A Closer Look - Outside

The first thing I noticed upon looking at the case for the first time are its roots. Having reviewed hundreds of enclosures over the years, it is blatantly obvious that Fractal Design has chosen Lian Li as the manufacturer of this enclosure. So you can expect the same level of build quality as the cases from the Taiwanese company.


Fractal Design has kept the case extremely clean. I say extremely, as there is nothing in front besides a single power button. No openings, no writing, no logo and no I/O anywhere. There is not even a reset button. While I understand the lack of any vents or stickers, I fail to see how the omission of at least a pair of USB 2.0 ports is beneficial. Even when using this case as a NAS or Windows Home Server, you want to have the ability to connect thumb drives or external hard drives quickly and easily. Turning the case around, things are just as simple. There are simple opening for the power supply, the mainboard back plate and a single expansion bay. An air vent is also present, which should help with the overall flow as there is a large fan in the front.


Both sides also have openings at mainboard level, further helping to avoid hot air from building up within the case. The Array also has rows of vents on either side of the front panel, giving access to air for the 140 mm front intake fan. I love the design, but it may be a bit too bland for some.