Overview

The internal layout of the Core 500 from Fractal Design is quite simple. In the rear part of this case you horizontally place the motherboard and there is a slot for a 120/140 millimeter fan directly at the back of the case pushing hot air out of the case. In front of the motherboard you find space for a standard ATX power supply with the fan facing outside. As far as storage is concerned, you can equip the Core 500 with three 3.5" HDD or alternatively with various combinations with 2.5" drives. HDDs are positioned on the right and the front side of the case. On top of the motherboard there is support for a radiator and fans, thanks to a removable frame, installing an all-in-one watercooler or fans is pretty simple. Despite its very small dimensions of 250 x 203 x 367 mm, the Core 500 is offers space for a wide range of graphics cards as well as ATX power supplies. In the case of our test system, we used a fully modular ATX PSU wtihout any issue. Unfortunately, due to the size of the case, the GPU we usually use for case case reviews is too big and we replaced it with a GTX660Ti. The compatibility with CPU coolers is very good, due to the internal layout. There is no height limitation, infact you can even install large tower coolers.