Fractal Design Vector RS

Mit seinem markanten, verwinkelten Design und dem RGB-Leuchtstreifen, der die Stahl- und Glas-Elemente auf der Oberseite und der Front teilt, fällt Fractal Designs Vector RS auf jeden Fall auf. Doch das Designergehäuse will auch mit seiner funktionalen Ausstattung sowie seiner maximalen Flexibilität beim Innenraumdesign aufmerksam machen. Zusätzlich versprechen die Schweden eine gute und geräuscharme Kühlung. Ob das stimmt, zeigt unser Test.

Fractal Design traut sich seit einige Zeit auch Gehäuse mit einer RGB-Beleuchtung anzubieten und von seinen sehr schlichten Gehäusen etwas Abstand zu nehmen. Mit dem Fractal Design Vector RS wird dagegen ein Spagat versucht und ein hochwertiges Gehäuse auf den Markt gebracht, welches zusätzlich eine RGB-Beleuchtung besitzt, die das kantige Design unterstützen soll.

Fractal Design may have released the Vector RS Blackout Light TG just over a year ago but it’s still one of their most unique models to date which is why I wanted so much to check it out. Build quality is set at very high levels, interior space is impressive for a mid-tower (sixteen drives, nine 120/140mm fans and/or three 240/280/360/420mm radiators, 185mm tall CPU air coolers, 440mm long graphics cards and 300mm long power supply units) and as for looks/design well it may not be the most impressive model out there but I enjoy the subtle approach Fractal Design chose. The ability to swap the top tempered glass panel for a ventilated one is also a good move by Fractal Design which ensures high airflow levels (at the cost of slightly increased noise levels), especially if you also decide to remove the drive column. At the time of this review the Vector RS Blackout Light TG Mid-Tower by Fractal Design retails for USD218.49 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 160Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which is fair for what you’re getting, at least on this side of the Atlantic. Granted the Vector RS Blackout Light TG may not be the jack of all trades but unlike most towers out there it ticks almost every single box there is, looks, interior space, build quality, airflow levels and more and that's why it deserves the Golden Award.

We have mixed feelings about the Vector RS. On the one hand, it’s a little frustrating to see Fractal once again reskinning an existing design, but equally it makes sense both commercially and from a design perspective to reuse good things. The layout still feels suitable for a modern chassis, and the level of modularity is well balanced. Meanwhile, build quality lives up to the standards that the Swedish firm has set itself over the years. The addressable RGB lighting is neatly integrated and not garish, and the features like the nine-port fan hub, multitude of storage options, and USB Type-C are all welcome. However, much like we did recently with the Be Quiet! Pure Base 500, we have to pull Fractal up on the issue of airflow, although this time it’s with regards to the GPU and not the CPU, which is middling but acceptable and easily improved. If you stick to the storage layout of this case, we highly recommend installing some more powerful fans in the front to make up for all the impedance, as the default ones just don’t seem to cut it. That said, the open layout returns things to an acceptable state, and we do think this is the one most users are likely to prefer these days. Since this layout can be switched to relatively painlessly and doesn’t involve the user having to buy anything extra, we’re still happy to bestow a recommendation for this case, as it’s otherwise well made and nicely specced, but it’s definitely worth being aware of the Vector RS’ limitations when it comes to GPU cooling in its default state.

Fractal Design is making several bold changes with the new Vector RS mid-tower case. Unlike previous products, Fractal is diverging from their symmetric, understated look, and include RGB elements in the core design of the Vector RS.

Für ca. 185€ bekommt man ein gut durchdachtes und qualitativ hochwertig verarbeitetes Gehäuse. Beim Vektor RS sind die Erfahrungen aus anderen Gehäuseserien eingeflossen. Durch das ungewöhnliche und trotzdem schlichte Design wird das Fraktal Design Vektor RS zu einem echten Hingucker.