Introduction

Fractal Design Focus 2 review

This time, we’re checking out the Fractal Design Focus 2, a successor of the Focus G chassis (ATX compatible), which we reviewed back in 2017. A Mini version was also available, dedicated to the mATX motherboards. The Fractal Design Focus 2 appears to have changed quite a lot from the original. You can now install a 360 mm radiator in the front location, where a maximum of 280 mm was available previously (and the 5.25” bay had to be removed, without that – there was a place for a 240 mm radiator). For the top, it’s again 240 mm, the same for the rear where 120 mm would fit. As for the fans’ compatibility - the 2x120/140 mm at the top and 120 mm at the back stayed the same. From the things that have changed - you can mount even three 120 mm at the front (or two 140 mm – and they’re provided) instead of 2x120/140 mm like it was in Focus G.

You can mount up to six 2.5” drives (2 are included) as opposed to one in Focus G (where you had to remove the PSU to install the disk). There are again two mounts for 2.5/3.5”, and there are no 5.25” this time. There are the following colour variants available:

• Black with solid panel
• Black with TG panel
• White TG Clear Tint
• RGB Black TG Clear Tint
• RGB White TG Clear Tint (which we are reviewing)

The exact dimensions are 471.5 × 215 × 450.5 (L×W×H) in total; it’s 45.7 l of volume, so that’s in the midrange of the mid-tower chassis. The Focus 2 supports ATX (ATX, uATX, and mini-ITX) motherboards. You can buy up to five additional accessories, which include:

• USB-C 10Gbps Cable – Model D (which we also got)
• SSD bracket kit – Type D
• Multibracket – Black (2 pk.)
• Flex B-20 PCIe Riser

The weight is 6.1 kg for the solid panel version and 6.4 kg for the TG panel. On the front, you will find the following ports:

• 2 x USB 3.0
• Expansion port for USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C add-on (sold separately)
• Audio I/O
• Power button
• RGB Controller (RGB versions only)

The Fractal Design Focus 2 provides many cooling options, supporting radiators:

• Front - Up to 360/280 mm (max 145 mm width)
• Top - Up to 240 mm (121 mm width, 45 mm MB component height)
• Rear - 120 mm

As for the fan installation, there are the following options (two 140 mm RGB fans are bundled):

• Top: 2x 120/140 mm
• Front: 3x 120 or 2x 140 mm (2x 140 mm fans included)
• Rear: 120mm × 1

The provided fans are from the Aspect series with rifle bearing. It comes in non-RGB and RGB versions, depending on the chassis version. You can find six hub-mounted addressable RGB LEDs (in the RGB version). The power connector is 3-pin, daisy-chainable; the RGB connection is standard 5V and daisy-chainable. The rotational speed of the fans is 1000 RPM, and the noise level is 19.5 dBA. Maximum airflow is stated as 41 CFM, and the static pressure is to be 1.02 mmH2O. Max rated input current is 0.14A. Service life is 90,000 hours MTTF. As for the cable type, it’s a 500 mm ribbon cable with chainable connectors.

You get the following fan filters:

• Front (steel mesh)
• Top (plastic mesh)
• PSU (nylon)

You will find seven expansion slots in Focus 2. You can use CPU air coolers with a max height of 170 mm (enough to fit most models), and that’s a nice upgrade vs. 165 mm possible in the original Focus 2. The GPUs can measure up to 405 mm in length (and it was 380). The PSU shouldn’t be longer than 250mm (recommended is 175 mm, but that is still a lot). As for the cable management space, it’s 19 mm, and you get 21 tie-down points (as opposed to 7 in Focus G).

• Focus 2 Black TG Clear Tint – 69.99 USD
• Focus 2 White TG Clear Tint – 69.99 USD
• Focus 2 RGB Black TG Clear Tint – 79.99 USD
• Focus 2 RGB White TG Clear Tint – 79.99 USD
• Focus 2 Black Solid Product – 69.99 USD

As for the accessories, they’re priced as follows:

• USB-C 10Gbps Cable – Model D – 9.99 USD
• SSD bracket kit – Type D – 7.99 USD/8.99 EUR
• Multibracket – Black (2 pk.) – 9.99 USD/9.99 EUR
• Flex B-20 PCIe Riser P – 45.99 USD/46.99 EUR

Will it be worth that price? First - let’s check out the specs and features of this chassis.