• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Fractal Design Core 500

Darksaber

Senior Editor & Case Reviewer
Staff member
Joined
Jul 8, 2005
Messages
3,044 (0.45/day)
Location
Victoria, BC, Canada
System Name Meshlicious Monster
Processor Intel Core i5-10600T
Motherboard MSI Z490I Unify
Cooling NZXT Kraken Z53 with 2x Noctua Redux 1300 RPM PWM fans
Memory ADATA 16 GB 3200 Mhz DDR4
Video Card(s) MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio
Storage TeamGroup 1TB NVMe SSD
Display(s) Asus ProArt 27" 1440P, 75Hz
Case ssupd Meshlicious with mesh side panels
Power Supply Fractal Design Ion 660 W Platinum ATX
Mouse Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro Wireless
Keyboard Microsoft Sidewinder X4 Keyboard
Software Windows 10 Home
The Fractal Design Core 500 is the company's first mainstream SFF chassis. Clocking in at around 60 USD, it aims to offer the perfect balance between size, price, and quality. We take the unit for a spin to see whether it holds up in these areas.

Show full review
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Messages
389 (0.09/day)
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Motherboard Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro
Cooling Wraith Prism
Memory Crucial Ballistix 3600Mhz 16GB (4x8GB)
Video Card(s) -
Storage Samsung 850 Evo, 860 Evo, 980 and Crucial MX500
Display(s) Samsung Neo G9 Odyssey
Case Corsair 7000D
Power Supply -
VR HMD Quest 2
Slightly bigger than the Sugo SG13B, but then supports 240mm rad, 170mm psu and 310mm graphics card

Sugo SG13B : 222mm (W) x 181 mm (H) x 285 mm (D) = 11.3 litres
Fractal Core 500: (WxHxD): 285 x 335 x 450 mm = 19.5 liters

Dont think it falls in the category of the sugo in terms of size
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2012
Messages
378 (0.09/day)
System Name Project Evolv mATX V2
Processor 5800X3D
Motherboard ASRock B550M Steel Legend
Cooling AK400 Zero Dark Plus
Memory 32gb (4x8) G.SKILL 3200 C14 / 1T running at 3400
Video Card(s) Sapphire 6800XT Nitro
Storage Samsung 980 pro NVMe 2TB
Display(s) Dual Samsung 27" G50A's
Case Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX in Silver
Audio Device(s) To many to list - generally a modified E-MU 0404 combined with a Project Ember for my desktop use
Power Supply Seasonic Prime Titanium 750W
Software Win 11
Well done - I was looking for a case just like this the other day that supports a 5.25 bay. I want it for a quick swap hard drive. Likely will order this as soon as it is available!
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Messages
2,452 (0.55/day)
Location
Bulgaria
System Name Sandfiller
Processor I5-10400
Motherboard MSI MPG Z490 GAMING PLUS
Cooling Noctua NH-L9i (92x25mm fan)
Memory 32GB Corsair LPX 2400 Mhz DDR4 CL14
Video Card(s) MSI RX 5700 XT GAMING X
Storage Intel 670P 512GB
Display(s) 2560x1080 LG 29" + 22" LG
Case SS RV02
Audio Device(s) Creative Sound Blaster Z
Power Supply Fractal Design IntegraM 650W
Mouse Logitech Triathlon
Keyboard REDRAGON MITRA
Software Windows 11 Home x 64
I gotta handed to Fractal Design, pretty good job. Overall extremely hard working people for this brand. If I ever decide to go "boxy" I'd snatch one of those. Silverstone is still my top pick though.They just seems to hit all the right boxes for me, many years in a row. They and Zalman and not just about cases. I am about to get one of Zalman's keyboards very soon.
 

Chloefile

S.T.A.R.S.
Joined
Dec 16, 2012
Messages
10,879 (2.64/day)
Location
Finland
System Name 4K-gaming
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Motherboard Gigabyte B550M Aorus Elite
Cooling Custom loop (CPU+GPU, 240 & 120 rads)
Memory 32GB Kingston HyperX Fury @ DDR4-3466
Video Card(s) PowerColor RX 6700 XT Fighter
Storage ~4TB SSD + 6TB HDD
Display(s) Acer 27" 4K120 IPS + Lenovo 32" 4K60 IPS
Case Fractal Design Define Mini C
Audio Device(s) Asus TUF H3 Wireless
Power Supply EVGA Supernova G2 750W
Mouse Logitech MX518
Keyboard Roccat Vulcan 121 AIMO
VR HMD Oculus Rift CV1
Software Windows 11 Pro
Benchmark Scores It runs Crysis remastered at 4K
Well done - I was looking for a case just like this the other day that supports a 5.25 bay. I want it for a quick swap hard drive. Likely will order this as soon as it is available!
Yeah, I don't see a problem having a 5.25" bay since this is an excellent HTPC case, and installing a bluray drive would be a nice feature.
 
Joined
Dec 27, 2015
Messages
412 (0.14/day)
Location
Acworth, GA
System Name Project Gray Scale
Processor i7 6900k
Motherboard ASUS x99 Deluxe
Cooling Custom Water Cooled using EKWB components
Memory Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB DDR4 2400 CL10 (4 x 8GB)
Video Card(s) MSI Aero OC GTX 1080Ti
Storage Samsung 970 EVO+ 1TB NVMe, 2-Samsung 840 EVO 1TB (RAID 0), WD Red Pro 2 TB, & Barracuda Pro 4TB
Display(s) Acer XF270HU
Case InWin 303 Black
Audio Device(s) Sound Blaster SB-Zx
Power Supply Corsair RM850x
Mouse Logitech G Pro x Superlight
Keyboard Novel Keys NK65 Entry Watermelon w/ 62.5g Everglide Aqua Kings (lubed 205g0 & TX Films)
VR HMD Quest 2
Software Windows 10 Pro
FD has been dropping some fine cases the past couple of years, personally the Arc Mini has sparked my interest as of lately. Mainly due to pricing over say my wanting to snag another CaseLabs Case (but of course price and quality are factors if I can pay less for a decent quality case I will)
 
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
522 (0.17/day)
Location
Beachy Gulf Beach
System Name RadActive Dragon & Black Dragon
Processor i7 5960X & 1090T
Motherboard Gigabyte X99-UD3P & Asus Sabertooth 990FX
Cooling EK EVO & Corsair H50
Memory GSkill TridentZ 32GBs 3200MHz & Vegeance 8GBs 1600MHz
Video Card(s) 2x 980Ti & 960 FTW
Storage Samsung Pro 256GB & Intel 120GB
Case Heavy modded Haf X & NZXT Apollo
Power Supply AX1200 & AX1200i
Software Windows 7 & Ubuntu 15.04
I just got a Define S by that company. Actually impress at what the case has for the price I paid. Just have to take a dremel to it so I smack a EATX into it though. Hehe.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
12,280 (2.37/day)
Location
Oregon
System Name Juliette // HTPC
Processor Intel i7 9700K // AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard ASUS Prime Z390X-A // ASRock B550 ITX-AC
Cooling Noctua NH-U12 Black // Stock
Memory Corsair DDR4 3600 32gb //G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 3600
Video Card(s) ASUS RTX4070 OC// GTX 1650
Storage Samsung 970 EVO NVMe 1Tb, Intel 665p Series M.2 2280 1TB // Samsung 1Tb SSD
Display(s) ASUS VP348QGL 34" Quad HD 3440 x 1440 // 55" LG 4K SK8000 Series
Case Seasonic SYNCRO Q7// Silverstone Granada GD05
Audio Device(s) Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 // HDMI to Samsung HW-R650 sound bar
Power Supply Seasonic SYNCRO 750 W // CORSAIR Vengeance 650M
Mouse Cooler Master MM710 53G
Keyboard Logitech 920-009300 G512 SE
Software Windows 10 Pro // Windows 10 Pro
Amazing how they get a full sized ATX PSU in that case
 
Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
7,112 (1.46/day)
Location
Rīga, Latvia
System Name HELLSTAR
Processor AMD RYZEN 9 5950X
Motherboard ASUS Strix X570-E
Cooling 2x 360 + 280 rads. 3x Gentle Typhoons, 3x Phanteks T30, 2x TT T140 . EK-Quantum Momentum Monoblock.
Memory 4x8GB G.SKILL Trident Z RGB F4-4133C19D-16GTZR 14-16-12-30-44
Video Card(s) Sapphire Pulse RX 7900XTX + under waterblock.
Storage Optane 900P[W11] + WD BLACK SN850X 4TB + 750 EVO 500GB + 1TB 980PRO[FEDORA]
Display(s) Philips PHL BDM3270 + Acer XV242Y
Case Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO
Audio Device(s) Sound Blaster ZxR
Power Supply Fractal Design Newton R3 1000W
Mouse Razer Basilisk
Keyboard Razer BlackWidow V3 - Yellow Switch
Software FEDORA 39 / Windows 11 insider
One thing... Why they don't use laptop ODD's? Why the 5inch ones??
 
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
9,762 (1.91/day)
Location
Jakarta, Indonesia
System Name micropage7
Processor Intel Xeon X3470
Motherboard Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. P55A-UD3R (Socket 1156)
Cooling Enermax ETS-T40F
Memory Samsung 8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3
Video Card(s) NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800
Storage V-GEN03AS18EU120GB, Seagate 2 x 1TB and Seagate 4TB
Display(s) Samsung 21 inch LCD Wide Screen
Case Icute Super 18
Audio Device(s) Auzentech X-Fi Forte
Power Supply Silverstone 600 Watt
Mouse Logitech G502
Keyboard Sades Excalibur + Taihao keycaps
Software Win 7 64-bit
Benchmark Scores Classified
nice but with that shape it looks like cabinet, add some wood color and you done
btw they way they mount the drive is good, when many brands use plastic clip, i prefer traditional way to secure the drives, and it would last longer than plastic clips
 
Top