By: Aaron Lai
February 5, 2026
In the past December, I met up with a few of my friends from high school and one topic of conversation was to plan a trip to Japan. This was in the back of my mind until earlier in January we decided to put the idea into action. This became more real when we saw a sale with All Nippon Airways. I have never flown with them, but I have only heard positive things about ANA. For some reason, we decided to take one more evening to confirm our travel plans. Unfortunately, the next day, the low prices were gone. As such, we decided the next time we saw a sale, we would book it. Within a week, the prices did return, but this time with Air Canada. We did still book our vacation, but I was slightly sad to miss an experience on a new airline. On the other hand, I am still excited to be planning a Japan trip later this year. It might be a bit disappointing to miss your first opportunity, but rather than wallowing in sadness, it is more important to keep going on for another chance. In a similar fashion, Fractal Design launched their North lineup of cases back at the end of 2022 and was lauded for its clean looks and compact capability. We never ended up reviewing it, but today marks a return of this moniker in the form of the Fractal Design North Momentum Edition. With this new revision, I can only wonder what excitement this case will bring. Are there changes or updates to make this a contender? Let us read on to find out!
Today's review unit of the Fractal Design North Momentum Edition arrived from Fractal Design's offices in The Colony, Texas, USA. Traveling with FedEx and their International Ground service, the box safely arrived to our APH Networks location here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Everything arrived in good condition, with only one small scrape on one edge of the box. As this is a day one review, Fractal Design shipped their case in a plain box to hide anything from nosy onlookers.
Fractal Design has always been more of a minimalist company, and the box design of the North Momentum Edition retail container is no different. Even if it matches their more economical cases in look, I like how clean it is. In fact, this sort of box design reminds me of the No Name brand that is in the Canadian Loblaws' family of supermarkets. Otherwise, this brown corrugated cardboard box has all the font and graphics printed in black ink. A Fractal Design logo is found on the top corner, with the product name underneath. The opposite side is the same, and the sides do not have any other product information. I do appreciate the little waste in packing material while keeping the product inside secure.
Out of the box, the Fractal Design North Momentum Edition is shipped in a black fabric bag and sandwiched between two large pieces of thick gray foam. This ensures the enclosure is protected from both bumps and surface damage. The side tempered glass panel is wrapped in shrink wrap to further ensure the glass comes in one piece, and in the unfortunate case it does break, the glass hopefully remains together and not scattered all over. Inside, there is a small cardboard box that holds some tools and other hardware. Finally, there is one more separate bag holding the user manual and information for the Fractal Design North Momentum Edition.
Before we move on, I have grabbed the specifications from the reviewer's guide for your reading pleasure:
Dedicated 3.5" drive mounts: 0
Dedicated 2.5" drive mounts: 2
Combined 3.5/2.5” drive mounts: 2 (2 included)
5.25" drive mounts: 0
Expansion slots: 7
Motherboard compatibility: ATX / mATX / Mini-ITX
Power supply type: ATX
Front interface: 1xUSB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, 2xUSB 3.0, Audio & Mic
Total fan mounts: 6 x 120 mm or 4 x 140 mm
Front fan: 3 x 120, 2 x 140 mm (3 x Momentum 120mm PWM included)
Top fan: 2 x 120/140 mm
Rear fan: 1 x 120 mm
Side Bracket Fans: N/A
Dust filters: Front, PSU
Front radiator: Up to 360mm
Top radiator: Up to 240mm
Rear radiator: 1 x 120 mm
Bottom radiator: N/A
PSU max length
- 1 HDD Tray: 255 mm max
- 2 HDD Tray: 155 mm max
GPU max length: 355 mm with front fan mounted / 300 mm with 360 mm front mounted radiator
CPU cooler max height: 170 mm
Cable routing space: 30 mm
Cable routing grommets: Yes
Fixed cable straps: Yes
Captive thumbscrews: HDD brackets, SSD bracket, Side Panels, PSU Bracket
Left side panel: Tempered glass, 3 mm
Right side panel: Steel
Case dimensions (L x W x H): 447 x 215 x 469 mm
Case dimensions w/o feet/protrusions/screws: 433.5 x 215 x 450 mm
Net weight: 7.9 kg
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
