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Good micro-ATX enclosures have actually been frighteningly rare of late; manufacturers seem to be going big or going home, and only letting either beefy XL-ATX cases or diminutive mini-ITX cases out to play. It's a weird situation when the micro-ATX form factor seems to be ideal for the majority of end users. Enter Fractal Design and their Define Mini.
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Fractal Design Define XL R2 Case Review: Maybe We Can Have It All?
Amusingly and appropriately enough, the wave of silence-oriented enclosures that have been popping up recently haven't really drawn attention to themselves as a trend. Yet all of a sudden...
43 by Dustin Sklavos on 2/20/2013
Fractal Design Launches Core 3000 USB 3.0
Last year, we looked at Fractal Design’s Core 1000, their entry level chassis that can be had for under $40. It performed “okay”, which is about all you can...
11 by Jarred Walton on 2/1/2013_carousel.jpg)
Fractal Design Node 605 Case Review: Is Fractal Design Ready for Primetime?
Media center enclosures can be a very tricky business. 25 years ago, horizontally-oriented cases were the norm, but the ATX standard complicates things. We're also dealing with hotter components...
29 by Dustin Sklavos on 1/1/2013
Holiday 2012 Small Form Factor Buyer's Guide
There have been many interesting developments in the small form factor market segment since our last SFF buyer's guide. Specifically, current-generation Intel Ivy Bridge CPUs and AMD Trinity APUs...
74 by Zach Throckmorton on 12/5/2012_carousel.jpg)
Fractal Design Node 304 mITX Case Review: Paving the Way to the Future
We've said it before but it bears repeating: desktop systems are getting smaller. ATX is becoming less and less necessary, and mini-ITX-based machines more and more offer the same...
76 by Dustin Sklavos on 11/23/2012_carousel.jpg)
Fractal Design Define R4 Case Review: Evolution, Not Revolution
Around November of last year we had a chance to take a look at one of the most popular enclosures from up-and-comer Fractal Design, the Define R3. Impressions were...
53 by Dustin Sklavos on 7/20/2012
fractal design's Node Series HTPC Chassis at Computex 2012
Fractal design just launched two new cases at Computex under the Node family brand. The Node 304 is a mini-ITX chassis with aluminum face priced at $90. Internally there...
7 by Anand Lal Shimpi on 6/5/2012
Fractal Design Core 1000: How Little is Too Little
Extreme budget enclosures are interesting creatures. While the best balancing acts usually show up around the $100 price point, and going north of $150 will generally get you the...
51 by Dustin Sklavos on 4/13/2012
Fractal Design Define R3: A Fan Favorite Keeps the Noise Down
One of the perks of this job is getting to see some up-and-comers get championed by our readership and then turn around and find out what the fuss is...
84 by Dustin Sklavos on 11/11/2011
Fractal Design Arc Midi: The Mid Tower You've Been Waiting For?
The more enclosures we get in, the more amazed I am at just how competitive the market is for $99 cases. That market is made only more competitive by...
52 by Dustin Sklavos on 10/7/2011
File Server Builder's Guide
The proliferation of mobile devices, multi-computer homes, broadband internet access, inexpensive mass storage, and the replacement of many other home electronics by the PC (such as media devices like...
150 by Zach Throckmorton on 9/4/2011