Fractal Design Core 1100 Computer Case Review By Meng Vang Manufacturer: Fractal Design Product Name: Core 1100 MicroATX Mini Tower Model Number: FD-CA-CORE-1100-BL UPC: 817301011914 EAN: 7350041081913 Price As Tested: $27.99 (Newegg | Amazon) Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Fractal Design. During 2013, Fractal Design announced the Core 1000 micro-ATX case for consumers who were looking for a simple and compact case for their PC. It provided a mesh front panel with dust filters to increase airflow while decreasing interior dust buildup. It also came with a preinstalled 120mm front fan along with the innovated vertical hard drive bracket. Fractal Design has now released their Core 1100 MicroATX computer case. It still has a preinstalled 120mm front intake fan and the vertical hard drive bracket. The biggest change is only the exterior design with its brushed aluminum finish, making it look identical to most Fractal Design cases. Front panel I/O ports are now located on the front instead of on the side like how the Core 1000 had them. It also supports graphics cards of up to 350mm, CPU coolers up to 148mm tall, and an optional 80mm or 92mm rear exhaust fan for improved airflow. It may look more stylish when compared to its predecessor, but looks do not always mean better performance. Taking away the front mesh panel and replacing it with a plastic brushed aluminum panel with only side ventilation does look better, but will this compromise internal airflow? Benchmark Reviews has provided this sample of the Core 1100 for review. Let's see what this little micro-ATX case has to offer. Features & Specifications Features An extremely compact micro ATX case, designed for exceptional airflow and cooling Brushed aluminum-look front panel with a sleek, three-dimensional textured finish One Fractal Design 120mm fans included Easy access I/O on front panel, with audio and both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports Front panel dust filters and closed top and bottom panels help maintaining a dust free interior Innovative vertical HDD bracket, which can hold two 3.5" drives or three 2.5" drives, or one drive of each size Vibration-dampened mounting for both 3.5" drive slots Fully painted interior, with Fractal Design signature white details Specifications Mini ITX, Micro ATX motherboard compatibility 2 drive bays of 5,25" , two 3.5" HDD positions or 3 bays 2.5" or one 2.5" and one 3.5"drive positions 4 expansion slots Supports Graphics cards up to 350mm in length may be installed. One or more 3.5" hard drives may interfere with side-mounted power connectors on graphics cards longer than 170 mm Support cooling system: 3 Fan positions (1 fan included) Filtered fan slots in front CPU coolers up to 148 mm in height ATX PSUs, up to 185mm if a typical-length optical drive is mounted Available in Black Case dimensions (WxHxD):175 x 358 x 410 mm Net weight: 3.8 kg Package dimensions (WxHxD): 235 x 485 x 420 mm Package weight: 4.6 kg Fractal Design Core 1100 Case Overview The front includes the same brushed aluminum finish found on other Fractal Design cases. Starting from the top, there are two available 5.25" expansion drive bays. Moving down is a variety of front panel I/O ports. This includes a power button, hard drive activity LED light, a USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 port, and standard headphone and microphone. The side of the front panel consists of two air-intake filters. These will feed cool air to the front 120mm preinstalled fan. The Fractal Design logo is then located at the very bottom. At the back of the Core 1100, we see the power supply unit will be mounted at the top of the case. There is a rear fan mount compatible for an optional 80mm or 92mm case fan. At the bottom is total of four expansion slots for graphics cards, sound cards, and other expansion cards. Taking a look at the side panel, we can see there is an available slot for a 120mm case fan. This fan is optional and will provide better airflow to the internal components, such as the graphics card. On the other side of the case, there is not much to see here. This side panel may be removed to help route and manage the cables from the front intake fan or the cables from the storage devices. Because the power supply unit mounts on the top of the Core 1100, top fan mounts are not present on top of the case. Even if there were to be top fan mounts, there is just not enough clearance between the motherboard to mount the fans. The bottom also remains primitive. Micro-ATX cases normally do not include extra fan mounts at the top or the bottom due to space limitations. This is only standard and will still meet the needs of a basic computer user. Now that we have seen all around the exterior of the Core 1100, let's go into more details and talk about the interior features. Fractal Design Core 1100 Detailed Features Removing the front panel reveals the 5.25" expansion drive bays as well as the large front 120mm preinstalled fan. It is great to see a case at this price range with a preinstalled front intake fan, especially since it is 120mm. The inside of the Core 1100 looks very basic overall. One thing you will notice is there are no available CPU cutout as well as extra cutouts for cable management. I would have thought Fractal Design would include at least a CPU cutout on the motherboard when compared to its predecessor, the Core 1000. Removing the opposing side panel reveals nothing more but a plain motherboard tray and access to manage the front panel I/O cables. The side panel is also very easily removable with just a little bit of pressure. The four expansion slots come with white brackets to complement the black elegant looks of the case. They also allow for passive ventilation thanks to the small ventilation holes that are punched into each bracket. For further convenience, each bracket can be easily removed by a thumbscrew. The innovated hard drive bracket can be easily removed and configured just by removing three screws. This will hold up to three 2.5" drives or two 3.5" drives. Rubber grommets are also included to help reduce the amount of vibration caused by mechanical hard drives. The Fractal Design Core 1100 includes everything you would expect from a standard Micro-ATX case. The vertical hard drive bracket is one thing that makes it stand out from the crowd. Let's take a look at more features and specifications about the Core 1100. Features and Specifications The Fractal Design Core 1100 comes with a lot of features and specifications. We will briefly list some of the bells and whistles offered by the Core 1100 on this page. Below is a list of specific features and detailed specifications that may be used for your reference for a future build. Fractal Design Core 1100 Features Supports 2x 3.5" HDD or 3x 2.5" SSD or 1x 3.5" HDD + 1x 2.5" SSD Vibration dampened HDDs 1x USB3 + 1x USB2 Fully painted interior Reusable PCI blanks Supports 350mm long graphics cards 25.5L volume Easy access front mounted I/O with audio, 1x USB3(internal connector) and 1x USB2 ABS front panel with brushed aluminum texture Fully painted case interior Reusable PCI blanks, fastened with thumbscrews No top fan slots for ultimate dust protection HDD platter with support for 2x 3.5" HDDs or 3x 2.5" drives or one drive of each size. Vibration dampened 3.5" HDD mounting Support for 350mm long graphics cards (lower HDD might conflict with GPU power connectors) Padlock loop included Supports CPU coolers up to approx 148mm Airflow optimized internal design Supports 1x 120mm fan in front (included) 80 or 92mm rear fan supported Support for 1x 120mm fan on side panel Core 1100 Case Specifications Cooling system Front: 1 - 120mm fans (included is 1 Fractal Design silent 120mm fan, 1200 RPM speed) Rear: 1 - 92mm fan (not included) Side: 1 -120mm fan (not included) Front interface 1 USB 3.0 and 1 USB 2.0 Audio in/out Power button with LED (white) HDD activity LED (white) Reset button Package contents Core 1100 computer case Accessory box User manual System Building with Core 1100 Let's go into the build. For this build demonstration, I will be reviving an older system based off the Intel G31 chipset. Most consumers who will purchase the Core 1100 are basic users. There are no mounts for a 240mm or even a 280mm water cooling unit. A 120mm water cooling radiator will be able to mount on the front of the case, but that's about it for water cooling capabilities. As for the niche of people who will be using this case for a gaming system, I will demonstrate how much room is available for some of the largest graphics cards later in this build. But for now, this build should represent something realistic to the majority of consumers purchasing the Fractal Design Core 1100. Test System Motherboard: Gigabyte G31M-ES2L System Memory: 2x2GB ADATA PC2-6400 800MHz DDR2 Processor: Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 2.5GHz @ 3.9GHz Audio: Onboard Realtek ALC883 Video: PNY Geforce GTX 650 1024MB GDDR5 Disk Drive 1: Western Digital Green 500GB Enclosure: Fractal Design Core 1100 PSU: Raidmax Hybrid II 530W Monitor: Acer G6 Series G226HQLBbd Black 21.5 inch Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit Results Here are the build results for the Core 1100. The build was very straight forward overall and required little to no effort to put together. There are no motherboard tray cutouts for cable management so the cables had to be tied up and tucked away behind the hard drive bracket. Audio and fan cables ran under the graphics card and the dedicated USB 3.0 card adapter for the best possible cable routing. An additional 92mm rear exhaust fan was added to help improve the internal air flow as well. Because I chose not to install a 5.25" optical drive, I routed the cables from the power supply through the small cutout at the bottom of the expansion cage. Doing this allowed me to hide the cables directly behind the vertical hard drive bracket. I also made sure no cables were blocking the front 120mm fan from spinning as space can become tight. The Core 1100 will support CPU coolers of up to 148mm tall. If the case were to be just a bit wider, it would have been able to support even taller CPU coolers. As for now, it was able to fit the Rocketfish RF-UPCUWR with no problems. Similar CPU coolers with a 92mm fan, such as the Cooler Master TX3, should fit just fine. You can also see the cables were tied together and tucked away behind the hard drive bracket. If the graphics card was any longer and there were two 3.5" hard drives installed, they would physically touch each other and installation would be impossible. Keep in mind if you are using a longer graphics card, you have to install a 3.5" hard drive at the top of the hard drive bracket. This will give room for the graphics card and its power connectors. As for the people who are looking into turning this case into a gaming machine, the Core 1100 does support graphics cards of up to 350mm long. To demonstrate, this EVGA GeForce GTX 780Ti never comes close with the front intake fan. There is still enough space between the graphics card and the front fan for even a thick 120mm water cooling radiator with a fan. It is great to see a Micro-ATX case having this much space for a graphics card. The overall build turned out to be very successful. The front 120mm preinstalled fan ran very quietly while keeping the internal components cool. Installing an optional 92mm rear exhaust fan helped the power supply exhaust hot air out the back of the case. It would have been great to see at least a preinstalled 80mm rear exhaust fan because cooling is so important for today's standards. Now that we are done with the system build, let's finish up with my final thoughts and conclusion to the Fractal Design Core 1100. MicroATX Case Final Thoughts As for a basic build, the Fractal Design Core 1100 does a great job and will satisfy the needs of a very basic user. Since it supports graphics cards of up to 350mm long, this case can also be used to build a small gaming PC for some enthusiasts. When we tested the EVGA GeForce 780Ti graphics card with this case, we found out that there was more than enough space to add a 120mm water cooling radiator along with a fan. It may not have all the water cooling capabilities or fancy features offered in the more expensive cases, but that is because the Core 1100 was not built to that standard. Fractal Design Core 1100 Conclusion In terms of performance, the Core 1100 comes preinstalled with a single 120mm front fan. I would have liked to see a preinstalled 80mm or 92mm rear exhuast fan as well. Without the rear fan, the only way for warm air to actively exhaust from the system would be through the power supply. This is not ideal since warm air from the internal components will enter the power supply and make it run hotter than normal. This will cause it to degrade quicker over time. If you are building a high-end system with this case, a 92mm rear exhaust fan is required if you do not want to burn out the power supply and catch your house on fire. The aesthetics look great from a business stand point. The brushed aluminum finish, the simple and primitive design, and the black overall look makes the Core 1100 suitable for a professional environment. This gives it a modern style and allows it to match almost any type of setup. To some, it may look too simple since it lacks LED fans and a side panel window. These are what appeals most for some gamers and the younger generation. The construction on the Core 1100 is not the best, but it is certainly not the worst either. The motherboard tray was strong enough to prevent itself from flexing while installing the motherboard. The side panels and the 5.25 inch drive bays are the weak areas since they are made of very thin aluminum. They can be easily removed by just taking off a few thumbscrews. It is only normal to think since this case is the successor to the Core 1000, there would at least be a CPU cutout on the motherboard. Disappointingly, no motherboard cutouts are present for the CPU or even cable management. Not only that, the hard drive bracket will only fit one hard drive if a large graphics card were to be installed. This is a disadvantage of the vertical hard drive bracket when compared to traditional hard drive bays. Most basic computer users do not bother about large graphics cards or switching CPU coolers, but do keep in mind that future upgrades will be limited and difficult to overcome. The Core 1100 functions just like most basic micro-ATX cases should. Because only two 3.5" hard drives can be installed on the vertical hard drive bracket, this does not give a lot of room for multiple storage drives. If a large graphics card was installed, only one hard drive can be mounted. Because of this, I do not see a reason why Fractal Design decided to keep the vertical drive bracket when the Core 1000 already had this problem. Luckily, the 120mm front fan runs quietly and the front I/O ports can now be easily accessed since they are actually on the front, hence front panel I/O ports. As of October 2014, the Fractal Design Core 1100 sells for only $27.99 (Newegg | Amazon). At this price range, it competes very well with some of the more basic computer cases from competing manufacturers. When it comes to value, the Core 1100 has everything a basic system builder needs but does lack the flexibility for future upgrades. The Core 1100 makes a great case for a small office or a professional business environment. This will make a great case for someone who is upgrading from an OEM case or is looking to replacing a very old computer case. It will also make a great case for small gaming PC's. Keep in mind that water cooling and cable routing capabilities are very limited. What is really disappointing about the Core 1100 is there really is not a lot of improvements over this compared to its predecessor. I do not see a reason why someone should upgrade to the Core 1100 when they already have the Core 1000. A smarter upgrade would be to jump to the Core 1300 or the Core 2300. Although there is not much improvement over the Core 1000, the Core 1100 will still get the same job done. Pros: + Professional and simple design + Sturdy construction throughout the exterior + One quiet 1200RPM 120mm fan preinstalled + Front panel I/O ports are actually on the front + Side panels are very easy to take off + Easy to build for both enthusiasts and beginners Cons: - No CPU or cable routing cutouts on the motherboard tray - Limited storage capabilities if large graphics card is installed - PSU mounts on the top instead of the bottom - Thin side panels can potentially cause bending and vibrations - Vertical hard drive bracket can cause limitations for some users Ratings: Performance: 8.00 Appearance: 9.50 Construction: 7.00 Functionality: 7.50 Value: 8.75 Final Score: 8.15 out of 10. COMMENT QUESTION: What do you like or dislike about the Fractal Design Core 1100 micro-ATX computer case?