Big Airflow – Fractal Epoch XL PC Case Review
Meet the Fractal Epoch XL
PC builders wanted more Epoch, and Fractal delivered
Fractal has taken their popular Epoch chassis and made it bigger. With its new “Epoch XL” chassis, Fractal has taken its elegant Epoch design and added support for more fans, larger liquid-cooling radiators, and EATX motherboards.
With its extra size, this new XL case has some added flexibility. It retains the three front-mounted Momentum 14 fans as its smaller counterpart, which are available as either RGB or non-RGB fans, depending on your preference. Honestly, I love the non-RGB looks of the Epoch XL’s standard version. That said, if you want a splash of colour, having RGB fans is a great option.
As always, Fractal blends contemporary Nordic design with airflow engineering that creates a chassis that looks great and performs well. With recent years delivering hotter and more power-hungry graphics cards, strong case airflow is a must. Looks and airflow are critical considerations for modern PC builds. With its Epoch series cases, Fractal aims to deliver both.
Epoch VS Epoch XL
The original Fractal Epoch measures in at 565 x 326 x 553mm, while the Epoch XL measures 605 x 355 x 610mm. This makes the Epoch XL slightly larger in all dimensions. This gives PC builders more room for activities and space for larger PC components.
The Epoch has 30mm of “cable routing space”, while the Epoch XL has 37mm of space. With the XL, EATX (up to 275mm wide) motherboards are supported (the Epoch only supports standard ATX). The XL supports up to 360mm/280mm top-mounted radiators, while the standard Epoch supports 240mm radiators.
GPU-wise, the standard Epoch supports cards up to 372mm long (345mm when a front-mounted radiator is installed). The XL supports GPUs up to 425mm, though this drops to 395mm when a front-mounted radiator is used.
Pricing
The Epoch XL is available in three forms. First, there is a Black version with a solid side panel. Next, there are Black and White versions with a tempered glass window. Lastly, there are Black and White models with tempered glass side-panel windows and RGB fans.
In the UK, the non-RGB versions of the Epoch XL will cost £109.99. The RGB versions will cost £20 more, making them £129.99. These prices are not much higher than their standard Epoch cases.
