Fractal Design Define S2 Vision Review

Stripped and Alternative Assembly

The front of the S2 Vision requires quite a few committed tugs to pull it free.  So committed are they that you might begin to question whether the panel is intended to be removed at all, but rest assured it is.  The devil is in the detail they say, and it’s nice to see that Fractal have varied the design slightly, but none-the-less significantly to make the front I/O panel captive to the chassis as opposed to the front panel as it is with the Meshify.  If you’ve ever built into a system, or wanted to clean the air filters of one you own, you’ll recognise how massively important this seemingly insignificant detail is. 

A push of the button at the rear of the case enables the top glass section to be removed.  but why would we want to do this?  Aside of course from making a build easier?

Well, because it enables the fitting of the two large items in the Vision accessories pack.  The first of these is a large bracket that enables the mounting of 3×120 or 140mm fans.  This bracket also enables the mounting of up to 360mm or 280mm rads.  Not only that, but it also has a mount for a fill port.  But what of the air flow? surely the glass is still going to be a problem?

Air flow you say?  Well how pleased would you be if the S2 Vision accessories pack also included an alternative high airflow roof panel?  Yeah, pretty impressed, although, to be honest we’d rather have seen just a simple magnetically attached mesh panel which we think would have looked a tad more aesthetically pleasing and more in line with the clean lines of the case.

OK, so it’s not as pretty as a glass panel, but if you want a rad or fans in the roof, it’s the only way to go.  Interestingly Fractal have fitted a mesh panel under the fins, which seems unnecessary as most top rads or fans will be on extract.