You've seen it in a subtle way for the last few weeks....and now the new logo has a place on our profile. And no, THE BEAVER ISN'T DEAD! 👀

0:16 RIP Plant.

WHAAAT HAPPENED TO THE BEAVER?!!! how dare you

I appreciate keeping the optical bay and the way they integrated the filter.

i'm waiting for Fractal Design to update the Meshify C.

Moment of silence for the beaver.

This is actually a pretty damn good case. But I think what would really set it apart is if they made an optional mesh front panel door that you could swap the default sound dampened one out for. They already have that option with the top panel, so they might as well let people do the same for the front. It's called the Define after all, so let the user define how the case functions.

What is most amazing is how they have stopped dust from accumulating in the vertically mounted ports. No other case manufacturer has achieved such sanitary perfection.

3:55 "As long as the height of the MB doesn't exceed 36mm" Wow this must be the new Nano-ATX format, i'm so hyped

BRING BACK THE BEAVER, you now just have a generic logo like any other tech channel

GOD FREAKIN' DANGIT! I knew as soon as I built a full system with the Define R6, because EVERYONE said they wouldn't have a 7 out anytime soon, that THIS would happen!

I own the R6 and really like how they just improve small parts to make the case perfect. It is as you said a simple mainstream case, but that is all we need. Airflow is good, silence good, modular and the best case I ever worked in. What else so you need? For sure no reason to upgrade. But they made nearly perfect Case a bit netter. That's awesome for all future customers.

out of all youtubers. i go to you for my case reviews and that being since 2013.

Great video. So I have this case and it's pretty awesome. Built my PC in December of 2020. Problem I had though is that I wasn't able to find a decent GPU and settled for an RX 5600 XT. I had a really hard time keeping the GPU under 80*. I tried several things, including keeping the side door off with an fan blowing on it. Steve with Gamers Nexus criticized the front door and filter as it didn't let a lot of air through... he's exactly right. HOWEVER - I fixed this by changing my Fans to run off of the System sensor on my MSI Unify MOBO, and I upgraded my 2 front 140mm and rear 140mm to Noctua a14s. Also, if you're not running a radiator, don't use the ventilated top cover. You need the airflow through it and you lose air pressure with the vented top panel. I can't get my GPU over 74* now with the door SHUT! Now it's super quiet and cools well.

Your review on the R5 is one of the videos that got me hooked on this channel. Still rocking the R5 today. Glad to see yourselves and Fractal Design doing well!

Whoa, I had not expected that 5 degree temperature difference in CPU thermals between "front panel open" and "front panel removed", kudos for testing that!

I have been building my own computers for more than 20 years. I come from a time where metallic rounded edges was considered a great new feature. I just upgraded my case to this new one, and holy cow... 98% of it is shockingly well designed. I absolutely love it. At every step of the building phase I was discovering something I had never seen before and wished I had all of these previous years. My only small complaint is about the not-so-great stock fans. So I replaced them with some Noctuas, and now it stays quiet and cool.

When I saw that the Define 7 had been announced, came straight here for a review. Didn't disappoint. I'll watch GN next for the crazy detailed thermal testing. The Define 7 and the 7 XL look like great cases. The 7 XL can fit a crazy amount of drives - 16 x 3.5" and 2 x 2.5". I love my Define R5 that I use for my UNRAID NAS.If I need more drives a 7 XL will definitely be on the short list.

I have this case and I love it. Super easy to build in, AIO installation is a breeze, cable management is soooo much better compared to previous cases I've had.

"Have we reached (insert object)?" That statement always ends up in companies making silly if not ridiculous things.

let’s hope we get a new meshify c now

Please add thermal and noise level testing to your reviews because as you said, the “best” layout is now to be expected

The end of times. The beaver is has been slain, ladies and gentlemen

can´t wait for the mesh version if they bring one to the market

Did u guys just change ur YT Logo???

Still Rocking a Define R4, Heavy AF but still there after 8 Years even tho I Moved it quite a lot.

RIP Beaver

I think it's a great evolution from the R6. Add the fact that they still allow for an optical drive. I love it.

I Love this case: It's so simple and practical. I have 7 Sata-devices including a blu-ray drive. Easy to install all of them. I'm not good with my fingers and hands -> easy ro install everything and cable management is extremely easy. They also offer version with a closed side panel.. which helps me to hide parts with always on rgb components. If you like simple + efficient look.. Define 7 is perfect.

I think this case looks really cool. I would say the only issue is the fan hub having six 3-pin fan headers and only three 4-pin PWM headers. They should be all 4-pin headers.

I really love my Lian Li 011-Dynamic XL case! Easiest case I ever worked with, it looks incredible and cable management is trivial. It was the perfect home for my water cooled Ryzen 9 3900X + Asus Crosshair VIII Hero and Asus RTX 2080 Super. I ended up using the new Corsair iCUE QL120 fans just to make it more of a show piece. I also really like that the Lian Li 011-D XL doesn't look like every other case (well until Phanteks blatantly ripped it off anyway). I think it turned out completely brilliant.

I’ve had the Define R6 ever since watching your review of it. I love this case and even though the Define 7 isn’t really much of an upgrade, I like what they added with cable management and the new color scheme so I’ll definitely be purchasing this as well!

They say support for 420mm in the top and 360mm in the front.. They say that. I have the old Meshify version, 1. You either have to use low profile RAM oooor mod your RAM's coolers (which I did) and 2. you have the sort of mount the front fans externally and modify the front panel to make space... You have to lose the dust filter and cut out, more or the less, the entire plastic reinforcements. After a few months I can report the metal mesh front panel works fine on it's own as a dust filter. All of this barely fits, but it fits.

I dont understand some Fractal design decisions. They made the top panel swappaple, but the fan mount underneath it that was already removable only comes in one version that is quite restrictive if you want to use 140 mm radiators & fans. I also wish the front fan mounts would mimic the Torrent where there are Fan adapters and not that clutteres mess that increases fan noise because the blades fly past those reinforcements and fan holes at close distance.

I'm loving the new logo on the Canucks channel.....and snoze.....I'm loving the new studio for boot sequence

I'm pretty sure we are at peak case status, at least for ATX. Even those that came out at least 3 years ago are still perfectly viable today. What companies need to focus more on from 2020 onwards are the smaller enclosures and make them as widely available and as competitively priced.

I like it. Still rocking my beloved Define R5 with a newly installed tempered glass panel. Love love it!

I need this case but shortened. I don't need all that space behind the front fans but I do love the window, cable management and fan hub!

That white front drive cover would be perfect for "snowblind" lcd glass. You'd have a perfect background.

Logo change? Goodbye Beaver mascot.

Case manufacturers need to get rid of the empty space at the front. It's only for hard drives which most of us don't use or put behind the PSU shroud. Let's get the intake from the front fans closer to the hot components.

I've watched about 20 reviews on the Define 7 and this video by far is the most informative. Thank you 👌

To be fair, A PC case is essentially a square box. there aren't many things you can do with it other than throwing away everything and start from scratch. Meanwhile, I'm looking or a Micro ATX form factor case that fits an ATX motherboard while looking decent. The RIotoro C1088 *I think it was) is a no go due to the bump in the clear side panel. and the other case I saw that fits would be the O11D Mini, which isn't released yet. I do realize that what I'm looking for is a bit odd, but I got a sound card I want to keep using! I ask for a lot, don't I?

Interesting concept here Dmitry. I like what you are saying about case designs and I will agree with you. There's no cases out there that have called my attention to the point that I feel like upgrading from my old Corsair case.

I have a Define R6, and it has been perfect for my needs. I like the metal parts of mine better than the plastic they're using on the Define 7. However, I am happy to see they are continuing with the Define model, because there are many of us who need an optical drive. I recently used mine to print X-rays from a CD to my primary doctor, because their computers were unable to handle the work load that mine can! It is simply amazing that a builder can have more power than most offices, even approaching many workstations used for engineering applications. Although other cases offer better cooling, the Define series are better at integrating older technologies with newer.

I miss the old logo :( It felt more Canadian

The XL version of this case was future proof. It works flawlessly with Arctic liquid freezer ii 420mm radiator on top. Quiet monster rig with extreme overclock under heavy load. That's as spoiled as you can get in gaming without a headphone...

I've chosen this case for my new PC build, I think overall it is pretty good, very flexible and I like the white on black colour scheme too

Nice review! Thanks!!! I have the grey case. It's like a fine metallic grey, and looks great. Like you pointed out, the 3 different mesh patterns on the top 3 panels does make the top look messy, like 3 different designers created their own pattern for their respective panel without consulting each other. I'll bet they fix it in rev B.

So I really liked the look of the R6 before I even knew they had a Define 7, but after watching this and reading up on it, seems like it doesn't justify the extra money?

Fractal Designs need to make very compact itx cases (smaller than their node models). It's a market that hasn't been tapped much by major manufacturers. All those small itx kickstarter cases are sold out all the time for a reason.

So yeah, it's everything I love about my R6. Like, almost exactly. And, I prefer the all black interior. So as much as I love Fractal cases, I really see zero reason to "upgrade" to the 7.

I really want to see a successor to the Define Nano S...

It's the most quiet, dust-free case I've ever owned. I prefer the old school minimalist exterior and the quality is second to none.

In case of adaptability? Maybe. Thermals? Nope. The (S)7 Meshify may fix that. My dream case would be a Meshify 7 XL. But with a clean and even mesh on the front instead of the weird crumpled style they use atm. Do it, Fractal!

Does anyone else want the big names to make more mini itx and micro atx options?

The "maximum" case is a dual chamber type like an o11 dynamic

Not a huge fan of the weird cross-hatch design, but still pretty appealing for the price. I bought a Define S ($130 USD) a few years ago, and swapped out the acrylic window for tg panel ($35), cut out a square hole on the front cover with a cheap rotary tool ($20) and epoxied a metal screen cover (I paid $7 at a local hobby shop), and just recently got a vertical gpu mount ($45) and had to cut up the case to get it to fit. All that, and I still don't even have a PSU cover! Im kinda thinking about just buying this new one lol

for me ,fractal should have a case between the meshify c and this one, ( size) and i would like a define c / meshify but with a glass front panel.( like the H510 elite)

Fell in love with this when I saw it about 2 weeks ago...bought the XL-Version, because the grumpy old man in me insists that a PC needs (two!) optical drives (to copy CDs for the car etc.)...no, I don't have a radio with an USB-Plug, that wasn't in when I bought the car and I don't want to spend that money, so yeah CDs :)

Okay, now please take the IO and the basic frame and make an airflow-optimized Define S3 with a mesh-front out of it.

The Meshify 7 should be amazing! And for what it's worth, if you plan to use the top as exhaust you should remove the dust filter anyways.

I had just recently gotten the R6 for my most recent build, and was afraid I'd be bummed that I missed out on a new version. I'm not that bummed really. It's so similar, it just feels like "another flavor" of the R6. There's nothing I particularly sit here thinking "Dang it, I could have had this neat feature." At the same time, I feel like they are taking the small steps they need to to keep it fresh. Few people want the same exact case that's been on the market for years.

I like the revamp! Amazing video editing as always.

I like the looks of the fan louvers on the front. I know it's to help redirect fan noise, but it gives it a nice industrial look. I prefer that style over those super flashy "gaming" style cases.

Any improvements to building and cable management are going to be up to the mobo and graphic card manufacturers. I think all power connections should be opposite of their current location. That way you see zero cables what so ever. When I say opposite I don't me location. I mean flipped around so you can plug the gpu, cpu and 24 pin from that back side of the motherboard. Case manufacturers can move the holes directly behind the mobo for easy access. That would be epic. Better airflow, and less dust. Over all a better looking system without having to shell out extra money for cable mods that never seem to look all that great. It woukd also allow the ability to make cases a little smaller or just have extra room for water cooling or ssd trays. I jusg ordered the lan cool 2. Im finally stepping into ddr4!

To make it better i could of offered a mesh front panel with this case or atleast they should offer to sell that option. I would happily go with the define 7 if this could be a option on my new build in 2 months.

I have an r4 and this beautifully shot video convinced me to upgrade to 7. The black and white pattern looks excellent.

I want this case badly. Simple and easy to build in and no fancy crap. That's all I need.

I'm waiting for smaller cases. With aircooling, there is simply no need for all that space between the mobo and the front of case. I'm looking forward to volume optimization. It doesn't have to be the smallest, but it can certainly be smaller.

Wow. I thought I wasn't going to find the perfect case then this video popped up in my recommendations. This the one.

I wish they also explore building smaller cases.

Nope. When they update the Define Nano S to support the fanless Seasonic Titanium PSUs (that stupid non-structural bump on the case floor makes them 10mm too long), include a PSU shroud with drive mounting options on top, improve the mounts on the back of the big panel to be both 1x3.5" AND 2x2.5" compatible, and update the front panel I/O to be USB C, THEN we'll be at peak case. That spec is natively capable of being a 10-drive NAS plus an M.2 boot drive.

Honestly I am so impressed by the small improvements that I consider replacing my Define R6.

Ok, so most of the major pc tech channels released a well prepared review of that product, almost within the same hour ! It's honestly impressive, how well orchestrated this was ! ... 2 quick conclusions here : - there was some kind of embargo from fractal design to keep you all from posting about this before that time. - you were clearly all provided with a case to review quite before that date. You are in fact, and may I say, in "the secret of the gods" . => From that "almighty" source of knowledge, may I ask you please to spill the beans about the release dates of the be quiet pure base 500dx and the msi X570 tomahawk. I can't stand to wait for them any more.

I have Fractal R5, I got for 100$ a 3 years ago, and I got Side Panel window for 1$ 😁 As was damaged a bit but I fixed it... And I am very happy with this case and it is really quiet!

Definitely interested in define 7 XL! This just seems to be allmost perfect case at this moment. Just replase al those usb2 with usb3 ports and... well them we have it!

Thank you Dimitri for an honest review of an old fave. "Peak Case" - very good! :-) Define Looks perfect EXCEPT for the PSU shroud. If I am buying this gorgeously practical case (still has optical drive - YESSS!) and if I want to install my beautiful Titanium 850W PSU well, then, I want to show my Seasonic Titanium to the world. It is as important, if not more so, than other components that get seen through the tempered glass window. What is this emerging cult of hiding big beautiful PSUs??? On a practical note it would seem the cooling of a PSU is also hampered by enclosing it unnecessarily. Phanteks Evolve X has the perfect solution where they use a little cut-out to show the world your powerful PSU, leaving most of the shroud there to hide the cable mess - best of both worlds and truly innovative. Just cannot believe Fractal pissed this opportunity up against the wall by keeping the same visually and cooling restrictive shroud. Otheriwse it would have been perfect. After 2 whole years of research AND after seeing Phanteks to do right, how on earth could they miss this one little thing? I'm not one for RGB but I think after waiting 2 years for this '7' I'll be going with Evolve X. Looks more exciting too frankly. Sad, waited a good while for this one . . .

Long time viewer, first time comment: You guys really do have some of the best case reviews out there. I appreciate all the info~pretty in depth but not too long.

It's a very minimal change overall from the R6. If you already have an R6, keep it and just have fun with it. Just not enough of a change for me to even try it. They still have the same restrictions on AIO thickness as before, so if you have tall modules/boards, then it's not enough room.

with the define 7 and the meshify c sizes what more can you really ask for? they are the exact size they need to be and has the exact features they need to have. as long as personal computing keep the standards they have not much is going to change.

I've always liked the Fractal Define series, but I like a big open case, so I have always really wanted a big version of something like the define 7 so I don't feel its cramped when I want to put in a lot of water cooling

Impressive case, I love the new mesh design! Great review as always!!

I hope we see a meshify c refresh with features like this case. I love my meshify C but I would gladly pay for all of the features on this case with the airflow capabilities of the meshify

I saw the image on NewEgg with all the panels on and hard drive cages in, and I'm like "that would make a good server box" then saw the price and went "why is that so expensive?" Then noticed it's modular with a bunch of parts.

Coming from an R4 and Nano S, I really like this...but I feel like they're not taking any risks here or implementing new ideas. I personally hoped for a built in Qi charger similar to the Be Quiet Dark Base 900 Pro. ehh maybe next time.

Great case from FD yet again, i love my white Define S2 so I won't be upgrading, but I might get a 7 XL for my new NAS though.

If they do a mesh front door for this case I'd buy it. Like the removable top and room for 280mm rads and up.

Thing that killed the chance of me getting that case, as nice as it looks, is inability to use 280 mm radiator in the top alongside an optical drive. XL version does support it thankfully. Yes, it’s an issue for a minority, but still.

HC has gone Fifth Gear. Miss the beaver. It was such a perfect logo.

Would be nicer if the door opened wider. Like my old Antec Performance One case.

Very few people need a case like this big anymore since we have m.2. SLI/crossfire aint even a thing anymore. We can save more space

Thanks for making a nice Short video. Refined rather than reinvented is a good thing! Don't know if it's worth a price increase.

Hey HC this was an excellent review and gave a fantastic overview of the case. However, one thing really confused me and that's where you talk about companies needing to "take risks" when developing new cases... yet you don't elaborate and say exactly what you are expecting or looking for? It just seemed like a throwaway statement.

im waiting for the moment when dimitry say this is the best case of 2020, and i'll simply buy that

I feel like the biggest innovation to never take place is in vertical airflow. Creating cases that duck air from benith and push it out from above. Also another innovation is what Apple did with modules that lead air through the case from high pressure fans that turn slowly.

I agree, the top has two good designs that just don't go well together

Very happy with my Lancool II, I don't think I'll be changing case for a long time

I want a Define Compact that is the same width as this, so basically this but without the HDD cages.

You say that it's not an exciting case... which case would you characterize as exciting?