Fractal Design Define 7 Compact

[RainingTacco]

I don't even have a problem with standard compact ATX cases either, since m.2 slots take up real-estate on the board that used to require drive bays - it's just that so many "ATX" cases utterly dwarf an ATX board. with room for an SSI-EEB EATX board, 10+ legacy mechanical drives, 8x add-in cards and 4+ push-pull radiators.

micro-ATX is the best form factor IMO, since your typical 2-slot GPU needs a third slot to breathe, and you might as well have one other slot just to give you options and provide more real-estate on the board for increasingly-popular M.2

I can imagine a small form factor case with gpu like the new ampere, where gpu is placed in a way, that it bsically lay/contact the pc case, and there's a hole for GPU intake. Going even further, gpus could be even longer, with the double fan-tunnel design similar to ampere, but the second fan would be on the same side as intake. The case could then have two holes for inlet and outlet. GPU would be then completely separate from case air cycle[just like psus are in typical bottom inlet arrangement]. And we know that its the GPU that produce most heat in the typical system. There's just almost no innovation in the case/cooling department, everyone clings to the old designs. These companies have lots of money, they can releases something for rich enthusiasts, check if it gains traction and then move the solutions to more mainstream markets.

 

[warriorunited]

I'm looking forward to swap my Fractal Define S for this one, i never used radiators and never going to use, i prefer a good air cooler, always.

This said, i usually use top range (big ones) GPU's so they have to fit in here, and silence is my main concern, wich i believe this case should be no different or better than my actual case right?

Thanks!

 

[Chrispy_]

I can imagine a small form factor case with gpu like the new ampere, where gpu is placed in a way, that it bsically lay/contact the pc case, and there's a hole for GPU intake. Going even further, gpus could be even longer, with the double fan-tunnel design similar to ampere, but the second fan would be on the same side as intake. The case could then have two holes for inlet and outlet. GPU would be then completely separate from case air cycle[just like psus are in typical bottom inlet arrangement]. And we know that its the GPU that produce most heat in the typical system. There's just almost no innovation in the case/cooling department, everyone clings to the old designs. These companies have lots of money, they can releases something for rich enthusiasts, check if it gains traction and then move the solutions to more mainstream markets.

That's pretty much how the compact mITX cases used to work. The side panel would make direct contact with the side of the GPU and there would be ventilation holes along the side panel where the GPU's intakes were. Some of them, like the Antel ISK series were specifically designed for reference blowers and only had ventilation at the front of the left side where the reference cooler intake fan was.

 

[Octopuss]

I have Define R6 and the HDD activity LED is kind of part of the power LED around the power switch. This case doesn't even have that??

 

[duso11x]

Hi

what is the size of the pure side panel?

 

[MentalAcetylide]

To be honest, more cases needs to be NOT an ATX, but micro ATX or even mini ATX. People don't use SLI anymore, people don't use PCI slots anymore, as sound cards migrated outside the case, there are inbuilt WIFI cards or on USB. There's absolutely no need for ATX form factor in 2020.

While this may be true for gaming, I can use 2 or more graphics cards together in SLI or non-SLI configuration to render quicker, which I would not be able to do on smaller rinky dink motherboards for obvious reasons(space, thermals, etc.). I like the idea that there are still intermediate options between pure gaming & pure workstation hardware that allows me to dabble in both worlds without having to buy and maintain a separate system for each.