Fractal Design Torrent

[Kaamos_Llama]

Torrent

Built to maximize cooling potential straight out of the box, the Torrent comes with a brand-new component layout and two custom-made 180 x 38 mm Dynamic PWM / Prisma RGB fans. The Torrent is a perfect fit for anyone serious about high-end cooling – with or without a custom water loop.

www.fractal-design.com

Been looking at cases for a while, but haven't been inspired by anything. Most cases it seems you have to choose between a plain looking airflow with mesh or a nice looking greenhouse with limited airflow and limited space for air coolers. I do like the look of the Lian Li PC 011 dynamic but I've been put off a bit as it seems optimized for custom water cooling with the sideways fan bays at the front.

This looks like it offers the potential to throw up to a 360mm Radiator if I ever fancy, while also allowing space for any massive air cooler on the market. Also I can get rid of my scratched up old Fractal Arc Midi R2.

Opinions? Thoughts? Alternative suggestions?

 

[Colif]

if I had a choice last year, instead of a case that looks very similar to that internally, I would have gone for this

ALTA F1

SilverStone ALTA F1 is a masterpiece chassis aimed at a newer generation of chassis design language with its simple, minimalistic aluminum bezels and modern lighting effect, all in a bottom-to-top directional airflow design, creating a new benchmark in chassis appearance and performance. Front...

www.silverstonetek.com

My last 2 cases were made by Silverstone and my last case used exact same internal layout as that one, maybe next PC can have that case. Sure would make deciding what to use next easier than last time. It wouldn't be as cheap as the Fractal design but likely to kill it in the cooling department.

That new Fractal Design is just a new front on an old design, same thing can be said for a lot of their PC for a few years now. they just make it better each time.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

I like the chimney style of the Silverstone, I think they had the Raven or something similar a few years ago that did the same thing? Its neat haven't seen that one before when I've been looking, thanks.

EDIT: Just caught the Silverstone case has a limit of 160mm length for PSU, I have a 750W SuperNova G2 thats a probably unnecessary 180mm long.

The PSU on the Fractal Torrent is at the top old skool, so there's space for 3 fans on the bottom to directly feed the GPU, I don't think any of the other recent cases have that? It does mean I guess the PSU eats some heat from the CPU and GPU. Fully vented back panel is nice too, and I was caught by the look of the front vents, might have to get some filters though.

Its also 200 Euros here, ouch.

 

[Colif]

Raven had a more expensive version called Fortress... that was my case

Sorry, is my case. Its still at base of my bed, I couldn't let go. Its 1 year today since it was retired for good as I made new one on 19th Aug.
front of fortress is on left,
It had better cooling than my current one does. 3 x 180mm intake fans, it kept everything chilly until right at the end.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

The length of that thing! I'm pretty sure that would be hanging off the front of my desk.

 

[Colif]

it lived on my floor for most of the time I had it, only in last year or so did I put it on the wooden box my current PC lives on

so its length was never an issue. it was a black object that seemed to suck in all light

here it is blending into the darkness

you can only tell where it is by what it blocks out... all light. it makes black holes look bright.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Silverstone has that black paint!

I cant have stuff on the floor, with a 3 year old its barely safe on my desk. My work phone has been on top of it so that it's out of reach. Not any more, found yesterday evening in one of the toy boxes under some soft toys.

The turbulence from the 180mm Fractal case fans will prevent this from happening, probably.

 

[Colif]

so there's space for 3 fans on the bottom to directly feed the GPU, I don't think any of the other recent cases have that?

I haven't really taken that much notice of cases recently but I know the Lian LI's let you put 3 on bottom.

My Fortress sat on a metal bar that kept the intakes far enough above ground to not just suck dust in all day, that and bottom fans were filtered so for a long time I only needed to clean those out. Later on I noticed I needed to clean other spots as well that I had ignored too long. I need to do a better clean of my current case too soon, maybe i think of it on weekend.

3 years olds with a case with top exhausts... sounds like trouble. Another reason to avoid it I guess. I always worried about dropping the case screws into case when putting its sides on. Biggest difference between old case and new one... on the firtress I would always struggle to put the side of the case back on after taking it off. New case, it can almost be put on 1 handed, its so easy I don't even hesitate to remove glass and it clips back in without needing to use any screws to keep it on.

 

[DXCHASE]

This is going to be my next computer case, LIan Li as well...

Lian Li Lancool II Mesh

I havent built my new pc yet, but after getting and looking over this case, im glad i bought this one. The biggest things for me in a case is how the PSU is hidden and how the chords can be hidden, this case does both really well for me. I am a Less-is-better type when it comes to RGB, so the front fans might be a solid red or something else, not rainbow, but you can turn them off in the case completely if i want to.

Its also very spacious which i like (it is a full tower after all), i am doing an air cooling system and this case is perfect for this but it would also be great for water obviously.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

I haven't really taken that much notice of cases recently but I know the Lian LI's let you put 3 on bottom.

My Fortress sat on a metal bar that kept the intakes far enough above ground to not just suck dust in all day, that and bottom fans were filtered so for a long time I only needed to clean those out. Later on I noticed I needed to clean other spots as well that I had ignored too long. I need to do a better clean of my current case too soon, maybe i think of it on weekend.

3 years olds with a case with top exhausts... sounds like trouble. Another reason to avoid it I guess. I always worried about dropping the case screws into case when putting its sides on. Biggest difference between old case and new one... on the firtress I would always struggle to put the side of the case back on after taking it off. New case, it can almost be put on 1 handed, its so easy I don't even hesitate to remove glass and it clips back in without needing to use any screws to keep it on.

@Colif Yea the Lian Li 011 has that, but other Fractals havent I dont think. Hopefully she wouldnt spill any juice on the desk underneath the tower where it gets pulled up through the system by the massive airflow in some kind of vortex.

@DXCHASE I'm not too excited by the looks of a lot of Lian Li cases, although I've always liked their layouts and the materials they use. Its just not different enough from what I've already had/have, but thanks for the suggestion! Toms and TPU have both said in review that cable management isnt the best in the Fractal, and I hear Lian Li is great at that too.

There's also just something a bit different about the front panel on the Fractal Torrent. Also the remote possibility of throwing in a completely unnecessary dual 420mm radiator water cooling loop when I get that massive bonus/tax return/lottery win I've been waiting for is kind of appealing.

I've got some old Silverstone 140mm filters I used in an old case, but I think I'd prefer some sort of magnetic sheet filter type thing. The Torrent doesn't seem to come with anything at all, which kind of sucks.

 

[Lutfij]

I was bombarded with a number of videos pertaining to the case from my subscriptions;

View: https://youtu.be/eDAliD92xC4

View: https://youtu.be/HBxo2_lwKps


It's a good chassis, given you have the right hardware to populate the innards. If I had the funds, I'd get it myself, regardless of what would or wouldn't go in there, the case just looks nice IMHO. What sort of watercooling hardware are you looking at, if I may ask?

Come to think of it, I'd pick the grey version and maybe mod the front panel accent slits yellow and perhaps some other minor bits in the case.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Yes, everyone seems to have been reviewing it, they obviously put the marketing budget behind this one. I really like the look too. Its actually not much bigger than my current case either for the extra space it has inside.

Not looking for watercooling parts right now. I'm not really expecting a large bonus I just like having the idea of having the option. Current case only fits a 240 up front and slim 240 in the top without modding, Would be nice to be able to go silly big if I did ever did get the chance, without using some sort external MO-RA outside of the case.

Unfortunately I dont have the skills, tools or space to start modding anything to a standard I'd be happy with, unlike you I'm very lucky to be able to put some money into PC hardware most years, but the cost of buying a waterblock every time I bought a new graphics card when I could have just got a better tier of card doesnt make sense to me. I can dream though!

Torrent does look really nice though, and seeing as I wont be buying a graphics card later this year like I planned to, I might put some of that money here instead.

 

[Lutfij]

Monsta's are a sight to behold, considering how girthy the radiators are. I have a 240mm version, and the other sized Monsta's are no joke, really low RPM high static pressured fans will mean funtastic temps. Agreed the case doesn't necessarily mean you should watercool in it but it's a pure air based cases without the need for additional(aftermarket) fans, i.e, out of the box, you're set for life.

Nah, I just stumbled into modding you're going to be my competition if you took up a tool to start modding..."watch yo back!". I don't invest in a full cover GPU waterblock since it's a one way trip, that same block won't come of any use on another card unless the guys at the AIB partners are feeling generous, which is why I tend to keep the GPU on air and the CPU under a waterblock. MO-RA's, oh my, you're really trying to bury me :3 they're amazing rads for sure, just dust magnets if you have pets and a dusty environment but they have immense cooling potential, regardless of what size you get, since they have access to cooler ambient air. Aim the vents of an A/C to it...em, we have a mini Siberia in your cooling loop.

Nice, indeed!

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

I'd love to get into custom water sometime, there's little to no practical benefit for me with a 5600X but I do love the look of a well done loop, especially with hard tubing bent perfectly to shape and some Mayhems pastel coolant.

Could throw a CPU only loop with a 360 rad in the front if I wanted to though. Might have to leave off the front bottom fan for the pump/reservoir but I dont think it would affect else anything badly.

I'd be fine with the tools modding, but I have no visual artistic talent whatsoever and no sense of style. So while i could probably in time get everything to look how I designed it with the right tools, the design would just be terrible looking in the first place

MO-RA-s are epic, but once you go down that route its only a couple of steps from smashing a hole in the wall of the house to install some kind of bong cooler. I respect that and it fascinates me, but its not a road I want to take!

 

[Lutfij]

Might have to leave off the front bottom fan for the pump/reservoir but I dont think it would affect else anything badly.
If you end up with a standalone res with the Torrent, you can look towards a mounting location where a rear 120mm fan usually resides in a traditional rear exhaust mounting location.

Yeah watercooling is addictive, I kid you not! I think it was B-negative who had his radiator mounted outside his house, literally drilled holes in his brick walls, got bulkhead passthroughs, got the radiator mounted horizontally on the outside, extra length wiring and then tubing, instant outdoor ambient temps(imagine what the temps were during winter), sheeesh!

^ I can't find it now but I'm sure I'll find it, will PM you about it if an when I do.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

I think I've seen that thread sometime, but yea another look would be cool. I'd guess with sub ambient temperatures like that in the winter you're going to be having to be worrying about the dew point so the tubing doesn't start dripping on the rig while its running? Madness! In the best way

 

[Lutfij]

it was located under a shading device above the window and it was in UK, sure of it. Madness...is what watercooling is and should be