Fractal Design Core 3000 review

The Fractal Design Core 3000 is a small and attractive looking case. Its entire front is dominated by black mesh, keeping it slick and unobtrusive. The USB, headphone and microphone ports are on top of the case, which makes sense as you can place the case on the floor and still reach everything easily. The one disappointment is that there are no USB3 ports.

Inside, the case is a little on the cramped side. In its default configuration, the six 3.5in drive bays, mounted in two cages, mean that there’s only enough room for a graphics card of up to 270mm in length. Fortunately, you can remove the top cage, leaving a gap so you can fit in a graphics card of up to 420mm in length.

This has the secondary advantage that it makes it easier to reach the pre-cut holes in the motherboard tray. You can use these to route cables out-of-sight and keep the inside of your PC clutter free.

Sat perpendicular to the motherboard, the 3.5in drive bays mean you can install your hard disks or SSDs with the cables out of the way of expansion cards and the motherboards. It’s a little frustrating that the bays all require screws, rather than the tool-less designs we’re used to seeing, even on budget cases.

There’s just two 5.25in drive bays at the top of the case, although that’s still plenty for any PC. Again, the bays require screws and we would have preferred tool-free bays.

Fractal Design fits the Core 3000 with one 140mm fan and two 120mm fans, which should be enough cooling for most systems. If you want more, then you can add up to four more 140mm fans, as well.

If you’re after a small, well-built and attractive case for your PC, then the Fractal Design Core 3000 certainly fits the bill. However, the lack of USB3 support is a bit disappointing. The Corsair Carbide 200R is around the same price, is easier to build and has USB3 support – it’s the best choice at this price.