Fractal Design Torrent
Set airflow to 11
RARELY ARE WE this excited to check out a PC case. This is Fractal Design’s first full-tower case in a while, marking a departure from the comparatively basic Meshify 2 XL and Define 7 XL, both scaled-up versions of existing chassis. The Torrent was designed to be big and beautiful from the get-go, aiming to deliver a large-scale desktop experience with best-in-class cooling and Fractal’s usual clean aesthetics.
It’s certainly big, with support for E-ATX and oversized motherboards and a ton of fan space. Five PWM fans are included, either Fractal Design’s stock Dynamic or Prisma RGB offerings, depending on the model. Unusually, three of these 140mm fans are mounted in the bottom of the case cavity on a removable bracket, with a full-length air vent running along the underside. The feet hold the Torrent more than an inch above whatever surface you place it on, ensuring plenty of room underneath for exhaust airflow. At the front of the case, two hefty 180mm fans draw in air through the front grille.
There’s no rear fan, which we could deduct a point for but, in practice, it makes little difference. The base fans are more than sufficient for good airflow, and the lack of a rear fan makes installing chunky motherboards easier. In fact, installing a full system in the Torrent is a breeze (pun intended) thanks to the wealth of available space inside the case. Fitting a standard ATX mobo is easy, and Fractal Design has implemented a great PSU solution; your power supply nestles into a sleek shroud in the roof of the case, taking up no room at all.
The side and front panels are easily removed with push-pins, so stripping the case for a build takes seconds. Cable management is also a surprisingly pleasant prospect, as the Torrent comes pre-equipped with velcro strips and rubber-sealed holes. There’s ample room behind the motherboard plate to route cables, even if you’re making full use of the HDD and SSD mounts.
For a full-tower case, there isn't a huge amount of drive space on offer here. Similar frames from Corsair and MSI provide more room for HDDs (the Torrent only has two dedicated brackets for 3.5-inch drives) but with space at the bottom of the case reserved for fans or radiators, it’s hard to see where more drives could fit. It’s a minor niggle though, as most builders will only use one or two mounts—or forgo the brackets entirely in favor of mobo-mounted M.2 drives.
THE HEAT IS GONE
In terms of practical use, the Torrent hits all the marks. The front I/O is clean and well-equipped, and powerful systems should have no trouble dissipating heat here. Thermal performance in initial tests (with a bottom-mounted radiator from an AIO CPU cooler) was stellar, the large front fans working overtime to keep case airflow high even during intensive stress testing. The fans get a bit noisy at full spin, so builders who are serious about keeping fan hum to a minimum might benefit from replacing them with quieter models from BeQuiet! or Noctua.
At first glance, the construction of the case looks great; the front panel’s design is striking, and the bottom fans illuminate the internals of your build wonderfully. The Torrent comes in black, white, and gray variants (with RGB and tinted glass as optional extras) and the colors serve to accentuate the clean, striking design.
Unfortunately, some of the build materials aren’t quite up to snuff. Although the frame is solid steel, the front panel is plastic (as are the roof and feet), which feels a little cheap to the touch. It reduces the overall weight of the case somewhat, though, so we still feel comfortable recommending the Torrent to anyone looking to assemble a new E-ATX system.
VERDICT
8
Fractal Design Torrent
TSUNAMI Easy to build in; five fans included as standard; great airflow; stylish design.
DRIBBLE Plastic parts feel cheap; stock fans can get noisy.
From $190, fractal- design.com