SILENT but DEADLY - Fractal Design Pop Mini Silent Review

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Other components used in this video:
CPU - Intel i7-6700K (1.28V, 4.50GHz)
CPU Cooler - Scythe Mugen 5
Motherboard - ASRock Z270M Pro4 (mATX)
PSU - SilverStone Strider Gold S Series (750W)
GPU - EVGA GTX 1070 FTW (2000MHz)
RAM - 2x 4GB G.Skill Ripjaws 4 DDR4 (3000MHz)
Fan Controller - NZXT Grid+ V3
00:00 - Start
01:44 - Exterior Overview
03:35 - Panel Removal
05:16 - Soft Finish Rant
08:58 - Removable Lower Panel and 5.25 Bays
09:26 - Acoustic Linings / Treatment
10:55 - Power Supply Unit (SPU)
11:08 - Motherboard
11:31 - CPU Cooler
11:50 - Drives
12:33 - Graphics Card (GPU)
12:46 - Cable Management
13:03 - Rear Fan Cable Clamp Rant
14:40 - Included Fans
15:15 - Parts Box and Manual
15:58 - Manual Rant
21:41 - Testing Introduction
23:25 - Thermal Performance Analysis
28:33 - Conclusion (Other Graphs)
29:33 - Final Scores (+ Price vs Score)
30:23 - Closing Thoughts

[@chriss7005]

Now this is how I like my reviews! All the little details like the surface finish, the issues in the manual etc. is exactly what I need but what few other reviewers can deliver

[@shaneeslick]

G'day Av, Good to see you had time for another Case review, You & GN's Patrick L are my favourites because of your thoroughness. Yeah as Patrick has shown many times also a High Airflow Case can Cool Better while being Quieter than a 'Silent' Case, 2 things I do like about this case is M-ATX & the 5.25 Bay Implementation, having the Bay where the ODD will not be seen through the Window & letting you trade it for a HDD is a good option.

[@christianbratt8571]

Many thanks! Very good review. Really liked your attention to detail. This sets you apart from many others.

[@WoodaN]

This was my distraction during lunch break. and now that the video is over it is back to work for me

[@franzpleurmann2585]

Still the most thorough case reviews on KZbin.

[@AVTechy]

Thanks very much :)

[@moonstomper68]

Of course you can have Pop and Silent. Pop in this case refers to the coloured larger variants of the case family . The colours "Pop", it is not a reference to sound. But anyway now i have been pedantic I have to say the review was pretty well done and showed me a few things about this case that I am considering for an mATX build.

[@Toki1908]

All I wanted to know and more. Thanks.

[@user-qn1zj5bs5p]

you got that really right , every case i built up as long as there's thumb screw always messed up in the end , and finally the mounting hole will wear off

[@WillMruzek]

Thank you for the principled and thorough review! I'd love to see your review of the Air version to compare against the Silent version. But you've brought to my attention the NZXT H510 Flow. Will give that one a look.

[@br00talX801]

Bro, your channel has come a long way, happy to see it! Keep it up man

[@AVTechy]

Thanks man, fingers crossed for the future :)

[@adrianpanas22]

Great review! Seriously, it is great! Thanks! ^^

[@RrrrSEAN]

amazing video! planning to build a system in this case but cant find any review (only the air version) thanks for giving a lot of details about this case ! !

[@regardzz]

Hey how long is your psu??? I have deepcool 160 mm but the website says limut is 150?????

[@pietrmuffei8874]

Great review! I went 510 flow. I am awaiting a fractal define R refresh. A 8 XL would be fire, as the 7XL is over 250€ in my region

[@m4d44]

Dude, amazing rev.

[@zenastronomy]

thanks for the review. gone for the air version since they same noise

[@VVVhitesnake]

Can we install exhaust fans at the top in this case 🤔?

[@5GRobo]

Impressive review

[@jondonnelly4831]

If u need the drive bays, its amazing, I'm considering it for a retro build with dvd writer in one bay and dual 2.5mm drive icydock in the other. All nearly hidden behind panal. Old systems have small high rpm fans which this case will tame. Im talking late 98, early XP era.

[@pierredubois9967]

thank you for this test. A little bit difficult for me to understand(my native language is french) but it was really interesting.

[@itsKorsus]

@AVTechy is it possible to install a 240mm or a 360mm radiator on the top?

[@Asavin_K.Raspur]

I plan to run i7 13700k with ek aio elite d rgb coolers, but I'm not sure if this case thermals would get too high or not using aio and stock fans

[@tamilorejoseph4704]

Hello does it work well with 3d rendering And high end gaming. Also, would u recommend the fractal define 7 as an alternative as I found it has a top vent

[@gilang4real]

Can we put the AIO on top side?

[@HouCatz]

Glad to see that you confirmed my suspicions about this case. Silent performance is still an oxymoron.

[@kimborch8547]

Great review. Allthough i had to increase the volume quite a bit to hear your, and individually reduce volume on everything else (games etc).

[@EpicChemicalKid]

Is it worth mounting the PSU fan up, thinking this may help increase airflow and pull the GPU heat away from the CPU. Thinking head maybe due to there being no vent on the top for the hot air to escape?

[@evilspoons]

The "267 mm" thing in the manual rant section is telling you the length of the card they used in the sample build. They are then telling you the maximum length you could fit in that configuration if you were to swap it out. There's a separate section in the specifications that lists the maximum length before the sample builds (page 3).

[@ms.stability]

thix for this review, im searching for new case further wink wink

[@skonne7]

Nice one m8, Fractal is doing quite a bit to try to stay competitive in many case market segments. This model ain't for me but interesting to see their direction nonetheless.

[@chavoosh-]

this channel has a future.

[@AmartharDrakestone]

I'm just happy that mATX is getting some attention.

[@AVTechy]

Yeah, it's been a while since it's garnered any attention. I haven't checked out any coverage of the Air version, so hopefully that brings something good to the mATX space.

[@AmartharDrakestone]

@@AVTechy Honestly, I don't recall if there actually were any mATX cases released in the last few years.

[@mistermastermind528]

@@AmartharDrakestone there were. The smallest I've read about so far was Silverstone's PS15 which AV also reviewed years back. Fractal and Silverstone have been the ones I've seen doing it but the former simply shrinks their ATX cases while the latter goes for more budget cases (except the G1m perhaps).

[@eelee6056]

😊.

[@eelee6056]

​@@AVTechy 😊. 😊. 😊 , .😊

[@samire2151]

I do MAO. I am buying a I9 13900k with a Z790. I need performance due to high performance calculation on plugin all day. But I need to cancel noise as much as I can. So what do you advise ? A silent version ? a air version ? or a air version and I try to build some isolation stuff around the computeur ? :)

[@AVTechy]

I'd advise a high airflow case with large fans (generally quieter at speed). The Lian Li 215 has a couple of massive fans, as does the Torrent Compact. Definitely get a large CPU cooler with a 140mm fan. That'll keep the CPU cool and quiet. I'd stay away from Silent case versions since they only really apply to low power systems that won't need a lot of cooling anyway. For high power system, you want as much ventilation as possible. Hope that helps :)

[@abritabroadinthephilippines]

I am looking at this case right now to buy for my new build but thermals are bugging me because it will be living in the Philippines where it's always hot. I like the look of this case though that's the problem. I'm looking at the Pop Air XL RGB case also because of the thermal worries I have. I'll be running 13th gen Intel probably the i7-13700K which runs hot as it is so is this case really no good for me? Even with an AIO 360mm cooler ? Or will it be fine to use the Silent ? Edit: actually it's not this case exactly as this review is for the Silent MINI. I am looking to buy the Silent XL not the MINI. My questions however still apply please if anyone has any feedback for me. Thank you.

[@AVTechy]

Go for high airflow. It'll be quieter and cooler. Silent cases are rarely quieter than their high airflow counterparts

[@Fraumann]

Review: Splendid mix of facts and fun - as someone who more often than not lets myself be sucked into the iPad whenever the SO watches football on the telly, the line "... including all the time everyone spends falling over" certainly cracked me up 😂 Case: Looks like more of the same from Fractal. Sleek looks, nifty assembling tricks and high quality. Though that scratch mark would bother me sleepless - fully agree you should be able to put bits of the case most anywhere with no major concern, so that aspect sure looks like a misstep from them. As for silence vs performance, if someone values the former then I'd guess (or at least hope) they wouldn't expect to put anything too high-powered in there. My major concern with this case is Fractal's oversaturated collection of current SKUs - whatever happened to "less is more"? Also: Bonus points for that Gaultier Le Male look you have going here! 💖

[@AVTechy]

Thanks very much :) It's an interesting case, and I'd rather interesting over anything else. But yeah, it's the imbalance of performance to temps that's concerning. I wonder how low in wattage you'd have to go to get close to a balance with a high aiflow case (noise to temp wise). Haha "Gaultier Le Male", I had to Google that, I can see the resemblance :D

[@regardzz]

​@@AVTechy Hey how long is your psu??? I have deepcool 160 mm but the website says limut is 150?????

[@colinhannah2210]

Great review! Very helpful, as I'm trying to find a small box for an always on Lightly used Linux system. Oh. Please always label your axis, even if it's only Celcius, as easy to forget what you're looking at when you pause or there's a lot of voice over.

[@AVTechy]

Thanks very much! I think most axis's are labelled, but one or two might have been missed. I've made sure to get them all right in the previous video just out, and following videos. Much appreciated :)

[@stephendebeauchamp356]

science, nice

[@mistermastermind528]

I wonder if the temps would've been better if both sides of the front panel has mesh in them like the define series.

[@IceAce1]

True, but the Define also has a frontal filter behind the cover where this Pop has the drawer. You end up without proper dust filter, if leaving the drawer out.

[@Skewel]

Very detailed review as usual. Would you consider reviewing the Deepcool CK500/560? Looks pretty good for the price.

[@AVTechy]

Thanks very much :) I'll certainly consider it. I'm sort of into checking out cases with bad-looking airflow designs to find out what actually works well enough. That looks like a good contender.

[@Skewel]

@@AVTechy Then you'd probably find the CK500 interesting.

[@israellai]

oh my god, thank fuck for explaining the manual thing to me. I was so confused

[@markusweller4974]

I'm considering this case for a small gaming PC, but one thing that confuses me is the tiny PSU size in the spec sheet. It says "PSU max length 150 mm". Many PSUs, in particular the be quiet! Straight Power 11 I'm planning on using here, are larger (e.g. LxWxH 170x150x86). I thought PSU sizes were standardised and usually not an issue. Is this really so limited?

[@AVTechy]

Take a look at the PSU section in the video. It's not uncommon to get sub 150mm PSUs like the 140mm ATX PSU in this video. You can probably sacrifice some drive storage for a longer one, but you'll have to check the PSU part of the video to confirm.

[@markusweller4974]

​@@AVTechy Thanks for the quick reply on a video from last year! The 13 seconds of PSU talk in the video were not very useful to me, but I'll just go for it and make some alternative 3.5'' HDD holder. The case is just smaller than most comparable ones, which is what I prioritise. Cheers!

[@AVTechy]

@markusweller4974 no problem. There's a couple of measurements in the info border in that section that show drive cage forward and back PSU clearance lengths. Should give you a good understanding of what you can expect from the case.

[@RonnieRawdawg]

i will be getting this case but it will also be on liquid so i dont think the temps will be an issue

[@AVTechy]

Yeah you'll probably be fine there. That's definitely a good way to make the most of this one.

[@ICmikeyP]

Fractal just released Define 7 Mini/Meshify 2 Mini. Please do a review on those if you can! Preferably the define 7 mini plus you mentioned you wanted them to bring back the define C, which I believe the define 7 mini basically is, in mATX form factor.

[@AVTechy]

Hmm, they're coming out with some cracking cases lately. Not this one since it's a little hot, but the airflow one exists so it's hard to complain too much. But yeah, the Define 7 and mini Meshify's are here. I'm very tempted to check one out. There are about 10 cases I really want to look into. I'm thinking of making some quicker videos to get more reviews done. The main things to keep are the testing and compatibility slides, so just need to condense the rest. I'll see if I can cover both of them. But at least one would be good. Thanks for the heads up!

[@ICmikeyP]

@@AVTechy if you do have to choose, I think define 7 mini would be better because the Meshify 2 mini is being covered more.

[@jakisnoobek]

The real question is does reduced airflow impact clock speeds of a CPU and GPU and in result reduce performance at normal fan speeds in comparision to airflow cases. I don't care if my CPU is running at 60C or 80C unless it affect's it's performance. I can't find answer to that question in this video :/

[@AVTechy]

I always run into the issue of how much data I show in videos. I used to show as much as possible, but that became to difficult for people to watch, and for me to present well. The best answer I can give you is the hotter the CPU gets on my test system (6700K) it doesn't downclock, all the way up to 100C when it crashes. I've set it up to basically nuke itself before downclocking so I can get the most consistent thermal data possible (and it has nuked itself quite a few times with smaller coolers). While that's possible to do with CPU's quite a lot of the time due to the finer controls you can access via the BIOS, with GPU's, unless you know an awful lot, and have all the right hardware and software on hand, it's extremely difficult to stop them from downclocking when they get hot. So with the 1070 in the test bench, every degree it gets otter past 55C (from memory) it will downclock more and more until something like 94C when it's prone to crashing outright. So there is a performance hit on the GPU for sure, which is why I stay away from including performance data in the thermal testing graphs, and stick to just the thermal data with other stats relating to cooling. With all that said, under normal setups, the CPU and especially the GPU will downclock and lose performance the hotter they get to protect themselves from damage. High Airflow cases really do make a difference, and a low airflow compared to a high airflow case can easily add over 10, 15, or even 20C if they're really restrictive which can drastically impact performance, and will definitely impact performance of your typically setup system (one that's designed to downclock to protect the hardware from high temperature related damage, not the silly setup I've got intended to hit the high temperatures). Hope all that helps, definitely get a high airflow case is you've got powerful components that you intend to push.

[@Marcuss925]

Would Ryzen 7600 and 6700 xt be too much for this case? I love the sleek design.

[@AVTechy]

I wouldn't recommend it for that. Maybe the Antec P10 Flux would be a good option. No side panel window though.

[@wilfredomatute7697]

Silent but deadly, like my grandfather's farts...

[@cc_choco]

The best solution is NZXT Phantom. Without glass panel. The airflow should be there from the side way.

[@Revofev1000]

I just wanted to give some insides as someone who has started using this case about a week ago. I use this case with an Intel 12500 CPU and a RX 6900 XT and there is one thing that I noticed that is probably anecdotal but might be worth sharing. I noticed that my CPU is struggling way more with termals than my GPU is even though my GPU is the more power hungry component in my build. I have not changed the fans and I'm running everything including the GPU and CPU at stock configuration. The CPU is being cooled by a Bequiet Shadow Rock 3 that I also owned in my previous case. The CPU temperatures increased by about 10 C° while the GPU only increased by 5 C°. Both are still running completely fine with the games I'm playing at 1440p but I thought I might share this.

[@mr.niceguy724]

despite this, are you happy after some time with your case?

[@Revofev1000]

@@mr.niceguy724 yes. I did not have any issues with the case since I got it and nothing I could complain about.

[@regardzz]

Hey how long is your psu??? I have deepcool 160 mm but the website says limut is 150?????

[@Revofev1000]

@@regardzz mine is exactly 150mm long.

[@regardzz]

@@Revofev1000 fuck did it look like it could fit 160? Any space left?

[@Kaffarov97]

Funny I'm also someone who doesn't really like the retained thumbscrews as I find them harder to put back in

[@AVTechy]

It's a very fancy club, glad you could join us :D

[@stanislavdimitrov8800]

Coil whine though. That’s what I need a front panel for.

[@AVTechy]

Good point, I know I've had a GPU in the past that wouldn't stop whining.

[@GegoXaren]

Did you mix the audio of this video wrong? The audio volume is sounds like it's normalised to like -10 dB... I'm looking at the volume metre, and the audio does not go above 30% with all software controls at 100%. Please normalise to -3dB in the future. Thank you.

[@AVTechy]

It's down at -12dB by accident. I normally go for -2dB to be as loud as possible while accounting for the YT upload.

[@mr.niceguy724]

sooo. i watched this video for the second time and i really like it. you have a really good way of presenting the facts and i also like your rants :D there are just two minor things, which you could improve a little bit. specific in this video the sound is a little bit silent or damped? I can't describe it very well. But i had to turn my volume up to fully understand you. The second thing is about your diagrams. There is too much information (for me) and some information is a little bit confusing. Maybe you could design them a little bit easier to read. I think less is more in such diagrams. But despite that i really, really like your long review. Now after these words, i have a question about the case :D I consider buying it, because i hate hearing noise fans (i have a macbook and the fans are running once a year), so i want to build something that is quite similar. I understand your arguments and so i am struggling between this version or the pop air mini. Fan noise is one thing, but i want to prohibit things like coil whine or vibrating parts. Do you think the pop air can handle such things? This kind of noise is nothing a db-measurment can't really portray. But i understand the logic behind your arguments. More airflow means that the fans are working less. But for other noise i am not sure if a pop air is the way to go. what do you think? I don't have high end components but maybe if i upgrade in the future a part so i want to be prepared. Would be interested in you view of this "struggle" i have.. :D sorry for the long post.

[@AVTechy]

Hey. Thanks for the long comment :D You raise a great point. I balanced the volume way too low on this one. Normally I set it at -2dB which is about as loud as you can go before clipping. This one was set to -12dB which really is quiet. The graphs are the bain of my existence :D you should have seen the graphs long ago. They were a lot worse. I want to simplify them further, but I also want to retain the link to the results. If they're separated too much the link gets lost, and it's hard to track the relationship between many factors. It's always a tough balance to strike. As for your question. Coil whine is a tough one to get rid of, and only becomes more noticeable the less other noise there is around. When I first made a silent build I only first noticed the coil whine of my GPU, and it was way worse than the background noise of the fans. If you're only ever going to have Mid to Low end components in here then this might work for you to remove coil whine noises if you're aiming for a completely silent build. But if you're going to be pushing your system hard regularly I would recommend something more open. If you're only pushing your system hard once every couple of weeks, maybe just open up the front panel for that time and keep it closed otherwise to work around the thermal issue. Either way, if you get this case, be prepared to tune the PWM curve of the fans to only run at higher temps. Otherwise you'll end up with a louder system than if you had no case at all. Also get a really good CPU cooler to reduce the need for heavier everyday cooling for it at least.

[@namenloserflo]

It always depends on the hardware if a silent case is useful or not. You probably shouldn't build a high end gaming pc in it but it could work fine with an office pc.

[@AVTechy]

I guess that's sort of right. But office PCs are already quiet, so there's sort of no point in the concept of a silent case unless you do something drastic like seriously increase the weight, or size. Something that's worth a look is the difference between how walls are constructed. The only way to reduce noise transfer is to add masses of weight or size to them. The PC in my office is unnoticeable and it's in a very standard Dell case that's doing nothing for acoustics.

[@namenloserflo]

@@AVTechy True, but I guess there's a sweetspot where it's worth it. Maybe a low end gaming pc or an office pc for higher end tasks like video editing

[@AVTechy]

Maybe for low power gaming systems. Editing systems are as intensive if not more intensive than gaming rigs though so I don't think that's a strong option. But in all of my testing high airflow systems are significantly quieter (or cooler depending on the setup) than "silent" options. Maybe they excel in areas I'm not coving like coil whine dampening or something like that. I'd love to test some heavier options to see how they perform.

[@namenloserflo]

@@AVTechy As far as I know, editing systems aren't working on full power all the time. While the system isn't rendering a video or calculating an intensive visual effect it shouldn't get that loud and a silent case could help. But I haven't tested anything of that, I just happen to have a silent case (bought it because it looked cool) and I think the sound dampening helps when the pc is in idle. Even if it isn't quieter it changes the type of sound too. It's more of an even humming noise/lower pitched noise with the sound dampening panels in place. In most cases it's probably a better option to save the money on silent fans like the noctua a12x25 or the new be quiet Silent Wings Pro 4 along with an airflow case but I think the silent versions do have their niches and use-cases too.

[@ivey77426]

Fractal products stuck in the past, it a same case they've made in 2010 with some minor changes. If in 2010 those products looked high-end and desirable, they are no longer so in 2022. PC market changed but fractal failed to follow.

[@AVTechy]

Not sure I fully agree. I think the styling is good, and the 5.25" compatibility is a nice to have but doesn't get in the way. I like it, it's just not great on thermals. Hopefully the Air version does better, and if it is good thermally I think that's a case to beat.

[@ivey77426]

@@AVTechy for me it's mostly about (not) optimizing available space. It's a 40+ liter monstrosity with feature set no longer needed by most users (like 5 inch slots you mentioned). Cases like cerberus x did the same in less than half a volume and the only downside was higher price due to low production volumes. With production capabilities of company like Fractal they could bring new life to the market that craves for smaller but functional cases and at reasonable price. Yet they do nothing new. I owned ARC MINI back in 2011 and it was a great case, but that is an obsolete product i would never buy again. Pop Mini is just a variation Define Mini that also stagnated for years.

[@saumyacow4435]

I came across this because I'm looking to build a new PC. My last build was over 10 years ago and it used a Fractal Design case with sound damping, which I'm very happy with. The only problem with it in fact was it was a mid tower and ended up taking up room on top of my desk. So now I'm looking for a mini case and I'm looking for one with sound damping. That unfortunately leaves me very few options. The Fractal Design Pop Mini Silent is one of those. I'd dearly love to see a more "premium" version of this, without the cheap plastic bits. Any hints? Also, to those who obsess about the "poor cooling" of "silent" cases (they aren't silent either). I'd say this. The vast majority of use cases for a computer are low power. With my old case, an actual fanless power supply and one (slow) CPU fan, and a deliberately throttled down case fan, I had absolutely no problems. In fact I've run it without the CPU fan (it's a big heat sink). The real offenders are the modern electricity-bill-boosting CPUs with 100+ Watts power levels and that's why I'm choosing to use a Ryzen 7600 (88 Watts pushed to the limit). And of course some of the latest graphics cards are abominations. Does anyone really need 250 fps? Also if you actually consider the thermal capacity of air, the power and do a little math, you don't actually need huge airflow to carry out that energy. The critical task is in fact the CPU heatsink. The inside of the case itself does not need cyclonic wind speeds. It just needs to have its air replenished frequently enough in order to carry out that energy. What I'm saying here is that CPU cooler efficiency is far more than important than internal case temperature. And if you really want to build a system that puts out 1000+ Watts, then there's definitely a market for big, external cooling tower (water as the working fluid) that is designed with a lot of sound damping and is very quiet, but still capable. Fuck it, electricity is cheap, and you're wearing headphones, right? There's my rant for today.

[@AVTechy]

Glad my comments section could let you vent :D

[@saumyacow4435]

@@AVTechy Awww tanx :)

[@saumyacow4435]

@@AVTechy Btw, I ended up getting a fractal pop mini silent and it's not bad given it's made to a price. Swapped out the rear fan for a quieter fan and it's all good :)

[@bobpants1469]

It's crazy that this is considered a "Mini" case, it's still too big to put on a desk. I mean, you could, but why would you want to. Why is all PC stuff so dam BIG

[@drtydsh]

Not understanding that pop refers to the visual aspect of this case makes me question all of your other points.

[@rdmn1985]

Thanks for the post, but a few too many relatively unimportant critiques..

[@burakozc3079]

Too bad, no white option.

[@I_am_Just_Unlucky]

why is this video so quiet wtf

[@tft_and_chill]

is this vegan?

[@symphantic4552]

Right?

[@Dsh9x]

Yes it’s made out of veggies that have been melted together

[@Jake-mn1qc]

No front door? No thanks.