| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Make | Fractal Design |
| Model | R4 BLACK PEARL |
| Technical specifications | ATX, Micro ATX, Mini ITX motherboard compatibility | 7 + 1 expansion slots | 2 - 5.25" bays | 8 - 3.5" HDD trays - all compatible with SSDs, 2 - 2.5" extra SSD positions | 3 - ModuVent plates - two in the top and one in the side | 7 - fan positions (2 Silent Series R2 fans included) | Filtered fan slots in the front and bottom | CPU coolers up to 170mm tall (when no fan is installed in the side panel) | ATX PSUs up to 170mm deep when using the bottom fan location, when not using this fan location longer PSUs (up to 270mm deep) can be used | Graphics cards up to 295mm in length with the top HDD cage installed | With the top cage removed, graphics cards up to 430mm in length may be installed | 26mm of space for cable routing behind the motherboard plate | Thick rubber grommets on all holes on the motherboard plate | Colours available: Black Pearl, Titanium Grey, Arctic White | Case dimensions (WxHxD): 232 x 464 x 523mm | Package dimensions (WxHxD): 320 x 535 x 610mm | Net weight: 12,3 kg |
| Cooling / ventilation | 1 - Front hydraulic bearing 140mm Silent Series R2 fan, 1000 RPM speed (included) | 1 - Front 120/140mm fan | 1 - Rear hydraulic bearing 140mm Silent Series R2 fan, 1000 RPM speed (included) | 2 - Top 120/140mm fans - positions also support some models of 240 radiators, depending on configuration | 1 - Bottom 120/140mm fan | 1 - Side 140mm fan | 1 - Integrated fan controller for up to 3 fans (included) |
| Front interface | 2 - USB 3.0, 2 - USB 2.0 | Audio I/O | Power button with LED (blue) | Reset button | Fan controller (behind door) | Warranty Information |
| Warranty | 12 Month Warranty |
| Manufacturer's Site | Visit the manufacturer's website |
|---|---|
| Product Link | Visit the manufacturer's page for this product |
- Fractal's Perfection - Matthew Murdoch, 22 August 2013
The Fractal Design Define R4 has taken the R3 and successfully fused it with the backbone of the Arc chassis.
Thick sheet metal and high-density noise dampening make Fractal Design’s Define R4 one of the heaviest mid-tower cases.
Very little is wrong with the Define R4 really, as much of the Fractal Design PC cases, it is elegant, simple and definitely feature rich for a mid-tower chassis. You get a matte black designed chassis with features wise options to put in many HDDs and devices. The chassis is fairly tool free, but does not have say easy click-in Optical drive clips. You'll still be using the good old thumb-screws, that works fine of course but it's not as modern as some of the others in the competition seem to be able to manage.
A big plus is the sound dampening materials used, you will still have decent airflow but internal noises are simply a thing of the past, something we really like. Then again I'm quite anal when it comes to computers and computer parts making noises. Should you require more fans to be installed or need a liquid cooling mount, then the sound dampening pads can be removed fairly easily of course. But yeah, overall this chassis simply is very silent.
The inside of the chassis does leaves room for improvement here and there, though sufficient, I do find that there is not heaps of space to maneuver in. Cable routing options have been improved though, we spot three grommet holes and more space (26mm) at the backside ensure that you can route cables quite well. The HDD/SSD drive cage work simple enough, though you do need screws to secure the actual HDDs, installation should be very easy otherwise.
The looks are quite nice but remains to be that, however it surely is a complete chassis for its size alright. I mean this mid-tower offers plenty of features and plenty of cooling. You can easily fit seven fans in here, and the upper HDD cage is removable and rotatable. There's room for a cool eight 3.5" HDDs, four USB ports, seven expansion slots and support for even the largest of graphics cards.
So let's finish up this conclusion then. Features wise the Define R4 chassis is very complete really, the black with touches of white design has been done with a certain grace, tasteful. Overall it is a decent sturdy build and one of the best mid tower chassis any type of user can buy and comes with Fractals usual and brilliant quality.
