Like many other manufacturers, Fractal keeps the box art restricted to a bare minimum. The case however is well protected inside the box by the styrofoam inserts.

 

 

 

 

Once unpacked we discover a sleek designed case. No bulky transformer look-a-like, this case just radiates class. The no frills design is logic as this case is targeted at those that prefer silence and functionality over bells and whistles.

 

  

 

Even tough the concept of this enclosure is silent operation, Fractal Design offers the end user numerous option to seriously improve the airflow of this R4 case.

 

 

By opting for a black/white theme, achieved by using white backplates, white HDD trays and white fan blades, the R4 case really stands out from the crowd. Two other color schemes are available besides the reviewed Titanium Grey version: Black Pearl and Arctic white.

 

 

 

After we removed the two panels we can clearly spot the black/white theme. This case provides excellent storage space. Via two HDD bays a total of 8 HDDs or SSDs can be installed on quick removable HDD trays.

 

 

Typical for modern cases is the large cutout behind the CPU socket to facilitate installing your favourite cooler. Rubber grommet protected cutouts allow you to cleanly route your PSU and other cables behind the motherboard tray.

When reviewing silent cases, we noticed that the noise damping material is usually permanently fixed at the side panels or enclosure, thus limiting the expandability to install extra fans. Fractal's patented Moduvent design has got both worlds covered. Either leave the noise damping material in place for maximum silent operation or remove up to three of the patented Moduvent covers to install an optional fan for maximum cooling performance. ( two in the top panel and one Moduvent panel located in the side panel )

 

 

 

Storage wise this case is impressive as it allows up to 8 HDDs or an equal number of SSDs to be installed. The 8 arctic white quick removable HDD trays are divided over two removable HDD bays. The bottom bay containing up to three and the top bay maxes out at 5 HDDs. The top bay has the particularity to be able to being removed by unscrewing two thumbscrews allowing the entire unit to slide out. The HDD bays are, out of the box, installed perpendicular to the chassis. Though for those that prefer to have everything aligned, the two bays can be rotated 90°.

 

 

 

 

Like mentioned before, all the HDD trays support the installation of an SSD. When installing a normal 3.5 inch HDD, the storage device is damped by large anti vibration rubber grommets.

 

The Fractal's R4 design front panel can easily be popped off. This way we get access to the plastic front fan housing. Out of the box Fractal has got one Silent series 140mm R2 fan in the front and a similar specced version at the rear of the case. A maximum RPM of 1000 doesn't sound that impressive, however keep in mind that we are referring to a 140mm version in stead of the usual 120mm versions we find in most other cases. At maximum RPM Fractal lists that this 140mm fan only generates 18.5dBA. The front fans are protected by a dust filter to prevent them from clogging.

 

  

 

 

We already mentioned the Moduvent panels, the top of the case got two of these installed. Removal is a matter of unscrewing four screws. The Fractal Define R4 case also has option to house two 120mm fans in the top. So water cooling users have got room to install a 240 rad in the top.

 

 

 

We end the tour of this R4 case with the front panel. A big power button and a smaller reset are positioned between on the left the in and output jack. On the right Fractal installed two USB2.0 and two USB3.0 ports. Even tough the 140mm R2 fans are silent versions, Fractal opted to install a 3 speed fan controller to steer up to three fans. Three voltages can be selected by adjusting the slider: 5-7-12V.

 

  

 

The Fractal cases are targeting the "I want no noise" crowd, thus Madshrimps opted to install a single GTX 480 GPU in stead of the regular two we usually use when reviewing gaming enclosures. For the cooling tests the case is equipped with the brand new Corsair H80i Hydro cooler, running at the balanced preset in the Link Software.  The hardware comprises of the following parts:

• ASUS Sabretooth X79 mainboard
• Intel i7-3960X OC'ed at 4.5Ghz 1.37Vcore
• Corsair Hydro80i cooling (balanced fan setting)
• 16Gb G.Skill RipjawsZ 2133C9 RAMs
• 1 x GTX480 Fermi graphic cards
• 2 x Western Digital 1TB Caviar Green Hard Drives
• 1 x Intel 520 240GB SSD
• Corsair HX1000 Power Supply.

 

For the idle tests we let the setup warm up during a 30 min period. The temperatures of the CPU cores are monitored by the Realtemp software. The temperatures of the motherboard components are read out by the ASUS Thermal Radar software. For the stress test we go flat out and test our the six cores of the overclocked i7-3960X CPU (4500MHz) with the Prime95 64bit software with a custom 12-12K setting.

Here are some screenshots of the ASUS Thermal Radar software in action:

 

 

Installation went flawless. The numerous cutouts are well dimensioned and the big clearance between the motherboard tray and side panel provide more then enough room to tuck away them dreadful cables.

 

 

Since we only used 2 HDDS and one SSD in our test setup we were able to remove the top HDD bay, thus allowing the end user to install humongous large graphic cards up to 430mm length, plus maximizes the airflow of the front fan. If needed the HDD bays can also be rotated at a 90° angle.

 

  

 

Hardly any case I know had got two cutouts above the motherboard area, a clever idea as it allowed direct routing of the CORSAIR Hydro 80i fan cables.

 

  

 

An appropriate cutout also positioned directly above the PSU for easy routing of the front panel AUDIO and USB cables.

 

 

 

 

 

Cable management is aided by the 26mm clearance between the motherboard tray and the side panel. Time for the temperature results:

We tested the included fan at 12V and 7V. Just to spot if there was any difference during the temperature tests. Sound wise reducing the volts makes hardly no difference. This is one of the reasons the 5V setting was not tested. Secondly we feared the case might starve for airflow ( the R2 140mm fan spins +/- at 350rpm at 5V).

 

 

Between the 7 and 12V setting we spot two to three degrees C difference, mostly under Load conditions. When comparing these results with e.g the Cooler Master Silencio 550, we notice both enclosures achieve similar results. With a small advantage for the Fractal Define R4 when running the fans at 12V ( +/- 985rpm according the fan readout in AIDA64), take note that the R4 is slightly larger in volume, but most credit goes out to the decent 140mm fans.

Noise wise this is one of the quietest cases that have been tested by myself. The included Fractal R2 fans are dead silent in operation, even when running full blast. The noise generated by the HDDs is nicely reduced by the included foam damping materials of the Define R4.

The Define R4 is really what it's model name stands for. It defines what a good silent enclosure should be. The used sound dampening materials and silent fans keep the noise level at a bare minimum, however this does not mean that the cooling capabilities are limited. The two 140mm Fractal R2 fans keep all internal components within an appropriate temperature range.

If needed there are plenty of options to enhance the airflow within the case. By removing the patented Moduvent panels, two extra top and one side panel cooler can easily be installed. A second front fan and bottom fan option is also foreseen. The fan controller with the boxed fans is nothing more than a gimmick. However a welcome option if the end user is installing optional fans that might require a lower rotating speed to reduce the noise level.

 

 

Storage wise Fractal opted with the Define R4 case to sacrifice one 5.25 inch bay for an extra HDD tray. A total of 8 HDDs or SSDs can be installed in the easy removable white trays. The two rotating HDD bays are removable to warrant compatibility with ultra-long GPU or PSU’s.

Our test setup blended in perfectly with the Define R4. Installing the  X79 Sabretooth motherboard, Corsair H80i and HX1000 PSU went flawless. The cable management is also top notch as the cutouts are well dimensioned and the space behind the motherboard tray is more than plenty.

The Fractal Define R4 is a well designed, performing well in both the acoustic and cooling department. The installed dampening materials add to the total weight of this enclosure, already weighing at 12.3Kg, but this is not normally the case gamers will buy to frequently visit LAN parties. A docking station or hot swappable bay would have topped it all off. Fractal offers this Define R4 case sub 95 euros, which is a justified price for the build quality and versatility it offers.

 

 

PROS:

• Sleek design
• Excellent noise dampening
• Good cooling performance and expandability
• Price

 

CONS:

• Can we get a hot docking station plz :)

 

A big thanks to the guys at Spacepromotion.nl for sending us the review sample.