Fractal Design Arc XL High Airflow Full Tower Case Review
ARC XL Exterior Impressions
The ARC XL is a large Full Tower case, measuring 9.1×22.5×21.7inches (WxHxD) and weighs in at just over 30 lbs! Compared to the ARC Midi R2 which is 9.1×18.1×20.3inches (WxHxD) and 23.6lbs. The majority of the case is made out of steel while the front bezel is made out of a heavy duty plastic.
On the front bezel, at the very top are four 5.25″ drive bays, with covers designed to match the rest of the bezel, keeping a smooth, nearly seemless look. Below the 5.25″ drive bays is a large metal mesh area, that hides the front intake fans.
The metal mesh front intake filter is held in place by two click latches, which makes removing the filter for cleaning extremely easy. Behind the filter is room for two fans, either 120mm or 140mm. A 140mm Silent Series R2 fan is included, it is rated for 1000RPM, 66CFM and 18.5dBA.
Like the ARC Midi R2, the side panel has a smoked window that comes protected by a sheet of plastic. This panel is held in place by two thumb screws, which when removed the side panel swings outwards for removal. Also, at this view, we can see the case feet, which are chrome with a rubber base to keep the case from sliding around.
The back panel of the ARC XL we find the usual items. At the top are some honeycomb exhaust vents, the motherboard I/O and 140mm exhuast fan; a 120mm exhaust fan will also fit. In the middle are nine vented expansion ports, which leads to the bottom mounted power supply. There are no external liquid cooling ports, with all the all-in-one liquid cooling options, external coolers aren’t as popular. Finally, below the power supply is an easily removed fan filter.
The bottom fan filter can be removed out the back very easily. In addition to the power supply, it covers the bottom intake fan location.
The right side panel is devoid of anything to look at. Like the windowed panel, it is held in place by two thumbscrews. Removing the thumbscrews the panel swings out for removal. Like most cases, the ARC XL shows fingerprints very easily, it would be nice if there was a coating that wouldn’t show them so much.
The entire top panel is done with wire mesh to allow airflow. At the very front of the top panel is the front I/O cluster. Here we find the three speed fan controller, headphone/microphone jacks, power button, reset, 2x SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0. The fan controller, works by adjusting the power to the fans at 5V to 7V to 12V.
The bottom of the case, we find the fan filter that can be removed from the back of the case. At the front of the case are two large feet, while the back of the case has significantly smaller feet.