Fractal Design Define R4 (Does anyone know what case this is?)

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2[H]4U
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Jun 12, 2001
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I saw this cool looking case on the local craigslist for an overpriced 4th generation Core processor system (the seller wanted to much for a i3 with an 8 series chipset $650)

I did ask the seller but they were being a ass turd and would not tell me unless I planed to buy it.

Which I don't as I recently sold my 4th generation i7-4790K system myself when I upgraded to a AMD Ryzen 7 3700X system (I sold mine for $350 with a better MB anyway)



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Fractal Design Define R2/3/4? I know its a Define R series but there were a few and I don't recall the differences.

Looking closer it appears to be an R4. I used to have that case in 2012ish? so its pretty old at this point.
 
Perhaps an old Antec, HP, Dell or similar hunk of plain steel. That locking front door is reminiscent of the low-end prebuilt machines from the 90's that were sold at retailers like Office Max, Staples etc when they sold computers....
 
Cool! Thanks I wonder where I can find one of these for a reasonable cost, I really like this case a lot. I am really a fan of full ATX case, I only used MATX once (back when I did not know there was even a difference between the two, I was young at the time and did not know a lot back then didn't we all 😄 do the same) .
I also still like optical media so if I can find one of these it sounds like a perfect fit for me
 
Cool! Thanks I wonder where I can find one of these for a reasonable cost, I really like this case a lot. I am really a fan of full ATX case, I only used MATX once (back when I did not know there was even a difference between the two, I was young at the time and did not know a lot back then didn't we all 😄 do the same) .
I also still like optical media so if I can find one of these it sounds like a perfect fit for me

It's funny you posted this and why I was able to answer so fast is I have an R3 and R4 open in my living room right now being cleaned out to put back into service.
 
OK, keep me in mind if you ever want to sell the R4 as always shipping will be a killer (I am in Fairfield County Connecticut).
 
I am happy I finally got one of these (Fractal Design Define R4) cases. I transfered my Ryzen 3700X build and I like it. I can barely hear the AMD OEM Wrath Prism cooler and it actually runs cooler then when it was in the Cooler Master N400. I have one caveat though there is only one LED for either power or HDD. I have not taken off the front panel yet but does anyone know how hard it would be to add another LED for power or HDD activity? I have quite a few ones that already have the two pin connector already on them (from cases that were trashed)
 
I have not taken off the front panel yet but does anyone know how hard it would be to add another LED for power or HDD activity?
find a spot drill a hole mount the led. easy peasy. might even be able to just glue it to the back of the led diffuser, something like this

 
Yeah that looks cool. I don't want to drill a hole I will try that thing that was posted in the video above that looks easy.
 
Yeah that looks cool. I don't want to drill a hole I will try that thing that was posted in the video above that looks easy.
if you have one from an old case you wont have to coble it together, just glue the led in place and run the cable.
 
Yes I have plenty from old cases that were scrapped. I have a hot glue gun I am going to do that mod now, as soon as I figure out how to remove the front panel & the IO panel where the LEDs are.
 
Yes I have plenty from old cases that were scrapped. I have a hot glue gun I am going to do that mod now, as soon as I figure out how to remove the front panel & the IO panel where the LEDs are.
just grab the bottom and yank it off. its just a snap-on with plastic retention pins.
 
just grab the bottom and yank it off. its just a snap-on with plastic retention pins.
I'm back! I got that mod done. Took me awhile because I did not want to break anything (when I first got the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and related parts back in the end of March it took me about 5.5Hrs to do the whole build) so I take it nice and easy. Also the GigaByte G-Connectors (or what ever they call their verson of the Asus Q-Connector) is a royal POS and it does not work that well as the metal retainer thing keeps popping out of place.
Anyway that is done. I just wonder why a HDD LED was not there in the first place (it should be on a $120 case)
 
I'm back! I got that mod done. Took me awhile because I did not want to break anything (when I first got the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and related parts back in the end of March it took me about 5.5Hrs to do the whole build) so I take it nice and easy. Also the GigaByte G-Connectors (or what ever they call their verson of the Asus Q-Connector) is a royal POS and it does not work that well as the metal retainer thing keeps popping out of place.
Anyway that is done. I just wonder why a HDD LED was not there in the first place (it should be on a $120 case)
no idea. seems, to me, that the button ring should be power, front strip shoulda been drive. my phantek is like that too though.
 
no idea. seems, to me, that the button ring should be power, front strip shoulda been drive. my phantek is like that too though.

Yeah the way I did the mod I only took off the front panel and there was a space under that light pipe thingy that the LED just sat there, I did hot glue it in for good measure though. I wish I had a white LED though. The one I had was red The power LED is the blue and the HDD is red just like the video you posted above. The way I did it though that front strip is mostly red when a drive is active but it will still be blue with the red shining through. I think it looks good (In my opinion anyway)
 
I just redid this mod with the proper (to me at-least) white LED. I used a bit too much hot glue and I destroyed the red LED (upon removal I even used my heat-gun to try and soften the glue) but not any part of the case which is a major plus as new parts for this old case are made out of Un-obtanium now.

It looks way better with the blue/white combination I may swap the connectors as the white LED is for HDD activity and blue for power. The white LED is really only noticeable on heavy hard drive activity.
 
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