INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   In a market filled with PC cases that focus almost entirely on looks/design there aren't that many that also combine build quality, interior space and features. Yes, you can find large cases or cases with numerous features and even some with good build quality levels but finding a case that delivers all of the above is extremely rare, at least nowadays. Of course, with the majority of consumers looking for affordable PC cases it's only normal that manufacturers are doing their very best to provide exactly that but what about consumers who are looking for something more? Well for those Fractal Design has the Vector RS Blackout Light TG, a premium Mid tower which arrived here not long ago.

   Fractal Design is a leading designer and manufacturer of premium PC hardware including cases, cooling, power supplies and accessories. Based in Gothenburg and with offices in the US as well as Taiwan, Fractal Design has gained a global reputation for innovative design, elegant aesthetics and solid build quality. Fractal Design products are available in over 45 countries worldwide, and are still growing.

   The Vector RS Blackout Light TG Mid-Tower by Fractal Design was released roughly 1 year ago and has 6 main selling points, near excellent build quality, tempered glass panels (front/top/left/front), interchangeable top panel (tempered glass / metal mesh), ARGB LED strip (front/top), sound dampening material on the right panel and plenty of interior space for even the largest hardware components today. Of course, the Vector RS Blackout Light TG also sports secondary features like the dual-chamber design, three pre-installed Dynamic X2 GP-14 140mm fans, Adjust R1 ARGB controller, Nexus+ fan hub, removable air-filters (top/bottom) and vertical GPU slot. As for what i mean by plenty of interior space well inside the Vector RS Blackout Light TG you can fit up to E-ATX sized mainboards, sixteen 3.5/2.5" drives (6x2.5/3.5" and 2x2.5" positions are available from the factory), nine 120/140mm fans and/or three 240/280/360/420mm radiators (top 240/280/360/420mm - front 240/280/360mm - bottom 240/280mm), 185mm tall CPU air coolers, 440mm long graphics cards and up to 300mm long power supply units. So, time to really get close and personal with the Vector RS Blackout Light TG Mid-Tower by Fractal Design.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Vector RS Blackout Light TG is packed inside a plain cardboard box that has a product drawing at the front right beneath the company logo and next to its color (version) and a fragile sticker.

 

 

Printed on the left side are the product specifications and on the right side we see a drawing of the interior.

 

 

An exposed drawing of the case is placed at the rear of the box right beneath its main features printed in 5 languages.

 

 

As usual the tower is wrapped inside a plastic bag and placed between two foam spacers.

 

 

Another cardboard box is used to hold the various parts.

 

 

Inside the box you will find the ventilated top cover, top filter, top fan/radiator bracket, cleaning cloth, Adjust R1 ARGB controller, 6 cable ties, 5 bags with mounting screws, warranty information paper and the user guide.

 

 

THE VECTOR RS BLACKOUT LIGHT TG EXTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Vector RS Blackout Light TG is a large size mid-tower that measures 498mm in height, 552mm in depth and 233mm in width.

 

 

As already mentioned, the entire right side panel is made out of tempered glass held in place via 2 rear thumbscrews.

 

 

Moving at the front we see the fascia which is made out of both tempered glass (left side) and plastic (the ARGB LED strip passes between them).

 

 

The I/O is located at the top and includes the on/off power and reset buttons, two USB 3.0 ports, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port and the usual headset and microphone 3.5" ports.

 

 

By default, the case arrives with the tempered glass top panel as you can see from the above picture.

 

 

In order to use the ventilated top cover, you will need to remove the fascia (just by pulling it outwards from its base).

 

 

This reveals the two pre-mounted Dynamic X2 GP-14 fans and the 240/280/360mm radiator space.

 

 

After that you just need to remove the tempered glass panel and place the fan/radiator bracket (which i mounted the wrong way in the above picture - the two mounting lanes should be on the left and not the right).

 

 

Next stop is to place the air-filter and mount the ventilated cover as seen above.

 

 

Moving at the rear of the case we find the 3rd Dynamic X2 GP-14 fan, 9 PCI expansion slots (2 are vertical) and the PSU area.

 

 

At the base of the Vector RS Blackout Light TG we find a long removable air-filter (unfortunately in order to pull it out you first need to remove the fascia).

 

 

THE VECTOR RS BLACKOUT LIGHT TG INTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to its rather unusual length the Vector RS Blackout Light TG seems to have plenty of interior space.

 

 

What will probably grab your attention is this "door/cover" on the right side.

 

 

This is actually the storage media column which can be removed entirely if you have no need for its 11 drive mounts and you want optimal airflow levels.

 

 

The PSU shroud is perforated at the top and features two 2.5" drive tray mounts.

 

 

Fractal Design has placed 4 rubber grommets on the motherboard tray and a single rubber grommet on the PSU shroud.

 

 

Most of the right side panel is dressed with noise dampening material.

 

 

On the right side we see the Nexus+ fan hub, six 2.5/3.5" aluminum trays, two 2.5" aluminum trays and the PSU area.

 

These trays may not be very thick but they are certainly very sturdy.

 

 

BUILDING THE SYSTEM

 

 

 

 

 

 

As always, the purpose of this section is not to build a functional system but rather to showcase what you can expect from the case at hand in terms of interior space.

In order to install the PSU, you will need to remove the rear bracket, mount it on the PSU and then slide it into the Vector RS Blackout Light TG.

 

 

You can also mount a radiator between the front fans and the drive trays (if you need to, I’d go for the top area however).

 

 

Even with a full sized ATX motherboard and an 280mm radiator at the top the Vector RS Blackout Light TG seems to have a good amount of room left.

 

 

With enough space for up to 185mm tall CPU coolers you should be able to use every model currently in the market.

 

 

If you decide to leave the drive column as is then the available space for graphics cards drops to roughly 320mm.

 

 

NOISE LEVEL TEST

 

 

 

 

 

 

After giving it much thought we decided on performing noise tests with each PC Case we receive by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically on top of each case to measure the noise levels emanating from the pre-installed fans at both 50% and 100% with the help of a fan controller (if the case doesn't have one, we use our own).

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Fractal Design may have released the Vector RS Blackout Light TG just over a year ago but it’s still one of their most unique models to date which is why I wanted so much to check it out. Build quality is set at very high levels, interior space is impressive for a mid-tower (sixteen drives, nine 120/140mm fans and/or three 240/280/360/420mm radiators, 185mm tall CPU air coolers, 440mm long graphics cards and 300mm long power supply units) and as for looks/design well it may not be the most impressive model out there but I enjoy the subtle approach Fractal Design chose. The ability to swap the top tempered glass panel for a ventilated one is also a good move by Fractal Design which ensures high airflow levels (at the cost of slightly increased noise levels), especially if you also decide to remove the drive column.

   At the time of this review the Vector RS Blackout Light TG Mid-Tower by Fractal Design retails for USD218.49 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 160Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which is fair for what you’re getting, at least on this side of the Atlantic. Granted the Vector RS Blackout Light TG may not be the jack of all trades but unlike most towers out there it ticks almost every single box there is, looks, interior space, build quality, airflow levels and more and that's why it deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality (Tempered Glass Side, Top & Front)
- ARGB LED Strip
- Noise Dampening Material (Right Panel)
- Airflow Levels (Ventilated Top / Removable Drive Column / Two 140mm Front Fans & 140mm Rear Fan / Up To 9 Fans)
- Tempered Glass & Metal Mesh Top
- 3 Radiator Mounts (240/280/360/420mm)
- Up To 16 Drives
- Space For 185mm Tall CPU Coolers, 440mm Long Graphics Cards & 300mm Long Power Supply Units
- Top, Front & Bottom Removable Air Filters
- Price (EU)

CONS

- Price (USA)