Fractal Design Define S2 Vision RGB Case Review: Premium DIY PC Chassis
Thermal Performance - How We Tested The Fractal Design Vision S2 RGB:
We focused on three thermal hot zones when testing the cooling performance of the Fractal Define Vision S2 RGB; the processor, the motherboard and the graphics card. To test the processor and motherboard we used Prime95, and allowed it to run for an hour before logging the results. When it came time to test the graphics card we fired up Furmark and let it do its thing for an hour as well. The Fractal case is very roomy and comes with four 140mm fans, so it should do well compared to the smaller cases we compared it to, which were the only cases we had on hand to generate reference temperature data.
Test System Specs:
- AMD Ryzen 2600 processor
- ASUS Prime X370 Pro Motherboard
- 16GB (8GB x 2) Corsair DDR4 Memory
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
- 650 Watt EVGA NEX650G Power Supply
- Fractal Design Define S2 Vision RGB Case
- Windows 10
Just as we expected. The extra room and great airflow inside of the Fractal case really made it stand out. In our testing the Define RGB was more efficient than both Corsair cases we tested thanks to more room, better cable management, and high performance fans.
The motherboard results are similar. As you can see, the Fractal case absolutely dominates the low-end Corsair Carbide Spec-01, while performing similarly to the Corsair Crystal 460X. Both the Crystal X and Define RGB have great fans, ample internal volume and stellar cable management. So, both offer solid thermal performance.
The graphics card is one area where the case didn't have as much as an impact on cooling. In our testing the Fractal design was able to keep our GeForce GTX 1080 Ti slightly cooler than the Corsair Crystal 460x, but only by 2°C. When you're on the wrong side of 80°C though 2°C can make a difference.
Acoustics:
Compared to the two other cases we tested the Fractal Define S2 Vision RGB was slightly more audible. The fans moved more air than the other two cases and as you can see above, it cooled our system more efficiently than the Corsair cases, but at the cost of slightly more noise. Overall, we wouldn't say the fans are loud to the point you'll be bothered by them. But if the case is on your desk, or extremely close, you'll definitely notice the unmistakable sound of air flowing though a case. The reason the fans were louder than we anticipated was because the included fan controller can't change the fans speed. The controller only changes the RGB settings and not the actual rotation of the fans blades. You'll have to manually set a fan curve in your BIOS to reduce the acoustics to an appropriate level. Since the fans are all connected to a PWM hub they will all generate the same sound levels as well as airflow and pressure.
