Fractal Design Define 7 Compact Solid Black

Fractal Design Define 7 Compact Black Solid Case

The shorter Define 7: the same quiet, sound-damped construction in a case 120mm less deep.

The Fractal Design Define 7 Compact Black Solid takes the Define 7’s sound-damped steel panels, brushed aluminium front and ModuVent top and fits them into a 427mm deep, 210mm wide mid-tower for ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX boards. It gives up the big Define 7’s E-ATX support and hard drive rack in exchange for a footprint that fits under or beside most desks. It is aimed at quiet office PCs, workstations and understated home systems, and Punch can build a new system into it.

Noise and cooling

Two fans are fitted: a Dynamic X2 GP-14 140mm at the front and a Dynamic X2 GP-12 120mm at the rear. The front takes three 120mm or two 140mm fans and radiators up to 360mm; the top takes two 120mm or 140mm fans and a radiator up to 240mm; and the bottom and rear each take a single 120mm fan or radiator. Leaving the solid ModuVent top panel in place keeps noise down; replacing it with the ventilated panel adds exhaust capacity.

Storage and clearances

Storage is two dedicated 2.5in mounts and two combined 3.5in/2.5in mounts, which suits a system based on M.2 drives with a couple of SATA drives. Graphics cards up to 341mm long fit, CPU coolers up to 169mm tall and ATX power supplies up to 200mm long. Seven expansion slots are provided.

Build and connectivity

The steel side panels lined with damping material and the aluminium front give the case a solid, quiet feel at 9.2kg empty. The front I/O has one USB Type-C 20Gbps port, two USB-A 5Gbps ports, two USB 2.0 ports and separate audio and microphone jacks. Cable routing is behind the motherboard tray under Fractal’s usual storage and cable shroud.

Ideal for

• Quiet office and professional PCs in a compact ATX footprint
• Home systems that need to be unobtrusive rather than lit
• Builds with a 240mm or 360mm liquid cooler in a smaller case

Specifications

• Case type: Compact mid tower
• Colour: Black
• Part number: FD-C-DEF7C-01
• Materials: Steel chassis and sound-damped steel side panels; brushed aluminium front
• Motherboard support: ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
• Dimensions (L x W x H): 427 x 210 x 474 mm
• Fans included: 1 x Dynamic X2 GP-14 (front), 1 x Dynamic X2 GP-12 (rear)
• Fan mounts: Front 3 x 120mm or 2 x 140mm; top 2 x 120mm or 2 x 140mm; bottom 1 x 120mm; rear 1 x 120mm
• Radiator support: Front 120/140/240/280/360mm; top 120/140/240mm; bottom 120mm; rear 120mm
• Max graphics card length: 341 mm
• Max CPU cooler height: 169 mm
• Max PSU length: 200 mm (ATX)
• Drive bays: 2 x 3.5in/2.5in, 2 x 2.5in
• Expansion slots: 7
• Front I/O: 1 x USB Type-C 20Gbps, 2 x USB Type-A 5Gbps, 2 x USB 2.0 Type-A, audio jack, microphone jack
• Net weight: 9.2 kg