Fractal Design Define 7

[HEXUS]

Possibly the finest mid-tower chassis on the market today.

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[KultiVator]

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My old system I'm just replacing this week is built inside a 10 year old Fractal Design 'Define' Case - which has been pretty good.

Only three niggles really... the front panel 3.5mm audio socket died within the first few months (the socket's innards imploded for no obvious reason - e.g. only gentle / occasional use). The side panels also became quite warped over time, making it a bit of a pain to get them back on after upgrades / maintenance / cleaning. The rubber cable-management inserts are very temperamental - in that they fall out way too easily (I gather they attach more securely in later revisions of the case).

I've finally just moved on to a Phanteks P600s this week, which was great case to build a system in. Only time will tell if it fares as well as the Fractal Design case - which is about to start a second life in build of recycled parts for my Dad.

[Gentle Viking]

Not bad,,,,, Not bad at all.

I especially like no glass, something i have had to "neutralize" in large quantities with the Thermaltake level 20 XT i am working with.
I never liked factory windows, the one in the Lian li case i have now are also DIY, and with glass when factory windows was just plastic ( okay i use regular glass so have to be careful )
Also like sound damping material, something i will also add to the Level 20 XT ( something i first added to a mod back in 2001 or something but dident use on subsequent builds due to restricted space + i used some industrial stuff from work that did not look good )

[Friesiansam]

If I needed a new case, this one ticks all the right boxes and would likely be my choice but, there's plenty more years left in my Define R5.

[maxp779]

Looks like a nice case. I like that the weight is mentioned! 13.4kg. Seems like they haven't compromised on build quality which is nice to see.

[Gentle Viking]

My build will probably weigh in well over 30 KG when it is done,,,, i am not removing glass, just doing something about it,,,,, at least that's how the plan are ATM.

The 4 radiators are a little over 5 kilos in total, my CPU head the heatkiller IV PRO in cobber are also as heavy as a CPU cooler get, so about 1 KG too ( well 900 grams )
The water i recon will be 3 liters / kilos or so, my modding add-ons another 3-5 kilos at least, tubing and fittings i guess is another kilo to the mix.

So that's a good 10 kilos, add that to the 20 kilos of the level 20 XT, and then come the hardware, O and the Alphacool GFX head that's a kilo too, so i might well end up pushing a 40 KG build.

I have serious plans about putting the case on wheels, cuz im not getting any younger, and the damn thing while my computer table are a large and strong professional model, then the case are not going up there, will be my #2 ever floor PC.

[LeetyMcLeet]

My last 4 cases have been Fractal Define x's. Can't go wrong. Very compelling case, this

Good review, btw

[ValkyrieTsukiko]

your graphs should ideally show the previous iterations of the Design (r6? r5? r4?) to show improvements/decreases for those of us with the older versions (i have a design R4).

[azrael-]

I think dropping the ModuVent top panel was a mistake. One they'd already done with the Define R6. With the ModuVent top panel you could decide yourself how much of the top panel you wanted to open up. Now it's all or nothing.

Another gripe for me, and one which the Define series shares with most other cases, is the I/O panel. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Mounting that panel horizontally practically invites dust issues. I'd much prefer they mounted it in some sort of vertical way.

Guess I'll stay with my Corsair Obsidian 550D for a bit longer. Apropos Obsidian. Those new feet actually make the case look more like a Corsair case than a Fractal Design on.

your graphs should ideally show the previous iterations of the Design (r6? r5? r4?) to show improvements/decreases for those of us with the older versions (i have a design R4).

Also, this.

[Rubarb]

I think Hexus case reviews are not the best to read.
This case has been proven to have poor airflow , just like the corsair 11r you reviewed too.

[Stu C]

In the mid-tower space, the be-quiet! Dark Base 700 was the last chassis to win our Editor's Choice award, and that was almost two years ago.

1) If the Dark Base 700 is your reigning champion, why is it not included in the performance comparison.

2) The Dark Base 700 is certainly a good case, but there is an obvious lack of Phanteks case reviews that might have filled that 2 year gap.

[Reubenm]

If I needed a new case, this one ticks all the right boxes and would likely be my choice but, there's plenty more years left in my Define R5.

Same for me, my R5 is still trucking along with 2 newish Fractal Venturi HP-14 PWM which have made a big difference. Maybe now I have "only" 4x 3.5" drives and 4x 2.5" left in my RAID array I could go for this case, I especially like the white with silver front panel. I'm so glad I skipped the R6, its turned out to be a real dud.