Fractal Design Arc Midi Mid-Tower Chassis Review

Fractal Design’s Arc Midi’s aesthetics are built around elegance and an understated appeal. An appearance which isn’t too different to that of high-quality Lian Li cases, but the use of  some plastic instead of brushed aluminium is an intelligent move. Some people may strongly oppose the use of plastic on their case exterior. Personally, I don’t think it is such a disaster because Fractal Design have implemented an attractive style with the non-scratch, low maintenance and cost-effective benefits. Each of the metal side panels feels sturdy and their styling fits perfectly with the style of the rest of the case.

Offering a total of 8 fan mounts which can accommodate 120/140mm fans or even larger sizes at the compromise of quantity, cooling potential isn’t something that the Arc Midi is short of. All 3 of the included 140mm fans operate at 1000 RPM, making them very quiet at full speed or virtually silent at lower speeds. While the 140mm fans may operate quietly, the basic fan controller that fractal Design supply emits a high-pitched squeal when the fans are set to lower speeds. Support for a roof-mounted 240mm radiator ensures that water cooling users can install their entry-level kit without having to worry about making modifications. On the cooling front, over 180mm of clearance allows the Arc Midi to accommodate some of the largest CPU coolers on the market such as Thermaltake’s Frio Advanced.

8 internal storage drive bays, all of which can accommodate 2.5″ or 3.5″ devices, should be plenty for everybody but the most hardcore storage enthusiast. A removable HDD cage leaves users with room to mount 4 drives in 2 different orientations, or 4 drives in the lower cage with the airflow obstruction of the upper cage eliminated. Just the pair of 5.25″ drive bays comprise the external expansion options. 2 5.25″ bays will be inadequate for certain users, but the fact that a PCI fan controller is supplied makes the minimal number of 5.25″ bays more acceptable as a 3.5/5.25″ fan controller isn’t a necessity. The 7+1 PCI slot design is a worthwhile feature since users may find it awkward to reach a fan control knob or USB 3.0 port which is situated between the cables attached to multiple expansion cards.

Retailing for around £69.41/$100/€85, the Fractal Design Arc Midi is priced fairly competitively. Its price undercuts and the feature list betters certain opponent’s, opponents such as Lian Li’s PC-6B. An overall feel of quality and elegance is present without impacting cooling performance and expansion options. There were a few lapses of quality on our sample such as 2 front panel connectors both labelled as the reset switch, the awkward PCI and 5.25″ tool-less installation methods and the tight-fitting HDD trays. These errors indicate that the Arc Midi does have a few small-scale quality issues making its price tag relevant but by no means overwhelming. Hopefully Fractal Design will fix these issues in the nearby future.

If you have your sights set on a competitively priced, elegantly understated, mid-tower chassis which boasts excellent cooling potential and hassle-free cable management, Fractal Design’s Arc Midi is definitely worthy of consideration.