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Maldives, Malé
1 Level
716 Review
87 Karma

Review on Fractal Design Define R5 - ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - High Airflow and Silent Optimized - Includes 2x Dynamix GP-14 140mm Silent Fans - Water-Cooling Ready - Black by Joe Stax

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Absolutely normal. in computer cases

I dropped the larger XL-R2 to have more water cooling options in the Define R5. Pretty good body, although I lack the XL-R2's "solidity". Still a pretty solid build, but the Define R5 has a lot more plastic and all the material is pretty flimsy and untangible in comparison. A 2.5-inch gap opens up on the right, sucking in dust and blowing noise out of the case. No, no, if you like the internal pressure in the case or if you really care about the volume of your system. I ended up having to use a circular saw to cut through the existing panels to properly cover them. Those planning to use all 420mm of the top heatsink should also be aware that (at least in my case) the heatsink needs to be bolted to the top of the case and the fans to the bottom, not the other way around. It doesn't work the other way around, so plan accordingly. As another viewer said, if you want true silence, you'll probably want to buy some Silverstone Acoustic stuff too. Silence is basically a gimmick in this case unless you close all non-essential exhaust ports. Any exhaust that does not have a fan must be covered. Great case, despite all these things. You could definitely make it worse. BIG caveat I'd like to know: The Fractal Design S is the same case but with better water cooling options, no 3.5"/HDD bays and an alternative HDD mount (3 x 3.5" and 2 x SSDs) . If so, aim for a full water-cooling cycle while saving some money and getting the much more flexible and fitter Define S instead.

Pros
  • Multiple competitors
Cons
  • Frequency

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