Fractal Torrent Review

Fractal unveils a new high-performance computer chassis which is specifically designed to excel at airflow. We take a detailed look at the TG White – Clear Tint model. Along with Ion+ 2 Platinum and Prisma AL-180 PWM ARGB.

Product on Review: Torrent
Manufacturer & Sponsor: Fractal Design
Street Price: GBP: £169 USD: $189

Launching today is a new high-performance computer chassis from Fractal. Choosing to double-down on airflow, Torrent arrives with a plethora of large cooling fans – most notably, two 180mm Dynamic/Prisma fans at the front which intend to maximise on the cooling potential.

Fractal’s Torrent is available in an assortment of different versions to suit individual tastes, we’ll be checking out the TG White – Clear Tint model. As part of today’s review, we’ve also included two other Fractal products which also launch release today: Ion+ 2 Platinum 860W PSU and Prisma AL-180 PWM ARGB cooling fans and by all accounts, this is a killer combination.

Torrent is without doubt a top-tier solution with strong emphasis on cooling – both in the air department, and also for custom water-cooling advocates. It therefore commands a ‘high-end’ price-tag, is it worth the money?

Fractal on their Torrent

Built to maximize cooling potential straight out of the box, the Torrent comes with a brand-new component layout and two custom-made 180 x 38 mm Dynamic PWM / Prisma RGB fans. The Torrent is a perfect fit for anyone serious about high-end cooling – with or without a custom water loop.

Technical Specifications

Below are the technical specifications surrounding Torrent:

Closer Look Video

For this review we’ve also created a YouTube video which highlights all of the key features, shows a full system install and identifies the good/bad points regarding this computer case. Click the video below or go to the Fractal Torrent.

Thermal Performance Testing

Inside Torrent we have five fans – 3x 140mm cooling fans at the bottom positioned as intakes and 2x 180mm cooling fans at the front also as intakes. Being a case designed for airflow, we expect good results from Torrent.

To discover the thermal performance of Torrent 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 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 Pentium K G3258 @ 4GHz
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z87X-D3H
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 LED Turbo
Graphics NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti
Memory 4GB Kingston HyperX DDR3
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU Corsair RM850

Noise

Low-noise isn’t a top priority for this case. At 41dBA, while the case noise isn’t “loud” it is definitely noticeable.

Conclusion

In recent years there has been a big push for case manufacturers to design/manufacture airflow-specific enclosures and while there have been one or two decent models arrive on the market, the vast majority have come with serious compromises in one way or another. Fractal’s Torrent changes this.

Fractal has honed in on devoting time to the small and big things when we look at computer case design. Retaining a traditional layout with some slight twists (moving the PSU to the top) transforms the building process and amplifies the cooling potential. It goes without saying that Torrent is primarily designed to be an airflow centric enclosure, and in this arena it excels. The design of the front panel, chassis and placement of the 3x 140mm fans at the bottom and 2x 180mm fans at the front transports Torrent to the top of the cooling leaderboard and marks this case out as one of the best cases for cooling we’ve checked out.

While cooling is definitely Torrent’s forte, it doesn’t shy away from impressing in other areas too. The styling and build quality are noticeably good, stretching to excellent. Torrent has been planned with sophistication – completely tool-free panels make access inside a doddle and cable management is well catered for. The back section of Torrent features a channel for cables to feed into, there are numerous Velcro straps for locking unruly cables down and the Nexus 9P Slim PWM Fan Hub also makes an appearance; helping to keep cables out of sight.

Those with an affection for water-cooling will be pleased to know that Torrent has allocation for fillports, reservoirs and different sized radiators. Having an E-ATX capable motherboard tray (and the space to house it) means there is bags of space for even the largest of computer hardware.

Being adept at cooling means that those with sensitivity to noise could find Torrent slightly irritating. While we didn’t find overall system noise to be overbearing, it is certainly noticeable. However, cases designed for airflow almost always have heavily ventilated panels and a plethora of cooling fans, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Priced at GBP: £169 USD: $189, Torrent is expensive, but we’re reminded that it comes in with a multitude of features and those five cooling fans.

Torrent pushes forward as one of the best airflow-specific cases we’ve had the pleasure of looking at. It excels in thermal performance and ticks all the boxes for a top-tier offering!

Pros
+ Striking visual appearance
+ Available in many different versions
+ Excellent build quality
+ Tool-less panels
+ Exceptional cooling
+ Good storage options
+ Brilliant cable management tools
+ Includes a PWM fan hub
+ Can house high-end kit
+ Fits different sized radiators and other WC kit

Cons
– Big price-tag
– Noisy

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