessarily have a side panel fan, but holy shit. This is the first case that I've genuinely very interested as a replacement for my Cooler Master HAF X.
I'd like at least one more HDD mount and will have to ditch my AiO (it's eight years old, I was going to have to replace it anyway), but for airflow this well implemented, I can deal with that.
I plan on getting a Torrent and fitting it with Noctua fans, im going to call it the stealth bomber, silent and cool running.
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 should take Steve to some legendary downhill mountain biking place and film some fractal ads there with him in same fashion they did with Jayz and Kyle.
Yes! Fractal Josh please, make this happen!
Legendary they would be. Much like the ads yesteryear with JayzTwoCents. 😁
@@BeB02090 Unfortunately Josh no longer works over at Fractal from what I remember :(
@@YunFuriku OH shoot! I thought that might have been the "case" when I didn't see a reply from the dude in the comments. 😫
My guess is they used the name Torrent as in "a torrent of air".
"a strong and fast-moving stream of water or other liquid."
I mean obviously, yes. Thought the Torrent comment was a clear joke...
@@GamersNexus It was hilarious, I laughed my ass off.
@@GamersNexus to be followed by the Fractal Usenet, perhaps?
woooooosh
Inquiring minds want to know, is there any purpose in installing an exhaust fan? Or does such a well thought out airflow design make an exhaust fan unnecessary due to the pressure buildup inside the case and the only vent being the back?
Positive pressure system doesn't need exhaust fan, no. Redundant.
@@gickygackers yup yup - tracking. Thanks for the response! Love this case :-P
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...
Steve smiles 😲 and be happy about a cage 😨 THX Fractal 😍for sending Steve a good airflow cage and also he is HAPPY about it 😉😂 Greetings from the Dutch Lowlands 😷 🤗
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.
Steve personal build upgrade when? I feel like this would be a great case for it.
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 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.
My favorite part of this review was forgetting that "torrent" has a conventional meaning in English (and not just internet-speak) that's appropriate for a high airflow case
Ok, so I'm not the only one lol that's good
Literally no one forgot that. We thought it was obvious enough that everyone knew that, but next time I'll be sure to explain every word I say. Frustrating that anyone thought the torrent comments were anything but a joke and kind of unbelievable, really. The word "torrent" (for downloading) came from a torrent of data, as in the normal conventional meaning of torrent.
@@GamersNexus I've just been too deep in the tech for too long lmao
@@GamersNexus Love your channel, you guys have transcended being a "regular tech" channel and have a major role in consumer protection at this point too. But with a name like Gamer's Nexus, I don't understand why you don't make videos about gaming on Google Nexus phones
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.
Always been a fan of fractal cases. Perfect black rectangles.
Its nice to see a positive review now and then. Seems like we get shoveled garbage products at us all too often lately.
My 1st big mistake when I started building my own PC is that I chose aesthetics over function. I had this case with a massive front and side glass, solid top, rbg all over the place and only 1 exhaust. It was getting freaking hot and you could literally feel it in the room. Now I've changed to a front mesh with 3 exhaust and all black fans, kinda look sexier tbh.
Yea i did the same bought the Corsair Crystal 280x because it looked awesome^^ going for this case now in my 2nd build hopefully it will tame my i7 12th gen nicely :P
12:42 it's feels really strange to hear "this is pretty harmless" while watching a gigabyte PSU ...
Everytime you reference "torrent", the file-sharing, makes me wonder if you know the original meaning of torrent, the flow of fluid (obviously the intent of this case and its airflow). 😅
thanks captain obvious
I love how we moved the PSU to the basement and everyone was like yo; we like gpu temps actually.. now its back on top
There have always been some cases that had / kept top mounted PSUs (look at dell prebuilds as an example)
Really love this case, even if I prefer not having a heavy brick on top, just for balance (it's not an actual problem, just for peace of mind). I prefer the O11 side psu implementation. But if I didn't have an XL already, this would be my case.
I love the styling on this case, and the design overall is really good. I, however, have invested a lot into my current PC in regards to fans and cooling. 2xLL140s, 3xLL120s, 280mm AiO. I'd love to see this case with a fanless version at a reduced price. Even with my fan composition, it would definitely cool better than my current Fractal Meshify C.
A version with out fans would be great! 👌
Hello fellow meshify c owner. I crammed a 280 rad in the front and 2 x 140 fans on top in mine :)) and a pleb 120 back of course.
@@chiciu I have the white Meshify C. Been looking to get a new case that's a lil bigger. The Torrent looks great, but I don't feel like wasting money on the fans it comes with
I call BS. This is called "torrent". I searched everywhere, there's no way to download it. Unsubbed
So...This case is probably well suited for a system with a high-end air-cooled CPU, and a middle-high-end GPU? Or, have the awesome CPU thermal test results tricked me into thinking the GPU thermals are meh by comparison?
I'm thinking an R9 5900X or 5950, with a high-end air cooler. And something like an RTX 3080 FE OC, or a RX 6900XT. (If I made a mistake with the X and the T at the end of anything, blame AMD for being confusing between their CPUs and GPUs.)
Please test the Torrent Compact and Torrent Nano too! :)
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.
Okay since fractal has been the gold standard for cases since the R4, seeing them do 180s will likely mean 180s will become standard now. Same way the meshify caused a wave of mesh front cases with transparent side panels and how the node 202 caused console shaped itx cases.
Too bad node 202 is useless due to horrible thermals.
12:32 - Reflection of the camera man picking his nose... nice
I just bought this case to pair with a 13900k and an icegiant prosiphon cooler ... first pc build too as my previous one was prebuilt (dont roast me) - should be sick
For the first time in many years I'm actually excited to get my hands on this case, well done Fractal well done.
GN's editor never getting sick of the "Snap, Crackle, Pop" PSU segment...
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….
I don't think drive cage support is an problem at all. If your buying case that looks nice and has large window, you are probably not looking for a lot HDD space, honestly fact that this has support for two 3.5 drives is already pretty amazing. Not to mention hard drives are just not as popular nowadays anyways. If you want to do actual DIY nas system, you are definitely not building it in case like this, and honestly you should just buy/build separate NAS anyways if you actually need one. Check out TrueNAS for example.
When using a front-mounted radiator for an AIO, would you configure the fans as intake or exhaust?
Intake. Making it exhaust will pull the majority of the intake air from the bottom immediately out the front, reducing the cooling that your GPU, RAM, VRMs and other things can receive. Exhausts should only be top and rear.
This seems to be an awesome case, and I like how they designed it to put the power supply on top. But I must say that looking at those prices, it still amazes me how the Phanteks P400A, being less than half the price of this, it's still in a great position in the charts.
I bought the P400A for the build i bought for my son, and even though i have the Enthoo Evolv case because i love the design despite the somewhat poorer performance, I still eye my sons case jealously at times because of the meld of great performance and design.
Fractal design makes some of the best cases I've ever worked with.
Just saw Fractal Design post a picture of this on Instagram and the first thing I thought was "Steve is gonna love this case."
Cases with odd sized fans can be a problem when it's time to replace those fans or when you want to modify the case for a theme. Nice looking case but I wouldn't buy it specifically because of the fans. Also not a fan of mounting the PSU in the top, making the entire PC top heavy. At least standard fans can be mounted but once again you are left paying for installed fans you may not use.
my question can you mount a 360mm AIO on the front with its 3x120mm fans but also still use the 180MM stock fans as a push pull set up ? and still have clearance for mobo and GPU ?
The extra jab at gigabyte's office survival fire starter caught me off guard, well played.