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On the other hand, if you love the look of the Torrent family you have to think that things are looking pretty darned great. The original Torrent is a large case, this Compact is medium sized and the Nano is fairly tiny so it seems that Fractal Design has covered all the bases. When KitGuru reviewed the Fractal Design Torrent with its funky 180mm fans we had mixed views. Indeed, we were so undecided we took a second look at the Torrent and concluded we had been correct in the first place that Torrent was interesting, effective and rather large for our tastes. So imagine our delight when Fractal Design announced the Torrent Compact which promises more of the 180mm goodness in a smaller chassis. When it comes to technical innovations, the main standouts include an inspiring layout, an open front grille and two 180 x 38 mm Dynamic PWM / Prisma ARGB PWM fans custom-made to achieve maximum air cooling while maintaining controlled noise levels. Removable top bezel and routing clips with velcro ties make for easy installation and cable management You will have gathered from our video that we have mixed feelings about the Fractal Design Torrent Compact. The simple explanation is that we are perfectly happy with cases such as the Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO that rely on 120mm and 140mm fans and do not feel an immediate need for 180mm fans.
To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, Sapphire RX 6800 XT 16GB and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Fractal Design Torrent Compact ‘s cooling capabilities.
Is there such a thing as too much airflow?
The rest of the top panel is barren, thanks in large part to the power supply’s mounting location at the top rear of the case just like the original Torrent. Mounting the power supply up top feels a bit retro and makes installation easier, but it affects cooling and also made for some cable routing complications (more on that later). Since you don’t have the option to mount a radiator to the top of the case (remember, that’s where the PSU lives), you’re limited to impractical mounting options for liquid cooling, either in the front of the case or at the bottom. We couldn’t fit our EK 240mm D-RGB AIO in the front since we’re using a Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC, which is 12.5 inches (320 mm) long. I even tried mounting the AIO first, then installing the GPU, but that didn’t work either. Fractal Design Torrent cases allow you to install 180mm fans in the floor and front of the case and house the power supply in the roof so if – like us – you're not much fussed about that feature you may well be feeling a touch of meh.
I didn’t realize how tiny the Torrent Compact was until I started building in it. While I have experience with the Fractal Meshify C, that case looked small right when I first laid my eyes on it. However, the Torrent Compact does not. This isn’t a bad thing, but if you’re using a triple-fan graphics card, you’re cutting it close, as the case only supports graphics cards up to 13 inches (330 mm) with the front case fans installed. Speaking of space constraints, my least-favorite part of the Torrent Compact is the area behind the motherboard. There just isn’t enough room for cables in the rear. You get mounts for three 2.5-inch SSDs here, and there’s space in the PSU chamber for either one 2.5-inch drive or one 3.5-inch spinning hard drive. I know M.2 drives are increasingly popular, and motherboards now often include ports for three or more, but I still would’ve liked to see more storage support here. Expansive base intakes and extra-large bottom fan support offers exceptional GPU cooling potential (with bottom PCI slot free) Looking for a case that has high airflow capability and is small(ish)? Fractal very well may have the answer for you. The Fractal Torrent Compact and the Fractal Torrent Nano are the most recent additions to the Torrent family lineup. For this review, I’ll be taking a look at the Torrent Compact. This is a Mid-tower sized version of the Torrent. The Compact can house motherboards ranging from mini-ITX up to EATX. Under the aggressively styled front panel, twin 180mm fans upfront to help provide airflow and aid in cooling of the components housed within. The Torrent Compact also features dual tempered glass side panels. So, get your cable management skills ready. Does the Fractal Compact have what it takes to keep your component cool? Read on to find out.I won’t quite say that I have grown tired of companies taking the safe route by slapping a fine mesh front panel on cases. But I admire creativity, which is what Fractal has brought to airflow-focused cases. Not only does the front panel look good, but it also performs really well, without even adding an exhaust fan. Since Intel’s 12 Gen “Alder Lake” has shaken up the desktop landscape (and taken prominent spots on our best CPUs for gaming list), we’ve updated our case testing hardware. We’re now using an Intel i7-12700KF, which is being cooled by a Noctua U12s air cooler. Our graphics card is a Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC.
Announcing the Torrent Compact and Torrent Nano – two space-efficient PC cases devoted entirely to providing the highest possible air cooling performance of their respective form factors. Much like the base model Torrent, the attention to detail is reflected in everything from the choice of components to the streamlined design inside and out, creating two cases that really reach new heights in the pursuit of ultimate airflow for compact and nano builds. Streamlined open interior and a top mounted PSU provides plenty of breathing room for components and maximizes performance potential This is a stylish and attractive case with one of the best front panels we have ever seen but the fact remains that you have to work at it to get decent results. You can find the full statement from Fractal here , including support links and guides to disconnecting the hub. The original review follows below.Simply put, the new models are powerhouses that let you enjoy airflow to a degree normally associated with larger cases, making Torrent an excellent choice for air cooling aficionados looking for a compact or nano case. Since we reviewed the original Fractal Torrent last year we have included our results from that case as well as the new Compact model, in part because we don’t yet have any other results from our new test rig. But since the original Torrent was tested on our previous testbed (with an Intel Core i9-9900K and an RTX 2070 Super), not our new i7/ RTX 3070 Ti setup, this isn’t meant as a direct comparison. Our acoustic test consists of three scenarios: We run the CPU at full load, the CPU and GPU at full load and an optimized idle. The CPU full load test runs the CPU and case fans at their maximum speed. For the CPU and GPU full load acoustic test, we also stress the Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC and set the fans at 75% speed, because in gaming the fans never run at 100% and are far too loud when they do.
For cooling, the Fractal Torrent ships with two front-mounted 180mm intake fans and three bottom-mounted 140mm intake fans. That’s five large fans for airflow, which is a big deal for anyone that’s investing in air cooling. KitGuru says: If you fancy the looks of the quirky Torrent Compact you will need to accept its slightly unusual layout.Alongside their new Torrent case, Fractal has released an update for their existing Ion Platinum series of power supplies. These new PSU models comply with the new ATX 2.52 standard and all ship with two 8-pin ATX12/EPS connectors and enhanced over-current protection. When it comes to storage, the Fractal Torrent supports up to two 3.5-inch drives and three 2.5-inch drives, allowing this chassis to support up to six storage drives. Add on any M.2 storage that you can place on your motherboard, and you will have more than enough storage for any standard use case. If you need more storage than that, you should look at Fractal’s Define series. The Torrent Compact does technically allow for E-ATX motherboards. However, be prepared to lose out on some cable routing options if you go that route, as larger boards end up covering a portion of the routing grommets. And as we’ll see later, cable routing space is already scarce. If you want to use a large motherboard, you should opt for the larger original Torrent, or another large case instead. While moving their PSU mounts to the top of the enclosure will be seen as a controversial decision, you will see for yourself that this choice has a huge impact on the Torrent’s airflow and cooling performance. However, no RGB controller or hub is present, so you will be relying on the A-RGB ports of your motherboard. This isn’t an issue if you opt for any other version of the Torrent than we’re testing today, but if you want this RGB variant, do make sure you have two A-RGB ports on your mainboard.
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