Fractal Design Terra Overview
As we take a first look at the Terra it looks very much like an external graphics card enclosure with its thin width and longer depth. As you can see we received the silver version of the Terra, but it will come in Jade (green) and Graphite (black).
When it comes to size the Terra is SMALL! It is actually the smallest PC case that I’ve ever reviewed. As I mentioned it only has a 10.6L footprint, and the official dimensions are 343 x 153 x 218 mm. To give you an idea of size here is it next to the Cooler Master MasterBox NR200P MAX which is also a mini-ITX case, it has footprint of 18.3 liters.
When you pick the case up you’ll notice it is extremely light. The case only weighs in at 6.83 lbs, this is because Fractal Design has gone with an all aluminum exterior with the front and back panels being 8mm thick anodized aluminum. The front of the case really shows off that anodized aluminum as it is very plain except for the strip of real walnut wood at the bottom. Embedded in this walnut section is a large power button, a USB 3.0 Type-A port, and a USB 3.1 gen 2 Type-C port.
Both side panels on the case are pretty much identical and are made of aluminum. The left side panel does have a small Fractal Design logo on it. These panels feature full-length vents for direct access to air outside of the case. They also do not feature any type of mesh so you have unmitigated airflow throughout the case.
At the top of the case you have a similar panel again with the full-length vents without any type of mesh or anything. Towards the end of the top panel is a faux leather strap that allows you to easily remove the panel.
The back of the case is very much an open design. On one side you have your motherboard mount and on the other is your graphics card mount as well as a power connection. The graphics card mount is slotted for 2 slots, but will be able to fit larger card, more on that in a bit.
The bottom of the case is completely ventilated and features four small feet. Now there are actually mounting holes down there for two 120 mm fans, but these mounting holes are made for the inside of the case, but not the outside. Typical 25mm-thick fans will not fit on the bottom of the case, but you could possibly fit thin fans down there like SilverStone’s FN123’s which are only 15mm thick. Although we do not have those fans on hand to test. You would also have to creatively manage cables and get them back inside the case with the only opening being at the far end of the case. Officially Fractal Design does not list bottom-mounted fans as a possibility and it is unclear if they would even be that effective with little clearance below the case.
