Fractal Design Define R4 Case Review: Evolution, Not Revolution
by Dustin Sklavos on July 20, 2012 6:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- mid-tower
- Fractal Design
Noise and Thermal Testing, Stock
For testing the Fractal Design Define R4, I made a decision that's probably going to seem a little controversial: I elected to remove the middle drive cage. My rationale is consistent with a decision I made when I decided to revise our testing methodology, which is to test cases the way they would most likely be assembled with our testbed. I suspect the R4's middle drive cage is going to be removed by the vast majority of users, as they simply won't need it when the case already supports two 2.5" drive mounts behind the motherboard tray and three drive trays in the bottom cage. So unless you have a great need to load up the R4 with drives, odds are that cage isn't staying in.
I also tested the case with all three fan settings to give an idea of how well the fan control works and what the ideal setting might be for most users. It's easy to forget, though, that if you need an extra kick of cooling performance it's very easy to just bump the R4 up to the 12V setting and then switch it back down when you're not running as heavy a load.
Ambient temperatures during testing hovered around ~24C.
At the risk of spoiling the rest of the review results, I will tell you the fan controller's 7V setting is easily the best balance between performance and acoustics. While all three settings are below 30dB, the 7V setting is virtually impossible to distinguish from the 5V. Our major competitor for the R4 is going to be the Corsair Obsidian 550D, but keep in mind the 550D is also at least $30 more expensive.
Fan speeds are all basically comparable and competitive with very little notable variation. What's interesting is the remarkably even spread between the three fan controller settings (keeping in mind that the CPU fan and GPU fan are governed not by the case fan controller but by the motherboard and graphics card respectively). It'll be interesting to see if this even spread remains consistent under our overclocked testing.
There are a couple of vital points to make here. First is that because our sound meter doesn't register below 30dB, the chart doesn't tell the whole story. Noise at idle between 5V and 7V fan controller settings is nigh indistinguishable, but the 12V setting does produce a noticeable increase. It's still very quiet, but there's a low-pitched whooshing that becomes audible.
The second point is something I've become very keen to point out whenever possible: running fans too low can actually result in higher noise levels than finding a more optimal fan speed might. When the case's cooling system isn't producing adequate airflow, the cooling on the graphics card and CPU has to pick up the slack, and that's how you wind up with test results where the middle fan setting is actually quieter than the low fan setting. This is something I've experienced even with my personal desktop, and it's absolutely worth keeping in mind on any build.
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Dustin Sklavos - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
I bunged the NDA time on the review and had to bounce it an hour, that's what happened. :| I've normally been great about NDAs but for some odd reason this one just confused me stupid.themossie - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
Thanks, it happens :-)Olaf van der Spek - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
The case is huge, especially for the used motherboard. When do we get reduced depth cases? An unnecessarily big case seems bad for airflow, as the air has to travel farther.BTW, how's ports on top a compromise for cases on the desktop? It can't get worse than that.
Spivonious - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
I can't be the only one here who has more than 2 drives.DVD-ROM
DVD-RW
X-Fi bay
Card Reader (3.5")
The rest of this case looks very nice, but I won't be able to use it.
Death666Angel - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
I don't have more than 2 drives:- slim line optical drive with 2.5" bay and 2 USB ports
- 6x2.5" bays
And I only have those because I hadn't anything better to put in there. If you need more, buy a different case. Most people I know don't even need those 2. :)
Olaf van der Spek - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
Not every case has to suit every build, has it? I for one wouldn't mind seeing one less 5.25" bay.What do you need both a DVD-ROM and a DVD-RW for though?
piroroadkill - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
My monitor (Dell U2410) has a card reader built in, I don't have an x-fi bay, and I infact only have one 5.25" device in my Fractal Design Define R3: An LG HD-DVD/Blu-ray drive (rare now, glad to have one).Grok42 - Sunday, July 22, 2012 - link
I think you are unusual in your need for so many 5.25" bays. The good news is that most mid-tower cases have four 5.25" bays with the next most popular being three bay configurations. You shouldn't have trouble finding a really good case that meets your needs. Those who would prefer to have better cooling, more 3.5" bays, more 2.5" bays or smaller cases are completely out of luck. This case is very unusual only having two bays and there are almost none with only a single bay. There are exactly two cases on the market with none.That said, you could easily go down to two bays. Not sure what the point of two DVD drives are unless you are copying a lot of one off DVDs. The best card readers are the USB stick converter ones. Much easier to deal with because you can insert the card much more easily. The X-Fi bay is a personal thing. I prefer my sound controls in a closer and more accessible place like on a remote beside my keyboard. My computer is on the floor and using a front panel for volume and headphones there would be awkward even if it was on my desk.
casteve - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
..Especially for trying out all three fan speeds. I liked the R3. Glad to see Fractal evolving the design.tribbles - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
I have an Antec P280 and would love to be able to (cleanly) block the top vents like Fractal has done with the R4. Does anybody make a standard 120mm fan mount cover? I've Googled it and haven't had much luck.