Fractal Design Define R3 Review 27

Fractal Design Define R3 Review

(27 Comments) »

Value and Conclusion

  • The Fractal Design Define R3 sells for around 85-90 € in various eShops. That is the same price as the Define R2.
  • Unique set of features
  • Sound dampening installed everywhere
  • Improved dampening material in comparison to the R2
  • Space for eight hard drives
  • Front drive bay covers may easily be removed now
  • Excellent cable routing possibilities
  • Plenty of areas to hide cables
  • Ready for 2.5" hard drives
  • Fan controller for three fans included
  • Black interior
  • Now with a reset button
  • Rear expansion slot covers have vents now
  • White accents look excellent
  • Thumb screws for the expansion slots
  • Dust filter for all intake fans
  • Two fans included
  • Improved paint job
  • Clips of front covers won't last long
  • No USB 3.0 Connectivity
  • Graphic cards beyond 29 - 30 cm may not fit
  • Packaging seems too compact for safe transportation
  • Somewhat heavy
The Fractal Design Define R3 has some noticeable improvements over the Define R2 and I agree that these warrant a new revision. The only thing Fractal Design needs to watch out for is the fact that the market is not standing still. Many manufacturers offer USB 3.0 connectivity or allow graphics cards beyond 30 cm to be installed in their chassis. That said, the list of improvements is quite long: New, removable front covers, even better paint job, air vents in the rear expansion slot covers, reset button, an all white version and improved sound dampening. All in all, I still believe that the price tag for this case is appropriate, but the 80-90 Euro segment of the case market is probably the one where the most action happens. I look forward to what Fractal Design will offer in their future cases and revisions. While these improvements are still great, at the speed things are evolving, an R4 of the chassis without major upgrades like hot-swap bays, the afore mentioned updated connectivity options and the likes, may mean that Fractal Design will miss the "train" so to speak. As it stands now, the Define R3 offers a great and functional feature set and excellent improvements over the R2.
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Dec 26th, 2024 11:02 EST change timezone

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