A Closer Look - Inside

To access to the interior, simply detach the thumbscrews holding each panel in place. Fractal Design attached the thumbscrews that hold these in place, so you may remove the panels while leaving the thumbscrews attached. Our sample only comes with sound-dampening materials on the solid back panel, but those opting for the version without a window will also find the same layer on the main panel.


The most unique aspect of the Define S is its lack of traditional hard-drive bays. You will instead find three 3.5/2.5" hard-drive trays in front, behind the motherboard tray, and two additional 2.5" trays to the left of those. This brings the total hard-drive count to five, which is not as high as in the Define R5, though still plenty for most users. You will also find several Velcro strips to hold cables in place, which is certainly a very nice touch.


At the shallow end, you will have around 25 mm to work with, which is quite alright on its own, but the front has well over 40 mm of space. The space there is necessary as traditional 3.5" drive are actually quite high. The added benefit is the ability to easily put cables into this part of the chassis.


The complete lack of hard-drive cages makes the chassis quite simple to look at. What is interesting, though, are the cutouts on the motherboard tray, toward the front of the Define S. These may be used to install a reservoir within the chassis without having to mod or drill any holes.


You will find the aforementioned 140 mm fan in the rear. Below it are the seven motherboard expansion slots, each protected by its own white cover and held in place by a thumbscrew. The PSU in the bottom will rest on four foam tips, which should be enough to kill any vibrations it may pass onto the frame.


Look at the floor and you will find another 120/140 mm mounting position and mounting holes to use as a for the pump of a custom liquid-cooling loop. You may also mount up to a 420 mm radiator into the ceiling if you like. The individual panels give you the flexibility to open only those spots that actually require airflow.


All the cables within the Fractal Design Define S are of the default variety, with all-black sleeving to go with the rest of the chassis.