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Fractal Core 1100 Computer Case Review

Cases & PSU/Cases by leeghoofd @ 2014-09-08

Fractal introduced the new Core series at Computex 2014; instead of having a booth at the infamous Nangang Hall, they unraveled the different Core versions at the Hyatt Hotel. In a similar trend as other enclosure manufacturers the focus point is on very affordable cases, a challenge as affordable usually goes hand in hand with making compromises. MadShrimps has already reviewed several 50 dollar cases, though with the Core 1100 Fractal goes even a few notches lower with a street price of a whopping low 35 dollars. Can Fractal maintain their typical stylish look and professional build quality even at this price level? Let us pop the box and explore the Fractal Core 1100 mATX case.

Test Setup and Methodology

For the test setup we have to thank first of all Tones for supplying us with the Intel i7-4770K CPU and the ASUS Z97 mITX motherboard. The installed hardware was comprised of following parts:

Intel i7-4770K cooled by boxed cooler
ASUS Z97i plus motherboard
16GB of CORSAIR Vengeance Pro 2400C10 memory
ASUS AMD 7970HD video card
2 x Western Digital Green Caviar 1TB HDD
1 x Plextor M5 PRO SSD
CORSAIR RM650 PSU

Installation was pretty straightforward, till the moment we wanted to install the vertical HDD bracket. With the 3.5" HDD on the bottom we ran into clearance issues with the PCIe connector for the installed ASUS HD7970 GPU. Even though Fractal mentions this on the website that with GPUs longer than 170mm that feature side-mounted power connectors might have issues with 3.5'' HDDs. So this is something that you need to dig into before buying this Core 1100 chassis; as there are no proper options provided for proper cable routing, it might be the easiest solution to hide all them cables behind the aforementioned vertical HDD bracket.

The top left picture tells more than a 1000 words could ever do; with our 7970HD GPU we ran into a clearance issues with one of the 3.5 HDDs; when replaced with a 2.5 drive there are no more problems. The optical drives needs to be secured with screws, no tool-less design here. Maximum cost reduction is the name of the game for the Core 1100.

If we look at the temperature outcome, this little Fractal Core 1100 can hold its own. While it is not the best it is by far the cheapest in the pack. Do we need to add anything more? I honestly don't think so, this Fractal Core 1100 is a budget assemblers dream: excellent pricing, solid build quality and decent cooling performance all in one. Acoustic wise the case's fan is quiet when spinning at 1200rpm. The Intel Boxed cooler is far more audible when being tasked by the stock i7-4770K processor.

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