Update: Leo has taken second look at the Torrent, this time using a fully air cooled system. Did that change his opinion of the case? Find out here: bit.ly/3BCpyJQ
I put one together, fully stock and dropped by 3900x from my BeQuiet DarkBasePro900rev2 (in which I'll stick a 5950x). The 3900x is showing nice cooling on the CPU with my Dark Rock Pro4 from BeQuiet. This is actually an amazing case for cooling. I'm just using the CPU really, particular CPU stuff I leave running 100% 24/7. So having excellent cooling only was my only real concern. Something I can leave and forget for days at a time. It's not super quiet (like I've gotten used to with the BeQuiet), but it's not annoying. But when I assemble the 5950x it'll go onto the desk in the BeQuiet and this Fractal will go across the room. I'm thinking of making wall mount brackets and putting my HEPA filter under it with the air directed up. It should reduce dust inside. Oh, the airflow on this is awesome! I had a tissue paper I put near it on my desk and it sucked it right into the filter. It's gonna suck up ALL the dust on the desk... I splurged for the RGB since I make this for art, and having the computer be a work of art is part of the 'thing' with me. I do 'fractal' art.... so it seemed right it be in a Fractal case.
3:03 The front veins are not just there to guide air, they have two other functions: 1. If you print an image of Leo's head on the 180mm fans, he looks like he's trapped in the case. 2. When the fans are spinning, the veins combined with the fan RPM alters the printed image of Leo's head to look like he is stuck inside a tumble dryer. Ingenious art design, really.
Watercooling is definitely not what this case is for but I'm glad it's there. The PSU issue is very strange. I guess it depends on the power supply. I've seen other reviewers able to stuff more cables in the top area making cable management easy in the back. I think they should consider adding a bit more room in the top in order to better accommodate most PSUs instead of a few. I really hope they keep going with this case and innovate more in future editions. It's a great option for people who love air-cooled builds but still want the option to water cool.
Interested in a case like the Torrent? as always - we want to hear your thoughts! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Start 00:15 Introduction and pricing 01:05 Case up close 02:44 Front panel / underside 03:41 Torrent Fan Brackets and fan positions 05:30 CPU cooling - looking at the options 08:57 180mm Fans and some braided cables 09:40 Power Supply install (in top) 10:20 System install 11:34 Cooling performance results 13:04 Pros and Cons 15:01 The big issue for Leo, explained in pictures
Looks good, would get it if not for me having a meshify s2 already. I think cable management can be addressed buy full custom cables. Exact length and exact number of connectors. No excess cables and connectors.
My only issue is the front design, I feel it may be to easy to break them as they are only plastic and run long lengths, a few mistakes and they'll be d or whatever idk maybe I'm worrying to much
The cable management in this case is not an issue if you actually use cable ties and tie bases appropriately. There is loads of space in the cavity at the top in front of the power supply, even with a large PSU, in which you can hide the excess from all PSU cables. Route the fan cable excess along the tie points on the bottom where the audio cable follows and it's very easy to keep it neat and tidy.
I saw the new test and went back to see this one. I agree with you. It's quite fugly with air cooling installed into it. I also agree that a bit more space in the back would have benefitted this case greatly. I also think that back panel screw placement would cause headaches with the tiny screw falling into the case when you're trying to screw it in. Then you might be stuck lifting the case up and tilting it side to side to find the screw. Annoying. The fan hub being recalled just adds more to it all. The hassle of having to wait for shipping for fear of shorting out your fans or worse just makes this not a case I would buy at the moment. If they kept the overall general design and fixed those issues in a second revision, it would likely be one of the better cases at its price range. I agree with you.
I have this case in black, the rgb version and tinted glass on both sides. Loving it so far. And I must say I got it looking really good back there with standard PSU cables. But then again I build industrial automation equipment for a living so I have allot of training perfecting cable management :) Mine is air cooled
Does your 5600x not bottleneck the 3080ti ? Also, did you use a combination of regular zip ties and the Fractal cable loops and ties that come with the case or did you do something different? With your professional background, I wouldn't be surprised if you threw those things away and used your own preference of ties, or if you just kept it simple. I'm not above tearing mine down and re-managing the bird's nest of cables that no one will ever see.
Well not quite everything however: a) Many reviews will use a 240mm AIO so there's not much point going down that route unless it is pretty much the only option. b) Most cases have specific support for water cooling. For example this Torrent has three options for adding a fill port up top and that is not intended to cater for either air cooling or AIO. c) I like high end graphics cards to operate below 60 degrees C.
I like it, but it’s way too big for me. Something I’ve noticed on more recent Fractal cases is they seem to be opting for cheaper materials in places over some of their earlier cases. Like the plastic on the top here. You can’t argue with it I suppose, it’s all about volume and profit vs pricing. I like how easier their new side panel clips are but I think the rear panel should have the ability to screw in. It’s the same problem on all the new Fractals. One thing I will say about Fractal though, their customer service is second to none. They reply very quick and have always always helped me out. That’s why I continue to buy Fractal!
I'd rather have a better case and cable management than someone replying quickly since this day and age NO ONE is replying quickly. Fix this mess Fractal !!!!
Got the Torrent Compact. The obvious problem with the case is cable management. But even then the problem I had was more to do with CPU power cables being really hard to manage under the power supply up in that corner.. The "tooles" panels that feels cheap since they are hard or to easy to get off when you are not trying to get them off. I mean the top panel I have accidentally pushed off so many times now. But all in all the case is still really nice. And the plastic top and front is more to do with giving the rounded shape and such. You can not make metal look like that without it being costume and really expensive. So the top and front I can forgiven for the looks alone. Even if metal beats plastics. But then we go back to black boxes of booring. If they ditch the tooless (hand screws are so much better) improved the mounting of panels and somehow made it easier to move the case (really hard to handle this cases) they pretty much are the best air cooled cases possible. Even if plastic feels cheap and bad. I think that Factual have done it more to give the look of the case rather then saving money. Compact sacrificing cable management for CPU cooler height. Just dum innocent faults that they can improve on. They fixed the Torrent faults with the side panels being able to screw down quite easy. And even now I got the "compact" and have to cable around my decision I can not really fault it on cable management that hard. Outside of the 12V to the CPU. A small hole at the top to pass the cable and then do a 180 turn without it looking bad? It is to tight between the motherboard and PSU! Normal Torrent having problems with cables? Are you drunk? Or trying to Water cool a air case..
Just as I thought, did Steve, TTL, or Wendell have cable management issues? It was pointed out things were tight, Wendell's was a bit messy, but on the whole if you don't take the time it'll be a crime.
Everybody can have a different opinion, but this is more like constructive criticism. Which is long-time forgotten and by current "social network" generation is considered as the same as "hating" or "disliking" the product. This is actually the same issue many Fractal Meshify 2 compact users have. The cable management must be really, REALLY tight for the panel to stop falling off. IMHO, i don´t think this sort of "convenient panel removal" is good thing. Imagine moving the case around in your hands, when the panels might fall off at any moment. The panels should always have the possibility of being secured with thumbscrews. Ball catch mechanisms will also wear out over time - how´d you replace them? This sort of approach directly creates more waste, as the case will be useful for like 3 years at most. I have my current PC case for almost 6 years and i lost count of how many times did i remove the side panels - the case is Phanteks Enthoo Pro and both panels still hold as on brand new case. Having one of these for 6 years, by now i´d also have to use tape to secure both panels.
in this case, the psu cables puled up into the space in front of the psu, esp that 24-pin bulk, the rest will be much thinner cables (sata, usb, fans, etc), as Patrick at GN had done. I do agree with Leo, the side panel needed a bit more clearance.
As Steve from GN noted, "We found that Fractals tie points allowed us to manage cables cleanly, but it is not a case that forgives laziness in this area." I think that just about sums it up. The gripe regarding the cable management is an user error rather than being a problem of the product. Update: I have done a build on this myself. Did not run into cable management problem.
This case is clearly not a good choice for a custom loop. It seems strange to not test the stock setup and make an unsuitable build for the case. There's not even a word on the front button click quality.
When you say stock set-up, do you mean the supplied 180mm fans or the addition of a rear fan? The two RGB 180mm fans have the same spec as the original non-RGB. As for 'button click', yes the buttons click.
@@KitGuruTech Fans at bottom providing air for an air cooled GPU (and air cooled CPU), and the massive flow from the front supplying a CPU air cooler. The 5 intake fans will force the air out the back. That's how other channels have tested it, and they all have very positive conclusions about the case, giving it the likes of special award and best case of 2021. By water cooling it, you have negated what is especially good about this case.
@@Safetytrousers Fractal gives plenty of detail about the options for installing water cooling setups and includes three openings for fillports. The configuration used in this review is absolutely in line with Fractal's recommendations. Naturally we have no idea how other review sites will configure the Torrent but we can guess they will go for an air cooler or AIO on the CPU and an air cooled graphics cards so it seems reasonable to offer a different take on things. Quite why anyone would buy a case this large and then leave their £1,000 graphics card to struggle with an air cooler is a vexed question. RTX 3080 at 51 degrees C for the win.
@@KitGuruTech Despite it making some provision for watercooling I would suggest there are far better options if a custom loop is your intention. Certainly, air flow for air cooled components, is what makes this case appealing.
@@Safetytrousers the case has a pair of 180 fans in the front, a trio of 140 fans in the bottom, massive air channels in the front and a practically open rear panel. There is literally no point testing the air cooling capabilities of this case, it's blindingly obvious it's going to be great. And if every other review site is focussing on air cooling, then it's even more appropriate that Leo thinks outside of the box and covers Fractal's other cooling options.
Thanks. This is extremely valuable. I have a 420 radiator and not fitting my case very well. I was going to buy this case and plan to put it on bottom. But seems this is not easily doable. I am using 420 xflow radiator.
All your points are valid, cannot disagree with those, but this case is really made for M2 SSD, a Dark Rock Pro 4 / NH-D15, a air cooled GPU and that's it. I am buying this case because my next Zen 4 built is going to be bare minimum. I am building a NAS for the rest inside my XL Define R2.
All you can do is get some Silverstone ultrathin SATA cables, not cheap, get some sleeved sata extensions and tie the data cables together to hide away letting the extensions finally the work, and one thing I like doing is a circle, so you make a circle with the wire bringing it to the length needed then kinda find a tie off point or just tie with a cable tie to the length needed.
This case is so obviously aimed at air users hence the 2 x180 front fans etc. but, all these reviewers keep trying to put radiators in it lol. The clue is even in the name.
I just put 3900x system into one a few days ago.... I am VERY surprised at how stable the CPU temps are now, and how the M.2s in the motherboard have gone down a good 5-7C! Even the SSD is staying cooler. But yes, it's a bit tight around there. And they have nice cable run brackets, but I think they kind of just add to the bulk. The plethora of tie-down spots is handy. Twist ties slip in and hold things well.
Hate to point out the obvious and I don't even have one of these cases but I don't suppose it crossed your mind to leave the excess psu cables at the top of the case in front of the psu mounting area instead of bunching them up as big as possible on the rear side. CPU power cable for example has been run down to the 24pin cable area only to be run back up to the top of the motherboard, to be perfectly frank it has no business being run that way yet you've bunched it with the 24pin cables excess trying to create some sort of issue that doesn't really exist, very strange.
It is very strange. I just switched to this case last week. There is plenty of space for cable management in this case. Most of my power cables are stored in the space at the top next to my PSU. I don’t use cable extenders, though. Maybe that’s why I don’t get the con.
@@derrickf8053 there is no con, he remade the vid and installed everything correctly, there was loads of room as you said, he just wanted to put a downer on the case for no reason, his the only reviewer I've herd say a bad thing about it.
@@KitGuruTech Wont it be bad if it were to be at the bottom? I think i saw some video regarding "air bubbles" or something.. and i havent seen a build like that tho.. btw if mounted at the bottom would it hit those vertical bracket for gpus?.. and this is an expensive case
@@KitGuruTech Also another reviewer made note that either using the big fans on the bottom or adding a radiator blocks off the lower cable pass through slots for the motherboard cables. Think this has some good ideas but needs further revising before it is ready for prime time. Also with all of the plastic instead of metal used in its construction this is more of a case that should be in the sub $150 price range and only that high because of the included fans.
Eh. Having zero options for fans/radiators up top makes it pretty limiting. Not sure why they went with the PSU up top. They gradually got moved to the bottom over the years for good reasons. For that price, I'd expect a lot more.
My first impression, it's a strange case, but maybe works instead of trying hard to be unique. Watching your review I was really dissapointed with things Fractal used to be excellent at: overall ergonomy like access to dust filters or cable management. Plastic top cover however quality or nice looking is, isn't adequate in this price range. It feels like another time Fractal tries hard to push something pricey for just looking different, last time was with Vector, but maybe this time aiflow justifies that.
I tought my 5 minutes cable management was bad, but this guy who is a reviewer seems like a disaster. Just push the cpu power cable inside the power suppply area, there's enough space there for all the big cables. What would he have done with the other case, the fractal torrent compact, which is really bad with the cables. Also people who spend 250 euros on this case, as most will buy the full rgb one, kinda run ssd only systems.
I love mine, easy to build in and there's only one maybe two things I would have made optional. I used the stock RGB fans and ordered one to go at the back of the case for added exhaust. Mine is air-cooled (Peerless Assassin) sitting on a Ryzen 7 7500x.
I'm definitely a fan of not having the PSU below the GPU as it opens up the possibility of having fresh air blowing straight into the GPU fans. But returning the PSU to it's traditional position isn't a great solution either as it's intaking the hot exhaust from the CPU and interfering with the passage of air there :/ Honestly think I would cut up that top plastic cover or at least make some massive holes in it so could have that PSU intaking fresh exterior air.
@@JordanG2024 Turbulent air is less efficient. A tower CPU cooler directs air strictly front-to-back and so does the standard ATX exhaust fan. The PSU intake is perpendicular to that pre-existing, ideal airflow direction so will create turbulence. "Dual chamber" cases like the new Thermaltake CTE 700 are the best solution to PSU location.
really the problem is the hot air can't be evaluated from the top of the case. you really don't want to mount the radiator before any component. say like the front or bottom
Others manage to cable manage that case, I'd have thought with your experience it'll be easy, alas not, its an Air Cooled case obviously being touted for its positive pressure, yet you slap watercooling in it, not sure of serious tbh, your biggest complaints seems to stem from your ability and not the case itself.
If I wasn't getting the lian li o11 dynamic evo white edition, I would be looking hard at this case. I like the front design. Not a huge fan of the roof psu mount though. The included fan header expansion is nice.
The asymmetrical front "grate" is somewhat an eyesore, and that design is totally unnecessary. Plenty 'busier' looking than it needs to be. Fractal's simplicity is what makes their cases attractive, and this front grate is a negative for me.
If the PSU is mounted at the top wouldn't it suck in warm air radiating off of components inside the case? Also...(without water cooling) wouldn't the fans at the bottom, which are more powerful than those mounted on a GPU, blow the hot air back onto the GPU?
Love the case, even though I agree about the plastic might make it feel a bit cheap. I also feel like Fractal Design should rework their "radiator support" it often seems overly enthusiastic with their claims.
The first thing I did, sorry if you read this fractal... For cable management is remove the plastic, "cable guides" gave another 1mm of space.. made a lot of difference..
This case is clearly designed for air cooled with afterthoughts for water cooling. Your addition of the fan in the rear is silly to me. You've got a wind tunnel already.
I'm a SFF junkie so this is just mental big for my tastes, but boy do I want to take a Dremel to this thing and get a 420 rad in the floor and a 360 (i.e. 180x2) rad in the front.
Debate it but it's hand down the best air flow case out there today closely followed by Lian Li Lancool 2 Mesh and Phanteks G500A Performance. I'd like to watch a direct comparison of the 3 beast.
I wonder how the setup would behave with air cooling (more popular) and most important - PSU Temps. I dont hing current solution is good. It looks like they made good ideas about the case into final project but beacuse of some rush, they completly ignored PSU breathe. With all that positive pressure, whole hot air will be pushed the nearest cutout - so to the back and where its being sucked - into PSU. I dont say its a bad case, but somehow all reviews say about GPU and CPU temps, but not about PSU temps. Thatas a bad sign - reviewers work as Fractal did.
Got a Torrent Compact (Black, Solid). IMHO, great case for air cooling. But, valid gripes here. ... The back side and PSU compartment needs a bit more room. (200mm modular PSUs are a very tight fit on top, and cable management can be challenging at times on the backside.) The fan header PCB and bottom rack mount fan (for the 140mms) not to useful. (Having 12v pins exposed on the PCB kind of bothers me a bit. And, the front to back air flow is so effective paired with an NH-D15 that the addition of the 140mms fans at the bottom doesn't seem necessary. Maybe these will help with a vertical mounted GPU? IDK.) Clearance for the CPU 1&2 headers is a bit tight. (This is a PITA really. First time I ever thought about reverse mouthing the headers on my mobo but did not want to go through all the effort of modding my case.) ... Not sure what's going on with the Vertical GPU Mount for Fractal Torrent kit, but it seems a little pricy and always out of stock. Lastly, the only thing that I really wanted for this case was an alternate Top Panel configuration that could support an internal 5.25" SATA device like a BR/DVD drive or a removable rack mount drive. ... Other than that, really happy with the quiet, air cooling performance on the Intel 13th Gen CPUs.
I wonder, what is the purpose of all 3 bottom fans, if you have strong front fans? Except disturbing airflow ofc. It could´ve been 2x180mm front and 1x140mm back, with bottom left only as optional. PSU cage should have the ability to turn the PSU upwards as well - semipassive or fully passive PSUs won´t be happy about sucking hot air from the case, especially semipassive PSUs with fan curve set by output power and not internal temperature. I also can imagine having optional mounts for 2 HDD´s on the bottom inside of the case and not behind the backplate. Any 7200rpm HDD will burn there alive, but many 5400rpm HDD´s won´t be well too. There is still possibility for this, with Fractal Multibracket Type A, unfortunately, even with this type of bracket you can fit only 2 HDD´s due to the shape of holes (they´re not centered). Or simply switch mounting positions for HDDs with positioning for SSDs. I think the designers went wild and engineers were left to "just make it work", while pulling all their hair out.
I think Leo is right on this one, yes, this is a brilliant case for a fully air-cooled system, but it's lacking with its liquid cooling support, and these who are in the market for such high-end case are surely using an AIO, which can only be mounted at the bottom or front, both bad options
I was looking at getting this case but the cable management problem has made my mind up and the Corsair 5000D or the NZXT 510 flow or the Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo are now topping the list. A shame as I love the look of this unit but a number of reviewers have all had the same issue. Hard to believe that such a schoolboy error has been designed into this build. It amazes me how many would be buyers will throw their money at other cases and manufacturers because of this issue.
I like your videos, but I just built a computer with this case and your cable management job was a joke. I had no issues whatsoever. Try feeding some of that excess cable from the cpu power back into the power supply enclosure, there is heaps of room there.
The included cooling seems like a good fit for most users, in part to blow on the gpu. I feel the choice to do this build with the loop was a poor choice to highlight this case. You had cable management concerns, yet utilized the molex power cable from the fully modular power supply. I can only assume you needed that for the loop. Without the loop perhaps cable management may have been easier. Also you took the time to install the RGB fans in the front of the case but didn’t give us a full front view to see them. I’ve seen them in the black case but was hoping to see it here.
That unusual front panel hides the lighting at pretty much any angle aprt from head-on. You can see that clearly here: www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/fractal-design-torrent-review/
If they putted some holes below the power supply cage the fan of power supply will also participate in exhaust and I think the thermal performance will be better.
Wendell shows that you can install a security screw when you move the case around (one on each side). They looked on the small side to me and it seemed unfair to stress them with a bunch of cables however they may well have done the trick.
I think the idea with that case, and from what I've seen of other builds is that to make the cable room work you basically shove as much of the cables as you can in front of the psu and only feed down what you need to reach the component. Though there could be more room, I think fractal designed it around their own PSU's which except for the 24pin power use flat cables. So they might have purposely made it super tight for regular cables in order to get more people to look into their own psus.
Not convinced at all with the weird choices PSU on closed top, rads bottom, nonstandard fans... And too big, lots of plastic for the price And 80C with a watercooled 3900X isn't very good, mine don't hit 75C with same Alphacool 280mm, just added 2 P14s pull mode... Hey can you use it top down ? :D
here's hoping for a Torrent MK2 with 200mm fans and some more space for cable management. in my current case, the corsair 600Q, I have 2 hard drives and 4 SSD's and the lid closes just fine. but it's also 260mm wide, some of that goes to CPU cooler compatibility and the rest to the rear compartment
Figures, they put a proprietary fan size in and charge a fortune... The old school PSU location is a double edged sword. IE the low mounted ones pick up way more dust, but the high mounted PSUs always take in the massive heat from within the case, when the PC is under load, making it hard to keep the PSU cool under heavy loads. This is the first review of this case, that shows the pitfalls and now what a fantastic case it is. My Lian Li Lancool Mesh II or a Be Quiet Silent Base 802 would be better buys.
It's a case with fantastic cooling performance out of the box. Though I wonder why don't they provide just one exhaust fan to keep things cooler... Then again, even without the additional exhaust, the case is still moving a lot of air. I am thinking this fan is simply the go-to case for air cooling builds, but not for water cooling builds. The cable management space on the side of the case seemed to be very frustrating... Kinda disappointing considering that other cases with similar price bracket often provide spacious cable management options. If in the near future I decided to upgrade, this case will be on my wish list though. Unless any other case manufacturer decide to pick a novel approach.
@@basshead. SFF is thriving more than ever, especially as consoles are getting so big. If SFF was dead, why did Cooler Master spend so much time ripping off the Ncase M1? And given multi GPU is dead for gaming, integrated 2.5Gb and even 10Gb LAN is becoming common and onboard audio solutions are pretty respectable, who in their right mind would want a huge ATX case for 1 single, solitary add-in card? If anything should be dead (or dying) it should be ATX...
Certainly there is more space up top than anywhere else but it is horribly restricted behind the panel and the idea of installing multiple drives looks like a nightmare. Torrent is close to being right but really needs help in that department.
25 to 35 mm between a side panel and a horizontal motherboard mount is a bare minimum requirement (40 to 50mm is for better) for cable management even if using a modular PSU, as you invariably get 24 pin and PCIe cables that have surplus length. Cables with large current draws passing through them will heat up and extra space will allow that heat to dissipate without causing issues to components. Most of my PCs of old with reduced volume cases suffered with over heating issues of one form or another, space inside a cases is rarely wasted, volume of air is as important as flow rates in dissipating heat.
It's probably possible to mount a 360 rad on the bottom of the case if you place it below the fans. That should give you enough room for the water fittings.
I'm debating whether to return my Define 7 and get the Torrent. While the Define 7 definitely has inferior airflow, with replacement fans it isn't that bad. The Torrent is really nice, but it does seem a bit pricey considering how much plastic is used in the construction.
Cable management-wise, simply put, imho this isn't for (A)RGB stuff (and anyway I'd never use any, I also like they gave the possibility of a solid panel option). Also the unusual cable length of the stock fans makes cable mess worse, but in general the latest "vertical drives" thing is something I really dislike, it's always a mess. It's a nice case, but I guess I'll stick for a long time with my older Define R4 and Arc Midi..
Could you not have put a few of the cables up the top with the PSU. I'd say at least the EPS CPU power cable could have been bundled up there, ultimately I still agree though. I had similar issue with Meshify 2 Mid-Tower especially in HDD mode. I also think they should make there front panels deeper so you can move the fans in front of the main body (especially in the Meshify 2 but also hear) I do like the look of that front pane but I don't think that this is the case for me (since I use lots of HDDs)
does the white model come with ARGB capable fans?, i need RGB fans to come with the unit because its so expensive i don't want to discard the expensive fans it comes with it
Haha, that cable management. I have a different case, but I had to plan carefully where to cross thick cable like MB, and CPU and GPU power and I used masking tape to tape excessive cable all over the back plate. Not just into one trunk. With blue masking tape everywhere it looks ugly, but cables fit at least :)
You appreciate this is custom loop and not AIO. One big difference is that most AIO have the pump on the CPU block and generally speaking you do not want the pump at the highest point of the loop, however this not not a hard and fast rule ua-cam.com/video/m6d8RvmTTLI/v-deo.html
True, but look at the price point of this case. They are definitely targeting a specific crowd with it. Those who love watercooling and big ass aircoolers like the Thermasaiphon lol
PSU in the top with bottom fans shooting at the GPU seems like a good idea, amazed it's been so slow to come in. The GPU is the only part in my case that needs the extra cooling so im all for it, in 4-5 years on my next upgrade it's what ill look for. Edit PSU in top is optional I just hope for better airflow on GPU's, main stream CPU's today seem fine for cooling for normal people it's just GPU's with air coolers that hit the wall.
Update: Leo has taken second look at the Torrent, this time using a fully air cooled system. Did that change his opinion of the case? Find out here: bit.ly/3BCpyJQ
I hope you test again with a high end air cooler, along with the stock fans. No custom or AIO. Thanks!
I put one together, fully stock and dropped by 3900x from my BeQuiet DarkBasePro900rev2 (in which I'll stick a 5950x). The 3900x is showing nice cooling on the CPU with my Dark Rock Pro4 from BeQuiet. This is actually an amazing case for cooling. I'm just using the CPU really, particular CPU stuff I leave running 100% 24/7. So having excellent cooling only was my only real concern. Something I can leave and forget for days at a time. It's not super quiet (like I've gotten used to with the BeQuiet), but it's not annoying. But when I assemble the 5950x it'll go onto the desk in the BeQuiet and this Fractal will go across the room. I'm thinking of making wall mount brackets and putting my HEPA filter under it with the air directed up. It should reduce dust inside.
Oh, the airflow on this is awesome! I had a tissue paper I put near it on my desk and it sucked it right into the filter. It's gonna suck up ALL the dust on the desk...
I splurged for the RGB since I make this for art, and having the computer be a work of art is part of the 'thing' with me. I do 'fractal' art.... so it seemed right it be in a Fractal case.
I like this case for its great airflow. I'm also pretty sure I could cable manage this beast just fine. And btw, the stock fans are A+.
3:03 The front veins are not just there to guide air, they have two other functions: 1. If you print an image of Leo's head on the 180mm fans, he looks like he's trapped in the case. 2. When the fans are spinning, the veins combined with the fan RPM alters the printed image of Leo's head to look like he is stuck inside a tumble dryer. Ingenious art design, really.
'Vanes' rather than 'veins' however you make a fair point.
Hilarious
Watercooling is definitely not what this case is for but I'm glad it's there. The PSU issue is very strange. I guess it depends on the power supply. I've seen other reviewers able to stuff more cables in the top area making cable management easy in the back. I think they should consider adding a bit more room in the top in order to better accommodate most PSUs instead of a few. I really hope they keep going with this case and innovate more in future editions. It's a great option for people who love air-cooled builds but still want the option to water cool.
I see some molex cables in there, dont really know what for, maybe a not modular psu, man just did a poor job with cable managment i am guessing
more likely its designed for an aio in the front and then put the 2 180's in the bottom, blasting at your gpu.
Interested in a case like the Torrent? as always - we want to hear your thoughts!
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Start
00:15 Introduction and pricing
01:05 Case up close
02:44 Front panel / underside
03:41 Torrent Fan Brackets and fan positions
05:30 CPU cooling - looking at the options
08:57 180mm Fans and some braided cables
09:40 Power Supply install (in top)
10:20 System install
11:34 Cooling performance results
13:04 Pros and Cons
15:01 The big issue for Leo, explained in pictures
Beh, Plastic and almost 200€ here no way. the Lian Li Lan Cool 2 Mesh is mutch better for 109€ here and prob the best AIR Flow Case 2021 :>
Looks good, would get it if not for me having a meshify s2 already.
I think cable management can be addressed buy full custom cables.
Exact length and exact number of connectors. No excess cables and connectors.
My only issue is the front design, I feel it may be to easy to break them as they are only plastic and run long lengths, a few mistakes and they'll be d or whatever idk maybe I'm worrying to much
Did you include the disclaimer on the fan hub?
The cable management in this case is not an issue if you actually use cable ties and tie bases appropriately. There is loads of space in the cavity at the top in front of the power supply, even with a large PSU, in which you can hide the excess from all PSU cables. Route the fan cable excess along the tie points on the bottom where the audio cable follows and it's very easy to keep it neat and tidy.
I saw the new test and went back to see this one. I agree with you. It's quite fugly with air cooling installed into it. I also agree that a bit more space in the back would have benefitted this case greatly. I also think that back panel screw placement would cause headaches with the tiny screw falling into the case when you're trying to screw it in. Then you might be stuck lifting the case up and tilting it side to side to find the screw. Annoying.
The fan hub being recalled just adds more to it all. The hassle of having to wait for shipping for fear of shorting out your fans or worse just makes this not a case I would buy at the moment. If they kept the overall general design and fixed those issues in a second revision, it would likely be one of the better cases at its price range.
I agree with you.
I have this case in black, the rgb version and tinted glass on both sides. Loving it so far. And I must say I got it looking really good back there with standard PSU cables.
But then again I build industrial automation equipment for a living so I have allot of training perfecting cable management :)
Mine is air cooled
waiting for this case to arrive.. I was wondering what you went with in your build
@@daironbrunet3458 Asus ROG strix RTX 3080Ti OC GAMER 12G, AMD 5600X, ASUS ROG B550 GAMER board, 32 GB RAM CORSAIR VENGENSE, corsair psu 750w
@@CoolKD2005 cooler?
@@OfficialGundem Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4
Does your 5600x not bottleneck the 3080ti ?
Also, did you use a combination of regular zip ties and the Fractal cable loops and ties that come with the case or did you do something different? With your professional background, I wouldn't be surprised if you threw those things away and used your own preference of ties, or if you just kept it simple. I'm not above tearing mine down and re-managing the bird's nest of cables that no one will ever see.
love the vid, I think there is more than enough room for cable management though.
Thanks very much for another great review.
Jesus why do you have to put watercooling in everything
Well not quite everything however:
a) Many reviews will use a 240mm AIO so there's not much point going down that route unless it is pretty much the only option.
b) Most cases have specific support for water cooling. For example this Torrent has three options for adding a fill port up top and that is not intended to cater for either air cooling or AIO.
c) I like high end graphics cards to operate below 60 degrees C.
Bro acts like water cooling doesn’t require good air flow 💀
I like it, but it’s way too big for me. Something I’ve noticed on more recent Fractal cases is they seem to be opting for cheaper materials in places over some of their earlier cases. Like the plastic on the top here. You can’t argue with it I suppose, it’s all about volume and profit vs pricing. I like how easier their new side panel clips are but I think the rear panel should have the ability to screw in. It’s the same problem on all the new Fractals. One thing I will say about Fractal though, their customer service is second to none. They reply very quick and have always always helped me out. That’s why I continue to buy Fractal!
I'd rather have a better case and cable management than someone replying quickly since this day and age NO ONE is replying quickly. Fix this mess Fractal !!!!
Got the Torrent Compact. The obvious problem with the case is cable management. But even then the problem I had was more to do with CPU power cables being really hard to manage under the power supply up in that corner..
The "tooles" panels that feels cheap since they are hard or to easy to get off when you are not trying to get them off. I mean the top panel I have accidentally pushed off so many times now. But all in all the case is still really nice. And the plastic top and front is more to do with giving the rounded shape and such. You can not make metal look like that without it being costume and really expensive. So the top and front I can forgiven for the looks alone. Even if metal beats plastics. But then we go back to black boxes of booring.
If they ditch the tooless (hand screws are so much better) improved the mounting of panels and somehow made it easier to move the case (really hard to handle this cases) they pretty much are the best air cooled cases possible. Even if plastic feels cheap and bad. I think that Factual have done it more to give the look of the case rather then saving money.
Compact sacrificing cable management for CPU cooler height. Just dum innocent faults that they can improve on. They fixed the Torrent faults with the side panels being able to screw down quite easy. And even now I got the "compact" and have to cable around my decision I can not really fault it on cable management that hard. Outside of the 12V to the CPU. A small hole at the top to pass the cable and then do a 180 turn without it looking bad? It is to tight between the motherboard and PSU! Normal Torrent having problems with cables? Are you drunk? Or trying to Water cool a air case..
slap in a Noctua NH-D15 and call it a day. no need for any water-cooling crap
Just as I thought, did Steve, TTL, or Wendell have cable management issues? It was pointed out things were tight, Wendell's was a bit messy, but on the whole if you don't take the time it'll be a crime.
Everybody can have a different opinion, but this is more like constructive criticism. Which is long-time forgotten and by current "social network" generation is considered as the same as "hating" or "disliking" the product.
This is actually the same issue many Fractal Meshify 2 compact users have. The cable management must be really, REALLY tight for the panel to stop falling off.
IMHO, i don´t think this sort of "convenient panel removal" is good thing. Imagine moving the case around in your hands, when the panels might fall off at any moment. The panels should always have the possibility of being secured with thumbscrews. Ball catch mechanisms will also wear out over time - how´d you replace them?
This sort of approach directly creates more waste, as the case will be useful for like 3 years at most. I have my current PC case for almost 6 years and i lost count of how many times did i remove the side panels - the case is Phanteks Enthoo Pro and both panels still hold as on brand new case. Having one of these for 6 years, by now i´d also have to use tape to secure both panels.
@@Morpheus-pt3wq Not a problem I've seen in the other reviews of this case. If I have similar issues, i'll get back to y'all.
in this case, the psu cables puled up into the space in front of the psu, esp that 24-pin bulk, the rest will be much thinner cables (sata, usb, fans, etc), as Patrick at GN had done. I do agree with Leo, the side panel needed a bit more clearance.
@@Zarcondeegrissom Most other reviewers commented it was tight; most other reviewers didn't have a problem with that, they paid more attention.
As Steve from GN noted, "We found that Fractals tie points allowed us to manage cables cleanly, but it is not a case that forgives laziness in this area."
I think that just about sums it up. The gripe regarding the cable management is an user error rather than being a problem of the product.
Update: I have done a build on this myself. Did not run into cable management problem.
Love Leo! ❤️
Same here. Love his honesty.
we love him too ❤️
This case is clearly not a good choice for a custom loop. It seems strange to not test the stock setup and make an unsuitable build for the case. There's not even a word on the front button click quality.
When you say stock set-up, do you mean the supplied 180mm fans or the addition of a rear fan? The two RGB 180mm fans have the same spec as the original non-RGB. As for 'button click', yes the buttons click.
@@KitGuruTech Fans at bottom providing air for an air cooled GPU (and air cooled CPU), and the massive flow from the front supplying a CPU air cooler. The 5 intake fans will force the air out the back. That's how other channels have tested it, and they all have very positive conclusions about the case, giving it the likes of special award and best case of 2021.
By water cooling it, you have negated what is especially good about this case.
@@Safetytrousers Fractal gives plenty of detail about the options for installing water cooling setups and includes three openings for fillports. The configuration used in this review is absolutely in line with Fractal's recommendations. Naturally we have no idea how other review sites will configure the Torrent but we can guess they will go for an air cooler or AIO on the CPU and an air cooled graphics cards so it seems reasonable to offer a different take on things. Quite why anyone would buy a case this large and then leave their £1,000 graphics card to struggle with an air cooler is a vexed question. RTX 3080 at 51 degrees C for the win.
@@KitGuruTech Despite it making some provision for watercooling I would suggest there are far better options if a custom loop is your intention.
Certainly, air flow for air cooled components, is what makes this case appealing.
@@Safetytrousers the case has a pair of 180 fans in the front, a trio of 140 fans in the bottom, massive air channels in the front and a practically open rear panel. There is literally no point testing the air cooling capabilities of this case, it's blindingly obvious it's going to be great.
And if every other review site is focussing on air cooling, then it's even more appropriate that Leo thinks outside of the box and covers Fractal's other cooling options.
Need a compact version
Thanks. This is extremely valuable. I have a 420 radiator and not fitting my case very well. I was going to buy this case and plan to put it on bottom. But seems this is not easily doable. I am using 420 xflow radiator.
All your points are valid, cannot disagree with those, but this case is really made for M2 SSD, a Dark Rock Pro 4 / NH-D15, a air cooled GPU and that's it. I am buying this case because my next Zen 4 built is going to be bare minimum. I am building a NAS for the rest inside my XL Define R2.
All you can do is get some Silverstone ultrathin SATA cables, not cheap, get some sleeved sata extensions and tie the data cables together to hide away letting the extensions finally the work, and one thing I like doing is a circle, so you make a circle with the wire bringing it to the length needed then kinda find a tie off point or just tie with a cable tie to the length needed.
Glad you tested it again with air cooling. What would one even consider water cooling/AIO in a case advertised for air cooling.
This case is so obviously aimed at air users hence the 2 x180 front fans etc. but, all these reviewers keep trying to put radiators in it lol. The clue is even in the name.
Liquid cooling systems also beneffit from good airflow. Our RTX 3080 was running at 51 degrees C!
@@KitGuruTech I'm aware of that. I wasn't having a go at anyone just find it a little comical.
I just put 3900x system into one a few days ago.... I am VERY surprised at how stable the CPU temps are now, and how the M.2s in the motherboard have gone down a good 5-7C! Even the SSD is staying cooler. But yes, it's a bit tight around there. And they have nice cable run brackets, but I think they kind of just add to the bulk. The plethora of tie-down spots is handy. Twist ties slip in and hold things well.
Hate to point out the obvious and I don't even have one of these cases but I don't suppose it crossed your mind to leave the excess psu cables at the top of the case in front of the psu mounting area instead of bunching them up as big as possible on the rear side.
CPU power cable for example has been run down to the 24pin cable area only to be run back up to the top of the motherboard, to be perfectly frank it has no business being run that way yet you've bunched it with the 24pin cables excess trying to create some sort of issue that doesn't really exist, very strange.
It is very strange. I just switched to this case last week. There is plenty of space for cable management in this case. Most of my power cables are stored in the space at the top next to my PSU. I don’t use cable extenders, though. Maybe that’s why I don’t get the con.
@@derrickf8053 there is no con, he remade the vid and installed everything correctly, there was loads of room as you said, he just wanted to put a downer on the case for no reason, his the only reviewer I've herd say a bad thing about it.
Who mounts rad at the bottom?.. I love the Look best looking Case to me so far..
Presumably the people who usually install a rad in the roof, but as Torrent does things differently it might be time for a change.
@@KitGuruTech Wont it be bad if it were to be at the bottom? I think i saw some video regarding "air bubbles" or something.. and i havent seen a build like that tho.. btw if mounted at the bottom would it hit those vertical bracket for gpus?.. and this is an expensive case
Agree. It would have to be front mounted for me.
@@KitGuruTech Also another reviewer made note that either using the big fans on the bottom or adding a radiator blocks off the lower cable pass through slots for the motherboard cables. Think this has some good ideas but needs further revising before it is ready for prime time.
Also with all of the plastic instead of metal used in its construction this is more of a case that should be in the sub $150 price range and only that high because of the included fans.
Who buys an air cooling case with the intent of water cooling?
"That is problematic." Dude, that's on you. LOL.
If you remove the top panel there are screw holes to secure the side panels.
There are indeed but they are rather small and more like back-up security devices than the usual thumbscrews we know and love.
Beautiful case, with a not so beautiful price.
Eh. Having zero options for fans/radiators up top makes it pretty limiting. Not sure why they went with the PSU up top. They gradually got moved to the bottom over the years for good reasons. For that price, I'd expect a lot more.
My first impression, it's a strange case, but maybe works instead of trying hard to be unique. Watching your review I was really dissapointed with things Fractal used to be excellent at: overall ergonomy like access to dust filters or cable management. Plastic top cover however quality or nice looking is, isn't adequate in this price range. It feels like another time Fractal tries hard to push something pricey for just looking different, last time was with Vector, but maybe this time aiflow justifies that.
plastic top for 180$? no thanks
I tought my 5 minutes cable management was bad, but this guy who is a reviewer seems like a disaster. Just push the cpu power cable inside the power suppply area, there's enough space there for all the big cables. What would he have done with the other case, the fractal torrent compact, which is really bad with the cables. Also people who spend 250 euros on this case, as most will buy the full rgb one, kinda run ssd only systems.
Been considering upgrading to the compact version of this case, but that cable management is truly shocking. I'll stick with my 4000D AF.
its more a him problem then a case problem, given many other reviews.
I was going to fork out for a fancy new case, but bought a new MORA Radiator for the same price, function over form I say
I love mine, easy to build in and there's only one maybe two things I would have made optional. I used the stock RGB fans and ordered one to go at the back of the case for added exhaust. Mine is air-cooled (Peerless Assassin) sitting on a Ryzen 7 7500x.
Is it me or does he seem pissed and rushed? It’s like he hates fractal
Hate Fractal? You're kidding, right? ua-cam.com/video/ICt_F9hMXk4/v-deo.html
I'm definitely a fan of not having the PSU below the GPU as it opens up the possibility of having fresh air blowing straight into the GPU fans.
But returning the PSU to it's traditional position isn't a great solution either as it's intaking the hot exhaust from the CPU and interfering with the passage of air there :/
Honestly think I would cut up that top plastic cover or at least make some massive holes in it so could have that PSU intaking fresh exterior air.
Silverstone had some cases like that in the past, the F04 is inverted but has as you describe PSU at top with fan facing upwards.
It would be exhausting the radiating cpu air out the back.
PSU won’t run hot, cooling the cpu and allowing more airflow on your gpu.
@@JordanG2024 Turbulent air is less efficient. A tower CPU cooler directs air strictly front-to-back and so does the standard ATX exhaust fan. The PSU intake is perpendicular to that pre-existing, ideal airflow direction so will create turbulence.
"Dual chamber" cases like the new Thermaltake CTE 700 are the best solution to PSU location.
really the problem is the hot air can't be evaluated from the top of the case. you really don't want to mount the radiator before any component. say like the front or bottom
Others manage to cable manage that case, I'd have thought with your experience it'll be easy, alas not, its an Air Cooled case obviously being touted for its positive pressure, yet you slap watercooling in it, not sure of serious tbh, your biggest complaints seems to stem from your ability and not the case itself.
What a dogs breakfast that cable management was
If I wasn't getting the lian li o11 dynamic evo white edition, I would be looking hard at this case. I like the front design.
Not a huge fan of the roof psu mount though. The included fan header expansion is nice.
awww... too bad leo didn't try to fit the 420 in the front :(
fractal's cable management space in the back is a shiet show /facepalm
The asymmetrical front "grate" is somewhat an eyesore, and that design is totally unnecessary.
Plenty 'busier' looking than it needs to be. Fractal's simplicity is what makes their cases attractive, and this front grate is a negative for me.
Interesting, the Black torrent with dark TG, has TG on the backside too!
If the PSU is mounted at the top wouldn't it suck in warm air radiating off of components inside the case? Also...(without water cooling) wouldn't the fans at the bottom, which are more powerful than those mounted on a GPU, blow the hot air back onto the GPU?
Love the case, even though I agree about the plastic might make it feel a bit cheap. I also feel like Fractal Design should rework their "radiator support" it often seems overly enthusiastic with their claims.
15:20 That expression when he looks into the camera after opening :P
I am in love with this case specially the white
well this is air and aio cooling case - going custom? you DEF want something bigger, of course.
Also - this case not being wider (and a little taller) is just more epic case-design fail.
The first thing I did, sorry if you read this fractal...
For cable management is remove the plastic, "cable guides" gave another 1mm of space.. made a lot of difference..
This case is clearly designed for air cooled with afterthoughts for water cooling. Your addition of the fan in the rear is silly to me. You've got a wind tunnel already.
I'm a SFF junkie so this is just mental big for my tastes, but boy do I want to take a Dremel to this thing and get a 420 rad in the floor and a 360 (i.e. 180x2) rad in the front.
They could have made it about 12 mm wider to improve the cable managing.
Debate it but it's hand down the best air flow case out there today closely followed by Lian Li Lancool 2 Mesh and Phanteks G500A Performance. I'd like to watch a direct comparison of the 3 beast.
Wonder how many AiO cooler users are going to mount the radiator at the bottom of the case now...
What case would you recommend instead of this one?
I wonder how the setup would behave with air cooling (more popular) and most important - PSU Temps. I dont hing current solution is good. It looks like they made good ideas about the case into final project but beacuse of some rush, they completly ignored PSU breathe. With all that positive pressure, whole hot air will be pushed the nearest cutout - so to the back and where its being sucked - into PSU. I dont say its a bad case, but somehow all reviews say about GPU and CPU temps, but not about PSU temps. Thatas a bad sign - reviewers work as Fractal did.
Got a Torrent Compact (Black, Solid). IMHO, great case for air cooling. But, valid gripes here. ... The back side and PSU compartment needs a bit more room. (200mm modular PSUs are a very tight fit on top, and cable management can be challenging at times on the backside.) The fan header PCB and bottom rack mount fan (for the 140mms) not to useful. (Having 12v pins exposed on the PCB kind of bothers me a bit. And, the front to back air flow is so effective paired with an NH-D15 that the addition of the 140mms fans at the bottom doesn't seem necessary. Maybe these will help with a vertical mounted GPU? IDK.) Clearance for the CPU 1&2 headers is a bit tight. (This is a PITA really. First time I ever thought about reverse mouthing the headers on my mobo but did not want to go through all the effort of modding my case.) ... Not sure what's going on with the Vertical GPU Mount for Fractal Torrent kit, but it seems a little pricy and always out of stock. Lastly, the only thing that I really wanted for this case was an alternate Top Panel configuration that could support an internal 5.25" SATA device like a BR/DVD drive or a removable rack mount drive. ... Other than that, really happy with the quiet, air cooling performance on the Intel 13th Gen CPUs.
I wonder, what is the purpose of all 3 bottom fans, if you have strong front fans? Except disturbing airflow ofc.
It could´ve been 2x180mm front and 1x140mm back, with bottom left only as optional. PSU cage should have the ability to turn the PSU upwards as well - semipassive or fully passive PSUs won´t be happy about sucking hot air from the case, especially semipassive PSUs with fan curve set by output power and not internal temperature.
I also can imagine having optional mounts for 2 HDD´s on the bottom inside of the case and not behind the backplate. Any 7200rpm HDD will burn there alive, but many 5400rpm HDD´s won´t be well too. There is still possibility for this, with Fractal Multibracket Type A, unfortunately, even with this type of bracket you can fit only 2 HDD´s due to the shape of holes (they´re not centered). Or simply switch mounting positions for HDDs with positioning for SSDs.
I think the designers went wild and engineers were left to "just make it work", while pulling all their hair out.
I think Leo is right on this one, yes, this is a brilliant case for a fully air-cooled system, but it's lacking with its liquid cooling support, and these who are in the market for such high-end case are surely using an AIO, which can only be mounted at the bottom or front, both bad options
Actually you can switch the fans and bracket if you know where the screws are and can fit a radiator in the front after switching as Leo showed.
I was looking at getting this case but the cable management problem has made my mind up and the Corsair 5000D or the NZXT 510 flow or the Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo are now topping the list. A shame as I love the look of this unit but a number of reviewers have all had the same issue. Hard to believe that such a schoolboy error has been designed into this build. It amazes me how many would be buyers will throw their money at other cases and manufacturers because of this issue.
I like your videos, but I just built a computer with this case and your cable management job was a joke. I had no issues whatsoever. Try feeding some of that excess cable from the cpu power back into the power supply enclosure, there is heaps of room there.
how is this plastic case more expensive than a Lien li aluminum case?
Leo, the upstaged irritation upon seeing the case from Fractal
The included cooling seems like a good fit for most users, in part to blow on the gpu. I feel the choice to do this build with the loop was a poor choice to highlight this case. You had cable management concerns, yet utilized the molex power cable from the fully modular power supply. I can only assume you needed that for the loop. Without the loop perhaps cable management may have been easier. Also you took the time to install the RGB fans in the front of the case but didn’t give us a full front view to see them. I’ve seen them in the black case but was hoping to see it here.
That unusual front panel hides the lighting at pretty much any angle aprt from head-on. You can see that clearly here:
www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/fractal-design-torrent-review/
If they putted some holes below the power supply cage the fan of power supply will also participate in exhaust and I think the thermal performance will be better.
There are holes in the bottom of psu deparment. That is how the psu get air!
At time stamp 8:20 on the Level1Techs review, they point out that under the PSU cover there is are tabs to secure the backside panel on.
Wendell shows that you can install a security screw when you move the case around (one on each side). They looked on the small side to me and it seemed unfair to stress them with a bunch of cables however they may well have done the trick.
Fractal Design Torrent or Phanteks Enthoo Evolv , which one should I choose, for 4 fans 140mm and aio liquid 360mm?
I think the idea with that case, and from what I've seen of other builds is that to make the cable room work you basically shove as much of the cables as you can in front of the psu and only feed down what you need to reach the component.
Though there could be more room, I think fractal designed it around their own PSU's which except for the 24pin power use flat cables. So they might have purposely made it super tight for regular cables in order to get more people to look into their own psus.
First of all I would I like to say that this is awesome review.... So Sir what is the especification of the Ek quantum ? I mean the measurement..
It's being recalled for a manufacturing defect in the fan hub.
Might be nice for an all air cooled build the black case with a NH-D15 Chromax Black with all Chromax fans non rgb build maybe
Yep with 2 180mm fans it feels like it was designed for air cooling
Not convinced at all with the weird choices PSU on closed top, rads bottom, nonstandard fans...
And too big, lots of plastic for the price
And 80C with a watercooled 3900X isn't very good, mine don't hit 75C with same Alphacool 280mm, just added 2 P14s pull mode...
Hey can you use it top down ? :D
Is that 75C temp on your Ryzen 9 while running Cinebench R23 or some other stress test?
@@KitGuruTech cinebench indeed, or just burning it with Kombustor for 15 min
With 26c ambient P600S open top& front I'm even at max 71C on Cinebench
Like the idea, but I don't see myself using it. I am already used to the PSU at the bottom and cable routing at the back seems awkward to me.
here's hoping for a Torrent MK2 with 200mm fans and some more space for cable management.
in my current case, the corsair 600Q, I have 2 hard drives and 4 SSD's and the lid closes just fine.
but it's also 260mm wide, some of that goes to CPU cooler compatibility and the rest to the rear compartment
Figures, they put a proprietary fan size in and charge a fortune...
The old school PSU location is a double edged sword. IE the low mounted ones pick up way more dust, but the high mounted PSUs always take in the massive heat from within the case, when the PC is under load, making it hard to keep the PSU cool under heavy loads.
This is the first review of this case, that shows the pitfalls and now what a fantastic case it is. My Lian Li Lancool Mesh II or a Be Quiet Silent Base 802 would be better buys.
14:40 The plastic everywhere at the price throws me off. I'm really interested in this case however, my phanteks p600s feels like a tank.
At $200 with a glass side, I'd imagine at least mostly aluminum, the plastic top is okay. But for the base makes wary.
P600s is still a beast, shame it didn't get much coverage at all.
@@darkmanure It did by a few channels. I really like it.
I love my P600s. Amazing case and a dream to build in.
It's a case with fantastic cooling performance out of the box. Though I wonder why don't they provide just one exhaust fan to keep things cooler... Then again, even without the additional exhaust, the case is still moving a lot of air. I am thinking this fan is simply the go-to case for air cooling builds, but not for water cooling builds.
The cable management space on the side of the case seemed to be very frustrating... Kinda disappointing considering that other cases with similar price bracket often provide spacious cable management options.
If in the near future I decided to upgrade, this case will be on my wish list though. Unless any other case manufacturer decide to pick a novel approach.
Come on fractal. We want a SF case.
SFF is pretty much dead. Even gaming consoles are big now.
@@basshead. i disagree. Not everybody wants a big case.
@@basshead. SFF is thriving more than ever, especially as consoles are getting so big. If SFF was dead, why did Cooler Master spend so much time ripping off the Ncase M1?
And given multi GPU is dead for gaming, integrated 2.5Gb and even 10Gb LAN is becoming common and onboard audio solutions are pretty respectable, who in their right mind would want a huge ATX case for 1 single, solitary add-in card?
If anything should be dead (or dying) it should be ATX...
Couldn't you cram some of those unused cables behind the PSU?
Certainly there is more space up top than anywhere else but it is horribly restricted behind the panel and the idea of installing multiple drives looks like a nightmare. Torrent is close to being right but really needs help in that department.
25 to 35 mm between a side panel and a horizontal motherboard mount is a bare minimum requirement (40 to 50mm is for better) for cable management even if using a modular PSU, as you invariably get 24 pin and PCIe cables that have surplus length. Cables with large current draws passing through them will heat up and extra space will allow that heat to dissipate without causing issues to components. Most of my PCs of old with reduced volume cases suffered with over heating issues of one form or another, space inside a cases is rarely wasted, volume of air is as important as flow rates in dissipating heat.
It's probably possible to mount a 360 rad on the bottom of the case if you place it below the fans. That should give you enough room for the water fittings.
Good way to kill the pump.
@@TheSjuris as long as the pump isn't the highest part in the loop it should be OK. This can be accomplished if you loop the tubing above the pump.
Seriously why people would bother using AIO in this case, this is stupid
I'm debating whether to return my Define 7 and get the Torrent. While the Define 7 definitely has inferior airflow, with replacement fans it isn't that bad.
The Torrent is really nice, but it does seem a bit pricey considering how much plastic is used in the construction.
The Define 7 is a nicer case IMO. But depends what you want to do with it.
You get about £90 worth of fans, hence the price.
280 for cpu and gpu? bad idea
Cable management-wise, simply put, imho this isn't for (A)RGB stuff (and anyway I'd never use any, I also like they gave the possibility of a solid panel option). Also the unusual cable length of the stock fans makes cable mess worse, but in general the latest "vertical drives" thing is something I really dislike, it's always a mess. It's a nice case, but I guess I'll stick for a long time with my older Define R4 and Arc Midi..
oh my God you need help with that cable management. but I understand that after you build and rebuild case after case, it tends to burn you out.
120mm maximum fan size at rear?
Could you not have put a few of the cables up the top with the PSU.
I'd say at least the EPS CPU power cable could have been bundled up there, ultimately I still agree though. I had similar issue with Meshify 2 Mid-Tower especially in HDD mode.
I also think they should make there front panels deeper so you can move the fans in front of the main body (especially in the Meshify 2 but also hear)
I do like the look of that front pane but I don't think that this is the case for me (since I use lots of HDDs)
does the white model come with ARGB capable fans?, i need RGB fans to come with the unit because its so expensive i don't want to discard the expensive fans it comes with it
Haha, that cable management. I have a different case, but I had to plan carefully where to cross thick cable like MB, and CPU and GPU power and I used masking tape to tape excessive cable all over the back plate. Not just into one trunk. With blue masking tape everywhere it looks ugly, but cables fit at least :)
I've never seen anyone put an AIO radiator on the bottom
You appreciate this is custom loop and not AIO. One big difference is that most AIO have the pump on the CPU block and generally speaking you do not want the pump at the highest point of the loop, however this not not a hard and fast rule ua-cam.com/video/m6d8RvmTTLI/v-deo.html
Looks nice but it's august 2021 and still no vertical GPU support by default!
I would have like to see an 360 AIO as it is more likely what gamers would use. It's only the top 1% that use custom build cooling.
True, but look at the price point of this case. They are definitely targeting a specific crowd with it. Those who love watercooling and big ass aircoolers like the Thermasaiphon lol
Does a AX1600i fit?
Bit of a sloppy routing, dont you think Guru?
PSU in the top with bottom fans shooting at the GPU seems like a good idea, amazed it's been so slow to come in.
The GPU is the only part in my case that needs the extra cooling so im all for it, in 4-5 years on my next upgrade it's what ill look for.
Edit PSU in top is optional I just hope for better airflow on GPU's, main stream CPU's today seem fine for cooling for normal people it's just GPU's with air coolers that hit the wall.
Depends on how you want to cool your pc. Fine for air cooling that way, but limited for every other way.
It is a nice looking case. I just recently switched to a Phanteks P600s - I think if the Torrent was available a month ago I would have gone with it.
Nah, P600S is a premium case. This isn't.
A lot of plastic for that price
5 fans included, pretty nice. Top PSU imo looks way cleaner than having a PSU basement setup. Would like to see a revamped Nano tho.
could've just as easily removed the front fans and brackets placed the rad in the bottom then mount it all up
you have like 1.5litres of space underneath the top cover and you complain about space for cable management!? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣