Introduction

I would like to thank Fractal Design for providing the Core 3000 review sample.

Most of you may not know Fractal Design, but the company has been making a splash with their unique enclosures at a competitive price. The company also sells power supplies, case fans, and a few accessories on top of that.

Not much else to say really, but this is their official vision:

Our vision is to have a constant, healthy growth together with our partners worldwide. Our goal is to be widely recognized for our designed products and to have them available in all major market regions within EU and US. We should be a good alternative to the already established retail brands of today. It's of great importance for us that our partners understand the values of Fractal Design; therefore we are putting great effort into choosing the right partners from the start. We will work actively to maintain sales territories and profitable business for our partners.

We are taking a look at the Fractal Design Core mid-tower today, which is available as two variants: the CORE 1000 mini-tower and the Fractal Design CORE 3000 midi-tower. These build the line-up of entry level cases from Fractal Design and we will be taking a look at the CORE 3000 today.

Packaging

Fractal Design ships the CORE 3000 in a plain cardboard box with all black printing on it besides the company logo and model name. These two aspects also utilize blue ink. You will find an image of the case in the front, while the rear has a side view from the interior. There are two openings on the side to allow you to carry the case home from the shop or postal office. Fractal Design has also placed the specifications on one of the side panels.


Two fairly compact Styrofoam spacers hold the chassis in place. Considering the fairly light weight of the unit these are perfectly suited to protect the case during the way from the factory in Asia. A thin plastic bag has been pulled over the case to avoid fingerprints and worse during the packing process itself.

Contents

You will get the usual set of contents found in a Fractal Design chassis. A bag of black screws - with the exception of the mainboard stands, the signature fan controller and a front cover for 3.5 inch drives. There are no zip ties included, but that is no big deal as most companies tend to include too few or too fragile ones in the package. A manual is also part of the chassis, to aid you in the assembly process.