The Fractal MOOD Review - All Hype?

[@Jimbahiya]

I don't usually comment on videos but I wanted to say that Hardware Canucks is a channel I have been watching for years and wanted to share my appreciation for you all. Thank you for your honest reviews. I trust you all fully for everything.

[@WrexBF]

That's gay.

[@DontEatCream]

I’ll wait for the Mood V2 then

[@Nixeen]

A better mood

[@flejmie123]

Yeah this launch reminds me of the first ERA case. Now they have fixed it several years later with the second one.

[@eriv0id]

mood

[@蛇王-y9b]

it makes me no mood because of airflow

[@kirikotone]

@@flejmie123 Except it's not even fixed.

[@reheapification2]

I am so glad that I did not replace my Fractal Terra with this. I'd probably be in bad Mood.

[@matteventu]

Your components too, would be in a bad Mood 😶

[@technewb8241]

If Fractal didn't sacrifice GPU thickness for air cooler clearance, this would be my next case. But my gpu wouldn't fit without a waterblock, and there's not enough radiator support for an open loop build. I'll be going with the A3 instead

[@sentryion3106]

I think the case m2 looks very appealing and if you can stomach the cost I’ll take it over the a3 if you want something much smaller

[@technewb8241]

@@sentryion3106 I want 360 radiator support in a small package over the absolute smallest build possible. The A3 is capable of dual 360s with a single slot GPU block. The closest option is the AP201 - and the Jonsbo knock-offs - with thinner material and worse build quality. The M2 would be a great case, but the limited availability is a no-go for me. I don't like the idea of dropping to a 240, but my gaming temps under a 360 are in the 40s. I'd still have plenty of thermal headroom as long as I don't need to fully load the CPU.

[@vailpcs4040]

Gosh, I feel sorry for Fractal. They make some amazing products and I guess not all can be performance-oriented. I don't know if this was a swing and a miss or simply a departure and conscious choice to pivot away from performance and into form-based design. Given the potential acoustic issues in the Terra, perhaps they need to focus more on testing or maybe they have a specific use-case / market segment they are targeting?

[@drewnewby]

Lint rollers are essential PC maintenance tools. Soft touch plastics, mesh filters, and definitely fabric cases, laptop covers, etc. clean up best with them.

[@madrazproductions5776]

Underrated

[@alangoldhammer7460]

This would be a perfect HTPC case for a nice living room. You don't need top end components for this application and the styling looks great. If I didn't already have a nice case, I would consider this one.

[@teethashaquan5395]

Wait for version 2 with hopefully better GPU compatibility

[@ccayco]

The moment I saw the previews of this case, I figured it would be a nice case targeted at non-gaming and non-workstation use cases. You know, something you'd use to build a nice casual pc for your aunt or something, no dedicated gpu or anything that runs hot. But to hear it's LOUD is crazy. So it's too loud to be a cozy living room pc, it has a big footprint, and it can't be repurposed for high demand setups, and it's expensive. Weird miss from FD. That said, it does look like an air purifier haha.

[@XiaOmegaX]

2 slot GPU lock is DOA. if this was 3 or 3.5 slot GPU and less room for CPU cooler it would be perfect. I can live with bad airflow for the cpu since i always buy low power cpus for itx builds anyway. 7800X3D should run cool here regardless.

[@Johanjudai]

Finally, a honest review, thanks

[@flyingpj]

Pretty much what was expected. Any plans for a review of the Lian Li Dan Case A3-mATX?

[@MrMilkyCoco]

Formdt1 the smallest itx case that can fit a 4090 fe comes in at 9.9 liters. Fractals previous itx cases are smaller in size and can also fit a 4090 fe. This one being bigger than all of them has no excuse to not be able to fit larger cards.

[@m3moak]

These videos need thermal camera footage. It would be great to see how the air enters and leaves the case. Loved the detailed description.

[@fancyobsession1803]

Thermal camera doesn't really show airflow I'm afraid

[@BatteryAz1z]

A thermal camera won't capture that. GN has a test setup that captures air density I believe, but it's quite involved.

[@d1zputed23]

Mr Matt Lee uses some sort of smoke machine to visualize airflow in every build

[@MrSouthSioux]

@@d1zputed23 Yep. That's who I am waiting to see do a build and airflow test.

[@varshaiyer9395]

Very pragmatic! It's not the review we want but the one we deserve. Good job as always guys!

[@Fiztex553]

Your cat will love this scratching post.

[@georgejones5019]

My son turns one next month. I started working from home after my parental bonding leave. I have to stop for diaper changes and feeding him, or checking on him. It's been fun, but he can be quite the distraction sometimes. I love the concept of this case, but it seems like it'll need a revision and improvements made to the design. I'd rotate the mobo so the I/O faces out of the back of the left side. Allow the bottom to push air up through it and the top pull air out. Give the movable spine for GPU/CPU variability.

[@Senrab46]

I was looking forward hearing great news about the Mood but you cant all be wrong. Thorough review as always 🐈👍

[@tarfeef_4268]

If this is so focused on cpu cooling choices and compatibility... Why did you use an L12S????

[@HasanBabasi]

Wow that fabric is really nice looking. It actually looks like something an adult would get, though I think some muted led’s on the fabric would be really cool. Have information on there like the time or to-do list. 3:17 shame about the cooling that’s a disappointment.

[@directhex]

Thanks so much for this brutal review. I had reconsidered my plans to build around a Fractal Ridge when I saw this in the Computex coverage, but those noise and cooling performance numbers are absolutely unfit for purpose.

[@sullmcintyre]

Great review with proper detail, thank you!

[@DeilGrist]

The aesthetics are amazing and it had top pick for my next case; a shame to see it needs a revision 2 immediately.

[@EMPeter]

based on the time between the two Eras you might need to wait a few years :')

[@ich_16]

HC and optimum the best representers for this lol what an eye candy

[@Neekzu]

Yep, all hype.

[@eldoherz]

WTF are all these bot comments? Also surprised to see Fractal missing the mark so badly when they've been killing it for a while.

[@SwaggyMcSwagSwag1]

I don't think they missed the mark. This case would be really good for media streaming setup which won't produce a lot of heat anyway. Its small, and looks good in a living room. Its just not built for gaming or other applications which produce high heat. They got other cases for that.

[@georgejones5019]

This case would work better as a living room media or maybe low to mid tier gaming build.

[@cmdr.shurimal8980]

@@SwaggyMcSwagSwag1 For pure media streaming/local playback a small form factor prebuilt PC akin to Dell Optiplex 7010 or Minisforum offerings with Librelec installed plus a cheap BT remote from Amazon would be more than sufficient. Or an RPi, or an nVidia Shield, or any of the plethora of streaming boxes/sticks, or an old laptop with Librelec hidden away in a cupboard--anything can handle 4K video streaming these days. Fractal Mood case would have been perfect for a fairly powerful livingroom gaming plus multimedia PC, but alas the few fatal flaws are too serious. They need to open up the sides of the case behind the fabric for better airflow and redesign to allow 3 slot GPU-s like Sapphire Nitro.

[@sentryion3106]

⁠@@SwaggyMcSwagSwag1thing is they already have the ridge and terra for that.

[@jameslamb7197]

The more review videos I watch of this, the more I am beginning to think that Fractal were too scared to go all in on it. They should have built in a moveable spine to let you choose how much space you dedicate to either CPU or GPU cooler space. They wanted to see a market reaction to it's design first and it's easy to see that it is there, so hopefully they release an updated version that provides greater compatibility given how big this case actually is.

[@Erelyes]

Great review - justified and honest. A real ball-drop from Fractal.

[@peoplez129]

Would have been better if they made it slim and wider so that it can fit more flush in places like the back of a desk or against a wall, like those flat wall mounted cases. They can even create a full array of case fans mounts on one end that can be used to create a wall of case fans inside the case, running at low RPM's. So space for like 6-9 140mm fans blowing at the components. Make it a liquid cooling only case so that you don't have to worry about heatsink clearance, and with a maximum thickness of 3 slots for the whole case, you can keep the entire case pretty slim, while also being able to accommodate bigger parts like ATX power supplies, and RAM size, etc. Then it would essentially look like a 2001 space odyssey monolith.

[@o0Dan0o]

I think they had to lock the spine due to the base design. By having the power button and IO on the bottom of the case, they have to have a two-level structure to the bottom of the case. One level for the MB and GFX IO, and another for the front panel IO. Thus, moving the spine would require rearranging these levels. They could absolutely design around this, and frankly I'd prefer the MB and PSU IO to be on the rear, but that makes the GFX IO a little weird. Lastly, totally agree, they should have found a better fabric for the case that was significantly more breathable, even if that made it more see-through. In the end, build the same case with a 200mm fan, and you can fit quad-wide GPUs with the same CPU clearance!

[@seoulglo1999]

I made a small wooden box for my Terra to stand vertically like this 3:43. The cables pass through from the bottom. Fits nicely into my entertainment center like this.

[@Bjlims]

Can you share some photos of it?

[@Schluggaluggas]

Can you please review the NCase M2 next? Wanted to build a micro atx pc anyway, but wanted to know if i could just copy paste the parts i would have used for the fractal pop air, with a smaller cpu cooler :) Thanks for your harsh and honest reviews!

[@Thrice1337]

I love the vertical profile and design of the case. I just want fractal to address the ventilation issue. I’ll be all over this case if they do a V2.

[@starbound03]

1:10 mentioning cat claws just changed my mind about buying this case LOL I'd better get something else.

[@uncanny_mac4660]

CONGRATS ON BABY

[@LemonJon]

Would you suggest waiting for the Era 2 or trying to get a NZXT H1 v2? I like the look of both cases but can't make a decision... it will be my first itx build that I hope to have for a while.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Deff the H1 V2 is a better case. It’s smaller and way easier to build in plus better GPU support. -D.

[@LemonJon]

@@HardwareCanucks thank you!

[@JuanCAraujoS]

Hopefully Fractal takes notes and the Mood 2 becomes an impprovement.

[@mikesental8966]

What about using a power house of a CPU with a low TDP like the Minisforum BD790i which has a Ryzen 7950HX? Seems like with a TDP of 55w to keep things in check and GPU cooling being pretty decent it (maybe with something like a 4070 SUPER) might work out in this case (pun intended). Thoughts?

[@xxJOKeR75xx]

i didn't like the Mood anyway. But i'm very interested in the ERA2 review. Especially on how well it rocks with watercooling.

[@MrSouthSioux]

Should have been MATX, mesh on every side but the front. 30 to 35 liters. 200MM top fan maybe? Would look like a big subwoofer and would solve all the interior size constraints. AP201 for example looks like a sub in my home theater.

[@westleyhurtgen4275]

My immediate thought was a HTPC or pf sense box, but it's a lot bigger than I thought.

[@FutureProofNothing]

When We Will See Review OF Your New Baby. Congratulation

[@fajaradi1223]

Isn't that falls under Mike's responsibility? I mean with noise normalized benchmark and else ...

[@pisachasrinuan7960]

I was so hyped when I first saw it in Computex. But yeah, it's little too big for me (20L) and the center spine cannot be adjusted :(

[@dimcho]

What are we supposed to do with a CPU & GPU from 2018/2019 and a new case? Update the hardware and re-test few of the competitors.

[@dangerwr]

Not surprised. I like that it's different, but yeah, a tight knit fabric isn't good for a computer case.

[@MrTed919]

It could be a beautiful nas/media case if can convert the gpu space for more 3.5 drive space

[@FeelMyBicepp]

I would love the mood but my gpu length is 336m

[@Abubaker42]

I completely UNDERSTAND!

[@dorsmap]

Still rocking my fractal meshify from forever ago it feels like now

[@NickBaysingar]

They need to just do a mesh version without the fabric. I get that the fabric is a big part of the visual design, but I think the form factor and shape of the chassis itself is interesting enough that even a mesh panel version would still look really good.

[@user-Cata7sti7ma7]

change the bottom feet, make it possible to have a good intake on the bottom and put another big fan. Mood V2

[@144HURTS]

So the Mood left Hardware Canucks in a Bad Mood ™️?

[@Scalptrash]

Put that top exhaust fan on the Corsair 2000D=perfect case.

[@hassosigbjoernson5738]

Let's see how good the XBox Series X case in grey actually is ... I do like this formfactor since it released in like 2020.

[@avirtualworld4U]

I am waiting for ERA 2 really want it seems perfect till it gets a good review but looks just right so far. I see it listed on alibaba for sale but shipping is nearly $200 + nearly $200 for the case.

[@deathbyweightsco.6056]

glad i have the meshroom s then. my 5900x w/ a 240 aio keeps it below 80 while gaming.

[@djmocok]

What would be the best motherboard to fit into this thing for AMD Ryzen 7600x + 7900XT?

[@Dexx1s]

That case should also never be on the floor. Why would anyone buy a case for its looks then throw it on the floor? The next update is probably going to be a Terra frame turned on its face. Exactly what this should have been.

[@punjabeeplaya]

I'd love to see y'all review the new Lian Li Dan Case A3

[@matthewborum9639]

Damn...I really liked the look.But I'm now willing to sacrifice on cooling

[@BlackAera]

Optimum Tech shows better temps somehow. He is running a 7800X3D at 66°C and a 4080 Super at 72°C. Not "horrible" at all if you ask me.

[@quality8133]

That's because he actually used a proper dual tower cooler as intended. Using tiny low profile cooler in this case like Canuck did makes no sense when it supports 100mm dual tower or 280 aio

[@SpoonHurler]

Can't have a MOOD without DOOM.

[@ab185]

Formd T1 review please!

[@AMVmushroom]

this could have easily been the case of the year for so many people. Shame. I hope they give it another shot

[@possibly_hello_1270]

I feel like no one has learned anything from the Silverstone FT03

[@ricksondenden5406]

This case is literal embodiement of "1 step forward, 2 steps back" ...in this case more like 12 steps back

[@johnheath8882]

After 17 years, you'd think Fractal would be better at designing these cases properly, the first time. It would be nice to see someone capitalize on their designs like they do with others...before their next version.

[@pandalife_gaming]

I don't really understand what you were expecting...at all. It's a form over function case. Period. It's not meant to be super convenient to work in or have the best thermals. It's meant to look good in your living room using it as an htpc. Guaranteed that was the target market. Someone needed to be able to show this case to their partner and say "see, the pc in the living room doesn't have to be ugly". Yes, more gpu room would've been nice. Adjustability would've been preferable. But also you did fit a Strix 3080 in there. So it's not actually that bad. This review feels dramatic. It's an itx case with literal fabric wrapping 3 sides. You clean it with a lint roller. If you looked at that and expected good thermals and compatibility, I don't understand what's going through your head.

[@MichaelOCampo2]

That's unfortunate. Glad I waited for the reviews.

[@techgirl517]

You just destroyed my dream case 😒 i really love how this looks and i am searching a case is not the traditional "pc case look" and the Fractal Mood was exactly what i am searching for.

[@SoulRollerFIN]

2 open sides and a huge top exhaust is probably the best solution still. Why aren't these companies doing it?

[@itsdeonlol]

Looks good, but I think I will wait for a Version 2.

[@BreeHorsfall]

Whelp, I wanted the Era 2 anyway, lol. 😅😌

[@ChillBuilds]

I saw the price, and compatibility, and said "I'll wait until it's on clearance to cover this one."

[@PaulLemars01]

That's definitely a bad Mood inducing case. I still love my wife's Revolt 3 based machine. I don't understand why all these tall and slim cases use a riser cable. If the Motherboard and the GPU are mounted vertically then just plug the GPU directly into the ITX motherboard.

[@briank3754]

Thank for the review. They obviously didn't design this case for gamers. This is for someone who wants to use their PC as a media center or just want basic desktop with a nice clean design.

[@gro_skunk]

They'll probably bring a mild update with a wood laminate exterior and a regular removable filter for the CPU side, fabric is going to age poorly.

[@t.7527]

True

[@retrorevival1]

pretty rough review! interesting to see how Fractal address the issues. I still think it would be fine for a basic HTPC

[@Yetimusmaximus]

It makes me sad because I really like the form factor. But this feels like something that should have came out 3 years ago at the sub $100. Price point. It feels like one of those amazon sff cases that are targeted for non "gamer" customers to put a 65watt cpu and a 6500/4060 in to use in the living room for streaming and "light" gaming. People that don't want a big ugly computer in their living room. If It had better ventilation and GPU compatibility I probably would have bought it to do a case swap with my current components

[@Dayssbefore]

They wanted it to sounds like a humidifier too.

[@ptose]

It's a bit of a shame it's so flawed. I really hope in improved Fractal Mood 2 because frankly it's a gorgeous case.

[@todorussinho]

That was a let down for sure. I was expecting a top tier case from them after seeing this desing. Well, wait for the next one. Right now I have the Ridge, but want to build a new PC for my setup and leave the Ridge on the living room.

[@juliogomezyt]

Gray is a good colour for some CPU's.

[@dIggl3r]

Ok so my 4090 doesn't fit... sadge, case loked good imo!

[@apricanephoto]

Ultimately I think it's fine if there are case designs that are not aimed at "extreme enthusiasts", but despite being an enthusiast myself I just don't want to deal with the ITX form factor and I assume that a lot of people don't want to as well. To me the case is for those who want a casual to mid-tier system that they have assembled by the computer shop. Nothing wrong with that, though that is a narrow market for Fractal Design to be aiming for here. Also, I agree that there might be build limitations due to the I/O ports at the bottom, but to me given the type of case this is, this is definitely not something that I would buy to leave on the floor (or anything in the ITX form factor really, for what should be obvious reasons), I'd say that there are a fair bit of cases that are for that already, it's OK for not all cases being for everyone if there are good reasons for that. That specific one seems to be a good one imho. Last note in what is becoming quite the essay, I was a little bit surprised that you didn't compare it to the FD... well, FD Console or whatever, there's another FD case that's much closer in design intent to this one and that would provide a better basis for comparison than the Terra, which is in a class of its own.

[@여경태-m3x]

It's you who put a 70mm cooler in a case that can hold a 110mm high cooler. I'm sorry to see you trying to say something bad.

[@여경태-m3x]

Is it time to up the specs Benchmarks that aren't better than the PS5 or XSX aren't helping anyone.

[@BlackAera]

Right. This case can fit way bigger air coolers than a NH-L12S.

[@marcgtsr]

Where are the CPU numbers with an air cooler???

[@OntarioGuy430]

It does look really nice - needs a Google nest on top to complete the look. Compatibility completely ruins it for an actual computer build.

[@RockSaysPaperOP]

I love the form factor and the look, and the concept of a single large fan at the end of a tube, which just makes a lot of sense to me. Really disappointed to hear about these issues that make it unusable for me.

[@Bass_therapy_]

Waiting for the era 2

[@AY-gf3jq]

In the end a real reviewer and not an influencer satisfying himself with spitting marketing arguments like beauty...

[@ToxicChillz]

Absolutely love the look of this case, but its hugely disappointing with what has been delivered by the case itself. For me its a beautiful case, but functionally it fails in almost every aspect. Its so frustrating to see such a cool design, with so many flaws. Would actually consider switching to ITX for the case. If it was properly thought out and had good airflow and cooling potential. Such a shame.

[@nuketurnal2]

looks like a part of your sound system

[@Sircinus3005]

Please review the ncase m2 please.

[@metcat88]

It's weird to see a bad Fractal case after seeing so many good ones from them but hey nobody is perfect :)

[@Wobwob]

in such a bad mood we didn't get the pop at the end of the video :(

[@HardwareCanucks]

Ha my bad 😂 next time! I’m still fresh coming back into videos 👍 -D.

[@panzfaust9812]

so this or corsair 2000d?

[@truekili9215]

1:23 bro just wash it off/ lint roll it it's not hard like I don't get why this was even a segment when the whole fabric piece is removeable.

[@stevenrichman7101]

What a pitty. So its not good for external GPUs, but i would love for someone to test this case with the upcoming AMD strix halo APU.

[@gucky4717]

The one fan chimney design is not good for a high output PC. You can look at the Corsair One, all models except the first one perform quite badly. The Xbox only works because it has custom hardware and a custom cooler, but that wont work with standard PC components.