Fractal Design didn’t simply add one other fan mount to the Pop 2 Air the place the unique Pop Air had a pair of drive bays: It additionally added a 3rd fan mount to its high panel. Even the highest panel’s vent has been upgraded, with perforated sheet steel of comparable thickness to its different panels. That takes the place of the weak mesh display that coated the smaller two-fan high vent of the unique model.
The Pop Air 2 can be obtainable in black for a similar $99 worth as our white pattern. As famous, our overview unit is the TG RGB, which has RGB followers; you will get the case with out RGB for $10 much less. As for the “TG” half? The non-RGB black model is obtainable with or and not using a tempered-glass facet, for a similar $89 worth.
A closeup of the highest panel’s ports will get us a take a look at the perforated high fan cowl, which is identical thickness because the facet panel. It is caught on with the identical form of magnetic strips because the display that coated the unique Pop Air.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
The ports are additionally carried over from the unique, which is a ding on this case. That is as a result of the USB-port design forces PC builders to dwell with a 5Gbps most velocity on the Sort-C port, since that port shares a 19-pin USB 3 connector with the Sort-A port. (Most fashionable circumstances use a separate Sort-E 10Gbps connection for any Sort-C ports.) We additionally see a headset combo jack, a pair of mode buttons for the built-in RGB controller, and an RGB-backlit energy button.
The Pop 2 Air has however one mud filter, and it’s solely sufficiently big to cowl the air inlet for the facility provide. That makes the mesh filter over the entrance panel the case’s important consumption cost, for higher or worse.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
A sample of vents adjoining to the motherboard I/O panel is designed to simply accept a rear fan at varied distances above the graphics card or under the highest panel, relying on the place you’re attempting to realize extra clearance. The PCI Categorical growth slot panel under it will possibly maintain as much as seven playing cards or multi-slot playing cards with out obstruction, since there aren’t any steel bridges between the slots.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
The correct facet panel is strong (non-perforated) sheet metal. Pulling off the panels, we discover mounting pins for 2 2.5-inch drives behind the motherboard tray, an ARGB controller built-in with the port connectors, a dual-pattern radiator mount pressed into the highest panel, a detachable 3.5-inch drive cage inside the facility provide tunnel, and a card-tab entry gap that allays any considerations about angling a graphics card into place by being a full 30mm excessive.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
The highest panel can maintain radiators at the least 408mm lengthy (or a bit extra, if you will get the ends to clear varied obstructions close to the highest edges of the entrance and rear panels), nevertheless it’s solely round 30mm above the motherboard. A horizontal distance of round 52mm between the motherboard floor and any 120mm-wide cooling parts ought to permit most 360mm-format radiator/fan units to clear most reminiscence modules, however we’d be warier of 140mm-wide models.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
The case’s included ARGB controller doesn’t provide a passive mode, so builders are compelled to decide on between it and no matter different ARGB controllers their system has. (There’s often one on fashionable motherboards.) It has two buttons that cycle by way of 4 lighting patterns and 6 colours for a mixture of 24 attainable results.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
As for mounting SSDs and exhausting drives, plastic push pins safe two 2.5-inch drives up high, whereas the three.5-inch drive bay on the underside secures that arduous drive through 4 shoulder screws on silicon grommets. The decrease tray can even maintain a 3rd 2.5-inch drive, however with out the advantage of damping grommets.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
Then there’s the followers. The three specifically designed Fractal Design ARGB followers have prolonged rings on the frames that protrude by way of corresponding holes on the Pop 2 Air’s entrance panel and fascia. Although normal followers will match right here too, the additional area between fan frames (round 2mm) makes radiator set up rather less sure.
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(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
With the Pop 2 Air, you won’t have even thought {that a} entrance radiator could be an choice, given its curved decrease duct, seen under, that’s designed to direct the decrease fan’s air up towards your put in graphics card. However we instantly seen the little screw within the nook of that duct…
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
…which makes it seem as if the case may need been designed to carry an non-obligatory cooling package that contained a distinct duct. Eradicating the screw and the duct provides us entry to a radiator-mounting area that’s greater than 420mm tall, regardless of being restricted to 3 120mm followers.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
As for graphics card and motherboard area, we discovered Fractal Design’s 416mm most card-length ranking lifelike, and we measured greater than 11 inches (280mm) of area between the growth panel and the motherboard tray’s inward step. That’s sufficient area to suit the 9.7-to-10.8-inch enthusiast-class motherboards that usually get saddled with the free “EATX” label, however not sufficient to suit some greater workstation-class boards that additionally qualify as EATX.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
