Fractal Design is one of the world's leading box, power supply and fan manufacturers. It is identified by its elegance, low noise and a very competitive price.

This time we have had in our laboratory the fantastic box for Micro ATX motherboards: Fractal Arc Mini R2. This new revision brings very important improvements, such as a removable panel, greater versatility in hard disk booths and a window on the left side.

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Technical characteristics

FRACTAL ARC MINI R2 FEATURES
Format	Micro ATX
Dimensions	210 x 405 x 484 mm
Storage capacity	2 to 5.25 "bays. 8 to 3.5 "for hard disk - all of them compatible with SSD. 2 to 2.5 "SSD additional positions behind the board.
Refrigeration system	Front: 1 - 140mm Quiet Hydraulic Bearing R2 Series Fan, 1000 RPM Speed (Included), 1 - 120 / 140mm fan (not included) Rear: 1 - 140mm Silent Hydraulic Bearing R2 Series Fan, 1000 RPM Speed (Included) Techp: 1 - 140mm Silent R2 Series Fan Bearing, 1000 RPM Speed (Included) 2 - 120 / 140mm Fans (Not Included) Down: 1 - 120 / 140mm fan (not included) Fan controller or rehobus: 1 - integrated fan controller for up to 3 fans (included)
Compatible Plates	Micro ATX
Slots	4 + 1 adapted.
Compatibility with power supply and graphics card.	PSU Compatibility: ATX PSU up to 170mm deep when using bottom fan location; when not in use this fan location accepts up to 270mm depth. Graphics Card Compatibility: Graphics cards up to 290mm in length with the top installed hard drive case - With the top cage removed we can install graphics cards up to 430mm in length.
Color	Black
Weight	9 kg.
Warranty	2 years.

Fractal Arc Mini R2 packaging and outer

The PC tower comes packed in a large box. Externally it does not have any shine effect, it is a simple brown box with a normal image. It seems to me a success because the important thing is what it contains in it.

It comes perfectly packed with polystyrene and hard plastic. Do not worry that it will withstand the typical blows during your arrival home.

After removing all the plastic packaging and packaging, I really liked that Fractal remains faithful to its characteristics in the Arc Mini series: elegance and minimalist design.

Like all Micro ATX co- format boxes, it has two 5.25 ” bays that allow us to install optical drives, card readers or hard drive hotswap. Depending on our needs.

The front panel seems to be made of aluminum, but if we inspect it we see that it is plastic.

The mesh grill can be removed by applying light pressure on the two upper ends. Once removed we find a very quiet 120mm fan (you can install two) (40 CFM and 1200 RPM maximum) that we can change or replace when your MTBF is finished.

Both the rear and the roof have two large mesh covers that act as a dust filter. In the input and output connections we have two USB 3.0 connectors , two USB 2.0 connectors , audio (headphones and microphone), on / off button and a fan controller.

The fan controller allows us to apply three profiles: 3V, 7V and 12V. That is, ideal for a SilentPC, QuietPC and Gamer equipment or high performance.

The left side panel we have a window ! Which is fantastic news, because we can see the inside of our PC with just a light glance. The right side has no news and is completely smooth.

At the back we find a 120mm fan slot, 4 + 1 PCI expansion slots and the power supply slot. All screws are easy open, that is, we do not need tools to assemble our computer.

Two outlets for external liquid cooling tubes:

If we go to the floor of the tower, we see that it has a large dust filter that is positioned between the power supply and the hard disk booths. Its extraction is simple and we can clean it directly with water or a damp cloth.

The legs are high-end and adhere easily to any surface.

Fractal Arc Mini R2 interior and accessories

Once the side cover is removed we see the inside of the box. Its interior is painted black. The hard drive bays and PCI slots are painted white giving a very elegant and minimalist contrast.

The Fractal Arc Mini R2 allows us to install a power supply with a depth of 17 cm with the optional fan installed. Without it, we will gain up to 27 cm deep. It has an anti-vibration system and looks great. In addition to being compatible with large graphics cards: 29 cm.

The entire box is filled with rounded cable glands with plastic rubber. This is great for a clean and tidy installation.

USB 3.0 cable and control panel connection: power, leds, reset…

4 PCI expansion slots for Micro ATX boards. In addition to an optional +1.

The cooling system is the best we can find in the market., We have a 120mm rear fan (included), two 140mm ceiling (one included), one on the floor of the box and two 120mm on the front (one included). Making it one of the best air-cooled boxes on the market.

WE RECOMMEND YOU Fractal Design Era ITX, A beautiful and elegant box that is already on sale

We have two hard drive booths. Each can store a maximum of three 2.5 ″ or 3.5 ″ size disks. Each tray has a device that prevents vibrations and its installation is a matter of a second. If it seems little hard drives, in the back we have the possibility of installing 2 SSD drives, which we will see a little later.

In one of the hard drive bays we find all the necessary hardware for the installation of the box, flanges and adapters.

It is time to remove the right side. For my taste it is where it identifies when a box is good.

Fractal has already ordered the cables for the control panel, audio and usb 3.0. The box is full of cable organizers for your order. They also have hollow aries to bundle the cables. Chapó!

The Fractal Arc Mini R2 has a large gap in the socket installation area. This allows us to work without removing the motherboard. It also includes two SSD hard drive adapters that saves us a lot of space

Example of installing an SSD disk.

Final words and conclusion

The Fractal Arc Mini R2 is a Micro ATX format PC case. It has excellent dimensions of 21 x 40.5 x 48.4 cm and a weight of 6 kg. Available in black and as expected its design is minimalist and very elegant.

Its cooling system is one of its great strengths, being compatible with up to six fans (includes three). The included ones are from the R2 series and range between 1200 RPM (those of 12 cm) and 1000 RPM (those of 14cm). It also includes on its front a controller (rehobus) for three fans with three positions: 3V, 7V and 12V. This makes it a box for any profile: silentpc, quiet pc or performance.

We should not worry about which power supply we can install. It supports fonts up to 270mm and high-end 430mm graphics cards (without the hard drive cages). Also includes rubberized and rounded cable management

Although the Fractal Arc Mini R2 is a micro ATX box. It has a large hard drive capacity, with a total of 8! Compatible with 2.5 ″ and 3.5 ″ SSDs.

Currently it can be found in an online store for just € 81. An incredible price compared to the competition. Excellent work Fractal Design!

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ DESIGN
+ EXCELLENT REFRIGERATION CAPACITY AND FANS INCLUDED.
+ COMPATIBLE WITH ALL HIGH PERFORMANCE GRAPHICS CARDS AND PSU.
+ TWO HARD DISK CABINS.
+ REHOBUS
+ UNBEATABLE PRICE.