Fractal Design Define 7 XL E-ATX Case, Black Solid

MX81096 Define 7 XL E-ATX Case, Black Solid
MX81096 Define 7 XL E-ATX Case, Black Solid MX81096 Define 7 XL E-ATX Case, Black Solid MX81096 Define 7 XL E-ATX Case, Black Solid MX81096 Define 7 XL E-ATX Case, Black Solid

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: 3.3 / 5 With 3 Customer Reviews

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  • 1
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
By: Andrew
From: Edmonton

Great storage server case, one gottcha

Strengths:

Capable of holding op to 18 3.5" HDD's with 2 SSD's at the same time Type A trays will work in the case if type B trays are not available. the plastic end must be removed (non destructive) and a screw must be used to hold the tray in place from the front of the case Tons of room in the case, it makes an ATX motherboard look like a micro ATX board, this allows use of full sized server motherboards. Replacement top panel included has vents in case you are top mounting fans, or you can use the solid top panel to prevent additional dust from getting in and noise from getting out. Flexible design allows converting the 3.5" drive trays to more open space for better airflow or a place for a coolant pump for a custom cooling loop. Capable of 5.25" drives (in this day and age) Included fan controller to allow for more fans than the typical motherboard can handle

Weaknesses:

Not all drive trays are supplied in the case, I had to buy 10 additional trays to fill the case (20$ per pair, with 5 pairs bring this case to 375$) Type A and type B drive trays were confused at the store. Type B are the correct trays but hard to find for a normal price. I lucked out and got the trays I needed. Type A trays require a retaining screw be using to stabilize them due to the lack of the mounting tab that is found on the Type B trays. Type B trays are exceedingly rare, and thus sell for ridiculous prices on their party sites. Type B Trays are rarely in stock. included fans are not incredibly high static pressure or CFM. should be fine in a normal build, but not amazing when pushing air through 16 hard drives stacked on top of each other. fan controller only has 2 PWM slots (aside from the CPU slot), this is unfortunate if you want to use all PWM fans, you can't make full use of their PWM capabilities.

Additional Comments:

Great case for a storage server or custom water cooling loop, extra drive trays costing extra (by more than 1/3rd of the total price to fill it out) loses a star, but it retains 4 stars for the fact that it's still cheaper than other cases that are less quality and hold fewer 3.5" hard drives. Included case fans are typically an afterthought and are added just to be nice, so It is nice to at least have them, even if they're nothing to write home about. I had no quality issues, can be sure I would be RMAing the case if screws stripped or there were build quality issues in a case this price.
Sunday, February 6, 2022
By: Andrew
From: Edmonton

Great case for a storage server

Strengths:

Panels are easy to remove with a screwless design, everything fits together well. Up to 18 HDD is great, no other case I have looked at supports more than 15 HDD's. Also cases that support tha many 3.5" drives are typically rack mount. Case can be reconfigured to use many 3.5" drives or for additional room up front for custom cooling loop. Type A hard drive trays fit after removing the plastic clip, but must be secured with screws since they are missing the L bracket. this is an up side since the type B trays are expensive and hard to find. Built in cable rails with velcro make for easy cable management. Comes with a ventilated top panel and a non ventilated top panel. Top, front, and bottom dust/lint screens that are all easily removable and full length with full coverage. optional 2 5.25" drive bays with a blank to cover the unused one if a 5.25" drive bay is used. Well thought out, versatile design.

Weaknesses:

Only 6 drive trays are included. there are however two additional drive mounts are included which can be mounted on the top of the case, allowing for up to 8 3.5" drives to be installed without buying more trays. Trays are Type B, this makes them hard to find and expensive Again the other 10 trays are not included, at at least 20$ a pair this case is 100$ more expensive if you need to fill all the drive bays available.

Additional Comments:

Overall a great case, but it would have been nice to get all the drive trays for a case that is around the 300$ mark. the additional trays would put this case at the 400$ mark. I've removed a star for this as I like everything else about the case, but adding 1/3 of the whole case price for a few trays is a bit much.
Friday, October 30, 2020
By: Chridls
From: winnipeg

For the price expect more

Strengths:

When you have it all assembled the way you want looks clean. Allows for large storage array in case.

Weaknesses:

Had multiple screws strip when trying to reconfigure the case. One of the hdd mount plates had to be thrown out as the screw that mounted it would just spin in place and never loosen.

Additional Comments:

If you need a large case with built in storage look elsewhere. Not worth the price, for the build quality problems I had to deal with.
  • 1