Fractal Designs Arc Midi Review
Fractal Arc Review
Published: 16th June 2011 | Source: Fractal Designs | Price: £74.99 |
Introduction
It seems such a long time ago I first heard about this case, I'm almost sure it was at least 3 months ago it first ended up on the Quiet PC website and everyone went nuts trying to buy it. The good news is for us the wait is over, the bad news is you guys and gals may have to wait until the end of July!
Its no secret that all of the team and a massive proportion of the forums members are big fans of the R3, it has been a main feature of several of our competitions and forum members build logs. With its solid construction, clean lines and the ability to build a PC so quiet you only know its on by the power LED the R3 wasn't hard to become a fan of. So the Arc has a very high bar set by its older brother, so lets move on and see if it can match it let alone beat it.
Key features
- Stylish, minimalistic front panel with alu-look
- Optimized for performance, massive cooling and water cooling support
- A total of 8(!) fan slots (2x 140mm in front, 3x 120/140 in top, 1x 120/140 in bottom, 1x 120/140 in rear, 1x 140/180mm in side panel)
- 3x 140mm fans included (1x in front, 1x in rear and 1x in top)
- Support for dual 120mm radiator in top, even thicker radiators up to 60mm in thickness
- 8x white painted HDD trays, with silicone mounting
- Upper HDD cage is removable and rotatable
- USB3 support in front panel
- Excellent cable routing and cable routing covers
- Easily removable front panel with clip on fan slots
- Extra, vertically mounted expansion slot, suitable for fan controllers or non-input expansion cards
Specifications
| Model Number | FD-CA-ARC-BL |
| Dimensions | (WxHxD) 230 x 460 x 515mm |
| Motherboard Compatibility | Mini ITX, Micro ATX and ATX |
| Power Supply Compatibility | Standard ATX, max depth 170mm |
| PCI/AGP Card Compatibility | 290mm, 470mm with HDD bay removed |
| 3.5" Drive Bays | 8, all SSD compatible |
| 5.25" Drive Bays | 2, one bay converts to 3.5" for floppy or card reader |
| Roof Cooling Fans | Space for 3 120/140mm, one supplied |
| Rear/Side Cooling Fans | Rear - space for one 140mm fan, supplied; Side - space for one 140/180 fan not supplied |
| Front/Floor Cooling Fans | Front - space for two 120-140mm fans (both with filters), one supplied; Floor - space for one 120/140mm fan (with filter), not supplied |
| Expansion Card Slots | 7 + 1, with sleek white painted brackets |
| Front I/O Ports | 2x USB2, 1x USB3 and Audio I/O |
| Accessories | PCI fan controller, controllers up to 3 fans |
| Weight | 10.0kg |
| Warranty | 24 months |
| EAN barcode | N/A |
Video Review
Conclusion
Our fears at the beginning of this review were that the Arc would either just be an R3 with a body kit or that the quality would have slipped and be no where near the level of its older brother. Thankfully I can report that its neither of the above. I will admit early in the conclusion that the plastic aluminium looking front will be a Marmite moment with many potential customers. We all had our reservations here at OC3D but when you start using it is really not something that bothered us, if anything with the recessed Fractal logo at the top its a really nice feature. The long section of mesh at the front that is carried on at the top also gives the case a really sleek and tidy look.
Cant help but feel that the side panel lets the case down, the fact its just got the 140mm/180mm grill in the side with no blank or dust filter just seems lazy. It would be amazing if Fractal could offer a window panel as an optional extra as this has been something all of the cases including the R3 could have really done with so we can proudly show our hardware off.
The feature that really stands out with the Arc is its width, a small detail by oh my what a difference a bit of girth makes. There's no need for extra inches in length or height, but make it a bit wider and you'll definitely feel..... erm? no notice the difference (that's what she said). On the back of the case the exhaust fan is a 140mm (120mm optional) so this straight away lets you know its not a small case in width. In the roof there is options for 3x 140mm/120mm fans or a single 180mm fan.
Where it gets really clever is when we mention watercooling, so many cases state they are watercooling compatible yet delivery very little in compatibility. The Arc however can accommodate a full sized 240mm radiator that's 60mm thick and a set of regular 25mm thick 120mm fans internally without you having any special requirements for you motherboard or ram. Its able to do this because the radiator is sat right over near the door of the case and not smack bang in the middle. By moving the Radiator as far away from the motherboard as possible this allows you to use a much thicker radiator and fans and yet still be able to use large components like tall ram and motherboards with huge mosfet heat sinks. This may sound like a small feature but its a feature Ive been harping on about for a very long time and this is the first time Ive ever seen it put into practice...... It works well very well.
Having a midtower sized case that can accommodate a 60mm thick rad with fans without any ifs, ands or buts is a big deal, so much of a big deal that I would go as far as to saying this is THE best midtower chassis on the market today if you are looking to watercool your system. Taking this into account you wouldn't be punished for thinking it would carry a hefty price tag. The Corsair 650D is £140 and that doesn't even support 60mm rads. So how much is the Fractal? £74.99. Sorry this deserves a new paragraph even if my English teacher would put a red line under this.
The Arc is just £74.99.
So if you are looking for a case that can easily accommodate a watercooling loop to cool even the most insane CPU overclocks but is compact, looks great and wont cost you big bucks the Fractal Arc is the chassis for you. If you are looking for a silent air cooled chassis with the 140mm fans the Fractal really delivers on this point as well, then your only dilemma is do you like the look of the Arc or the R3 more. We can't decide so we hope you can!
After all this there was no doubt in out minds that the Fractal Designs Arc Midi deserved nothing less than the coveted OC3D gold award. Unlike some other sites when you see our Gold award it really means something.
Thanks to Fractal Designs for the Arc on test today, you can discuss this review and many other topics in our forums.
Most Recent Comments
great review this case really shines out to me!Quote
Edit: I'd happily pick this free breathing Fractal case over the Coolermaster HAF mid towers.Quote
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Originally Posted by SieB
Very tempted to go for the ATX version after seeing the vid for the midi last night but then again I might just go for the Midi but I think i'll wait till after the review of the ATX version before deciding |
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Originally Posted by tinytomlogan
This is the ATX chassis mate |
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, I assume bcoz of its depth it will be easy to fit silverarrow, ill be building a new rig soon coz my old one goes to my finance,and that might be a my new case , ready for Diablo 3 ;DQuotedoes look a breeze that case, really has made my cm690 look dated that :|Quote
So this case is one of my options along with the Corsair 650D. I dont know of any other case that would be good for cooling , but quiet and will fit very large GPU's. I only have four HDD's so I could remove the top HDD cage in this case and give the GPU more air.Quote
Pukker!!
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Originally Posted by silenthill
this is one of the best water cooling mid tower cases I have seen for some time, as for the fan in the side panel is to improve the air flow for the radiator which will be sucking air out of the inside of the case and if you test the case without the fan on the side panel (window only) you will find a big difference in the cooling performance of the loop, I have actually tried this with the coolermaster cases and the reason for this is there is not enough air coming in the case from the fans in front of the case which pass through the hard drive cage which reduces the air flow by a 1/2 and I think the best option will be to put a window and a side fan like the HAF X which will make this case god like. |
QuoteAbsolutely love it,as well as the Core 3000,but this one is even better imho,love the wc options.
Great review Tom,this one is going on my must have short list
QuoteEdit: On thing I don't like, why is the Fractal logo so huge on the front?Quote
EDIT: according to this http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/cases/43410-fractal-designs-new-arc-midi-tower-case-review.html $109 don't know how reliable that source is though.
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Originally Posted by SPS
Why did this case get a gold award, but the Xigmatek Elysium only got a silver? |
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Originally Posted by Terrifictez85
The main reason the elysium got a silver was due to the poor window and cpu cut outs i believe. |
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Originally Posted by SPS
I also believe these were the similar issues with the Arc Midi |
The arc got the gold for being the best water cooling option mid tower and the only thing missing from it was the window.
The Elysium got marked down for not making the room for the rad in the bottom to go to the front of the case, for the window and for the second CPU hole for the SR2 not having any rubber grommet or being covered.Quote
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Originally Posted by sheroo
I'm still struggling as to why its the best mid tower wc case when the 690 will take 2 * 240 rads?
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The Arc has much better air flow, fan options and room to fit any size RAM and there is clearance for the motherboard heatsink so you are able to fit a thick rad no probs. I know it's one rad vs two but the other options and the amount of space to play with are better than the ones in the 690 II. With a bit of modding there might be a way to get a second RAD in the Arc as well.
Other features the Arc has as well is USB 3, rubber grommets for cable management and better overall cable management and it looks better, IMO.
My $0.02Quote
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Originally Posted by SieB
The 690 II is good but you are restricted with RAM size if you want a RAD in the top as well as not being able to fit a 60m thick rad because of the heatsinks on the motherbaord. If you want a rad in the bottom you have to have a PSU that is no bigger than 160mm long because any longer and you can't get one in and even then it's still a tight fit and very cramped. The Arc has much better air flow, fan options and room to fit any size RAM and there is clearance for the motherboard heatsink so you are able to fit a thick rad no probs. I know it's one rad vs two but the other options and the amount of space to play with are better than the ones in the 690 II. With a bit of modding there might be a way to get a second RAD in the Arc as well. Other features the Arc has as well is USB 3, rubber grommets for cable management and better overall cable management and it looks better, IMO. My $0.02 |
plus i like the look or the fractal > the coolermasterQuote
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Originally Posted by sheroo
I'm still struggling as to why its the best mid tower wc case when the 690 will take 2 * 240 rads? |
Need to remember Ive had a lot of experience with the 690 ie: Snow Drift...
For most people on a budget the Arc is a better chassis because of the 60mm rad support. Theres not another case like it on the market.Quote
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Originally Posted by sheroo
So can you cool a gpu & cpu with a single 240 60mm rad? |
I only watercooled both on Snow Drift because it was AMD and they dont kick out much heat, could NOT have done that rig with a 1366 CPU.Quote
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Originally Posted by tinytomlogan
If you watch the video youll say I say you cant really with hot kit. a single 240mm rad is just for CPU really. I only watercooled both on Snow Drift because it was AMD and they dont kick out much heat, could NOT have done that rig with a 1366 CPU. |
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Originally Posted by sheroo
Fair enough dude you're the wc expert. Still think they're missing a trick by not enabling you to fit a rad at the front. Have you ever thought about going into case design yourself? |
Case design no. Helping make a design better yes.Quote
Quote*Begins watching Youtube video*
Been waiting to hear the TTL review on this
EDIT: Right, watched the vid.
How's the noise on this one in comparison to the R3? The R3 has a much thicker sound deadening foam from what I can see.. so I'm guessing its got better noise reduction?Quote
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Originally Posted by Calico
*Makes cup of tea* *Begins watching Youtube video* Been waiting to hear the TTL review on this EDIT: Right, watched the vid. How's the noise on this one in comparison to the R3? The R3 has a much thicker sound deadening foam from what I can see.. so I'm guessing its got better noise reduction? |
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Originally Posted by Calico
Thanks for the replies guys! I'm looking to build a air cooled rig, but want it to be quiet, so I think the R3 would be a good choice |
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Originally Posted by tinytomlogan
No case is ever perfect. Why? Because everyone wants different things. Case design no. Helping make a design better yes. |
Eventually going to fit the 240mm XSPC kit in it.
I was just wondering though, because there's only 2 drive bays, and they're at the same level as the Rad would be; would the curve in the tubing from Rad to Pump/Res be too tight?Quote
QuoteDo you think that I can get this all in the Arc?
CORSAIR H100 (CWCH100) in push/pull fan config
ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB ATX Intel Motherboard
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 32GB (4 x 8G
240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory, CMP32GX3M4X1600C10Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 Six-Core Desktop Processor
I am unable to find the dimensions of the memory with the fins on it.
You do not give the dimensions of the room between the motherboard and the fan in the youtube video.
Thanks,
OmzigQuote
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Originally Posted by CocaCola
Definitely agree with Tom on the side panel. Wish they had made a cover for the fan area so if you didn't need that extra fan, it's covered up. |
i'd bet if one was to contact fractal design they might let a couple go and start a part number to sell under.
airdeanoQuote
Recommend this product!
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CSS Valid
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