Fractal Puts Everyone to Shame: Fire Hazard Fix Tested (Torrent Case)

[@GamersNexus]

Watch our Fractal Torrent review here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnPboGWVodx-ptU Watch our initial coverage of the Fractal fan hub issues: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6XbpZWCpNpsbZo Watch the NZXT H1 catching on fire: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJu4pJaJh7GqodU

[@siranjiviramm9302]

News about gigabyte psu explode kaboom???

[@TsukiShimizu]

Hey Steve! A small side note on the maximum power - I don't think the size of the trace is the reason for the maximum amperage. They look large enough (at least 1.5mm from my guess, maybe more) which should be fine for a 10°C increase over ambient. The main restricting factor is likely the connector - I'm assuming this is similar to a JST XH due to the similarity in size & pitch and that is limited to 3A. Anyways, this is a great video, thank you very much for shining a light on how it looks like when a manfacturer behaves correctly in such a situation!

[@pluviamachina3583]

I still want to know when the Torrent's going to be back on sale so I can buy it--I WANT IT!!!

[@ToloyKeripinMunsang]

A usb pluggable microscope will help for videos that require good close up. Just my humble suggestion. 😊

[@mhamma6560]

The clips of the gigaboom PSUs exploding will never get old... nor will the accompanying flinch.

[@gold3263301]

Fractal identified a problem, fixed it, and shipped out the solution before GIGABYTE even admitted they had a problem, which required several months AND videos to bring to light.

[@technewb8241]

Fractal released a product, identified a problem, issued a proactive recall and stop-sale, designed a fix, and distributed it...in the amount of time that gigabyte spent trying to cover up a problem they knew about for a year

[@bk109]

@@technewb8241 And all the while being open with their clients on what went wrong and what AND why they did the above steps... Basically everything we've slowly grown resigned to never experiencing again when dealing with a major brand :|

[@NightMotorcyclist]

That's what happens when a company spends more time listening rather than making memes and telling customers to "pull harder" or deal with it or some BS like that (NZXT).

[@chrisdpratt]

Both NZXT and Gigabyte have made it on to my list of companies never to buy from, not because they had a problem, but because of how they responded when they did. I've dealt with enough companies over the years to realize all too well that good customer service is worth its weight in gold. I'd far rather pay more for a product from a company I can trust like EVGA, Fractal, Noctua, etc. than "save" a buck and roll the dice that there won't be issues.

[@KefazX]

I wonder if "saving/losing face" culture could be an underlying cause for this type of behaviour from Gigabyte, being a Taiwanese company.

[@ЭрикСалюк]

Hello. I live in Russia. On September 16, Fractal sent me a controller and on September 24, the controller sent me an online store where I bought the case - I have 2 controllers now. During the delivery, news began to appear about problems with the controller, I was not worried because I use the Corsair Commander Pro. I wrote to fractal support-I told them that the case is on the way. I also got a call from the online store where I bought the case, that Fractal informed them about the problem with the case and offered me to return the case for free, or they will send me the controller as soon as Fractal sends it to them. Fractal support offered me to return the case to the store and the delivery cost will be compensated - I refused. I was asked to tell them the serial number as soon as the case arrives, so that they would send me the controller as soon as a new version is released. The support behaved very professionally and efficiently, reported all the news about the controller, as my case came, they wrote more than once and asked me to make sure that I had definitely disabled this controller. Thank you Fractal Design!

[@GamersNexus]

Awesome support!

[@AndrewTJackson]

Wow, thank you so much for your comment! The Torrent is DEFINITELY my first choice for my new computer case so far!!! Thank you! :-):-)

[@mateofantasma]

This sort of user stories give me confidence in the company. Seriously, my next case will probably be one of theirs.

[@evilbob2200]

@@GamersNexus fractal is awesome even for little things as well! my case was missing some hardware for using a riser cable they sent me the stuff I needed for free and it arrived in like 2 days

[@crazylocha2515]

Appreciate the report. Great to hear a positive outcome and REAL customer service.

[@Obraxis]

Fractal showing the tech industry how to take care of customers. Definitely my next case.

[@VoiceLessQ]

Its much better that public humiliation and lost of costumer trust

[@RobinLikeABoss]

I love my Meshify C! It’s pretty good

[@mchipelo]

Same. We need to support companies that act correctly. On a similar note, never again I shall buy Gigabyte stuff..don't like the possibility of having a house fire because of a greedy company.

[@robertlawrence9000]

😨😱

[@1SpeedHD]

You won't be disappointed. I've been using the Define R4 since 2016 and I still love it. Awesome build quality too!

[@thebeebeescryptomining4422]

Honestly, it's not even about "less expensive" or "better" products at this point. My buying decisions are entirely based on how companies handle situations like this. Good job Fractal!

[@andersjjensen]

When talking "Don't care about burning down your house" vs "Deeply cares NOT to burn down your house" there are a whole lot of other metrics that kinda moves so far down the decision ladder that they seem almost irrelevant...

[@billwiley7216]

Actually building a PC is where in my opinion performance and quality of a product far outweighs the components cost. I also put a lot of weight in the companies overall reputation and customer service feedback from former or current customers. Price does have a factor of course but it is way down the list of other more important points to evaluate first.

[@XerxesGustav]

I'm sorry, but as an electrical engineer who designs circuit boards for a living this bug is so obvious and basic that it should have never left the design stage. Never ever use soldermask as an insulator like this. Somewhere along the line there should've been a design review and failure analysis where this should've been picked up as the glaringly bad idea that it is. The fact that this bug got shipped says to me that they dont have proper QA routines.

[@xPandamon]

Hence why I will stay far, far away from Intel and Gigabyte

[@shadowxxe]

@@XerxesGustav thats not the point the point its unlike NZXT they didnt sit on the problem for months pretending it didn't exist they recalled all cases before most peop;e could even buy them and redesigned them they admitted their mistake and fixed it something gigabyte and NZXT seem to have a problem wit

[@TheMaristBoy]

Imagine that. Doing your customers justice yields positive feedback and promotion even after a considerable issue with your product. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Or maybe it just takes a committee of clueless board executives to screw things up.

[@megapet777]

it seems like some companies are ran by retards. It's weird how successful they can be though.

[@CMDRSweeper]

This is what happens when you do not let the marketing department make decisions. They are only good at making problems, bringing in short term solutions such as dilluting a product and creeping prices which works in the short term, but will in the long term make you obsolete as the consumers figure this out and leave you. They are also eager to hush down incidents to avoid bad press and downplay stuff, which leads to the NZXT situation as well. So make the right call, fire a marketer today :D

[@LeafBoye]

@@megapet777 i feel like it might be a cultural difference in terms of certain cultures thinking that any failure at all is shameful versus other cultures that think it's better to fix a problem than be ashamed of it and hiding it

[@blahorgaslisk7763]

The NZXT and Gigabyte problems were created by bean counters that only looked at immediate short term numbers. The marketing department is usually much more interested in keeping the company image clean and not let things like this fester until it turns ugly. I'm not saying marketing is the good guys, far from it. They are simply opportunists and know that tainting the company name is not conductive to them making more money. The people on the board can come from basically three directions, engineering, sales or bean counting. All three kinds of people is needed, but putting bean counters in charge of the company is often the worst idea. Engineers are often not good at marketing, and marketing people can have issues keeping up with engineering when products are delayed but they do recognize that new products and improvements are required in order to keep making sales. Bean counters generally love selling and can be persuaded that marketing is necessary for that, but can often see engineering as being a parasitic process. That makes bean counters dangerous when they are put in charge of a company.

[@amicloud_yt]

marketing - "one of our products has a dangerous flaw! how shameful" executives - "oh, i'll show *you* shameful"

[@darkSorceror]

"Far more changes than needed to just fix the issue" They've made it complete idiot-proof. There are absolutely no ways to cause an accidental short now. Really thorough job on Fractal's part.

[@tomf3150]

"They made it ... ifiot-proof" Waiting for the mandatory better-idiot to spawn.

[@Nurr0]

I'm running a Fractal case, and I literally sent them feedback on how great their response to this was. Good behaviour, good brand. The case is quality anyway, but this really seals the deal!

[@rogehmarbi]

I'm thinking of picking up a Fractal case later, was on the fence between Fractal or NZXT, but I think I know where I'm going

[@Wasmachineman]

I emailed Fractal asking if the Liquid Freezer II 420 or 360 fits my Define 7, they replied a day later saying only the 360 fits. Pretty quick turnaround i'd say!

[@mikakorhonen5715]

I have made three expensive builds using Fractal case during year and quality is perfect 10.

[@RobinLikeABoss]

@@Wasmachineman I have a Liquid Freezer II 360 in my MESHIFY C. They’re pretty great when it comes to space management :P

[@Wasmachineman]

@@RobinLikeABoss I bought a Define 7 only because I already own(ed) a Define R4 and liked it as a case :^)

[@StefanoAgrotis]

"If you have a bad power supply" That PSU is now just stock footage for GN. Disappointment build 2021 is gonna be explosive.

[@3040-f9g]

It's becoming a meme.

[@DJJAY12]

I've got nothing but good things to say about Fractal. I have a Meshify C that I built my newest system into, and at some point, I lost the bottom filter. Reached out to fractal to *purchase* a replacement, because it was my own fault, and they just requested I send them a shipping label, and they'd send me one at no additional cost. Lo and behold, about 2 weeks later (this was at the height of covid, too) it was in my hands.

[@AlexanderDiviFilius]

Customer service should be something mentioned more often in reviews. Fractal are clearly doing better than the competition in this regard.

[@linuxares]

Now that's going above and beyond. Amazing!

[@simmytu]

Similar experience with my Define R4. Broke power button switch on the already 2 year old case and offered to pay for the button and shipping, they told me not to worry and a new switch arrived in a package from Sweden. Since then I have recommended and purchased multiple Fractal cases for friends PC builds due to their excellent after sales service.

[@Interknetz]

Damn that's pretty sick of them to do. But it's smart business too if they're managing costs very well, cause if they keep you sweet, you keep them in business in future potentially. And honestly, that's a relationship with the consumer that most/all businesses ought to have rather than shady backhand tactics.

[@FoxMagi]

@@Interknetz I've been reading all the positive reviews and stories about Fractal, and this sounds like a company that RESPECTS their customers. If I get another case it will be a Fractal.

[@Nostalgia_Realm]

Glad I bought a Fractal case for my last build a few short years back. Their service is excellent!

[@FrodeBergetonNilsen]

Do you have a fan controller on that Fractal case of yours? Does it short the sata or molex power, with the source fan connector? If it does, do you feed 12V straight from your PSU directly into the MB fan header, by using the controller as instructed by Fractal? Do you understand why that might be a significant safety issue if that is the case?

[@stormman641]

I’m glad to see at least one company take the initiative and fix a problem so quickly without outside convincing. Definitely be glad to by another case from them in the future.

[@OutriderFIN]

Same here. Used a Define R2 for 5 years. Now have been using a Define R5 for 6 years. Probably my next case is from Fractal Design too. And have no issues recommending most of their stuff to friends as well.

[@edwardcullen1739]

Yep, anyone can be good when everything is going right; it's when things go wrong that you see the real quality. Fractal just made the top of the shortlist for my next purchase!

[@alangarde2928]

I'm even more impressed now I've seen the fix. They could have done the bare minimum to 'get away with things' like plating the hole and giving clearance for the 12V plane. Instead they seem to have gone back to basics and looked at what they needed, sensibly removing the whole 12V plane, increasing the height of the PCB, plating the holes, removing the unneeded connections to the MB pins. I really appreciate this approach, no matter how the original design was approved - they've gone back and looked at everything what else could be a potential issue at the same time.

[@555Cyrus666]

Fractal's customer support is beyond amazing. I have Define R6 with tempered glass. By my own fault, the glass broken, when I was cleaning the case out of dust. So after searching the replacement in local resellers for a few weeks, I finally sent an email directly to Fractal. I said that it was my own fault, I did destroy the glass and asked for replacement, with their preferable way of me paying for it. Dude on the support just asked me for the serial number of the case and in 2 days, I had the new replacement in my hands, even with some spare screws and during covid. Definitely every mine new case from now on will be Fractal Design.

[@BRUXXUS]

Massive respect to Fractal. Will be my go-to case supplier I'll recommend to friends and family from now on.

[@BeheadedKamikaze]

Have been using the Fractal Design Define S2 for a few years now after GN (and everyone else) recommended it. Great case! Also, great company! My next case will be a Fractal, too! 🥰

[@msihcs8171]

If you damage any product you can make it dangerous, they fully engineered around the root problem, that seriously deserves the respect that they get from this

[@greenlantern7959]

Word of mouth is powerful advertising. If this is how you want manufacturers to work, don’t just buy from them, also recommend them to friends so they know what to buy if they build. Thanks for the update GN

[@internetfamous5491]

Am I the only one who finds the " back to you steve" ; the best thing ever

[@KurtHectic97]

you're not alone.

[@baarum]

Still cracks me up every time

[@Pain-pr4rw]

Same

[@LumpySpaceLeah]

I hope it never stops

[@ClonesDream]

Yes. You're literally the only person to find it good.

[@uss_liberty_incident]

Videos like this are why I love GN and its commitment to honesty in reporting. You guys call out legitimate safety hazards and companies who mishandle them, but give credit where it's due when companies do the right thing.

[@glebv]

The way I see it, this whole things brought much more attention to the good customer service Fractal offers, rather than them making a mistake. I didn't know anything about them before, pretty much, other than they exist and make cases. Now I'm actually aware of their CS record, as something to consider when I'm buying a new case. PR win for them, well done.

[@NateDawg0007]

Fractal is just playing 3D chess. This is the third full length video about their case that keeps getting great coverage. This is straight up positive press about a recall.

[@EpicKillstreak]

I ordered two Fractal Torrent cases at the beginning of September and very soon after that I came across your original video about the issue with the hub. I then contacted the store but they have already sent my order so I had to contact Fractal support, got a reply to submit a ticket and last week I got the info that the replacement hub is on its way. I live in Poland. Overall very happy with the transparency and quick responses from Fractal. The case is awesome btw :)

[@plotlessplot]

This is a big part of the reason why I'm gonna order a Torrent very soon. Kudos to Fractal!

[@op_zbear6651]

Congratulations Tech Jesus: I present you with the "Better Than Dell" award.

[@ironmantooltime]

+ better than HP 👍

[@philipr2006]

+ better than Acer

[@szurketaltos2693]

All products should have that award but depressingly few do.

[@vladsnape6408]

"Better Than Dell" is a pretty crappy award. Being better than Dell is a very low bar.

[@VitalVampyr]

@@vladsnape6408 Congratulations on identifying the joke.

[@phenixtalonsbane7232]

I love it when companies actually do the right thing for their clients when they learn of something instead of after they're forced to do something by courts.

[@ijustsawthat]

Awesome work done by the GN Team. Back to you Steve.

[@ShawnStrickland]

Gotta be honest Fractal being so open and consistent with the updates is a breath of fresh air!

[@kuyans3889]

Bit disappointed by this case's lack of support for motherboards with soldered front IO...

[@GamersNexus]

What's even the point of a motherboard if you can use it in something else?!

[@kuyans3889]

@@GamersNexus well at least no one can put a gp p750gm in the HP machine

[@GamersNexus]

@@kuyans3889 You have a point there.

[@Phillydcuz]

@@kuyans3889 lol. HP just been looking out for customer safety all along.

[@Ikxi]

@@kuyans3889 hahahaha this is great

[@JMMC1005]

Got a Fractal case, and seeing this has solidified my opinion of them. I haven't experienced any real issues with my case, but they were quick to respond when I had questions about it.

[@GreatYamatanoOrochi]

Just wanna say that the camera you're using for moving shots is absolutely incredible, feels as professional as I'd expect from GN. As well as props to the camera operator!

[@GamersNexus]

Thanks! Andrew does great work.

[@Hepycckuu]

@@GamersNexus on the other hand camera shots that you use for static footage(filming Steve behind the desk) could be improved. Why isn't it fixed in place here ?

[@foxs49er]

So the way this all seems to have worked out is that Fractal released a product with a design flaw and in doing so, they gave themselves the opportunity for the best PR possible. It actually works out better for them than to have never had the issue at all because now people trust them more because they were gave insight into how the company handles their business. On the up and up.

[@AlphaCygni]

Fractal cases always seemed incredibly attractive and well engineered to me. I'm happy to see that they know how to take responsibility, unlike some... well known companies in the industry. ^_^

[@justinbroniszewski]

My Define 7 came with a damaged front panel, so I sent Fractal an email with a few photos explaining the issues. Three days later I had the replacement part in hand. They rock! I can't wait to buy the Torrent for a new build!

[@waitandhope]

Not surprised, they don't mess around you can tell from their quality

[@stevencase3289]

seeing as they fixed it that fast i can definetely say fractal will be on shopping list when i build a new setup

[@Christopher_S]

Okay, this is actually fantastic. Fractal are in my eyes the golden standard for safety, openness and honesty. Good job Fractal, good job.

[@guanyu210379]

I know that I will be sticking with Fractal products more in the future. I was happy with my old Define R4 in the past and am on Meshify 2 at the moment. GLad to hear these things from Fractal.

[@majorbogart3476]

NZXT= The kid that denies eating the cake, even though it's on his face. Gigabyte= The kid that denies eating the cake, and tries to convince you that someone else ate it Fractal= The kid that busts himself and admits to everything as soon as mom gets home

[@benjaminoechsli1941]

And then Fractal makes you a new cake as an apology.

[@phatdpc]

...and bakes a new cake without anyone asking

[@GojiHusky]

Gigabyte= The kid that denies eating the cake, even though it’s on his face, and blames the kid who just came home with his parent.

[@shane544]

He does WHAT to himself

[@Acecool]

*before mom is home.

[@lennard9331]

You could also keep the problematic PCB as a memorabilia for that one time a company decided to do the right thing right away.

[@peterb9038]

Turn it into a trophy for best response to a fix. :D

[@sirhcsuiris]

Good job, Fractal. The sad thing about all of this is how the bar has been raised to having integrity, rather then it being a given that the right thing will be done.

[@AlisterCountel]

Fractal is proving something we all knew, but EVERY single other company recently has made seemingly impossible to believe; It’s not that hard to respect consumers!

[@earthtaurus5515]

@Swim Fan It may be a fan hub, it's the actions Fractal took that speaks volumes and the fact remains - Fractal was _proactive_ not _reactive_ . They proactively took steps to mitigate a hazardous issue (extremely quickly in the grand scheme of things) - which left unresolved could have been another NZXT H1 disaster. By proactivelly taking steps to resolve it, Fractal safeguarded their customers and by extension their brand as well. The former NZXT and Gigabyte have proven to not give two hoots about. An electrical fire is not something you can resolve with a water based fire extinguisher, heck most households do not even have a water based fire extinguisher.

[@Bobis32]

@@earthtaurus5515 looks at the pair of C02 fire extinguishers under my desk but then again i work on cars for a living

[@Sevicify]

@@earthtaurus5515 Well said. Respecting the consumer like this shows they actually care about the consumer &their quality, and consumers will generally respond much better to a company who treats them with respect than one who doesn't especially when it involves serious safety issues. Fractal here has personally earned massive respect from me here and makes me much more highly consider one of their products or suggest them to others than I previously would have. NZXT on the other hand I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole due entirely to the H1 disaster and will warn people against them, Gigabyte as a whole I'm on the fence about since I haven't closely followed their entire situation but I definitely would at least avoid using or recommending their PSUs (not that I would have used/recommended them to begin with) and would have to think twice about their other products.

[@obake6290]

@Swim Fan The fan hub might cost next to nothing, but I'm sure recalling shipped product, labor to fix them all, shipping them back to retailers, and lost time on the market cost a pretty penny. Absolutely worth it though. Protects their customers and protects their brand. I wasn't particularly disposed toward Fractal before, but now the next case I buy is very likely to be from them.

[@earthtaurus5515]

@@Bobis32 Since you've got a spare, care to share? 🤣🙃.

[@smartiefox256]

As an engineer it is really nice to see these well though improvements!

[@jm9371]

I only run air cooled boxes. I wanted this case and I am happy to see the fix Fractal has put forward. I want this case even more now; thank you GN.

[@pr0jectSkyneT]

Good on Fractal. I personally own a Fractal Design R5 for my home server which has served us for several years now. How they reacted on this issue further reinforces my loyalty to the brand.

[@rattledroar2426]

Its sad that we have to praise a company for doing the right and proper way to handle these situations. Especially on fire hazards. But still good job Fractal Designs just wish more companies followed suit.

[@technewb8241]

I can't wait for this to be distributed en masse. The Torrent was the perfect case for what I want to do with my watercooling loop, and it is the last puzzle piece I need to finish it

[@DailyCorvid]

Dude you sound pumped! Hope it goes well, that comment literally was so pumped it made me feel a little pumped for ya :D Yeah man best of luck with your build.

[@technewb8241]

@@DailyCorvid thanks man. It's my first crack and custom watercooling, and an update to my first build ever. Went with an aio and left the gpu stock, and I have to run all of the fans at 100% to keep thermals in check. I'm hoping that going with dual 420mm rads and upgrading to 140mm fans will help reduce the operating noise

[@DailyCorvid]

@@technewb8241 Steve's got you covered, I just searched the channel and there are literally DOZENS are really great guide videos. JayzTwoCents as well, he's gone absolutely stark mental with OCing this last 18 months. Lol use it to heat your sofa in Winter :D Or get it right! You'll have to keep us updated. My first build was so fun but it's air cooling, no fancy stuff yet. The next one though ......... 👍

[@bambideluxe]

I received my replacement hub last week so they’re definitely already in mass distribution.

[@technewb8241]

@@DailyCorvid the goal is to start taking OCing a little more seriously, thanks to Steve and Jay. I'll be shunt modding my card when I install the block, because I have already hit the limit of the FE BIOS, and I don't think my air cooler could keep temps low enough to keep it stable. Should be fun, and the max that I can do without $1800 in LN2 equipment

[@ryanw.9828]

I like how the camerawork makes it feel like a conversation, and not canned. Thanks, all!

[@Reac2]

Making a mistake and dealing with it well draws me way more toward a company and their products than not having any recorded or public mistakes at all

[@a.d.r6960]

as proud owner of a meshify C, this put big smile on my face when everybody around me bought other brand, I knew I will never go wrong picking fractal case

[@XPLOSIVization]

Well done Fractal, its good to see a company caring about its products and customers

[@maxcowgill3249]

I’ve owned several Fractal cases over the years, and currently own a Define S. I would have bought a Torrent to replace a PC-011 Dynamic that no longer meets my needs, but was disappointed to see it recalled. Seeing how Fractal handled this issue, I will definitely continue to buy Fractal products in the future.

[@TWATSON]

"If you have a bad power supply, that's a problem" *cuts to Gigabyte's PSU testing* Topkeks.

[@Noise-Bomb]

I think Fractal would deserve an "Best in Industry" Award on behalf of this case.

[@ToMaX444]

As soon as Steve started talking about the power supply protecting you, I knew what video they were going to show. Not disappointed.

[@deechvogt1589]

Steve & GN team. Don't look now but your work is leaving the world a better place than you found it! Excellent achievement in PC enthusiast testing and journalism. How do we nominate this content for some kind of award. Congratulations.

[@GodmanchesterGoblin]

Having recently bought two Fractal cases (not the Torrent) I'm pleased that they addressed this promptly. BUT - As someone who has designed many two-layer and multi-layer PCBs professionally, I am shocked that they did not consider the fixings too close to the pads for the fan connectors, and neither did they check the power planes were correct (or not present) under the screw heads. It's not even a case of a detailed check - one can see at a quick glance that the clearances are a potential issue. This suggests to me that they simply outsourced that part of the design and perhaps lacked the expertise to check the design properly themselves before they committed to production.

[@DobbyKong93]

Fractal has been a favorite since the Define series. Glad to see they still care about us!

[@TOPHATVAMP]

Definitely gonna order me a fractal case. Now this is how you fix the mess up, they didn't ignore it they saw it and took care of it asap!

[@lkok931]

DUDE Patrick killed it on his segment, give this man a raise!

[@billb426]

Another example of why I upped my Patreon!

[@yingcluk]

When I was working in circuit board assembly (soldering components onto PCB) factory, almost every mounting hole is plated with solder like the new version PCB. Some has bumps and some like this Fractal one with full solder on it. Without the solder plating, the mounting holes are just the PCB material which is mostly plastic and glue. But with the plating, it's metal on metal, not metal on plastic. The new version is the "correct design" because it adds a slight bit of metal to where the screws are, and it has spacing between screw and circuit connection traces to avoid screw getting too close to trace to cause short circuit. I don't know whoever designed the 1st version PCB was not aware of that or just try to cut corner, and I was a bit surprised to see no plating at mounting because I thought it's "almost standard" in the PCB design / assembly industry. I am glad to see a product manufacturer proactively takes responsibility to fix their design problem. P.S. The black stuff covering the entire PCB is called masking, and that's used to cover all the copper on the top layer of PCB to avoid short circuit and oxidation of the copper. It used to be only green, but nowadays consumer ones are mostly black. The white marking showing location of component, FAN1, FAN2 ... is called silkscreen.

[@louisburley1597]

Fractal just re-earned my business. I enjoy my meshify c but have out grown it

[@haukionkannel]

Kudos to Fractal! This is how it is done if things goes south... Also thanks for GM for coming back to this matter!

[@digital.olimon]

I'm Impressed... but this should be for granted. Big up Fractal for still showing the way! not everyone has forgotten how to operate.

[@matttheboiiya7192]

Amazing work done by both fractal design and gamers nexus! I always thought that fractal cases were overpriced, but it seems they back that pricing by putting the customer first, and only delivering the highest of quality. I will 100% be recommending fractal design to any of my friends, and I can definitely see myself building in a fractal case in the future. And thank you to gamers nexus for showing a large community how a company should properly react to a defect in their product, and showing a very nice analysis between the old and new product. Well done!

[@TimeLemur6]

One of the numerous reasons I've built multiple PCs in Fractal's cases. The Defines are just a treat to work in.

[@pongopea]

mad respect for Fractal, good cases and good work ethics, kind of a rare sight nowadays

[@-Gorby-]

Glad I went with a Fractal case for my new build several month ago! I love the case and now I find out that Fractal is a great company as well.

[@FrodeBergetonNilsen]

Do your case have a fan hub with a molex or sata power connector? If so, does it have a hard short between the 12v pins on the fan header to the MB and the molex or sata power connector? Finally, if so, do the instructions tell you to connect both the molex or sata, and the fan header at the same time? In some cases, like the Meshify S2 they instruct users to connect to the CPU fan header on the mb. Some users claim this to hard short the 12V pin on the MB to the 12V directly from the PSU. If you follow the instructions. If their claims are true, that cannot be explained as a "user error", as they follow the official instructions to the letter. Lots of ifs here. But apart from the fire hazard, things do not quite add up. The current Manual shows four cables running from the controller to the mb, but a connector without cables on the mb. The manual is not dated, and if this is the same as at launch, it was no user error to connect power straight from the PSU and into the MB CPU fan header: It was the instructed thing to do, by the letter.

[@-Gorby-]

@@FrodeBergetonNilsen I does have a fan hub but I'm not using it because my motherboard has 8 fan headers on it

[@FrodeBergetonNilsen]

@@-Gorby- Thanks. If you have the opportunity to check if the headers are shorted, I would really appreciate if you did share if they are shorted.

[@ddpwe5269]

WOW TRANSPARANCY?! That's extremely refreshing! Way to go Fractal, show the other companies how it's done!

[@TheGameBench]

I was impressed with how communicative they were, even with us lowly end users, throughout the process.

[@mellertid]

Once in a while, you stumble upon companies being decent. Happiness!

[@earthtaurus5515]

Indeed! I was quite fortuitous when my previous psu started acting up... when I bought the 860p ion it was actually cheaper than 650 and 750 watt PSUs! lol!

[@gauge1127]

Happy to have supported Fractal with my new build last year. Love the Meshify 2 case and it is great to see the company doing the right thing here.

[@WildkatPhoto]

Amazing what happens when you own your mistakes instead of trying to deny they exist.

[@MrMoogle]

I was blow away how quickly Fractal solved this issue. I got my replacement a week ago and their communication throughout the process was fantastic. Hats off to Fractal for how they handled this!

[@iamaraindog385]

Staying on top of things like this is what makes me put them at the top of my list for a case upgrade. I haven't spent much time looking at them because of the price, but there is some truth to getting what you pay for.

[@andersjjensen]

Fractal is a Swedish company. Scandinavian wages are high, but so is the level of qualification and service. If you scroll up you'll see several stories like "I broke my air filter and wanted to buy a new one. They just sent me one free of charge". So consider the higher price as an insurance. You may never need it, but if you do it will be at the most inconvenient time where not being run through hoops for 3 weeks over a minor issue is a god sent.

[@TheWraithkrown]

This is why GN is my favorite tech channel. Thanks for all you do. The fact that you guys can verify that the fixes are actually better and not worse helps us consumers out immensely. It also helps to show these companies that you will not just ignore these things. Finally, good job Fractal for being so proactive on this issue and keeping GN and your customers up to date with what you were/are doing to resolve this.

[@ulysees321]

Qudo's to Fractal for identifying an issue, being open and honest and fixing it with an outright recall/fix

[@jacoblylee]

ive talked to fractal myself about a replacement part for my S2 a while back and they told me they had the part and can ship it to me at no cost other then shipping and their exact words where that they rather help their customers keep their cases going then see them spend a lot of money to replace it over something simple and it doesnt matter weather you paid $20 for your case you will be treated with the same care as someone whoe spent 2k on a case from them, been a long time since ive seen a company i can respect like these guys, these guys really go above and beyond

[@khyron6]

Good job Fractal you owned up to a mistake and fixed it. Without laying about it. That's a Big Plus for them. When I buy a new case I will sure look at there cases. Thanks

[@FrodeBergetonNilsen]

The fire issue: Yes. The rest, not so much. They turned this into a PR campaign, a cheap and effective one. But for the details and arguments for the other changes, other than the one being a direct fire hazard, does not add up. It is not user error to follow instructions, to name one.

[@Chaserbl]

I have used 3 cases from fractal, core 500, era and now meshify c mini, every time I contacted support for missing part or something, they would resolve that issue within 24h. Amazing team. Customer for life.

[@rescyn1190]

I've had 4 Fractal cases in a row... guess my next one will be as well still.

[@Ltdcloud]

I really enjoyed Patrick's contribution. It's nice when GN's members show up for different segment(s). Suggestion for a product: I have an electric air blower but it doesn't fully clean the accumulated dust on some parts. I'd love a specialized GN dry cloth for cleaning my pc components. Or maybe a video with cleaning suggestions or tips?

[@lucasmagno9148]

You called the small plated through holes on the PCB bridges, personally I've never heard them called that and have always heard vias. Professional PCB design software that I've used like Altium and Eagle also call them vias. Other than that note, great video as always!

[@albertoiordanov5972]

My replacement fan hub arrived already.Took only about a week after filling the case serial number in their website.That's in Europe.Great case AND great service.

[@ThePirateParrot]

My last 3 cases have been fractal they maybe aren't the best cooling wise but the build is excellent

[@prgnify]

Me too, and the cooling is absolutely a trade off I chose, as the case I got is really really good at being quiet

[@Craig-ib7gk]

Concur. The features are good, the cooling better than average, but the workmanship, documentation, and support, is simply stellar on my Define R6. I love it, and look forward to them releasing a Torrent Mini so I can give them more of my business.

[@Choralone422]

Great job Fractal! A lot of companies completely underestimate the amount of money losing the good will of your current customers and potential future customers cost in the long run.

[@kevink6697]

Honestly, I'm a bit proud to own a fractal case and will also probably buy them in the future

[@ericcardinal4788]

And this is a prime example of how you do good business. You identify the problem and find and implement a solution before things get out of hand. Good job Fractal.

[@ingmarins]

Nobody: Fractal: "we're recalling the case" *everybody liked that*

[@wody21]

Nice one, guys (both GN and Fractal) - you all did a splendid job on this one. Patrick explained and presented the issue very clearly and it was easy to follow even for someone who hasn't really done anything major with electronics. Huge thumbs-up! My next case is going to be a Fractal case, for sure!

[@mellertid]

I don't care much about the specifics, but I think it's vital that someone does. (Uncritical media support shady practices, directly or indirectly, knowingly or not).

[@MySkullzDented]

I've had nothing but amazing experiences with Fractal cases. I had an issue with the power button two months past warranty, and got replacement components by mail in a couple of days. They truly seem to care about their customers. I will definately buy a Fractal case again.

[@georgf9279]

This is how you do it. A 12V plane has no business being anywhere near the screws. It's just not necessary. Give it more space. It looks like the other PCBs including the NZXT one were designed by someone fresh from engineering school (and not the best school at that). Fractals handling of the issue is great too of course.

[@HVDynamo]

Yeah, I agree completely. This really does look like a new engineer. Hopefully they learned their lesson.

[@Apollo-Computers]

Honestly an engineer fresh out of school wouldn't make that kind of mistake. 12v plane on the top of pcb with a paint for insulation....

[@HVDynamo]

@@Apollo-Computers I disagree. A fresh out of school engineer doesn’t necessarily have the experience to know that it’s bad practice to do that. From their perspective it is covered/protected, so why should it be an issue? The real world experience to know ahead of time that manufacturing and application could make that method cause issues when at first glance it looks like it should be fine. That kind of knowledge takes experience. Fresh out of school engineers don’t have that experience yet. Source: Am experienced Engineer who has coached some fresh out of college engineers. Sure there may be outliers to that, hell I probably am one because I was an electronics technician before I went for an engineering degree, but it’s all about the real life experience. Ideally a company would have an experienced engineer review the work of a new engineer to catch these things, but some smaller/new companies don’t have an experienced engineer to consult.

[@TD_YT066]

This should have been on a Design Review checklist. They need more rigor in their design process.

[@CherryGS]

@@TD_YT066 No doubt it would have been even better if they caught it pre-release. But as Steve said: work is done by people, and people make mistakes. No doubt, even Fractal Design has it's share of beancounters which might have been part of the reason why this got to production. But the important thing is to realize when you screwed up and how you react to fix or bury the problem.

[@zlink8]

Thanks for covering this, it solidifies my trust in Fractal and how much I have liked everything I have purchased from them over the years. My next case will certainly be another Fractal. Mini Torrent please?

[@tlreclipse1126]

Been purchasing Fractal Cases last couple years, they make a Quality product that's user friendly.

[@Shadow_Sonata]

Really appreciate the update as I was seriously considering the Torrent vs. the Corsiar 5000d Airflow case. Looking forward to the reissue.

[@ПавелСеменов-ц2с]

Hello from Russia. Thank you for your job guys! You are the best example of tech. KZbin channel. PS: Please, feed Patrick. So thin guy 😲

[@Time4House]

🤣🤣🤣

[@bgezal]

He needs to visit babushka.

[@ПавелСеменов-ц2с]

@@bgezal We just need to explain that "babushka" in English is "grandmother"🤓

[@PrecludeLP]

I'll happily buy a Fractal case in my next build. Any company that does the right thing, and takes care of it's mistakes deserves my business.

[@Davidx_117]

Awesome to see, makes me appreciate owning a Fractal Design case even more (Meshify C Mini) and I'm strongly considering getting the Torrent at some point for a different build. I'm curious though, now that we've seen multiple instances of through holes being related to shorts (obviously bad design being the actual issue) is this something you guys might test going forward? Seems like a easy thing to test for PCI-e risers or fan hubs (or whatever else) that lack plated through holes by just scratching the protective layer on top where a metal screw would sit to see if there's any risk whatsoever of shorts happening in the future (likely through multiple installation cycles)

[@PandemonTv]

Because of this, the new case that I buy is Fractal (that's how you treat your customers so refreshing to see )

[@M00NM0NEY]

NZXT: “Fire? I don’t believe it.” (Sees GN review) “Replace with plastic screws. Recall? Um….” (media pressure mounts). “See we did good by doing the fix! Please put down your pitchforks. Who’s Gamers Nexus?” Gigabyte: Power Supply Units EXPLODE! “What? Not our fault! 3rd party testing is rigged. What you mean months?! Free with GPU! No problems!” (Media coverage and pressure mounts) “Ohhhh haha, we fix issue by taking back PSU with GPU, okay fixed good bye. What you mean still bad PSU?! We fix okay? Hai yahh” Fractal: “We fixed an issue with our newest Torrent case. These were the issues and these are the fixes. Any questions?” Applause upon the tech space 👏👏👏

[@zirkzirk1512]

I have a Fractal case and I love it. Glad to see that they are also a company that takes the high road. Will definitely be recommending them in the future.

[@huplim]

Well done Fractal! I’m still wondering what happened to Gigabyte… hasn’t anyone started boycotting them yet?

[@Sw33t_ag0ny]

I am, gigabyte used to be the brand I liked for motherboards but now I am just gonna always go for Asus or MSI. I am never recommending the brand ever again. I build 2 or 3 gaming pcs every year, some I sell before an upgrade, and some are built for others. Most of my family own custom PCs I built lol. Gigabyte was my first choice for motherboards and graphics cards whenever I was doing upgrades. If that was the response to an issue with their PSUs, I would be wise to heed the warning and steer away from the brand entirely. I remember when EVGA entered the PSU market, they have done well. Gigabyte's presence in the PSU market here is USA might not be a long one if they keep acting like fools.

[@ribale609]

even before the psu shitshow, my first and last gigabyte product was a gpu which had a common problem called rattling fans

[@brendameistar]

@@ribale609 sounds like my garbagebyte gtx 980 g1 gaming. Anyhow, the card is still running tho after 7 years

[@philtkaswahl2124]

Gigabyte is counting on what large companies always count on when their shitty products/practices aren't getting legal action great enough for them to be actually afraid of or aren't getting boycotted in sufficient numbers to impact their quarterly margins too badly; they're gonna wait until most people forget all about it and keep on doing the same shit.

[@angryscottishidiot]

I threw out gigabyte when their support for their monitors told me that to use their built in menu I had to disable HDR in windows. So I can't calibrate my monitors if I enable HDR. Asrock support helped me fix it.

[@Fractal_blip]

I'm amazed at the camera quality, feeling like I'm there in person for the close-ups of the boards.