Fractal build quality?

Well ...what do you expect from it exactly? ...it's sturdy enough, has plenty of features like side mounted drive bays with anti-vibration fixings on them that are easily accessible at anytime (very important to me) ...it has good cable management potential, it has plenty of cooling provision and easily accessible dust filters, the R2/R3 includes noise insulation so it runs quietly, it has front top mounted buttons and ports making it easy to access when the case is on the floor and of course you do not need to open the door unless you want to use an optical drive ...also it has an esata port (not all cases do) and a fan controller.

The case also looks nice (I know this is a matter of taste really) ...but it's elegant and understated and looks clean and functional. It's not as nice as some of the much more expensive aluminium cases I realise, but then it's £75 not £140.
 
Yea but a computer case is not a car, it's just a case that contains components, where as the car contains you. I realise what you are saying but it's not really that analogous in my opinion. A car is an 'experience' as much as it is transport (we all know how people can feel about cars and what they mean to different people, I love cars but some see them as purely A-B transport) ...even as a fellow computer enthusiast though ...I find that hard to say about a case really.

I can tell the difference between a crappy case and a good one, but the Fractal is fine, it's not crappy, it has most if not all the features, it's not badly made albeit also perhaps not beautifully made either ...it's a case and a decent one. It's also £75 ...which used to be quite a bit for a case not so many years ago ...but now just about gets you into half decent case territory. It's remarkably good value really I think compared to the likes of Corsair cases and Lian Li. The only major difference I see between them is the aluminium vs steel construction.
 
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Moeks, I don't disagree with your reasoning to be honest. I think it's more a case:D of me bemoaning my experience in this instance than the actual case itself.

I'm surprised and disappointed that OcUK never came back to me on my webnote but I can vote with my feet on that one.
 
Go for it! If it makes you feel better I have had none of the problems MSTRBKR had. One tip for installing any kind of screws (including motherboard stand offs) is to make sure you put them in perfectly straight otherwise you can cross thread them and screw up the mount a bit. Its quite noticable when this happens as they become difficult to screw in.
I think the strange sized screw heads MSTRBLR mentioned I think are designed to act as an aid to stop you over tightening - i.e. the driver slips out when they are tight enough. They didn't strike me as anything out of the ordinary when I installed my kit though..
 
Finally went for an R3 today after umming and ahhing over the issues I've heard about - mainly due to the fact this is the best looking case under £100 imo.

The build wasnt without its issues; but everything seems complete; the risers were the correct height etc. My main problems with the case are inherent problems with its design (i.e. the ridiculously small amount of space behind the mobo plate for cables - my case bulges with the main power cable behind it(!), and also the old fashioned 'metal slides' to attach the case sides).

The only quality issues I had were that a couple of screws were missing (only 3 of the SSD/FDD screws) and also a couple of thumbscrew locations that didn't seem to have any grip on them. They also need to get some better rubber on the case routing holes, as the current stuff is virtually useless!

Having said that, at this price point, the case is nice and quiet, looks smart and was pretty easy to put together my build with so I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who has been concerned by various reviews..
 
I received an Arc Midi this morning. Will check it out tonight when I get in from work. I consider this to be a budget case as it is for a second system and not my main rig (Corsair 600T for main rig) On paper this looks like one of the best cases out there for £75 that covers all my needs. Will report back after the build the weekend if there are any build quality issues etc.
 
I bought a Fractal R3 a few months back. No build quality issues here. For £70 you can't go wrong. It's a very smart and very quiet case.
 
Fractal seems a mixed bag, you might be lucky you might not :p Sadly the mini sits on the latter.

True, it has usb3 but the ports sag when pressed and wobble (not properly secured). In my case the headphone port isn't working :rolleyes: The screws for fans brought plastic in the threads when removed and saying the front fascia is flimsy is something of an understatement. The bay covers feel like they're going to break when removed. What makes it irritating is the design looks so good, and cases half the price don't have wonky ports.

Please don't mention price as you can get a p180 mini with it's rolled steel chassis and aluminium sandwich panel's for the same :(

Oh and the mounting for the front fans doesn't allow for silicone mounts leaving those fans sending vibrations through the case, which was silent prior to instillation.
 
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I finished my build into the Arc Midi the weekend. Generally I thought the case was well built for the money. I did however have a faulty power button. There is a loose connection that doesn't work 99% of the time and I've had to wire it into the reset button instead. I would send the case back but it would be a pain in the ass to take everything out again just for the power button.
 
chainy said:
I finished my build into the Arc Midi the weekend. Generally I thought the case was well built for the money. I did however have a faulty power button. There is a loose connection that doesn't work 99% of the time and I've had to wire it into the reset button instead. I would send the case back but it would be a pain in the ass to take everything out again just for the power button.
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Email them mate with the faulty part and they should send you a new part.

Also if you find their support email on their site is not getting you results for any reason, email me via my trust and I will pass you on Mr Hannes Wallin the Managing Director at Fractal Designs direct contact details (email, company phone, mobile phone and address), he's been great I contacted him by email and was hassle free all the way. I don't want to stick his details here or he may end up getting spammed, so try the support web contact form 1st http://fractal-design.com/?view=contact&category= or the [email protected] email address.
 
Purgatory said:
Email them mate with the faulty part and they should send you a new part.

Also if you find their support email on their site is not getting you results for any reason, email me via my trust and I will pass you on Mr Hannes Wallin the Managing Director at Fractal Designs direct contact details (email, company phone, mobile phone and address), he's been great I contacted him by email and was hassle free all the way. I don't want to stick his details here or he may end up getting spammed, so try the support web contact form 1st http://fractal-design.com/?view=contact&category= or the [email protected] email address.
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I have already tried emailing them via their site the weekend. No response as yet. I may have to take you up on your offer of MR Hannes Wallin's details.

Thanks Matey :)
 
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