Fractal Terra Mini-ITX Case Review: Build Quality, Thermals, Acoustics, & Cable Management

[@GamersNexus]

We're excited to do more work on these! The DAN Case is next -- but what's after that? What ITX cases do you all find most interesting? We're wide open to suggestions! Learn about the hemi-anechoic chamber build here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4bUioebo6dld5I And learn more about its use cases in the first section of this HW News video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZm2h4GCjZ2Xjbc

[@brentschmogbert]

Nr200p max

[@ryothgg9283]

Meshlicious/Meshroom!

[@rcradiator]

Review some classics like the Ncase M1 v6 (if you can get one, they're discontinued now). The Ncase along with the Dan A4-SFX are longtime classic SFF cases.

[@Slyfoxes05]

ncase M1Evo or FormD T1

[@henrythegreatamerican8136]

Ewwwww..... a 30 minute video review of a case. I wonder if Linus Tech has any better videos I can watch right now.

[@RandomPedestrian07]

I cannot tell you how excited I am that not only is GN getting into ITX reviews, but that you’re also tailoring the tests to account for how ITX is different from a regular full tower build. Testing different cooling configurations is a HUGE help for those researching or building an SFF PC, and a lot of reviewers aren’t nearly as thorough when it comes to the objective testing portion. Thanks for the hard work you put into everything!

[@_R8ze_]

Agree. Looking forward to more advanced Thermals and Sound, having built ITX it can take a lot of tweaking on a single build, getting comparisons across many builds in one place with consistency GN brings is huge.

[@HecticGlenn]

yes indeed me too, still have a Corsair 250D ITX case which looks a bit of a monster compared to these kind of new cases!

[@jmiller6066]

Same. I'm a big fan of SFF cases due to portability, aesthetics, and generally just not taking up a ridiculous amount of space. And unlike most ATX cases where frankly it's pretty hard to screw up unless you do something really ridiculous, SFF is very sensitive to the specifics of how things are installed / laid out / etc.

[@jvtrevisan]

I agree too! Awesome job Steve!

[@delxinogaming6046]

Yes, and also folks who choose ITX care more for form factor, and dont buy the biggest GPU or GPUs flow through (e.g. founders)

[@SteveTheSuperSanchez]

As an Audio Engineer it makes me happy to see this level of testing on sound. I watched the video on the chamber and was excited to see the upcoming tests.

[@minmb82]

Like LMG labs? Oh, they are no longer exist...

[@amacias2012]

Very reassuring as a consumer to see audio engineers give the thumbs up!

[@911canihelpu]

@@minmb82 low blow my /Vi99er

[@GBR9794]

@@minmb82 Linus is doomed, no need to talk about him, just let Twitter do its thing.

[@OAlexisSamaO]

@@minmb82 who?

[@BBlueBBasterd]

Didn't really realise until now how tricky small case reviews are, massively impressed with the displayed methodology tho and I'm curious to see more of these reviews to see how you end up comparing cases to each other. Also props for the peer review stuff and hiring experts to invite constructive criticism. This is why you guys are industry leaders. Good shit, love to see it!

[@CapnSnackbeard]

I want GN to use it's years of experience to work with someone to bring out a new motherboard formfactor/case design updated for extant GPU/CPU products and their coolers. Get with some small fabs, an independent designers and see what they could make, and how to make it pro worker/ pro environment/pro consumer forever.

[@zivzulander]

You know they take things seriously when they start throwing around words like "peer review" or "vibrometer"* * on any other channel I might start asking if that was a real thing and not a science fiction invention or adult toy, but since this is GN I'll take Steve's word that it is indeed an actual tool 😁

[@Ingeneering]

The PITA Factor is what I wish reviewers would have done years ago when ITX started becoming a thing. So glad to see GN taking the lead on this since it could save people hours of research trying to compare the buildability for different cases before spending more hours confirming that the selected components actually fit in the case which can't be avoided. Great coverage and consumer advice, as usual!

[@chanhien4000]

I agree, that was why I invested in custom power cables specifically shaped to the case.

[@janmarucha9138]

OptimumTech specializes in ITX cases and discusses ease of build and configuration options in details. The thermal and acustic metrics are not as detailed as in GN, but well, not everyone has GN's lab

[@Looo0007]

to me, PITA factor is something you just... sacrifice for the look and volume. beauty is pain, as people say. but i do agree, showing how much harder case A is to build compared to case B can be a determining factor when choosing a case.

[@markbooth3066]

Yup, I built an ITX PC for my folks a few years ago and the PITA factor is why I swore off ever doing it again. Their next PC will be an M-ATX build, since there are so many smaller options these days.

[@WowCoolHorse]

@@Looo0007 yeah but depending on people's skills it can result in damage to hardware or just giving up

[@Cloud3413]

Absolutely love the direction this channel keeps heading. The indepth dedication and pursuit to testing, never ceases to amaze me!

[@gertjanvandermeij4265]

Rather see him ROASTING LTT !

[@Galf506]

@@gertjanvandermeij4265 touch grass

[@BlissBatch]

They're actually willing to spend 100, 200, 500 dollars to test something!

[@jonyu]

20:09 is why I trust GN. It is not enough for them to tell me why I should trust their data -- they prove it. You continue to raise the bar in this space. Thanks for the hard work GN team.

[@junkotamiya]

As someone who works in academia, I really appreciate that GN uses at least 2 different sources for peer review. Ideally, you would want at least 3 sources, in the event of disagreement between peer reviewers so as to weigh their assessment (for example, if 2 think one way while the other thinks differently). But, for this particular review, if both peer reviewers are in agreement, then that's fine. I am loving how GN is improving the quality of its reviews and showing its work. Honestly, if GN published its behind-the-scenes of the entire review process to its GN Extras channel, I would gobble that up even if such videos were hours and hours long. Excellent work GN!

[@surft]

Another reason why I trust them is that if they make a mistake they will take the video down and retest unlike some other company there that leaves it up and just use some KZbin tool to cut out the offending part and keeping the obviously ill informed conclusion, because it will effect monitization.

[@jerookaskeroo28]

Tech Jesus all the way!

[@jaredmulconry]

I wasn't expecting the Adobe Audition portion to be so effective at showing the noise characteristics. That really highlights the vibration induced. I am so ready for more of this super detailed analysis.

[@sentient.ball.of.stardust]

It's absolutely impressive how thoroughly you conduct your reviews and the lengths to which you go for accuracy's sake. And I love watching your case reviews, even though I've had the same case for years now and can't justify changing it.

[@Standenanian]

Same. Though as a Carbide 540 Chad this one does appeal. It has a great color, too.

[@proscriptus]

I've got a lot of respect for Fractal's new outlook. I'm confident they'll continue to work on this extremely challenging form factor.

[@manny9323]

What sucks is that customers who spend their hard-earned cash on poorly designed/under designed cases are treated like they’re paying to be beta testers.

[@GoblinArmyInYourWalls]

​@@manny9323the wonderful thing is you don't actually have to pay for it

[@theglowcloud2215]

Can't tell if this comment is sarcasm

[@ElJebus0]

I went full ATX because I have the room and I didn't want to limit myself with size restrictions, but I freakin love these reviews. It is so cool seeing all of the various options you can throw together. Another great vid, thanks!

[@CarnivoryHODL]

O11 air mini’s still a solid choice

[@coryandrum]

Do you use the extra PCI? I kept buying ATX thinking id one day need a better network card or optical out till I just gave in to the adorable PC life.

[@rdoursenaud]

Your dedication and ethics are outstanding. Most reviewers wouldn't bother validating their methodology with third parties. The fact that you did, received valuable comments and are already taking steps to incorporate these is excellent. Thanks for your hard work & big respect!

[@rdiznfriends]

IVE BEEN WATING FOR U GUYS TO DO ITX REVIEWS FOR SO LONG. ITX cases/builds are my guilty pleasure and seeing you guys apply that quality of work to the products in this space is so exciting

[@Mr-Chris]

I bought my Phanteks P500 based on Gamers Nexus review. This channel testing and objective results speaks volume. 3 years later, I still love the PC case. Thank You STEVE!

[@slavislavchev5341]

My favorite part about this review is how it's indepth and at the same time easy to get. You go into detail on what the noise levels and noise frequency spectrum of this case are, while explaining to the regular consumer what those numbers mean and how they affect them. Bravo!

[@jeggo182]

Love these reviews. I'm eventually going to build a new computer after 6 years, and am really wanting a small form factor build.

[@smmmokin]

Video is 2 minutes old. You didn't even watch it yet

[@tomquimby8669]

I want lower thermals and noise so CTE for me next.

[@cszolee7979]

Alas I chose my case based on Steve's verdict ("we don't mind recommending this case") :)

[@c3nsr]

@@smmmokin he didn't say anything about the video itself

[@Nixeen]

I've been debating between the Sliger S620 and the Dan Case C4

[@TechedOff]

Great review! I’m so happy to see GN is finally reviewing ITX cases. GN not reviewing itx cases is one of the main reasons I didn’t jump into getting one. I’d love to see the cooler master nr200 reviewed next. Great budget itx case that looks newbie friendly!

[@jackjohnson8305]

Built my first PC in 2017 and now im back looking at all the new tech to build a new one, happy to see steve and GN still killing it after all these years your video's helped my out a TON back in the day.

[@Outright_Table]

As a SFF enthusiast I am really liking the direction you're taking on the ITX reviews. One thing I noticed in the shots demonstrating chassis fan mounting is that they were mounted as intake. Typically what I find on sandwich cases is exhaust is overall better for temperatures since the negative pressure enhances the GPU/CPU fans ability to intake fresh air from the side panels.

[@kraxen72]

never really watched your channel before the video about ltt, and i have to say, this is a whole another level of professionalism, and attention to detail and quality. i'm extremly impressed, and i subscribed.

[@FandangoJon]

Absolutely fantastic work guys. I was a recording engineer years ago, and I really want to learn more about your chamber and testing methodology. Can't wait for that vid! I was at a coworkers house today and helped his 2 sons build their first gaming pcs. They loved the GN build mat I was using and they wanted to know where I go to keep up with the latest info. Hopefully just made you 2 more fans. As always, keep up the good work GN!

[@atthelord]

I find the ITX crowd to be super hard core. They’re expensive, but very cool! (To me). Like, I’ve loved my big cases over the years, but then you see people like Optimum Tech build these hyper machines in tiny shoe box cases, performing fairly decently and that is pretty impressive to me. This case may not be for me, but I’m inching closer and closer to picking up something similar.

[@hunterjohnson7666]

Take the ITX pill, it's worth it. I switched to the Dan A4-h20 and got temps as good or better to similar atx cases with a little bit of undervolting.

[@JWSoul]

Super idiots more like

[@johnsuckher3037]

@@LTNetjak tiny tables

[@Herr.Mitternacht]

If the case and build are good you barely suffer any performance reduction. They are great

[@Contractor815]

I encourage you to make the switch! I did it five years ago and it has absolutely been worth it.

[@LFSmania]

Small form factor build is somewhat niche. Because of its niche, the SFF community lacked objective measurements in terms of thermals, acoustics. I am glad to see that is changing, thanks to GN! I look forward to seeing more these in-depth reviews with PITA factor!

[@tarfeef_4268]

While the noise testing isn't as deep, optimum tech has done an excellent job for a while, especially for enthusiasts due to the methodology that suits how enthusiasts build

[@bothellkenmore]

I've seen a few ITX builds/reviews over the years and always assumed it was for people who liked them because they were "cute" or had OCD or who knows why. Thinking about it now there's plenty of people who have IRL space issues like living on a sailboat, a tiny home, an RV or maybe made an impromptu home office out of a closet when they needed to work from home. All that said I'm never going smaller than mATX to avoid the pitfalls.

[@thesongoflunch]

@@bothellkenmore Or it's a general aesthetic thing? I have a pretty standard mid-tower case but it still and ugly box that takes up a lot of room and I have no interest in "showing off my components". Hopefully more SFF cases get the GN treatment and we end up with even better cases!

[@drchtct]

​@@bothellkenmoreit's for people who don't want a big ugly box in their room

[@moira4707]

​@@bothellkenmoreThere are compromises, but they aren't all limited like (or as small as) these Fractal Terra/Dan A4 cases My NR200 is more than roomy enough to be easy to build in a fit decently sized coolers for both the CPU and GPU, but it also is ~50% bigger than the terra - still ways off from a midtower, though.

[@Satook]

Steve said the key word, proactive. Rather than only addressing issues as the errors accumulate and become egregious. I know the LTT stuff is overworked at this point but the sections on Testing methodology, Acoustic testing and the ISO Labs peer review showcases how to do this stuff well. Get knowledgable, experienced people involved to help level up your own skills AND double check and improve your work. Thanks again Steve (and GN in general) for showing the best way to get accurate, informed and always-improving test results. Just awesome to see!

[@williamphelps6674]

Very slick video editing, and production value. I particularly liked how legible the frequent overlays were, text or otherwise. Readable, and gives me a great jumping-off point for ITX case expectations

[@trenttech7102]

You have been always my go to for tech reviews always go in depth and throughout testing Keep up the good work!

[@masterreset5821]

🍆 how does he taste jw

[@kremeszdaboi1862]

-10

[@zatorith.]

As a SFF case enjoyer, the more ITX case reviews the better, especially when they are of GN quality. Very excited to see more.

[@arisakathedappergoose4796]

same, I moved to ITX/SSF after 980 days, when SLI was killed off. I love my NFCSkyreach build

[@marramgg]

The level of detail in the review is mind boggling. Kudos to the team. Asking for peer reviews 🤯

[@bingyang7675]

As a long time viewer who only builds ITX systems, I never thought I'd see the day when you brought your expertise and testing rigor to this niche hobby! The fan noise analysis was exceptional. Would love to see a collab with Optimum Tech one day! Would be great to see your take on the CM NR200 as the "mass market" ITX case

[@gramathy999]

I know that most people probably don't actively care (they probably *care* but not enough to go through the white paper) but I really appreciate how you guys aren't just being transparent but very forward with your process and preparation for tests that are new to you guys and what you're doing to make sure you're providing results that are as accurate as you can get.

[@JamesonHuddle]

I just realized the channel as a whole has surpassed half a billion views, crazy accomplishment thanks to the tenacity and integrity of steve and the rest of the GN team. Thanks Steve :)

[@LloydDunamis]

Oh. Whoa, odd. I didn't think they'd still be under a billion views while Jayz hit the 1B views early July this year. Nevertheless, a great accomplishment indeed!

[@JamesonHuddle]

@@LloydDunamis jayz has twice as many subs so more or less checks out

[@IsaacTorres]

Videos like this is why I fully trust Gamers Nexus when making a purchase decision. Never disappointed, well done!!!!

[@murderbymodem]

I love ITX and SFF content! Please keep covering this stuff!

[@IRefuseToUseThisStupidFeature]

I just wish it wasn't absurdly overpriced. Hopefully if it gets more popular then that will change (with Economies Of Scale).

[@Juke-Redlin]

When a youtuber is like "Oh yeah, we moved so now you can't hear the A/C!" I couldn't tell before bruh. Just play the game, I'm happy. When the scene switched to the anechoic chamber, it was... immediate. Your voice crystallized, the difference is truly dramatic. Edit: The level of testing documentation is borderline flexing at this point. 😂 Can't imagine who you'd want to show how to test something scientifically to. I'm giggling with sarcastic satisfaction at this video.

[@fractalsauce]

So awesome to see you guys evolving with your new sound chamber and testing methodologies. The future of GN is bright! Now I need to see Steve wearing some stunner shades 8)

[@brucemc72]

You don't think he pissed off the algorithm ? I'm calling it now GN will be gone in 12 months.

[@nickmhc]

@@brucemc72lol

[@purplepothos5794]

Great work as usual, I'm very excited seeing more ITX case reviews from you guys!

[@GeekOfAllThings]

Thanks for getting into mini-ITX case reviews. Seeing a perspective outside of ultra enthusiasts is really nice. When it comes to the PITA factor, some people (like me) build in mini-ITX cases in part because of the challenge. Just keep in mind that difficult to build in may not be as much of a discouragement as you think.

[@coryandrum]

Till you get so frustrated you take out Sawzall. Honestly tho most of the PITA is just poor planning and you learn from it. Not saying the EVGA Hadron was a poorly made ITX case (the bottom intake was just 30 small holes on either side with temperd glass and another solid side panel), but I never used a flex PSU before and did not expect it to sound like 30 ps4s mining Fifa tokens running idle at only 40c. The VELKA 7 tho, was just a horribly designed case; bought all the right parts just to find the maker didn't follow his own spec and lied. I was just trying to find out how to get brackets with the correct holes that hold the case together and allow the display port to be accessible. The guy that made it was just an unprofessional person to work with. I am so glad ITX has gone mainstream, now GN does an amazing job finding most of the PITA pitfalls so you can plan around it.

[@zivzulander]

Almost done with my Gamers Nexus-themed Terra build. Excellent ITX/SFF case for modding. I quite like how easily you can tear down the entire case to its core pieces.

[@christopherjames9843]

and ruin it lol!

[@helium5912]

I just built a i9-13900k/Strix 4090 Terra. Both blocked. And im using a Mora420 pro for the external rad. SO happy.

[@johanlangstone3344]

​@helium5912 hey dude sorry to bring up old shit... do you have a build on PC part picker or have you posted photos of your build anywhere? I'm looking at doing pretty much the same build and would like to see how you ran everything and what 4090 and waterblocks you used.

[@JonoButSimple]

Awesome to see new ITX reviews! For the ITX enthusiasts, it would be great to see some reviews of older but still well-acclaimed cases as well to get a good comparison between them and newer cases. I think the Cooler Master NR200 and NR200P could definitely deserve a review for example.

[@SerxRox]

The amount of data gathered and explained to us in a technical yet simple way to understand for the average user is just insane... Dozens of mini itx computers that i've assembled over the years and i'm still on the hype train for new small form factor hardware. This review is on a whole new level... Thanks for your hard work and the passion you put on it!

[@Bpinator]

I just got the green terra and I have to say it looks even better in person than on camera. It was super easy to build in too, Im happy with it.

[@plantherain]

did u go intel ?

[@Bpinator]

@@plantherain No, Ryzen 5 7600

[@tinyoku]

​@@Bpinator hows the cpu hoolding up?

[@Bpinator]

@@tinyoku Works well, though to be honest I think I would’ve rather had not gone the Terra if I had to do it all over again. The two problems I have are heat and noise. It has been a struggle to keep it cool, I ended up putting a thermal limit in the bios, which solved the problem at the cost of cpu performance under load. The noise problem is way worse though. CPU and GPU fan aren’t too bad, but the fan on my motherboard is. I am using fan control to limit the SSD fan to 50%, which so far hasn’t caused any issues but I do not like a hacky solution like that. Without it though it’s the noisiest computer I’ve ever had. So all in all, I’ve kind of gotten soured on ITX, though it could have just been I didn’t build it well.

[@tinyoku]

@@Bpinator thanks for the update, i had seen reviews saying its the side pannels that amplify any fan joise going on in the case which is what made me look at alternatives since i do want a quiet system, any flaws with the 7600? Or does it handle everything well

[@Cygnus-Phi]

Outsourcing your QA to GN means you don't only learn about its issues but you're also given the solution.

[@Blutzen]

I have never had any interest in trying to build in one of these mini-ITX cases (The PITA factor has always seemed too high, plus the extreme restrictions on components that will fit combine to a simple no-go for me) but I still watched all 32 minutes of this review because it was supremely well done and very interesting. Thank you, GN, for the work you do!

[@jonlaw16]

Your noise analysis is truly next level! Home audio is my biggest hobby and its great to see a reviewer who really understands these things.

[@TheGameBench]

The Ghost had a similar issue. That's why a lot of people would use the L12. Doubled as a large cooler, and the fan had to go on the bottom so you didn't get that negative noise profile.

[@killerful]

Tip: You can buy 3rd party 12VHPWR cables that are custom made for your PSU, and are extremely flexible. Putting very little strain on the connector area. Allowing a 4090 FE like that, to fit without forcing it.

[@coryandrum]

You can also buy the Platuim edition of the Corsair SF750, it comes with shortened flexible cables and the lower tier ones come with the stiff typical psu cords. They do sell non 3rd party ones from Corsair too if you want them in colors or on a lower tier psu with stiff cables.

[@killerful]

​@@coryandrum yes this is true, the 80+ Platinum editions of the Corsair SFX PSUs all come with these braided cables (not just the 750W verison) but I'm talking specifically about only the 12VHPWR cable here. I'm also aware of the Corsair 12VHPWR cable, but what I'm referencing is a silicone cable made by MODdiy. It makes the Corsair cable seem stiff by comparison. Another plus is you can order a custom length. The Corsair cable is made with ATX in mind, so it ends up being excessively long for some ITX builds. You can order the MODdiy cable in a length such as 40cm (the standard on Corsair's own SFX PSUs) or even shorter than that if you know what length you require.

[@coryandrum]

@@killerful why pay someone, if you're just cutting it down? You pay to get more, just cut it down in plug them in the 12v port directly. I don't even use plastic, plugged them indirectly and taped them flush.

[@LordLiquidBaconII]

With how nice the case looks it's a shame how annoying it can sound. If Fractal can put out a v2 with different ventilation on the panels then that'd be nice to see. Also it's great to see the new testing be put in a new review along with third party testing to validate it! I can't wait to see the methodology video on it!

[@johntupper1369]

"We recognize the responsibility we hold when conducting tests of this caliber ..." very nice, love the peer review process and how open GN is about it

[@allanmalloy8266]

I definitely appreciate the mini-itx case reviews. From my own experience I can tell you that heat re-circulation becomes a big problem, I had a Fractal node 202 and I had to make a cone shaped barrier for the CPU cooler to prevent re-circulation. Reduced temperature of the CPU by about 10-12 degrees while running cinebench, and 4-6 degrees on SoTR. Ingenuity can give you a huge pay off on these kinds of cases.

[@zanar_fm]

How was your general experience with Node 202? Considering that case too.

[@wingy252]

Love the wood and green combo, really like fractals design's in general but it feels a bit to expensive in this case ^^

[@Razzbow]

Haha, case

[@darbstre2900]

It's not a bad price relative to other ITX cases.

[@tuckerhiggins4336]

Itx isn't cheap and never has been

[@darbstre2900]

@@tuckerhiggins4336 bUt ItS lEsS mAtErIaL

[@Dudewitbow]

Keep in mind, one of the largest reasons why Sandwich style cases are expensive is because most bundle pci-e 4.0 risers with them. That's already a 40-80$ cost attached to it(back then, it was even higher)

[@J--Dubs]

The acoustic measuring was really interesting. I'm also glad that you included the visual representation of the noise frequencies.

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

Unlike what LTT Labs would've done.....

[@ChrispyNut]

The noise profile of the slats was really interested. Great to see the chamber seeing use already. Roll on fan tester. I'd really to see [hear] tests done on different common shapes, including the effect with fan-spacers (15mm and 25mm I believe are "common", but they're so rare, I can't recall). I am a silence freak though, so I'd understand if there's just not enough broad interest to warrant the time investment.

[@GamersNexus]

That's a great idea on the fan spacers! Thanks for sharing. I'll see if I can figure out how we'd do it.

[@alpher8962]

​@@GamersNexus please also consider the correlation between temperature and volume, for example what the "most efficient" position would be as a result

[@unknowntiger9108]

Wow you guys hit 2 million now, it's great to see this channel's growth.

[@illi-the-wolf]

Hello Steve and GN crew (and fellow YT folks)! Love the work you've done, and Im super geeked for your push to ITX reviews with accountability and data at the forefront. Yall rock! Im currently running my Terra with a lower- to mid-tier setup with AMD hardware and have found some... interesting issues and caveats in this particular case. I put my thoughts below in case some are curious for a user review with newer mid-level hardware. TL;DR, your conclusions about mid-tier gaming seem well-founded, and are corroborated by my experiences -- however, there may be some inherent problems derived from specific mother board choices, which may require novel configurations to alleviate. Overall good experience. ----- Case: Fractal Terra (spine setting 2) Mobo: ASRock B650E PG-ITX Wifi CPU: AMD R5 7600x Cooler: Noctua NH-12L RAM: GSkill Trident Z5 (2x16GB) NVME: Samsung 980 Pro (1TB) (x2; front and back) GPU: ASRock RX 6650XT 8G SL PSU: Corsair SF750 ----- On CPU/Mobo Heat: > In one scenario, the built in NVME cooler on the mobo created a heat-trap inside the case. The mobo was likely designed for this component to be on the bottom - not where the case is suggesting the airflow be pushed out - toward the top. Between the riser cable and this big block of billet, my CPU thermally throttled under relatively light loads. After swapping that block for a lower profile cooler, NVME temps went up a few degrees overall, but the CPU only seems to max out on much higher loads. The pathway for air flow is now less obstructed by ~3square inches... which is a gaping hole in SFF... > The 7600x has been set via BIOS to an 85 C thermal max, with fan curves set to mediate noise under moderate loads. It was finicky, but it works well once tuned, same as any initial system setup. SFF is probably just more sensitive to small changes here than (m-)ATX cases. CPU Cooling Noise: As you say, the fan being placed so close to a slotted panel is no doubt chopping the air and creating some gross freqs. The Noctua NH-L12 G1 seems to sidestep this by having the fan separated from the side panel slots by way of the cooling fins. I have mine configured to updraft, as downdraft configs exacerbated the aforementioned heat problems (CPU+NVME, but also RAM and VRMs). Noise at 100% is tolerable, and doesnt seem to have any particularly icky frequencies. GPU: [NOTE: the Terra comes with a PCIE4 riser cable, and others in its size and price often come with a PCIE3, requiring more investment.] Running cool, has plenty of room to breath. High 60s to low 70s and well into 60+ FPS on some mid 2010s titles... fine for me. SFX PSU w/ 10mm standoffs allows excellent ventilation from the 3rd passthrough fan. PSU: [Big thanks to the Cybenetics database for helping me choose this!] With the fan oriented to intake from the side panel, thermals are well under control, and voltages are stable. Could probably afford to rotate and accommodate more pull from the GPU... not necessary for my work. Cable Management: About what one would expect from an ITX case this small. It's not without some swearing and grumbling, but a moment's consideration for space lead me to obvious pathways that dont crowd airways too badly. Like Steve said - dont smash those GPU cables with the lid... find another way! The cables that came with the SF750 adjust nicely to accommodate corners and u-bends... ----- I mostly browse, stream, research, and game things that are *NOT* recent RT'd AAA titles... so my experiences are defo not for the ITX Power Gamers amongst thee. It suits my needs just fine, and looks gorgeous on my cramped desktop/workbench. I hope this helps some folks out there! ^,..,^I put my thoughts below in case some are curious for a user review with newer mid-level hardware.

[@RedBeardedRabbit]

This is so exciting! Love the thoroughness in the validation of your methodology. If I may suggest: 22:07 the vertical dBA scale is too big at 100dB. This masks the real impact of the logarithmic nature of the measurement. Since 3dB is audibly noticeable, I propose the scale should have visible 3dB, or at least 5dB markers (since +10dB is perceptually twice as loud).. I'd settle for 10 also, but 25 is too much.. Also, I would limit the minimum to 0dBA (or perhaps 10 or closer to your noise floor) and the maximum to perhaps 50 or 60 (if any component exceeds this noise level, yikes)

[@GamersNexus]

Limiting the maximum makes sense. Thanks for that suggestion. I also like the tick marks at (at least) 10dB. We'll do that for the next one!

[@Hito343]

I build everything in the Torrent Compact (air) nowadays, parents, bros, friends but the cable space is a NIGHTMARE. Interesting little case and awesome video.

[@Hito343]

After a 4th build I kinda got a glimpse of it and the right trick to cable manage it however if you want to add more thingies SATA SSDs, FAN/RGB controllers it gets more and more frustrating lmao. But just love how it looks and performs. Wanna try Lian Li someday especially the O11 Air Mini.

[@hambotech9954]

I build everything in the NR200 as it's smaller, cheaper, easier to build in, better cable management

[@shobz96]

Would be great to see you guys review the Formed T1! It's amazing to see just how much testing you guys put in to see optimal performance where you can for an ITX case. Looking forward to the next case review 👍

[@coryandrum]

which t1? I feel like its impossible to review a case that comes in so many configurations.

[@shobz96]

Gamers Nexus could suprise us though you are right. Would be great to see them tackle at least one configuration since the Terra takes inspiration from it

[@saintdragonzx9978]

This is why we come to Gamers Nexus! These thorough reviews that you continue to show and prove that you are best in class. No need to talk about how good you are, you just show it every single time (unlike some channels lol). As an SFF case enthusiast, I'm that you guys are tapping into this niche market.

[@laurentcargill4821]

Loving your testing methodologies here. Getting it peer reviewed shows how seriously you take this, and that you apply a level of self-criticism that makes your analysis robust and is truly appreciated.

[@maxbls16]

I’m so ready for GN level ITX reviews!

[@GamersNexus]

We're really excited about it! It's been a lot of fun working on something familiar (cases), and yet totally different (ITX)!

[@StaK_1980]

Love to see an ITX case put through its paces! On the topic of controls (ie: standardised components) I could recommend what @OptimumTech did: locking down to a Corsair 750 SFX and a founders edition 4080 so that the only variable is the CPU cooler (but even there, there are options, like Noctuas NH-L9i or NH-L9a which basically fit every ITX case as being such low profile that the I/O shield will be the limiting factor). That could be the important metric here: which actual, tower style CPU cooler fits a case? 🙂

[@killerful]

Try to flip the bottom slim fans so that they act as exhaust. I've heard this is better than intake. But also just in general, exhaust fans are more effective in ITX cases, due to there already (usually) being an abundance of intake fans in the form of the CPU cooler and the GPU cooler itself.

[@riba2233]

Yep, 100% correct

[@KiraSlith]

It's counterintuitive if you're used to working on regular cases, but yeah, that makes sense in this case in particular.

[@coryandrum]

negative pressure is cooler in general. I believe the main complaint is the distance of the fan from the floor. As GN has tested before; a solid front panel needs at least an inch gap on the sides to be effective. The ground being a solid panel, you need at least an inch of clearance off the ground for the fans to be effective. 26:50 in steves own words "The legs need to be longer" the noise is not worth the cooling ability. Still having the exhaust fans up top would be better because hot air will instantly pulled up and out (not down and around your PC for the CPU/GPU to suck hot air back in). Hot air naturally rises and you don't want to fight that. Fans on the bottom just collect dust to shoot it right into your GPU/CPU heatsink and then you can get 5 degrees hotter temps in a month just from enough dust blocking a few fins by your GPUs hot spot. As Steve points out tho; ITX cases are very particular with the part your choose and if you got to put the fans on the bottom as exhaust to save your suffocating PSU from a giant GPU, you gotta do it.

[@killerful]

​​@@coryandrumI'm well aware of what Steve said in the video, however flipping them to exhaust would improve temps. We just don't know how much, because it wasn't tested. Yes, top mounted exhaust fans would be the best, because they are practically unobstructed there. However due to the raised spine design of this case, it's not possible to fit two 120mm fans at the top. Large design oversight in favour of looks. Meanwhile the FormD T1 is practically the same size, has the case concept Fractal took "inspiration" from, and can fit two normal width 120mm fans in the top. Works much better for thermals.

[@Notorious544d]

I hope GN sees this comment as it was an oversight for this review. The case doesn't have good exhaust options so it'll be interesting to see how much difference flipping the fan would make. Supporting top slim 120mm fans would help a lot, I hope this is considered for the next revision.

[@MotFPS]

The attention to detail! This is what we want as customers. The truth. Thank you.

[@oemking]

Steve, your level of depth of testing is on another level. That is why I watch your channel every time new video drops. Thanks for great content.

[@BRUXXUS]

I'm *really* digging the new acoustic testing! Especially the spectrogram to demonstrate some of the less obvious sound considerations. Looking forward to more. :)

[@rajenwilliams]

Excellent review and new testing methodology...well done, GN Team. #thankssteve

[@GamersNexus]

Thank you!

[@Polyh3dron]

This is what they call putting your money where your mouth is. Great review, looking forward to more like this, but specifically the Lian Li/Dan Case A4-H2O which I have been seriously considering for a SFF build. Glad to see my multiple mod mat purchases going to work.

[@scsextra]

Right? First review video after “the video” needed to be SOLID. The GN team knocked it out of the freaking park!!!

[@Doug-mu2ev]

Wow! A semi anechoic center! Damn, stepping up! Love how you are providing objective testing that will help the OEM improve their product design!

[@zachknell8125]

Congrats on hitting 2 million subs! I would give you 2 million to celebrate, but sadly I don't have that kind of cash. Here's 2 instead. You guys are awesome.

[@screes620]

OMG, Steve is finally reviewing ITX cases? I've been looking forward to this day for years now, thank you so much!

[@DavidFregoli]

incredible that Steve could do all this without a Labs division!

[@NathanielStickley]

A single highly-competent person is more productive than 100+ incompetent people.

[@sheikhtashdeedahmed]

Just dropped by to mention what a great job youre doing for the tech community, Stephen! Please keep it up! Lots of Love from Bangladesh! ❤

[@PK-lk5gs]

24:24 - That's the sound of disc from Yuri's Renevge right there! Seriously though, very interesting and useful noise testing, investment in "silent chamber" and new acoustic equipment is paying off already. That's the level of tech journalism rarely seen around. Thank you!

[@FraserChapman]

Oddly enough I thought it sounded like an X-Com cyberdisc!

[@PK-lk5gs]

@@FraserChapman I think you are actually correct - even more so than I am. You've just reminded me - cyberdisc movement sounded like that on soundblaster 16 (it was a pulsating sound, but around the same frequencies as heard here). I'm also pretty certain that RA/YR sound engineers from Westwood were inspired by the sound of cyberdisc from XCom.

[@hungryyelly]

Hell yeah, so excited that you guys are diving back into sff cases 😊 Also I wanted to point out one thing a lot of sff builders use to reduce turbulence is putting foam between the side panel and CPU fan. It would be awesome if you guys could do a comparison between foam and no foam! A good example of this being commercially available is the foam kit for noctuas l9i/a series. Keep up the great work guys !

[@breakablecookie]

I'm shocked this is free content. Bravo to Steve and the entire team at GN for what you have done to expand your testing and journalism. You are my go to channel for all pc tech news

[@awolsam]

Good to see that GN are testing Mini-ITX cases now. ITX motherboards and cases is where interesting and innovative things happen nowadays, out of necessity because of the dimensions :)

[@sobangcha3042]

I've been waiting for this review for a while now, I'm glad it's finally out

[@nickwestfield]

I bought one of these and I actually love it! I couldnt get anything bigger than a 3080 inside but it works well with just that.

[@jeffreyjeffrey007]

I feel you can definately hear the difference while you are in the chamber. Your team is going ham with the testing methodology. Very impressive.

[@noControl556]

I like how GN drops a bomb on LTT, debunks their BS response, then just walks away without looking back at it.

[@Red_Beard_Builds]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@OleNesie]

Well there really is no more need for them to talk about it as of now

[@sleeplessindefatigable6385]

This was a very interesting and useful look at a case I'm personally interested in. The noise and PITA factor analysis was very useful. It's a shame this case has the noise issues, because it's downright beautiful otherwise.

[@jnssmnsn]

Thank you so much for doing proper ITX case reviews. I've been looking into building a new pc with a small case as the current one is so damn big.

[@JimCKD]

Great to mention Aris and his excellent work at HWBusters and Cybenetics! 👍

[@gimmickmusic8827]

I’ve loved seeing a good chunk of the industry moving towards more mesh. The thermals in a lot of decent/good cases on the market are really only a few degrees away from one another. Now it will be interesting to see larger manufacturers tackle ITX, which, at the moment, always has thermal issues with high end hardware. It’s almost universally accepted at the moment that you will lose performance due to thermals in an ITX build unless you are willing to run your fans at max speed. I really want to see ITX take off.

[@LapNgo-h9u]

Glad to see you guys doing ITX case reviews again. That space has blown up recently. I always was intrigued about ITX and recently built a budget rig in the old Thermaltake Core V1. Very happy with it.

[@zivzulander]

Classic and flexible case! Glad to see it worked out for you! 😎

[@justinstephenson9360]

In green that case is extremely pretty. I applaud Fractal for trying this and in generally the build quality justifies the price It feels as though they have shrunk the case size just a little too much, an extra 10mm in width and height would make a big difference - although in ITX world it does seem as though the primary selling point is always "we are the smallest". Similarly they obviously got the design wrong using slots as a vent shape rather than more traditional fine mesh.

[@SilencioTortilla]

Impressed with the testing, explanation and transparency and even asking for feedback from industry pro's. Kudo's!

[@demos113]

I have now lived long enough to see wood come back into fashion on computers. 🙃

[@tylerljohnson]

be sure to wear your bell-bottom jeans and bust out the pong game.

[@GVUEpi]

Full cycle

[@HeretixAevum]

Yeah it's pretty wild, isn't it? Personally, I think it looks tacky today so I think it will age badly, but someone must like it.

[@Evie0133]

That sound testing was phenomenal, and actually really helpful for making a purchase decision, great job Steve!

[@august1870]

this case really makes me wanna get into small builds but i have ZERO experience lol

[@balesjo]

While the price of this case is a bit high, I have to admit I love this green and wood version. The boack and silver cases are also very attractive, but the green is unique. Fractal is doing some interesting cases combining wood accents with colors on the metal case.

[@girder123]

As someone who's annoyed at any sound my PC makes in "normal" usage cases (e.g. browsing/netflix/..."), I appreciate the in-depth reviews.

[@CyberbrainPC]

Thanks Steve!

[@montecorbit8280]

At 17:11 When he steps into the sound chamber.... You can really hear the difference on the microphone....

[@annaczgli2983]

This is what a proper, professional product review looks like. LTT take notes.

[@tiladx]

24:16 - That's the sound of Brood X cicadas when they emerge every 17 years. Imagine this same tone everywhere you go for days and weeks on end!

[@SamGossner]

Thanks for including the Audition spectrogram! While it's not really a scientific measurement tool, Audition is honestly pretty legit for analysis in pro audio contexts with the high quality metering tools like the spectrogram and superbly flexible FFT. I use it constantly for comparing microphones, preamps, effects processors, even instruments quickly and efficiently. A few suggestions for the future: you can do a lot to configure the spectrogram to be more readable (right-click on the frequency plot). I often make it slightly more logarithmic so that the lower frequencies are more visible, and you can increase the frequency resolution at the cost of increasing temporal smearing of the image. This gives a sharper result with more clearly visible LF bands, which is way more readable but may smear horizontally if your sample size is too short. You can also decrease 'Decibel Range' setting in Preferences -> Spectral Displays -> Frequency Display to increase "contrast". In the FFT plot ("Frequency Analysis") you can also do an average measurement across a section of audio by hitting 'Scan'. For comparing noise floors of different gain settings on a mic pre, I might measure 1-2 minutes and average over it. You should consider noting your FFT size and windowing function in your frequency analyses as they are not directly comparable and may result in different size/shaped peaks or smoother/sharper results if changed. One last suggestion: you might want to consider including CCIR/ITU-R 468 weighting if possible. It more closely resembles the difference in audibility of objectionable sounds by human perception than simple A-weighting and is widely used in the EU but is very slow to become adopted here in the US because the values usually appear about 10-11 dB higher than A weighted values, and we all know "big number look bad on spec sheet"...

[@stuarth317]

Excellent job recognising and minimising variables! As a scientist I appreciate well thought out methodology. I really like the case aesthetics, but the potential for irritating noise from turbulence on the side panel could be a deal breaker for me - I'd have to hear one running in person before I could part with money.

[@garrettrinquest1605]

If the side panels on this case didn't cause so much extra noise, this could totally be an amazing case. I would love to see an option with mesh like Fractal uses on the front panels of their ATX cases. Maybe with an "Air" version like they've done with other case models

[@exeedorbit]

All I can say is... god damn... I've generally been impressed by how GN conducts itself.. but this is a whole new level of impressiveness.