How Much Does it Cost?
The Fractal Design Pop series is available right now, and it comes in quite a few variations! There are the black, white, cyan, magenta, green, and orange versions, but then there are also the standard, the RGB and the silent versions of those. Whichever version you choose though, the price is very competitive, especially for a case with all these features, and those lovely RGB fans pre-installed. You can check for stock on Amazon here.
While I would have liked to see the USB-C fitted as standard, you can order one for £8.99.
Overview
Fractal Design has delivered something really interesting here, and while it’s not perfect, I think I’ll come straight to the point and say that I would happily buy one of these for my own PC build, and I’m strongly considering doing just that in the near future. Throwing a splash of colour into the case makes such a huge difference, especially in a market that has become obsessed with black and white hardware in favour of using RGB lighting to add all of the colours. For me, I think I’d even buy the non-RGB version of this case, as I think a hidden strip of white LED lighting would be great in the top, as it would really just make the colours of the pop case… well, POP!
For some, the lack of 360mm radiator support may be a deal-breaker, but for me, I typically use 140mm aftermarket fans and air cool my PC anyway, so the high-airflow design of this case is very appealing to me. Plus, I like the trade-off on the front panel for those 5.25″ drive bays and that clever little hidden tray to stash a few bits and pieces. I’m also impressed by the split 3.5″ tray design and the modular storage overall.
Cable routing could be improved with a vertical GPU cable pass-through, but frankly that’s hardly a deal-breaker. You don’t have to look at my build pictures for long to see that I got a very clean-looking build. I don’t have to bend the truth to tell you it was stupidly easy to work with too. It’s very beginner-friendly and takes little effort to get professional-looking results.
I love that there are so many versions of this case too, so you should be able to find a colour that suits your needs and taste easily enough. The blue looks great, but I must admit I’m drawn towards the magenta version too, perhaps doing both my main work computers in opposing colours would look pretty funky!
Should I Buy One?
I strongly recommend this case, and I’m genuinely tempted to buy one myself. Some may find the radiator support a little limiting, but I for most systems, it’s more than capable, has good airflow potential, and has some unique features and aesthetics that make it stand out in a PC market that’s been lacking new ideas for some time now.
