Fractal Design Ridge, schwarz, PCIe 4.0, Mini-ITX

Nach über 7 Jahren spendiert Fractal Design dem Node 202 einen neuen Anstrich und modernisiert das Gehäuse entsprechend den geänderten Anforderungen. Was sich neben dem neuen Äußeren noch so getan hat und wie es mit der Kühlung aussieht, schauen wir uns im nachfolgenden Artikel mal etwas genauer an.

Mit dem Fractal Ridge testen wir ein Gehäuse mit einem etwas ungewöhnlichen Design. Es wurde sehr schmal und schlicht gestaltet und soll sich vor allem durch seine Front in das bereits vorhandene Interior einfügen. Verbaubar ist ein ITX-Mainboard und eine vollwertige 3-Slot Grafikkarte mit einer Länge von bis zu 335 mm. Für eine sehr gute Kühlleistung wurden zudem zwei große 140-mm-Lüfter vorinstalliert. Diese sollen eine gute Kühlleistung des Gehäuses gewährleisten, welches mit dem Standfuß sowohl horizontal als auch vertikal betrieben werden kann.

Wer ein PC-Gehäuse für das Wohnzimmer anbieten will, steht vor der Herausforderung, ein passendes Design zu entwickeln. Fractal Design versucht es beim neuen Mini-ITX-Modell Ridge mit einer Stofffront und einer besonders schlanken Bauweise - und kann damit ein Gehäuse anbieten, das optisch derzeit einzigartig ist.

I know I’ve said it a few times now, but the Tower 100 is an interesting case. Thermaltake didn’t stick with the same design that most other ITX cases have. It takes the original Tower 900’s design and shrinks it down into a more compact form factor. That means you still get this very open looking case with tempered glass windows on three of the four sides so you can see everything inside but with a smaller footprint that is a lot easier to fit on your desk. That isn’t to say that the Tower 100 is a small case, once you figure in its height it is big for an ITX case but it isn’t going to be in the way on your desk like a full-size case would. Thermaltake kept most of the design in steel and glass with only things like the angled top section being plastic. That gives the Tower 100 a much more durable construction but it also makes it heavier and not a case that I would be taking from event to event.

Considering the shape and size of the chassis, the size limitations should be blatantly obvious to anyone considering the case. As such, if that is already something you have decided works for you, the Fractal Design Ridge is beautiful easy to build in and even manages to squeeze in the ability to install three (!) additional 80 mm fans to make the most of the space. As such, we can wholeheartedly recommend it!

Fractal's new Ridge chassis is refreshing. Too many ITX cases have stuck to the box format recently, leaving a lot of space within the market for something tall and thin. If you want an HTPC case for your living room, a small form factor console-killer gaming PC, or a slim and slick office PC, Fractal's Ridge chassis can tick all of the right boxes, but its limitations are similar to most Mini ITX case designs.

The price may seem high, but I really do think this case is superb value for money. Looking back at something similar, the Silverstone Raven RVZ01 for example, that’s a very old case now and still costs £70, it has less room for a big GPU, smaller fans, and a lot of plastic on show. It’s a bugger to build in too, albeit I do like that case, By comparison, the Ridge makes it seems pretty old-fashioned, which it kind of is. The Fractal Design Ridge has thick steel for the bulk of the case, but it’s been beautifully finished and machined to give it loads of ventilation throughout. Everything fits tight and feels robust. However, you can remove each side panel with a single thumbscrew. With a screwdriver, you can have the whole case in bits in just a few minutes, allowing greater access to some (what would have been) difficult-to-reach places, making the installation process a lot easier than most cases of this form factor.