Fractal Design North; Less Ikea, More ScanDesign
$130 For A Stylish Computer Home
Fractal Design decided to completely rethink the box in which your components will spend their lives with their new North case. The front panel is much more attractive than your usual case, and you get a choice of genuine walnut or oak for the front. That isn’t the only customization you can chose, as the side panel can be either mesh or tempered glass, depending on your preference. A fair amount of the hardware, including the USB-C port on the top are brass, just to add even more class to the Fractal Design North.
The functionality is also decent, it’s neither the quietest case nor the coolest one that Guru of 3D have tested, but everything stayed at reasonable temperatures. It has space for up to 355 mm long GPUs, 170 mm tall CPU coolers, and 255 mm long PSUs, as long as you don’t install the second HDD tray. Cooling is offerings are there 120 mm or two 140mm on the front, two 120/140mm on the top, 120mm at the back and even another 80 mm on the expansion slots if you so desire. If you go with the mesh side panel you can attach another two 120/140mm fans as well.
This time, we’re checking out a mid-sized ATX tower PC chassis – a Fractal Design NORTH. The look is inspired by a Scandinavian design, with bespoke details like brass (Charcoal), steel (Chalk), or faux leather tab for easy access to the top of the chassis.
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Great looking case, clean, minimal non-gamer aesthetic but still interesting enough to draw in your eye to its features. Its got a bit of an Ikea thing going on which isn’t bad but it would be kinda interesting to see some other material options aside from wood for the slats, brushed AL would make sense. I hope they make mATX and ITX versions of this design, as ATX ends up just being dead space.
Also, what would be really cool but will never happen is if Fractal put a spot to have slot loading optical drive to go in between one of slats, #Audiophile #PlexWhore.