Fractal's ITX Monster - ERA 2 Review

The Fractal ERA 2 is here and its everything someone could want in a cool looking ITX case with surprisingly good airflow and a good amount of innovative ways to install hardware. But there are some tradeoffs too.

Buy items in this video from Amazon at the links below:
Fractal Era 2 - Coming Soon

Timestamps:
0:00 - The Coolest ERA 2 Features
1:06 - Those COLORS!
3:14 - Sponsor Spot
3:45 - A Just-Right Size?
4:06 - Brilliant Mechanical Design!
5:04 - That Movable Spine
5:55 - GPU Installation
6:44 - Fitting it all In
8:33 - The One FLAW...
8:45 - Temperatures are...OK
9:10 - The New ITX Champ?

Review unit provided free of charge by Fractal Design. This video is sponsored by Montech. As per Hardware Canucks guidelines, no review direction was received from manufacturer. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

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[nukez]

I feel reviewers are like cats, you give them a new box and they think it's the best thing ever.

[RocketJumpNinja]

I love the look of these, so I probably would get one just based on that... not that I can justify another build. Or can I... 🤔

[marceloangelim]

I have to say, the design team at Fractal is creating some of the best-looking cases lately—like the Terra, Era, and Ridge.

[LAMMROD_]

This case looks big enough to be able to set it up in a traditional layout.

[FullMetalPanicNL]

Ever since buying my first Fractal case I've been a fan.

[tomhollins]

"New Era" is the name of my local Chinese take away. That will make this case even more special for me.

[ionrage]

Now we just need more ITX boards that don't cost more then the ATX counterparts.

[TheSlash]

Appreciate the lines and the fingerprints in proper lighting

[jeffstaples]

I'm here for the thumbnail misspell. You got me. Fine, I'll watch this.

[OldDolio]

I been waiting/searching for this for months and it’s finally out for reviews and not even a recommendation from YT

[KeyboardSavant]

This would have been a must-have for me if the GPU clearance was ~336mm.

[andreip]

I just assembled a super system with this case(charchoal one). An gigabyte mb B850I AORUS PRO with 9800x3d, 2x32 ddr5 6000mhz, 4070ti super, sfx 850w Corsair power source and for cpu cooling corsair 240rs black. it's insane. a very powerful system with a 4k display from dell alienware. I hate those cases with many, many, many, many, many, many stupid lights and transparent panels; the horror. Fractal era 2 is awesome. CPU tempurature are under 70 degrees, rarely is upper 70, and the gpu temparature is between 65-73 celsius degrees. For the cpu i've done an undervolt -20 mV. I'm waitng for an 5080 when the price will drop. Maybe in 2026. 4070ti super is more than enough. More than enough for now. Congrats fractal and thank you so much for this case.

[mampicista]

they should make small MATX case like this...

[LemonJon]

FINALLY!!! I was waiting for a review video to finally drop for this case

[ts]

I would like it if there was an ATX version

[Lfancoes]

The white one really reminds me of XBOX 360

[visionary]

The Fractal Design Era 2 is an absolute triumph in compact PC case design, and I have to say—it’s a game changer. This isn’t just another case trying to look pretty while offering little substance. No, this is a perfectly crafted blend of form and function, with that wood top panel adding a touch of elegance while the engineering beneath makes building in this case a dream. The tool-less design, magnetic panels, and flexible interior options scream innovation. Sure, cable management can be a pain, but the thoughtfulness in the design offsets that. Fractal is pushing the industry forward, and it’s about time others catch up

[xanthikk]

I really dislike how you did temperature testing with an i5 9600k and 2060 super. I get that tighter and smaller cases will trap heat but at least something from the past 3 years should be used. the 9600k is 6 years old and 2060 is 5.5 years old. No one will be building a new pc with those specs. Saying "temperatures are OK" isn't a great statement in this case imo.

[DanDanNoodls]

Love the thicker Xbox 360 refresh look

[CaptainBlitz]

I would jump so hard on an olive green color of this. Like I might even justify the dumb financial decision of swapping my Terra for a green one of these.