A Closer Look - Outside

Looking at the chassis, the exterior is exactly how we would expect a unit from the Define family to look. It feels as though the faux brushing of the plastic front is a bit more prominent now, which could be purely subjective.


Looking at the front, there is nothing worth mentioning here as this side of the chassis is completely solid, lacking drive bays or air vents. In the rear, you can see that the chassis is for a fully sized ATX board, and the PSU bay is at the bottom of the chassis.


Fractal Design offers the case with a windowed or solid side panel. We got the former for review so that you can peek into the finished interior at the end of it. The opposite side is completely solid. There are some air vents along the front cover, which will allow the fans in front to pull cool, fresh air in through the front.


There is a long dust filter that covers the entire underside of the Define C. It may be pulled out through the front to allow for easy cleaning without having to disassemble or tip over the system.


The PSU bay in the rear comes with a single set of mounting screws, which usually dictates that the fan needs to face downward to pull cool air in through the bottom. However, two thumbscrews hold the PSU's frame in place, which means you will have to install the power supply by sliding it in through the rear. You may also change the orientation of these mounting holes during installation. Above that are the seven motherboard expansion slots Fractal Design protects with their reusable signature white covers. In the very top is a 120mm fan with white blades, set to push air out through the rear. You may adjust its vertical placement to perfectly align it with the motherboard's CPU socket area.


In the very top is a solid cover that is lined with sound-dampening material. You may remove the cover if you are installing fans or a radiator there. You should use the provided metal-mesh dust filter here if such is the case. The I/O, which is at the top-edge of the front, consists of the usual audio plugs and two black USB 3.0 connectors. In the middle are the large circular power button and, next to it, a smaller reset button.