Assembly

Installing the motherboard within the R4 is done with the usual combination of spacers and screws. As you can see, there is plenty of space around the CPU cooler, making even large units fit.


To install the hard drive, Fractal Design has employed the same method as with the Define series. Simply pull the white tray out and secure the 2.5 or 3.5 inch drive with the supplied screws. Thanks to the rubber lining, you won't have to worry about any vibrations here.


Simply slide the drive into the slot of your choice until it snaps into place. While you won't need to worry about it sliding out during transport, Fractal also gives you the option to screw the tray down with a single thumbscrew. The width of the Define R4 means there is plenty of space on the other side for any cables to be attached easily. You won't have to buy special, angled cables.


Installing the optical drive is extremely easy as well. Take out the cover and slide the drive into the chassis with an appropriate amount of force. Once inserted, simply use the included thumbscrews: quick, easy, and tool-less.


Fractal Design was kind enough to send us their first PSU for use with this case review. It is named Tesla R2 and features 80Plus Gold Certification. We got the 500W unit for this chassis. The PSU looks quite cool and manages to impress with a unique look and feel. The Tesla R2 certainly looks spiffy within the Define R4.


Cable management is really easy inside this case once everything is installed. Everything can be routed and hidden well. You should be able to keep things nice and tidy even after filling this chasis to the rim. Thanks to ample space between the mainboard-tray and the side of the chassis, even thick cables can be run through here.

Finished Looks

The first notable thing, once everything was put back together and turned on, is the good encapsulation of the noise generated by all internal components. The two included fans are very quiet and can be turned down even more with the included controller. The drives are hidden nicely behind the door, while everything is where you would expect it to be when viewed from the rear.


While the power LED on the black case is blue, Fractal has opted for a red one on the white version. Both of them look good in their respective environments, and I am glad to see that Fractal has decided to change the color in its white chassis.