Fractal Design Pop Mini Air - Impressively Compact

Following on from our initial review some days ago, today Leo takes a look at the smaller sibling in the new Fractal family - the POP MINI AIR. Is this another winner from the Fractal team? Leo dissects the case and as always, gives you his views - unedited.
00:00 Start
00:51 Recap / Introduction / Pricing
01:40 Pulling the case apart - close up look
02:20 Radiator Support / accessories / drive support
04:10 Front of the case / fans / optical options
06:23 I/O Panel / USB C / fans
07:40 Test PC build
09:10 RGB
10:13 Noise testing
11:22 Thermal performance
12:53 Closing Thoughts
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#fractal #miniair #popmini

[@Bitwise1024]

I still use optical drives in my retro builds. This case was completely off my radar until you highlighted the 2 5-1/4" drive bays on the bottom. Nice!

[@ltfringr]

I use my optical drive for listening to and burning CDs primarily. I'm big into music, and like to buy physical copies to enhance the experience and support the art. I also use it occasionally to watch blu-rays/DVDs, install old used games/software, and access old data. The only reason I bought my current case was for the optical drive support, so I'd probably buy this case if I did a new build.

[@FatalityDiablo]

I use optical drives for ripping CDs and watching blu ray movies. And i love the fact that fractal released a budget case with 2 hides bays. so yeah, huge selling point.

[@StoicStoutland]

I tend to watch DVD boxset & films on my computer, so it's nice to have the option of an optical bay. Yes, external drives exist, but this gives me another device to find space for as well as competing for a USB slot over my other devices - ie; headphones, microphone, desk fans, webcam, kindle, phone & smart watch chargers... Yes, I could buy a USB hub to solve that problem, but then that's another thing taking up space & cluttering my desk. I'd much rather fully utilise the potential of my PC case where possible. Anyhoo, thanks for another awesome review. Best in the business! :D

[@ianoconnor1515]

its not that we use optical drives, its the fact that it has the bays.

[@brucepreston3927]

Yes, the Alphacool optical bay reservoir would fit nicely in there...or some type of controller or screen

[@adamhooper2476]

Great for some hotswapping of HDDs.

[@professorh8398]

UHD 4K blu-ray drives ftw!

[@Leonvolt28]

I wish more manufacturers would use this design. It's briljant because the drive bays are out of the way and it looks way cleaner.

[@professorh8398]

@@Leonvolt28 Optimal airflow as well

[@michaelthompson9798]

I personally use an external optical drive in one of my itx builds …. a HTPC setup for my Oled for both gaming and the drive plays back my 4K UHD content so optical drives for me in my htpc build is essential!

[@FoxSock]

i think this is the most straight to the point, blunt review ive ever seen. i love it!

[@user-zy6qe7yn7r]

Love your reviews Leo! Thank you for reviewing this case. It nice to know it has the Leo buy recommendation!

[@schlitzbull13]

I use optical drives to rip media to my Plex server. The 4k 15mbps DD+ streaming services provide versus the uncompressed 75-90mbps with lossless audio track (full Atmos) make a big difference for quality media rooms.

[@SuperFredAZ]

Great review. This would definitely be on my list for next build.

[@billnwa2250]

for me, blu ray/dvd player and manual fan control. Cute small enclosure. Thanks for the informative video.

[@kruchz0rg308]

you can get a blue ray player, and or a tray for screws and or a multi card reader, a bay for 2x 2.5" and 1 3.5". Better to have than not! Great move Fractal, though there could be a option for some more drives behind the front fans on side/top/both

[@chrisohanlon69]

I don't use an optical drive at present but as we shift from CDs and DVDs to Spotify and Netflix we move from an ownership to rental Model if you want to resist this sticking with the old hardware is better which can be ripped and stored multiple times if necessary. also Netflix is full of bland blockbuster new releases and even delists films, if you are interested in more arthouse or older films they don't cover it. I also have quite a few CDs which aren't available on Spotify because they are obscure.

[@stevewatson6474]

I'm getting this case as an upgrade for my living room media pc. Super excited to see the optical drive so i can still watch my bluray's and dvd's that aren't on streaming services.

[@michaelthompson9798]

Nice video Leo 🥰👍 Kitguru do an amazing job with their detailed content and production quality etc and deserve much more support, subs and likes 👍🥰🤯

[@KitGuruTech]

You win a heart from KitGuru

[@haildorothygale]

This was incredibly helpful and helped me decide between the pop and the various other meshify and focus options (definitely going with the pop mini, I liked the focus 2 in theory but it's too big and pricy for what I want). On the OD thing: I've maintained an optical/DVD drive in every PC I've built simply because I and my family have a lot of very old games on disk that we like to play (Sierra Games, Starcraft, Sims 2 and 3, septerra core, Myst etc) and I've found that they work from install from disk much more often than they work from, say, steam download. Most optical drives I've used were about £20-ish so it was just easier to maintain an optical drive as the cases I chose allowed for it anyway so I've never really looked into external optical drives as I didn't trust it to be effective. Also, I tend to regularly lose and break stuff so I generally prefer to avoid stand alone tech items (that I will definitely drop at some point) where I can.

[@johnwayneasgenghiskhan4699]

My current build doesn't have an ODD bay and I ind of hate it and also refuse to get an external. Glad to see the ODD support from the demo @ 5:00 as I am building a PC for my parents and that is also a must for them for the exact same reason. So thinking that this case is definitely a winner now.

[@kravenfoxbodies2479]

I am looking at this case, my Coolermaster box nr 400 doesn't have usb c, only reason.

[@brucepreston3927]

Really enjoy watching Leo review stuff...he has this dry commonsense tone that really appeals to me! lol...This case is interesting for sure, but just not my style...Also, I still use some optical media for old games and old music CDs from ages past but I just bought an External ODD so I can keep it in my desk drawer when not in use...

[@SwordQuake2]

Most aggressive handling of a case ever

[@owencochran1836]

Thank you I was going to comment this and it took awhile to find this comment. Dude low key scares me.

[@lordseverus958]

the worst i've ever seen

[@mikejones2588]

Imagine how he would handle building someone else a pc 😂.

[@cyrilA.]

Like he is taking guts out of Fishs for his hole life 😂

[@1mchartmann]

He gets that shit for free and gives it the love a red headed step child gets.

[@Paint2D_]

I use my optical drive to backup my Audio CDs (yes I still buy CDs)

[@AMXTomzo]

Great Review, Optical Drives??????? for me ...well not every concert DVD is on you tube, no commercials on a DVD, not every music CD is on Spotify. So its a need, or a nice to have, for some of us. Great channel, Leo ROCKS !!!

[@tonyaguilar7779]

Very informative. You got my subscription.

[@pzaikis]

It's nice to be able to watch the odd DVD or Blu-Ray, or to extract data from my old storage disks, without the inconvenience and hassle of dealing with external USB disk drives.

[@alejosimpson5722]

Got the white version of this case on sale for $60 recently. First mATX build and have been very impressed by it so far! Easily fits a 3-fan 4070 Super, dual tower air cooler, and blue-ray drive!

[@seattlefog2]

I install a blu-ray player in my PC builds. Also use for ripping audio CDs. A must-have feature for me.

[@andys3dworld]

You know i thought the optical bays at the front are a bit useless in this day and age, and then i remembered you can get 3.5" hotswap bays that fit in the old optical slots... suddenly turning it into a gaming/NAS/server case :-)

[@andys3dworld]

I think icydock do a crazy 6x2.5" in a single slot adapter, so you could run 12 ssd's in RAID up front... i look forward to that video coming soon

[@tthbeige3332]

@@andys3dworld I believe they also make a 8x2.5” in one 5.25 bay and a 24x2.5” in three 5.25 bays. Wendel from lvl1Tech made a video featuring one or both of them.

[@AuroraButterflyx]

Damn has support for dvd drives 😮. That’s amazing 🤩. What an awesome little case

[@tthbeige3332]

I don’t use optical drives, 5.25” bays is the the only way to non-intrusively modify the case for additional front I/O or fan controllers. I have an on/off switch for an external 200mm fan as a desk fan.

[@waitandhope]

That's true

[@patrickazzarella6729]

Gonna be picking up this case. I usually have headphones on so they noise wont be an issue! Cheers

[@InkySquid17]

A hot swap option to remove the bays and add another fan would have been nice to have

[@michaelthompson9798]

I’m waiting for the itx POP case to show before pulling the trigger 🤩😉

[@QuentinStephens]

Ooh! Fame at last! Great review and keep up the good work.

[@Csubakka1]

I love mATX. I have a coolermaster nr400 case currently. Also i have 5pc of 120mm Arctic fans in it, 3 in the front as intake, one top and one rear exhaust, i have a ryzen 3600x and an rx6600 gpu in it. The total cost of the case plus the fans were about equal to this (about 1 year ago). I get about the same temperatures, bit less maybe on the GPU. If i had this option a year ago, i would have gone with this, mainly because i expect the fractal case to be better constructed than the CM, also have more options (like usb-c). The optical bay is nice, options are good, but i have an external usb optical drive, that i can use, when needed once in a decade.

[@einseinstein572]

Hotswap hard drive modules for 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch drives can go into 5.25 bays. That is relevant to my interests. Other ppl might be interested in other accessories like CD/DVD/Blu Ray drives, SD card readers, case temperature monitors et cetera. All of which also fit into 5.25 bays.

[@VincentDangerWater]

I wish so badly that somebody made a 5.25in dual hot swap bay with a 3.5, a 2.5, and a SD card reader. I don't need more damn usb3 type-A.

[@ollaitsrealgood]

5.25 bays aren't used for optical drives as much any more, mostly due to the advancement in Universal Serial Bus technology. That being said... There are companies out there, such as EZDIY and Kingwin, who make 5.25 bay slotted components. The most common thing to add are just extra USB ports, and I don't know anyone who would complain about having extra I/O functionality. You also can install SD card reader, fan control hubs, ham radio control hubs, extra storage (like in the stock Pop Air), eSATA readers. etc etc. In fact, this is why the NR400 is my favorite case. I must try this though. I might move to Pop Airs for my OEM builds!

[@JustifyTheseHeathens]

I want this so bad. Looks like an upgrade in form factor even over my O11D mini.

[@lucvandriel2408]

Optical drive for old games that arent available online and not even available on certain specific websites that may or may not distribute content for free. Also, instead of an optical drive, you can install a hub for stuff like card readers and additional usb plugs which is very nice for photographers and videographers.

[@ianb2648]

fantastic presentation

[@SNOK3]

do you think you could have gotten better temps if u used aio instead of air cooling? I'm building almost an identical pc, except that i went with 12400F cpu. i was looking for a mATX case when i came across ur vid. thank u so much been really helpful!

[@lultharion]

I have a substantial blu-ray collection and so have a blu ray optical drive for that purpose :)

[@johngrant5749]

Still use optical for ripping and playing CDs

[@chris_hertford]

5.25" is definitely a minuscule feature these days. I think maybe less about using optical drives maybe more the years of 5.25" based accessories, patch panels/caddys/reserviours/card reader/fan hub granted almost all are outdated now! I have a fractal define as a home server with 5.25" HDD hot swap type caddy which I find useful. On this optical front some retro gamers use emulators that run original game discs.

[@markcumbriauk]

I still use an optical drive for My old games that are on dvd disks.

[@darren253]

Nice can you do more Micro-Atx Reviews please.

[@markcherrington5835]

Great video, I would have liked a better description of hardware listed on the description below.

[@thejohnrturner]

Looking to put a Noctua NH-D15 in there. Would the two fans in front be necessary and can I remove them?

[@garethsutcliffe5680]

I have a Blu-Ray drive in my Unraid setup. Come in handy plenty of times, wouldn't have one in my main rig though.

[@abesmissioncontrol2013]

I use an optical drive to rip compact discs to FLAC files.

[@xilllllix]

would you recommend installing two extra fans at the top for exhaust?

[@mattwest8073]

Having an OD comes in handy, but this is coming from someone who is still using an Antec P183 from 2010 for my current mid power build.

[@virexium6422]

Hi. Can i replace the Rgb fans on this case with normal case fans without lighting?

[@ninjal7588]

I am a bit confused with the PSU support, if I remove the hard drive slots, can I fit my current, ATX PSU which is 18cm long? 85mm (H) x 150mm (W) x 180mm (L)

[@Christian_Ky]

@KitGuruTech Thanks for your Videos. I'm struggling between > Fractal Torrent Nano (Using that one actually) > Fractal Pop Mini Air > Lian Li 205M Mesh All are small. That's what I want and need for my small desk and I want the most silent/best airflow case. So that my GPU isn't that noisy or gets the best amount of fresh air. I got a 11700K (upgrading it probably Dec 14th intel?) and I got a 7900 XTX Gigabyte / 350 Watt to cool. Any recommendations that you can give? I don't want to get higher than 400mm PC-Case wise. It looks like that the 205M and the Pop Mini Air could provide the GPU with better fresh air, because of the second (lower) air cooler on the front of the case, than the Torrent Nano. Am I wrong? Thanks in advance! Chris

[@user-qo4dg7fc9u]

Optical drive for ripping Blu Ray movies to add to my home media server or Audio Books (you can rent both from the local Libary, then rip them).

[@robfisher7706]

w/ a NH-D15 could you mount 2x 120mm fans at the top or is it too tight?

[@deadsmiley]

The 5.25” bays can be used for multiple bay Icydock for example. However, the mATX limits the connectivity to what is on the motherboard. This would probably be a better scenario for the full size pop with ATX motherboards that can easily taken a card for the additional drive connections?

[@rafaelpapp]

Another option is to install a multicard reader in the optical drive slot.

[@roger767]

the 5,25 inch bays allows you to install a USB hub in the front, way more practical than the ports on top.

[@biohazardousbacon]

I have a blu ray drive to watch blu ray movies through my computer so having disk drive bays is a huge plus for me

[@danagoyette7932]

Will those 2.5" SSD mounts fit drives that are 15mm thick, or only the more usual 9.5mm?

[@neverfence6350]

The way you say pop is very satisfying.

[@andrewmp6]

silverstone has said people in japan beg for odd drives in cases,I can see it used for media aka cd or dvds.You can still get a bluray drive and a 4k drive.There is odd drive bays that are card readers or extra usb ports.But you can get all of that usb today or a hub for more usb.

[@crazyeyecarl]

How thick can the fans be between the frame, and front panel? would the 30mm fans fit?

[@CrypticCarbon]

Would putting two 240 AIO rads in this work? Like one for the cpu and say one for an ASUS AIO LC gpu?

[@Bobbyman17]

do the included rgb fans include a fan controller?

[@ThatGamerDude9000]

So this is a silly question, but can the case support 240mm rad in the front and top, as well an optical drive in front? Looking to make a hardline watercooled build with the 7900XTX and a 3DVcache ryzen 7000 cpu when they come out, and learned from my experience with the phanteks enthoo pro m, just because a case has an option for everything, doesn't mean all those options are available simultaneously.

[@rkzooplays]

I think it supports a 240 top and bottom

[@abdul_3238]

What does it mean that the fans' voltage control is non PWM? Are you still able to change the speed of the fans or do you need to buy new ones? If you are able to, how do you do and are there any good videos that explain?

[@futurewolfjackson1628]

I've used the cooler master nr400 micro with an optical drive. I like to rip cds dvd and blurays and also burn games for my modded consoles. However my next builds won't have one, I'll just keep my current one for media.

[@schneider1112]

I need two 5.25" slots. One for my fan controller and one for a Blu-ray reader for my movies and music CDs.

[@JasonGriffindarthgator]

I love my optical drive.

[@wyatt1019]

the thing about optical drives for me is their price to storage ratio. for a game drive, i have a 2tb optical drive i got for 30 dollars off ebay. i don't run into issues with the drive being too slow, and i saved a decent bit of money buying that instead of an ssd. another point would be how cheap they are and use in extreme budget setups, given how much storage you can get at a low price.

[@FormerHumanX]

Optical means CD/DVD/Bluray. You mean a hard drive?

[@okkymahardika748]

Matx is back, baby

[@anthonyflynn2662]

having the 5.25 drive bays is a good thing in some ways, specially if you dont have enough room for a full cinema system, just get a blu ray drive and away ya go

[@KitGuruTech]

I am intrigued - do you still buy Blu-rays or are they all rather old now? Leo

[@watching_events447]

@@KitGuruTech I buy them cheap at cex, rip them to Plex. Blu-ray usually have extras / commentary not found on streaming services

[@dmitc01]

@@KitGuruTech Internet connections are not the same everywhere, so instead of streaming your favourite movies with unstable picture quality, a Blu-ray is a better option. Also there are people that prefer physical media.

[@ayaanwert2325]

Are the fans 2 intake and 1 exhaust ?

[@stephenwoodard7756]

Am I getting this right? Is there really NO supplied USB C header cable with the case? In 2022, what excuse is there for relegating that to a seperate accessory? I still use optical drives for my CD collection. On a final note, can I ask you guys out there if I switched the DC fans in this to PWMs if they'd still be controllable from the front panel?

[@angerz]

Bit of shame it doesn't accept two 140mm at the front. Was looking to upgrade from a Define C mini

[@rare6499]

Still hoping we might see a Meshify 2 Mini which might allow for that. I’ve got both a Meshify Mini and a Define C Mini and the ability to use 2x 140mm fans is a bit win.

[@virtuallyreal]

People really were sleeping on optical bays, nothing better than using a dampened 3.5inch HDD mount in a 5.25 bay, mounting a HDD to a case without it makes so much noise

[@crystalmas6685]

Hi, I wanted to ask you for more information about this. Could you maybe provide a link so that I can look into it more? Thank you.

[@Steve-nd2wj]

I've watched multiple youtubers review this case, when is it actually going to be released? Their website just gives you general links to ecommerce platforms.

[@JustifyTheseHeathens]

Fr been calling local shops all week lol

[@dmitc01]

Nice case, I prefer mATX build but i can't justify paying the same money for an mATX case as the ATX

[@7rankC]

anyone have the pop mini , looking at at the pop mini versus , Fractal Design Meshify 2 Mini Black TG mATX , thanks

[@firepro20]

so is it possible to control RGB through software by connecting to the motherboard headers, but the fans are not PWM

[@KitGuruTech]

Correct.

[@wayner2ll704]

nice

[@NGreedia]

Wish they made a version without the drive bays as matx cases are few and far between and I'd prefer fll front panel mesh and the possibility to have a 360 or 280 aio at the front. Also, the large blocked area at the top of the case seems like a waste next to the front io panel as it could have been used for extra ventilation and for possible 360 rad. lancool 205m would have been a good alternative except it's nearly impossible to find and it's being sold at ridiculous scalper prices

[@anassechaoui4220]

doesnt it have an included rgb fan controller?

[@RogerDiotte]

Excellent case, what's up with the elusive USB C-cable and it's lack thereof with supply and availability anywhere? Through the cable in Fractal as EVERYONE pretty much would use it!

[@stefanradunovic8318]

Leo you rock! Give your coworker 12900k and have him test new aio on intel so we can see how good is cooling

[@phantommaggotxxx]

Small cases are better.. I used to build ITX all the time, then ITX boards got EXPENSIVE. now I build a lot of matx since there are some really good MATX ryzen boards now for good prices. As far as teh optical drives go, i actually saw those 5.25 bays as a good place to put hot swap HDD cages....

[@RogerDiotte]

Me also, always try to buy mITX but like you the prices of the boards is a little stupid...so this with an mATX board...perfect!

I had the same experience. ITX only, but boards got stupidly expensive.

[@markod7662]

I use the optical drive to listen to my music cds.

[@justatim8143]

I like to listen to my music from the 70's and can only do it on my computer as cars no longer have CD changers in them and went to blue tooth which would be ok if I owned a cell phone.

[@OlderRockRocks]

I use optical drives because I have to rip music for my flac player from the new CD's I'm buying.🤷🏻😉

[@maxabillon]

Prices in the UK now gone up to £95 Mini & XL £115/120, Funny how the prices go up after all the reviews.

[@vaudou74]

somewhat bigger than my 301c but with less GPU cooling, still interest me but without fans and the the RGB/volrage controller ( more naked) ass i have corsair ones....and have to add that usb-c option :/... could be 70€ naked + 10€ fopr the usb-c....

[@RealWitblitz]

Pardon my french, but how the fuck am I going to fit Dominator Plats, mount a 240 rad front? But how will clearance for GPU be?

[@FormerHumanX]

It's a shame there isn't a version with a solid panel instead of a window. There is a solid sound dampening version of the Pop Mini but the foam tends to increase heat.

[@Ro7ard]

I know it's a bit of an extra cost, but you could order a side panel replacement for the "silent" version and it will fit the air.

[@hypnoz7871]

Optical drives have one last objective thing to offer in the 21th century : data storage. Discs are way more safer than HDD or SSD. (immunity to IEMs being one of them). There's a reason government agencies around the world are still using them.

[@Ruralmn]

Have a blue ray drive in one machine for ripping and compressing stuff for Plex.

[@allenwalkden8079]

You need some soft front on lighting or something, the video is too dark to see the case properly 👍

[@sojusuku]

Not a fan of Optical drive. But having 2 x 5.25 slot give me optional Hot Swap tray for HDD.

[@tonydark6]

Can the rgb lights be turned off?

[@rkzooplays]

I think so mine didn’t work along with the fans that came with the case I ended up getting some ID cooling fans I can control with my rgb software.

[@GiacomBono]

someone think that i will be able to put an rx6950xt in this case????....thanksssss

[@maddhatter0]

I use optical drives to put my music on my pc…which isn’t that hard to figure out if one just thinks for a second…