Fractal North, case of the year contender
- Thread starter Grim5
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Soldato
70s HiFi look seems to be in right now, think it looks good on some cases, bleh on others.
Soldato
XL version:
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Got 4x140mm iCue fans on the side now, just need to figure out if I still need fans elsewhere. Fortunately dust isn't an issue where the PC is. The GPU is vertically mounted behind the two lower 140mm side fans so it's getting a good supply of cooler air.
Associate
What's the change in temps been like? Toying with a few different cases (I've got a 7900XTX as well) and the impact of side/bottom-mounted fans for the GPU's benefit doesn't seem to be highlighted in many case reviews.
Hotspot is down perhaps 5 degrees, general GPU temps are down a little more than that on average. It's hard to tell because I wasn't paying that much attention to it prior to installing it.
The main reason was this sits on a shelf so has limited space around it except that side. I'm running case fans slower than before (were on a curve, now static at 40%) so it's a lot quieter too. Fans at the front of the case have been removed and I've got two 140mm at the top at 20% just helping air move upwards although these 4x140s push enough to clear the case easily anyway.
The main reason was this sits on a shelf so has limited space around it except that side. I'm running case fans slower than before (were on a curve, now static at 40%) so it's a lot quieter too. Fans at the front of the case have been removed and I've got two 140mm at the top at 20% just helping air move upwards although these 4x140s push enough to clear the case easily anyway.
Associate
- Joined
- 5 Nov 2005
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- 2,175
Nice... really should sort my cable management...I have this case but cpu power cable's are just running up from bottom across CPU cooler....was worried cable bend would be to much from that top opening but I guess I should redo it...hard to get my hand in with cpu cooler and fans installed...Finally finished!
Soldato
Anyone running the North regular with the fractal flex vertical GPU mount?
I’ve heard the way the vertical mount works it knocks 20-30mm off the length the GPU can be before interfering with the front fans.
Edit on second thoughts I might need to verify if my heatsink would interfere with the pie cables first.
I’ve heard the way the vertical mount works it knocks 20-30mm off the length the GPU can be before interfering with the front fans.
Edit on second thoughts I might need to verify if my heatsink would interfere with the pie cables first.
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Associate
Find it interesting how many cases are popping up in the past few months/at Computex with wood panels, and how all of them look much worse than the North.
Exactly. All looking like some unskilled DIYer job.
Soldato
I have a build shortly in a North XL White mesh side. Looks like a nice case.
Soldato
Looks like its 3D printed and houses a Raspberry Pi.
Soldato
I didn’t pay full attention to the video but I think it was a one off? Made by fractal to use at computex, they have their new headsets plugged into it iirc so it’s not apparently being produced/released from what I remember from the video. And it is indeed housing a raspberry pi
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Was just watching the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOXHGMQNiQ4 nice to see Fractal trying to innovate a bit and not as many others seem to be doing going with increasingly whacky case designs to try and get attention. That Mini North would make a great project enclosure as well.
Soldato
- Joined
- 16 Aug 2009
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I find it amusing its so retro it reminds me of a 1970's TV set the wooden panel at the side of the screen housing the speaker and the channel select buttons (all 4 of them, 8 if it was posh) it looks just like it
Yeah GN Steve is half seriously trying to convince them to put the case on general sale rather than just a one off, not sure how far that will go.
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Soldato
I have to say building into the North XL was pretty nice. There were a couple of places i would have liked to see some changes made but overall a very nice case.
Associate
Plans and instructions available on the FD website https://www.fractal-design.com/north-pi-3d-files/
Soldato
I wasn't impressed with the North XL. It's bigger yes, but it absolutely does nothing with the extra space. I think if you need a bigger case, there's better options.