The Fractal Design North with its Mesh side clocks in at $129.99, which does feel somewhat on the higher-end for a compact ATX chassis with two fans and a simple fan hub at its core. As we get used to seeing USB-C for enclosures starting at the $100 mark, its presence on the North is practically an expectation. That said, the price point does reflect some unique design aspects, including the wooden strips in the front and several other design elements.

This means that the Fractal Design North caters to those who want all the basics a traditional black box would offer them, with the additional aspects of a outstanding design and unique material mix. And under that premise the North does deliver. While it does not push the envelope in liquid cooling support in the ceiling for example, due to its compact size, it does manage to offer some nice functional elements like the side mounted fan bracket or the two retail-grade 140 mm Aspect fans in the front. You do have to watch the length of your PSU under some edge cases, and pre-wire cooling, power, and ARGB elements located at the top edge of the motherboard, when utilizing liquid cooling.

The Fractal Design North's unique side panel is also a bit of an achilles heel, as it diminishes the tunnel effect of the two front fans. As such you should really make the most of it by installing additional fans in the side bracket to really make good use of this feature. This also means that Fractal had an opportunity to really drive this feature home and to shift the price/performance by including one or two 120 mm fans for this purpose. Those who want to stick to the out-of-the-box setup may be better served by just going with the TG variant instead.

In the end, you get a case that is "just" functional enough, but looks so gorgeous you would be forgiven by being smitten enough to feel like the internal compromises are outweighed by the positive emotions the exterior elicits. After all, adding luxury materials like wood elements to a case demands a higher price. But if the looks of the Fractal Design North don't tickle your fancy, it may be a hard sell. As such, it deserves the innovation award for its bold pursuit of design and some unique functionality, but would be hard to recommend otherwise.