Fractal Pop Air RGB Case Review | Thermals, Build Quality, & Cable Management

[@GamersNexus]

Working on this video format was really fun! What did you think of this review style? One note: For RGB colors, if you set it into color cycle mode and long hold on the button while it's rotating, you can freeze it on a color. This is kind of annoying and unintuitive (hence why it got by us), but Fractal notes that, if you cycle this way, it is possible to freeze on the desired solid color.

[@guillax]

Love it! It makes really interesting and funny the review. IMO you can keep it like this.

[@Xirtamani]

It seemed to be a bit more free speaking/"we do it live!", but to be blunt, apart from that I didn't notice a big difference to other case reviews😅.

[@pc31754]

Keeps it engaging, I enjoyed the style. I’m excited to see where the creative freedom takes the channel for these types of reviews!

[@intentionally_obscure]

I enjoy the livelier shots, especially during the setup, and it's nice to feel like we're seeing more of the new workspace. I have to be honest, I'm not a fan of free-camming things when you're trying to point out details and explain features. It's shaky at the best of times, and aside from making details hard to spot, I just can't watch it for long. It makes me motion sick in the same way found-footage movies do. Love the work you guys do regardless.

[@Lishtenbird]

I was legit going to comment "If you long-press the button while it's cycling, would it maybe stop on that color?" So maybe not _that_ unintuitive if one has tinkered with some basic controllers already. But I agree, that's not overly evident.

[@stanky9515]

I used to trust gamers nexus for accurate and unbiased reviews, but after I heard Steve say having a blue case doesn’t make your PC cooler, I knew they were wrong.

[@Im_too_old_for_this_shit]

He really said that?! That's it, I'm unsubscribing.

[@Capt.Umber_Raina]

Smh

[@princealexi25]

Cooler or cooler...?

[@camotech1314]

@@princealexi25 both preferable

[@Voornoek]

i prefer red, it makes your cpu/gpu go faster. Edit: Sad... nobody got the reference

[@hellsau]

I like that hidden drawer. If you like the aesthetics of the case, you'll probably want it on top of your desk, and that drawer is kind of neat for hiding USB drives, bluetooth adapters, HDMI/DisplayPort fillers, small cables, or whatever other random PC bits you'd keep in a drawer somewhere else.

[@LuxTheSlav]

YES! This! I need a neat space for my USB sticks, dongles, adapters etc. that are usually not in use.

[@pirojfmifhghek566]

Found the kid trying to hide weed from their parents.

[@LuxTheSlav]

@@pirojfmifhghek566 Got me. Those fuckers smoked up my whole stash! Never again.

[@afino61_]

@@pirojfmifhghek566 yeah that's absolutely a weed drawer lmao

[@mahlonsale6216]

@@afino61_ it’s dual purpose, adding even more value!

[@castform57]

Even though the blue color doesn't make it any cooler, red definitely makes it faster.

[@PWN_Nation]

Depending on the #RGB you use, it could catapult your rig into an XOC hall of fame build right out of the box!

[@jeuno880]

Dude, we all know that only RGB does that. It also reduce temp on CPU and GPU by 5 degree. And makes your RAM turns into a CL12.

[@79huddy]

If they would add a couple color matched lightning bolts on the side it would definitely let everyone know it's fast

[@Enetso]

And purple makes it stealthier cause no one's ever seen a purple ork

[@rata536]

Also, red adds GAMING points.

[@KaosPCtech]

5:42 I really like the fact that the 5.25" bays are there. You don't always need to mount optical drives there, perhaps you want to mount a fan controller and not have to always use one of those tiny remotes that can get easy lost. Maybe you want to mount a little raspberry pie monitors there for for temperature read outs or fps counters or whatever else you'd like. Plus its still nice to have a way to dump and back up my old disc games (PS1/PS2, Xbox, ect.) and even CDs, DVDs/BluRays to my Plex for personal use.

[@greenbow7888]

Yeah I like having an optical drive for Blu-ray and cd ripping. Sometimes CDs are cheaper than downloads so why not? May even end up ripping my blu-rays. ... I have a fan controller in the other drive bay, coz I added extra fans.

[@Lukiel666]

I have the Focus G. One bay I have an aftermarket sliding drawer that holds my USB drives, I never misplace them now. Also holds my driver disks, thermal paste, and a bunch of note cards with the 20+ passwords for various sites and games.

[@tsuzot8192]

Or you can use the little tray and you can put your weed in there.

[@Angel7black]

@@tsuzot8192 LOL THERE IT IS! THERE IT IS! I was going through all the comments to find this one

[@CoilingSliver]

Its a really good solution imo. I like to have a drive to occasionally rip some audio cds. and the position at the bottom also makes sense since most pcs nowadays are sitting on the table.

[@exar7000]

I like the walking/talking/“setting up for the video” introduction, and it’s a good use of the new space!

[@madcrowmaxwell]

Aesthetically, it's interesting. Color is always nice. Patrick is absolutely right that the RGB controller should have pre-baked profiles to match the case color. Not everybody want to run resource-hungry RGB software just to make the colors match!

[@raute2687]

In terms of Software I'd recommend OpenRGB, which runs on Windows, Linux and Mac and has a lot of compatibility while being light on resources.

[@ThylineTheGay]

@@raute2687 openrgb is great

[@ElevatedSystems]

Once you get to the slow cycle patern press the button again when it gets to the color you want and it will freeze on that color.

[@nevill1947]

Vouch for openrgb

[@Xfade81]

@@raute2687 I tried both OpenRGB and another popular open source one, 1 didn't recognise a light strip and the other couldn't do some fans... Atleast for icue it can set a hardware color so you can remove it if needed.

[@scwr1989]

Those 5.25 bays could hold hot swap 2.5" bays like the ones from icy dock for example. This could add value in a NAS build.

[@duckrutt]

Yes someone needs to tell Wendell.

[@scwr1989]

Just watching Wendel's video and he talked about this very thing just a couple minutes into his coverage on the case

[@duckrutt]

I didn't know he posted a video on it (I'm a little behind this morning) but I shouldn't be surprised.

[@Lishtenbird]

My favorite use of the 5.25" slot is a hot swap/mobile rack bay for one main reason: platter hiss. SSD storage is still about four times more expensive than HDD for larger volumes, but you don't always need your heavy media online, nor may not have enough of it to warrant a NAS. Putting it on a switchable bay lets you do all the daily stuff in proper silence even with an aiflow case, and still use a reliable stationary 3.5" drive for when you need HDD volumes of data.

[@Cherijo78]

I have a hot swappable internal combo that has a 2.5 and a 3.5 Bay. I find it extremely useful.

[@skeledog1942]

I personally really like the inclusion of 5.25 bays. Not only is it useful to have a drive for ripping blurays or burning the occasional disc, the bays can be used to add IO down the line (need more front usb or even some new port standard comes out down the line), or other cool things. 5.25 bays are also nice for designing custom front panel parts. Plus, one could always stick a 5.25 floppy drive in them just to confuse people.

[@SDkillaa]

I still use my DVD RW for various things (Burning the occasional CD, watching old DVDs and viewing old family media burned to CDs) Very happy that fractal still supports them and this case will be my next upgrade from my current Define R6

[@vicpariah3444]

+1 on the IO. Although, I wonder if it would be useful to have a drive to rip blurays when the 80 Gbps USB support becomes standardized? Then you could just use just about any usb-connected device! And use the other 5.25 bay for hot swapping.

[@arktischeSonne]

Yeah, I use mine for a M-Disc burner for archiving purposes. Family pictures, Documents etc.

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

I use mine to insert a little LCD display, for stats or just to show funny things. That's really nice when you add it to a nice RGB equipped PC. =)

[@DustyCruz]

Bought the Pop XL Silent and put a blu-ray drive and a SD Card/Media reader in it. honestly like it's placement, but putting it on the floor is definitely a nope.

[@Jsteeeez]

Love having all those customization options with the case. Also props on fractal on keeping the price reasonable. Cooler master could take notes on pricing.

[@Ikxi]

Great price

[@Joker-no1fz]

4000d airflow same price roughly and better imo. this looks like a $70 case

[@SamBinary]

@@denis2381 CM690 was king back in the day!

[@TheHighborn]

fractal is nigh' unbeatable. for general purpose. if there's a specific usecase like ultra silent, maybe be quite, or if you wanna watercool some other brand, but by dafault i'd ALWAYS recommend fractal design.

[@nathanlarson6535]

@@Joker-no1fz that case only comes with 2 fans. what most people would do is either buy the iCUE 4000X for like $40 more, or buy the 4000D airflow along with 3 or 4 corsair RGB fans that cost $20 or $30 each. that $90 case then turns into a $150-$200 case.

[@shizam6870]

My gf is gonna love this. She was really, really wanting optical drives in her case but also a modern case. I thought this was impossible, but its here! She'll love the colors too. I'm kind of jealous

[@levigoldson4242]

You can consider the fractal define as well. I believe they have optional bays at the top hidden behind the swinging door. I think if I were putting the tower on the ground level, I would prefer the bay up high rather than down low.

[@SDkillaa]

Define R6 and R7 also have 5.25" bays and are modern with good build quality, tempered glass, psu shrouds etc. currently have a define r6 with a DVD RW in it

[@Robbie-mw5uu]

The Phanteks Enthoo Pro M also had optical drive bay and is modern.

[@TheGameBench]

I really appreciate this implementation of 5.25 bays. They did a good job of giving you the option, without having to see it and be mocked by everyone you show your PC too, all without an ugly door or interfering too much with the power supply cables... same for the hard drive mounting. I just mount my optical drive externally, to the bottom of my desk.

[@dreamteamdidonethingwrong2499]

Well an optical drive door can be useful in cases where you're only occasionally using the bays (like for, well, optical drives, fan controllers, small displays, etc) but this implementation of putting them on the bottom is interesting as well. Although for hard drive mounting, that's pretty much always on the bottom inside of the case, unless I'm mistaken? Same for interfering with PSU cables, there's usually ample room in between.

[@WetaMantis]

I love my quick swap HDD bay.

[@vicpariah3444]

My plan is to eventually use one of those two 5.25 bays for installing a 5.25 USB 80/Gbps Thunderbolt 5 hub. When that eventually comes out, and I'm ready to make my next build in this case, I will be able to use that option. I really don't want those USB ports on the back of the case.

[@esunisen3862]

They'd mock you until they realise that there are 8 U.3 drives in them.

[@ElevatedSystems]

You can set solid colors on the LEDs. There is a whole secondary set of functions by long pressing the button. Once you get to the slow cycle patern pres the button again when it gets to the color you want and it will freeze on that color.

[@LordOfSweden]

Ouch, that's a big miss by Gamers Nexus if true.

[@kennethhardcastle]

@@LordOfSweden only if this option wasn't the equivalent of entering a birthday with spinning a roulette wheel.

[@carbon1255]

@@LordOfSweden It was, I got it to work on mine just fine. To their credit, they don't come with instructions I think. I can't find any with mine, anyway.

[@LordOfSweden]

@@kennethhardcastle 🥺

[@jtmiller15]

This is silly, but it works, is there any way to set the color without the rotation effect?

[@prrocker9637]

Ngl I really like how they handled the 5.25 bays as someone running a DVD drive in his master case mc500 i love when manufacturers still include them especially with them including different colors as well tbh if they were to make a revision where you could convert the 5.25 bays into another fan mount Fractle will have a must have case because you're catering to both people who want and don't want them

[@LansHamilton]

Hah, I have that same case aa well. It was one one of the last quality cases out back when I bought it 5 years ago that I could mount both my blu-ray, card reader, and all the HDDs and 2.5 SSDs I wanted until I maxed out all my SATA drives. I've wanted a new case forever now but almost all the quality ones have glass and rgb all over them. I miss my solid metal monoliths with 5.25 bays dang it.

[@prrocker9637]

@@LansHamilton I tracked one down and bought it recently easily one of the best cases period I wish cooler master still made them /made accessories because the modularity is fantastic ngl this is gonna be the case I use until it's being held together by duct tape because it's just that good great airflow if I ever move away from 5.25 drives I can convert it to a 3 intake set up with 5 minutes if work

[@dreamteamdidonethingwrong2499]

I was thinking they could make a section of the psu shroud (or even just all of it) removable so that people who only need a single hard drive bay or only need 2.5 inch ssds could mount a 3rd fan there

[@BR1NSOP]

Last year's NR200 colourways are also really varied, not a direct competitor but really nice to see companies going out there with colour

[@GamersNexus]

Excellent point. The NR200 is a great case.

[@bigwizardenergy]

I've been itching for a good airflow option that still can hold my Blu-ray drive. The ashtray joke is 10 out of 10, but I'm here for it. It's exactly what I'm looking for.

[@tad2021]

Nice to see some 5.25" bays again. That makes it a cheaper case that could be an option for higher end IO build with hot swap 2.5" drives (like TR with a bunch of U.2 bays). There are not many current case models with 5.25" bays for the last 3-4 years. Though too bad about the lack of additional rad spots, but I do really like this new trend of more colors, even if it's just accents.

[@trilight3597]

It's a nice inclusion. Since I might get this. I kept a spare dell pre-builf ssf pc to rip any old cd media and music. The main board died so I might look into this to transplant my pc into.

[@IngwiePhoenix]

Oh wow, a case with optical support? Yes, please! I work with emulated games a lot and often I want to dump a disc based game; be it for myself or helping a friend. My anime collection is also mostly on Blu-ray as I am not a huge fan of using streaming services (plus, most often, buying a Blu-ray actually supports the creators; not always though). So this is really awesome. Also, colors! Woohoo, always prefer a splash of color over a monotone box with a grill/vent holes on it.

[@devin8656]

I'm always happy to see smaller cases that still give the user the option of a 5 1/4" optical drive. I know they're much more rarely used these days but some people still need or just prefer to have the option. Props to Fractcal as always.

[@rojovision]

I remember having a conversation in the comments recently about how the biggest issue with these airflow cases is the lack of 5.25" bays. I made the argument that it's possible to make a perfectly suitable case while including them, despite protestations about their obsolescence. Well, here we are, and you can even get the cases in color variations beyond black and white. I really don't need one right now, but I feel like I should pick one up since it feels like Fractal practically custom built this for me.

[@flow221]

Not only 5.25" bays and many colors, but even a solid panel option. It's ridiculous how hard it's getting to find cases without a glass/plexi side.

[@canaconn2388]

@@flow221 If I hadn't just built myself an office computer, this would definitely be the case I'd pick

[@IIARROWS]

The 5.25" slot is useful for front panels too, or reservoir. My 5 slots (Hydra Desk casedesk) are occupied with: 2 slot reservoir (+pump a few years ago, last year I moved it) 1 blu ray drive 1 front panel IO 1 Aquacomputer Aquaero 6 Pro (for fan/pump/profile control) I find 2 very good for a normal case, if I were interested again in one. Not counting that 2 5.25" can always be adapted for two more 3.5" for HDD.

[@KingFraggle]

Nice to see not only the return of 5.25" bays, but also... MicroATX versions! mATX really doesn't get enough attention as a form factor over ATX and mini-ITX.

[@potatoes5829]

I agree

[@Lindeman08]

This very much feels like a replacement for their Focus G case. A less dated styling that still lets users install optical drives.

[@islaymassive1530]

I bought my focus g not for optical drives but because it is a dirtcheap case with a mesh front

[@gustaveliasson5395]

Sitting here with a Core 2500M, I'll agree with both of you. The Core 1500/2500 had good hardware support, but were held back by the solid front panel, shitty/cumbersome filters, and narrow space behind the mobo. The fanhubs were ok-ish, but rendered superfluous once we started getting daisy-chainable fans. The Focus fixed the front panel and improved cable routing somewhat, but kept the stupid filters and added a window side panel without a PSU shroud to go with it. Kinda dumb imho. The Pop seems to suffer from none of these issues, and it's got a handy tray for spare flashdrives to boot. Haven't seen that in a while.

[@bothellkenmore]

I think the Focus was based on the Arc chassis. Without the USB C, this isn't an upgrade unless you pay for the extra I/O upgrade pack. Seems like a decent corporate/workstation chassis with some basic personalization, I guess.

[@kentcurrie7326]

I have been considering the Focus G case for my streaming system because of the optical bay. This case may be a more modern choice. No RGB!

[@gustaveliasson5395]

@@kentcurrie7326 The Focus isn't really popping anymore, so I think you should focus on the Pop.

[@wildfire9887]

As someone who still uses his 5.25 bays, this case almost fits the bill for me. Unfortunately, as you lose most of the hard drive mounting support when you install two optical drives, I'll be sticking with my old case. It's incredible to me how hard it is to find a modern mid-tower with 5.25 support and decent hard drive mounting options....

[@duelgundam]

Same. But still, since *I* am only using one drive(Blu-ray re-write capable reader), this would be ok for me. Especially since my desktop is sitting on the table(damn contractors not cutting the holes I asked for...) This would be a better alternative to my current set-up(a jury-rigged internal reader sitting atop my current case because I couldn't be arsed to waste more money on a USB external disk drive when I already had a perfectly good one lying around)

[@crazylarryjr]

Honestly love the placement of the Optical drive, that drawer . I'm still old school and prefer having my media on a dosk. I do download to my computer, but prefer to have the hard media in case of a drive failure. BTW I have a fractal Focus G ATX mid tower case and love it I really don't care about ascetics, so long as the wires don't interfere with the case fans IDK where they are. My motto, if it doesn't improve performance it isn't worth bothering too much with

[@LaDeXi]

Having the case on the floor is old school. All the kids want to have it on the desk so all the RGB vomit is visible.

[@crazylarryjr]

@@LaDeXi I have mine on a sturdy folding table, but only because i have dogs and keep it up only to keep the dust under control inside. No RGB However the stock fans (2 120 mm's hopefully soon to be replaced) have a white light on them. the only lights i see are the ones from the rear IO

[@Mrparkdog1]

The technical statistics and points sometimes go over my head but its honestly brilliant to have a channel that gives such technical info on products us viewers are looking to buy because seeing these graphs and charts genuinely helps us decide what we are going to buy and use

[@Ikxi]

You'll get used to understanding it after watching for a while.

[@Ikxi]

You'll get used to understanding it after watching for a while.

[@MrKrozius]

These are going to be great for PCs built for childrens' rooms. I can already see one going in my niece's room once they become available.

[@KinGDGaminG63]

When do they release? I want one for my daughter?

[@MrKrozius]

@@KinGDGaminG63 Preorders have started in some sites, like OCUK, but they haven't revealed a release date yet. I believe it's something like what Lian Li did with the EVO, where it came out when it was announced, but started shipping about a month later.

[@HB-622A]

I'm thrilled to see 5.25" bays still showing up in modern cases. I dislike that in this case it comes at the cost of severely limiting hard drive storage, but it's still great to see. The review argues that this case gets less competitive if it creeps up to $100, but consider that an external 5.25" optical drive enclosure is $50 by itself. If you're set on having an optical drive, then this case is still very worth considering even if the price does climb.

[@nickmayo4889]

POP is a missed name for Cooler Master's HAF cases, seeing as the plastic panels 'pop' out.

[@braethorn]

I love the subtle changes you've made to the format in this one! I particularly liked how you started it off while grabbing the second case and narrated while carting them to the set. It gave a natural feeling BTS aspect to the video. It's interesting how those little touches can make a video more engaging.

[@-aexc-]

I'm definitely gonna get the pink air, love that it has the 5.25 drive

[@bluephreakr]

Allow me to contest the futility of including 5.25" bays - this is a perfect compromise. I do wish they better ventilated the top shroud since you're not going to look at that much anyway, but it's a mild gripe I'd be willing to live with. For using your PC as an all-in-one file server / personal computer, this is _ideal._

[@CheapBastard1988]

I love the bottom 5.25" bays. Could place 2.5" bays or an old school reservoir for watercooling or a memory card reader or yes an optical drive. And the little ash tray could hold your dongles, USB drives and memory cards.

[@OspreySoul]

I'm so happy these have space for 5.25" drives! Backing up my media has become really important to me, and I will absolutely be considering one of these for my next build.

[@Cherijo78]

The 5.25 bays are useful for far more than optical drives or fan controllers. I use mine on my Define R6 for a dual 3.5/2.5 internal drive dock. You can get quad 2.5 bays that fit in a single height 5.25 bay If you need to run more storage capacity. They are VERY useful still!

[@goldsquadron]

This new format for case reviews is fantastic. Having different people physically walk you through the different aspects of the case is much more interesting to watch.

[@gucky4717]

About the PSU Shroud. I had a Fractal Define R6. The Shroud had holes that extended from the PSU and there was space for 1 Fan on the bottom. That single Fan gave my 3080FE almost 10°C cooler Temperatures..even though the Shroud.

[@MIK33EY]

Really appreciate the less formal & off the cuff case review change of direction. Makes for a more engaging review rather than Steve just reading a script straight to camera whilst still including the charts GN is famous for. Great stuff.

[@boboblio4002]

Great to see fractal giving us the option for optical. The case looks good.

[@dil6969]

I'm so glad they added those little storage bins. Sure they're not completely enclosed, but as long as you use plastic baggies, it shouldn't allow screws and other small accessories to go flying everywhere. One of my favorite features from the old Antec P180 is the small storage bin attached to the middle hard drive cage. It made adding hardware so much easier as I could keep any small spare hardware with the case. I move frequently and it was nice knowing all the hardware was safely kept inside the system.

[@MaxUgly]

Storage tray tip 6:25: You can keep your screws in there and safely transport, just make sure to use an oversized ZipLok or similar so it cant really go anywhere when not vertical.

[@jackielinde7568]

4:57 - is that a 5.25" drive bay at the bottom front? Oh, be still my beating heart! FINALLY, a slot for that DVD drive I have installed "AND USE, YOU BARBARIANS." (Was watching Stargate Universe on Blu-ray last night.)

[@thatsgottahurt]

I love my Meshify 2 XL because of the huge space for 360\420 radiators and pretty much anything you want to put in it. With the hardware I typically choose to build with I dont feel the Fractal Pop would something I would like. But I do like the 5.25" bay. Ive mostly moved on from discs, but I do have and still use a system with a Bluray\DVD\CD combo burner, so its nice to see an option for drive like that. Funny enough, that same system has a drawer in one of the 5.25" bays for flash drives and a few cable adapters.

[@lordrefrigeratorintercoole288]

FINALY A NEW CASE WITH AIRFLOW AND OPTICAL DRIVES! Some of us still use those!

[@tyre1337]

there's dozens of you!

[@tonyg8471]

Took a 2nd look: Steve, something I wanted to note regarding your review of this POP case. For starters, I realize I'm in the small percentage of builders that still likes the option of a 5.25" bay; I don't like small cases (but I do like the XL version of the POP case); I prefer to use AIO coolers vs air coolers; I prefer ARGB fans vs standard or no RGB fans; I realize I will have very little need to move my PC once it goes into service. But I do pay attention to your complaints about pieces coming off when you pick-up the case in order to move it; I like the option of a type-C header and it is important that you mention this is an extra-cost option on this POP case; I don't like the idea of squeezing monster-sized 3-slot GPUs into a case which will restrict the airflow available to that GPU. So, in order to accommodate my preferences, I pay attention to reviewers like you and then I buy a case best suited to my system design objectives. It would be foolish for me to buy a small case---like the POP case you review here---and then complain that it has flaws which run counter to my preferences. Preferences which clearly point to the need for a larger case. If this case has design flaws, those flaws should be directly related to a system design which should work well in a smaller case. I would not criticize this case for some of the limitations you correctly point out. For example, if you're planning to use a monster-sized GPU, don't buy any small case. If you want to use a 360mm AIO, don't buy a case which is not designed to accommodate one in the mounting location you prefer. If you don't have a need for a 5.25" drive bay, why are you looking at this case when the market is flooded with cases that don't include 5.25" drives? Etc. Thank you for a channel that continues to provide valuable information.

[@donald2167]

I love a case with 5.25 slots, The ashtray is a plus and would work perfect with the "Thermaltake Xray" cigarette lighter and cup holder

[@tylerbradbeer9064]

It is nice to see Fractal keeping 5.25 bays around. I have a Define 7 because it was basically the only decent quality case currently being made that supports them. It is nice that they are adding these features down the price list as well. There are tons of people that want additional I/O, Card Readers, Physical Fan Controllers, at least 1 hot swap drive and of course optical drives and other manufacturers should be taking notes. I am also okay with the nickel and dime approach to case accessories. I have a box full of drive sleds and other stuff that I don't use with my Define 7 and my motherboard doesn't have a USB C header so having Fractal keep all that stuff and charge me $30 less for the case seems like a good deal.

[@backyardcreeper]

You are literally me

[@xpyr]

Finally GN reviews a case that has support for 5 1/4" drives!

[@SDkillaa]

Define R6 and R7 both have Optical drives

[@kobathor]

Having optional drive support is great! Especially for a relatively compact case. I use a Phantex Enthoo Pro M that I got in 2015. I use the optical bay for a DVD drive. I don't know if I'll ever get a new case unless this one straight up breaks, but if I do I'd want one with the bay.

[@572089]

I really like the optical bay option!!! seeing that in an airflow focused case with pleasant aesthetics is enough to be on my buy-list for builds.

[@FriedRice4KHD]

I’d love it if Fractal released a version without a drive bay and extended the mesh front with more space for fans. I’d really appeal to people like me looking for a compact ATX case.

[@slowtrigger]

I love the 5.25" bay !

[@maxabillon]

Nice one Steve, As others pointed out love the customization options, 5.25 Drive bay at bottom, You can buy a 5.25 device with Type C port, Card readers & normal USB ports for under 30 to slot in.

[@craazyy22]

I am actually really happy to see a comeback of a 5.25" front bay, There was so many accessories that used them.

[@hi_tech_reptiles]

I'd love to see you guys check out the XL version. Wonder what differences there are outside of radiator/fan space.

[@agenericaccount3935]

Something about this intro really vibes with me. It's nice to have a bit of a walk and talk. Overall, the format for this vid is pretty swell so far. Continue. Edit, yeah, do more of this. This is it, Chief. I also know it is more demanding on some of the crew to do on camera stuff but their time is totally appreciated. Patrick Prime, good job.

[@johnhowarth7216]

I feel personally attacked how dare you say that 😂😂 loved it bro

[@alterbryguy]

As someone who still uses 5.25 drives on a regular basis I do like the look of this even over my Define 6. Thanks Steve!

[@SDkillaa]

Yep I have a define R6 right now and I'm strongly considering this case because of how massive the R6 is! lol

[@suunyata13]

Fractal's site is giving a 500 right now, guessing this is driving quite a bit of traffic :P

[@prince_locke]

god i have so much respect for how well y'all do your reviews. they're very straightforward and honest. y'alls integrity and commitment to genuine journalism is amazing

[@bigal2688]

Wonder if that 5.25 drive bay can be used to mount a LCD Display for you PC's stats. I think that would be pretty cool! 😎

[@jeuno880]

With a bit of DIY and probably a bit of help from 3d printer, almost anything is possible.

[@CarthagoMike]

yep, you can do that!

[@justsomeperson5110]

You definitely used to be able to do that. Whether or not 5.25" bay LCD units still exist today? I don't know. LOL You'd think with cellphone screens and consumer electronics it'd be super easy to find really awesome solutions ... except for the part where for some reason the industry assumed 5.25" bays were worthless just because optical drives are hardly used anymore. As if optical drives were suddenly the only use for 5.25" bays. 😕 Stupid case manufacturers.

[@theViomax]

5.25 bays are an appreciated addition. The location in the basement while kinda unique isn't ideal but I'm happy to take what I can get.

[@Lishtenbird]

Really fond of Fractal's modular approach, honestly. Say, I have yet to ever use a USB-C front panel on any of my systems, but if that could save someone on a tight budget a little money and still get them a very solid case, why not? And you still can install it later if you happen to need it one day - as long as they keep them in supply, at least, and such a model does look like it will go the O11D route with many color refreshes and niche shop exclusives down the line.

[@spectralcanvasimages]

Hmm... This case might actually work for a lil' budget data storage build that I've been mauling ideas over for! The fact that there's finally a NEW case with optical drive slots is freaking fantastic!

[@chrisward000]

I missed this review at launch so just spotted this case and migrated my build into one of these. I got the solid panel because I don’t give a crap about RGB. Great case in general, and fantastic to see a modern case with 5.25 bays. The offset mount required for a top AIO is a kludge a best, but it works and otherwise very easy to work on. Temps are really good though, and low fan speeds means it’s quiet (admittedly I moved the beQuiet fans from my old case, so no idea what the stock are like). I wanted a 5.25 because I still use a blu-ray drive. I have had a PC since the late 80s so I still have a ton of old CD/DVD/BD media that I like to be able to use, and I still use it to rip discs to my media server. I was using an external drive, but this is a much neater solution. I realise it’s of little use to younger users, but for us old skool, this is a perfect case.

[@cloneyzz]

What software do you use to play blu rays? Im looking at getting a 5.25 blu ray drive myself

[@chrisward000]

@@cloneyzz I don’t play them directly, just rip with MakeMKV and use Handbrake if I want to re-encode. I think these days PowerDVD is the only legitimate option for direct playback of commercial Blu-rays.

[@maximebrunet-duval3681]

I like that 5.25 bay. I have a lot of blu rays I like to watch and that gives a good solution instead of an external one

[@c99kfm]

If there had been 3 5.25 slots at the bottom, you could have popped in a 5x3.5" hot-swap bay (e.g. Icy Dock FlexCage) and had yourself a nice li'l RAID unit in your gaming system, protected yet easily accessible behind that magnetic panel. If you wanted something like that, that is. With only two slots, you're limited to a 3x3.5" bay, which could be used in the same way, but...

[@Cherijo78]

You can do a 4-bay 2.5 in a single 5.25 slot these days. You won't get quite as much capacity or speed as 3.5s If you use spinning rust in them, but you can put several SATA SSDs in it that are hot swappable for extra capacity.

[@creed5248]

I like the lower 5 1/4 bay inclusion . I can't get away from my Blu-ray dvd drive and hot swap 2.5-3.5 bay . Very useful for back-ups and servicing other systems .

[@thegirthquake8574]

I genuinely want optical drives to return. There's a LARGE number of 5.25" bay accessories that could be useful!

[@SDkillaa]

Not to mention having a Blu Ray or DVD R/W drive in your modern gaming PC is really handy if you have old games, software, music cds, dvds, blurays etc. Or in my case I have tons of old CDS and DVDS from my dad in the 90s/2000s that he burnt old family photos onto, One of the reasons I purchased my Define R6 was the 5.25" bay and premium modern features

[@KevinRiggle]

Oh man, 5.25” bays!! I love it. Particularly making better use of unused space at the front of a full-length power supply shroud. I feel like the whole benefit of moving the optical drives down to the bottom is to allow the potential of a full-length rad at the top, though, where it would otherwise conflict with a top-mounted optical drive, so I’m surprised they didn’t leave enough room for that here.

[@HaikuOezu]

Finally, a case with a snack compartment!

[@scottcoburn7528]

These literally just popped up on Memory Express today in their New Arrivals. I was thinking, "Hmmmm wonder how long it will be before Steve and team review this?". I guess that question didn't have to wait too long for an answer, maybe 15 minutes. I actually like the idea of adding back a 5.25" drive bay. There are people out there that want an optical drive,,,, YES THEY ARE OUT THERE... HONEST. I also like that it's hidden, so you don't have an ugly exposed drawer that might not work with your color and/or aesthetic.

[@JikoMuskato]

This is probably one of the most interesting cases released this year. I really don't like to skip the 5.25" bays as I feel it's limiting the possibilities like for example I really want to have a card reader built in as a photographer. I need it so often I don't want an external one hanging off the case all the time. And having a BluRay drive doesn't hurt either. One thing I'm not really sure about is the HDD temperature. In older cases HDDs usually sit behind a fan and even in new cases the lowest fan usually ventilates the PSU shroud, where HDDs usually sit. But here there's no real ventilation for them so I guess they might get warmer than usual.

[@MrMega200]

If you got a PSU with an always running fan then you can just have the fan pointing up to draw in air from above and straight across it. The basement is vented so you could just fit a cheap fan. I know there is some 15mm thick ones that could do the job.

[@DustyCruz]

@@MrMega200 200% this, did this with the pop silent XL due to the case having not so great airflow.

[@MrMega200]

@@DustyCruz these days I am going with a smaller case just for ease of use to move the computer when I need to. I am going with a Cyberwood case where it's completely 7 ply plywood and fits Matx mobos to have some fun with maybe some mica powder mixed in poly finish to make a custom color or I am going for a more traditional wood stain and then poly finish. Going with a Spar Urethane(basically a marine varnish) for extra durability. I bought Totalboat Halcyon for the protective finish

[@AlistairBroomhead]

Nice to see a smaller mid tower with optical drives - an essential for retrogaming. Finally something I might upgrade to from my Silent Base 600.

[@TheGrYlix]

I have a 5.25“ multi-cardreader jammed into the psu shroud just in Case I need it. So a removable magnetic cover is convenient enough lol

[@CarthagoMike]

It is pretty neat yes

[@smiththers2]

I am probably going to get this because I haven't had a case that can use my Blu-ray drive in years!

[@Mach141]

Phanteks Enthoo Pro M SE has a much superior 5.25" bay implementation, as well as the lower front fan feeding cold air into the lower PSU compartment (no GPU heat issues) as well as a removeable PSU shroud section to fit radiators in the front, and more room for a rad. on the top. Also is 2 colors, and costs about $20 more

[@rickinielsen1]

Seems like a decent no-nonsense case for something like a media PC. Nice to have 5.25 bays for playing the occasional Blu-ray.

[@davidcampbell6146]

Cooler Master NR400 still has the 5.25 mount option at the top. Having the 5.25 optical at the bottom is odd, although aesthetically it would look better, no visible cabling, unlike the NR400.

[@theo_retically]

This still seems to be one of the only options in 2023 if you want a modern looking case with mesh front and still have a hidden optical drive bay. Very sleek

[@MasterN64]

As someone that still buys and uses physical media disks i really wish more cases actually had drive bays even with the problems they present for a lot of enthusiasts. I can understand why people dont like them but i use my system as an all in one multimedia setup that replaces a traditional TV. Finding a case that does everything i need that doesnt suck is really hard since i also use a lot of 3.5 drives as well for storage. The meta switch to clear cases encrusted with blinking LEDs has been terrible for me who just wants a utilitarian case.

[@carlkidd752]

Corsair Carbide Air 540. $150 plus you will likely want 2 additional front fans.

[@j.p.h.8126]

This case is insteresting i like the 5.25'' support. Many things you can still do with that even if you sacrifice some cooling support. And what i really like in this case is that the front IO cables are hidden in the back. I so hate seeing them through the glass side panel. And thats one reason why im an O11D user. If i was looking for a new case right now i mite get one of these. 🙂

[@RetroPlus]

No beige colour scheme is a shame, I've been waiting for a case that would match noctua fans for a while

[@soupwizard]

Maybe Fractal is hard at work making a modern but fully 90's-looking beige case: The Fractal Design Jazz

[@ringsystemmusic]

@@soupwizard TAKE MY MONEY

[@sagecolvard9644]

"The Pop air is an easy choice for one type of user, and that is someone who wants a 5 and a quarter bay in a modern case. This is it". Well, shit, I'm sold.

[@aserta]

6:48 but they don't have to be optical drives, now do they? They can be HDD/SSD removable bays. Which can still be bought/adapted from whatever IBM stock still exists. I'm actually considering this case now, as it's more modern than others, yet still has this feature so i can just plop my entire setup out and travel with it outside dirty clouds.

[@__Ben]

IBM? I know IcyDock make a 1x5.25" to 6x2.5" option.

[@IIARROWS]

No, in fact they can be reservoirs or fan controller, like Aquaero, or front panels (more USB, card reader..). I have 5 slots occupied (including a blu ray drive).

[@coulomjo]

I love how recent videos aren't "stationary". It makes content a lot more interesting and alive. Keep up the good work!

[@ImmaSpam__________________Can]

I feel personally attacked about my stadia purchase

[@MrGamelover23]

This was my first case for my first gaming PC I made this year. It's fantastic.

[@purplegill10]

This case makes me wish so badly that the design of the silverstone RL08 caught on. It inverted the motherboard so the GPU got direct cooling from the top of the case and the 5.25 bay was unintrusive as a result. Sadly the RL08 cost well over $100 when it came out so there was basically no chance it could compete and, from what I could tell, sold pretty poorly.

[@concinnus]

Glad someone else knew/remembered that case exists.

[@purplegill10]

@@concinnus Yup, arguably my favorite case of all time. Just depressed it didn't get the attention that, in my view, it deserved. The $140 price tag just killed it dead on arrival.

[@orozcocris93]

im actually very happy that they now have optical drive options! its why i went with phanteks originally. if these are smaller then i may switch up cases!

[@CarthagoMike]

Are you sure the colours do not matter for the performance? I need some more testing for this. Social Media has always told me that more RGB = More performance.

[@scott4858]

I got a meshify 2 recently and the quality of that case is top tier. Big fan of fractal

[@egmccann]

That USB C cable isn't a $10 savings (or price.) It was running at around $35. Generic ones don't fit because of how they have the screws and extension. It's the only thing that's really annoying. The tray's useful... (after all, those spare screws and such come in plastic bags. Keep 'em in it. I have those, spare tiedowns, a USB thumb drive and spare cable or two in it.)

[@badaimrage5633]

Greetings. I am the 1% who needs a 5in bay. I can actually shop for a new PC now because of this case without the depressing reality of that case doing nothing for me other than look pretty. I can finally get rid of all the external crap all over my desk. I have never been this undepressed in the last decade over only eyecandy PC case offerings. Thank you.

[@christopherbohling5719]

The support for 5.25" drives is cool but for most users it still seems to me like the Lancool 215 (currently $90 in the US) is still the clear winner over this case.

[@GamersNexus]

215 was $110 during this review. Is it really back down to $90 already?

[@PurpleKnightmare]

I like that idea, some of us want Blueray burners in our PC case. I have this case in my sights now.

[@greenbow7888]

27:32 I found Fractal fans to be very quiet. Not sure how they compete with e.g. Noctua for airflow or cooling, but I like Fractal fans. Had my case since 2014 and only one fan needed changing, when it developed a bit of noise. Fractal sent me a free replacement, three years after the case purchase which had a two-year warranty.

[@VEN0M415]

I HAVE BEEN SAYING A 5.25" BAY WOULD WORL WELL AT THE BOTTOM FOR YEARS, thabk you fractal! This reminds me of the GTAV upgraded weapon tints lol. Nice to see color come back to cases.

[@modmiiwii]

Gigabyte is scrambling to come up with a new name for their next power supply now that Fractal stole their name.

[@dyson9422]

Thank you for another great review. I did two builds with white Pop Airs without RGB. The first had a 13900K with 4090 FE graphics. The CPU is cooled with a Der Bauer CPU contact frame and Noctua NH-D15S. The front fans were replaced with Noctua 140mms placed behind the mounting panel with parts of that panel which blocked the fan Dremeled away. This setup was stress tested with Cinebench R23 multi core and Furmark running simultaneously. The peak CPU temperature was 88C with a 25C ambient. The hidden compartment had a read/write CD. The cover to this compartment fell off while loading the PC into my car. I put the cover on top of the car, then drove away. Fractal sent me a new cover. All they required was a prepaid QR label. I consider this a successful PC build but I worry that the metallic grit will get into the power supply and cause its failure. The Fractal Torrent Mini would have been a better case for this build. The second Pop Air had a 13600K CPU with MSI 6800 ti graphics. This was meant to replace my Intel Core i7 7700, which works well for my needs but is too noisy and too big. The Pop Air is smaller but still to big. I found it a nice home where it will replace an i9 9900K PC