The latest edition of Fractal Design’s Define series takes the R5 and implements a more open airflow dynamic and improved watercooling compatibility.
May 18, 2015 by Lawrence Lee
Product | Fractal Design Define S ATX Tower Case |
Manufacturer | |
MSRP | US$80 US$90 with window |
When people ask SPCR to recommend an ATX tower, we think immediately of Fractal Design’s Define series. It hits all almost all the important case assets (for SPCR): no-nonsense aesthetics, modest size, reasonably good build quality, well-ventilated front panel, noise damping material, and built-in fan controller. The last two iterations, the Define R4 and R5, made 140 mm fan mounts standard on every side, and incorporated removable hard drive cages to improve graphics card compatibility. These two improvements increased its appeal to the lucrative gaming market but did so without tarnishing the underlying design.
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The newest model, the Define S, hopes to gain traction with both budget users and watercooling enthusiasts. Physically, it looks just like the Define R5 with its recognizable ModuVent covers on the top of the case hiding each ceiling fan placement and numerous ventilation slits running down the sides of the front bezel. The physical dimensions are practically identical, as are the build materials. The Define S is a lower cost variant that lacks a fan controller and implements an interesting design twist. On the inside, all the drive cages and 5.25 inch bays have been taken out, so the front panel no longer functions as a door.
More importantly, this frees up the entire front portion of the case, allowing air to flow from up to three 140 mm fans, mostly unimpeded. 3.5 inch drives are mounted vertically on the right side of the case and there’s only space for three drives rather than eight on the R5. In the space vacated by the drive cages, Fractal has included mounting points so the area can repurposed for installing a pump and reservoir. At launch, they are only offering the Define S in black for a MSRP of US$80 for the standard model and US$90 for the windowed version, $30 cheaper than the R5.
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Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of the retail box as it was too tightly hugged by the shipping box and extracting it wasn’t worth the effort. In any event, there’s nothing notable about the packaging. The side window is lined with a protective plastic covering on both sides, and it ships with a small accessory box and assembly guide. Fractal Design provides all the necessary and screws (save those for additional fans), a nut-driver for the brass standoffs, a handful of zip-ties, and reservoir mounting brackets.
Relevant Specifications: Fractal Design Define S (from the product web page) | |
Motherboard Compatibility | ATX, Micro ATX, Mini ITX |
Expansion Slots | 7 |
Drive Bays | 3 x 2.5/3.5″ SSD/HDD 2 x 2.5″ SSD/HDD |
Front Interface | 2 USB 3.0 Audio in/out Power button with LED (blue) HDD activity LED (blue) Reset button |
Cooling Features | 9 x fan positions (2 Fractal Design Dynamic GP14 140mm fans included); 8 fan positions on window model Filtered fan slots in the front and bottom |
Fan Positions | Front: 3 x 120/140 mm fans (1 x 1000 RPM fan included) Rear: 1 x 120/140 mm fan s (1 x 1000 RPM fan included) Top: 3 x 120/140 mm fan (not included) or 1 – 180 mm fan with 165mm hole spacing (not included) Bottom: 1 x120/140 mm fan (not included) Side: 1 x120/140 mm fan (non-window version only, not included) |
CPU Cooler Compatibility | Up to 180 mm in height |
PSU Compatibility | ATX models up to 300 mm in length, 180/170 mm with a bottom 120/140mm fan installed |
Graphics Card Compatibility | Up to 450 mm in length, 425 mm with front fans installed directly in line with the GPU With a front radiator, maximum graphics card length is reduced by the radiator thickness |
Radiator Compatibility | Front: 360, 280, 240, 140 and 120 mm, all thicknesses Top: 420, 360, 280, 240, 140 and 120 mm (thickness limitation of 55 mm for both radiator + fan applies on 420, 280 and 140 mm models) Bottom: 120 mm (use limits PSU length to 165 mm) Rear: 120 or 140 mm |
Pump Compatibility | Pre-drilled holes on the bottom panel, supports many DDC and D5 variants |
Reservoir Compatibility | Adjustable mounting brackets allow for almost any rectangular mounting screw pattern Maximum distance between the mounting bracket screw positions: 350mm height / 80mm width |
Cable Management | 20 – 40 mm of space for cable routing behind the motherboard plate Velcro straps included for easy cable management |
Colors Available | Black |
Package Contents | Define S computer case User manual Accessory box |
Case Dimensions (W x H x D) | 233 x 451 x 520 mm 233 x 465 x 533 mm with feet/screws/protrusions |
Package Dimensions (W x H x D) | 322 x 615 x 535 mm |
Net Weight | 9.1 kg |
Package Weight | 10.8 kg |
EXTERIOR & SIDE PANELS
Like most towers, the Define S is a steel case with removable plastic panels at the front and top. Its dimensions are 46.5 x 23.3 x 53.3 cm or 18.3 x 9.2 x 21.0 inches (H x W x D), for a total volume of 57.7 Liters (the internal volume is a slightly smaller 54.6 Liters).
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INTERIOR
The internal construction of the Define S is reasonably solid and all the drive mounts, front/top panels, and filters fit snug. However, due to the way it’s designed, it’s not as structurally sound as the R5. Without any traditional drive bays to stiffen the frame, its hollowness makes it feel more flimsy, at least when it’s empty.
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ASSEMBLY
The assembly process is fairly straightforward and easier than most cases due to the ample space. There are no drive cages and optical drive bays to get in the way and the area behind the motherboard tray fairly wide.
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TESTING
System Configuration:
- AMD A10-6800K APU – 4.1 GHz, 32nm, 100W, socket FM2
- Scythe Mugen Max CPU cooler
- Asus F2A85-M Pro
motherboard – AMD A85X chipset, microATX - Asus Strix GeForce GTX 980
graphics card – 165W - Kingston HyperX LoVo memory, 2 x 4GB, DDR3-1600 in dual channel
- Seagate Desktop SSHD hybrid drive – 2TB, 7200 RPM, 8GB NAND Flash, SATA 6 Gbps
- Cooler Master
Silent Pro M700 power supply – 700W, modular, ATX - Microsoft
Windows 7 operating system – Ultimate, 64-bit
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Measurement and Analysis Tools
- Prime95
processor stress software. - FurMark
stability test to stress the integrated GPU. - Asus GPU Tweak to monitor GPU temperatures and adjust fan speeds.
- SpeedFan
to monitor system temperatures and adjust system fan speeds. - Extech 380803 AC power analyzer / data logger for measuring AC system
power. - PC-based spectrum analyzer:
SpectraPlus with ACO Pacific mic and M-Audio digitalaudio interfaces. - Anechoic chamber
with ambient level of 11 dBA or lower
Testing Procedures
The system is placed in two states: idle, and load using Prime95 (large FFTs setting) and FurMark, an OpenGL
benchmarking and stability testing utility. This puts more demand on the CPU and GPU than any real life application. Throughout testing, system temperatures, noise levels, and power consumption are recorded. During the load test, the system and GPU fans speeds are adjusted to various levels in an attempt to find an optimal balance between cooling and noise while maintaining a GPU temperature of 80°C (assuming an ambient temperature of 22°C).
Baseline Noise
For our baseline noise tests, the system is left idle, the CPU fan is set to its minimum speed under PWM control (400 RPM), and the GPU fans are off by default. The system fans are connected to controllable fan headers and are set to a variety of speeds using SpeedFan. This gives us a good idea of what the stock fans sound like at different speeds with minimal interference from other sources.
Baseline Noise Level (Idle, CPU fan at 400 RPM, GPU fans off) | ||
Fan Speed Setting | Avg. Fan Speed | SPL @1m |
0% | N/A | 16 dBA |
40% | 480 RPM | 17 dBA |
60% | 630 RPM | 18 dBA |
80% | 780 RPM | 20~21 dBA |
100% | 910 RPM | 22~23 dBA |
Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle left/front of case. Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA@1m. |
The Define S ships with two identical 140 mm 3-pin fans, one at the back and one at the front, with a specified speed of 1000 RPM. The fans included with our sample are slightly slower, topping out at just over an average of 910 RPM, so even at maximum speed, the Define S is less noisy than most cases out of the box, outputting only 22~23 dBA@1m with our idling test system. The fans can run quieter of course but will require some form of fan control as the case lacks the R5’s built-in controller.
While the include fans are identical models, the front sample emits a faint buzzing sound that increases in pitch with speed, while the rear fan buzzes less and generates a slight rattle that is only audible from behind the case. Other than that, both have fairly good acoustics, sounding mostly smooth throughout their range.
Unfortunately, the case’s vertical hard drive mounting scheme doesn’t handle vibration very well, as indicated by a strong tone being generated at 120 Hz, corresponding to our SSHD’s 7200 RPM motor speed. While the drive is isolated with grommets, it hangs on its side without any additional physical support, shaking the motherboard tray. When a vibration issue like this crops up I attempt basic modifications to see if there’s a simple way of remedy the situation, but the unorthodox design makes these methods ineffective. There’s no easy way to brace the drive sufficiently to reduce this effect.
TEST RESULTS
System Measurements (80°C Target GPU Temp) | ||||
System State | Idle | CPU + GPU Load | ||
CPU Fan Speed | 400 RPM (Min) | 800 RPM (60%) | ||
Avg. System Fan Speed | 630 RPM (60%) | 630 RPM (60%) | 780 RPM (80%) | 910 RPM (100%) |
GPU Fan Speed* | Off | 1260 RPM (45%) | 1120 RPM (42%) | 1070 RPM (41%) |
CPU Temp | 28°C | 60°C | 58°C | 56°C |
MB Temp | 33°C | 45°C | 44°C | 42°C |
SSHD Temp | 34°C | 35°C | 35°C | 35°C |
GPU Temp | 35°C | 80°C | 80°C | 80°C |
System Power (AC) | 48W | 350W | 350W | 350W |
SPL@1m | 18 dBA | 23 dBA | 24 dBA | 25 dBA |
*set as low as possible to maintain target GPU temperature on load. Ambient temperature: 22°C. |
The results of our load tests are surprisingly linear compared to other cases. As the system fan speeds are increased, CPU and motherboard temperatures go down (the SSHD, being relatively isolated isn’t effected by anything), and noise levels go up, even though improved cooling allows the GPU fans to be slowed down. Either the 60% or 80% system fan speed level can be considered the sweet spot depending on whether cooling or noise is a priority. Personally, I’d go with the quieter 60% setting as its rare for a case to stay below the 24 dBA@1m mark with our test parameters.
On load, the higher CPU fan speed and the GPU fans turning on doesn’t affect the overall sound significantly. The video card fans increases the pitch somewhat, but the machine still sounds pleasant enough with no audible tones or other defects.
Case Comparison: System Measurements (CPU + GPU Load, 80°C GPU Temp) | |||||
Case | Fractal Define S | SilverStone KL05 | NZXT H440 | Corsair 500R | Zalman Z11 Neo |
Avg. System Fan Speed | 630 RPM (2 x 80%) | 840 RPM (2 x 60%) | 810 RPM (3 x 60%) | 550 RPM (4 x 40%) | 960 RPM (3 x 70%) |
GPU Fan Speed* | 1120 RPM | 1070 RPM | 1410 RPM | 1090 RPM | 1180 RPM |
CPU Temp | 60°C | 57°C | 66°C | 57°C | 61°C |
MB Temp | 45°C | 43°C | 51°C | 38°C | 45°C |
SSHD Temp | 35°C | 34°C | 36°C | 30°C | 36°C |
System Power (AC) | 350W | 351W | 358W | 348W | 356W |
SPL@1m | 23 dBA | 24 dBA | 24 dBA | 25 dBA | 25 dBA |
*set as low as possible to maintain target GPU temperature. CPU fan at 800 RPM. Ambient temperature: 22°C. |
Compared to previously tested cases around the US$100 price-point or lower, the Define S offers modest thermal performance and a slightly lower noise level, at least in its optimal fan speed configuration.
AUDIO RECORDINGS
These recordings were made with a high resolution, lab quality, digital recording
system inside SPCR’s own 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to
LAME 128kbps encoded MP3s. We’ve listened long and hard to ensure there is no
audible degradation from the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent
a quick snapshot of what we heard during the review.
Each recording starts with ambient noise, then 5~10 second segments of product
at various states. For the most realistic results,
set the volume so that the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then
don’t change the volume setting again while comparing all the sound files.
- SPCR ATX Test System in Fractal Design Define S – Baseline (idle, CPU at 400 RPM, GPU fans off)
— system fans off (16 dBA@1m)
— system fans at 60% (18 dBA@1m)
— system fans at 80% (20~21 dBA@1m)
— system fans at 100% (22~23 dBA@1m)
- SPCR ATX Test System in Fractal Design Define S
— idle, CPU fan at 400 RPM, system fans at 60%, GPU fans off (17 dBA@1m)
— load, CPU fan at 800 RPM, system fans at 60%, GPU fans at 45% (23 dBA@1m)
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Define S is an unusual alteration to the R5. A lower cost, simplified version that lacks a few nonessential features like the fan controller, extra front USB ports, and side panel locking mechanisms is understandable, but this doesn’t completely jibe with the focus on watercooling. Taking out drive cages to make room for custom loop components makes sense, but enthusiasts who pursue this line of cooling have reasonably deep pockets so cutting extras to save a mere US$30 is unnecessary. And if Fractal Design truly wanted to make a more watercooling-friendly tower, they would have also added some more room up top to allow for thicker, ceiling-mounted radiators, as that position offers more open airflow than the front. [Editor’s Note: But a real change in the height of the case would have required retooling, which is no piffling expense.]
The lack of drive support may be a problem for some, but most users don’t need more than three 3.5 inch drives, and 5.25 inch bays become less relevant with each passing day. If you do require an optical drive, a hotswap drive rack, or a memory card reader, there are many external options. The other notable 5.25 inch accessory is an aftermarket fan controller but motherboard fan control are often quite capable these days. The new drive mount scheme isn’t as secure as the R5’s traditional drive cage, making drive vibration a potential problem. If you’re sensitive to that kind of noise, it would be prudent to stay away from high RPM drives altogether.
That being said, my overall impression of the Define S is positive as it retains much of what’s good about the R5. It’s well put together, has superb cable management, and its well-ventilated design produces excellent performance with only two fans. The R5 is more versatile, but this budget version is certainly no slouch, and it’s nice to see quality ATX tower case enter the market for less than US$100.
Our thanks to Fractal Design
for the Define S case sample.
The Fractal Design Define S is Recommended by SPCR
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SilverStone Kublai KL05 Budget ATX Case
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