A new addition to the Define family – XL receives a refresh. With elegance and silence being fundamental can this new computer chassis impress us?
Product on Review: Define XL R2
Manufacturer: Fractal Design
Street Price: £106 inc. VAT
Known for their passion with elegant case manufacture and silence, Fractal Design are back again with an update to the popular Define XL. Those who liked the original Define XL or even have a soft spot for the new Define R4 but want something bigger are in a treat today.
The new XL R2 is not that dissimilar to XL but in true Fractal Design fashion, little tweaks have been made here and there to build on the success of a firm favourite. Minimalism continues to feature highly with this new addition but there are some new features which include a fresh new layout which boasts oodles of space and silence as a forte.
Fractal Design on the XL R2
Fractal Design builds on the success of its awarding-winning Define XL computer case with the Define XL R2. This updated chassis carries on the family tradition of providing superb cooling and ventilation capabilities with exceptional expandability, in a sleek and stylish Scandinavian form.
The Define XL R2, which includes Fractal Design’s innovative ModuVent™ feature, has an updated internal layout that offers greater expandability, modularity and flexibility, including capacity for 9 PCI cards and two HDD cages that can be repositioned to provide more space for water cooling radiators.
The Define XL R2, which includes Fractal Design’s innovative ModuVent™ feature, has an updated internal layout that offers greater expandability, modularity and flexibility, including capacity for 9 PCI cards and two HDD cages that can be repositioned to provide more space for water cooling radiators.
Technical Specifications
Specifications
• ATX, Micro ATX, mini-ITX, E-ATX and XL-ATX motherboard compatibility
• 4 – 5.25″ bays
• 8 – 3.5″ HDD trays – all compatible with SSDs
• A total of 9 expansion slots
• 3 – ModuVent™ plates – two in the top and one in the side
• 7 – Fan positions (3 fans included)
• Filtered fan slots in front and bottom
• CPU coolers up to 170 mm tall (when no fan is installed in the side panel)
• PSU compatibility: ATX PSUs up to 190 mm deep when using the bottom fan location; when not using this fan location longer PSUs (up to 345 mm deep) can be used
• Graphics card compatibility: Graphics cards up to 330mm in length with the top HDD cage installed – With the top cage removed, graphics cards up to 480mm in length may be installed
• 26 mm of space for cable routing behind the motherboard plate
• Thick rubber grommets on all holes on the motherboard plate
• Colors available: Black Pearl, Titanium Grey
• Case dimensions (WxHxD): 232 x 559 x 560mm
• Net weight: 16.4kg
• Package dimensions (WxHxD): 322 x 637 x 655mm
• Package weight: 19kg
Cooling system
• Front: 1 – hydraulic bearing 140mm Silent Series R2 fan, 1000 RPM speed (included); 1 – 120/140mm fan (not included)
• Rear: 1 – hydraulic bearing 140mm Silent Series R2 fan, 1000 RPM speed (included)
• Top: 2 – 120/140mm fans (not included) – positions also support 240/280mm slim radiators
• Bottom: 1 – hydraulic bearing 140mm Silent Series R2 fan, 1000 RPM speed (included)
• Side: 1 – 140mm fan (not included)
• Fan controller: 1 – integrated fan controller for up to 3 fans (included)
• Water cooling compatibility:
• Front – 240mm radiator when HDD cages are removed or repositioned
• Top – 240 and 280mm when using slim radiators
• Bottom – 120mm radiators
• Rear – 120 and 140mm radiators
• ATX, Micro ATX, mini-ITX, E-ATX and XL-ATX motherboard compatibility
• 4 – 5.25″ bays
• 8 – 3.5″ HDD trays – all compatible with SSDs
• A total of 9 expansion slots
• 3 – ModuVent™ plates – two in the top and one in the side
• 7 – Fan positions (3 fans included)
• Filtered fan slots in front and bottom
• CPU coolers up to 170 mm tall (when no fan is installed in the side panel)
• PSU compatibility: ATX PSUs up to 190 mm deep when using the bottom fan location; when not using this fan location longer PSUs (up to 345 mm deep) can be used
• Graphics card compatibility: Graphics cards up to 330mm in length with the top HDD cage installed – With the top cage removed, graphics cards up to 480mm in length may be installed
• 26 mm of space for cable routing behind the motherboard plate
• Thick rubber grommets on all holes on the motherboard plate
• Colors available: Black Pearl, Titanium Grey
• Case dimensions (WxHxD): 232 x 559 x 560mm
• Net weight: 16.4kg
• Package dimensions (WxHxD): 322 x 637 x 655mm
• Package weight: 19kg
Cooling system
• Front: 1 – hydraulic bearing 140mm Silent Series R2 fan, 1000 RPM speed (included); 1 – 120/140mm fan (not included)
• Rear: 1 – hydraulic bearing 140mm Silent Series R2 fan, 1000 RPM speed (included)
• Top: 2 – 120/140mm fans (not included) – positions also support 240/280mm slim radiators
• Bottom: 1 – hydraulic bearing 140mm Silent Series R2 fan, 1000 RPM speed (included)
• Side: 1 – 140mm fan (not included)
• Fan controller: 1 – integrated fan controller for up to 3 fans (included)
• Water cooling compatibility:
• Front – 240mm radiator when HDD cages are removed or repositioned
• Top – 240 and 280mm when using slim radiators
• Bottom – 120mm radiators
• Rear – 120 and 140mm radiators
Packaging & First Look
XL R2 is presented in a large eco-friendly double reinforced cardboard box. Just lifting the box alludes to XL R2’s characteristics, manoeuvring it can be quite tricky due to the sheer weight. There is an illustration of the case on the front whilst the back has a diagram pinpointing significant features.
Inside, the case is covered in a clear plastic sheet and held in place via dual polystyrene pillars to ensure a safe arrival to the destination.
Packaging for XL R2 – a large eco-friendly box
Taking the XL R2 out of its box we instantly see a resemblance to the XL and indeed other cases which are centred around Scandinavian elegance. In fact, XL R2 looks very similar to the Define R4. That balance of silence and minimalism is clearly a fundamental underpinning with the design of XL R2. Both side panels are solid, except the prominent side has a 140mm cut-out for mounting a cooling fan. This slot has been given ModuVent treatment to assist with keeping noise levels to an absolute minimum. Both side panels are significantly thick anyway and have been furnished with synthetic noise damping material to maximise noise reduction.
Minimalist styling is the order of the day
Solid side panels help to prevent noise escaping
Exterior
The front of XL R2 is understated and continues to exude absolute subtleness. As with many of Fractal Design’s Define cases, the front has a door with brushed aluminium appearance – though it is only plastic.
Around the back there is an opening at the bottom for mounting a PSU and above this there are a total of nine PCI expansion slot covers which have been given the white powder coating treatment. Above this there is a perforated mesh section for the 140mm rear exhaust fan which is a Silent Series R2. There is additional ventilation at the top too.
The front and back of XL R2
The door on XL R2 opens from the right and has three magnets to help it fix into place when closed. The inside of the door also has foam to help assist with noise reduction. Opening this door gives access to four 5.25” drive bay covers which are removable from the from the outside, immediately to the right of this is a switch for the fan controller which supplies three different speeds and can control up to three cooling fans – Fractal Design actually supply three with this case. Further down in the lower section is a hinged door, behind this door is a mounting attachment which has a 140mm Silent Series R2 intake cooling fan installed. The attachment can take another 140mm fan and has dust filters already fitted which can be removed for cleaning purposes. The cooling fans at the front of R2 draw in air from the side and underside ventilation.
Door at front opens to reveal many options
At the top of XL R2 are the front panel controls which include a headphone/microphone jack, reset button, power button and dual USB 3.0/2.0 ports (via internal motherboard headers). The activity LED is placed in the middle.
Front panel connectivity includes USB 3.0
On the underside of XL R2 are four rubberised feet to prevent slippage on smooth surfaces. A large portion of the underside is also covered with a removable dust filter to work in conjunction with the PSU and bottom mounted 140mm R2 Series intake cooling fan. This filter is removable from the back of the case so there is no need to place the case on its side to detach.
Four rubberised feet and a large dust filter
Interior
In order to gain access to the inside of XL R2 dual thumbscrews need to be removed from either side panel. The side panels are significantly thick and therefore robust and quite heavy. This thickness means substantial noise reduction attributes come as standard, Fractal Design have also furnished the inside the side panels with synthetic noise damping material to further assist with noise reduction.
Once the side panels are moved we can cast our watchful eye over the internal layout of XL R2 which is very well set out with plenty of cable management grommets and tool-free design installation options. As can be appreciated, XL R2 is very spacious and therefore can accommodate large form factors such as XL-ATX and E-ATX.
A view inside XL R2 – very spacious
Cable management options galore
Moving inside for a closer look, the PSU seating area is welcomed by some anti-vibration mounts to obviously prevent vibrations but also scratching. At the bottom Fractal Design have kindly included a Silent Series R2 intake cooling fan which is 140mm. Both the PSU and cooling fan have a removable dust filter on the underside.
PSU area and 140mm cooling fan at bottom
Interior (Continued)
Above the PSU area are a total of nine PCI expansion slot covers. Each are powder coated white which contrasts brilliantly against the darker colouration and feature ventilation for better airflow along with thumbscrews. With so many slots available there is plenty of support for high-end multi-GPU configurations.
Multi-GPU support is an understatement
XL R2 features a Silent Series R2 140mm rear exhaust fan, the top of the case has no included cooling fans but does have the option for mounting dual 120/140mm cooling fans. ModuVent material covers the top section of the case. There is also support for water-cooling which we will explore later in the clearance section of the review.
140mm rear exhaust fan and more cooling options at the top
Over on the other side of the case are four 5.25” drive bays – all of which have no tool-free mechanisms for installation. In a rather archaic fashion, standard screws will have to be attached with a screwdriver.
Optical drivers require standard screws for installation
Lastly the HDD storage has a variety of options to offer plenty of flexibility. There are two cages each able to harbour four devices each. The upper cage can be turned at 90 degrees or completely removed. Additionally, both cages can be removed for inclusion of radiators at the bottom or front of the chassis (more on this later in the review). With the upper cage removed the front Silent Series R2 140mm intake fan has a clean route for bringing in cool air for the system.
Storage options are very flexible
Installation
Observing an empty case only tells half of the story so it’s extremely beneficial to install a system inside XL R2 to identify any strengths and/or weaknesses.
XL R2 handled our XL-ATX system in a breeze. Thanks to the spacious layout, moving items around inside the case is easy. Even with such a large motherboard installed there is still plenty of room around the border of the board. Due to the clearance, rubber grommets and hooks, cable management is easy to control.
XL-ATX fits inside XL-R2 with ease
Cable management is a clear strength
To install a storage drive inside XL R2 the HDD simply needs to be placed within one of the metal trays and mounting screws need to be attached on the underside. The tray can accommodate 2.5” or 3.5” drives and the installation method is the same for both sizes.
2.5” or 3.5” drives are supported
Clearance – CPU Cooler, GPU, WC, Cable Management
Clearance is an important aspect of case design for the enthusiast as it establishes whether key components will be compatible with a chassis or not.
Installed within XL R2 is the notorious Noctua NH-D14 which stands at 160mm in height so we can safely say that high-end air coolers are fully supported within this case.
Support for large CPU coolers
HDD cages can be removed from XL R2, giving clearance for any graphics card currently on the market but with the upper HDD cage installed cards with a length of 12” are fully supported. The card we have installed is the XFX 7970 DD which is approximately 10.5”.
Support for long graphics cards
In terms of water-cooling support, XL R2 can accommodate a 120mm radiator at the bottom and a 240mm radiator at the front of the case. In order to clear this area the cooling fan needs to be removed and HDD cages – a series of screws simply need to be removed.
Additionally, at the top of the case 240/280mm radiators are also supported but need to be of the thinner type (less than 3cm in thickness).
Space for 120mm radiator at the bottom
Space for 240/280mm radiator at the front
Behind the motherboard tray there is approximately 2.5cm of clearance between it and the side panel, making way for great cable management. This amount of space is especially generous nowadays with case design.
Generous clearance behind the motherboard tray
Thermal Performance Testing
Inside XL R2 there are three pre-installed fans (Silent Series R2 140mm fans) positioned in traditional airflow regions which should create good airflow. Fan speed will be set to maximum.
To discover the thermal performance of the Interceptor we will record idle temperatures after 20 minutes from a cold boot. We will then stress the system and temperatures will again be monitored after 30 minutes have elapsed.
For the purpose of accurate analysis the idle and load temperatures for CPU and GPU will be recorded and the range between idle and load will be calculated to determine how efficient cooling is.
NOTE: Ambient temperature is 20C
System Components
CPU Intel Core i5 2500K
Motherboard MSI Big Bang Marshal (P67)
Graphics ZOTAC NVIDIA GTX 480 AMP (Different to GPU used in pictures)
Memory 8GB Kingston HyperX Genesis 1600MHz CL9
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU FSP AURUM 620M
Motherboard MSI Big Bang Marshal (P67)
Graphics ZOTAC NVIDIA GTX 480 AMP (Different to GPU used in pictures)
Memory 8GB Kingston HyperX Genesis 1600MHz CL9
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU FSP AURUM 620M
Noise
As would be expected from this case, silence is an attribute that comes as standard. Testament to the thick, enclosed side panels and Silent R2 cooling fans noise levels are kept to a minimum and are barely even recognisable even with the fan set to medium/high.
Conclusion
Fractal Design appear to be a company that are very careful with their implementations and changes on new models. As we found with the Define R4, the preference is to make small changes here and there to improve a predecessor. We have to admit this is a noble method to undertake, the brand has made a lasting impression on the industry so far and are well known for bringing to market a touch of elegance and minimalism.
Although XL R2 is quite similar to other cases within the Define series, we aren’t discouraged from saying this case looks fantastic. Discreet styling is prevalent here and can be appreciated by both enthusiasts and gamers alike. The focus with XL R2 is undoubtedly silence and minimalism and just from an initial look at the outer workings of this case will highlight this fact. Fractal Design have equipped the case with noise insulation material on the front and sides to limit noise leakage, the side panels, whilst quite obviously add to the weight of this case also reinforce this noise reduction – they are both thick and very robust.
From our experience with XL R2 we are quite confident this case oozes top notch build quality. The engineering of parts and overall layout hasn’t been ‘slap dash’ but it’s quite apparent that care has been taken to deliver a premium product here.
As we have witnessed, XL R2 can house a plethora of different high-end hardware stretching from ATX to XL-ATX and E-ATX, supporting big CPU coolers, long graphics cards and even an assortment of water-cooling radiators for avid cooling devotees.
Being priced just over the £100 mark means that XL R2 will be certain to get a ‘look in’. Finding a case of this stature for this price is actually quite a difficult task. Earlier this week we reviewed Thermaltake’s Armor Revo Gene which is a mid-tower, without many of XL R2’s features, quality and finesse yet costs over £120. This just highlights how much of a no-brainer XL R2 really is.
We’ve been thoroughly impressed by XL R2, it doesn’t shy away from the minimalism which the Define series is notorious for and brings with it excellent build quality and near silence guaranteed. Within, is a platform which is well suited to sustaining a myriad of different hardware and all of this comes at an attractive price-point. Well done Fractal Design!
Pros
+ Great build quality
+ Very spacious
+ Flexible clearance options
+ Good thermal performance
+ Near silence guaranteed
+ Competitive pricing
Cons
– No tool-free design for optical drives
– Heavy
+ Great build quality
+ Very spacious
+ Flexible clearance options
+ Good thermal performance
+ Near silence guaranteed
+ Competitive pricing
Cons
– No tool-free design for optical drives
– Heavy
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