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However, this case can fit GPUs up to 13.98 inches (355mm), and our Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC fits perfectly. The maximum CPU cooler height varies, depending on whether you install the fan bracket on the side. Without the bracket, the North supports coolers up to 6.7 inches (170mm), but 5.7 inches (145mm) with the bracket and fans installed.
Presenting North XL
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.
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It supports up to three 120mm, two 140mm, or even two 180mm fans, as well as radiators up to 406mm long. That last number covers most (but not all) 360mm-format closed-loop coolers. We measured 71mm between the top panel and the motherboard’s top edge, and builders who aren’t afraid to let their coolers hang past the motherboard’s top edge will find around 52mm of horizontal distance between 120mm fans and motherboard standoffs.
Type-C interface
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.
North XL
The side panels are removed via two thumb screws, which is a bit disappointing for a case of this price, and it’s almost ironic when you consider the otherwise excellent aesthetics of this chassis. If you’re smitten with the wood face of the original North, the North XL will be likely your go-to pick if your timber-lust goes along with a need for oversize components. It didn’t dominate our benchmarks, but it’s no slouch, and the build process was about as easy and quick as any of recent note.
Fractal Design North XL Specs
Best minimalist PC cases in 2024 - XDA Developers
Best minimalist PC cases in 2024.
Posted: Thu, 23 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
My previous case was a Phanteks P400s TG, so the review is coming from that angle.
Building With the North XL: North Star
Fractal Design's cases generally aren't all that quiet, and that's true here as well. During our full-speed test, we got an average of 53 decibels, which is, bluntly, quite loud. So it's likely the tempered glass version of the North is at least a little quieter.
Corsair 2000D RGB Airflow
Spinning the case around, we find that most of the added space is placed above (“north” of?) the motherboard, allowing for the installation of thicker top-mounted radiators. Ventilation slots are spaced to accept 120mm and 140mm fans at various distances from the motherboard and top panel. Introducing a new, larger addition to our North series, offering users the same transformative design as the original in an extended format.
Video Card
Inside, it offers more room to cater to ambitious build aspirations, including space for a 420 mm front-mounted radiator, 360 mm top-mounted radiator and support for graphics cards up to 413 mm. Its spacious, flexible, and intuitive interior layout is designed to allow users to make the most of their building and gaming experience. The front 2.5-inch drive tray is filled with a box containing the case’s hardware kit and is mounted very close to the front fan bracket. Both trays can be relocated 1.5 inches farther back, but doing so reduces the power-supply space from a measured 7.9 inches (200mm) to a mere 6.4 inches (163mm). The North XL’s motherboard tray is flat all the way to the front, allowing motherboards of any depth (up to its 413mm max card length) to fit.
North reimagines the gaming PC, introducing natural materials and bespoke details to make gaming a stylish addition to your living space. Leveraging design to give you a better experience, its airflow functionality and intuitive layout make building and gaming both smooth and enjoyable. What would the popular Fractal Design North look like, expanded to Extended ATX (EATX) scale? Real walnut trim was the biggest thing that made Fractal Design’s original North a big hit among ATX system builders, and the firm is ready to take another chunk out of the market (and some forest) with a $179.99 North XL version. Key improvements include the ability to fit a triple-140mm (420mm format) radiator up front or a graphics card up to 413mm deep, and all that extra capability costs only an extra inch or two of additional space on your desk.
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.
Behind the wood are two pre-installed Fractal Design Aspect 140mm fans, which can be replaced with fans or radiators up to 360mm. And, finally, the rear fan mount can fit a 120mm spinner, although the case only comes with the two fans up front. Official subreddit of Fractal – leading designer and manufacturer of premium PC gaming hardware. Welcome to your go-to-channel for everything Fractal-related from information to inspiration. You may pick your poison, but we’ll just stick with the version that gets us the best temperatures. The Fractal Design North measures up at 18.5 x 8.5 x 17.5 inches (HWD), so I wouldn’t try to fit an E-ATX board in here.
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.
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.
Case companies often take an existing design and mostly (or sometimes only) change the front panel. This isn’t the case (no pun intended) with the North, which is available in either white or black and with a mesh or tempered glass side panel. Enter Fractal Design, a case manufacturer that often finds itself on our Best PC Cases, and its latest (and hopefully trend-setting) North case. The North is an ATX mid-tower chassis that features wood slats on the front panel (backed by mesh) and the option for a mesh or tempered-glass side panel. Fractal Design’s new case retails for $130 and comes in Charcoal Black or Chalk White.
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.
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