Fractal Design Debuts Arc XL and Arc Mini R2 Chassis

Fractal Design has debuted two new PC chassis at Computex in Taiwan: The Arc XL and Arc Mini R2.

The Arc XL, as the name implies, is a full-tower chassis. It caters to both air- and water-cooling setups, according to Fractal. Capable of internally-mounting multiple thick 240mm/slim 360mm radiators as well as water pumps and reservoirs, it certainly sounds like an ideal water-cooling enthusiast’s case.

Fractal Design ARC XL

Other features include: Multiple user-friendly dust filters; a three-speed fan controller integrated into the front panel; three of the company’s own Silent Series R2 fans installed out of the box (one in front, one at the rear, and one at the top); the capability to mount up to eight 3.5″ hard drives on what the company calls a “flexible hard drive mounting system” and up to two 2.5″ SSDs on the back side of the motherboard tray; a windowed side panel; support for up to four 5.25″ optical drives; nine PCI expansion slots; seven fan mounting positions (maximum of two 140mm/120mm fans up front, one 140mm fan at the rear exhaust position, up to three 140mm/120mm fans at the top of the case, and one 140mm/120mm floor-mounted fan); and two USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0 ports in the front I/O panel. The Arc XL can support motherboards up to XL-ATX spec.

Fractal Design Arc Mini R2

On the other side of the spectrum is the Arc Mini R2 mini-tower. For all intents and purposes a scaled-down interpretation of the Arc XL design, it’s a good choice for the growing number of system builders who build small but powerful mATX rigs. Amazingly, it is capable of fitting up to a 360mm radiator inside it, with room for the pump and reservoir to spare. Like its full-tower brother, it comes with three 140mm Silent Series R2 fans, with four additional fan mounting positions. It can fit up to six 3.5″ HDDs, two 2.5″ SSDs (also on the back side of the motherboard tray), and two 5.25″ optical drives. Also like its big brother, it is equipped with user-friendly air filters, an integrated three-speed fan controller capable of handling up to three fans, and a windowed side panel as well. The front panel features a pair of high-speed USB 3.0 ports. It supports mATX and mini-ITX motherboards.

Both cases feature sleek, minimalist aesthetics as well. Black is the only color option available, at least when it first enters the marketplace.

Fractal Design says the Arc XL should be available in late July/early August 2013, with the Arc Mini R2 becoming available a month later. The MSRP of the Arc XL is $129.95, while the one for the Arc Mini R2 is $89.95.