Assembly

Installing the motherboard is quite easy thanks to the removable top frame. Fractal has considered cable routing nicely as well, so that you can run all the usual wires along the edge of the board and keep them away from the CPU.


Next, adding two SSDs is just as simple, as you can fill the cage outside the confines of the case and then slide it into place. The rail system is what really allows you unobstructed access to these drives even when the whole system is completely assembled. This is very thoughtful engineering as you could simply swap these out at any time as long as you have both data and power wiring in place. This does not hold true for the additional two drives on the spine, so build accordingly.


The Fractal Design Era 2 does limit your GPU, as the big & beefy units simply won't fit. The same goes for the maximum length of 326 mm, as there are a few units out there that would be longer. That said, thanks to the opening in the front of the frame, you can easily slide in GPUs of the maximum length. The Fractal Design Era 2 is officially on the list of NVIDIA's SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards initiative, meaning you can pair the case with any of their listed GPUs with and know it will fit.


You may install an SFX or SFX-L PSU. Things may be a little bit tighter with the larger variants, as you have a little less room between the PSU and any cooling in the ceiling of the chassis. But even so, there are lots of ways to secure wiring in place to ensure the best use of the room and making sure none collide with the blades of any fans. The rail system is needed for this component so that you have a base to secure it to, as the input side faces downward and needs to be connected before sliding it back into place.


The trend of external prep continues with the AIO. Installing our 280 mm AIO unto the frame is a breeze. The only thing worth noting is the tight fit around the embedded pump's wiring which gets pinched a bit between radiator and frame. But even after a few trial fits, there was no visual damage to it - regardless, it is something one should be mindful of. With the frame snapped back into place and the CPU block secured, all it took was one zip tie to pin down the tubes to keep them away from the fans and routing the PWM wiring along the edges of the board, and the setup is complete.


For cleanliness, numerous zip ties were used - far more than Fractal Design includes. Achieving this result is actually quite easy and feels intentional instead of leaving it up to the consumer to get creative and find your own way. In the end, thanks to this detail, the interior of the Fractal Design Era 2 provides an easily achievable, beautiful baseline that provides no surprises and requires no trial and error.

Finished Looks

With the exterior shell back in place and the power connected, you can see a white LED light up around the power button. Holding a hand over the top vent, you can feel a bit or air movement even in idle. The same holds true when sliding the hand under the chassis.


Both side air vents will allow any ARGB elements of your components to shine through gently, which also means that air has a path to pass into the case as well.


The front has no visual elements besides the power button to let you know that the system is turned on. In the back, the power cable in the top right corner could benefit from a way to secure it straight down - say with a built-in Velcro strip, but regardless of this, all the IO and GPU outputs are easily accessible. The one thing to note is the fact that you will have to completely unplug all wiring any time you want to gain access to the interior of the Era 2.