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Ultimately, the Fractal Design North can support four 2.5 and two 3.5-inch drives simultaneously, which is very respectable in 2022. If you need more than that you'll generally have to look to a bigger case. A PWM fan hub is also included, mounted behind the motherboard tray by default.
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But it's great to have attractive and well-performing alternatives like the North, that blend into a living room in a living room instead of standing out like an alien artifact. The Fractal Design North looks attractive and would make a fine addition (even) to your living room. The use of natural materials for the front was a great choice because it stands out from the other chassis in the market. Also – you’ll find all the necessary features here, convenient storage options, or ample space for the installed components.
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After all, adding luxury materials like wood elements to a case demands a higher price. But if the looks of the Fractal Design North don't tickle your fancy, it may be a hard sell. As such, it deserves the innovation award for its bold pursuit of design and some unique functionality, but would be hard to recommend otherwise. Because we’re reviewing the tempered glass model, our North XL did not include the side bracket for additional cooling. Instead, Fractal sent over their Flex 2 vertical GPU riser kit (an $80 accessory that’s sold separately).
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Letting the GPU run at 75% fan speed enables it to maintain its power target while sticking to one set reasonable fan speed, so that the temperature is the only variable. 5.25-inch drive bays were once a necessity for optical drives, but now are more or less gone. Following that collapse, the desire for glass (and RGB) everywhere came and is now going away as the thermal demand of high-end components went up and people began to take the need for airflow seriously. And now, because airflow is so important, too many cases are starting to look the same, which is frustrating. We'd opt for the glass-panel version instead of the mesh-side model we tested, but Fractal Design's North case has all the extra cooling and aesthetics it needs to attract buyers intrigued by its woodsy front face.
Fractal Design North Review - PCMag
Fractal Design North Review.
Posted: Sat, 31 Dec 2022 08:00:00 GMT [source]
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Once again, I was blown away by the thermal performance of the Fractal Design North XL. Despite its wood-slatted front panel, plenty of air is able to flow into the chassis, thanks to the three 140mm Aspect 14 PWM fans. I’m tempted to buy some of these spinners to throw into my personal build. Because of the increase in volume, the top fan mounts can house a pair of large 180mm Fractal Torrent fans, although you won’t find these in the box. 2022 has been a big year for Fractal Design; the Swedish case company started off with the Torrent Compact, which was an impressive start. In the summer, we saw the Pop Silent, which was refreshing, as the case market has become saturated with mesh and RGB.
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It’s a strange time for PC cases, especially if, like me, you’re not a big fan of so-called “fishbowl” chassis with glass on as many sides as possible. Sure, on the better models, airflow has improved to the point where, with some smartly placed fans, you don’t usually have to worry about cooking your high-end components. Now Fractal Design is back with the North XL, aimed at beefier builds, with E-ATX motherboard support, and room for larger coolers and GPUs. The latter is particularly welcome because the Colorful RTX 4090 Vulcan OC just barely fit when we used the North to update our How to Build a PC article. Fractal was also able to keep the price of the North XL pretty reasonable. At $180, it’s not exactly budget, but it’s surprisingly affordable given its internal space and stunning external design.
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It can be moved to a position above the rear fan mount, but we expect most will find its default location more convenient–and better for aesthetics as well, should you opt for the glass side panel. North reimagines the gaming PC, introducing natural materials and bespoke details to make gaming a stylish addition to the living space. Fusing design and airflow engineering, the case features fine-patterned mesh ventilation and an open front with real walnut or oak panels. The design is complemented by sleek brass or steel details and an integrated tab for easy access to the top of the case. Inside, North offers an intuitive interior layout and generous compatibility. A complaint we had about the original Fractal Design North when we tested it was its high noise levels.
Gaming ready
The maximum CPU cooler height varies, depending on whether you install the fan bracket on the side. Without the bracket, the North supports coolers up to 6.7 inches (170mm), but 5.7 inches (145mm) with the bracket and fans installed. Enter Fractal Design, a case manufacturer that often finds itself on our Best PC Cases, and its latest (and hopefully trend-setting) North case. The North is an ATX mid-tower chassis that features wood slats on the front panel (backed by mesh) and the option for a mesh or tempered-glass side panel.
Fractal Design North Build (Complete)
There are some limitations; for example, you can put the 240 mm radiator at the top, but the RAM height can be only 35 mm. Currently, the PC case market is saturated with chassis constructed of more glass than mesh, so anything else is a breath of fresh air. While the wood front panel is gorgeous and hasn’t shown signs of decay over the last year, I would like to see Fractal Design release additional front panels. For example, I’d love to see a brass front panel on this case to compliment the accents. The Fractal Design North measures up at 18.5 x 8.5 x 17.5 inches (HWD), so I wouldn’t try to fit an E-ATX board in here. However, this case can fit GPUs up to 13.98 inches (355mm), and our Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC fits perfectly.
Available in either chalk white or charcoal black, can the North XL land Fractal another notch on our Best PC cases list? We’ll have to test it to find out, but first, let’s take a look at its specs. Like its smaller, older Fractal North brother, the North XL is available in charcoal black and chalk white, with a choice of a mesh or tempered glass side panel. Because we reviewed the white mesh version the first time, it only made sense to check out the tempered glass black variant this time around. Behind the motherboard tray, you’ll find the usual cable tie points, a dual 2.5-inch drive bracket and two 3.5 or 2.5-inch drive trays.
And you can install two more 2.5-inch or two 3.5-inch drives in trays housed under the PSU shroud. Power supply space is ample, at up to 11.4 inches, although that space lessens as you add drive trays and / or a front radiator. The wood front slats are a darker walnut on the black model than the oak used on the chalk white variant, and I think it looks great. When I took the North XL out of the box, I was taken aback by the attention to detail in this chassis.
It's airflow design is enough to meet the needs of almost all PC builders and its premium feel makes the case an ideal chassis for those who want a modern Scandinavian-styled PC without breaking the bank. The top of the North features a removable panel with a leather tab and the back for easier removal. The side panels are removed via two thumb screws, which is a bit disappointing for a case of this price, and it’s almost ironic when you consider the otherwise excellent aesthetics of this chassis. My preferred fans are going to be black Noctuas as I've used them in the past and like how quiet they can be. It's been many years since I built a PC and I don't remember the slightest thing about how to do an optimal fan setup for a case like this. A fine chassis for PC builders itching to forego RGB glitz in favour of genteel elegance.
Despite the thumbscrews and still-not-quiet acoustics, the unique look and attention to detail outweigh those fairly minor issues, especially with its sub-$200 MSRP. Heck no, but for $180, the price isn’t outlandish for a case of this size, especially when you consider the fact it comes with three 140mm PWM fans and the wood accents as standard. If you want wood panels on competing Corsair cases, you’ll have to spend $70 or more, with the recently launched dual-chamber 6500 case line selling for $199 with no wood and no included fans. While the original North was fairly roomy inside, its GPU support was limited to 14 inches and its CPU cooler height to 6.6 inches (without the side fan bracket). The North XL bumps this up to support for air coolers as large as 7.2 inches(185mm) and GPUs up to 16.2 inches (413mm).
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