Introduction

I would like to thank Fractal Design for supplying the review sample.


Fractal Design is well known for their tower cases, with the Define leading the way, and the Pop series being one of their latest creations. However, things are not quite so clear when it comes to the slim SFF case offerings. The Node 202, that can be considered the spiritual predecessor of the Fractal Design Ridge which is up for review here, was launched in 2015. So a whopping seven years later, it will be interesting to see if the Ridge can provide a modern revival of the form factor.

Specifications

Packaging

The Fractal Design Ridge ships in a plain brown cardboard box with the model name on the larger panels, and some serial numbers and color stickers on one of the smaller sides. The opposite side sports just the Fractal logo.


Fractal has skipped the Styrofoam spacers in favor a far more environmentally friendly cardboard mold, similar to those used in a vast majority of AIO packaging. Seeing this for a chassis is a nice touch. That said, it does ship protected by a foam bag, which is still something that will end up in a landfill.