Anyone here have the Fractal Design Define XL?

[Skunkworks]

@Skunkworks - yes that is how it is meant to be.

Are you sure? From this pic it looks as if the panels and door are the same colour:

Here's mine:

 

[Blue160]

I bought one last week

Really happy so far. Build quality is excellent, although it is extremely heavy. Cable management is good, really quiet, and good cooling.

I was a little surprised at quite how enormous it is, but that gives you masses of space inside. As posted above the 8 pin CPU cable is a bit if a stretch.

Masscrazy: you have to take out the bracket the PSU bolts to, and turn it the other way up. For some reason it arrives upside-down.

 

[Tazzfalcon]

Are you sure? From this pic it looks as if the panels and door are the same colour:

The only sort that aren't black all around (cept. the front panel of course) is the white R3.

 

[Skunkworks]

The only sort that aren't black all around (cept. the front panel of course) is the white R3.

It's not enough for me to send it back, but if I had known before buying I wouldn't have got it, as I specifically didn't want t black case.

I would paint it, but I'm bloody lazy.

 

[HighlandeR]

Bought the Define XL in February, I like the case but I had some issues.

My PSU corsair 520W doesn't fit, I dont know why but the only 3 screws line up and i had to put a bit of cardboard under it because it only sits on two of the 4 rubber feet in the PSU section. So not a deal breaker but it was frustrating especially since the psu is pulling away from the case.

Also be careful make sure you get yourself an 8-pin extension for CPU power, unless you know your 8-pin is quite long, ebay do it for quite cheap. A 24pin extension isnt quite necessary unless you know your 24-pin is quite short. Get some cable ties for cable management, but around 6 are provided with the case.

There is enough space for 6sata and 6hddpower cables, 24pin,8pin 2pice 6pin and other small cables in side, which has about 1inch of space.

I put a fan on front-bottom to cool my 6 HDDs but it only cools the first three HDDs at the front, the fan air doesnt reach the other 3 HDDs. Also there is a really really annoying pulsating feeling that comes from the case, this is because of the HDDs. I cant hear or feel it much when sitting at the desk but sleeping 7 feet away I can clearly hear a pulsating noise. I tilt the case and noise pretty much gone, I'm thinking of raising it but putting some dvd cases under it.

Really thats the major stuff, clearly stock fans are not nearly enough. I've added two intake fans at the front to make a total of 3.

So temps are pretty decent and noise level is OK i guess. I would say it was very slightly better than my previous Antec 900, though the Antec did cool all my HDDs and there was no pulsations from the case. However it has load more cable management options and dust filter, though not all removable, so in that sense its better.

Overall Im happy with it, just need to sort out the pulsating sound, anyone got any ideas?

Interesting review, think ill need too stack up 2-3 fans at the front to provide better airflow for the say 10 hdds ?

also for the hdd vibrations I see this with a lot of cases im really surprised a case thats heavy as the XL could cause this. I had this annoying issue with my Lian li £170 alu Tower case, id have to litterally wake up at 4am and tap my pc and the noise would go away lol

When u sleep but 2-3 meters away from the pc it can proove quite annoying.

I ended up putting the entire pc on a fluffy pillow and it solved it, one guy used his old cardigan

Sadly it only reduced the issue didnt fix it 100%. Only other way is perhaps u can mount the hdds in a different order, perhaps put the more noisy/faster hdds at the bottom or try top...

I dont have this issue with my fractual R2 case and ive got 8x 2tb (54000rpm green) WDs in them so find it strange you would, u may have some older or faster 72000rpm drives perhaps.