A Closer Look - Outside

The front is not made of aluminum but of plastic. Fractal Design applied some texture to it, and the plastic front's frame is still quite sturdy; but some could believe that the front is made out of aluminum by taking a look at their ARC Midi R2 images. A metal mesh front with a built-in dust filter has also been placed here. The next difference between the original and the Arc Midi R2 is the stylish window that now allows your hardware to be shown off.


The entire front design makes use of straight lines and soft, large turns, an excellent and timeless combination. Fractal has also done away with the large logo on top and placed a little plaque on the bottom of the chassis instead. We can see that even the metal frame in the rear of the chassis is black, while the separate covers are white. This is a common design element of Fractal cases, making it no surprise within the Arc Midi R2. Both sides are simple, but you, as mentioned before, will now get a large window in a shape that really suits the chassis well, instead of a single fan grill.


The front can visually be divided into the metal mesh air vent and the two 5.25" bays. Having only two such bays is unusual for a midi-tower but should suffice for most users. There is actually a single 140 mm fan in the front of the case, with the option to install another.


The PSU bay in the back has been placed on the very bottom. Above that are the 7+1 expansion slots. That eighth slot comes in quite handy with the included fan controller. Above that are the 140 mm exhaust fan and two small openings for water cooling tubes that are routed out the back of the chassis. While these are fairly compact, I do not know any tubing that would not fit through these holes.


Fractal Design has placed the I/O and buttons on the top edge of the front panel. You will no longer get a mix of USB 2.0 and 3.0; the R2 instead comes equipped with a pair of the newest standard , right alongside the traditional pair of audio plugs. The power button is in the center. The reset one is much smaller and off to the side to ensure you do not hit it accidentally. Another addition to the R2 is the built-in fan controller that can be found to the right of the USB connectors. the rest of the top seems to have stayed the same, with a large dust-filter equipped metal mesh across the entire top.


You may take the top off by removing two thumbscrews. The dust filter is quite simple, but should get the job done quite nicely. Below it are plenty of mounting holes for both 120 or 140 mm fans, or dual radiators of either fan size. The mounting holes are offset towards the windowed side of the chassis to keep a thick radiator from colliding with motherboard components.