Fractal Design Define XL R2 Review

Performance Analysis

The noise dampening materials do a good job of containing sound inside the Define XL R2. Our system was still audible, and more so than in the R4 or Nanoxia Deep Silence 1, but the Silent Series R2 fans that are supplied are essentially inaudible at the 7V and 5V settings, so with less noisy hardware than ours installed you'd have a very quiet system indeed.

In its optimal cooling arrangement with the front drive cage removed and the fans set to their highest (and noisiest) speed, the XL R2 produces the best CPU delta T we've seen for a while from a case optimised for quietness. Its result here of 50°C is also on par with the similarly priced In-Win GRone and the massive Xigmatek Elysium too, so it's a pretty respectable result even while overall it's in the middle of the field. Subsequent increases in temperature can be observed as you decrease the fan speed, although the increase from full to medium speed is less than the increase when moving to low speed.


The GPU delta T result of 47°C in the optimal cooling arrangement is also decent for a low noise chassis, with the two intake fans evidently doing a good job of supplying the graphics area with cool air. The result again leaves the case ahead of other quiet cases like the Fractal R4 and Nanoxia Deep Silence 1, and equal increases in temperature happen as you move between the three fan speeds. The medium fan speed certainly provides the best compromise between cooling and noise output, as the slight hum from the fans at high speed disappears.

Having the top drive cage installed negatively affects both the CPU and GPU temperatures by blocking the cool airflow coming in from the front. It causes increases in the CPU delta T value by 2°C or 3°C at each fan speed, whereas the GPU delta T increases by up to 4°C. Ideally, then, you'd want a set-up without this cage in place, but if it's necessary to keep it you'd at least want to align it with the front fan's airflow.

Conclusion

The design of the Define XL R2 is undoubtedly better than it was before, and kudos go to Fractal for addressing issues like the lack of top fan mounts, the absence of fan control and the poor water-cooling support, as in each case these give users a wider choice of how they'd like to build their system. The characteristic noise reduction is also well implemented, and allows the case to strike an effective balance between noise and cooling performance. It's not the most inaudible case there is, but on the whole it's still very quiet. Therefore, with its competent but not outstanding feature set and a build quality that can hardly be faulted, the XL R2 does what it does very well.

We have no qualms in recommending the case to power users who crave a bit of peace and quiet. We do feel like Fractal could have done more to distinguish the case from the cheaper Define R4, however, as functionally the two cases are nearly identical. The extra space in the larger case doesn't actually add that much to it apart from space itself, and we'd like to have seen a more powerful fan controller, dust filters for the unused mounts and improved water-cooling support in the roof section, for example. Therefore, while the £100 asking price is far from outrageous, unless you desperately need the extra space in the XL R2, the Define R4 will serve you just as well for £20 less.