One of the biggest decisions you have to make while building a computer is to pick from the best PC cases for your rig. There are plenty of PC cases to choose from different manufacturers like Corsair, NZXT, etc. We think Fractal Design is also a top pick in the community when it comes to PC cases. The company makes a ton of quality cabinets, so there's a very good chance you'll find one that suits your needs. In this guide, we'll take a look at some of the best Fractal Design PC cases that are worth considering for your next PC build.

Best Fractal Design PC cases for your next build

There are a couple of different variants of the Fractal Design Define 7 cases on the market right now, but we think the original Define 7 is the best overall Fractal Design PC case you can buy. This mid-tower PC case is suitable for a variety of builds — be it an entry-level PC or a high-end gaming rig. The Fractal Design Define 7 is available in both black and white colors and comes with an anodized aluminum front panel with a brushed aluminum finish. There are vents on both the front and the top panel for airflow. You also get an option to choose between a solid or a tempered glass panel for the side. We recommend picking up the tempered glass panel if you want to show off the internals of your build.

The Define 7 isn't an airflow case by design, but you do get a lot of space to add case fans and radiators for cooling. The case comes with three pre-installed Dynamic X2 GP-14 fans out of the box. These are 140mm fans that are great for moving air in and out of the chassis. You can install another 140mm fan on the front in addition to the two that are already installed. There's space to add three 120mm or 140mm fans on the top panel too. You can also install two 120mm or 140mm fans at the bottom while a 140mm fan is already pre-installed on the back. As for the radiator mounting options, you can install up to a 360mm radiator on the front, and up to 420mm radiator on the top. You can also install a small 120mm radiator at the back along with up to 240mm radiator at the bottom.

It's also worth pointing out that all the vents are covered with dust filters to keep the dust and dirt away from the internal components. The Fractal Design Define 7 has plenty of space inside the chassis for all the components. You get clearance for a GPU with a max length of up to 491mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 185mm. Fractal Design also makes it easier to manage cables inside the case as there's dedicated space to route cables. All things considered, the Fractal Design Define 7 is a solid case to consider. It's suitable for a variety of builds and is a decently-priced PC case for all the features it brings to the table.

The Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact is our pick for the second-best Fractal Design you can buy. There's a lot to like about the Meshify 2 Compact including its bold, stealth-inspired aesthetic. The Meshify 2 Compact is a solid airflow case that comes with an iconic angular mesh front panel and plenty of space for mounting case fans. You also get the option to choose between a solid or a tempered glass side panel. A tempered glass panel will let you see the internals of the chassis and add to the overall aesthetic of the build. The Meshify 2 Compact is a mid-tower PC case that supports ATX, mATX, and mini-ITX motherboards. It comes with two Dynamic X2 GP-14 140mm fans installed on the front along with a 140mm Dynamic X2 GP-14 fan at the back.

You can install another 140mm fan on the front, and there's more space to install two 120mm or 140mm fans on the top and a 120mm fan at the bottom. It's safe to say that there's plenty of space to install a case fan on this case for the best airflow. As for the radiator support, you can install up to a 360mm radiator on the front, up to a 240mm radiator on the top panel, and a 120mm radiator on the back as well as the bottom panel. The Meshify 2 Compact has plenty of room inside for all the high-end components you plan to use for the build. The case has clearance for a GPU with a max length of up to 360mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 169mm. There's also cable routing space inside the chassis that lets you manage the cables easily.

The Meshify 2 Compact has seven expansion slots for things like the GPU and other expansion cards. Unlike Define 7, however, there are no vertical slots that let you mount the GPU vertically. That being said, the case has two 3.5" and up to 4 2.5" drive mounts for storage drives. You can install an ATX PSU in the case with a max length of up to 200mm. Overall, we think the Meshify 2 Compact is one of the best ATX PC cases on the market right now. The case also comes with 5 years warranty in case something goes wrong. This case is suitable for a variety of different builds, which is why it's our second best for the best overall Fractal Design PC case.

The Fractal Design North is a truly unique-looking PC case and as such we've awarded it our pick for the best design. This chassis is a sophisticated case with some natural materials present for a stylish look. It's a minimalist case and yet still manages to perform well with plenty of options for cooling, storage, and other PC components. The highlight is the front panel, however, with its oak or walnut strips that cover a mesh grill for maximum airflow. There's no tempered glass here, everything has perforated holes for better access to cool air and the dissipation of heat. Fractal Design remembered to include a few dust filters, one on the front and another for the PSU.

Two Aspect 140mm fans are included and installed on the front panel. It's possible to go up to three fans up front if you drop to 120mm. Two 120mm or 140mm fans can be installed on the top panel and an additional 120mm on the rear. This provides good airflow for most systems, though you may want to avoid using the chassis for more powerful enthusiast-grade builds. AIOs are supported with up to 360mm radiators on the front and 280mm on the top, but you won't be able to build your own open-loop here without experiencing a few issues with internal space. Up to an ATX motherboard can be installed, which is fine for most people, and you should be good to go with most CPU coolers and GPUs. It's a stunning case, both inside and out.

The Fractal Design Meshify C is similar to the Meshify 2 Compact in more ways than one. The Meshify C is more affordable than the Meshify 2 Compact, yet it offers almost the same set of features. It also adopts a design that favors airflow, making it a great option to consider even for a relatively high-end build. The front panel is the same mesh panel with angular mesh patterns. The Meshify C has vents on the top for airflow. The thing about this case is that it comes with dust filters for all the vents despite the affordable price tag. Having a dust filter is crucial as it keeps you internal components of the PC from getting choked due to dust or dirt particles. You get an option to choose between either tempered glass or a solid side panel.

You get a total of seven expansion slots in the case for your GPU and other expansion cards that may want to add to your rig. Sadly, there's no option to mount the GPU vertically. This isn't a deal-breaker considering the relatively affordable price tag of the case. This particular case has space for either an ATX mATX or a mini-ITX motherboard. As for the component clearance, you can install a GPU with a max length of up to 315mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 170mm. The Meshify C comes with two 120mm pre-installed fans out of the box. You get a Dynamic X2 GP-12 installed each on the front as well as the back panels. There's space to install two more 120mm fans on the front panel, two 120mm or 140mm fans on the top panel, and a single 120mm fan at the bottom.

Additionally, you can also install up to a 360mm radiator on the front panel, up to a 240mm radiator on the top panel, and a single 120mm radiator on the back panel. This is one of the few affordable cases on the market that offers these many radiator mounting options. The front panel IO comes with two USB 3.0 ports, audio ports, and a power button. The case also comes with two 3.5" and three dedicated 2.5" drive bays to add storage to the rig. The Meshify C comes with all the bells and whistles that you'd expect from a premium, high-quality PC case on the market. You can always step up to the bigger Meshify 2 Compact case if you want slightly better features and more space, but we think the Meshify C is plenty for most users looking to build a PC.

The Fractal Design Ridge is an evolution of its Mini-ITX chassis design with a focus on aesthetics and functionality. The Ridge is similar to the excellent Fractal Design North as there's no aggressive styling and good use of fabrics for ventilation. Being such a compact chassis, the amount of internal space is limited, but this does allow for the placement of the PC just about anywhere in the home, making it a good console-like chassis. Throw inside a mid-tier GPU and CPU and you'll have an excellent gaming rig for the big screen.

Available in black or white, the Fractal Design Ridge is a joy to build a PC inside, thanks to the 360-degree access once all the panels have been removed. This chassis may be smaller than other Fractal case recommendations in this guide, but it's still possible to install a GPU with a maximum length of 335mm. Two 120mm fans are preinstalled and an additional three 80mm blowers can be installed to further improve airflow through the Ridge. There's no chance of installing an AIO with a 240mm radiator, but 60mm clearance does open up a few options for some of the best CPU air coolers.

If you've always wanted to build your own games console and needed a slim, sleek chassis to not only hold all your components but look just as good in the process, the Fractal Design Ridge is a solid choice.

A lot of Fractal Design PC cases are known for their airflow capability, but we think it's the Fractal Design Torrent case that does it the best right now. This is one of those PC cases that screams airflow from the moment you look at it. The front of the case is essentially a grille that lets the most amount of air inside the chassis. You can install fans on the front panel for better airflow too. There's space to install three 120mm or 140mm fans on the front. You get two Dynamic GP-18 or two Prisma AL-18 140mm fans pre-installed out of the box depending on the version of the case you get. In addition to that, you can install as many as three 120mm, three 140mm, or two 180 mm fans at the bottom of the case.

There's also space to add an additional 120mm case at the back for exhaust. The Torrent case also comes with dust filters for the front as well as the bottom panels, which is good. It would've been nice to have vents on the top panel too. The Fractal Design Torrent case comes with a tempered glass side panel. It lets you see the internal components. There's a ton of space inside the chassis for all the high parts that you plan on installing in your rig. This is a mid-tower PC case and you can use ATX, mATX, or Mini-ITX motherboards. You can check out our collection of the best motherboards to find some of the best boards on the market right now. You get space for two 3.5" and up to four 2.5" drive bays for all your storage needs.

You can also install a full-sized ATX PSU inside the chassis. In terms of component clearance, you can install a GPU with a max length of up to 461mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 188mm. There's also space inside the chassis for a ton of radiators. You can mount up to a 420mm radiator on the front panel and up to a 420mm radiator on the bottom. The rear panel can also hold a small-sized 140mm radiator. Overall, it's safe to say that the Fractal Design Torrent PC case is a fantastic option to consider. It's just as good for a mid-range build as it is for a high-end PC. We recommend picking up a good quality AIO liquid cooler if you're planning on using it for a high-end build with something like an Intel Core i9-13900K.

While the Fractal Design Define Mini C is a good option to consider as a small-sized PC, we think the Node 304 is the true winner for the SFF PC case. As such, it's our pick for the best Mini-ITX case in this collection of the best Fractal Design PC case. The Node 304 is available in both black and white colors and we think both of them look equally good. This is a compact modular case and it's very easy to work with. That being said, this is strictly for those who want something small and compact to fit into their setup. An SFF PC case isn't the best option to consider when it comes to features, but we think the Node 304 strikes a good balance.

Fractal Design has managed to add a ton of features to make it a viable option on the market for those looking to buy a small PC case. The Node 304 comes with anodized aluminum panels for all sides. There are not a lot of air vents on this case, but you do get one on the sides for the fans. All the air vents are covered with dust filters, which is a nice addition. The Node 304 is an SFF case, which means the airflow is going to be limited. It is, however, well-managed in this case. You get as many as three Series R2 hydraulic bearing fans with this case along with a fan controller. You can only mount a total of three fans inside this chassis, so it's good to see that you don't have to spend more money to add more extra fans. Two of these pre-installed fans are on the front while the other one is at the back. There's no space to mount radiators inside this chassis, so it's best to stick to a fan cooler for the CPU.

When it comes to component clearance, you get space to install a GPU with a max length of up to 310mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 165mm. You can use an ATX PSU with this case with a max length of up to 160mm. As for the motherboard compatibility, you can only install a mini-ITX board inside this small chassis. The Fractal Design Node 304 comes with two expansion slots and six drive bays. The Fractal Design Node 304 is an excellent miniITX PC case, but it goes without saying that it's not for everyone. SFF PC cases are very difficult to work with and they're not the best option for a high-end build. These small cases tend to have very limited space inside the chassis to install high-performance components.

For something a little more fun, Fractal Design offers the Pop range of PC cases. The Fractal Design Pop Air is our favorite version with a full mesh front panel, a strong choice of case colors, and the same gorgeous ATX design. We're especially taken aback by the two-tone colors with the black and cyan standing out. There are traditional ATX case design elements here, including a PSU shroud and a tempered glass panel to showcase everything. Cable management is just okay and falls short of what's offered by the likes of NZXT.

We have to note how it's slightly limited in terms of AIO support, but it is possible to install either a 240mm radiator on the top or a 280mm radiator on the front panel. Up to five 120mm fans can be installed for maximum airflow, which will be more than enough for an Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 processor. The entire chassis comes apart, aside from the top panel, which makes installing everything a breeze. Fractal Design includes three 120 mm Aspect blowers to get you started, requiring just two more to fully max out all the available fan mounts.

Something we don't see often these days is bays for 5.25-inch drives but Fractal Design decided to work a hidden bracket inside the Pop Air, located behind a removable door at the bottom of the front panel. It's a strange implementation but it's there nonetheless. Up to four 2.5-inch or three 3.5-inch storage drives can be installed by default, but additional bays are available with optional brackets. The Fractal Design Pop Air is a great mid-tower chassis with support for up to ATX motherboards, so fear not if you're planning to go all out.

Choosing the best Fractal Design PC case

Fractal Design has quite the list of PC cases in its portfolio, and we think you'll definitely find something that suits your needs. The Fractal Design Define 7 is a good option for most people who are looking to build a mid-range to a high-end PC. It has decent cable management and striking looks, but falls a little short in the airflow department. Still, with the right CPU cooler and some case fans, you'll have no issue at all running even more powerful components.

The Meshify 2 Compact is also worth considering if you want more airflow inside your case. If you're leaning towards a high-performance build then we recommend checking out the Vector RS. It's a pretty big chassis with plenty of space for all your high-performance components and a custom water-cooling loop. We've also added a couple of microATX and mini-ITX options that are worth considering.