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If the non-standard USB 3.0 port coloration might cause confusion, at least it’s hard to reset the R5 by mistake. A combination power and disk activity LED is nestled into the center of the front panel, as well. Fractal uses a blue LED here, though it’s mercifully not the eye-searing kind of blue that’s tainted so much hardware in recent years.
Price: $146
InteriorGetting inside the Define R5 is a little different than with other cases I’ve tested. The left side panel is secured with both thumbscrews and a push-to-release latch, while the right side panel sticks with a pair of thumbscrews. For both side panels, Fractal Design has fixed the one thing that I hate about the Obsidian 450D (and many other enclosures). If you're looking for the best balance, the Fractal Design Define R6 is the case to pick. It is feature-packed, runs quiet, and comes with a whole lot of cooling features.
Corsair 4000D AIRFLOW Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX PC Case - Black
Fractal Design has done a fantastic job designing the Define R5, it is by far one of the highest quality cases we have reviewed thus far. First, Fractal-Design desperately needs to put another 140mm fan on the front to improve airflow. Picking PC cases can be tough, but it's easier if you know what you want. Fractal Design makes some great cases, and this list has the top options they have for your own PC build.
Tempered Glass Side Panel - Dark Tinted TG Type B
The Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact is one of the newest cases from the company, and it brings the goodness of the Meshify design in a compact case. The case has a fully removable top panel for better access, as well as a full-length power supply shroud to counter the pitfalls of the compact design. The Fractal Design Meshify C is a full-tower case with a ton of room for customization.
Now that we’ve seen the exterior of the Define R5, let’s see what Fractal’s design chops have wrought inside. Fractal Design Define series has always been the successful line of chassis, with this fifth iteration which continues to innovate with its exclusive noise isolations. The Define R5 manages to keep it up compared to the competition in the aspects of...
If you want a sleek and stylish, silent PC case that has been well designed, definitely check out the Fractal Design R5. There are quite a few improvements over the previous R4, especially when it comes to air and water cooling options. I have a Fractal Design Define R5 case from around 2013 (I bought a friend's PC like 5 years ago so I don't have the exact version name/number).
That said, the most accurate of the apps the UF researchers tried—SoundMeter by Faber Acoustical—tracked the study’s $3825 control meter within 5 dBA across the range of frequencies tested. That’s good enough that I could justify picking up SoundMeter for $20. Noise levelsBefore we discuss how loud the Define R5 gets, a couple words about my noise testing methods. I make no secret of the fact that I use an iPhone app to measure the noise levels of the hardware I test, and we’ve always warned against placing too much weight on the data collected this way. Nevertheless, some of our readers have expressed concerns about the accuracy of my results. I was hoping my tests would reveal a clear winner here, but they didn’t, really.
It has been a good case, but I am wanting to get something new for my main build. So I would like to repurpose my R5 into a Plex/NAS server, but the stock HDD cage (with trays) only holds 3 3.5in drives (though I am planning to go all 2.5in SATA SSD). It has a centre screw hole that looks like additional cages could be screwed below the 5.25in bays, and another on the top of the stock cage. Searching for additional cages has been frustrating, as they either bring up stuff for R7 or other models from Fractal or they bring up forum posts from years ago with other people asking for them.
The R5 itself has “Designed in Sweden” stamped into its sheet metal, in case you weren’t getting the message. Quite honestly the positives outweigh that one negative like a cinder block on a scale with a feather at the other side. The cinder block being the great building accuracy and the engineered flow is a common thought while I built into this case. For enthusiasts looking for an extremely versatile chassis with a dual-layout interior, the Fractal Design Define 7 is a feature packed case with outstanding thermal and acoustic performance. The Define 7 is the latest pinnacle of the renowned Define series, setting a new standard for what you should expect from a mid-tower case when it comes to modularity, flexibility and ease of use. The buildAs I was expecting from its bevy of user-friendly features, the Define R5 is a pleasure to build a system in.
With a tower-style air cooler, setting the Define R5’s fan controller on low doesn’t push peak temperatures much higher than when the motherboard is handling fan control duties. SSD temps are the only real exception, and again, they’re probably nothing to worry about. Due to operator error, I don’t have data for hard drive temperatures in the Define R5 while using the built-in fan controller with the Cooler Master Nepton 240M installed. Based on the other data I’ve collected, however, I don’t expect that the temps would be much different in this configuration. To test the R5’s radiator compatibility, I installed Cooler Master’s Nepton 240M closed-loop cooler at the top of the case.
It seems that my case doesn't seem to have official cages with trays. Does anyone know of compatible cages with trays that would fit correctly? I just really want to keep using the case as long as possible since I already have it and it has some sentimental value (and lots of stickers over the years).
Installing the radiator behind the front fan mounts might be a better option for keeping noise levels down, although that depends on whether you keep your PC on top of your desk or under it. For those in the former group, installing the radiator up top may still be a better option. My Corsair Obsidian 450D and the XFX Type-01 Bravo each required varying degrees of elbow grease to get the expansion card screw holes lined up with the back panel. The Define wasn’t perfect in this regard, but it required only minimal muscling to achieve the same effect. The same was true of my motherboard, which needed only a tiny bit of force to line up with the alignment pin in the center of the mobo tray. I don’t like applying undue force to delicate electronics, so this surprise was a welcome one.
Excellent construction quality Loads of storage possibilities out of the box with plenty more with additional accessories Three extremely quiet 140 mm fans included Excellent liquid cooling... Overall, the Define R5’s interior is spacious and well-designed at first glance. Next, I’m going to install my Casewarmer system, along with some air and water coolers. The side panels of the R5 are both lined with the same dense foam that we saw behind the front door. Non-windowed R5s have another ModuVent cover on the side panel, and that cover can be removed to make way for another 120- or 140-mm spinner. The windowed R5 gives up that fan mount for its transparency, however.
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