Fractal Define R6 Case Review: Finally, Something Decent
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- We review the new Fractal Define R6 case, featuring an R6 build, thermals, noise, and cable management testing.
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Our review of the Fractal Design Define R6 case, primarily compared versus the H500P, H700i, S340 Elite, and Be Quiet! Dark Base cases. The Fractal Define R6 gets a full CPU & GPU temperature/thermal benchmark in our review, alongside the usual suite of noise and acoustics testing. We look to see if the Fractal Define R6 is the quietest PC case (or not), and test it versus nearby competition in price. The enclosure is the successor to the popular Fractal Define R5 enclosure, which has long been heralded as one of the best cases for PC builds on the market. Let's see if the R6 reclaims that title.
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Host, Test Lead: Steve Burke
Testing: Patrick Lathan
Video: Andrew Coleman
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What are the measurements of the front side vents? Wondering how they compare to the Define S.
"No Front Panel" does that mean the entire front panel off or just the door off? Asking because with just the door off the case still looks awesome. Also with the top off is that everything off the top or just the panel?
while this is one of the better cases, wouldn't it make sense to increase the front panel vents by 1/2 inch or more and then totally rock thermals given the target audience, which is silent simple design?
Dear GN , can you kindly from now one post the link to Alibaba supplier of all these PC cases, so that finally we can get case manufacturers step up the game into selling decent quality stuff instead of this usual Chinese 20 dollars cases that are marked up one million percent?!...please do not get me wrong,,,Case manufacturers do need to be profitable and what they mark up as long as it sells it is fine...but what is not fine is that they selling the same stuff over and over and over for years now...while i think they should be at least 10 years or more ahead in pc case design and quality and features...why do we still need to see 1980 paint, 1980 steel and 1980s plastic? why do we have to be pushed 20 30 dollars stuff at appalling prices that is obsolete even before it is manufactured?!...please if you do want to wish to make cases become better just post the ALIBABA link for these cases that are sold there so case manufacturers will move on into making something new and better that suits contemporary computers rather than end of 1900s ones
dat mat
Decent in these reviews is basically god tier in case you’re new here
Hey this isn't your channel ;)
I am new here. And as I was looking at these numbers and listening to what he was saying that is exactly what I was thinking lol. Just bought this case, awesome review.
"in case" got it?
It's a sad day when "not garbage" is a compliment
A lot of the PC world is that way. OKish at an OKish price or pretty good at a crazy price.
Ryzen is about as good as it gets for $ : performance.
jlrockafella you Intel is also older and can be hard to find parts for or you know a 2600 would be the best bang for buck. And gaming and Xeon there's a lot of different jobs ryzen can do rather then just game like threadripper having more pcie lanes or r3/5/7 being cheaper then the competitive Intel in many work loads. Ryzen is actually the best new price to performance.
"It's a sad day when "not garbage" is a compliment"
Yup... No shit.. A sad day indeed...
yeah this guy is bitter af.
the funny thing is gamers fall for the trash on the market. thats why they keep pumping it out
The not garbage category of cases is my favourite.
"Decent - Gamers Nexus 2017" printing on the box incoming :D
yes!
High praise
ua-cam.com/video/0kjtbp_7j3U/v-deo.html nsfw (f word)
ua-cam.com/video/JZdG07NgBWo/v-deo.html sfw
*Decent*
"Not garbage"
someone need to make it happen
Owner of a Define R5 here! I think some more attention should be given to the door. What I tend to do on warm days/ long gaming sessions is just pop the door open to increase airflow. When not under heavy load, with the door closed, it is completely inaudible :)
R5 owner as well and I do pop open the front panel, especially because I have a highly oc'd cpu and an r9 390... But the case is amazing at noise suppression
Hah the coincidence! I've also got an OC'd 390 :) I live top floor in an old highrise building (student housing), so during summer it is basically a constant 30C+, even at night....so the flexible cooling was one of the reasons I got the case :)
R5 owner with 2600K at 4.4ghz cooled by a front mounted h115i with the door closed. It doesn't get over 60 degrees and fans speed ranges from 1000 rpm to 1300 rpm.
Saying that my msi gtx 1070 gaming x does get a little warm as it gets up to 78 degrees but I do have the side panel with the default fan as exhaust.
I have an 11 year old NZXT with door. I blast all fans 100% 24/7, don't care about noise, in fact i like the sound of the fans, especially when i sleep. I have always kept the door propped slightly. This case has ran oc systems on air for 11 years with one fan in the front, one in the back and a small 80mm in the door. Moving to 6 or 8 core this year will change that. but Best money spent. Same fans i put in it 11 years ago too.Also he tests at torture levels beyond normal usage and with stock retail fans ect. A few more fans in this case, or opening up some more airflow from the front with a saw and dremel like i will do will make thermals a zero point issue.
R4 owner here, replaced the fans with Noctua Redux NF P14s, a Darkrock 3 cooling a Ryzen 1600. Under a Furmark + AIDA64 load, my CPU maxed at 66c, and GPU at 72c... Under a gaming load, or re encoding video load, I don't think Ive ever seen the CPU get past 61c.
I love how quiet my system is when idling or browsing the web. Honestly the loudest part is my storage HDD, which I even have it "Bungee mounted" suspended in the 5 1/4" bay just because it was vibrating the HDD cage. (I seriously cannot wait for cheap 1TB SSDs.)
Also the PSU is fairly annoying. I'd love to replace it with a fanless or one that doesn't turn on its fans till whatever load my PC pulls at 100% usage.
Other "reviewers" are only words, their videos are just long-ass ads. GN gives measurements in controlled environment, something that actually helps with choosing a case. Thanks!
True. Then again, do you have your PC in a ´controlled environment? :D
It means that measurements of one case can be meaningfully compared to measurements of another.
While true, I think that the Hardware Canucks case reviews are pretty great in a different way. He tackles cases from the perspective of how nice they are to build in and how flexible the design is to facilitate different build styles. He may not cover thermals or noise in depth, but that's why I watch the GN reviews too.
I really value your channel. You cover hardware to a level I can't find anywhere anymore. Thank you for existing!
I think I can guess when the embargo for this case ended.
loool
Gamers Nexus: Finally, Something Decent
Rest of the internet:
THE BEST CASE OF 2017, THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER , FAV CASE, BEST CASE EVER.
Linus:
IJUSTINE’S UNBELIEVABLY NERDY STUDIO HOUSE - EXPOSED!
lmao
@@-eMpTy- thanks for your input man
@@mazajee Viranvaleague!
You know Gamers Nexus is savage when "Not Trash" is a complement.
We need more honest reviews. I think most reviewers are afraid to really be a savage fearing they will not get review samples in the future. So good on Steve for saying what is on his mind when it comes to product reviews.
@jake r, there is also the issue of other reviewers not properly testing things, which results in a lot of reviewers running the uninformed marketing hype train, the cooler master h500p is a great example, while gn not only showed how shit this case is, he even went further and showed how to improve it and then further to test the 200 mm fans to show, that even they are crap themselves compared to the noctua 200 mm ones for example, while other reviewers just went with the marketing of "wow high airflow great"
the point can be seen further at motherboards or graphics cards, where gn with help of buildzoid, not only does sound normalized testing of the cards, but also picks apart the vrm of mobos and graphics cards, again exposing possible extreme shortcomings, that other "reviewers" would just flatout ignore.
i gotta say thank fuck gamersnexus exists and grows 200k and rising! to be the sound of sanity in the tech industry for consumers but also directly for manufacturers.
Corsair H500p?!!! I'm sure Cooler Master would love to have Corsair take the flak for their crappy case.
@alexander mckay
corrected it, maybe it was subconscious, because i have a used corsair 900d and that's a really bad case, but nothing compared to the cooler master h500p potato
It's why his opinion is the only opinion I trust, he tells it like it is. You just can't trust any of the other reviewers to be unbiased.
Nexus approval = 10/10 for us :P
So it's OUTOFTHEBOX performance is not something you need to fix for its purpose.
A unicorn for 2017. Solid case.
other youtubers : BEST CASE EVER...GN: not sucky pupu!
Indeed. The very reason I only watched one review, this one.
@Serban and @MadFinnTech:
Because GN only focused on three parameters: Airflow, noise and temps (and arguably also build quality). And on those points, this case is arguably not the best. It is average. But is very silent.
But what this case has, compared to most others, is versatility. It does feature a 5.25" bay (I applaud that - if you don't need one, don't use it), it has a redundant 9-fan fan-controller, modular placement of drive caddies and the shroud. Extraordinary support for radiators. Full EATX support, and actually useful rubber gromits that aren't fully covered as soon as a mobo is installed.
Top that off with Fractal's heritage of being very easy to build in and having a really good cable management system. Not to mention how the panels are interchangeable on the left and right side.
The only gripe I have with this case is Fractal's new "DLC"-approach. Buy extra stuff to pimp out your case. Especially for that more modern front I/O-panel; 30 bucks extra to get USB-C 3.1 gen 2.. THAT is not good! You could also argue that the case lacks ability to be inverted, but personally I think all cases featuring that compromises on something else instead.
Wistbacka oh man I cringed at that DLC.
I think all did... We should probably start a petition to make Fractal change that. I mean IF they already made the new module, and IF they already knew from their marketing department that ppl want USB-C, why the heck did they not just use the USB-C variant?
Sure, more profit, but Fractal has never (imo) been that greedy. They have always seemed to put the customer and case functionality first. Their customer support is the best I have ever come across aswell!
Their costumer support is good to, I accidentally fucked up my 3.5 mm port. I send them and email with the question if I could get a new 3.5mm port thing which I could crew into the case again and they send me one (You had to give them a code which is located underneath the case on a stiker, so don't peel it off). It was from the define r4, the define r5 was already well released but I got the r4 second hand (It was basically new tho)
I thought I heard something loud, but I can see that's not the case.
... stop
Lol! Love it!
I actually laughed out loud, thanks ::D:D:D:DD
ty
I guess you're going full throttle with these puns!
I just built up a Define R6 Black, with Noctua D15 CPU fan, Morpheus II GPU heatsink with a single Noctua 12-15 thin fan. I'm using the cases supplied fan hub which is driven by the CPU fan out. It drives the two Noctua 150mm fans on the CPU heatsink with the low noise adapters, and I'm using the 3 x 140mm stock case fans. The GPU fan out drives the single Noctua fan attached to it. The PS is a Seasonic 750W Titanium Plus running in hybrid mode. It never needs a fan with the CPU and GPU maxed out. The temps are fantastic and the case is nearly silent. My 95W CPU at 100% on all 8 cores stays at 44C and my GPU at 100% stays at 59C door closed, 56C door open. This is a very well designed case. I'm loving it with a fully air cooled configuration.
Finally a very good case this year, Fractal nailed it imo.
I mean the ventilation is decent, the modular layout is awesome and the custom loop support is genius (yeah, you guessed it, I am the 5% doing custom loops).
The general layout is, in my opinion, almost perfect and it is just a worthy successor to one of the most popular cases on the market.
They are (sadly) the first ones to use those push-in-knob-thingys (my case uses, too... but sadly not for the glass) for the tempered glass panel and it works so well!
Also: Sverige FTW!
No RGB? I'm Sold! My R2 needs an refresh at this point. x)
I have the R4 and the build quality is fantastic. It's very quiet and looks minimalistic. Overall I'm quite happy with it, the only gripe I'd mention is that after a couple of years a tiny but noticeable sag of the top panel took place. You can see it if you put a round object on top of it or just by sliding your hand across it.
Hi guys,
Just to confirm, I have successfully mounted an 140MM EKWB CE in the back, 360MM EKWB PE in the TOP, and an 280MM EKWB CE in the front.
Everything just fits, the screws of the 360MM are almost touching the 280MM rad because EKWB uses ball shaped screw heads.
But it does work, and it works great!
From what I can tell you can even fit another 120MM PE in the bottom, but I didnt do this, so try at your own risk. Looks like plenty of space though.
As a PSU I am using a Corsair RM750x, so that PSU and a 120MM would work!
Enjoy builing in this awesome case!
Gamers nexus is my favourite tsundere
Piwi u mean Steve? or what
Nah, the whole gamers nexus vibe is tsundere. Steve is best girl.
Piwi :D gamers nexus is only channel i found that does this deep reviews and tests ...
just gamers nexus, JUST gamers nexus, just gamers nexus......
JUST GAMERS NEXUS
ok....
just gamers nexus :D
It looks like you can remove the top cover from the outside relatively easily based on Dmitri's review of it, he just grabbed the corner on the outside and it came off.
WayStedYou, Jays2cents review sample showed his actually popping the corner up and easily able to lift.
You sure love your opportunities to roast the H500p. That's okay, it roasts itself.
Lol. True. But that case is the most disappointing case this year. I mean, really... What the heck was cooler master and ther QC-dep thinking?...
Fuck I've just bought an R5 like a month ago.
Edit. Ok after I've watched the video entirely and Jay's video. I don't feel cheated anymore. I still prefer the R5 to this one.
Everything they changed is something that I don't care about. Vertical GPU mount, pointless unless you watercool it. That shroud that covers the PSU and the one that covers the HDDs is pointless to me since I've got the solid panel so I don't see inside my case at all.
Biggest problem with the R6 is that it doesn't come by default with the USB Type-C connector. You have to buy it as an add-on, WTF Fractal? The only reason I would even considering getting the R6 over the R5 is the front panel USB Type-C connector.
Second problem is that it's 40$ more, now understandable but the thing is that would be a problem at least for me. Since where I live they already charge about 180$ (some stores charge 200$) for the R5. So the R6 would be about 220$ if not more here no problem.
Honestly I'm glad I've bought the R5. The R6 doesn't have anything that interests me or makes the R5 irrelevant.
muiecopyright I have the R5. Very good case. No complaints except it could he quieter.. But that's just me being allergic to any kind of fan or coil whine noise.
I was just thinking if there were meaningful differences with the r5, and it turns out there aren't
muiecopyright sounds like buyer remourse
@nomadicnome Not really. After watching both videos and even watching HardwareCanucks's video I really don't want the R6 at all. The only thing that I would want from the R6 is the front panel USB Type-C, but that thing doesn't even come with the case. You have to buy it separately. So it's not really a plus to the case.
If I was going to buy a case right now and I had the possibly to pick between the R5 and R6, I would pick the R5, for me it's just a better overall case. Every person will have different tastes and different uses, but for me the R5 is better than this R6.
Still have my R5 "Black Obelisk". No windows, just a nice solid, black case. Going to be transferring my main build back into it soon. Decided to give lighting a try and have the Corsair 275R. It's a nice case, but I'm kinda over it with the lighting and glass, etc. I miss having a nice low key, stealthy build. I'm using "BeQuiet!" brand case fans, and even with the front door open, it's silent at idle, and whisper quiet at load.
The R5 is a solid case and was a pleasure to build in. I expect the R6 is the same.
17:03 you can recycle that a million times... and would still be hilarious! :D
Oh boy that one really caught me off guard .. after watching it half a dozen times, it still cracks me up, lol!
Bloody jump scare this bit was.... Just casually watching the video and then "BANG BANG"
Would love to see audio spectrum analysis once/if you guys get the setup for it! I love that you mentioned it, and I feel like not enough reviewers emphasize the significance that sort of thing.
Great review. Have a FD R4, pretty happy with it. Fractal Design know what they're doing when it comes to cases.
We'd like to see it as well. It's just a matter of figuring out how to do it properly, but we can figure it out. Thanks for letting us know your interest!
Now that there is a filter included for the top panel (unlike the Define R5 and Define S), popping the top is actually a good idea. I am looking forward to what they will come up with for the replacement of the S. Maybe they will even do a "Meshify" version of these.
It says "editor in chief" but we can shorten it to senpai.
Want to point out that if you replace the vertical gpu mount plates with modder's mesh and 2x 140mm fans in front side of the case it significantly reduces that pocket of heat and brings down thermals for the gpu by another 2-3 degrees.
Do you know why I want this one? a frickin 5.25 bay for my dvd drive.
Hardware Canucks: 2017 Case of the Year!
JayzTwoCents: Possibly the best mid-tower of 2017
Gamers Nexus: it doesn't suck
I sure do love the thermal and acoustic analyses .... you guys rock!
Neil Bertram lol
Got a Fractal R5, used it for my second build, probably gonna use it for third and fourth as well. Yes, Fractal is that good
Yeah wouldnt want to throw something like that away. Sturdy, well built should last for decades.
To anyone still using this case in 2023 with a top-mounted AIO, as obvious as it may seem removing the top noise dampening panel decreases temperatures significantly. I'm running an Artic LF II 420 on a 9900k and my CPU temps dropped 15c while also making the whole setup more silent because the rad fans aren't running at 100% trying to keep the damn thing cool.
So many reviews of this case in my sub box at the same time. I watched yours and yours only. Keep up the good work!
So this is the perfect silent pc case while working, but when gaming, you just have to open the front door and you are good to go for some heavy gaming :) . This is a ideal case ! Thanks for the review
For those who are new here, "Decent" is god-tier in layman terms in GN's universe.
Friggin love this channel.
I have the define r5 and r4 (both bought quite a while ago). I'm more or less happy with the aesthetic and noise properties. But they cut a few corners on my r5 which has pushed me to not default to them for my next case (and complain about them here).
1... The motherboard standoffs are quite possibly the devils invention - the painted soft O_o metal standoffs and sloppy thread tolerance allows the motherboard screws to bind very easily. so when you bind screw no 5 of 9 attaching your mb, and then go to unbind it, only for the standoff under the mb to unscrew from the case leaving you needing to competely remove the mb, unbind the screw and start again... until you get a perfect run on all 9. you get a little pissed at the rather expensive case... (In the end I used needle nose pliers to grip the end of the thread for the stand off through the backplate, a real rubbish thing to end up having to do).
2... The usb and audio jacks on the top of the case have no tapering, it's just sharp edge metal, which does not feel at all nice to attach accessories to.
I'm not sure if those issues are fixed in the r6 (though I have been told they haven't been).
I wonder if either of those were issues during this review?
Nice in depth review as usual.
I still have a define R3 and airflow was it's worst part, this is another world compared to mine.
I need to say you are really doing the best case reviews. With thermals, bad and good features. No false advertisement.
Steve, you are bit wrong about top Moduvent and button. I have AIO mounted up in there and screws push a little bit on it, so when I press button it just jumps up no need to open the case or whatever to push it out. I love this feature, it it makes it so easy to clean top mesh and have a look on the radiator to check for dust buildup. Same goes for bottom / front filter. It can be clearly seen that ease of use and accesibility was in mind while designing it. If you have no AIO up there, the only reason to remove it would be during cleanup, so got to open the case anyway so no problem there for me at all. Very useful feature, instead of multiple screws I just press one button. Hinged side panels, no need to hold them, just pop out and let them swing out.... I have vertical mounted RX 580 from Sapphire, regular layout with 1 extra 140mm fan in the bottom, it hits 68 degress Celcius with 25 ambient. Can`t complain :) I`ve had CM HAF 922 and Fractal R4 before R6, best case so far, so easy to work with and maintain dust free environment. My seal of approval for this piece of kit :)
P.S. during last heatwave 35-40 Celcius, just opened fully front door and removed glass side panel. Only when gaming though, and during that time noise is of no concern. :)
I actually finished a build in this case earlier this week. The button on the back, for my case at least, was very tactile and did not require going inside the case to lift it up. You, Steve, may have gotten a weaker spring.
I bought this case myself about the time you made this video, i instantly took the top panel off because i atleast had a changeable panel which was just to vent air out. also i got a 280mm AIO to front panel and switched the front panel fans on the top of the case to vent the hot air out. has been working pretty well since then.
One thing that o I would like to be pointed out is that front mesh cases tends to be full of dust with constant maintenance required and cases like this one deals better in dustier places
Out of the five reviews of this product that are side by side in my feed, I picked this first even though it was in the middle. You guys just have the best and most in depth stuff
This might be the best video review I've seen, in terms of thoroughness, candor and video presentation. Good stuff!
Couple of noctua fans at the top and remove top panel results in very good thermals. Low 30c in idle. 55-65c when under load.
perhaps one of the best reviews on youtube. as a non gamer this is the reason why i subbed.
technical no nonsense in depth review / explanation giving us the potential consumer the info we need to make an educated choice what else could you want from a channel. Together with Level1Tech this is my favourite channel. Manufactures should take note of this and support these intelligent channels! Thank god there is a growing part of society that wants substance over form content of noise.. that is not to say Gamers Nexus and Level1Techs don't do well in does areas ..ahhh you know what i mean.. Good Job GN keep up the good work
Hallelujah, a case that actually has a optical drive bay.
Who needs that? Haven't used a single disc in more than 6 years.
I'm very important and need you to know that I don't need an optical bay despite the fact that you clearly do. I'll also frame it with a question as if I'm confused about who could possibly have different needs to me, despite the fact that I'm replying to a post from a person who makes it clear that this feature is welcome to them. Look how clever I am!
It’s so underrated, love it
Front panel USB ports. That's what I use mine for.
Thank you for using sarcasm when not needed. Let's bring back firewire, molex connectors, PATA connectors, floppy drives, single slot VGA coolers etc, just because you need them. How about that? It's nearly 2018 and the rest of the users don't have to suffer, just because you still use old and obsolete tech. We need to let go of things, either if you want it or not. It took ages for cases NOT to have floppy bays. Should we bring them back, just because you still use them? Honestly, I really think that OP was trolling with his comment.
"There is no mesh on the front". Well there is if you open the front door.
OMG the H500p cutaway, I was looking down and the sound fucking scared the shit out of me. 10/10 best horror movie of the year.
I got an R4. I replaced all the fans with Noctua's, added 2x Noctua's to the top and it's whisper quiet compared to my NZXT H440...
Fractal make awesome cases. Great for home servers as they actually support a decent amount of drives. The build quality is always great too.
I've got one of these, here are some of my Top Tips -
Swap the Fractal GP fans for Noctua Reduxes, put 2 in the front, 2 in the floor, and one in the back, and boom, heat issue solved. I have a 1600 @ 4.05 Ghz with 1.35v and a H5 Universal CPU cooler with a Morpheus II on a Vega 56 @ 1660 Mhz ( AT 270 W, NEENER NEENER GN ) and thermals are *not* a problem at all.
15$ x 5 = 75$ dude :)
I have this case with a Z390m and RtX 2070 and love it, really quite System. This is my first new system, I’ve only played on hand down PCs that were bought with Windows XP. But tho it doesn’t have RGB which I wanted, but I guess airflow is more important, my aio cooler should replace that. Great review
I have the R3 case and it's the best case I've had so far. Quiet, good air flow, doesn't collect any dust inside. Will definitely buy another Fractal case when I upgrade.
Awesome review. You present the facts, with solid standardised data to back it up and not scared to say what needs to be said. You've gained a sub!
Because of you, Jayztwocents and Hardware Canucks, I pulled the trigger on this case. My current case is approximately 15 to 20 years old. The old look at it and you cut your fingers type case. 😬🤣
I am not a materialistic person, as long as it works, I keep things until they break. I am transferring my hardware now. I have been cleaning and dusting everything before I transfer the hardware of course. Thank you for your very informative and entertaining videos. Keep up the great work.👍
Holy review embargos batman. My feed just got filled with eight reviews of the same case in the span of 10 miniutes!
yeah, finally 200 k ! gz
Doubt there'd be a response to my reply, but regardless I was considering "updating" my case. I will now install a fan just on the bottom close to my power supply in my Define R5 for my GPU. I chose Fractal at the time as I just wanted a austere case without foo foo lighting and glamour glass as I do not do light shows for attention . Keep it simple, less to break|fail. Last night I mounted my archive drive (1T HD) in a optical bay, and removed the drive bays for better air flow internally. Stock fans have been replaced with Silentwings 3 PWM 140's this year (2019).
3 UA-camrs out the same review up at the same time. But only gamernexus review interests me
You have become my go to case reviewer, i bet companies hate you by now, i am glad to see a good case that is worth the high asking price.
I was thinking that with the new modular front panel, Fractal can release a Meshify-like front panel as an add on, having in mind that they are taking the modular approach with the front IO and the GPU vertical mount.
Steve, can I just say how much I enjoy your content and your in depth opinions. And I'll never get tired of that H500P thrashing :)
You deserve a lot more subs, best review I have seen so far!
Actually the top cover should pop up slightly from button corner so you can easily open it from top.
Even if you open up the case at some point you need to increase airflow to keep case cool, I think thats why you see such an small returns on that. Front has two fans so thats the place that saw most improvement on thermals when removed. Put either radiator or fans on top and you will see the real benefits for it.
Grest review man. I got this case for my first build and am loving it
I know your review are more critical reviews but you could and should add to your case videos a quick generic 3d dimensions image at the start (ish) - which would immediately help us with specific max size limitations. (i.e. my current case choice can't exceed 500mm depth. If I heard you say 535mm deep - I'd know a case was immediately not going to suit).
Also tell us if PWM fans or no. I know in this instance, the written review says "Dynamic X2 GP-14 included"... Now I must go search if these PWM or not.
Both of these would not change the case videos at all, flow-wise, but would add 2 pieces of valuable info, and more importantly, would help us quickly rule in or out potential cases (something for example Corsairs website actively seems to go against. Good damn, their site is infuriating).
Love the channel 💙
My next case for sure. I love Fractal cases. Every other review I watched on this case had a spring loaded top panel
By closing off the front hole in the psu shroud with a piece of acrylic or whatever plate you might have, you can drop temps. Better front fans also help. Dropped my temps 10+ on the GPU doing this. It also looks better without the hole in the shroud.
just bought this case, I love it, My only complaint is that top cover, it sucks, to pop the filter out it kind of hard and how easy it is to bend the metal that the filter snaps into. Hell just pop the filer out, be easy about it, and hold 1 end straight out in front of you and look down the edge, and see how bad its flexing, Otherwise the case is really solid!
Other reviewers: is this the case of the year?
GN: finally, something decent
Lmao
? it has front ventilation and a 5.25 drive bay
I've had both the R4 and R5 and I've been really happy with both the R5 came with 2 fans with I still use they are really good and quiet.
I'm not an RGB or tempered glass person I just like a nice functional plain case.
Well, you owe me a keyboard. Some coffee sprayed everywhere when you inserted the clip of the H500P hahaha.
Few days ago i bought Arc mini r2 .
Even thought an old case (2014)
still one of the best build quality
air flow and HDD space (6x 3.5)
micro atx cases out there .
Not to mnetion it was my dream case
i dont think i will change it any time soon
or ever
With the R5, my biggest complaint was the dual drive tray up top. It lowered the front intake fans enough as to not provide a full fan of direct flow on the CPU, with the bottom fan blowing straight on the PSU. I only need one 5.25" bay, so this would have been a better choice for air flow considerations. However, I did snag the R5 for $70, so I'm not regretting having missed out on this.
Great review Steve, as always! For those of us willing to do a custom loop (with vertically mounted water cooled GPU), this case is darn near perfect as the thermals and airflow become negligible. For me personally, it's a little large, but if they come out with a "C" version of this case, I think it would be absolutely perfect for me.
My top panel pops up when I hit the button. Maybe they did a quick fix or yours came broken. Not sure but mine definitely pops up, it's not spring loaded and doesn't pop up much but it's enough to get off
I watched the rest, now I watch the best. excellent review as usual. thank you.
18:52 what you described is the situation for most cases, even the more recent "air flow" cases, no? those air flow case still just have a simgle rear exhaust fan, just like this one. so why is thermal particular bad on this and not on the air flow cases?
It's an older video, so I guess the comment is somewhat redundant, but I feel the need (for speed!) to post it anyway; the sound proofing material isn't foam, it's bitumen. It's a mass dampening form of noise reduction, not absorption. And it's very effective at dulling high pitched noise, which is generally more intrusive than lower pitched noise.
Love this because instead of popping off a front for better airflow, you just open a door. Lol. Perfect.
Only thing I don't like is there's no real bracket for the optical - just the opening so it sags. I'll wire it, I guess.
Quiet, good enough looking - comes in white, 5.25" bay? Sold.
A great and thorough review. Would have loved to see how thermals would improve if a fan were to be placed at the top sucking air out of the case.
i busted out laughing when you threw in the Corsair H500P breaking off the front panel.
What is nice is having the option for a non-windowed side panel so can get a bit lower noise levels. I have a Define 5 with no windows and it is pretty damn silent. If you could purchase a Meshify C with just a normal side panel rather than tempered glass I think it would amazing.
I like this case but does the loss of the side panel fan that the R5 had matter that much? Did it lower GPU temperatures enough to warrant using it?
I’m deciding between the R5 or R6 and maybe the Phanteks Enthoo Pro. I dislike case windows so no windows for me and I’m not a fan of the non-removable PSU shroud on the R6.
The drive trays on the R6 don’t look as structurally sound as the trays on the R5 due to the nature of the mounting system, but that could just be a matter of looks being deceiving.
On Amazon u can get a glass panel for it to replace the back
i only look to you for good reviews. saw the other youtubers had vids to but you have the best reviews
which case would you recommend me?
I don't care about noise , i want to priorize the temperatures, i have to fit an Asus rog 1060 6gb oc(298x134x40mm), 120mm heat cpu cooler, and 150x150x85mm CPU.
I need x1 ssd slot x1 hdd slot and i would like to have 3.0 usb and audio in front.
i have seen some cases, but this is my first time and im a little bit scared about choosing the case.
i have seen your video about best mid-tower cases as well but i just can't decide.
i would like to spend around 100€, with max 150€
thank you so much
Congrats on the 200k
I was planning to change my pc case, wondering between meshify and define, but after this video when u explain that foam help with coil sound i will go with define C. thanks! keep going with good reviews!.
headphone user here, @17:04 scared the crap out of me because i looked away at the same time. Laughed when i saw what the noise was though! Also didnt say anything but seen it in a pan, nice fan controller included!
I got an R5 and it kicks ass... u can't go wrong with Define series
I've noticed my quietest builds are airflow focused cases where the fan speed doesn't need to be high to compensate for case restrictions.
HA, only just now watching this, they did end up adding something of a spring to push the top up and out. It's a outout piece of metal from the top that's bent upwards that has a springy effect.
Wonder if the top panel was changed too later because you didn't cover that. On mine it's not just a solid piece, you can pull the filtering baffle out and use that on it's own and has a diagonal vent to direct heat. You can pop the metal top back on for noise if you want.
I think you're vastly understating this case's strengths. I studied audio recording in college and bought a Define R5 for my home recording/gaming rig. Fractal has nearly best-in-class noise dampening, at this price point. Maybe it's just a matter of perspective, since the case isn't really made for the enthusiast gaming market in mind, but I don't think it's fair exactly to judge this so harshly as a mediocre case vs. high-airflow gaming cases. It's not intended as a high-airflow case.
It's an excellent sound dampening case, without totally compromising thermals. People aren't buying these for the thermals.
Just my two cents.
the top will come off easy without pushing from the inside. keep the button pushed (i guess, at least it looks like that on other vids) and the panel will be lifted enough to grab it.
Seem like either way you view this case, the build quality with the features it offers is giving high scores even though the thermals "aren't perfect". As a stock case, it's about as good as you can get even when considering thermals as most CPU's can function a full lifetime at 60 C. Expecting a fully loaded case with a High Performance GPU and obtaining 59 C on average isn't so bad. The features on this case are very rich and the build quality is very hard to beat.
You guys have the best reviews! Thank you
As an owner of this case, yes the fans could be better. For some reason I struggle a little putting the sides back on. Moving the disk panel back could be easier. And yes I run it with the the top panel off exhausting any heat. The front panel has a 240 rad pulling in air on the sides. This allows me to utilize a DVD drive up top. I wish they had included a usb type c on the front header though as default, and not as an optional bought extra. Overall it delivers in the quietness stakes. Anything is better than my 10 year old pc that sounds like a transit van. Btw I didn't build that old pc though. This new pc i did build and it's very quiet. So I can recommend the case on its noise levels.