Fractal has quite a showing of new products at Computex this year, including surprise headsets and chairs, as well as cases of course. While Era 2 serves a refined evolution of its predecessor’s design, Mood swaps out visible metal panels for a striking fabric exterior.
Fractal Mood
Starting with the newcomer, Fractal says its Mood case is designed to “streamline the gaming station with a look which harmonises with the homes of modern gamers.” It’s easy to see where the company’s coming from, as both the white and black fabric give more smart speaker vibes than it does gaming PC. That comparison isn’t meant as a slight, as I’m actually quite taken with its minimalist aesthetic.
Mood opens up from the back, via a removable black mesh panel that either contrasts or blends with the two black and white colour options available. Once that’s off, the other three sides slide up as one part, revealing the case’s innards. It boasts 20.4L of volume, with room enough to fit a 325mm graphics card.
Fractal includes a single 180mm with each Mood that pushes air out from the top the case. The company’s also been kind enough to include a PCIe Gen 4 riser to sit your graphics card at the rear. There’s only one way to orient your pixel pusher from what we can see, meaning display cables will stealthy slink out the bottom for you to connect to your monitor.
Fractal has scheduled Mood to launch June 18, 2024, with an asking price of $149.99.
Fractal Era 2
Era 2 has been given a facelift that comes with enhanced function too, with Fractal claiming the case now boasts improved cooling. It should also be much more convenient to build in too, as it features a similar pop and unlock mechanism as found on Mood. The anodized aluminium chassis is removed as a single unit, but the mechanism is triggered through the removal of the underside panel.
Changes to the exterior design are subtle, I’m glad to see Fractal shift the front I/O of Era 2 to the base of the front panel. The placement of ports on the original Era now looks decidedly less thought-out by comparison. As expected, Fractal has of course equipped Era 2 with a splash of wood for its top panel, similar in style to the company’s bigger North XL case.
In terms of specs, internal volume clocks in at 18.9L. Fractal also includes two 120mm fans in the base of the chassis, as well as a PCIe Gen 4 riser for your graphics card. Perhaps somewhat tragically, it’s only available in black, blue, and white colourways. We say tragically, as Fractal told us that there is one green Era 2 out there in the world, in the same shade of its Tera case. We’d have loved to have seen this get a wider release, and are naturally green with envy of the lucky owner.
Fractal has scheduled Era 2 to launch Q3 2024, with an asking price of $199.99.
For more Computex news from Fractal, check out the company’s new gaming chair and headset, which look to be an ideal pairing for its Mood case.
