Having reviewed the 3300, we deduced that it is a simple chassis with an easy assembly process and great liquid-cooling compatibility, but it did come at a slight price premium. The Core 2300 essentially offers everything the 3300 does, but in a smaller package, which leads to problems when it comes to exploiting the interior's full potential. While the slightly higher restriction in terms of the CPU cooler's height is to be expected, the real issues are with long GPUs and front-radiator setups getting in the way of the Core 2300's 3.5" hard-drive mounting possibilities. Then there is the decision to go with a single USB 2.0 and a single USB 3.0 for the I/O instead of nothing but USB 3.0 like in the Core 3300. This slight inconsistency between the two which cost 45 euro and 55 euro respectively may be enough for potential buyers to shell out a couple more bucks for the larger Core 3300.

The bottom line is simple: While the Core 2300 does essentially offer everything in the 3300, from the vertical hard-drive mounting system to the two cooling fans and liquid-cooling placement possibilities, it also knocks off a few features or restricts the user a bit too much to actually make it a more enticing buy because it costs 10 euro less. However, the Fractal Design Core 2300 has one thing going for it over most other brands: build quality. While the plastic exterior may be par for the course for cases in the 40-50 euro range, the interior does not only look sturdy - it actually is. But that is a hard point to sell someone on, especially since most of the shopping is done online.