Final Words & Conclusion
Final Words & Conclusion
Our initial thoughts on the Fractal Design Torrent RGB are very dualistic. The price of the tested Torrent is 229 EUR/USD with current street prices sitting at 250 EUR, and that's a lot of money for what mostly is a plastic chassis. In the end, though, you purchase this product for aesthetics, features, and performance. First and foremost, it is undeniable that the Torrent is a loud product, however, this is not necessarily the case. When compared to the competition, there is little reason to operate the fans at full or even half capacity (RPM) because even at the lowest setting (400~500rpm), all components of the high-end system will remain cool. We can only assume that the cooling and airflow of the Torrent have been meticulously planned and designed from the start. However, the open architecture of the cabinet results in a higher level of sound production than nearly any other type of cabinet. Fractal Design has spent a great deal of time designing something with optimized airflow, this has resulted in a housing that is distinct from the competition. The design creates a chimney effect, where separate fans blow from bottom to top.
Aesthetics
The looks then; yes, this chapter is subjective, but we think the product is stylish. However I would not opt the right side glass panel, closed is better as cable clutter is a mess there. The finish is good throughout, with clean powder coating, strong enough steel, no sharp edges, and a variety of mounting options to choose from. The chassis is a lot of plastic on the outside though.
Features
The internals are great, properly sized E-ATX form factor motherboards will fit, the most lengthy graphics card will fit problem-free. Few people will miss having a separate drive cage for 3.5" drives, especially considering the fact that you can store two additional big disks. In addition, if you require additional storage, you can fit four 2.5 "SSDs are solid-state drives. Fractal includes five fans, two of which are 180 mm in diameter and three of which are 140 mm. The Torrent is a nice housing to build in a high-end system. With EATC you can install pretty much any motherboard, PSU's up to 17cm will fit fine and the number of LCS radiators you can mount is plentiful
The Verdict
The Fractal Design Torrent Black RGB receives our recommendation, albeit with some reservations. The design is innovative and appealing to us on a number of levels. The concept, as well as the inside, has been carefully considered. The craftsmanship is likewise excellent, as is typical of Fractal's products, however, it's just a lot of plastic in a price range where you expect a more premium material used. Some additional features, such as an ARGB hub (particularly in the RGB version), a fan in the back, or extra USB connections on the front panel, would have been nice to have as well. The cooling performance, on the other hand, remains harmonious throughout the entire process. The case is highly well-ventilated, and the temperatures are extremely low. Your problem however will be taming the fans, you'll need low RPM to keep them silent. but even then you'll have plenty of airflow. We do have an issue with cable routing on the backside, there just isn't a lot of possibilities to hide cabling, and with 10 wires leading from the 5 fans, you're in for a challenge. Some covers would have been nice for the TG versions with glass panels on both sides.
For what you get we feel the price is rather steep. In the end, we feel this is a very innovative design, but it lacks certain necessities like cable hiding at that backside. The Fan HUB issue has been resolved and well, these things can happen you know. No longer a biggy as far as I am concerned. Airflow can be heaps but at the cost of lots of noise. Other than that we feel this is a sub 150 USD/EUR chassis. So whether or not you feel it's worth the price premium, is of course totally your decision.
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