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We were able to get our test configuration’s standard parts installed quickly, and connected the cables…after manually operating our screwdriver, of course. Look past the back-panel power-supply insertion, and the North XL is one of the simplest cases we’ve ever used in a build. Like the standard North, the North XL lacks the proper clearances behind its solid panel to insert a power supply from the side and thus relies on a removable bracket to enable installation through the back panel. The washable dust filter matches the one on its smaller sibling, just large enough to cover the intake vent beneath the power supply bay. 2022 has been a big year for Fractal Design; the Swedish case company started off with the Torrent Compact, which was an impressive start. In the summer, we saw the Pop Silent, which was refreshing, as the case market has become saturated with mesh and RGB.
"Olympus". Fractal North build.
The small connector seen on the right uses a 4-pin PWM connector for motherboard control and connects up to four PWM fans (including the three front fans that come with the case). The Core i K is set at a fixed 4.7GHz clock at 1.3v on all performance cores to ensure consistent power consumption across test scenarios. Letting the GPU run at 75% fan speed enables it to maintain its power target while sticking to one set reasonable fan speed, so that the temperature is the only variable. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
Fractal North
PCMag supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownerships. We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell with a full refund in accordance with our return policy – no receipt needed if you have a Micro Center Insider Account. Fractal's North is a mid-tower ATX case that disguises itself as a pretty piece of furniture. Now, I never took woodshop in high school, but this feels and looks like bamboo. I recently bought a Fractal North (Charcoal / Black Mesh version) and I just wanted to share some impressions before I forget.
Presenting North XL
Still, the cost of raw materials these days is up, up, and up, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a finer-looking combo of steel, glass, and wood outside an architect’s studio. You might assume the mesh improves thermals, but there's also evidence (at least in some cases) that air coming in from the side can be detrimental to the front-to-back airflow path. The only other case we've tested recently with a mesh side panel was the Azza Aero 480, and that did not perform very well. Fractal's North, though, performed exceptionally well in our testing – especially with CPU thermals. The top of the North features a removable panel with a leather tab and the back for easier removal.
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Then we tested the ITX Ridge, which stood out for its console-sized frame and build quality. Finally, just as the temperatures turned frigid and the year was winding down, the company fittingly launched the North. Despite its price of $130, it stands out in a case market that’s become boring by delivering great airflow and stand-out looks. Our testing hardware to uses Intel’s 12 Gen “Alder Lake” platform, specifically a Core i KF, which is cooled by a Noctua U12s air cooler. Just know that you’re paying a bit of timber tax here, and that if you want to go the vertical GPU route, you’re looking at closer to a $300 investment in the chassis than a $200 one.
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Ultimately, the Fractal Design North can support four 2.5 and two 3.5-inch drives simultaneously, which is very respectable in 2022. A PWM fan hub is also included, mounted behind the motherboard tray by default. It can be moved to a position above the rear fan mount, but we expect most will find its default location more convenient–and better for aesthetics as well, should you opt for the glass side panel. North helps to reimagine the gaming station, introducing natural materials and bespoke details for a case which integrates stylishly into the living space. Merging design and airflow engineering, the case features fine-patterned mesh ventilation and an open front with real walnut or oak panels.
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5.25-inch drive bays were once a necessity for optical drives, but now are more or less gone. Following that collapse, the desire for glass (and RGB) everywhere came and is now going away as the thermal demand of high-end components went up and people began to take the need for airflow seriously. And now, because airflow is so important, too many cases are starting to look the same, which is frustrating. CPU temperatures are close between the similarly shaped cases represented in today’s charts, but the North XL’s temperatures are consistently near the bottom of that tight grouping regardless of how the graphics card is mounted. Fractal Design's wood-faced North XL makes a professional-look PC build easy-treesy, while providing room for jumbo cooling arrangements and long graphics cards.
Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox. Here’s a quick recap of the parts in our standard test build for ATX and larger chassis. It fits together as shown, by removing the North XL’s original eight slot covers. We found, though, that the heads of the included card screws were too large to fit through the openings above them. Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.
Building With the North XL: North Star
The Fractal Design North XL is a little noisy at full speed, partly because it has large fans, and partly because its front panel is designed for optimal airflow rather than as a noise barrier. Fortunately for Fractal Design, most of its competitors are also a little noisy. Regardless of how we got there, the installed card now sits vertically above the power supply tunnel and looks pretty spiffy, if you ask us.
Of course the maximum spec for EATX motherboards is only 330mm, and the empty holes that fit the extra standoffs required to support such wide motherboards are clearly visible just a few inches behind the front fans. A cutaway in the power-supply shroud beneath the motherboard tray provides space behind the fan mounts to install radiators up to 58mm thick. Developed for an enjoyable building and gaming experience, North offers an intuitive interior layout and generous compatibility. It supports GPUs up to a length of 355 mm, or up to 300 mm with a 360 mm front radiator. For a smooth start, it includes two 140 mm Aspect PWM fans, a USB-C port and drive mounts for up to four 2.5” drives and two 3.5” drives out of the box.
North reimagines the gaming PC, introducing natural materials and bespoke details to make gaming a stylish addition to the living space. Fusing design and airflow engineering, the case features fine-patterned mesh ventilation and an open front with real walnut or oak panels. The design is complemented by sleek brass or steel details and an integrated tab for easy access to the top of the case. Inside, North offers an intuitive interior layout and generous compatibility. Behind the motherboard tray, you’ll find the usual cable tie points, a dual 2.5-inch drive bracket and two 3.5 or 2.5-inch drive trays. The drive trays actually live under the PSU shroud, eacg can fit a 2.5-inch drive and a 3.5-inch drive at the same tiem, and can also be mounted upside down to make room for chunkier PSU cables – a well-thought-out feature by Fractal.
That’s a pretty good trade-off if you liked the original North but needed more interior room for your cooling, your motherboard, or your GPU—or all three. In a market where rear exhaust fans are typically included with the case, the North XL’s lack thereof is most likely responsible for the high comparative voltage-regulator temperatures it showed when our graphics card was mounted in standard orientation. As for the cool-down the North XL showed after we moved the graphics card to the more remote (vertical) mount, that’s most likely due to the heat from the back of our graphics card being moved away from the voltage regulators. We placed one of the two 3.5-inch trays next to the dual-2.5-inch tray to show how the single-drive tray also has holes at 2.5-inch-drive spacing. That means the case supports up to four drives total, but only two of those can be 3.5-inch drives. And it can be mounted in three different locations (bottom, middle, or top) to best suit the needs of your build.
As with its smaller sibling, North XL fuses design materials with airflow engineering, to make performance gaming a stylish addition to the living space. Though our graphics card’s RGB logo is a little harder to see from the new angle, keen eyes will still discern that the card’s fans face the tinted-glass side. As long as the performance is decent, there's nothing wrong with more traditional basic black PC case boxes or aggressive RGB-and-glass gamer chassis. But it's great to have attractive and well-performing alternatives like the North, that blend into a living room in a living room instead of standing out like an alien artifact.
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