Fractal Design Mood Review

Fits perfectly in my Fractal Mood or other small sized cases, really good performance. Fans are a little loud but rarely ramp up to full if I keep my room reasonably cool.

This is the 3 Fractal Design case I have ever worked with and the only the 2nd one I have owned. Just like the pervious ones, the design is awesome. Easy to build in.

The Define 7 is the 4th Fractal Design case I've built a computer in(Define S, R6, Mesify C) and it is plain to see Fractal has iterated on and improved their designs in each successive case. The modularity and adaptability of this case very impressive due to the included accessories. The only two complaints I have are 1) I wish the included fans were PWM and 2) I wish the removable top radiator mount was tool-less like the side panels instead of held in by two screws. Beyond that, it's easily the best case I've ever built in.

I am thoroughly impressed with the fractal pop silent case. A lot of thought went into the design of this thing. Minimalist on the outside and many different options for hard drive mounting in various places and in various ways. Cable management is also great. I can also say that mine is extremely quiet although I did immediately replace the fans with Noctua fans, so I can’t say anything about the stock fans that came with the case because I didn’t try them. It also comes with a couple slots for optical drives which isn’t very common anymore but was something I needed. The only thing I ran into was something that I already knew from reading another review and that is that the case has a spot for a USB-C jack on the top, but does not come with the connecting cable. You have to order it separately for about $15 which is well worth it and it’s easy to install.

The case comes with an excess of cooling. The stock Fractal Design fans are amazing. The case fans are also pretty quiet. I typically used Fractal Design cases in the past for there super noise dampening to keep the PC quiet during operation but the Torrent has surpassed my expectations for quiet operation. At around $185 with all the included fans this case is a steal. I was building out a Lian Li O11 which would have cost significantly more to build out with a similar cooling solution. Cable management is probably the most effective system I've utilized in a case and is necessary. I added a 3.5" hard drive and a 2.5" hard drive which was manageable without any bulging from the cable management side panel, but if you plan on having more than two 3.5" drives then this case is not for you. The PSU is in the top of the case which is unique but definitely works well and provides a great place to hide excess cables. The included fan hub also works great for simplifying the connection of the 5 built in fans to a single motherboard fan header.

I'm definitely not the first to say it, but the Fractal Design Define R5 makes for a quiet and roomy NAS case. In 2024, most PC cases either feature glass sides or are ITX-sized. Thankfully, the Define R5 has neither of those, instead sporting sound-dampening foam to quiet otherwise noisy HDDs and fans. The directions can be confusing at times, and the sides are a little challenging to reattach, but otherwise, this is a good case.

Since the Cooler Master fans were too thick for my Fractal Design case, I tried the Be Quiet Pure Wings 2. They did fit, and I can barely hear them. Decent airflow, and the price point was good. Also the PWM cable is long enough so you don't need extensions.

Fractal Design makes great cases. If you don't need a side window and just want a great quality and quiet case at a fair price, this is a great option. Highly recommended. The sound dampening on the side panels works, and the included fans move plenty of air without much noise. Internal layout is easy to work with and cable management works well. Only issues: the panel on the front bottom is held on by magnets, and gets knocked off easily when moving the computer around. Honestly, drop the option for an optical drive and the cover, and make the case a bit smaller.

Having built in a Fractal Design case before, I was expecting the same kind of quality and functionality in the North. I wasn't disappointed. I changed out the provided front fans for 2 140mm RBG fans and installed an 240mm AIO at the top. The only caveat is that if you are going to install a top AIO then make sure the CPU power and CPU fan connections are made BEFORE securing the motherboard in place. Otherwise, there is no room to get into to make those connections. Very happy with the result except all of the little rubber pads coming off the feet because of the many trips to and from the assembly workbench. A little glue fixed that.

This case exceeded my expectations. This is my fifth Fractal Design and one of the best. The Define R4 and Define R6 are great cases but they are heavy cases and a pain to move around. This case is about 10-12 pounds lighter and very substantial. Case management was fairly easy for me, even though I have 8 drives.