Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
The Fractal Design Pop 2 Air is an updated version of the Pop Air, as its name suggests. We have never reviewed the Pop Air here at APH Networks, but at first glance, it looks like the Pop 2 Air no longer has a wide selection of distinct interior color options. Instead, the Pop 2 Air is only available in traditional white and black. Other key differences include a revised front and top panel for improved airflow. An interesting detail is a fabric tab on the right side featuring Fractal Design's logo. In our photo above, you can see the full-height cubic-pattern mesh, which has a cool 3D look to it. The front mesh is supposed to double as a dust filter, as no other dust filter is included. Our particular unit is the Black TG RGB version; other variants include Black Solid, Black TG, Black TG RGB, and White TG RGB. Other than that, the bones are very similar to the Epoch I reviewed back in August.
A tempered glass panel on the left side of the Pop 2 Air Black TG RGB provides a view inside with nearly full coverage. You will lose a little bit of real estate along the bottom, but it directly faces the shroud, so you are not gaining anything even if it is glass. Both the glass left panel and solid right panel are attached to the main frame via metal tabs that run along the top and bottom of each panel. Captive thumbscrews at the back are made for simple and convenient removal. The rest of the chassis is made out 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 462mm height, 215mm width, and 481mm depth, the Fractal Design Pop 2 Air Black TG RGB's dimensions are quite compact for an ATX computer case. It is marginally larger than the Epoch. It tips the scales at 16.28 lbs, which makes it one of the lighter cases out there. The reason for the Pop 2 Air series' light weight is because it does not have sound insulation materials or other miscellaneous items.
The front panel connectors are located at the top of the Pop 2 Air. They are placed in a line along the front right side. Starting from the bottom and going up, we have an oval-shaped power button. This is followed by a 3.5mm combination audio jack for headphone out and microphone in, USB 3.2 Type-A port, USB 3.2 Type-C port, and last but not least, a split oval-shaped button for RGB LED control. The top half is Color, which allows you to select between Northern Lights, Summer Sky, Sunset, Mystic Night, Emerald Lake, Radiant Dawn, White, Slow Cycle, Freeze Slow Cycle, Rainbow, and off. The bottom half is Mode, which allows you to toggle Shift, On - Static Color, Slow Chase, Slow Breathing, or off. In the middle of the power button is a RGB LED that is synchronized by the controller. 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 Pop 2 Air Black TG RGB. Traditionally, case designers install top mounted fans to efficiently draw heat away from the processor. 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 it is also very easy to get a lot of dust in the system that way when it is turned off. I am not a big fan of such a design, and I really dislike it when manufacturers force me to use that opening. In this case, Fractal Design has made a compromise. The top panel is almost completely vented, but there is a magnetic filter with a solid steel frame to keep the dust 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 top panel is not removable -- only the dust filter is. You can install up to three 120mm or two 140mm fans in this location. Of course, it can accommodate a radiator of equivalent size, including up to a 360mm model.
The back of Fractal Design's Pop 2 Air Black TG RGB 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. Four captive thumbscrews, two 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.
Four fixed plastic feet with rubber pads can be seen on the Fractal Design Pop 2 Air Black TG RGB. The legs provide the chassis with about 2 cm rise over the surface it resides on. No bottom intake fans are supported. The rear tab of the washable nylon power supply fan filter can be seen in our photo above, which can be pulled out for easy cleaning.
Overall, the Pop 2 Air Black TG RGB ATX case is a solid case with regards to build quality, as one would expect from Fractal Design. This is obviously a much more economical case compared to the flagship Define 7 Dark Tempered Glass, so you will not get nearly as many cool details or features. 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
