Is the Fractal Design R6 worth it over the Define S?

Hello everyone,

I have built a PC over four month ago and all parts were bought from Newegg except the case. I was planning on buying the Define S but it isn’t even available to be shipped to my country from the Newegg’s online international store despite the crazy shipping cost for cases. I finally found an online shop that have decent shipping cost but now the Define R6 is released and I would like your thoughts.

Here’s my thoughts:
-I like the R6 advantages:
-I like the slightly bigger size and better Quality
-Comes in Gunmetal (although it isn’t yet available on that online store and I don’t know if ever will).
Disadvantages:
-I dislike the tempered Glass for two reasons:
1-I really hate reflections cause I’m kinda self loathing :pensive: .
2-It might shatter during shipping because it will ship from Germany to Middle East.
-I also want to mod the front panel for better AirFlow and it’ll be a waste of good aluminum. I also don’t the have the tools.

Define S advantages:
-Acrylic panel.
-Great price (way less expensive than the R6)
-easy to mod.
Disadvantages:
-Slightly lower quality.
-Comes in black (but it ain’t that bad to be completely honest).

Waiting for your thoughts.

Cheers.

So let me get this clear…
You want a well made case with open interior, that will have good airflow and an acrylic panel?
I will give you a few suggestions and then I will tell you why I don’t recommend neither R6 nor S.

  1. Phanteks Enthoo Pro M
    https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16811854019
    No need to mod. Open front, open interior.
  2. Cooler Master Masterbox 5
    https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16811119314
    Open interior, open front, clean design.
  3. Fractal’s own Arc Midi R2. Spin a cage around and remove another one and you are done.

I don’t like R6 because:

  1. It reminds me of H440 by NZXT. I love H440, I don’t like the copycat.
  2. As per usual nowadays - tempered glass. It can shatter not only during shipping.
  3. Man its expensive.

Define S grew on me, but I still don’t like it for 2 main reasons:

  1. Let’s open the interior of the case to increase the airflow and let’s block the front, so the intake fans can barely intake.
  2. The roof. I despise the roof. The roof is so bad.

So there… Between the two I would get the S, but if I had to choose today, a case with good airflow… Well, I own Arc Midi R2 and nothing else have come out, that have made me regret it. May be H440, but that is not a great airflow case.

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Acrylic is a mess IMO, attracts dust like crazy and scratches the first time you get anywhere near it with any kind of cloth. Looking back at my previous cases, I now realize I should have switched to a solid side panel much sooner.

With regards to opening up the intake, on my own Define R5 I don’t notice much of a difference between having the front closed vs open and without filter. Fractal Design is one of the few companies that gets side intakes right. So I wouldn’t be too worried about having to mod the front panel on an R6.
Sure, here in Belgium it’s never that hot anyway, in hot climates that 2-4°C difference between open and closed may be enough to become more of a problem.

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Thanks a lot. I chose these to cases because they’re the least expensive in terms of water cooling options and customization. If I get the Define S I’ll definitely mod the front. The only thing that is making me reconsider my purchase is the gun metal color option for the R6. But the Define S seems logical the choice because of its price.

Thanks for sharing your experience.
It really hot in here, like REALLY fking hot. the ambient temps in my room in the hottest days in summer (without an AC unit) reach easily 38 Celsius and I’ve seen it go 41 Celsius if there’s no ventilation for that room. Also, I must note that my room is directly exposed to sunlights which really sucks.