Fractal Design North chassis review - Introduction

Fractal Design North review

This time, we’re checking out a mid-sized ATX tower PC chassis –a Fractal Design North. The look is inspired by a Scandinavian design, with bespoke details like brass (Charcoal), steel (Chalk), or faux leather tab for easy access to the top of the chassis. It introduces fusing design and airflow engineering. Natural materials like genuine walnut (Charcoal) or oak (Chalk) panels make this gaming case a stylish addition to the living space.

It’s a mid-tower chassis with around 45 l of volume. The looks are inspiring, with a front panel made of natural materials. We’ll find two 140 mm fans in the bundle (both placed in the front). There are four variants of the chassis:

• Charcoal (black) with mesh panel
• Charcoal (black) with TG panel (which we got)
• Chalk (white) with mesh panel
• Chalk (white) with TG panel

The exact dimensions are 447×215×450 (L×W×H) in total; it’s 45.1 l of volume, so an average for this kind of chassis. The North supports up to ATX (and, of course, uATX and mini-ITX) motherboards. There’s no built-in ARGB controller. The weight is 7.6 kg, and there’s a one-tempered glass panel (in the TG version). According to the specs, there are three (two included) 3.5” mounts (which can also handle 2.5”) and two 2.5” drive brackets. On the front, you will find the following ports:

• USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C
• USB 3.0 x 2,
• HD audio ports
• Power button

Now, let’s check out the specs and features of this chassis, shall we? The Fractal Design North provides many cooling options, supporting radiators up to 360 mm at the front, 240 mm at the top (with max 35 mm RAM height), and 120 mm at the back (with side bracket in lowest position). You also get seven expansion slots. It’s possible to mount up to three 120 or two 140 mm fans at the front (two 140 mm Aspect PWM fans are pre-installed). Two 120 or 140 mm fans at the top can be utilized, and one 120 mm fan at the back. In the Mesh variant, there’s also an option to mount 2x 120/140 mm using the provided side bracket. There are also two fan filters (front and PSU). You can use CPU air coolers with a max height of 170 mm (enough to fit all models), but it will be only 145 mm with the fan bracket. The GPUs can be up to 355 mm in length with the front fan mounted and 300 mm with a 360 mm front-mounted radiator. The PSU shouldn’t be longer than 255 mm (usually enough for all of the units) w/one an HDD tray, but it’s only 155 mm with two HDD trays. The price is 129.99 USD for all of the versions. Will it be worth it?