Fractal Design ARC Mini R2 Review

Up Close:  Interior Overview and Drive Bays

Although not perhaps the biggest CPU cut out in the world the one in the Mini should be large enough for modern CPU back plates.  The cable management holes are also quite small.  There are however plenty of them (Six to be exact).  They are well distributed and they are all rubber grommeted.  You might be thinking that if you go for a smaller mobo and a smaller case you’ll have to compromise on CPU cooler height.  Not so with the ARC Mini, as 165mm of headroom is more than ample for all but the most comedy large coolers.

     

 

The two 5.25″ bays are not of the tool free variety.  What?  You mean we’re going to have to get a screwdriver out?  That’s it, we’re leaving…Seriously guys, does it really mater?  How quickly are you likely to need to get a 5.25″ device out of a case?  The bays though are only enclosed on 3 sides, the reason for this we would think is it leaves the roof area free for longer rads to extend into, but as the optical bays have to be removed if you want to stick a 360 up there this can’t be the case.  Despite being a Mini Tower Fractal have still managed to shoehorn 6 full sized 3.5″ drive bays into the front. 

     

 

The bays are divided into 2 racks of three with the top rack being easily removed by means of thumb bolts.  The bottom rack can also be removed but you’ll need to whip out that screw driver again.  Removal of the HDD racks ups the max GPU length from 260mm to 400mm.