Rumor Fractal Design ERA ITX - 16.7L SSF Mainstream Chassis

Gonna just dump all the pics I got...

Product box (from a possible early T&E unit?)

 

[Boil]

I have waited for this some time already knowing only the name. A bit of a letdown regarding the GPU size

The more I look at this chassis, and think about the cooling, the more I am convinced the ideal configuration (short of a full custom loop) is dual 120mm AIOs, one for the CPU & one for the GPU. With that in mind, the vast majority of hybrid / LC GPUs are reference-sized, so they would fit in the Era perfectly, and the box clearly outlines support for two 120mm AIOs!

Dual 140x25mm fans on the bottom set to intake & dual 120mm AIOs (with a 120x25mm fan on each AIO) on the top set to exhaust seems the way to go?

Man, I really hope someone puts out a LC version of Big "Chungus" Navi when it drops! ;^p

 

[Rikardo]

The more I look at this chassis, and think about the cooling, the more I am convinced the ideal configuration (short of a full custom loop) is dual 120mm AIOs, one for the CPU & one for the GPU. With that in mind, the vast majority of hybrid / LC GPUs are reference-sized, so they would fit in the Era perfectly, and the box clearly outlines support for two 120mm AIOs!

Dual 140x25mm fans on the bottom set to intake & dual 120mm AIOs (with a 120x25mm fan on each AIO) on the top set to exhaust seems the way to go?

Man, I really hope someone puts out a LC version of Big "Chungus" Navi when it drops! ;^p

Good point. I already have 2080ti which is 314mm long. If I have understood it correctly, the PCB should still be similarly sized as in FE cards. ? It's just the non-reference cooler that makes it longer. I also happen to have Kraken G12 laying around, so there might still be change for a decent setup for me ?

 

[JDragon]

I'm planning on going full air-cooled with Noctua NH-C14S, 2 intake fans on the bottom, and 2 exhaust fans on the top. Not sure if I'm going to keep the stock 80mm fan or not, seems like it could get noisy. Hoping this setup is enough of a chimney effect to have nice air cooling potential.

 

[ermac318]

I'm planning on going full air-cooled with Noctua NH-C14S, 2 intake fans on the bottom, and 2 exhaust fans on the top. Not sure if I'm going to keep the stock 80mm fan or not, seems like it could get noisy. Hoping this setup is enough of a chimney effect to have nice air cooling potential.

C14S seems like a poor fit for this case. Unlike the NCase M1, there isn't a real side intake (those weird diagonal stripes dont count). I would think something like the D9L or other tower coolers pushing air towards the rear 80mm fan would be better. However, I think going AIO in this case is a no-brainer.

 

[3lfk1ng]

Our review goes live in 5 hours.

 

[JDragon]

A

Our review goes live in 5 hours.

Awesome! Hope there’s some air cooler tests.

 

[Boil]

C14S seems like a poor fit for this case. Unlike the NCase M1, there isn't a real side intake (those weird diagonal stripes dont count). I would think something like the D9L or other tower coolers pushing air towards the rear 80mm fan would be better. However, I think going AIO in this case is a no-brainer.

Dual AIOs...!

From my rough measurements, it looks like a H80i V2 (with one fan, swap the stock for a 12x25 Noctua) will fit over the mobo (74mm total thickness); and if AMD makes a LC (Liquid-Cooled) version of Big Navi then it will probably have the same LC system as the Vega 64 LC & the Vega Frontier Edition LC, so a total thickness of 63mm (swap that fan as well) over the PSU...

As for the fan swaps; hey, I already have the 12x25s, so why not...?!? ;^p

 

[Poblopuablo]

@3lfk1ng posted a thread to a review: https://smallformfactor.net/reviews/fractal-designs-era-chassis-review/
Looks like their product page is updated. https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/era/era-itx/cobalt-tempered-glass/

 

[rfarmer]

There is also a review on OC3D.

 

[Jokanevad]

Hmm, I´m really not a fan of this case - it looks like a wierd HP box from 2005. Too bad. I do like that the big companies are starting to make SFF more mainstream. I would have been content with a Meshify Nano tho...

 

[Rikardo]

Hardware Canucks also reviewed it

Seems nice, but it's not for me

 

[Jetpaction]

Man, they so missed the mark with the lack of space below the GPU. You can't even use a GPU if you want to install 2x140mm fans in the bottom? That's just crazy.

Maybe with custom watercooling it would fit if you have a 1-slot GPU waterblock but then you can only cool both your CPU and GPU with jsut a single 240mm rad. Not impossible but temps probably won't be great? You could additionally add an 80mm rad (HWL Nemesis M80 GTX) on the rear but don't know if that would conflict with other parts in the case or motherboard.

Some elements are great but with other things they really made mistakes in my opinion. I would've been happier with just a smaller Meshify C to be honest...

 

[Odd_Fox]

I don’t understand why manufacturers can’t get gpu airflow right! This looks like a weak entry into the nascent mainstream manufacturer SFF wars.

 

[Boil]

Man, they so missed the mark with the lack of space below the GPU. You can't even use a GPU if you want to install 2x140mm fans in the bottom? That's just crazy.

Maybe with custom watercooling it would fit if you have a 1-slot GPU waterblock but then you can only cool both your CPU and GPU with jsut a single 240mm rad. Not impossible but temps probably won't be great? You could additionally add an 80mm rad (HWL Nemesis M80 GTX) on the rear but don't know if that would conflict with other parts in the case or motherboard.

Some elements are great but with other things they really made mistakes in my opinion. I would've been happier with just a smaller Meshify C to be honest...

I am going to try this chassis with dual 120 AIOs & possibly a custom loop down the road. The rear exhaust area is where I would mount a D5 pump. I could see a possible market for a replacement bottom panel that has a filtered opening on the bottom and 20mm tall feet, allowing proper air intake from below...

(...I was hoping for a Meshify Nano, but there is no crying over spilled milk...)

 

[JDragon]

I am going to try this chassis with dual 120 AIOs & possibly a custom loop down the road. The rear exhaust area is where I would mount a D5 pump. I could see a possible market for a replacement bottom panel that has a filtered opening on the bottom and 20mm tall feet, allowing proper air intake from below...

(...I was hoping for a Meshify Nano, but there is no crying over spilled milk...)

Would that be with both AIOs as intake and the 80mm fan as exhaust?

 

[Boil]

Josh over at NFC had good results with his AIO fans set to intake...

 

[Qu1ckset]

I Don't know who they didn't ventilate the bottom of the case, and added small case feet, would of completely fixed the gpu temps , with ventilation you also probably could of fit a radiator down there with no fans

 

[rfarmer]

Appreciate the link to @Josh | NFC video, I trust his opinion a lot more than other TechTubers. This case is a lot like the H1, close to the mark but missing it. Looks like this will be a real GPU cooker. At least NZXT and Fractal are actually starting to get SFF, few more tries and they might get it right.

 

[Boil]

Appreciate the link to @Josh | NFC video, I trust his opinion a lot more than other TechTubers. This case is a lot like the H1, close to the mark but missing it. Looks like this will be a real GPU cooker. At least NZXT and Fractal are actually starting to get SFF, few more tries and they might get it right.

I think blower cards or hybrid cards might be the way to go...

Since I currently have a MSI GTX 1070 Sea Hawk X, I am going to go the dual AIO route...

And since the only 120mm AIO I have on hand is a H60, I will go with that (but I want to try a H80 at some point)...

 

[Boil]

Would that be with both AIOs as intake and the 80mm fan as exhaust?

Era ITX with dual AIOs