Fractal Design Define R5 - Mid Tower Computer Case - ATX - Optimized for High Airflow and Silent - 2X Dynamix GP-14 140mm Silent Fans Included - Water-cooling Ready

I finally hit the point of needing to replace the old case for my home computer, which had outlasted a couple motherboard/CPU combinations, and wanted a case that would be quieter, better fit the outsized heatsink fan/combo on my CPU, and be easier to work in. I'd narrowed it down to a short list, nearly got the Fractal Design Define R7, and then settled on the Define R5 because of the lower price and because the R7 would not have shipped for several weeks. I'm glad I went for this- the R5 is just the maximum size I would have wanted, and anything more would have been too large to comfortably fit the free space under my desk.When I got the Define R5 case, the first thing I realized is that it's the same case as my new computer at work; a bunch of our work machines were replaced with upgraded computers at the beginning of 2020, and I've been very happy with it there, so that was promising. Second thing I noticed was that the instructions were beautifully clear, in perfect English with good illustrations, making it much easier to go through setting up. (+ other languages, of course.) The third thing was, well, everything about this case.This is what people talk about when they say "Scandinavian design" - the focus on both function and aesthetics, with conscientious attention to even small details. It's all perfectly thought out, from the internal layout, the flexibility to change the layout around, the aesthetics even on the inside of the case, soundproofing, to cable routing and the careful selection of mounting screws and hardware - everything is incredibly thoughtfully planned.A few highlights:+++ Easy to work in - I've been building my own PCs since the late '80s (yes, really) and this is by far the easiest I've ever worked with in terms of how things go together.+++ The soundproofing is fantastic. As I sit here writing this review, I can't hear a single sound from this computer, unlike my old case. The case fans are completely silent, and the dampening on the panels cuts out any noise from the power supply.+++ Air flow is great - with just the two included 140mm fans, the board and CPU are staying cool despite moderate overclocking, but you could mount additional fans up to 6 more places if you thought you needed them. (3 top, 1 front, 1 bottom, 1 side panel.)++ Good drive mounting - you could fit an absurd number of hard drives in here, and they have lightweight metal snap-in "sled" mounts to make it easy to fit them in place, with rubber grommets to absorb drive vibration; besides those, there are two special mounts for 2.5" SSDs on the back of the motherboard tray.++ 2 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0 slots, plus audio jacks on front top of the case where they're easy to reach, and a nice-looking power switch.++ Every mounting screw or component you will need, all good quality and black finished, with thumb screws wherever appropriate. There are rubber vibration-absorbing grommets for the hard-drive mounts, black cable zip-ties, and even a little plastic socket to slip over the hexagonal mobo mounting posts to make it easy to tighten them properly.+ Cable routing options - several cut-outs with rubber diaphragms to let you route cables around the backside (right) of the case to keep them out of sight, velcro ties to pull them together; well-designed/routed cables to the front-panel switches, audio, LEDs, and case fan(s).+ Alternative layouts - the instruction booklet shows you a number of ways you can change things around internally. Want the power supply on top instead of on the bottom? Want to mount a water-cooling system? Want to take out some of the drive cages, or reorient them? Want 3 more intake fans? There are a bunch of ways to do it.+++ Looks extremely classy, especially if you're into minimalist black monoliths, as I am. Blame the movie '2001'I can't think of many negatives, but for the sake of completeness:- The fan mount positions, especially the second front fan, really call for 140mm fans. I was going to stick a spare 120mm there but couldn't see how best to attach it. It's fine, as it's ended up not really needing it for airflow. I may buy another 140mm to add in later.- If you just have to have a 3.5" floppy drive or tape drive for old time's sake, you'll have to fit it into one of the two 5" optical drive slots. Sorry.

I bought this case after much speculation and research over what case I should buy. As this is my first PC build, I wanted to know the exact details of what I was buying with the end goal of building something powerful and stable. This case is well worth the value.There are many things I love about this case, but I will try to mention the most important points that make this case worth the price tag.First of all there is plenty of room for ventilation and expanding your cooling system. I am not concerned with water cooling, but I admired their approach to maximizing air flow. Namely, the vents underneath the case with the removable dust filter. My apartment is 95% carpeted, so dust is always an issue. The fact that I can mount the power supply unit with the fan down makes me happy. The front fan has plenty of air intake even with the door closed. There are 3 tops you can remove from the top of the case for installing a water cooling system, or more fans should you choose to. I removed the one farthest from the back to allow hot air to escape at the top or be pulled out the back via exhaust. The case breathes well on it's own.Next, I love the room for cable management. Pulling the cables through the grommets was simple, and there's enough room to manage the cables effectively. They include some plastic ties and velcro straps to keep the cables together. There is also a fan controller on the front of the case that can connect 3 mounted fans (I connected the pre installed case fans), which is powered by a SATA cable. I may get a third fan to install on the upper back of the case when the weather starts to heat up, other than that the case cools very well on its own. I also installed my SSD on the back of the side. It doesn't provide any real benefit, but it's a cool feature to have and gives me more room for more storage devices.Finally, I like how easy it is to get to all the components. Removing the door, sides, everything was simple. No struggles at all.I can't comment much on how quiet it is compared to other cases. I assume it performs well, although sometimes I will hear my 7200 RPM HDD start up when I want to access it. No obnoxious buzzing or grinding.I would recommend this case to anyone. I know there are cases out there for $50, but putting in the extra money will help in the long run.