Fractal Design Define R5 White Silent ATX Midtower Computer Case

Pros: Minimalistic design Roomy interior Heavy steel panels (if you like that sort of thing) Deadly silent fans. I find these fans more quiet than premium fans. For them to be included as case fans is crazy awesome. I'd buy these fans separately any day. Removeable fan filter for the bottom of the case is well designed and easy to remove and insert without warping. A heck of a lot of fan and radiator mounting options. As interior radiator mounting goes, this case has the most options I've seen. The front door can open to the left or right and switching the sides on which it hinges is rather painless and simple. Cable management is a breeze with this case thanks in part to the built in velcro straps

Cons: This case is lauded as a nearly "silent" case but I seriously question anyone who says that. Because it's not. Not by a long shot. Not if you actually use it to its fullest potential. The fans are nearly silent, yes, but this case has SERIOUS vibration and noise amplification issues. All my HDDs are modern and normally quiet (being either NAS or Black drives) in any case I've tested but in this case they are banshees. You can pick your poison in two ways: Remove the top ODD cage and put the main HDD cage there and the vibration will be a rattle due to the fact that the HDD cage isn't secure. Only one out of two screws can mount and the cage basically hangs there. Leave the cages as stock and you'll have one heck of a very loud, deep vibration noise because all the cages interlock (which is also INCREDIBLY annoying when you want to remove a cage because to remove one you need to remove them all). I find this to be an extremely critical flaw since outside of using more than one graphics card or expansion cards the entire point to having a large case is because you plan on having a lot of drives... So, it's rather curious of Fractal Design to be so thoughtless in designing the HDD cages. The other problem is that if you do have a fan that has an audible audio signature it will be amplified in this case. My PSU fan, which was quiet in any other case, is the loudest fan now. (Both my CPU and GPU heatsinks are massive and passive) Which I find curious since I figured that since the PSU mount in the case has decent spacers that this would be useful in dampening of sound since it can breathe better. While I don't fault this case for making my PSU fan audible I do fault it for how it amplifies it. The included fan controller is also pretty bad. You have three settings with nothing in between and you can't turn them off. You have far more control just hooking up the fans to your motherboard. Which basically negates the purpose of a useful fan controller since even on medium it turns the normally quiet fans into loud, obnoxious fans. The "sound dampening material" does nothing but weigh the panels down and add costs. Purely a marketing gimmick.

Overall Review: Continued CONS list (the first time I ran out of space for cons here...) The top and side fan covers are easily the dumbest covers I've come across on a "premium" case. The top ones clip in and the side panel one screws in... Which seems ok enough until you realize that some people don't always want a one and done situation. Some have their auxiliary fans off/disconnected for most of the time and only use them when they need to. So, it's hard enough removing them without a fan attached but with a fan attached? Good luck. Almost every other premium case uses clips that can be removed from outside the case (while still looking flush) or a simple push to open mechanism. In this case you have to pinch the tabs from the inside and if your case is loaded when you need to do this it becomes even more annoying. Then, from a purely aesthetic point of view, these covers are hideous and truly stick out in normal lighting. They look like the plastic they are and while the finish is ALMOST THERE to that of the metal paint job on the rest of the case, it isn't and it sticks out like a sore thumb. The paint job on the entire case is also extremely susceptible to smudges and marring. My side panel came slightly warped in the top back corner. This makes it truly annoying to mount it back flush whenever I access it. What was supposed to be a hassle-free design now becomes a major headache due to minor warping. At the end of the day you have a mid tier case masquerading as a premium case, which at first blush seems valid. But then every little detail comes out and this case becomes a small nightmare the more you use it. This is also the first case that I truly wish I could return considering the money I paid for it. I know this review will be mindlessly down-voted simply because fans don't want to hear anything negative and others might think I'm being too critical but these are the facts about this case and a case is only supposed to do so much, it's not exactly complex. The more you use this case, the more flaws come out. Almost any case can be silent if you use the supplied case fans from this case (which are truly awesome) and only have one mechanical HDD, if that, in it. This case presented itself as a silent case for power users, or at the very least a quieter case, and it is anything but that.

Pros: -Very Silent -Good cooling / airflow -Very good cable management / space -Well built material -A lot of HD tray -HD cages is all modular and can be fixed everywhere your need. -Antivibration rubber for HD -Unbelievable WaterCooling size support -Included all accessories that you need -2 well made dust filter and very easy to use -Long Front USB 2/3 and HD audio cable -Front door can be placed left or right -Side pannel are very easy to open/close -You can install a decent amout of fan everywhere -Antivibration rubber for the PSU

Cons: No dust filter on TOP and SIDE pannel but it's not a Cons since your not using those.

Overall Review: I am upgrading from a Corsair 330R and the R5 is just AMAZING. I never owned an R4 but the R5 is just perfect in all way if you need a silent build with decend cable management , a lot of HD tray and good cooling/airflow. I loved my Corsair 330r but I gave it to my girlfriend so the timing was perfect to buy an R5. For those who wondering if you will get better cooling from R5 than 330r the answer is no. I monitored the temperature of all device before and after and it's the same (2 Front BeQuiet! SilentWings 2 140mm and H80i Exhaust) The cable magement is far better on the R5. You got a lot of space on the back + 2 SDD tool-less tray behind the motherboard I feel like the R5 have less vibration because of the antivibration HD rubber. The bottom fan filter can be remove from the front and cover all the case. If you are looking for a futureproof silent case with unbelievable customization this is the best case for you.

Pros: Surprisingly good air flow, even with Moduvents installed. It is a lot quieter than my old Haf 912. Tons of room for water cooling and fan installation. Motherboard mounts line up perfectly. Rear SSD mounts are very useful. HDD cages are removed extremely easily. Everything about this case screams sophistication!

Cons: Side panel scratches easily. I wish they would have made it out of glass and not acrylic. I received a scratched side panel from them and, thinking it was dirt, I tried to wipe it away. While trying to wipe it with a towel, the towel actually scratched it and only made it worse. I removed one egg from this product because of the material of the side panel.

Overall Review: I contacted Fractal Design about the scratched side panel that I received and they emailed me back extremely fast. Within two email exchanges, they said they would send me a replacement. Fractal Design's customer service is some of the best in the business and I will continue buying their products from now on, because I am confident that I will be taken care of.

Pros: 1. Extremely well thought out design and features. They really thought about everything. 2. Roomy. Love the extra >1" space behind the motherboard for SSDs, cable management. 3. Love the ability to take out / move disk cages to make space for a longer video card, etc. Fit my Noctua NH-D15 and Sapphire Nitro R9 390 easily. 4. Love the way the disk cages are snappable + face to the side so they are easily accessed ... this should be made mandatory for all cases ... 5. Cable management is outstanding. Generous location of grommets for every possible cable (CPU power, HD Audio, ATX power, SATA, Fans). I didn't have one stray cable (though I had to redo a couple of connections because I didn't make full use of the grommets .... they really thought about every possible thing) 6. Whisper silent. I can tell the PC is on but that is only because my ears are pretty sensitive. The wife can't tell if the PC is on. You can see a clear reduction in noise when you close the sound dampening panels. The minor hum, I think, is because of the exposed fan vents. But this is an outstanding case for noise performance. 7. Love the tool-less design, easily accessible, thumb screws. Most of them stay on the case after unscrewing, so no danger of them dropping them.

Cons: 1. It is certainly on the larger side (not a giant but is big) but don't let it bog you down. It's functionality and modularity speak for itself. 2. It is certainly not flashy / colorful LEDs, etc, etc. Just clean lines, simple design and outstanding functionality. Delivers where it matters. 3. Only suggestion I would offer to Fractal Design for R6: In addition to the ability to remove the moduvent covers on the top for adding fans, could you also allow us to remove some portion of the top of the case (I mean right now, there is a solid unibody grill at the top even after removing the moduvent covers ... Im sure it will not be conducive to the case's structural strength but ... )? This would allow my not so slender fingers to access and (re)route some of the motherboard connections with greater ease after motherboard installation. I had a Noctual DH-15 and while I understand it is a huge fan, I would love the ability to access/(re)route connections more easily. Im sure it will help a lot of other builders who tinker with their build with new devices, fans, connections, etc.

Overall Review: 1. Get this case and you will not regret it. 2. This was my 2nd build. First build was Antec 900 .... and I just cannot believe I paid a similar price for a kinda loud, zero cable management, zero modularity, dirt magnet .... shows you what 6000+ reviews and 5 star rating for the Antec 900 on NewEgg mean. Sometimes, the herd is really not right and poorly informed .... 3. After my Antec 900 experience, my requirements were low noise, good cable management, modularity, CPU backplate cutout, dust filters. This was the near perfect case for me. I paid 100$ for this in Mar 2016. I would have gladly paid 150$ - 200$ for this case (guess Im too anchored to Antec 900 .... just can't believe I paid 100$ for that case in 2008 ... i should have paid more attention to the critical reviews but was swayed by the 1000s of 5 egg ratings [and at that time, Im sure I couldn't resist the shiny LEDs too .... :) ... aah ... the perils of youth ... ]. Fractal Design has earned my business and while I won't be shopping for a case any time soon, trust me .... Im going back to them for any of my future builds for myself or others ...

Pros: No windows, No extra lighting- Perfect for those who remember 2004 with disdain. I don't need my house looking like a rave anymore. Reminiscent of the beige box of yesteryear with an elegant simplicity and stark white color that fits in the modern home. Perhaps what the Mac Pro could have looked like in a sane world? Tweeks that show case design experience- There were little things that the photos may not have shown you. The front door of the case is reversible for left or right hand opening. When you open the back side of the case you see that the drive bays are set in about an inch and a half. This means you no longer require 90 degree angled sata connectors that get squished with the door! The vertical cable passthroughs in the center of the case are set at an ANGLE. This was no doubt not very cost effective, but kept my cables from having to make such a sharp turn into the back side of the case. A brilliant touch that I never would have known to ask for! The front fans actually do not vent out the front, they vent out of a tactfully in-plain-site vent panel on the side of the case. The case side release latch is something I have never seen before in a case. One push lever moves 2 pins that hold the side of the case on. They do a very good job at holding the side tight even without the included screws. If you are going into your case enough to be bothered by thumb screws than this is an amazing new feature. The bottom feet are RUBBER. Not plastic, not soft poly, rubber. The drive bays- Every single drive bay fits in at least 2 spots on the case, or can be completely removed without effecting the other components. this INCLUDES the 5 1/4" bay for those who do not sport physical media drives! For some reason the drive slides/holders are made out of metal. These do not feel particularly better than their plastic brethren, left small scratches and even seemed more difficult to slide in and out because of it. My personal configuration included NONE of the bays as I have a PCIe harddrive and an SSD data drive, the latter of which screws right to the bottom of the case. Cooling- Never have i seen so many options for fan and radiator placement. The manual states that the full size radiators (think H100 by Corsair) can be fit in the top, bottom, and front of the case, with multiple fans to boot! One place the Fractal Design Define R5 really stands out is not how they handle the fans spots you are using, but the ones you are not. There are myriads of plastic covers to seal and holes that don't have mounted fans. This offers a cleaner look, but in this white case, the cover on the side is quite a different shade (beige) than the rest of the case. The 3 top fan covers appear to be darn close if not right on colored, and fit together extremely well. As to be expected, the front, top, and bottom have filters. The only one I could figure out how to remove was the front. I don't think the others come out, even though they look like they should! Front/top USB and Fan controller- I love the multiple USB 3 and 2 options that exist on the TOP of the case. This is a very well laid out front panel with plenty of connectivity. It appears they only use 2 connectors to feed the 4 ports, but I could be wrong. The soundproofing- The first thing I noticed about this case was how heavy it was. I have hand some tankerly full size cases, but this beats their heft by far. This is because of the attention to soundproofing. This starts with the material of the case. It feels to me like the sides are made of a coated metal, not plastic. The coating deadens vibrations that happen in a tin/aluminum case, while keeping the strength and feel that no plastic case can provide. (No sharp corners either!) The deadening material glued in the side panels reminds me of something I would install in a car to eliminate road noise! It makes the sides heavy, but kills any fan noise or harddrive ticks. They go as far as including rubber mounts for just about everything. Even the bottom feet are a nice shock absorbing soft rubber! The included fans are a nice quiet high spec model. They are nice and soft sounding, especially when plugged into the 3 option fan controller that is built in.

Cons: For some reason the drive slides/holders are made out of metal. These do not feel particularly better than their plastic brethren, left small scratches and even seemed more difficult to slide in and out because of it. The only filter I could figure out how to remove was the front. I don't think the others come out, even though they look like they should! Beware of the weight. Don't be fooled by its small size. I picked the box up wrong the first time thinking it would be 1/3 the heft. This is not so much a con as it is a warning. See above for the very good reasons it is this heavy!

Overall Review: I cannot recommend this case enough. If you are a 20/30 year old with the proclivities of an adult then there are few reasons to purchase a different case. I purchased this for $109 on sale, but would gladly pay $200 for such a well built case. The ridiculously modular design, extreme attention to build quality and sound dampening, understated design, and innovative builder's features show that this was not designed by a think tank or bean counter, but by real geeks who get their hands in cases and said "I know a better way". 5 giant ostrich eggs out of 5.

Pros: I liked the R4 so much on my last build I went with this R5. Lots of reviews out there showing details. LOVE IT. Plenty of room for components and water cooling, dual SLI, and very neat cable routing. I like how the side panels sort of hinge from the front when removing, big improvement over aligning all the tabs on the top and bottom and sliding it forward. I like the latch also on the side, it is a latch and pops right open when you push the latch. Also, the SSD drives can be mounted w/o removing the mobo like on the R4. Front dust collector much easier, bottom screen slides out front which is 100% better than the R4. (2) GP14 case fans are quiet and seem to run a little slower than the stock ones on the R4's but I have good cooling throughout. Stock i7-4790k @4.4Ghz w/212 EvO on air max CPU temp at full 100% "real" rendering load is 69C and PCH about 45C. This is a very quiet case especially if you setup your mobo fan controls.

Cons: 3-way SLI may be a problem depending on your mobo layout the bottom card could interfere with Power Supply...if you really must have a 3rd card(great advertising industry) Not a fan of the fan switch since I run all fans from mobo for control...but it does come in quite handy for dimmable LED's!

Overall Review: Please do not pry the top covers off like many reviewers have done! They will break, it is really simple...reach underneath and push the clips slightly and they lift right off. Buy it...you will like it!

Pros: -Keeps most parts silent even on demanding games such as Starcraft 2, Battlefield 4, and Tomb Raider. -Aesthetically pleasing to look at -Removable HDD trays -Very Sturdy and well made

Cons: -This is my 3rd build and I felt like the back could have more space for cable management. -Mine came with a dent in the back of the case. I almost missed it but at least it isn't big enough to affect the functionality or aesthetics of the case. -Not really a con of the case but coming from a full size, it felt like I was lacking in space. -They really need to include or have an option for a psu shroud

Overall Review: Case: Define R5 White Windowed Case CPU: i7 4790k GPU: Asus GTX 970 Strix HDD: WD Blue SDD: Samsung Pro 850 512gb PSU: EVGA SuperNova 850 Platinum Optical Drive: Asus Blu-Ray Player BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS (My only regret since not even the Define r5 can make this quiet)

Pros: Of the many cases I've used, my favorite to this point was the Fractal R4. This beats that case slightly. It is clearly an iterative rather than dramatic development, though that is great with something not broken. My build is extremely quiet. Everything in the case was easily accessible, and the small internal redesign and new rubber linings (which don't shift every time I push something through!) around the access points to the back of the motherboard tray made cable routing very easy. The case is solid; it exudes quality. Fit and finish is perfect, and I encountered no sharp edges. Finally, I have a case where the dust filter screen on the bottom can be pulled out from the front! No more unnecessary shifting of my tower under the desk to get at it. The dust filter screen for the front fans has also been redesigned, and seems more robust and easier to deal with than the several types I had on R4 cases. The new USB 3 ports on the top seem higher quality than those on the R4, where I saw someone actually insert a cable backwards once... briefly.

Cons: The removable white drive trays have been changed so that the sides decrease in height towards the back. This I believe promotes air flow from the front fans. However, as another reviewer noted, I found that they tended to pop forwards when I used even slight pressure to insert cables in the back of my drives. Not a big deal, I just held the drives from the front until the cables were secure. Once they were in place, I noticed no shifting or rattling. That is, they are not loose, but simply not held in as strongly.

Overall Review: This is definitely my silent case of choice right now. A couple of minor wishes: I wish the ports on the top angled forwards so that I could see and access them better when the tower is under my desk. I also wish that the top USB ports at least had a bit of lighting around them. I keep the room dark when gaming, and the dark ports on a dark case in the dark room are, well, invisible.