Fractal Design Arc Midi Case Review

To start our look at the exterior design features of the Arc Midi we have images of the front and rear panels.  On the front panel there are spots for 2, 5.25″ optical drives.  This may seem somewhat restrictive to users that have devices other than an optical drive that require a 5.25″ drive bay.  There is a 140mm front intake fan that cools hard drives and potentially large graphic cards.

The rear panel consists of the area to bottom mount a power supply.  Fractal Design has added a thin foam dampening device around the PSU holding place to absorb excessive vibrations that the unit may cause. Next there are 7 standard expansion bays that are filled with contrasting white inserts as well as an additional vertical expansion bay that can be used for the supplied fan controller or other compatible devices. Directly above the expansion bays is the place for the I/O shield as well as a rear mounted 140mm exhaust fan. Last but not least there are 2 water cooling cutouts that are protected by rubber grommets to protect the water cooling tubes from any abrasion damage.

The 2 side panels are rather basic.  One panel has a fan holder for either a 140mm or a 180mm intake fan while the opposite side panel is solid with no ventilation areas.

The entire top panel consists of honeycomb style mesh that is backed with a full length removable foam dust filter.  The bottom panel of the Arc Midi has 4 large rubber feet that elevate the chassis off the floor to allow ample airflow to be drawn in by the PSU and potentially the optional 140mm bottom mounted fan.

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