A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the Fractal Design Torrent Nano RGB (Editor's note: or "Baby Torrent," as I tend to call it) looks very much like its larger counterparts in terms of design. The noteworthy difference is that it is not as wide as the original Torrent and thus maxes out at 165 mm for air-coolers. But that is still just enough to use a big 140 mm dual-tower cooler. A plastic lining on the top cover of the case ensures you receive your Torrent Nano without scratches of fingerprints.


Looking at the front, the design is asymmetrical, with straight lines that are about an inch deep. Taking a first look at the rear, it becomes apparent quite quickly that the Fractal Design Torrent Nano is by no means a traditional case, continuing to use the same setup as the original Torrent.


Both sides of the Torrent Nano RGB variant we are reviewing are made out of glass, and Fractal added black stripes to the top and bottom of each panel, as those are where the metal mounting rails are glued to. This results in clean windows devoid of any visible mounting hardware. While the main glass panel is tinted lightly, Fractal Design employed a heavier tint on the one behind the motherboard tray to better hide any cable mess there.


You may easily pull off the cover to reveal a removable, fine dust filter of the same design as the front cover. This means airflow is not further compromised in the process of keeping dirt and grime out of the chassis.


Looking at the rear, the very bottom is where you will find three expansion slots. Each is protected by a removable, reusable cover. Next to it is a large air vent that seamlessly flows into the 120 mm fan-mounting position at mid-height of the Torrent Nano RGB. These large openings purposefully do not have any dust filters as air is meant to exit this area as freely as possible. In the very top is a centered ATX power supply bay. It comes with a single set of mounting screws and is topped by the plastic top panel. Look closely and you will find several Velcro strips on the left edge of the rear. These are meant to tidily hold your external cables once your system is up and running.


The top panel of the Fractal Design Torrent Nano RGB is completely solid, but may be removed by pulling it back, up and away from the frame. Fractal included a tray that may hold hard drives as the interior of the chassis is pretty compact and thus doesn't offer room for 3.5" drives. This tray can hold either two 2.5" or a mix of one 2.5" and one 3.5" drives. In the back is the Torrent line's signature PSU bay, which actually sits on top of the case frame.


The I/O consists of the usual audio ports, two USB 3.0, and a single USB 3.2 Type-C. The power and reset buttons are on top of that.


Taking a quick look at the underside of the chassis, you will find a dust filter covering all three intake fans. To remove it for cleaning, one does not have to tip the chassis over—simply pull the front cover off and slide it out from under the Torrent Nano RGB. Unlike the original Torrent, there are no possibilities to add ARGB strips here as there is simply no room to do so.