Fractal R4 help

ash_scotland88 · 1 May 2013 at 20:29

Received my Fractal R4 and decided to put in my new mobo and CPU tonight, and come across a few queries.
I bought this BNIB from ebay, unused and only opened to check that everything was there. Even the plastic cover on the front was on.

1) Came with three fans, the third being an Akasa DFS122512L. Has this happened before?

2) Instead of being 9 mobo mounts and screws only 8 of each was there.

3) What's the blue "ss" cable? Is it for the USB front ports?

With points 1+2, unless this has happened before, I sort of suspect that it may have been used for a review. Some odd marks on screw tops here and there but nothing like that is 100% from factory.

MatsyLR · 1 May 2013 at 20:35

1. The R4 comes with 2 fractal fans(one in front and one in the rear). The person you bought it from must have put the Akasa fan in for some reason. Have you got all of the noise dampening foam? should have 2 squares for the top and 1 square for the side panel.
2. You are missing a mount then, sure you can salvage one from somewhere though.
3. The blue cable is for the USB 3.0 front ports.

So yes the case has been used before.
Your theory of it being used for a review or something seems fairly plausible as the seller has obviously used it for something.

ash_scotland88 · 1 May 2013 at 20:42

Thanks,

It even smells of new which is the weird thing.

It's the very middle mobo mount, doesn't bother me that much case isn't going to be move about or transported.
Shame my new mobo doesn't have USB3 front out. Ach well, can an adaptor be bought for it or will they still work?

MatsyLR · 1 May 2013 at 20:44

No need to worry about an adapter.
Attached to the blue cable there will be a USB 2.0 cable also which you can plug into a USB port on your MB and will make all 4 of the ports on the front work as USB 2.0.

ash_scotland88 · 1 May 2013 at 20:47

I've got the USB 2.0 connected, I though it may have been an isolated cable.

To make sure I'm 100% understanding:

Do nothing with the USB 3.0 cable?

MatsyLR · 1 May 2013 at 20:50

No, don't do anything with it if you don't have the port for it on your motherboard, just tuck it behind the motherboard tray.
With the USB 2.0 connected all 4 of the port's on the front of your case will work as USB 2.0 (even the USB 3.0 ones).

ash_scotland88 · 1 May 2013 at 20:53

Thanks, as said just wanted to 100% confirm.

Not sure if I should cheekingly ask the ebay seller if it has been used when it's stated otherwise. :confused:

MatsyLR · 1 May 2013 at 20:55

Up to you really, seems kinda odd that the seller never said that it had been used somehow.
Did you pay full price for it (£79 ish)?
It might not be worth a missing stand off.
You did get a free fan after all!

ash_scotland88 · 1 May 2013 at 20:58

Haha, yeah found the fan:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/120-140-fans-roundup_5.html
One shop is saying £13.

I paid £69, when I first started watching it was £72, free p&p as well!

If you're wondering it's the Black Pearl variant.

MatsyLR · 1 May 2013 at 21:00

Ah well that's a bargain then.
Brand new ones are £79+

ash_scotland88 · 1 May 2013 at 21:07

Yup, jumped on it when I saw it.
it was going to be that or £100+ on a fanless PSU.

Which may end up happening depending on the PSU in my dad's machine as he is inhereting the bits and pieces from him.