The Fractal Design North is currently the enclosure to beat in the PC building landscape—what remains of it, anyway. Tons of features and a sleek, stylish look with wood accents on the front has informed designs from competitors all over the world. Today, Fractal is announcing a “Momentum Edition” of the North and North XL. What does “Momentum” mean? It means black. Really, really black.
The new versions of the case swap out the walnut (or lighter oak on the white cases) front slats with “blackened oak,” and “dark alloy” replacing the steel and brass flourishes on parts like the power buttons. That means, yup, more black. The ATX North and E-ATX North XL only come with a tempered glass side, no mesh panel option (at least at launch). The cases come with three upgraded Momentum 120mm fans, a switch-up from the two 140mm fans offered on the standard North.
If I seem dismissive of this Momentum Edition, well, guilty. As someone who appreciates PC cases that don’t look like stealth jets covered in Christmas lights, I really like the original North (and I’m currently using it for the PC on which I’m typing these very words). The woody North is an expression of the PC as a design and decorative element rather than something to either be displayed like a status symbol or hidden in shame. Making a “stealth” version of this case seems antithetical to the distinctive parts of the case design that I actually appreciate.
But to each their own. Amazon and Newegg have the new cases available right now: $180 for the North Momentum Edition and $210 for the North XL Momentum Edition. That’s a $25 premium—but considering the extra fan included, it’s not an outrageous bump up.