We’ve updated our testing hardware to use Intel’s 12 Gen “Alder Lake” platform, which has shaken up the desktop landscape (and taken prominent spots on our best CPUs for gaming list). We’re now using a Core i7-12700KF, which is being cooled by a Noctua U12s air cooler. Our graphics card is a Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC.

As the name strongly suggests, the Pop Silent is indeed a very quiet case. During testing, there were multiple occasions where I forgot that the system was powered on because it’s that silent. As expected, the Pop Silent took the lead on our acoustics chart, with noise levels barely surpassing 37 decibels with the CPU at full load. Oddly enough, the Pop Silent was able to illustrate how silent the NZXT H7 Flow is, because it nearly matched the Pop Silent’s noise level. Overall, the acoustic results impressed me. But as you’ll see next in the thermal results, you may want to trade higher noise levels for more RPM and/or airflow. Thermal Results for the Fractal Pop Silent After giving it much thought, we decided on performing noise tests with each PC Case we receive by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically on top of each case to measure the noise levels emanating from the pre-installed fans at both 50% and 100% with the help of a fan controller (if the case doesn't have one, i use my very own). The fans of our AIO CPU cooler do a great job of cooling our motherboard’s CPU voltage regulators, and the Pop XL Silent’s bump up to fourth place probably comes courtesy of its extra intake fans. Delivered with its non-vented top panel as the default option, the Seta Q1 shows us what happens to temperatures at the top of the motherboard when airflow is reduced at the top of the case.One decision on the Fractal Design Pop XL Air that is only partially understandable is the large area on the top, which is closed to the front. Thus, you are limited to radiators up to a size of 280 mm on the top, should you go for water cooling. However, it also prevents fresh air from leaving the case too early when using positive pressure air cooling. The side panel is made of glass and is a bit thinner than some competing cases, but again, the workmanship looks solid. The front panel, which you have to remove to access the front fans or the 5.25″ cage, is well made, but fits very tightly, so you need a lot of force the first time you remove it – I was worried about breaking something here, but in the end it worked without damage. With later removals it goes a little easier. Installation and component flexibility Moving at the front we see the perforated steel fascia from where you can clearly see the 3 Aspect 12 ARGB fans behind it. Fractal Design is a leading designer and manufacturer of premium PC hardware including cases, cooling, power supplies and accessories. Based in Gothenburg and with offices in the US as well as Taiwan, Fractal Design has gained a global reputation for innovative design, elegant aesthetics and solid build quality. Fractal Design products are available in over 45 countries worldwide, and are still growing. Fractal Design has placed 2 very long openings on the motherboard tray and 2 more on the PSU shroud. In terms of interior space, the Pop XL Air may not be the largest mid-tower out there but it does come close.

The finished system shines nicely, though some users might prefer less color, less light, or even the steel-sided version of the case. Pop Air brings attitude to airflow, melding precision engineering with dynamic design. This includes a range of cases with vividly colored motherboard plates, drive trays and exterior accents for a fresh, expressive feel. The functional focal point of Pop Air is at the front, where a honeycomb mesh provides access to fan-powered cooling. As with all Pop Series cases, the front also introduces a neatly concealed storage drawer which can be used to stow away desktop clutter or be replaced to host up to two optical drives. There is little to report on the interior. The standoffs are pre-mounted for an ATX-sized motherboard, with the center pin facing up for optimal alignment, making motherboard mounting very convenient. The expansion slots are completely closed by screwed covers, which looks very high quality. The screws of the expansion slots are thumbscrews, which in principle can be handled without tools, but are practically so tight in their factory state that I could only loosen them with a screwdriver. Since there are no bars between the expansion slots, the case is suitable for a vertical GPU mount, which is of course not included as standard.The Pop XL Silent’s bottom features a power-supply dust filter that pulls out from the rear, via a grab tab that protrudes about half an inch from the rear panel. Protruding screws extend the case’s total depth to 20.6 inches, though its panels are only 20 inches across the outside. To compensate for the varying room temperature, this is also read at the time of the measurement. Finally, the delta is displayed, i.e. the difference between room temperature and CPU or graphics card temperature. Alternativ, insbesondere wenn das Gehäuse auf einem Teppich steht, kann man das Netzteil so drehen, dass es die Luft aus dem Gehäuse zieht. Fractal Design includes an optional non-vented panel to replace the top panel dust filter, but using it would have required us to relocate our AIO CPU cooler to the front panel, and that probably would have meant removing two of the included fans and using our cooler’s fans in their place. So, we proceeded without adding this optional component. In total, the Pop series comes in three sizes – apart from the normal size for ATX mainboards and smaller, there is the XL version tested here, which supports boards up to E-ATX, and the mini version for mATX and mini-ITX boards. Each size comes in both a Silent and Air variant. The Silent version is good for quiet systems that are as less power hungry as possible. The Airflow version, which is the one under review here, is for high-performance gaming computers and workstations. Fractal Design Pop XL Air Specifications Dimensions (L x W x H)