Branching Out: A Hands-On Look at the Fractal Design Era 2 Gen 2 ‘Wooden’ ITX Case
Fractal Design Era 2: A Revolutionary Wooden ITX Case
Fractal Design’s Era 2 is a game-changer in the world of computer cases. Building on the success of its predecessor, the Era 2 boasts a stunning wooden design, improved assembly experience, and enhanced heat dissipation performance.
The Era 2’s exterior is a masterclass in design, featuring a black/gray/blue anodized aluminum shell and a solid wood cover on top. The addition of vents on the card and the bottom of the case ensures optimal heat dissipation, while the magnetically fixed metal frame eliminates the need for a MASH grill top cover.
The case’s internal structure has been redesigned, featuring a “sandwich” style mezzanine that requires the use of a PCI-E riser card. This design allows for improved heat dissipation and flexibility, making it ideal for 3-slot GPU or 70mm high CPU radiator installations.
Era 2 Implementation Experience
Our test setup consisted of a 2-slot GPU (235 W) with a 65 W TDP Intel processor and original air cooling. The assembly experience was seamless, thanks to the case’s sufficient height and easy-to-install top and bottom fans.
Test Platform:
- Processor: Intel Core i9-12900K (Intel Default Performance / PL1/PL2 65W)
- Motherboard: ASUS STRIX Z790-I
- Memory: KLEVV BOLT V 6000
- Graphics card: PowerColor Hellhound RX 7700 XT
- Radiator: Intel Stock (i5-12400), VK A240 RGB
- Power supply: Fractal Design ION SFX 650G
During our testing, the GPU reached a temperature of 53 degrees at full load, while the Intel Core i9-12900K processor reached 75 degrees with the low-end air cooler. However, when using the VK 240 AIO, the temperature dropped to 61 degrees under gaming load and 85 degrees under burst load.
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 366 x 165 x 314 mm
- Net weight: 4.64 kg
- Motherboard: ITX
- PCIE backplane hole position: 2
- Storage: 4 x 2.5″ (2 trays + 2MB for wall mount)
- GPU Limitations: Width 326mm (2-3 slots), Height 137mm, Thickness 63mm
- CPU radiator height limit: 55-70mm
- Power supply: SFX/SFX-L
- Support for fans:
- Bottom 2 x 120 mm (standard)
- Top 2 x 120mm / 2 x 140mm
- Water cooling support: 240mm/280mm (307 x 140mm)
- Panel Features: 2 USB 3.0, 1 USB-C 20Gbps, 3.5mm audio, Power button