# [SOLVED] Fractal Design Define R4



## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

I'm looking into building a new mid-range PC and have my eye on the Fractal Design Define R4. It's a mid-tower with loads of soundproofing and a very clean look, which is quite unlike the more "spacy" cases that have been released in the past few years.

My only concern right now is whether I'd be able to keep it cool enough, given that the front door may provide a limited air intake. The build will only include an i5, a single mid-end GPU, an SSD and one HDD so given the plethora of space inside I think it should be more than cool enough. I'm also considering getting an extra 140mm fan to mount in the front. With the amount of air those will displace do you think that I could get away with permanently running the fan controller at low speed? Is there anything else I should take into account?


The only downsides I can see, apart from price, are the lack of a 2.5" bracket and the single-sided door. It retails for 82£ or 130$.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: Fractal Design Define R4*

Just move the top fan to the front. A front & rear fan is usually fine and shouldn't be any problem with your hardware.
Case doors are easily broken and non-repairable.


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

*Re: Fractal Design Define R4*



Tyree said:


> Just move the top fan to the front. A front & rear fan is usually fine and shouldn't be any problem with your hardware.


Actually the fans are already mounted at the front and rear, but there's an optional mount for a second fan at the front.



Tyree said:


> Case doors are easily broken and non-repairable.


Hmm, you raise a valid point about the door, but as long as I'm careful during installation it shouldn't be a problem. I doubt I'd even open it more than a few times a year.

I'm really sold on the build quality, look and sound proofing though. I'd welcome any alternative suggestions but so far I haven't found any comparable cases.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: Fractal Design Define R4*

One front & rear fan is commonly enough.
Cases are a personal choice and I use primarily CoolerMaster and some Antec for myself and retail.


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

*Re: Fractal Design Define R4*

I use a similar case. I was running something very CPU-intensive last week for a few hours and was monitoring system temps. The front door being closed increases the CPU temperature by about 5C and other temps by about 1-2C. Nothing to worry about, and it doesn't affect performance, as long as the rest of the case is well ventilated. The only time I open it is for access to the DVD drive. 5 years old, still going strong and the door miraculously hasn't broken off yet. :smile:

If you want to add an extra fan, I would go for one aimed directly at the hard drives rather than a general case fan at the top, but only if it's needed.


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

*Re: Fractal Design Define R4*



koala said:


> I use a similar case. I was running something very CPU-intensive last week for a few hours and was monitoring system temps. The front door being closed increases the CPU temperature by about 5C and other temps by about 1-2C. Nothing to worry about, and it doesn't affect performance, as long as the rest of the case is well ventilated. The only time I open it is for access to the DVD drive. 5 years old, still going strong and the door miraculously hasn't broken off yet. :smile:


Good to know. I hardly ever use my optical drive, I'd mainly be opening the door for access to the card reader.



koala said:


> If you want to add an extra fan, I would go for one aimed directly at the hard drives rather than a general case fan at the top, but only if it's needed.


The two front fan mounts pass air through the HDD cages. Since only one fan is factory-installed there, I'll be installing an identical fan in the other slot. It might be overkill, especially if I remove the major HDD cage to open up even more airflow, but it'll satisfy my compulsive side. Otherwise there'd only be one fan visible in the double mount. 

I'll be leaving the other fan mounts closed off behind their stock soundproofing. There's also a mount at the bottom, but that may disrupt airflow so I'll be leaving it alone.


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