Give your rig room to shine with the black Define 7 Mid-Tower Case from Fractal Design. Intended to provide ample room and then some, this mid-tower case supports ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ITX boards, as well as E-ATX motherboards up to 285mm. Users can configure the Define 7 in various ways, optimizing space for server-like capacity in Storage Layout or sticking with the default Open Layout, maximizing airflow. If opting for the latter, users can remove the installed front fan, allowing the case to fit GPUs up to 19.33″. With the front fan installed, you can still fit graphics cards up to 18.38″. GPUs up to 12.4″ are supported when both the front fan and HDD cage are installed. Additionally, CPU coolers up to 7.28″ are supported, as are power supplies up to 9.84″. The Fractal Define 7 also sports nine expansion slots, two of which are vertical. Furthermore, this case also features a 5.25″ external drive bay. And, in its default configuration, this case also holds as many as six 3.5/2.5″ drives with two dedicated mounting trays and four positions for 2.5″ drives. These options can be expanded by the user to accommodate as many as 14 storage drives in Storage Layout.
Featuring a steel frame and panels, the Fractal Design Define 7 case comes with three 140mm Dynamic X2 GP-14 fans installed, and supports up to an additional six user-installed fans. Thanks to liquid cooling support, users can also ditch the fans and opt for radiators instead, with models up to 360mm fitting on the front and larger radiators up to 420mm fitting to the top of the case using the default Open Layout. Optimized for quiet operation, the front, side, and top panels of the Define 7 are designed to reduce noise, and the top can be swapped out with the included ventilated top cover to provide greater airflow at the expense of noise isolation. The front I/O panel supplies users with four USB Type-A ports, two of which are USB 3.1 Gen 1 and two of which are USB 2.0. Additionally, this panel sports a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port and dedicated 3.5mm input and output. Constructed from anodized aluminum, the front panel sits on hinges, closing with a magnetic latch and opening to allow users to access the 5.25″ drive bay.
Emilia VonRueden (verified owner) –
Case is very well built. Solid. Incredibly versatile. Great attention to details. Includes all screws, cable ties. Note that if you want to install a DVD player/burner, it is involved. I found some YouTube videos very helpful. Very happy with case. Well designed, well built
Judge Stark (verified owner) –
I was disappointed that the side panels and top panel just snap into place and are not held with fasteners. When you pick up the case to move it, particularly if one side panel is open when doing so, you have to be careful it doesn’t come apart. Other than that, the layout and internal function of the case is great. Does not have the ability to mount an optical drive if that is a consideration (though most can do without these days or use a USB connected optical drive). We installed Windows via a USB optical drive we had around for laptops. A Fractal Design 7 (full tower) I bought a couple years ago uses thumbscrew fasteners for everything and it’s just more solid (and more expensive).
Karlee Smith (verified owner) –
Needed a midsize ATX case for a new build. Fits a 3080 Ti lengthwise with about a centimeter to spare with the front case can inatalled. Wires route nicely on the backside.
Bridgette Berge (verified owner) –
Fits a 3080Ti barely with the front fan in. Cable routing on the backside is good, could be a little larger channel for the power cables.
Payton Jerde (verified owner) –
Most of my issues with this case are of the Old Man Shakes Fist At Cloud variety. With that disclaimer: Good: It’s not unnecessarily large. There’s just enough width for a typical 120mm tower cooler and a modicum of cable routing, just enough height for a rad up top and air underneath, and just enough depth for a full ATX board plus a rad up front. Construction is solid, and the slot covers don’t protrude from the rear like most chassis these days. Comes with 140mm intake and 120mm exhaust fans, both of which seem decent. Airflow is better than one might expect, and configuration is reasonably flexible. Swappable solid and vented top panels are a nice touch, as is how far it can be disassembled. Less good: Cable routing can be tedious, which I’ll accept in trade for the small-ish size. Included fans are not PWM. Sound damping material doesn’t seem all that effective, but if air is to get in, one supposes that sound will be able to get out. No drive activity light. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is black inside and out, which makes it really hard to see what you’re doing without really good lighting. Controls and ports are on top instead of the front, and there’s no 5.25 bay. Basically, it’s a Meshify 2 with a solid front panel, which is interesting because I passed over the Meshify 2 because I don’t like the look.
Alexane Sauer (verified owner) –
I had a Define R4 that I loved. This is an upgrade in every way. I like it over the R4 for the following. 1. Removeable top makes it easier to build. Plugging in power/headers along the top is much easier 2. Hard Drive tray design is much better than R4 because you get better air flow. 3. Front Door is a much better build quality and room for 3 intakes instead of R4’s 2 fans. 4. tools less doors are much easier to get on/off even if you have poor cable management.
Marvin O’Hara (verified owner) –
No, it does not offer ‘hot swap’. For the money, this is the case I was looking for – solidly built – requires a slight learning curve and some dexterity – the included builder’s guide is a big help. It sure stores a heck of a lot of 2.5/3.5 inch drives (like 14?). If you install a 6xSSD cage in the 5.25 slot, even more! Supports ITX to E-ATX mobos.
Bradford Tremblay (verified owner) –
A lot of people complain about thermals with this case. I’m running a 3060 Ti and an i9 with two 140mm intake and one 120mm exhaust; there have been zero issues with thermal throttling with this case. Even when I only had one 140mm intake, no issues. This case looks great, the dark tempered glass lets a classy amount of RGB through from my mobo. It’s also easy to clean the filters, though I have noticed dust still get’s into it. And cable management wasn’t the hard either. The only complaint I have is the top USB ports are very very very tight. It’s incredibly hard to remove the little wireless mouse receivers. However, anything bigger(like the steam controller receiver) is easier to get out.