Fractal Design Define 7 Compact PC Case Review

Fractal Design is one of the leading names in the PC market, with many of the best made and most awarded PC cases on the market. They don’t release a lot of cases each year, instead, they focus on a smaller product range to ensure they’re the quality we would expect from Fractal. Plus, their aesthetics and design change at a pace comparable to the Porsche 911, minor changes, but still unmistakably a Fractal Design product. Earlier this year they released the long-awaited Fractal Design Define 7. We absolutely loved that one. Now it’s been tweaked to become the Define 7 Compact.

Fractal Design Define 7 Compact PC Case

It may be a bit smaller, but this is still an extremely capable PC case. It’ll still support an ATX motherboard, ATX PSU, large graphics cards and big radiators. It’s clearly not compromised on hardware support. The full-size version was a bit massive though, and this one is much more a traditional mid-tower size, which is much more to my personal taste. It comes in three main variations too, with a choice of a solid side panel, a tempered glass side panel and a dark tinted tempered glass side panel. Which one is right for you? Well, that’s really up to you I guess!

Features

• Dark-tinted tempered glass window.
• Compact yet spacious interior accommodates ATX, mATX and mITX motherboards.
• Room for GPUs up to 360 mm with a 240 mm radiator in the top, or up to 360/280mm front radiators with GPUs under 305mm.
• Support for two 2.5”/3.5” drives plus up to four SSDs (two SSD brackets included).
• Top panel effortlessly swaps from solid steel to filtered ventilation.
• New removable top panel design opens up to fully expose the case interior for effortless installation and cable routing.
• Silence-optimised construction with industrial sound-damped front, top, and side panels.
• Brushed aluminium front and top-latching side panels offer a clean sophisticated look.
• Install up to 7 x 120 mm or 4 x 140 mm fans (1 x 120 mm and 1 x 140 mm Dynamic X2 fans included).
• Five front USB ports including one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C with fast charging support and speeds up to 10Gbps.
• Bridgeless expansion slots ensure obstruction-free connections for easier installation and hookup.
• Ventilated PSU shroud with two-part removable cover for optimal coverage and front radiator support.
• Easy-to-clean high airflow nylon filters on the front, top and base with full PSU coverage and convenient front access.
• Integrated cable guides with Velcro straps further simplify cable management behind the board.

Product Trailer

“The versatile layout of the Define 7 Compact allows you to maximize the potential of the small footprint with full-size ATX hardware to meet your exact needs. For example, you can easily fit GPUs up to 360 mm with a 240 mm radiator in the top – or up to 360/280 mm front radiators with GPUs under 305 mm.” – Fractal Design

What’s in the Box?

Everything comes extremely well packaged, There’s a very tough outer box, with a very thick layer of foam on the left and right sides. The case its self is sitting in a protective plastic bag.

Slotted down the side of the case is a large component box. Inside that, you’ll find more protective foam around the alternative ventilated top panel. There’s also the usual documentation here.

Lift that out of the way, and you’ll find a small accessories box with all the screws and things you’ll need.

Finally, the case, which comes with a massive static shock. Once I got that heart-stopper out of the way, I removed all the protective film. There’s a thick on one the front panel, as well as on both sides of the glass.