Fractal Puts Everyone to Shame: Fire Hazard Fix Tested (Torrent Case)

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Күн бұрын

This video looks at how Fractal resolved its Torrent fan hub fire hazard in a graceful, controlled manner. We analyze the above-and-beyond replacement to determine if it's fixed.
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Watch our Fractal Torrent review here: • Best Case of 2021 So F...
Watch our initial coverage of the Fractal fan hub issues: • Fractal Torrent Recall...
Watch the NZXT H1 catching on fire: • NZXT is Irresponsible ...
You can get the new fan hub here: www.fractal-design.com/import...
The Fractal Torrent fan hub replacement went way above-and-beyond the necessary changes to fix the fire hazard concern with the short circuit potential of the original fan hub. From what we can tell, Fractal really wanted to make sure this was fixed -- it didn't just do the barebones amount and send out some plastic screws (like NZXT did earlier this year). This is good. It's still bad that the hub was so flawed to begin with, but the issue was handled better than we've seen from the NZXT H1 or Gigabyte PSU recently.
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Fractal Torrent Torpedoed at Launch
02:16 - How Fractal Handled This
03:54 - Identifying the Problems
05:35 - New vs. Old Plating
06:54 - Improvements in the New PCB & Schematic
08:50 - Even More Improvements
11:08 - Standoffs on Older Hub
12:44 - Multimeter Testing & Diagnosis
14:14 - New PCB is Fixed (Testing)
15:43 - Good Job, Fractal
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Host, Research: Steve Burke
Host, Testing: Patrick Lathan
Video: Andrew Coleman
Video: Keegan Gallick

Пікірлер: 1 500

@GamersNexus 2 жыл бұрын

Watch our Fractal Torrent review here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fqioopWQ0d2voKc.html Watch our initial coverage of the Fractal fan hub issues: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/r9qop8V91NudZ2w.html Watch the NZXT H1 catching on fire: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nNCFpsaEt7Lbm6c.html

@siranjiviramm9302 2 жыл бұрын

News about gigabyte psu explode kaboom???

@TsukiShimizu 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Steve! A small side note on the maximum power - I don't think the size of the trace is the reason for the maximum amperage. They look large enough (at least 1.5mm from my guess, maybe more) which should be fine for a 10°C increase over ambient. The main restricting factor is likely the connector - I'm assuming this is similar to a JST XH due to the similarity in size & pitch and that is limited to 3A. Anyways, this is a great video, thank you very much for shining a light on how it looks like when a manfacturer behaves correctly in such a situation!

@pluviamachina3583 2 жыл бұрын

I still want to know when the Torrent's going to be back on sale so I can buy it--I WANT IT!!!

@ToloyKeripinMunsang 2 жыл бұрын

A usb pluggable microscope will help for videos that require good close up. Just my humble suggestion. 😊

@mhamma6560 2 жыл бұрын

The clips of the gigaboom PSUs exploding will never get old... nor will the accompanying flinch.

@gold3263301 2 жыл бұрын

Fractal identified a problem, fixed it, and shipped out the solution before GIGABYTE even admitted they had a problem, which required several months AND videos to bring to light.

@technewb8241 2 жыл бұрын

Fractal released a product, identified a problem, issued a proactive recall and stop-sale, designed a fix, and distributed it...in the amount of time that gigabyte spent trying to cover up a problem they knew about for a year

@bk109 2 жыл бұрын

@@technewb8241 And all the while being open with their clients on what went wrong and what AND why they did the above steps... Basically everything we've slowly grown resigned to never experiencing again when dealing with a major brand :|

@NightMotorcyclist 2 жыл бұрын

That's what happens when a company spends more time listening rather than making memes and telling customers to "pull harder" or deal with it or some BS like that (NZXT).

@chrisdpratt 2 жыл бұрын

Both NZXT and Gigabyte have made it on to my list of companies never to buy from, not because they had a problem, but because of how they responded when they did. I've dealt with enough companies over the years to realize all too well that good customer service is worth its weight in gold. I'd far rather pay more for a product from a company I can trust like EVGA, Fractal, Noctua, etc. than "save" a buck and roll the dice that there won't be issues.

@KefazX 2 жыл бұрын

I wonder if "saving/losing face" culture could be an underlying cause for this type of behaviour from Gigabyte, being a Taiwanese company.

@user-gj5mc9hd6z 2 жыл бұрын

Hello. I live in Russia. On September 16, Fractal sent me a controller and on September 24, the controller sent me an online store where I bought the case - I have 2 controllers now. During the delivery, news began to appear about problems with the controller, I was not worried because I use the Corsair Commander Pro. I wrote to fractal support-I told them that the case is on the way. I also got a call from the online store where I bought the case, that Fractal informed them about the problem with the case and offered me to return the case for free, or they will send me the controller as soon as Fractal sends it to them. Fractal support offered me to return the case to the store and the delivery cost will be compensated - I refused. I was asked to tell them the serial number as soon as the case arrives, so that they would send me the controller as soon as a new version is released. The support behaved very professionally and efficiently, reported all the news about the controller, as my case came, they wrote more than once and asked me to make sure that I had definitely disabled this controller. Thank you Fractal Design!

@GamersNexus 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome support!

@AndrewTJackson 2 жыл бұрын

Wow, thank you so much for your comment! The Torrent is DEFINITELY my first choice for my new computer case so far!!! Thank you! :-):-)

@mateofantasma 2 жыл бұрын

This sort of user stories give me confidence in the company. Seriously, my next case will probably be one of theirs.

@evilbob2200 2 жыл бұрын

@@GamersNexus fractal is awesome even for little things as well! my case was missing some hardware for using a riser cable they sent me the stuff I needed for free and it arrived in like 2 days

@crazylocha2515 2 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the report. Great to hear a positive outcome and REAL customer service.

@thebeebeescryptomining4422 2 жыл бұрын

Honestly, it's not even about "less expensive" or "better" products at this point. My buying decisions are entirely based on how companies handle situations like this. Good job Fractal!

@andersjjensen 2 жыл бұрын

When talking "Don't care about burning down your house" vs "Deeply cares NOT to burn down your house" there are a whole lot of other metrics that kinda moves so far down the decision ladder that they seem almost irrelevant...

@billwiley7216 2 жыл бұрын

Actually building a PC is where in my opinion performance and quality of a product far outweighs the components cost. I also put a lot of weight in the companies overall reputation and customer service feedback from former or current customers. Price does have a factor of course but it is way down the list of other more important points to evaluate first.

@XerxesGustav 2 жыл бұрын

I'm sorry, but as an electrical engineer who designs circuit boards for a living this bug is so obvious and basic that it should have never left the design stage. Never ever use soldermask as an insulator like this. Somewhere along the line there should've been a design review and failure analysis where this should've been picked up as the glaringly bad idea that it is. The fact that this bug got shipped says to me that they dont have proper QA routines.

@xPandamon 2 жыл бұрын

Hence why I will stay far, far away from Intel and Gigabyte

@shadowxxe 2 жыл бұрын

@@XerxesGustav thats not the point the point its unlike NZXT they didnt sit on the problem for months pretending it didn't exist they recalled all cases before most peop;e could even buy them and redesigned them they admitted their mistake and fixed it something gigabyte and NZXT seem to have a problem wit

@darkSorceror 2 жыл бұрын

"Far more changes than needed to just fix the issue" They've made it complete idiot-proof. There are absolutely no ways to cause an accidental short now. Really thorough job on Fractal's part.

@tomf3150 2 жыл бұрын

"They made it ... ifiot-proof" Waiting for the mandatory better-idiot to spawn.

@Obraxis 2 жыл бұрын

Fractal showing the tech industry how to take care of customers. Definitely my next case.

@VoiceLessQ 2 жыл бұрын

Its much better that public humiliation and lost of costumer trust

@RobinLikeABoss 2 жыл бұрын

I love my Meshify C! It’s pretty good

@mchipelo 2 жыл бұрын

Same. We need to support companies that act correctly. On a similar note, never again I shall buy Gigabyte stuff..don't like the possibility of having a house fire because of a greedy company.

@robertlawrence9000 2 жыл бұрын

😨😱

@1SpeedHD 2 жыл бұрын

You won't be disappointed. I've been using the Define R4 since 2016 and I still love it. Awesome build quality too!

@TheMaristBoy 2 жыл бұрын

Imagine that. Doing your customers justice yields positive feedback and promotion even after a considerable issue with your product. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Or maybe it just takes a committee of clueless board executives to screw things up.

@megapet777 2 жыл бұрын

it seems like some companies are ran by retards. It's weird how successful they can be though.

@CMDRSweeper 2 жыл бұрын

This is what happens when you do not let the marketing department make decisions. They are only good at making problems, bringing in short term solutions such as dilluting a product and creeping prices which works in the short term, but will in the long term make you obsolete as the consumers figure this out and leave you. They are also eager to hush down incidents to avoid bad press and downplay stuff, which leads to the NZXT situation as well. So make the right call, fire a marketer today :D

@leafboye33 2 жыл бұрын

@@megapet777 i feel like it might be a cultural difference in terms of certain cultures thinking that any failure at all is shameful versus other cultures that think it's better to fix a problem than be ashamed of it and hiding it

@blahorgaslisk7763 2 жыл бұрын

The NZXT and Gigabyte problems were created by bean counters that only looked at immediate short term numbers. The marketing department is usually much more interested in keeping the company image clean and not let things like this fester until it turns ugly. I'm not saying marketing is the good guys, far from it. They are simply opportunists and know that tainting the company name is not conductive to them making more money. The people on the board can come from basically three directions, engineering, sales or bean counting. All three kinds of people is needed, but putting bean counters in charge of the company is often the worst idea. Engineers are often not good at marketing, and marketing people can have issues keeping up with engineering when products are delayed but they do recognize that new products and improvements are required in order to keep making sales. Bean counters generally love selling and can be persuaded that marketing is necessary for that, but can often see engineering as being a parasitic process. That makes bean counters dangerous when they are put in charge of a company.

@amicloud_yt 2 жыл бұрын

marketing - "one of our products has a dangerous flaw! how shameful" executives - "oh, i'll show *you* shameful"

@StefanoAgrotis 2 жыл бұрын

"If you have a bad power supply" That PSU is now just stock footage for GN. Disappointment build 2021 is gonna be explosive.

@user-hj6uf6nr9b 2 жыл бұрын

It's becoming a meme.

@rootliss 2 жыл бұрын

Fractal's integrity and the GN recommendation have me 100% sold on this case. When the recall happened, I could've shopped for something else instead of waiting for the fix, but honesty and customer service aren't on spec sheets. Now that I _know_ Fractal has that covered, I'm way more comfortable waiting than taking a chance with a different company.

@Nurr0 2 жыл бұрын

I'm running a Fractal case, and I literally sent them feedback on how great their response to this was. Good behaviour, good brand. The case is quality anyway, but this really seals the deal!

@rogehmarbi 2 жыл бұрын

I'm thinking of picking up a Fractal case later, was on the fence between Fractal or NZXT, but I think I know where I'm going

@Wasmachineman 2 жыл бұрын

I emailed Fractal asking if the Liquid Freezer II 420 or 360 fits my Define 7, they replied a day later saying only the 360 fits. Pretty quick turnaround i'd say!

@mikakorhonen5715 2 жыл бұрын

I have made three expensive builds using Fractal case during year and quality is perfect 10.

@RobinLikeABoss 2 жыл бұрын

@@Wasmachineman I have a Liquid Freezer II 360 in my MESHIFY C. They’re pretty great when it comes to space management :P

@Wasmachineman 2 жыл бұрын

@@RobinLikeABoss I bought a Define 7 only because I already own(ed) a Define R4 and liked it as a case :^)

@DJJAY12 2 жыл бұрын

I've got nothing but good things to say about Fractal. I have a Meshify C that I built my newest system into, and at some point, I lost the bottom filter. Reached out to fractal to *purchase* a replacement, because it was my own fault, and they just requested I send them a shipping label, and they'd send me one at no additional cost. Lo and behold, about 2 weeks later (this was at the height of covid, too) it was in my hands.

@AlexanderDiviFilius 2 жыл бұрын

Customer service should be something mentioned more often in reviews. Fractal are clearly doing better than the competition in this regard.

@linuxares 2 жыл бұрын

Now that's going above and beyond. Amazing!

@simmytu 2 жыл бұрын

Similar experience with my Define R4. Broke power button switch on the already 2 year old case and offered to pay for the button and shipping, they told me not to worry and a new switch arrived in a package from Sweden. Since then I have recommended and purchased multiple Fractal cases for friends PC builds due to their excellent after sales service.

@Interknetz 2 жыл бұрын

Damn that's pretty sick of them to do. But it's smart business too if they're managing costs very well, cause if they keep you sweet, you keep them in business in future potentially. And honestly, that's a relationship with the consumer that most/all businesses ought to have rather than shady backhand tactics.

@FoxMagi 2 жыл бұрын

@@Interknetz I've been reading all the positive reviews and stories about Fractal, and this sounds like a company that RESPECTS their customers. If I get another case it will be a Fractal.

@Nostalgia_Realm 2 жыл бұрын

Glad I bought a Fractal case for my last build a few short years back. Their service is excellent!

@FrodeBergetonNilsen 2 жыл бұрын

Do you have a fan controller on that Fractal case of yours? Does it short the sata or molex power, with the source fan connector? If it does, do you feed 12V straight from your PSU directly into the MB fan header, by using the controller as instructed by Fractal? Do you understand why that might be a significant safety issue if that is the case?

@NateDawg0007 2 жыл бұрын

Fractal is just playing 3D chess. This is the third full length video about their case that keeps getting great coverage. This is straight up positive press about a recall.

@stormman641 2 жыл бұрын

I’m glad to see at least one company take the initiative and fix a problem so quickly without outside convincing. Definitely be glad to by another case from them in the future.

@OutriderFIN 2 жыл бұрын

Same here. Used a Define R2 for 5 years. Now have been using a Define R5 for 6 years. Probably my next case is from Fractal Design too. And have no issues recommending most of their stuff to friends as well.

@edwardcullen1739 2 жыл бұрын

Yep, anyone can be good when everything is going right; it's when things go wrong that you see the real quality. Fractal just made the top of the shortlist for my next purchase!

@alangarde2928 2 жыл бұрын

I'm even more impressed now I've seen the fix. They could have done the bare minimum to 'get away with things' like plating the hole and giving clearance for the 12V plane. Instead they seem to have gone back to basics and looked at what they needed, sensibly removing the whole 12V plane, increasing the height of the PCB, plating the holes, removing the unneeded connections to the MB pins. I really appreciate this approach, no matter how the original design was approved - they've gone back and looked at everything what else could be a potential issue at the same time.

@internetfamous5491 2 жыл бұрын

Am I the only one who finds the " back to you steve" ; the best thing ever

@KurtHectic97 2 жыл бұрын

you're not alone.

@baarum 2 жыл бұрын

Still cracks me up every time

@Pain-pr4rw 2 жыл бұрын

Same

@LumpySpaceLeah 2 жыл бұрын

I hope it never stops

@ClonesDream 2 жыл бұрын

Yes. You're literally the only person to find it good.

@phenixtalonsbane7232 2 жыл бұрын

I love it when companies actually do the right thing for their clients when they learn of something instead of after they're forced to do something by courts.

@majorbogart3476 2 жыл бұрын

NZXT= The kid that denies eating the cake, even though it's on his face. Gigabyte= The kid that denies eating the cake, and tries to convince you that someone else ate it Fractal= The kid that busts himself and admits to everything as soon as mom gets home

@benjaminoechsli1941 2 жыл бұрын

And then Fractal makes you a new cake as an apology.

@phatdpc 2 жыл бұрын

...and bakes a new cake without anyone asking

@GojiHusky 2 жыл бұрын

Gigabyte= The kid that denies eating the cake, even though it’s on his face, and blames the kid who just came home with his parent.

@shane544 2 жыл бұрын

He does WHAT to himself

@Acecool 2 жыл бұрын

*before mom is home.

@kuyans3889 2 жыл бұрын

Bit disappointed by this case's lack of support for motherboards with soldered front IO...

@GamersNexus 2 жыл бұрын

What's even the point of a motherboard if you can use it in something else?!

@kuyans3889 2 жыл бұрын

@@GamersNexus well at least no one can put a gp p750gm in the HP machine

@GamersNexus 2 жыл бұрын

@@kuyans3889 You have a point there.

@Phillydcuz 2 жыл бұрын

@@kuyans3889 lol. HP just been looking out for customer safety all along.

@Ikxi 2 жыл бұрын

@@kuyans3889 hahahaha this is great

@lennard9331 2 жыл бұрын

You could also keep the problematic PCB as a memorabilia for that one time a company decided to do the right thing right away.

@peterb9038 2 жыл бұрын

Turn it into a trophy for best response to a fix. :D

@BRUXXUS 2 жыл бұрын

Massive respect to Fractal. Will be my go-to case supplier I'll recommend to friends and family from now on.

@BeheadedKamikaze 2 жыл бұрын

Have been using the Fractal Design Define S2 for a few years now after GN (and everyone else) recommended it. Great case! Also, great company! My next case will be a Fractal, too! 🥰

@msihcs8171 2 жыл бұрын

If you damage any product you can make it dangerous, they fully engineered around the root problem, that seriously deserves the respect that they get from this

@uss_liberty_incident 2 жыл бұрын

Videos like this are why I love GN and its commitment to honesty in reporting. You guys call out legitimate safety hazards and companies who mishandle them, but give credit where it's due when companies do the right thing.

@foxs49er 2 жыл бұрын

So the way this all seems to have worked out is that Fractal released a product with a design flaw and in doing so, they gave themselves the opportunity for the best PR possible. It actually works out better for them than to have never had the issue at all because now people trust them more because they were gave insight into how the company handles their business. On the up and up.

@TWATSON 2 жыл бұрын

"If you have a bad power supply, that's a problem" *cuts to Gigabyte's PSU testing* Topkeks.

@glebv 2 жыл бұрын

The way I see it, this whole things brought much more attention to the good customer service Fractal offers, rather than them making a mistake. I didn't know anything about them before, pretty much, other than they exist and make cases. Now I'm actually aware of their CS record, as something to consider when I'm buying a new case. PR win for them, well done.

@EpicKillstreak 2 жыл бұрын

I ordered two Fractal Torrent cases at the beginning of September and very soon after that I came across your original video about the issue with the hub. I then contacted the store but they have already sent my order so I had to contact Fractal support, got a reply to submit a ticket and last week I got the info that the replacement hub is on its way. I live in Poland. Overall very happy with the transparency and quick responses from Fractal. The case is awesome btw :)

@op_zbear6651 2 жыл бұрын

Congratulations Tech Jesus: I present you with the "Better Than Dell" award.

@ironmantooltime 2 жыл бұрын

+ better than HP 👍

@philipr2006 2 жыл бұрын

+ better than Acer

@szurketaltos2693 2 жыл бұрын

All products should have that award but depressingly few do.

@vladsnape6408 2 жыл бұрын

"Better Than Dell" is a pretty crappy award. Being better than Dell is a very low bar.

@VitalVampyr 2 жыл бұрын

@@vladsnape6408 Congratulations on identifying the joke.

@stevencase3289 2 жыл бұрын

seeing as they fixed it that fast i can definetely say fractal will be on shopping list when i build a new setup

@555Cyrus666 2 жыл бұрын

Fractal's customer support is beyond amazing. I have Define R6 with tempered glass. By my own fault, the glass broken, when I was cleaning the case out of dust. So after searching the replacement in local resellers for a few weeks, I finally sent an email directly to Fractal. I said that it was my own fault, I did destroy the glass and asked for replacement, with their preferable way of me paying for it. Dude on the support just asked me for the serial number of the case and in 2 days, I had the new replacement in my hands, even with some spare screws and during covid. Definitely every mine new case from now on will be Fractal Design.

@ShawnStrickland 2 жыл бұрын

Gotta be honest Fractal being so open and consistent with the updates is a breath of fresh air!

@AlphaCygni 2 жыл бұрын

Fractal cases always seemed incredibly attractive and well engineered to me. I'm happy to see that they know how to take responsibility, unlike some... well known companies in the industry. ^_^

@GreatYamatanoOrochi 2 жыл бұрын

Just wanna say that the camera you're using for moving shots is absolutely incredible, feels as professional as I'd expect from GN. As well as props to the camera operator!

@GamersNexus 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Andrew does great work.

@Hepycckuu 2 жыл бұрын

@@GamersNexus on the other hand camera shots that you use for static footage(filming Steve behind the desk) could be improved. Why isn't it fixed in place here ?

@GodmanchesterGoblin 2 жыл бұрын

Having recently bought two Fractal cases (not the Torrent) I'm pleased that they addressed this promptly. BUT - As someone who has designed many two-layer and multi-layer PCBs professionally, I am shocked that they did not consider the fixings too close to the pads for the fan connectors, and neither did they check the power planes were correct (or not present) under the screw heads. It's not even a case of a detailed check - one can see at a quick glance that the clearances are a potential issue. This suggests to me that they simply outsourced that part of the design and perhaps lacked the expertise to check the design properly themselves before they committed to production.

@plotlessplot 2 жыл бұрын

This is a big part of the reason why I'm gonna order a Torrent very soon. Kudos to Fractal!

@ijustsawthat 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome work done by the GN Team. Back to you Steve.

@Noise-Bomb 2 жыл бұрын

I think Fractal would deserve an "Best in Industry" Award on behalf of this case.

@sirhcsuiris 2 жыл бұрын

Good job, Fractal. The sad thing about all of this is how the bar has been raised to having integrity, rather then it being a given that the right thing will be done.

@JMMC1005 2 жыл бұрын

Got a Fractal case, and seeing this has solidified my opinion of them. I haven't experienced any real issues with my case, but they were quick to respond when I had questions about it.

@guanyu210379 2 жыл бұрын

I know that I will be sticking with Fractal products more in the future. I was happy with my old Define R4 in the past and am on Meshify 2 at the moment. GLad to hear these things from Fractal.

@AlisterCountel 2 жыл бұрын

Fractal is proving something we all knew, but EVERY single other company recently has made seemingly impossible to believe; It’s not that hard to respect consumers!

@earthtaurus5515 2 жыл бұрын

@Swim Fan It may be a fan hub, it's the actions Fractal took that speaks volumes and the fact remains - Fractal was _proactive_ not _reactive_ . They proactively took steps to mitigate a hazardous issue (extremely quickly in the grand scheme of things) - which left unresolved could have been another NZXT H1 disaster. By proactivelly taking steps to resolve it, Fractal safeguarded their customers and by extension their brand as well. The former NZXT and Gigabyte have proven to not give two hoots about. An electrical fire is not something you can resolve with a water based fire extinguisher, heck most households do not even have a water based fire extinguisher.

@Bobis32 2 жыл бұрын

@@earthtaurus5515 looks at the pair of C02 fire extinguishers under my desk but then again i work on cars for a living

@Sevicify 2 жыл бұрын

@@earthtaurus5515 Well said. Respecting the consumer like this shows they actually care about the consumer &their quality, and consumers will generally respond much better to a company who treats them with respect than one who doesn't especially when it involves serious safety issues. Fractal here has personally earned massive respect from me here and makes me much more highly consider one of their products or suggest them to others than I previously would have. NZXT on the other hand I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole due entirely to the H1 disaster and will warn people against them, Gigabyte as a whole I'm on the fence about since I haven't closely followed their entire situation but I definitely would at least avoid using or recommending their PSUs (not that I would have used/recommended them to begin with) and would have to think twice about their other products.

@obake6290 2 жыл бұрын

@Swim Fan The fan hub might cost next to nothing, but I'm sure recalling shipped product, labor to fix them all, shipping them back to retailers, and lost time on the market cost a pretty penny. Absolutely worth it though. Protects their customers and protects their brand. I wasn't particularly disposed toward Fractal before, but now the next case I buy is very likely to be from them.

@earthtaurus5515 2 жыл бұрын

@@Bobis32 Since you've got a spare, care to share? 🤣🙃.

@lkok931 2 жыл бұрын

DUDE Patrick killed it on his segment, give this man a raise!

@billb426 2 жыл бұрын

Another example of why I upped my Patreon!

@greenlantern7959 2 жыл бұрын

Word of mouth is powerful advertising. If this is how you want manufacturers to work, don’t just buy from them, also recommend them to friends so they know what to buy if they build. Thanks for the update GN

@Christopher_S 2 жыл бұрын

Okay, this is actually fantastic. Fractal are in my eyes the golden standard for safety, openness and honesty. Good job Fractal, good job.

@WildkatPhoto 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing what happens when you own your mistakes instead of trying to deny they exist.

@Reac2 2 жыл бұрын

Making a mistake and dealing with it well draws me way more toward a company and their products than not having any recorded or public mistakes at all

@yingcluk 2 жыл бұрын

When I was working in circuit board assembly (soldering components onto PCB) factory, almost every mounting hole is plated with solder like the new version PCB. Some has bumps and some like this Fractal one with full solder on it. Without the solder plating, the mounting holes are just the PCB material which is mostly plastic and glue. But with the plating, it's metal on metal, not metal on plastic. The new version is the "correct design" because it adds a slight bit of metal to where the screws are, and it has spacing between screw and circuit connection traces to avoid screw getting too close to trace to cause short circuit. I don't know whoever designed the 1st version PCB was not aware of that or just try to cut corner, and I was a bit surprised to see no plating at mounting because I thought it's "almost standard" in the PCB design / assembly industry. I am glad to see a product manufacturer proactively takes responsibility to fix their design problem. P.S. The black stuff covering the entire PCB is called masking, and that's used to cover all the copper on the top layer of PCB to avoid short circuit and oxidation of the copper. It used to be only green, but nowadays consumer ones are mostly black. The white marking showing location of component, FAN1, FAN2 ... is called silkscreen.

@smartiefox256 2 жыл бұрын

As an engineer it is really nice to see these well though improvements!

@technewb8241 2 жыл бұрын

I can't wait for this to be distributed en masse. The Torrent was the perfect case for what I want to do with my watercooling loop, and it is the last puzzle piece I need to finish it

@DailyCorvid 2 жыл бұрын

Dude you sound pumped! Hope it goes well, that comment literally was so pumped it made me feel a little pumped for ya :D Yeah man best of luck with your build.

@technewb8241 2 жыл бұрын

@@DailyCorvid thanks man. It's my first crack and custom watercooling, and an update to my first build ever. Went with an aio and left the gpu stock, and I have to run all of the fans at 100% to keep thermals in check. I'm hoping that going with dual 420mm rads and upgrading to 140mm fans will help reduce the operating noise

@DailyCorvid 2 жыл бұрын

@@technewb8241 Steve's got you covered, I just searched the channel and there are literally DOZENS are really great guide videos. JayzTwoCents as well, he's gone absolutely stark mental with OCing this last 18 months. Lol use it to heat your sofa in Winter :D Or get it right! You'll have to keep us updated. My first build was so fun but it's air cooling, no fancy stuff yet. The next one though ......... 👍

@bambideluxe 2 жыл бұрын

I received my replacement hub last week so they’re definitely already in mass distribution.

@technewb8241 2 жыл бұрын

@@DailyCorvid the goal is to start taking OCing a little more seriously, thanks to Steve and Jay. I'll be shunt modding my card when I install the block, because I have already hit the limit of the FE BIOS, and I don't think my air cooler could keep temps low enough to keep it stable. Should be fun, and the max that I can do without $1800 in LN2 equipment

@a.d.r6960 2 жыл бұрын

as proud owner of a meshify C, this put big smile on my face when everybody around me bought other brand, I knew I will never go wrong picking fractal case

@ToMaX444 2 жыл бұрын

As soon as Steve started talking about the power supply protecting you, I knew what video they were going to show. Not disappointed.

@maxcowgill3249 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve owned several Fractal cases over the years, and currently own a Define S. I would have bought a Torrent to replace a PC-011 Dynamic that no longer meets my needs, but was disappointed to see it recalled. Seeing how Fractal handled this issue, I will definitely continue to buy Fractal products in the future.

@jm9371 2 жыл бұрын

I only run air cooled boxes. I wanted this case and I am happy to see the fix Fractal has put forward. I want this case even more now; thank you GN.

@DobbyKong93 2 жыл бұрын

Fractal has been a favorite since the Define series. Glad to see they still care about us!

@mellertid 2 жыл бұрын

Once in a while, you stumble upon companies being decent. Happiness!

@earthtaurus5515 2 жыл бұрын

Indeed! I was quite fortuitous when my previous psu started acting up... when I bought the 860p ion it was actually cheaper than 650 and 750 watt PSUs! lol!

@rescyn1190 2 жыл бұрын

I've had 4 Fractal cases in a row... guess my next one will be as well still.

@TimeLemur6 2 жыл бұрын

One of the numerous reasons I've built multiple PCs in Fractal's cases. The Defines are just a treat to work in.

@babenkoff 2 жыл бұрын

I've bought Fractal Torrent 2 weeks ago on Amazon Italy. And today I've got replacement fan hub. But Amazon was selling this cases all the time, it was available every day in September. I love Torrent, but the only problem is high-pitched motor noise from 140mm fans . It is very audible especially at low rpm. 180mm fans are perfectly fine!

@ingmarins 2 жыл бұрын

Nobody: Fractal: "we're recalling the case" *everybody liked that*

@ulysees321 2 жыл бұрын

Qudo's to Fractal for identifying an issue, being open and honest and fixing it with an outright recall/fix

@DaleDix 2 жыл бұрын

They emailed us and decided not to have a product that catches on fire by fixing the problem. Well done Steve.

@ryanw.9828 2 жыл бұрын

I like how the camerawork makes it feel like a conversation, and not canned. Thanks, all!

@iamaraindog385 2 жыл бұрын

Staying on top of things like this is what makes me put them at the top of my list for a case upgrade. I haven't spent much time looking at them because of the price, but there is some truth to getting what you pay for.

@andersjjensen 2 жыл бұрын

Fractal is a Swedish company. Scandinavian wages are high, but so is the level of qualification and service. If you scroll up you'll see several stories like "I broke my air filter and wanted to buy a new one. They just sent me one free of charge". So consider the higher price as an insurance. You may never need it, but if you do it will be at the most inconvenient time where not being run through hoops for 3 weeks over a minor issue is a god sent.

@XPLOSIVization 2 жыл бұрын

Well done Fractal, its good to see a company caring about its products and customers

@PrecludeLP 2 жыл бұрын

I'll happily buy a Fractal case in my next build. Any company that does the right thing, and takes care of it's mistakes deserves my business.

@pr0jectSkyneT 2 жыл бұрын

Good on Fractal. I personally own a Fractal Design R5 for my home server which has served us for several years now. How they reacted on this issue further reinforces my loyalty to the brand.

@matttheboiiya7192 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing work done by both fractal design and gamers nexus! I always thought that fractal cases were overpriced, but it seems they back that pricing by putting the customer first, and only delivering the highest of quality. I will 100% be recommending fractal design to any of my friends, and I can definitely see myself building in a fractal case in the future. And thank you to gamers nexus for showing a large community how a company should properly react to a defect in their product, and showing a very nice analysis between the old and new product. Well done!

@deechvogt1589 2 жыл бұрын

Steve & GN team. Don't look now but your work is leaving the world a better place than you found it! Excellent achievement in PC enthusiast testing and journalism. How do we nominate this content for some kind of award. Congratulations.

@Shadow_Sonata 2 жыл бұрын

Really appreciate the update as I was seriously considering the Torrent vs. the Corsiar 5000d Airflow case. Looking forward to the reissue.

@digital.olimon 2 жыл бұрын

I'm Impressed... but this should be for granted. Big up Fractal for still showing the way! not everyone has forgotten how to operate.

@ddpwe5269 2 жыл бұрын

WOW TRANSPARANCY?! That's extremely refreshing! Way to go Fractal, show the other companies how it's done!

@122sparDa 2 жыл бұрын

Definitely gonna order me a fractal case. Now this is how you fix the mess up, they didn't ignore it they saw it and took care of it asap!

@gauge1127 2 жыл бұрын

Happy to have supported Fractal with my new build last year. Love the Meshify 2 case and it is great to see the company doing the right thing here.

@Choralone422 2 жыл бұрын

Great job Fractal! A lot of companies completely underestimate the amount of money losing the good will of your current customers and potential future customers cost in the long run.

@haukionkannel 2 жыл бұрын

Kudos to Fractal! This is how it is done if things goes south... Also thanks for GM for coming back to this matter!

@pongopea 2 жыл бұрын

mad respect for Fractal, good cases and good work ethics, kind of a rare sight nowadays

@siraff4461 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent. Knowing how a company deals with issues is worth its weight in gold. I've been very keen on the Torrent since you reviewed it and seeing this has put it right at the top of my list. Presuming I can get a decent GPU this will now be my next build case. Thanks Steve and team and well done Fractal.

@Yuriel1981 2 жыл бұрын

Lol this may be one of the first times a company GAINS business from a mess up! This is why we need channels like GN to keep us informed as to which. Are the Good companies! Thank you guys for all your hard work and thank you Fractal Designs!

@khyron6 2 жыл бұрын

Good job Fractal you owned up to a mistake and fixed it. Without laying about it. That's a Big Plus for them. When I buy a new case I will sure look at there cases. Thanks

@FrodeBergetonNilsen 2 жыл бұрын

The fire issue: Yes. The rest, not so much. They turned this into a PR campaign, a cheap and effective one. But for the details and arguments for the other changes, other than the one being a direct fire hazard, does not add up. It is not user error to follow instructions, to name one.

@user-gq2zl2ih7u 2 жыл бұрын

Hello from Russia. Thank you for your job guys! You are the best example of tech. KZfaq channel. PS: Please, feed Patrick. So thin guy 😲

@Time4House 2 жыл бұрын

🤣🤣🤣

@bgezal 2 жыл бұрын

He needs to visit babushka.

@user-gq2zl2ih7u 2 жыл бұрын

@@bgezal We just need to explain that "babushka" in English is "grandmother"🤓

@zirkzirk1512 2 жыл бұрын

I have a Fractal case and I love it. Glad to see that they are also a company that takes the high road. Will definitely be recommending them in the future.

@BlissBatch 2 жыл бұрын

Between this, and the initial GN review of the Torrent, I'm almost certainly going to be using one for my next build. Great job, Fractal!

@RonaldinhoPopper 2 жыл бұрын

I actually love how Gigabyte still gets a PSU feature with each video. Seems like they hope people will just eventually forget, so they can keep selling IEDs.

@andersjjensen 2 жыл бұрын

And Gamers Nexus will continue to gank on that skit until the day Gigabyte does a formal recall! :D

@MofuRabbitt 2 жыл бұрын

Gigabyte chose mutually assured destruction when they claimed bad testing of the power supplies, and now we get to see it play out

@andersjjensen 2 жыл бұрын

@@MofuRabbitt Except Steve won't get destroyed.. so they just chose "assured destruction" :P

@Davidx_117 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome to see, makes me appreciate owning a Fractal Design case even more (Meshify C Mini) and I'm strongly considering getting the Torrent at some point for a different build. I'm curious though, now that we've seen multiple instances of through holes being related to shorts (obviously bad design being the actual issue) is this something you guys might test going forward? Seems like a easy thing to test for PCI-e risers or fan hubs (or whatever else) that lack plated through holes by just scratching the protective layer on top where a metal screw would sit to see if there's any risk whatsoever of shorts happening in the future (likely through multiple installation cycles)

@wody21 2 жыл бұрын

Nice one, guys (both GN and Fractal) - you all did a splendid job on this one. Patrick explained and presented the issue very clearly and it was easy to follow even for someone who hasn't really done anything major with electronics. Huge thumbs-up! My next case is going to be a Fractal case, for sure!

@crazylocha2515 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent coverage and follow up GN. Great recovery and well done with the customer service Fractal Design. Kudos to both teams and... Thank You

@lucasmagno9148 2 жыл бұрын

You called the small plated through holes on the PCB bridges, personally I've never heard them called that and have always heard vias. Professional PCB design software that I've used like Altium and Eagle also call them vias. Other than that note, great video as always!

@georgf9279 2 жыл бұрын

This is how you do it. A 12V plane has no business being anywhere near the screws. It's just not necessary. Give it more space. It looks like the other PCBs including the NZXT one were designed by someone fresh from engineering school (and not the best school at that). Fractals handling of the issue is great too of course.

@HVDynamo 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I agree completely. This really does look like a new engineer. Hopefully they learned their lesson.

@Apollo-Computers 2 жыл бұрын

Honestly an engineer fresh out of school wouldn't make that kind of mistake. 12v plane on the top of pcb with a paint for insulation....

@HVDynamo 2 жыл бұрын

@@Apollo-Computers I disagree. A fresh out of school engineer doesn’t necessarily have the experience to know that it’s bad practice to do that. From their perspective it is covered/protected, so why should it be an issue? The real world experience to know ahead of time that manufacturing and application could make that method cause issues when at first glance it looks like it should be fine. That kind of knowledge takes experience. Fresh out of school engineers don’t have that experience yet. Source: Am experienced Engineer who has coached some fresh out of college engineers. Sure there may be outliers to that, hell I probably am one because I was an electronics technician before I went for an engineering degree, but it’s all about the real life experience. Ideally a company would have an experienced engineer review the work of a new engineer to catch these things, but some smaller/new companies don’t have an experienced engineer to consult.

@TD_YT066 2 жыл бұрын

This should have been on a Design Review checklist. They need more rigor in their design process.

@CherryGS 2 жыл бұрын

@@TD_YT066 No doubt it would have been even better if they caught it pre-release. But as Steve said: work is done by people, and people make mistakes. No doubt, even Fractal Design has it's share of beancounters which might have been part of the reason why this got to production. But the important thing is to realize when you screwed up and how you react to fix or bury the problem.

@albertoiordanov5972 2 жыл бұрын

My replacement fan hub arrived already.Took only about a week after filling the case serial number in their website.That's in Europe.Great case AND great service.

@rickau 2 жыл бұрын

Fractal actual fixed the issue properly. They so easily could've taken a lazy fix and just beefed up protection around the screw holes.. but no, fully redesigned the PCB so it definitely can't be an issue. Very impressed, especially with the turn around time to make it happen.

@ThePirateParrot 2 жыл бұрын

My last 3 cases have been fractal they maybe aren't the best cooling wise but the build is excellent

@prgnify 2 жыл бұрын

Me too, and the cooling is absolutely a trade off I chose, as the case I got is really really good at being quiet

@Craig-ib7gk 2 жыл бұрын

Concur. The features are good, the cooling better than average, but the workmanship, documentation, and support, is simply stellar on my Define R6. I love it, and look forward to them releasing a Torrent Mini so I can give them more of my business.

@Haki1112 2 жыл бұрын

2nd pc case was a meshify C and absolutely loved it the definitely gonna choose them again for my next case

@jacoblylee 2 жыл бұрын

ive talked to fractal myself about a replacement part for my S2 a while back and they told me they had the part and can ship it to me at no cost other then shipping and their exact words where that they rather help their customers keep their cases going then see them spend a lot of money to replace it over something simple and it doesnt matter weather you paid $20 for your case you will be treated with the same care as someone whoe spent 2k on a case from them, been a long time since ive seen a company i can respect like these guys, these guys really go above and beyond

@McTroyd 2 жыл бұрын

Woo-hoo! Go Fractal! Officially on my shopping list for the next build now. Thanks for following this Steve (& Co.)!! 👍

@kevink6697 2 жыл бұрын

Honestly, I'm a bit proud to own a fractal case and will also probably buy them in the future

@tamingofthesprue 2 жыл бұрын

Great to see such solid and fair follow up on this issue.

@Ltdcloud 2 жыл бұрын

I really enjoyed Patrick's contribution. It's nice when GN's members show up for different segment(s). Suggestion for a product: I have an electric air blower but it doesn't fully clean the accumulated dust on some parts. I'd love a specialized GN dry cloth for cleaning my pc components. Or maybe a video with cleaning suggestions or tips?

@Chaserbl Жыл бұрын

I have used 3 cases from fractal, core 500, era and now meshify c mini, every time I contacted support for missing part or something, they would resolve that issue within 24h. Amazing team. Customer for life.

@mellertid 2 жыл бұрын

I don't care much about the specifics, but I think it's vital that someone does. (Uncritical media support shady practices, directly or indirectly, knowingly or not).

@kasomoru6 2 жыл бұрын

You should get all the defective PC parts from over the last year or so, feels like theirs been quite a few this year alone. Anyway make FIRE PC and see if it can get through a benchmark.

@MySkullzDented 2 жыл бұрын

I've had nothing but amazing experiences with Fractal cases. I had an issue with the power button two months past warranty, and got replacement components by mail in a couple of days. They truly seem to care about their customers. I will definately buy a Fractal case again.

@-Gorby- 2 жыл бұрын

Glad I went with a Fractal case for my new build several month ago! I love the case and now I find out that Fractal is a great company as well.

@FrodeBergetonNilsen 2 жыл бұрын

Do your case have a fan hub with a molex or sata power connector? If so, does it have a hard short between the 12v pins on the fan header to the MB and the molex or sata power connector? Finally, if so, do the instructions tell you to connect both the molex or sata, and the fan header at the same time? In some cases, like the Meshify S2 they instruct users to connect to the CPU fan header on the mb. Some users claim this to hard short the 12V pin on the MB to the 12V directly from the PSU. If you follow the instructions. If their claims are true, that cannot be explained as a "user error", as they follow the official instructions to the letter. Lots of ifs here. But apart from the fire hazard, things do not quite add up. The current Manual shows four cables running from the controller to the mb, but a connector without cables on the mb. The manual is not dated, and if this is the same as at launch, it was no user error to connect power straight from the PSU and into the MB CPU fan header: It was the instructed thing to do, by the letter.

@-Gorby- 2 жыл бұрын

@@FrodeBergetonNilsen I does have a fan hub but I'm not using it because my motherboard has 8 fan headers on it

@FrodeBergetonNilsen 2 жыл бұрын

@@-Gorby- Thanks. If you have the opportunity to check if the headers are shorted, I would really appreciate if you did share if they are shorted.