Fractal Design has simply launched a classy-looking new case that’s very best for a mini gaming PC construct. The brand new Fractal Period 2 includes a equally curvy design to the Period ITX case the corporate launched in 2020, however with a walnut panel on the highest as customary, and a few extra room for elements.
In truth, there’s technically simply sufficient room to squeeze an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Version into this chassis, which is an incredible achievement for such a small case. Putting in such a robust GPU might push the boundaries of this mini case’s thermals, however with its Nvidia SFF-ready specification, this tiny new Fractal Design chassis is licensed to work with a number of of the most effective graphics playing cards you should purchase proper now.
This doesn’t embrace the RTX 4090, however there’s assured compatibility with various Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 fashions, in addition to the RTX 4070 Tremendous Founders Version. In the event you’re searching for the most effective PC case for a small-but-mighty construct, then this might properly be it.
Sensibly, the case additionally features a PCIe 4.0 riser to hyperlink the graphics card to your motherboard’s PCIe 4.0 slot. Even now, some SFF circumstances nonetheless include PCIe 3.0 risers, which trigger issues in case you run your motherboard’s slot in PCIe 4.0 mode.
Cleverly, the Fractal Period 2 has a movable motherboard wall, relying on which elements you wish to set up in it. Which means there’s room for as much as 70mm of CPU clearance if you wish to use a two-slot graphics card, however you might set up a triple-slot graphics card with a smaller cooler, or certainly the most effective AIO coolers. You’ll be able to even set up an honest one of many latter, with room for a twin 240mm radiator within the roof.
In the meantime, a big opening within the entrance of the inside cage allows you to set up massive graphics playing cards by passing them by means of the entrance. At its restrict, the case can maintain a graphics card as much as 326mm lengthy, 137mm vast, and as much as 63mm thick. Area efficiencies are additionally launched by the PSU assist, with the case having room for both an SFX or SFX-L energy provide, however not a full-size ATC unit. You will get severely highly effective SFX PSUs nowadays, although, with 1,000W fashions accessible from Corsair, and Cooler Grasp even providing a 1,300W mannequin.
I used to be additionally completely happy to see the case’s entrance ports being genuinely mounted on the entrance, quite than the highest, which is the place you need them on a PC that’s going to be sat in your desk. What’s extra, one in all them is a full-fat USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port with a full 20Gbps of bandwidth, which is nice if you wish to plug a speedy exterior SSD into your rig.
Constructing a PC within the Period 2 appears like fairly a fiddly and concerned affair, however Fractal has made it as straightforward as doable by offering easy accessibility to the inside. You pop off the highest walnut panel, flip a change, after which raise off the 4 essential partitions (produced from aluminum) in a single go.
All in all, this appears like an amazing piece of mini-ITX case design to me, however I’ll reserve my closing judgment for once I’ve examined it for myself. Within the meantime, try our information to the most effective mini gaming PC, the place we run you thru all our favourite SFF and compact rigs proper now.
