The award winning Define R3 with USB 3.0 combines minimalistic yet elegant styling with extraordinary performance, noise reduction features, premium build quality and unparalled value in this price range. This mid-tower case is a great choice for everything from gaming/enthusiast systems to silent home theater and corporate applications. The R3 comes pre-fitted with dense noise absorbing bitumen material on the front, top and side panels. The exclusive ModuVent System provides three 5.5”X 5.5” panels which also have noise absorbing material; these panels can be removed to expose three air vents for additional fans for high air flow applications. Rubber padding on the case feet, and anti-vibration pads for the power supply and HDDs also help reduce noise.
The cleverly designed, (8) white HDD trays, with black silicone mounting grommets, can be used for 3.5” HDDs or SSDs. The spacious sleek black interior can support graphic cards up to 290 mm and CPU coolers up to 165mm high. If cooling becomes more of a priority, this system can support up to 7 fans with removable filters to provide airflow from 5 sides of the case. The case also includes several rubber grommeted routing holes and extended cable space behind the M/B mounting plate which allow for efficient cable management. The bottom of the case has a filter over the power supply which can be easily removed for cleaning.
It's easy to see why this case has won so many awards; the attention to detail, clever design, high-performance features, understated yet elegant style, quality workmanship, and unparalled value, put the Define R3 in a class of its own.
BUILT-IN USB 3.0 SUPPORTThe Aluminum look front panel has a stunning, minimalistic design with easily accessible USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and Audio I/O ports. The reset button is intelligently placed inside the front door.
OPTIMIZED FOR NOISE REDUCTIONThe case includes dense, noise absorbing materials on the front, top and side panels.
EXCLUSIVE MODUVENT SYSTEMIf cooling becomes more of a priority than noise reduction, the ModuVent panels can be removed to expose additional air vents for optional fans.
FLEXIBLE VENTILATION OPTIONSUp to 7 fans can be installed (2 x 120 mm - front, 2 x 120/140mm - top, 1 x 120mm - back, 1 x 120/140 mm - side panel, and 1 x 120/140 mm - bottom). And a fan controller, which can be mounted in an expansion slot in the rear, is included. It can control up to three fans with one knob.
STYLISH and FLEXIBLE HDD TRAYS8 HDD trays (painted Fractal accent white) can support 3.5” HDDs or SSDs. The silicone mounting pads reduce noise caused by drive vibration.
ADVANCED CABLE MANAGEMENTCables can be conveniently routed through 5 rubber grommets into a generous compartment behind the motherboard to reduce cable clutter and improve airflow.
Pros: Sturdy construction. Lots of HDD bays, which can fit 3.5" drives with rubber grommets or 2.5" drives without. Lots of fan options, with covers over many of the optional locations to help control airflow. Looks nice, if you're not looking for something flashy. Decent cable management options (though to be honest, this is the first case I've owned that addresses this at all, so I don't know how it compares to other modern cases). Plenty of space. Easy to work with. Includes expansion-slot-mounting fan speed controller to throttle down the speed of the case fans.
Cons: Not nearly as quiet as expected. There's a small vibration that I can silence by pressing gently on the top of the box. I haven't had a chance to delve into what the main culprits are for the rest of the hum, but it doesn't appear to be any one particular fan. It's not *loud*, but it's not any quieter than my previous case, which did not have any special acoustic features. No acoustic dampening on the fan mounts. Must unscrew (and unplug?) entire fan assembly to remove filters for cleaning (except the power supply intake, which can nicely be removed). No HDD light.
Overall Review: Overall nice case. While it's not as quiet as I expected with stock components, it's quite possible that it has the features needed for an expert to bring it down to silent levels. If I had it to do over again, I might spend a little more for one of the more established players in quiet computing, but as it was more of a goal than a requirement for me, I'm reasonably satisfied with the case overall.