There are already several motherboards that have some connectors on the back. Typically ones that require cabling. The reason for this “reversal” is mainly aesthetic—to hide the cables and make everything look as clean as possible. In today’s world, where glass side panels are common, unsightly cables are particularly noticeable. For those who care about the appearance of their PC, the new Fractal Design North XL RC case might be appealing.
In broad terms, this isn’t a completely new case. The North XL has been available for quite some time, but only in the “standard” layout for traditional motherboards. The variant labeled “RC” (reverse connector motherboards) is different. It is designed for motherboards that have connectors on the back of the PCB. This is achieved through various cutouts in the motherboard tray, which allow connectors to pass through to the other side. Usually, these are the connectors with cables leading to them, which can disrupt the overall look of the PC. If you’re sensitive to such cosmetic details, this could be a reason to take an interest in the new Fractal Design North XL RC.
The volume of this case is quite large. With feet, panels, and various protrusions, the largest dimensions in each axis are 503 × 240 × 509 mm (length/width/height). It supports ATX and Micro ATX motherboards. We tested one such motherboard with rear connectors – the Asus TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4. The Fractal Design North XL RC is compatible with it. While there are relatively few such motherboards, the same applies to cases. These are also rare, but Fractal Design now has one that supports them. This is currently within the North series, where the XL RC variant comes in two finishes – Chalk White TG Clear and Charcoal Black TG Dark. That is, in white and black, with both featuring tempered glass side panels.
The Charcoal Black TG Dark variant has a darker glass structure, absorbing more light, while the Chalk White TG Clear is lighter. However, you will always be able to see inside. The difference is that, unlike the traditional North XL variants (without the RC designation), the cables will be out of sight.
However, be careful to pair the case with a suitable motherboard optimized for this concept (with rear connectors). These motherboards can be identified by how manufacturers label them. Asus uses the term “BTF” in their naming, Gigabyte refers to it as Project Stealth, and MSI does something similar, though they use the word “Zero” instead of “Stealth” (Project Zero). In short, you need to ensure that the chosen motherboard will benefit from what the Fractal Design North XL RC case offers. With a traditional motherboard layout, you won’t gain much, and in terms of aesthetics, you might even make things worse.
Since this case (North XL RC) is designed with cutouts for connectors (and complete cable routing behind the motherboard tray), it doesn’t include the typical cutouts for routing cables to the front of the case. In this case, if you’re installing a motherboard with rear connectors, these front cutouts wouldn’t make sense.
Support for CPU coolers includes liquid cooling models with radiators up to 420 mm, both in the front and top positions. At the rear, you can optionally install a 120 mm radiator, though most users will likely opt for a fan instead. By the way, three fans are pre-installed – Aspect 140 mm (all on the intake side, behind the wooden slats of the front panel). Optionally, you can add two more (140 mm), and the case has up to seven positions for 120 mm fans.
The maximum length for a graphics card is 413 mm, and the height for a tower cooler is 169 mm. This still leaves plenty of space, especially since the case reserves up to 45 mm on the left side for connectors and cables, which is above standard. It’s true that the case profile is thicker (240 mm), but for larger cases, this isn’t unusual.
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš
