Fractal Design Arc Mini R2

Fractal Design Arc Mini R2

By now you are most likely aware of Fractal Design’s unique design sensibility; the company’s PC cases represent the pinnacle of attractive restraint among enthusiast DIY enclosures. What you may not know yet if you’ve never seen a Fractal case in person is how impressive their build quality is and how much value you get for your money.This month, we took a look at the Arc Mini R2. Arc series cases reflect the same understated Scandinavian design ethos as the company’s other chassis, but are optimized for air flow and cooling. The ARC Mini R2’s front and top panels contain steel mesh insets that, when combined with its three included fans, create a healthy flow of cool air in and warm air out. The case also features removable dust filters at the front and bottom, as well as beneath the top panel, and comes equipped with a three-speed fan control switch at the front of the top panel.

That’s where the cooling options start. If you see fit, you can add up to three more fans to the included front 120mm unit, top panel 120mm fan, and the 120mm fan at the rear: a second fan up front, a second 120/140mm fan beneath the top panel, and another 120mm fan at the bottom. And thanks to its highly flexible drive cage system, it’s easy to use those same top and front panel mounting points to secure radiators to either surface or both of them. The top panel can accommodate a dual rad with the dual 5.25-inch bay cage in place, and if you choose to build without an optical drive you can put a triple there. If you remove both of the two included 2.5/3.5-inch drive bay cages (each of which holds as many as three drives), you can put a dual radiator up front, and thanks to the inclusion of two SSD mount points on the right side of the motherboard tray, you can have your cake and eat it, too.

As its name suggests, the Arc Mini R2 is the smallest member of the Arc series, and this is reflected in its motherboard compatibility: The Mini R2 is designed for mATX and Mini-ITX builds. Don’t let that fool you into thinking you can’t pack the case with high-end components, however. The case offers enough front-to-back space to hold 10-inch video cards with the middle drive cage installed and will take cards a hair longer than 15.5 inches (so, basically, all of them) without it. If you choose to install a bottom panel fan, you can run a PSU that’s 6.69 inches from back to front; without the fan you can add a PSU up to 8.7 inches long.Its flexibility and cooling aside, the thing that is most striking about the Arc Mini R2 up close is how everything fits together smoothly and feels solid and tight. The case’s side panels slide on and off smoothly, and the drive cages and the trays within operate with a quiet, solid feel that is refreshing for any DIY case, much less one that costs less than $100. The Mini R2 also has some of the best stock case feet we have ever seen, with grippy rubber soles that keep it firmly in place.

If you have limited desk space and prefer dark, smooth elegance to angular surfaces and bright colors, Fractal Design’s Arc Mini R2 should be at the top of your short list.

Specs:Dimensions: 15.9 x 8.3 x 19.1 inches (HxWxD); Materials: Steel, plastic; Motherboard support: mATX, Mini-ATX; Bays: 2 5.25-inch external, 6 2.5/3.5-inch internal, 2 2.5-inch SSD internal; Fans (included): 1 120mm front, 1 120mm top, 1 120mm rear; Fans (optional): 1 120mm front, 1 120mm/2 140mm top, 1 120mm bottom; Ports: 2 USB 3.0, audio I/O