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Conclusion
Now we come to the conclusion. In the Fractal North post-test, I wrote that I consider GPUs with a TDP of around 300W to be the maximum that should be operated in a case of this size. With the XL, this restriction is now completely eliminated, because thanks to the extended space and even more generously dimensioned “open” areas, I see no problems running the real “ballers” of the caliber of an RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX in this case. Otherwise, everything that was already written in the review of the regular version applies to the XL:
“What can the Fractal Design North do and who is it aimed at? It can’t shine brightly and put on a huge show, that’s for sure. However, an elegant appearance, a convincing, elegant look and a good airflow can somehow be interpreted as a show. After all, an S-Class also has a certain effect on people, albeit a completely different one than a tuned Golf with a deep-fried counter and underbody lighting.
That’s how I heard it at North. It is also of the highest quality – real wood, artificial leather and (depending on the color) gold/silver design accents – I have never seen anything like it. And the most important thing is: it works! Not only in terms of practicality and airflow, but also visually it’s a completely different and – in my opinion – very refreshing change.
The case is probably not the best choice for a child’s bedroom or a brightly lit gaming room, but anyone looking for an elegant and practical case “for adults” should definitely take a closer look at the North (XL). Despite the rather steep price of €159 (XL expected to be around €199), I give the case a “highly recommended” rating, because I was really impressed by the look and the technical features.”
And if you’re wondering why the XL version has been given a slight downgrade compared to the normal version, I have the answer for you. These are also the only points of criticism that I have noticed about this case. Firstly, despite the usual good quality, Fractal has apparently not fully considered that the stability of the side panels (both the glass and the right-hand sheet metal side panel) will fall somewhat by the wayside if the material thickness remains the same (but increases with size). With the size of the XL, a 4 mm thick glass pane and bracing (or increased material thickness) of the sheet metal side panel would have resulted in a significantly higher material appearance. And then there’s the matter of the fans. If you are going to install rather plain models (no RGB, relatively loud, no proper decoupling), then at least the number should be right. An additional exhaust fan in the rear can provide measurably better temperatures and should be feasible with the budget.
The case was provided by Fractal Design for this test. The only condition was compliance with the embargo period; there was no influence or compensation.
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