A case in product quality

As a geek and specifically as a hardware enthusiast, one has to make some tough decisions due to financial limitations. When building a new PC or when replacing a defective part, especially with all the different offerings, one has to choose carefully and judiciously.

When it comes to computer cases, this is even more important since a bad choice can negatively impact your whole build and let’s face it rebuilding a brand new PC is no fun if you realize that your cpu heats up due to bad air flow or that your pc is so noisy that a jumbo jet seems quiet in comparison.

I am usually non partial to any brand, since I do not receive products for demo or testing from vendors or manufacturers. I rather share my experiences based on products that I actually selected and paid for. I feel that this is a more objective approach.

When it comes to enclosures, for the longest time, I was a fan of Antec. They manufacture excellent quality cases and power supplies and have done so for many years. However, since the emergence and growth of the DIY movement, there have been several new players on the chassis scene. Lina Li, Silverstone, Thermaltake, Corsair and many others… However, a few years ago, while I was building a high end workstation, I came across a sale with an online vendor featuring a Fractal Design Refine ATX case. I had never heard of them before but the case was 50% off and was silent (padded) so I bought it thinking that if I did not like it I could sell it to a client in no time. However I fell in love with the product!

Over the last four years, I have bought exclusively Fractal Design cases for all of the builds that I did for myself and my friends and clients. My most recent workstation build went into the awesome Fractal Design Define R4 in gun metal.

The best part of the chassis is its sheer build of quality. The whole assembly of the case is of the highest standard. Each piece is very well fitted and the paint job would put many cases in a higher price range to shame.

As a mid tower goes, the Define R4 is on the large side, but it can take anything you can throw at it. Ultra long graphic cards, 8 hard drives, large power supplies, anything goes. Building the pc within the case is easy as there is room to move around. The air flow is also excellent and there is room for air and water cooling solutions. The drive cages are removable to accommodate even longer expansion cards.

This being a silent case, I thought to test the sound level. On a PC running an i7 processor which is water cooled and a GForce 670 video card the pc stays quiet even under load while gaming or rendering video.

Overall my experience with all of my Fractal Design products has been nothing short of stellar, making it very easy to recommend their full line of computer cases. I still need to see how well their power supplies perform but if their case offerings are an indicator of the brand’s over all level of quality I have no doubt that they will be equally good.