Fitting a motherboard into the case was fairly simply, and again, the provided screws came in very handy. Although depending on the motherboard you are using I could see that fitting could be a little troublesome as there isn’t a lot of manoeuvrability.
Final Thoughts
The Array R2 would make a great Windows Home Server or even a media center PC. One thing you won’t be able to install though is a DVD or Blu-ray Drive as there are no bays in the case to support that. You could of course use a USB one if you wanted, but I decided to skip that.
The case itself looks fantastic and really feels at home in the living room with all your audio and video kit. In fact at first glance you wouldn’t say it was a computer at all!
Opening up the case was very simple, just remove a few screws and the top comes off.
There are plenty of air vents in the case and the acoustic foam on the inside of the lid really helps to reduce the noise – well done on that point Fractal!
The one thing that is missing though is front USB ports. While not a huge issue, it would have been nice.
What else can I say? I love this case! If you are in the market for a really cool looking quiet case that can take up to six internal drives and already has a quiet power supply then look no further than the Fractal Design Array R2.
Cost wise, here the UK the price is around £160 and in the US it is around $180, but as usual do a search for the best price.
Learn more from the Fractal Design website
Very nice case indeed. I build a server for a client using the Lian-Li http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=480&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=64 PC-Q08 case, that one gives you the DVD drive and can hold 6 HDD.
This case shares a lot of simularities. If I were choosing a 6 drive case without a DVD bay, I would choose this one. I like the internal power supply, Lian-Li cases support the larger power supplies and I find that excessive in the smaller case.
Room for a DTX motherboard is a nice touch. Even if you use a M-ITX motherboard, you can still use the extra rear slot to add a backplate with some USB slots.
I like that the front is clean and without USB or audio inputs. If this box is on display in your AV system, it’s not pretty having stuff hang off the front.
Also it looks like this case can handle a i3/i5 motherboard, some case can only accomadate Atom boards.
thanks John – it really is a great case.
Ive got an i3 mobo coming soon so I will test it and let you know
If you get a chance Andrew can you post some side by side photo’s with the HP Microserver & your Tranquil SQA-5H ? I would like to see how they differ.
Ask and you shall receive :
http://forums.usingwindowshomeserver.com/topic/265-photo-comparison-between-tranquil-sqa-5h-hp-microserver-and-fractal-design-array-r2/
Where did you buy the case from? Is it available in the US?
Hi Jonathan
Im based in the UK so I got mine via Europe. If you visit the Fractal Design website using the link in the article you can see where to buy in the US.
Andrew
I have been looking closely at this case for a project later this year. Unfortunately, it falls into the category of ‘good but could do better’.
I picked up on the lack of front USB ports, but would also have liked to see a fitting for a slimline DVD drive, directly in front of the motherboard, underneath the drive cage.
But it’s the drive cage where I think immediate improvements are needed: a lay-flat handle to facilitate placement and removal, and something to keep the cables tidy at the back – a backplane would be the best solution, of course.
I’ve just been looking at the Lian Li PC-Q25. The drive cage is much better. Only I think they’ve blundered by not inverting the PSU.
http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=584&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=64