Fractal Design’s New Define 7 Compact
It’s Almost Bigger On The Inside
As you might expect from the name the Fractal Design Define 7 Compact is relatively small, 427 x 210 x 474mm (16.8 x 8.3 x 18.7″) but is still capable of holding a full ATX motherboard, a CPU cooler of up to 169mm and a GPU of up to 360mm. Your cooling options are not limited by the size either, you can stick a 240mm radiator in the top, or up to a 360mm or 280mm front radiator in front though that would shave the maximum GPU size to 305mm. If you prefer air cooling you can install seven 120mm fans, or four 140mm and a pair of 120mm fans.
The front and back side of the case consist of brushed aluminium, with sound dampening material on the inside and you have a choice of installing the solid steel top panel for extra noise reduction or a filtered top to offer increased ventilation. The left side is tempered glass to show off your internals. The front of the case does have two separate filters and there is a full length bottom filter which slides out the front of the machine. That removable top panel also gives you another ingress into the system, to make it easier to install your components and route your wiring.
On the top of the front panel you will find five USB ports which includes a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C with fast charging support in addition to the usual audio I/O port, power and reset buttons. You will not find any RGBs if you need to have those to satisfy your desires. Internally you will have two 3.5″/2.5″ drive brackets in the front as well as a pair of 2.5″ drive brackets which can be installed in four different positions depending on your preference. There are a total of seven expansion slots, which more than enough for the vast majority of users but sadly there are no 5.25″ drives.
The case is available now on Newegg and other retailers, you can choose to forgo the tempered glass for another solid steel panel for $100 or choose between a clear or tinted tempered glass panel for $110. Check out a few reviews of the case below.
