This morning, Fractal Design released the Fractal Design Era 2, a successor to the Fractal Design Era we reviewed in 2020.
The Era featured flexible layout options and aesthetics, but the airflow and noise levels were notably abysmal. While we don't yet have this new unit on hand to test, it seems to be built explicitly to address prior critiques of airflow and cooling performance, refining the previous design to a more performant chassis.
The Era 2 is a compact mini-ITX case with a footprint of 366 x 165 x 314 mm. It can house GPUs with a thickness between 48 and 63mm and a maximum length of 326mm. The case is ready for Nvidia's GeForce gaming graphics cards, which conform to the chipmaker's SFF guidelines. Regarding the power supply, Era 2 supports SFX and SFX-L units.
Meanwhile, CPU air coolers under 70mm will also fit inside the Era 2. If you're a fan of liquid cooling, a 280mm radiator can fit up top. Four 120mm fan mounts provide adequate cooling and airflow inside the case. The two top mounts support 120mm and 140mm fans, whereas the two bottom mounts are limited to 120mm fans.
Fractal Design Era 2 Core Specifications
| Specifications | Fractal Design Era 2 |
|---|---|
| Case Form Factor | Mini-ITX |
| Case Dimensions | 366 x 165 x 314 mm (14.4 x 6.4 x 12.3 inches) |
| Case Fan Support | 2x 120/140mm Top Fan slots; 2x 120mm Bottom Fan slots |
| Case Fans Included? | Yes; 2 Pre-Installed Fractal Design Aspect 12 120mm Bottom Fans Pre-Installed |
| Front Panel Type | Mostly-Sealed Aluminum |
| Front Panel I/O | 1 3.5mm Audio Jack; 2 USB 3.0 Type-A ports; 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port |
| Side Panel Types | Ventilated Aluminum (No Window) |
| Maximum GPU Length | 326 mm |
| Maximum CPU Cooler Height | 55-70 mm depending on MB positioning |
| Power Supply Compatibility | SFX / SFX-L |
Besides the above-listed specifications, it's worth noting that the Era 2 comes in one of three color configurations: Era 2 Silver, Era 2 Charcoal Gray, and Era 2 Midnight Blue. The Charcoal Gray version is highlighted in the main press release and pictured above.
It's undoubtedly a fashionable-looking chassis and seems to be a good performer for Mini ITX, but the asking price of $199.99 might be a little high for some of our readers, justifiably. Fractal Design has a good reputation as a case manufacturer. Usually, it prices these things reasonably, though $199 may still push it a little too hard for an SFF PC case, in this humble writer's opinion.
According to its official product page, the mini-ITX Fractal Design Era 2 is now available for $199 through B&H Photo and Video or Newegg.
