Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
I have personally covered basically every generation of the Fractal Design Define lineup since 2011 here at APH Networks, but it has been six years since the company released anything in the series, with the most recent being the Define 7 I reviewed back in 2020. The Define One does not replace the Define 7. Instead, it joins the lineup. The latest model, while retaining clean looks signature to the Define series, breaks away from the traditional straight lines with a curved front panel and rounded edges. Our particular unit is the Dark TG version; other variants include Dark Solid, Light TG, and Light Solid.
A tempered glass panel on the left side of the Define One Dark TG provides a full coverage view inside. Both the glass left panel and solid right panel are attached to the main frame via two ball-and-socket joints that run along the top and clips that secure each panel along the bottom. This is not a traditional tempered glass or solid side panel design, but this is the same mechanism as the one found in the Define 7. It is the best I have seen -- feeling substantial in use and works extremely well. You can add a screw at the top for each side panel, hidden behind the top mesh panel, to secure the side panels in place. The rest of the chassis is made of quality steel panels. Other than that, the right side panel is completely blank, which you will see in the upcoming photos.
Measuring in at 500mm tall, 235mm wide, and 482mm deep, the Fractal Design Define One Dark TG's dimensions are expected for an ATX computer case. It is noticeably shorter than the last Define chassis I reviewed without front 5.25" optical drive bays, the Define S2 Vision Blackout in 2019, which came in at 465mm tall, 233mm wide, and 543mm deep. The Define One Dark TG tips the scales at 24.42 lbs, which is quite heavy but consistent with the Define series. Fractal Design's Define cases are never light. The increased weight comes from the sound insulation materials and complex steel structures.
The front panel connectors are located at the top of the Define One Dark TG. The designers managed to create a level of symmetry in an asymmetric fashion with its power button placed nice and center. On both sides of the power button, we have two USB 3.2 Type-A ports. Next to the left side USB 3.2 Type-A port is a 3.5mm combination audio jack for headphone out and microphone in, while the opposite side features a USB 3.2 Type-C port. The white power LED is also visible via a slit from the front in classic Fractal Design Define style. There is no reset button or drive activity LED.
Shifting our focus a little bit, let us take a look at the top of the Fractal Design Define One Dark TG. The top panel is almost completely vented, but the mesh is supposed to keep dust out. Case designers install top mounted fans to efficiently draw heat away from the processor, or allow you to place an AIO radiator in this location. This makes a lot of sense, since heat rises, so we are only adhering to the natural laws of physics. Unfortunately, this is a two-way street, as dust could settle in your system that way when it is turned off. I would much rather have, at the very least, a dust filter here, because the holes in the mesh are rather large and will not keep much out. That said, having three front intake fans from the factory -- more on this later -- will produce positive pressure to keep dust out during normal operation.
The back of Fractal Design's Define One Dark TG is painted black to match the rest of the chassis, and is pretty much standard for a case with a bottom mounted power supply bay. We can expectantly spot a 120mm fan opening placed adjacent to the motherboard I/O backplate. The fan itself is not included. Three indents for fitting your fingers to pull out the panels, one for each panel, can be seen in our above photo.
There are seven bridgeless horizontal expansion card slots, painted black, shown in our photo above. Since they are bridgeless, you can use a vertical GPU riser kit to show off your graphics hardware. A plastic cover covers the thumbscrews for less air leakage and better looks. The plastic cover can be removed by pressing a tab at the bottom.
The top panel can be removed by pulling it up from the back, which is held down by four ball-and-socket joints. An indent in the rear panel allows you to grip the top panel easily. You can install up to two 120mm or 140mm fans in this location. Of course, it can accommodate a radiator of equivalent size. This is rather small, since you cannot fit a 360mm radiator here, but the Define One itself is quite short, so this is not unexpected.
Four rubber pads sitting on top of a solid plastic riser frame can be seen at the bottom of the Fractal Design Define One Dark TG. The riser frame and rubber pads provide the chassis with about 1.5cm rise over the surface it resides on. No bottom intake fans are supported. The washable nylon power supply fan filter can be seen in our photo above, which can be pulled out from the left side via a push-to-open mechanism for easy cleaning.
A 3.5cm-wide mesh strip runs from the top to bottom near the front of the Define One on both sides as air intake for the three Momentum 14 PWM 140mm fans. Both side intakes are backed by a washable nylon dust filter, which can be removed by pulling off the top panel, unlatching the front panel by two tabs, and sliding out the dust filters.
Overall, the Define One Dark TG ATX case is a solid case with regards to build quality, as one would expect from Fractal Design. It does not feel as refined and loaded with features as the cost-is-no-object Define cases like the Define 7 and Define S2. The Define One's feels about halfway between the company's mainstream models like the Epoch Black TG RGB Light Tint and the Define 7, but so is its price. Still, all the panels fit together reasonably well with minimal panel gaps. Nothing feels flimsy or cheap, and sharp edges are out of the question.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
