Fractal Design’s Define R3 was a resounding triumph; with the new successor in the ranks do we have a worthy replacement in the R4?

From a visual aspect R4 has remained very similar to its predecessor, as has the build quality which is very good indeed. Where things have changed is the newly implemented fan controller which allows for up to three fans to be managed through 5v, 7v and 12v. Space and clearance is another area that has seen improvements, the chassis is wider; making way for more space behind the motherboard tray and for the CPU cooler. Longer graphics cards are now supported too thanks to the HDD cage being split into two sections and being detachable.



A number of silent cases have been reviewed recently at Vortez and this niche of chassis have the mandatory characteristic of having material attached to the side panels for noise damping. The usual choice of material is foam but Fractal Design have gone further than this to furnish the side panels with a thicker synthetic material which his higher in quality.

Overall I’ve been very impressed with R4; improving on an already successful product is no mean feat but Fractal Design appear to have hit the nail on the head, pricing helps to reinforce this by being very competitive at £90inc. VAT. Many of R4’s rivals are listed as being over the £100 mark and this will work in Fractal Design’s favour.

Define R4 builds on the success of R3 by continuing with the desirable looks, great quality and affordable pricing. Fractal Design have been careful not to ruin a good thing and have therefore wisely implemented small changes that transform to a big difference.