Fractal Design Focus G Mini Review

Performance Analysis

Performance is often limited in tower cases that don't feature exhaust fans, so we were sceptical about the Focus G Mini. However, the positive pressure design clearly works well, as the CPU delta T of 48°C puts this case near the top of the charts, so it seems that the combination of two intake fans and lots of ventilation around the CPU cooler for air to escape through is an effective one.


The dual intake fans also help the GPU out, and once again the Focus G Mini finds itself nestled near the top of the cooling performance chart, this time with a delta T of 47°C. Having such a porous bottom panel also typically helps.

Conclusion

The sub-£50 price tag is clearly one of the most attractive elements of the Focus G Mini. However, it also means that Fractal has understandably had to cut some corners here and there. On the plus side, the chassis is mostly easy to work with and will cool even an overclocked system very effectively with no need to splash out on extra cooling, and the white LED fans add a bit of pizazz that's not too garish. It also has a decent level of water-cooling support for its price and size and is fully insulated against dust.


There's definitely room for improvement, however: the placement of the 2.5” mounting point behind the PSU, only having a single USB 3.0 port, the flimsy lower dust filter, the overall build quality not quite meeting expectations, and the internal design just feeling a little long in the tooth and lacking modern touches are all things that come to mind.

It's been a tough cal,l this, but with no single, major drawback and a wallet-friendly price tag, the Focus G Mini just about does enough to earn its Recommended badge if you're on the prowl for a low-cost, micro-ATX tower case. Producing a sub-£50 case nowadays has got to be challenging, but the Focus G Mini does well enough in the most important areas that it mostly makes up for slip ups in other less critical ones. However, if micro-ATX isn't an absolute necessity or your budget can stretch a bit further, there are numerous cases that'll offer a better return on your investment.