Completed Build, Performance, and Conclusion
The finished build in this case is going to look clean with a minimal of effort thanks to the excellent cable routing and proper component clearance.
The partitions on the right side and the bottom hide any cable mess from the hard drives and PSU, and the overall effect is very clean and professional.
Around back those velcro ties help keep cables out of sight, and everything is well organized without a lot of trouble. I did find the area behind the motherboard to be slightly shallow – but only because I am using cable extensions which add bulk. The rear panel did snap back into place without a problem, and the side did not bow out. I will always take as much cable room as a design can give, but the Define R6 is certainly adequate.
Temperatures and Noise Levels
| Test Platform | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7-7700K |
| Motherboard | ASUS ROG Strix H270I Gaming |
| Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport 4 GB 2400 MHz DDR4 |
| Graphics Card | AMD Radeon R9 290X (Reference) |
| Storage | SanDisk 64 GB SATA 6.0 GB/s SSD |
| Power Supply | SilverStone Strider ST55F-G PSU |
| CPU Cooler | Noctua NH-U9S (PWM) |
| OS | Windows 8.1 64-bit |
Using the same test configuration of the previous few enclosure reviews we can see how the well-insulated Define R6 performed in its default configuration out of the box (two front intake fans, one rear exhaust fan, closed top panel).
Temps are very good, though open-air style enclosures are generally going to win that contest. Still, for a case that is designed for low noise these are excellent numbers.
Here we see the benefits of the insulation for the most part, though some recent cases have been excellent in that department as well. The very loud reference GPU cooler in the test system was very well controlled by the Define R6, and while it was just shy of the GPU noise from the Crystal 460X the higher-pitched sounds were more muted with the Define R6. Idle and CPU load noise were also very quiet from the Define R6, making it an outstanding choice for quiet general computing.
Conclusion
The performance of the Define R6 is in keeping with previous efforts from Fractal Design, with impressively low noise levels and very good temperatures as well. Fractal Design doesn’t just have a winner with the Define R6, they have one of the best overall ATX cases on the market right now. Is it perfect? Well, I could complain about a couple of things, such as the HDD trays (I like the type that slide in), and I would always want a little more space behind the motherboard for cables - but no case really is perfect. This one comes very close, however. Highly recommended!
Great review it was short &
Great review it was short & sweet and got right to the point without a lot of extra fluff.
I agree this is probably one of the best cases I have researched so far it has everything even us old timers want on a case such as some actual hard drive bays to support more than 1 SSD or 1 HDD this is great to see.
The only real complaint I have with it is the use of plastic trays for the 2.5 & 3.5 drives it seems like they could fail over time as the plastic ages and gets a bit brittle. It is nice that they do include the extra drive add ins mind you so I can let that plastic drive trays slide I guess.
This may be my next case if something better does not come along between now and the fall of 2018. It is time to retire my Antec 900 case that I have done a few mods to that really improves it’s cooling and air flow.
I forgot I actually had a
I forgot I actually had a question as well. What would you consider to be the best all around AIO water cooling setup that works well & is also cost effective. I am thinking of installing one into my current setup and then just moving it to my new case when I do my upgrades in the fall.
Corsair is always a safe bet
Corsair is always a safe bet for AiO liquid coolers – but there's a lot out there. Honestly, at it's current price the value of a Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 (my review here) is really hard to beat. Fractal Design's own 240 mm liquid cooler – the Celsius S24 (my review here) – is a really good value, too.
The drive trays are actually
The drive trays are actually metal. The plastic that Sebastian mentions is only a small portion of the tray that fits into the frame of the case.
Thanks! I am trying to keep
Thanks! I am trying to keep these case reviews concise since I generally have a lot of them to get through 🙂
All of the storage trays are metal, actually – though the 3.5/2.5 combo trays behind the partition have a plastic bracket on the back that holds them in place, with the thumbscrew holding most of the weight.
Overall I'm very impressed with the case. Fractal's Define cases are always good, and this did not disappoint!
No issues installing a full
No issues installing a full size GTX 1080ti ?
I guess the back end of the card would tuck under the drive trays ?
Not sure what that would look like ?
Full length reference-size
Full length reference-size GPUs (like the Radeon R9 290X I use for these reviews) don't reach the storage partition, but it is a little in front of the leading edge of the card so longer aftermarket cooler designs extend behind the partition (you just have to keep hard drives above/below the GPU – same configuration as shipped).
Good write up Sebastian the
Good write up Sebastian the fractal design cases are high quality and I would have no hesitation recommending them for a new system build. Excellent noise reduction built in too.
I will buy one when it’s
I will buy one when it’s actually in stock and they make the type c a standard i/o instead of making u buy one.
Is there a way to get Fractal
Is there a way to get Fractal Design to modify the define R5 side panel to work with the R6?
I would really want to get the R6 but also have a side panel fan that will provide direct airflow onto the VRM heatsinks on the motherboard.