North goes full black
Fractal Design has launched the North Momentum Edition, an all-black refresh of what might be the most influential PC case of the last few years.
Having built my two latest computers in the Fractal North wood edition, it’s exciting to see the team from Fractal continue to iterate on the design. I personally adore the brown wood and copper accents — it’s literally my dream combination — but it’s nice to see something for the batmen out there.
What’s new
The Momentum Edition replaces the wood front’s warm tones with blackened oak slats that blend into a dark alloy chassis. Every visible element has been darkened, creating a fully cohesive look that should appeal to anyone who found the original wood too warm for their setup or liking.
The blackened oak front and tinted side panel / credit: Fractal Design
The bigger change is literally under the hood. Fractal has swapped out the two 140mm Aspect fans for three 120mm Momentum 12 fans featuring LCP blades and fluid-dynamic bearings.
Fractal claims the new fan setup reduces noise by 4 dBA while lowering average GPU temperatures by roughly 2°C. That’s a meaningful upgrade, and the extra fan should help push more air through the case overall.
The new Momentum 12 fans in action / credit: Fractal Design
Everything else stays largely the same. The mid-tower still supports ATX motherboards, GPUs up to 355mm, front radiators up to 360mm, and CPU coolers up to 170mm. Front I/O remains a single USB-C alongside two USB-A ports — no upgrade there.
Pricing and availability
The standard North Momentum Edition is expected to retail for $179, with the larger XL model coming in at $209. The XL version also gets a notable tweak: it comes as a single SKU that sits between the original XL and XL RC versions, with 37mm of cable routing clearance while retaining back-connector motherboard support.
The full murdered-out aesthetic / credit: Fractal Design
Quick take
The original North was already a great case, and my personal ideal ATX case.
The Momentum Edition feels like the “definitive edition” treatment, with upgraded, better fans, cleaner aesthetic and the same proven layout. If you’ve been eyeing the North but, for some reason wanted something darker, this is the one to get.
Source: Fractal Design
