Sweden’s Fractal Design have announced a refresh of their Array Mini ITX NAS Case, which we reviewed earlier in the Summer. The Array R2 Mini ITX NAS Case features:
- Two expansion slots instead of one, enabling support for Mini DTX M/B
- Improved HDD cage
- Improved front fan module
Back in May, we closed our review of the Array with the following conclusions:
Whilst you’ll appreciate touches like the rubber grommets fitted on to the drive cage, the cage itself is tricky to work with and could do with a re-think, as it’s the Array’s weakest point. You will hear a faint hum from your home server when it’s powered on, despite the “silent” claims from Fractal Design, but it’s no hovercraft and is a lot quieter than many OEM home servers we’ve reviewed. Remember too that whilst the Array will hold six drives, most mini-ITX boards available on the market today will only have four SATA connectors, so until we start to see Intel’s “Bandon” home server motherboards start to appear later in the year, you’ll need an expansion card to benefit from the full six drives.
That said, the Array remains a great looking case, and if you can stretch your budget, you’ll end up with a fabulous mini-ITX based home server that will serve you well for years to come.
Hopefully the changes to the HDD cage and fan have resolved the negative points we highlighted.
Full specs as follows:
Case Specifications
- Built in high quality aluminium
- Room for six silicone mounted 3,5-inch HDD
- Room for one SSD
- Removable HDD cage for easy mounting
- Silent Series 140mm fan included in front, with washable filter
- Space available for CPU cooler: circa 90mm height
- Space available for expansion card: circa 140mm length
- Fits Mini ITX and Mini DTX motherboards
- Two expansion slots
- Case dimensions (WxHxD): 250x200x350mm
- Net weight: 4.1kg
Fan Specifications
- 140mm Silent Series
- Dimensions: 140 x 140 x 25mm
- RPM: 600 +/- 10% RPM
- Noise: 9 dBA
- Airflow: 39 CFM, 66 m³/h
- Connection: 3-pin
- Power: 2.52 W +/- 10%
- Textile covered electrical cable
Additional Information
- EAN/GTIN-13: 7350041080435
- Product code: FD-CA-ARRAYR2-BL-NOPSU
- Gross weight: 4.3kg
- Outer package dimensions (WxHxD): 330x265x430mm
More: Fractal Design
