Fractal Design Torrent PC Case Review

How Much Does it Cost?

There’s no beating around the bush here, it’s expensive. The model I reviewed is £164.99, and if you wanted the RGB-fan equipped model, it’s £199.99. That is a lot of money, but honestly, for the level of features and hardware you get for your investment, it’s fairly priced. You get a lot for your investment here, but I won’t ignore that it’s likely out of a lot of people price range.

Overview

Fractal is one of the coolest brands in the PC building world. They’ve made so many of my favourite cases over the ten years I’ve spent reviewing them. From their old-school HTPC cases to the modern Define series, they’ve got a premium case for every occasion. However, I think they’ve completely outdone themselves this time and that the Fractal Design Torrent is basically one of the best cases ever made. Its only drawback is the price, but looking at the price of flagship cases from Corsair, Lian Li and InWin, Fractal doesn’t seem to be going crazy in that regard.

Bigger

This case is huge, even with an E-ATX system and a high-end graphics card installed, there was a huge amount of space available. If you’re short on space in your office, perhaps this isn’t the right choice for you. However, that wider and longer design does have its advantages. It allows the use of 180mm fans in the front, where most brands still stick with 120/140mm. It also means they can have much thicker fans, while still allowing for thick radiators, larger reservoirs, and other high-end cooling hardware. I’m sure liquid-cooled builds will work really well in this case, but honestly, when they’ve put such an effort into that amazing stock air cooling, I think I’ll still with air vs water, but that’s just me.

Easy to Use

The love and attention that has gone into the ergonomics of this case. The cable routing holes, Velcro straps, tie-down loops, and recessed channels all ensure your cables can get to where they need to be, without conflict or difficulty of any kind. I was able to put together one of the cleanest system builds I’ve ever done, and it only took 15 minutes. However, with the PSU shroud, and 32mm of cable routing space behind the motherboard, even a more densely equipped system won’t provide you with any issues.

Custom

It’s quite a unique layout, with the PSU up top, it’s even a little bit old-school. However, with their airflow design, it certainly makes sense, and the case maximises all that low-down cool air. The front panel is really unique too, with one of the coolest designs I’ve ever seen. What did surprise me, however, is how quiet the case is. Usually open cases like this leak a lot of noise, but robust construction, and having the fans set further back into the case seems to provide a welcome compromise. It’s a shame the riser cable isn’t included, but at £42.99 the Flex B-20 Vertical Riser Bracker is going to be a sound investment for those wanting a cool gamer-look to their build.

Should I Buy One

Few people need a case this big or expensive. However, if you are will to pay for the privilege, you’ll find this case is well suited to any kind of high-end system build. The powerful airflow lends its self well to a workstation or rendering rig, and the design is slick and professional enough to look great in the office. However, with the ARGB options available, and tempered glass choices, you can also build a stunning gaming PC too. Whichever you choose, if you have the space and the money for it, the Fractal Torrent is pretty much the perfect enthusiast PC case.