Fractal Design scored a lot of fans with the simple and elegant architecture of its Arc Midi enclosure. The Arc Midi R2 represents an evolutionary step forward for the company, incorporating a number of refinements that build on the original's strengths.
Fractal Design introduced its Arc Midi about two years ago at a price point around $80, making it an affordable mid-tower PC case with a simple design. The chassis proved popular with customers and garnered a lot of editorial attention, too. The accolades weren't just related to price; it also boasted a number of features that were far from standard at the time, including cable management, extensive dust filters, an integrated fan controller, and modular hard drive cages.
The original Arc Midi might be two years old, but its aesthetic and feature set are still very much modern. Fractal Design's new Arc Midi R2 replaces the side fan with a large window, which naturally changes the case's look a bit. Other modifications are less obvious. You get the option to install 2.5” drives on the back of the motherboard tray, for example. Or, you can pop in a 240 mm radiator not just below the top, but also behind the front of the case. Finally, the integrated fan control is relocated to a more convenient position.
Since the Arc Midi R2 is only a few dollars pricier than its predecessor, there’s really no reason to skip out on the advertised improvements by stepping back to the old version. We're interested in these updates, and how big of an advantage they might lend to the evolved enclosure from Fractal Design.
Packaging
The Swedish case vendor typically builds its chassis to be simple and elegant. This isn’t only reflected in Fractal's products, but also in its packaging. The Arc Midi R2 ships in a basic cardboard box with side handles. There's a picture of the case on the front and an exploded view around back, describing the enclosure's unique features.
My colleague Igor Wallossek and I both have an issue with the messy Styrofoam used for packaging cases, but apparently nobody is listening. Fair enough.
In the Box
Apart from the case, the box includes a large pamphlet letting you know that you can contact Fractal Design if anything is wrong with the Arc Midi R2. The offer to send out a replacement part immediately and free of charge can save the hassle of returning it to the seller.
The multi-language manual doesn’t include complete installation instructions, but it does a fair job explaining the case’s unique features. The print quality is good, also.
All of the accessories are found in a small cardboard box. There are cable ties, motherboard spacers with a handy installation tool, and plenty of screws painted black to match.
- Fractal Design's Arc Midi R2 ATX Case Review
- The Arc Midi R2's Technical Specifications
- The Arc Midi R2's Exterior
- Air Cooling, Dusty Protection, And Liquid Cooling
- Power Supply Installation And Cable Management
- Installing Optical Drives
- Installing Storage: Hard Drives And SSDs
- Motherboard And Add-In Card Installation
- Test Setup And Hardware Configuration
- Results: Fan Speeds, Temperatures, And Noise
- Addressing An Issue With Vibration
- Sizing Up Fractal Design's Arc Midi R2






Some Notes and Recommendations about Replacing the Fans
Let's say everything else about the Arc Midi R2 is ideal for you, and you simply want to replace its fans.
-Bruce
As for keeping the GPU cool, I don't that is an issue with 2 the fans in the front creating perfectly adequate airflow to keep the GPU cool unless you are using multiple GPUs. Although in time I would probably mod the window and inserting an extra fan there as that isn't a hard job to do.
Heat Sources: i5-3570K @ 4.4 GHz, Hyper 212 EVO, EVGA GTX 560Ti @ 900 MHz, 3 WD Cavier Black HD
With Define R4's often available for roughly $85 (on sale) and Arc Midi 2's typically about $65 online, I find the $20 additional cost for the sound-proofing included in the Define R4 models a very worthwhile investment.
Does your GPU have its fan at one end of the card and exhaust directly outside through the rear bracket? If it does, the reason you see lower GPU temps is likely that the slightly more positive (or slightly less negative) pressure in the case from going solid makes the GPU's HSF a little more efficient at shoving warm air out of the case. Cards with "mid-mount" fans may also benefit from this due to slightly increased vertical airflow between the GPU's top edge and case panel carrying warm air up through the case faster.
That is what I like to call structured airflow. Placing fans in the most effective places and shutting off meshed areas that allow air to escape without contributing to net cooling can achieve superior results with much less meshed area and fewer fans.
-Bruce
Side fans don't always help GPU temps, they can even hurt temps in some cases by interfering with the airflow from the GPU fan. It really depends on the case and GPU (and whether or not the front intakes do anything for the GPU), but saying categorically that having an intake there will improve GPU temps is certainly not true.
As for keeping the GPU cool, I don't that is an issue with 2 the fans in the front creating perfectly adequate airflow to keep the GPU cool unless you are using multiple GPUs. Although in time I would probably mod the window and inserting an extra fan there as that isn't a hard job to do.
in an idealist situation, the top panel fans should indeed be exhaust, but there are people in the rare occasion who want to focus on CPU cooling rather than the rest of the build, this generally calls for Watercooling with top intakes instead of top exhales. There's a moderately large temperature change when alternating the fans directions, the negative impact would be directly adding dust into your system, which can be cured by a decent air filter and regular maintenance.
Otherwise I very much like the case.
-Bruce
I did have a defective release clip for the front fan filter and an email to Fractal Designs support was answered right away and they sent me a replacement free of charge.
Very happy to see the thumbscrews on the 5.25 bays. Most snap locks now still have some give when you hit the eject button on a DVD drive. I don't like that so you still have to use screws anyway. Easy thumbscrews gets major points from me.
I did have a defective release clip for the front fan filter and an email to Fractal Designs support was answered right away and they sent me a replacement free of charge.
Yes, except the define cases still have a fan grill on the side walls. I mean a completely solid side wall, no mesh, no grill, for extra quiet.
Windowed models have no side-fan opening, and they are almost just as quiet as their standard brethren.