The Fractal Ridge is the BEST console case yet!

[@thomasgibbs7295]

I think I just found my next case to build in. Love the simplicity of this case and the front mesh panel is so clean. Great work! Amazing content as always.

[@GearSeekers]

Thanks so much,🙏

[@joelconolly5574]

The SFF community will definitely be pleased with this case.

[@akiraic]

only for old parts you mean. as we know, 4080 will be larger and won't fit

[@crimsonleg4237]

@@akiraic The FE actually might fit, if the compatibility dimensions are anything to go by. The PNY and FE cards of the 4000 series may be doable, but their heights are just at the compatibility max and of course, there is the issue of the adapters.

[@mikeymaiku]

@@akiraic or you can stop bitching about it and buy a FE card that is actually smaller than the 3090ti

[@crimsonleg4237]

Another video by A2K answered this question; yes, you can fit the 4090 FE in the case, but you must remove the two fans. Even the Strix 3080 can fit as well despite being 3mm off of the specs.

[@Chiefhao]

@@akiraic not sure about case spec but if your building SFF you’re usually using founders cards for sure. Some SFF cases might be able to accommodate larger cards

[@TheGameBench]

This is QUITE a bit improved from the Node 202. Built a personal build in one a while back, and this looks like a much better case to build in and it's just a better layout and better looking. Granted, it looks like you might run into some of the same thermal issues with a not so quite overbuilt cooler like that TUF. Though, the option to add six 80mm fans might be able to help and this could be an interesting option for de-shrouding. One thing I'd like to try... get rid of that lager foot and use three more of the smaller one to make it look like it's levitating.

[@azathothwakesup]

This case is so cool! I wanna get it to use horizontally under a monitor like the old days air cool it with all those tiny side fan mounts love it!

[@jamesreeve6465]

My build. Asrock A620i lightning, 7800X3D, RTX 4080 Super FE, corsair SF1000L. idcool is67xt. Works great. Temps are way better than expected . Very happy.

[@transformer88]

I have just a month ago put together a SFF PC with Silverstone ML08. I chose that case because it is the only consoled sized case I could find… still glad that this case came out to support the SFF community!!

[@TP015657]

I have the rvz02 from Silverstone with the handle (since 2017), same layout/frame as ml08 just different front, hope you are enjoying it just as much as i do, i believe this design by Silverstone beats node 202 which is mostly plastic and feels cheap, the only case i believe that beats the Silverstone in form factor is the Zaber Sentry but that is no longer attainable outside of scalpers (sentry 3.0 is in planning, they are waiting for all the GPUs to come out first) Fractal Ridge IMO is too bulky for the form factor but that is mainly to accommodate the new GPU market i guess, more choices is always good anyway.

[@henkdevries]

I think horizontal cooling would benefit from putting the CPU towards the top and gpu to the bottom. My thoughts: the gpu area has vents on both sides and with the aditional fans hot air will escape quite easily. Meanwhile putting the CPU side on the bottom, it only has ventilation from it's respective top (top to bottom cooling). Sucking in cool air from the bottom has a bigger chance of getting hot air trapped in the case. I'd love to see some testing of this and am thinking of picking it up myself.

[@chrisvanhorn]

Exactly what I plan to do in my build. I’ve seen too many builds have it upside down in my opinion, and also use CPU coolers that are doing intake instead of exhaust.

[@chrisvanhorn]

@@yodude101ful Not really. Just flip the case and attach some different feet.

[@jerrardbeasley4247]

I am so glad they made getting into this case so much easier. The Node 202 is such a pain to open with the little clips and it feels like you are going to break it everytime you try to get into it.

[@deadcell1]

I actually broke mine lol

[@Equatis]

I really like the look of this case. Looks nice on an entertainment center. Not just a black piece of metal. The fabric in front looks nice.

[@akmarksman]

I would like to see case manufacturers put in a estimated or maximum length needed for PSU cables.

[@phil_matic]

as a person who has had to buy custom made cables for builds three times now, this would be very nice information, epsecially when you're on a time crunch. You can order the case and the cables at the same time and have it all completed at once

[@michaelthompson9798]

As a SFF and itx pc builder, LOVE this case 🥰❤😍! I’d consider adding the following: 1) plus some 0.5mm thermal pads between the HSF cpu cooler and case for additional cooling under heavier loads for better cpu thermals. 2) replace the case fans near the GPU for slimmer fans to prevent some turbulence noise. 3) give me the case 🥰😉😜🤣🤦‍♀🤦☺ for my next build hehe. Looks like an IKEA Bluetooth integrated sound system 👍 Enjoy your new rig Nic and Klaire 🥰👍

[@ZacDonald]

I wonder if you'd be better off keeping the case GPU fans and taking the fans and shroud off of the GPU itself.

[@nextjin]

@@ZacDonald Most Node 202 users did that and it provided better thermals. I had a 2080 Ti with the shroud off and 2 Noctua A12's. I had to cut the top of the case out and put either mesh or fan grills in otherwise after 10-20 mins it would be screaming hot. It looks like Fractal listened to most people's requests because that was an obvious flaw of the Node 202. It was really designed for blower cards. The modern QoL improvements are welcomed too, having to take the entire bottom off to get to the underbelly mesh was asinine on the Node 202.

[@strawberryforte]

I just got this case and I am *absolutely loving it.*

[@imsoflyrn]

OMG HERE YOU ARE AGAIN, Finding you twice looking for an itx case, wow, first the meshroom, now this. Definitely insta subscribed. Thank you for this. This will be a nice Node 202 upgrade for me.

[@SoulRollerFIN]

I loved my Node 202. Heck, I still do! Keeping it as a spare, maybe transform it into a home server.

[@bornwisedistruction]

$129 not bad I paid $140 for my Node 202 about 3 years ago this may be on my radar once I build my ITX Ryzen 7000 mini platform.

[@meltyblood]

Thanks! super useful video. I like that you covered the practicals of working within the form factor, and also included thermals.

[@Continus]

I like the case. It's very similar to the Sentry but with more space for bigger GPU's

[@Tommo_]

steer clear from that lian li psu. the fans spin up every 5 minutes to max even while idle and it sounds like a bloody jet engine

[@daisyduck8593]

Nice. first video i see with a big / maximum cpu cooler size.

[@MyLeoOne]

One thing I want is this case with a handle like a briefcase, as a college student it would be great for gloomy back home and to LAN parties

[@rcarter1690]

Love seeing interesting cases like this.

[@Phalaxis83]

I've often contemplated selling my Series X lately as I find myself gaming on my PC more and more these days. I'd definitely go down the path of HTPC if had the money for a second build. This case is legit! Excellent video fams.

[@shadowarez1337]

I need to grab one of these I was lucky and got my hands on a Sager console case made a Destiny 2 Themed HTPC. @1:23 I just built a 5950x with 3070Ti FE in this case got it cooled by the glacier one 240 aio 64GB Gskill Royal 3800mhz. And after tuning with PBO temps and noise are down across the board while OC steady 4799 when needed. Only gripe with this Case is the RGB Spaghetti to get everything running but this is first time I took time to make sure all the 🌈 Vomit was working as it'll be sold.

[@sc0or]

It has 4 mounting platforms for 2.5” SSDs. Two more go behind a front panel PS I’m searching for different options for my new HTPC. Just because I’d like to utilize existing mATX motherboard. And every time I get back to this case. Despite I have to purchase s new mITX MB (and there are not many on a market these days). This case is great from different perspectives

[@hrdcpy]

I was just deep cleaning my Node 202 case today and wondering if I should build or sell...only has space for two expansion slots though

[@thatguycalledaustin4206]

I think that the Fractal fans will cause you airflow issues with them being so close to the GPU fans. It’s been a while since I studied airflow for fans but if I remember correctly you don’t want them to be butted up right next to each other. It’s more ideal to not have those fans there at all which will allow your GPU to pull in air as needed. Otherwise you may (can’t remember if this is fact) damage the GPU fans if the fractal fans are pushing too much air through or not enough air through and therefore putting a lot of unnneeded strain on the GPU fans. Other than that I love this build! Thanks for sharing

[@daisyduck8593]

It's good they bring out this. The node 202 had not enough air grids/holes for a custom design gpu imo. Only a blower design gpu was good imo.

[@27Zangle]

The Fractal Ridge is really nice and would love to have one but I ordered a HYTE Revolt 3 w/power Supply for $120 yesterday.

[@greatwall9741]

Good video man. I used to crave for the 202 but pcie riser cards/cables were a mess with new hardware and old PC cases. I am honestly trying to dispose of my current Dan A4 case because I don't wanna deal with riser sh*t anymore. I hope I'm wrong, but pcie gen5 might mess things up again, even more, including this case you have here.

[@mikeymaiku]

when you want the highest spec and technologies but dont want to pay for it.

[@greatwall9741]

@@mikeymaiku I did pay for it, I have pcie gen4 but I will not wait for gen5 to build my next PC. It's about doing things now rather than later. My comment was about pcie gen4 on this case when gen5 is already here.

[@malvnathaniel]

Will be perfect for my steamOS console!! Currently using Nzxt H1(v1) but looking for horizontal case and this will do the job really well!

[@marchespants8643]

Just wondering if the thicker 15mm 2.5" HDDs would fit in all four mounting locations as I use them in my current HTPC setup and would love this case to fit a full size GPU for a gaming PC / HTPC hybrid.

[@RayWelpott]

Saw the announcement and got excited

[@mirkodiciano4647]

i had a node 2 but i was lucky enough to pick up an ncase m1 v6.1 in black

[@j.p.h.8126]

If this case had launched last year i would have bought it. My HTPC was in the Silverstone RVZ03 case. Its about the same size as that. But it was so hard to build in or make any changes. So then i changed into the Meshlicious and it was a nice case. But i hated how hard it was to unplug the hdmi cagle from it. And there were some other little issues. So then i changed into a little bigger kinda mATX case the Silverstone Alta G1M. And i absolutely love that case i have almost nothing bad to say about it. Well exept the included 180mm fan is crappy and loud. So i replaced it with a 180mm Fractal fan and now its very quiet. The things i like about the Alta are the support for mATX boards, full lenght GPU's and 360mm rads. Its a shame that Ridge did not launch before i found the Alta. I would have loved to try it out. 🙂

[@DuhBlackBandit]

Love the case but I’m really interested in how you got your Noctua L12 to fit in low profile mode with a Strix B660-I. Mine didn’t fit :(

[@loganfaraday1740]

Weird question, if you had a portable air conditioner cooling this system would it cause condensation or would it just cool the exterior of the case, making the cpu thermals better?

[@ChipsAndWires]

I love my L12S, but where the heck does the air come from under the CPU? I fear that lack of any flow around that PCIe riser and case bottom and cable mess would cause the fan to struggle (noise) and the fan-against-fan in the GPU chamber will cause more turbulence (more noise) but if it works, yay! I do love that they're adopting this design too.

[@jacobplyler3470]

This case is pretty tempting, but the FormD T1 is as well, especially since I have an EK 240 AIO. My air cooler I have for this case would only be a big shuriken 3.

[@smaller_cathedrals]

The T1 is considerably more expensive though!

[@cjpartridge]

I wish one of these modern case designers would create a HTPC style case with 2-5 hot swap bays (preferably hidden by some sort of facade) that isn't as large as something like the SilverStone CS351 with better aesthetics.

[@tendosingh5682]

120mm right up to GPU fans is a HORRIBLE idea. If the GPU fan shroud with fans was removed then yes makes more sense.

[@GearSeekers]

They are 140mm. It actually improved the thermal performance of this GPU

[@ThatGamerDude9000]

Love the aesthetic of an HTPC case, but hate the thermals. Just got the Sony A95K, and I'll be using it as my monitor for a home theater/gaming build. Since I got one of the best TVs on the market, I want to get the most out of it with a PC that can push the 4K frames, while not making my home theater a sauna. A 3070ti won't cut it, and putting a higher end GPU in there would just introduce thermal throttling. Not to mention, I got some 4K blurays I want to rip, and HTPCs don't always have the space for internal optical drives, let alone a water cooling loop. Have to go with a microATX to get it all (relatively small case+water cooling+high end gpu clearance+optical drive bay). Maybe the RX12000/RTX9000 series will be able to fit in an HTPC case without needing water cooling to survive.

[@colbyboucher6391]

Simple, just don't overbuild it like everyone does. Go with relatively low-wattage, efficient parts rather than a monster GPU and it's fine. 4k is a joke, there's a reason consoles just outright lie about being 4k rigs.

[@DeadBySweat-cj3ev]

Im in love with this case 😅 I think I’m gonna use it in my new build

[@JonatanE]

I'm just wondering, do you guys think you could ever revisit this case and try different cooling options for it? Say, a 120mm AiO liquid cooled, fully air cooled, or hell, why not try a liquid cooled GPU (one of those AiO GPU type deals that is liquid cooled out of the box?

[@GearSeekers]

We have thought about it. We have a white one sitting here. Maybe we'll do something interesting :)

[@johnqsak]

So the Cooler looked like after screwed in it fit well under the lip of the case. Great news

[@samuelschwager]

Looks much nicer than the Node 202 and seems to be easier to work with. Win, win!

[@ozsarpkaya6843]

Fractal is on a roll! I just need a full tower like the meshify 2xl but a little smaller. maybe a 1.5XL

[@Richy59]

Unbelievable, I have literally just put together a Node 202 a few days ago and started making modifications to it to allow better airflow wishing they would have made an updated version...then along comes the Ridge 🤣 Looks great though, might just have to upgrade now...

[@ulisesavila2879]

Well this is bigger than the 202. The 202 with mods can work wonders. People have even put a custom loop there. I finished yesterday my deshroud build in a 202 and feel good. Better temps better sound. I cannot be happier

[@Spawn223311]

Thinking between this and A4 H2O for an air cooled build. This one has much more space for a CPU cooler and comes with 2 fans 🤔

[@topelite666]

my only problem with the case is that it doesnt actually support 80mm fans. I have 3 different 80mm fans from 3 different brands and all of them are way too big to fit in the case. by like 5-10mm Im wondering what the hell is going on considering ive seen others claim there are 80mm fan supports

[@steaksauce1740]

I never knew there was console shaped cases? Great build idea for future me.

[@elyad67]

can only imagine a oem 4080 inside this little beast, probably equivalent to a ps7, that fits inside a backpack, im gonna make a 4070 i5 13600k build with this case, just hope it will fit inside a backpack

[@christiaanventer8183]

I'm gonna try and do it; shove a thin 240mm rad and cool both cpu and gpu. but where to put the pump... so many options!

[@danielaguirre5949]

Fuck yeah! I found my new case. I was looking around for a new sff case to give me the push I needed to get the LG C2 and this is the case.

[@KlaireGearSeekers]

Do eiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit

[@jwaye89]

Banger of a video fams. Case looks awesome, keep up the hard work

[@haasii]

on fractals site seems like the mounted the stand a diff way, across the whole front, seems like you can do that too

[@trevordautzenberg2663]

That's a nice LTT screwdriver you got there

[@SebiLegend]

This is a nice one! 😍 I looked up a second ago that there will be a white one in Germany as well... Thanks for the video! 🥳

[@austintea]

Released in 2022, description still says pc part picker list is coming soon

[@hyperkid21]

hope amd release an APU in the near future that could rival a gtx 1660ti. Would like to build in this case, an apu with an aio.

[@robertkeaney9905]

going to be a hot minute before they can do that. The Ryzen 5700g was competitive with the RX 550. But the 1660 ti is 472% more powerful than the RX 550. While an current gen CPU, the 7600x, is only 25% more powerful than the 5600g. So it's gonna be at least a generation or two before we see an APU that can match the performance of the 1660ti

[@jayruka2508]

I've been checking all the time for a 7000 series APU. Basically on par with a PS5. I could have sworn 3 or 4 years ago, there was something out there that Sony had some deal with AMD to not release an APU commiserate to the one in the PS5. Maybe like a timed deal. Or I'm just imagining it..

[@Melt.Like.Butter]

I appreciate the daily dose of tech video man. Thank you

[@KlaireGearSeekers]

Thanks for watching daily! 😂😂

[@Melt.Like.Butter]

@@KlaireGearSeekers because both of you are doing absolutely an amazing job!

[@johnqsak]

Wondering on thermals during gaming I'm sure they'd be less since that 1hr stress maxes the system more than a game would.

[@justaguy6216]

Honestly my next pc build will probably be in this one.

[@Z020852]

I. Conswole Pros Can fit Alpenfohn Black Ridge with 120mm X 25mm fan like NF-A25 or Artic P120 120mm X 15mm GPU exhaust can be cut down to just one exhaust fan given flow-through GPU coolers and still evacuate hot air out of the case rather than brute-forcing with positive pressure might more easily fit thicker graphics cards without ditching the fans Cons Price starts at $180 No local dealers for other countries II.Fractal Ridge Pro Looks a lot nicer on the outside instead of looking like a DIY Gainclone amp if you put it on the TV console (Then again if you're the sort to use DIY amplifiers, the Conswole sort of looking like one might be a plus?) Probably not near $180 and can be bought from more dealers You don't even need customizable options if every panel is ventilated anyway Even the front panel is ventilated for exhaust air flow 3x80mm exhaust fan option for really thicc graphics cards Con 5mm or space can make a noticeable difference in CPU cooling based on what cooler and cooler fan you can fit 3x80mm exhaust fan option might not be that usable given graphics cards that are really thicc tend to also be very wide

[@mrthemoonbear]

Digging those assymetric feet (don't take that out of context) One day I will justify to myself buying one of those LTT screwdrivers, you had me pretty convinced with that backpressure display tbh

[@GearSeekers]

They are really good. Super duper handy!

[@KlaireGearSeekers]

What'd you say about my feet?

[@gorillaxrich]

Love your videos... Production is top notch...

[@lenaic3360]

just switched from a node 202 to a Pop Air Mini... Fractal just keeps finding new ways to take my money :O edit: it's like they heard everything I was thinking about how difficult a Node 202 was to build in and did it even better ... I'm salivating :OOOO

[@TraceguyRune]

Don't you think the GPU is blocking airflow?

[@kimizle]

I believe de-shrouding the GPU would be fantastic in this case as there are two large fans blowing through anyway.

[@liquicitizendirk2147]

Yeah that could be an absolut banger in this case. But GPU thermals are already looking good as is. Very nice to see how fractal designed this.

[@omarblanco1015]

Hey Nick! What about the part list? 🙂

[@timwong6818]

Looking at the paper thin side panel, you know how much cornor they had cut already. Yet it is quite expensive. Wonder why people are still pleased about it while ignoring the build quality.

[@GearSeekers]

The build quality is excellent

[@daisyduck8593]

I have the FD node 202 myself. I have to say, however, that this is the last time I will buy a case like this. I don't think it's good if a 110/230 V cable runs through the housing...

[@polaroidd1306]

cool case personally like the nodes design better though, you should do a build in the jonsbo t8 plus its an sff case you can fit an atx psu

[@NodtheThird]

love my node 202 lanbox... maybe it is time to get it a new case

[@PetrusB83]

Nice video and case. I think jou put the feet on wrong though looking at the product page.

[@Dcs987]

Can you confirm it is 4.5kg on its own? I was getting a case made, same layout, trying to get the weight down due to carry on luggage restriction

[@Punkertoon]

Probably going to buy this case and let it collect dust until I retire my current living room build.

[@danielaguirre5949]

Does adding 1-3 80mm case fans help with better thermals

[@seyahtan24]

Nice! Will probably be my next case!

[@keyboard_g]

Those doubled up fans feeding the graphics card might actually hinder the air flow than letting the video card fans breath by themselves.

[@ytQrash]

Perhaps thinner fans would be better. There would be a gap between them and the GPU fans so less turbulence.

[@GearSeekers]

Not entirely true. Depends on the GPU. On this occasion it improved thermal performance quite a lot.

[@rorisxng]

How does the PC become a home theatre system?? Do you run Windows/Linux or is there another OS I’m unfamiliar with? It doesn’t appear an elegant solution granted a console or streaming box has a dedicated OS for their purposes?

[@Chiefhao]

Love this case and SFF builds!

[@ninjaneven4274]

I'd like to see this build with a Ryzen 7700x & a AMD 7700xt.

[@Megaman-Zero-626]

Would you say that there’s no room for 40mm fans in the CPU compartment? I used two Noctua A4x20 fans in my old Node 202 build to improve CPU thermals

[@la009895]

I love this case, the air cooler support is tough for something like ryzen 7000 but, I bet with eco mode it would be fine.

[@GearSeekers]

Yeah for the 7600X it would be just fine 😊

[@fffforever]

this case is absolutely massive

[@SolipSauce]

Lovely case, shame it doesn't have better cooler/radiator support or it would be at the top of my list.

[@GearSeekers]

That's kinda the trade-off with a case like this. For what it is, it's excellent

[@JazzWaveTech]

Looks good! Hi Nick and Klaire does the case fit in big backpack? mainly for travelling reasons. Thank you.

[@KlaireGearSeekers]

It'd be a squeeze I think. Get a big backpack haha

[@infusen619]

In the case specification and on screen at 6:20 it says 137mm w/o top fans, but then you say that a GPU of 141 width fits?

[@woosaheightnine]

Hey man nice case! Might get this if this will fit a 3070 suprim card..

[@adamhaqim]

Is it okay to only have intake fans? Should I change the inbuilt/stock fans to outtake/exhaust?

[@massam9343]

im sooo interested in installing a 3 x 80mm fans and then 2 x 120mm fans on the gpu and wanna see how the temps will be!!! but sadly a 4080 would be hard to fit in.... maybe 4070??

[@slawomirzawislak7385]

Great case from Sweden!! I need to buy white version...

[@vascovalente3929]

I love SFF, thank you for this new fractal review :)

[@AnticipatedHedgehog]

Any room for a full soft tube water cooling setup in this case? Or am I dreaming..

[@Weezedog]

The Scythe Big Shuriken 3 cooler might be a better choice for CPU cooler because the fan would be able to intake fresh cold air directly from the side panel holes. You may get some air turbulence noise with the fan being right next to the panel, but thermally I would think it would perform better. The way the fan is positioned on the L12S isn’t going to generate a lot of suction on the side panel to pull in cold air (especially since in the video the fan is configured for exhaust and not intake), it’s more likely to just recycle hot internal case air.

[@GearSeekers]

The problem with the Big Shuriken like this noctua cooler is that for a lot of new ITX boards it just doesn't fit anymore. I did test fit with one and had worse fitment than this noctua one.

[@Zerointerrupt]

@@GearSeekers did the noctua fit ok or did you have to leave the top lid loose?

[@EvernooBE]

@@GearSeekers Thermalright AXP120-X67 would be a perfect fit in this case. I have it installed on my Asus B660 ITX which you can consider as a chunky Mobo and it fits perfectly.

[@EhEhEhEINSTEIN]

I know it's more expensive but I'd prob still go with sff time if I was building something this size

[@StogieSmokinFool]

Awesome video. I love that intro music. Do you have a full track for it?

[@GearSeekers]

We make all the music. It's available by clicking the join button

[@notgesund]

Which way would you install 80mm fans on the top? Intake or exhaust?

[@ghostshield4000]

Looks better than the Silverstone Milo case series

[@gucky4717]

Honest Question. Doesn't the GPU Fans make more noise with the Case Fans on top?