Here for the rant, just watched Steve's case review.

@initial_kd

4 ай бұрын

Excellent review imo from GN. Wendell's touch on the manual and power supply sizes was great too.

@danieloberhofer9035

3 ай бұрын

I decided to go the other way around - came here for the rant first, gonna hop over to Steve now. 😁

I like Wendell rambling about asus more than the new case.

@zacharytaylor8523

4 ай бұрын

It's something that needs to be done more and more, for a company that is revered or at least has been, they very much are acting like white van scammers

@jmwintenn

4 ай бұрын

@@zacharytaylor8523 i never got why people gush over them.

@maddmethod5880

3 ай бұрын

yeah Ill never buy asus ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

340mm fans in the front?! Hot damn.

@acubley

4 ай бұрын

I think that's vertical. Tho you might be being sarcastic... 13.38" fan would be quite awesome. Chop your hand off territory.

Your gripe about the motherboard malfunction is actual par for the parts I get from Newegg. Although, the Asus support issues are pretty embarrassing, as well.

The experience Wendell is having with ASUS is my exact experience at least 3 times now. RMA's have taken 2-3 months.

This case is flooding my feed. Must be a promo. Every KZreadr and their mum has received one 😂

Yeah I’ve given up on asus a long time ago. I had to return my asus x670e-pro mobo due to memory controller issues. Microcenter rep said he’s seen about every board they’ve sold come back 😅

@marcelocampoamor4761

3 ай бұрын

The memory controller is in the CPU not in the board

Just bought this case for my TRX50 build. Gonna have a fun weekend water cooling it!

I have the Non-XL of this case, and I managed t o fit a 360mm aio AND RX6950xt... yes its tight but I also have maximum fans. Its a fantastic case and worth the cost. This one is just bigger :)

Very content with my Fractal North- i feel like ive filled out the machine just fine. Happy for anyone that wanted the look with a larger size. Sorry for anyone who wanted the look in a matx, mitx

@OldColar

4 ай бұрын

mitx you have the Terra... I know I love mine

FYI, Alphacool do a dual 180mm radiator in a couple of different thickness' as well as pump/block combo called the Eisbaer Pro Aurora which fits Threadripper etc. I have the radiator plus two 180's in a Fractal Torrent cooling a 5950x and an RTX 3090 with a D5 pump, just set the fans manually till I couldn't hear them any more and left it. Runs cool no matter what.

I have a Fractal Design North and I love it. The only quibble I have with it is that I wish it had a cutout in the back above the ram for cables. This is very common in cases but there isn't a hole there in the North for some reason.

Ordered this one in black, along with the Phanteks GLACIER ONE 360 T30 V2 cooler for my 13700k + 4090 build. I can barely wait for tuesday to come!

If I could get a Torrent with as many expansion slots as the Meshify 2 XL, I would be so happy.

@Akkbar21

4 ай бұрын

I have the meshify 2. It’s a great case. I haven’t ended up putting in as many mechanical drives as I originally anticipated… but it’s still great. I’m a fractal man for life.

Love my north, perfect size for my amall home office. Also with a externla 560 rad it packs a cooling punch

I think if Fractel launched a wood replacement front panel for the Meshify 2, it would sell very well.

I like the color scheme of the black, walnut and gold.

No one shot of the front! :D Looking forward to the build.

Case is nice, One day i will care enough to get a nice case for myself. Asus is being Asus like normal lol

Always excited for a 180mm fan option.

I haven't bought anything Asus since 2016 and plan to keep it that way

I never had a problem with ASUS RMAs, but Gigabyte earned a 0/10 for sending me back a board and coming just short of accusing me of desoldering a memory slot, removing one pin, and soldering it back perfectly with zero indications of rework. I had sent the board in for RMA because one of the ram slots didn't work. They sent it back saying customer introduced damage with an arrow post-it stuck on the ram slot pointing out a missing pin. I flipped the board over, the solder on the through hole was flat (guess what that means? pin was never there and definitely a factory defect!). Went back and forth with their RMA department and escalating till the point they apparently blocked our email. Worst service ever, and we ended up eating the cost of a GA-Z77X-UD5H and lost the end customer.

@benjaminoechsli1941

4 ай бұрын

Ate the cost of the board, and didn't even get paid for the time and resources sunk into the build. That's rough. Reminds me of the crap GamersNexus had to deal with with Newegg.

Wow, just checked out GN and Canucks and now Level 1. Not as much agreement on this case as I'd expect. Very very interesting. I think the beauty of the case is Heisenburg-ing the results.

Fractal Meshify C love this case! def think i might go with a north on a new build soon :)

I like it when a company goes out of their way to put more XL in my North.

Will this fit a w790 sage? I’m still going back and forth about a case. Water cooling.

I was hoping they would make an XL version, but am sad they didn't include more 3.5" options. This would be a perfect living room HTPC/NAS case if we could just squeeze another 2-4 more drive bays in there.

Fractal is the only cases i fw, besides silverstone of course, but i love them both for identical reasons

We need more Laser Eyes Wendell.

Can you elaborate on the ex360-sp5? It doesn't appear to be compatible with TR5 online, so I suspect I'm missing something

I have the Fractal North (not the XL) case for my Ryzen 7800X3D build, and I really like it.

Silverstone needs to make a redesigned fortress/raven case with watercooling options. This thing is a beast though!

The two 180mm fans in the front of my Fractal Torrent move a heck of a lot of air!

i am here because of the thumbnail

The retailer will be fine. They should be getting credit for defectives from their suppliers.

I wonder if that Newegg board was already returned for issues before you bought it. It's not beneath them.

When I needed to RMA my Asus motherboard, they told me that they would get back to me in 2 days after I spent around 3 days troubleshooting it with them. Took them 3 weeks (and that's with me contacting them every 3 days), then it took another 2 weeks for them to ship (not the deliver, SHIP) me the replacement. It was a horrible experience and I'll probably never get another Asus motherboard, specially with how horrible their firmware has been. Not only fast boot is impossible, but with every other UEFI update they make the EXPO profiles super unstable too...

Love the Wallnut North i have, matches my BK Electronics Wallnut Subwoofer 😊 I'm more of a proponent, these days, of high airflow/low noise than sound damping and running fans at a faster rpm to make up the difference. Before the North i had a Nanoxia which was an improved rip off of the early Fractal Define cases, except having less HDD and no 5 1/4 bays (just use an usb ODD and a separate nas build in that new Jonsbo N4 that rips off the Norths aesthetic). I like that you can actually mount a large rad in front and a long gpu now but i don't run either, so i have to resist the temptation to get an XL just for the big boi fans. As GamersNexus said the XL is a misnomer as it's really around the size of a regular atx case.

Wendels constant updates on dealing with asus are the only thing keeping me from building a threadripper system now

@lyserberg

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely bananas stuff when the cheapest board for Threadripper (the Gigabyte one) has proven to be consistently more reliable, at least from the coverage I've seen.

As a semi-professional lazy, lazy man I went the easy route and used an NZXT H9 flow case for my new PC build. That case is bigly and yuge. 8 case fans lazily spinning to circulate air through it helps flush out the hot air.

Can someone explain to me (assuming attempts to be sensible) why to put an ITX build in a case like this? Even Micro-ATX might be pushing it IMO but I can a bit of usability for that.. but Mini-ITX?

Looking good Randal, hope the sick is getting better

Wicked good Maine accent! No, not even close. But I love it either way! You rock! Love your videos.

Now i just need a North Compact with mATX and front mounted PSU 😊

Be nice to have an option of yhe normal size with a solid top panel imo

Never had any issue with Asus failures but just an issues with the price premiums and how theyve been marketing their products over the past few years... lol so havent been using anything from them for a while other than a socket a board from around 2001 I still have in a build.

I love your sound, and that one of the reasons i prefer you vs other tech channels… give that thump!! I watch you in my Tesla on lunch fyi

For a moment there I was intensely concerned about Wendell going "full Bono" with them red eyes.

Dammit! They're going the wrong way! Please release a mini itx North, Fractal 🙏

@TwistedD85

4 ай бұрын

With the surge in interest for the ultra compact and sandwich style sff cases I don't think manufacturers are gonna focus on the traditional layout "macro-itx" mini tower cases anymore. I'd be very surprised to see a large space inefficient itx case these days. A new one anyways.

@alexmartinelli6231

4 ай бұрын

Or at least a super compact micro-atx version would be SO sick. Room for 2 120s on the front, that sort of thing. Could be good.

@blackasthesky

4 ай бұрын

Probably not happening, but I like the idea

@captainanorach

4 ай бұрын

@@blackasthesky I just want it because it would be compact and match the furniture in my living room 😅

@markod7662

4 ай бұрын

Terra doesn't have enough wood?

god dang it, they release rhe north XL just after i finish a build refresh and passed over the North non-xl because it can’t really fit modern RTX Gpus

Damn it. I got one of these two months ago to replace my define 5 and my major complaint was some size restraints and build wuality not as good. Cest la vie

@quademasters249

4 ай бұрын

My first reaction is the case looks pretty flimsy.

Why did they make the front fan screws on the inside of the case!!!!!!????

Man ASUS seems to have slipped in the QC and how they handle hickups with regard to support😢

Seems that Asus has QC problem.

I've had a similar experience with ASUS customer support.

I purchased a top end ASUS gaming monitor once. It came with ridiculous brochures congratulating me on qualifying for "VIP" service. I contacted their service because the monitor went all stripy when displaying stereoscopic graphics, and they explained that their service was absolutely non-existent, blaming their use of a "third party" component - that they put in there, as a core feature, in their factory (the G-Sync module). So I returned the thing. I suppose that's a touch better than Lenovo actively sabotaging devices, but it sure isn't service.

Next system im just going to order from digital storm or some builder site. The cost and time just isn't worth it to me anymore.

It has side vents?! They even give us fans on the side to blow across the PCIe cards. That way we could install server-class add-ins, and not have to worry about overheating if we run our fans at a lower RPM for controlling noise. They used to make cases like that! I still have one, and I'm NEVER giving it up! Oh, and a handle on top for ease of carrying! In fact, why now some locking wheels on the bottom, as well? I'll gladly pay for those extras!

@Level1Techs

4 ай бұрын

You literally can do that with the fan bracket on the mesh side

@TheChadXperience909

4 ай бұрын

@@Level1Techs I saw that after I watched the rest of the video.

honestly .. only clicked because the thumbnail. but did watch it all

Come for the insightful technical commentary. Stay for the ghostly visage of WoK Captain Kirk.

2x 180mm in the front would be the shizzle!

I just went through such a nightmare with asus support that I have sworn off the brand entirely. Couple friends I would vent to during the 2 month ordeal have followed suit. Ended up worse off than before I started the RMA.

XL?!? We want a MINI! Make this case in ITX form factor like the h100 and I am sold

why always the white one?

Well done Fractal, you compare favorably to ASUS

I need it! i don't but I would be damned if I don't get it!

I still have my Define XL big case and still happy with it. These new cases are weaker, a lot of flexing of the plates. Mine is old, heavy like hell, no flex whatsoever. Will keep it forever I presume.

@initial_kd

4 ай бұрын

My North doesn't flex. Tbh it's better than the Nanoxia rip off of the Define i used before and that was better than the early Define cases.

after my experience with the common pcie issues on asus WRX80, I will not be buying a workstation motherboard from asus for a long time

Asuck is horrible on RMA's and will run you around and around hoping you give up but get a Shyster involved and it's a whole different side then.

ive been waiting over a year, for a fan controller, from asus, because out of stock.

Meshify 2 XL is the goat

Nice case. Not gonna renege on my cosmos though. No metal flex there :)

Not having a dust filter on the top panel of pc cases as a default is absolutely baffling to me. I have the regular size version of this case and will be making my own filter. Gotta fight the fight against cat hair insulated PCs.

Really annoying when the vertical mount is sold alone. Should be a bundled item. Love cases where the mobo tray is removable.

Guess i’ll wait until they make something that’ll want me to upgrade from my Torrent.

I just keep seeing issues with all kinds of asus products and services. Such a damn shame. They were rock solid for a long time.

@dom1310df

4 ай бұрын

For me the problems are with Gigabyte's products and customer service - I've not had any problems with Asus

@spiralout112

4 ай бұрын

I had a ASUS motherboard for my Athlon XP that I rma'd probably like 6 times. NEVER WENT BACK!

more wendell rambles pls!

I gave up on asus workstation mobo long time ago. They suck, their support suck, their bios update path suck ... went supermicro and never looked back ... fancy colours won't compensate for being shafted.

Corsair 1000D owner here continuing hibernation because there still isn't a successor

I really, REALLY wish vertical GPU mount was placed or had an option to be placed at the same height as CPU, otherwise it makes absolutely no sense to use it with any motherboard larger than ITX because you're losing access to all those PCIE slots anyway (another problem being limited amount of lanes and in general severe lack of lane bifurcation for majority of consumer motherboards hardly ever justifies mobo larger than mATX... ). Also what's up with modern cases having such abysmal front panel I/O? :/

Oh no I want beeg north

Epic

Asus warranty moment ngl

Getting used to special treatment from the industry is a hard clash with the cold reality of no availability.

0:50 I hear no bass. Maybe I need to listen to that segment a few more times ? 😛

No 5.25 bays :(

@blahorgaslisk7763

4 ай бұрын

I'm one of those who really want to have at least two 5.24" bays. It's hard to find a good modern case that has good airflow and 5.25" bays. I don't need a single glass side panel. I'd actually prefer it has solid steel side panels or possibly mesh sides.

@thomasaquinas9550

3 ай бұрын

@@blahorgaslisk7763 I'm the same way. Two 5.25 is fine, a side 120mm or 140mm fan instead of glass would be awesome.

Will be here for the build when ASUS gets their shit together.

10:28 lego star wars lmao

I get the feeling Asus won't do RMA's, unless it's a fire hazard.

@blahorgaslisk7763

4 ай бұрын

Handling RMA's can be a pain. I worked at a motherboard distributor and handled RMA requests from our customers. When they contacted us I sent a RMA form over E-mail. The customer were to enter the fault description and the motherboard serial, their name and address and so on, and then send it in with the motherboard. Well, for most motherboards the fault description was "Dead", even if it would pass POST and boot to a OS. This meant I had to test every motherboard and contact all customers who hadn't returned a "Dead" motherboard and I was unable to see a direct problem. It turned out that "Dead" according to the customers could mean just about anything. Serial port not working? Dead! USB port not detecting a certain device? Dead! Crash when running a certain software? Dead! Not posting with a processor not included in the compatibility documentation? Dead! Anything could be called "Dead!". Some of the most frustrating was when a customer answers they can't remember what the problem was so they just entered "Dead!" because it fit most kinds of problems. Let's just say I got rather distrusting after a few years. One of the favorites was when clearing CMOS suddenly fixed all problems. Oh, and the customers had many funny ways of clearing CMOS. A lot of them said you had to remove the CMOS battery, short the battery socket and let it sit for a day like that for clear CMOS to work. Well looking at the layout the battery socket has a resistor between the positive side and the CMOS and clock circuit. Then the clear CMOS jumper would short the CMOS positive power to ground. On some motherboard the clear CMOS jumper sat on a three pin design, so removing the jumper from pin 1 to 2 cut out the battery, and pin three was ground so moving the jumper to pin 2 to 3 meant positive power was grounded. So using the CMOS clear jumper meant the CMOS was wiped directly. No need to remove the battery or let it sit for hours if not days. Once the motherboards were diagnosed and the problem described the manufacturer would accept them for replacement. Well at least the one we distributed for. Getting a ASUS sent in was another kind of problem. Getting RMA from some of the manufacturers were not easy and something I often let the distributor we had bought it from handle.

1300 usd for a f-ing motherboard?

Angy Wendell go brrrr

That was a little Willy Wonka-esque.

The broken board was probably drop kicked by Newegg before they sent it. Or it was already RMA'd once. I only buy from them if I absolutely have to. I much prefer B&H. Newegg is skating on disreputable for me.

@ciaduck

4 ай бұрын

I recently bought a RAM kit for a Razer Blade laptop I have. No matter what I did, it didn't work. Newegg shipped it to me in a freaking paper envelope. It took me way to long to figure out it was bad RAM. I sent it back to them exactly how they sent it to me. Meanwhile the replacement kit I got from Amazon came in a mother loving box! How come newegg couldn't figure that out?

at what point would it make sense to ask linus or LTT team to escalate this to his representative at asus.

The Wrath of Asus

When ASUS ruins your Fractal North video :^(

@bushi1147

4 ай бұрын

Never liked Asus since they want to charge me $200 to replace a $60 hard-drive 😂

@seanunderscorepry

4 ай бұрын

@@bushi1147 yea I had seen some people having RMA and warranty issues with them (outside of L1T) and promptly returned my 4080S just to be safe.

ASUS support going as usual...

Stuff like this is why I have stopped buying Asus if I can possibly avoid it. Quality and support have just gone downhill quite a bit over the last several years.

Wendell I love the work you're doing, but this felt more like a rant of things gone wrong than a case review

Do not ever do a New England accent again, ever... hehehe