• TWEAK
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• Computer case

Fractal Design Pop 2 Air

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Central Specifications

• Airflow-focused design
• Integrated GPU air guide
• GPUs up to 416 mm in length
• Top-mounted radiators up to 360 mm
• CPU coolers up to 170 mm in height
• Supports ATX, mATX, and ITX motherboards

A walk around the Fractal Design Pop Air 2

It was way back in the summer of 2022 that we tested the first Pop Air Case from Fractal Design. So maybe it was time for the series to get an update.

The new Pop Air 2 unfortunately doesn't come in quite as many colorful variants as the first edition. There are now a total of three black versions with, respectively, a solid side panel or a side panel of tempered glass and finally a black or a white version with tempered glass side and with three RGB fans.

We have received the black RGB version for testing. Just like I experienced with the Epoc XL case, Fractal Design's version of black is far from black, and more like dark gray. I also don't understand why Fractal Design doesn't either make the case actually black, or write that it is a dark gray case.

It can be difficult to see the color in product images at an online retailer, and I could imagine that someone would be unhappy to receive a “black” cabinet that is actually more of a dark gray.

Having said all that, I think the color is nice, and I personally wouldn't mind having it standing.

The design elements from the first version of the Pop Air series are repeated in the new updated version. However, a few key points have been changed.

The front is still equipped with an open mesh material with a honeycomb pattern. However, the cooling capacity has been expanded with space for three 120mm fans and a 360mm radiator.

In the RGB version that we have on hand, the case comes with three Aspect 12X RGB fans, all mounted in the front. This also means that the small “secret” drawer at the bottom of the front has been removed in favor of another fan. Unfortunately, these are not PWM fans either.

The entire front panel is super easy to remove, simply by pulling out at the bottom.

The cooling options at the top have also grown, and there is also room for three 120mm fans or a 360mm radiator. The magnetic dust filter is also back in place, which is nice to see.

We still have USB ports and buttons at the top, where we get a single USB Type-A 5 Gbps port, a single USB Type-C 5 Gbps port along with a power button, a combo jack for audio, and two buttons for controlling the RGB lighting in the three included RGB fans.

So, the connections we get with the Fractal Design Pop 2 Air are quite limited. It would have been good to see a high speed USB-C connector, so I don't quite understand why Fractal Design has skipped that update.

If we look at the internal layout, it is a classic open Fractal Design layout, with a compartmentalization with power supply and storage options in the "basement".

The new Pop Air 2 is a lot larger than its predecessor, so there's now even more room for hardware in the main chamber. In addition to improved support for fans and radiators, the main chamber now also has room for graphics cards up to 416mm.

In the front we can see that the space is now utilized along its entire length. At the bottom, a funnel is installed as standard, directing the airflow from the three 120mm fans in the front towards the graphics card and CPU.

If you need to have a radiator mounted in the front, along with your fans, the funnel at the bottom can be removed.

There is plenty of room for cable routing on the sides, top, and bottom. However, none of the routing holes have rubber grommets.

Moving to the back of the case, we find a single bracket at the bottom for either 3.5” or 2.5” storage. There are several mounting options for it, and if you don't need it, it can be removed.

There are two additional slots on the back for 2.5” storage such as SSDs. It is a 100% Toolless solution, where there are just four small mounting points where an SSD can be clicked in. Super practical and quick installation.

There is generally plenty of space on the back, and there are plenty of attachment points for cable management if you prefer to have things tied down.

Assembly with Hardware

There is plenty of space in the Fractal Design Pop 2 Air, which makes it super easy to assemble your hardware. This will of course vary depending on how much you need to squeeze in.

In my case, it was our standard ATX AMD based system that was used without water cooling.

It didn't take me much more than 40 minutes to get everything in place. As usual, I removed all the panels, which gave me plenty of space to work. If you were going to work with an AIO solution in the top or front, it would have been nice to have removable brackets, but even without that it probably wouldn't cause much of a problem, as there's plenty of space to work with.

The extra space on all sides meant that both hardware and cables were easy to get into place. The space at the top was especially nice to have when routing the CPU cables to the motherboard.

The three included Aspect 12X RGB fans will have to do it themselves, as we don't get either RGB or a fan hub in the Pop 2 Air. However, the fans are made so that they can be easily connected in series, so you only have to occupy a single RGB and fan connector on the motherboard.

It wasn't a problem though and everything was quickly connected and up and running. From there, it was just a matter of controlling it via the software used with your motherboard.

Price

The Fractal Design Pop 2 Air will be available the day this review goes live. I can't find online prices in Danish stores. However, Fractal Design has listed a suggested retail price of around $89 for the non-RGB versions, while the RGB versions, which is the one we visited, will be priced around $99.

Conclusion

With the Pop 2 Air, Fractal Design has built on some of the same design elements that we saw in the series originally back in 2022.

Things have now gotten bigger, so it's better ready for larger modern hardware and more cooling in the form of 360mm radiator support in both the front and top.

The workmanship and materials are beautiful and complete all the way around, and there are good details like the easy SSD mounting and the funnel in the front that guides the airflow.

However, it is also a case where the leg is cut and you don't get much extra bling. It is quite basic RGB fans without a control hub, and there are no details like rubber sleeves around the cable glands. However, it is all done to keep the price down. With a price of around 700-800 kroner, depending on which version you choose, I think you get a solid and complete case.

The Fractal Design Pop 2 Air may be more practical than its predecessor, but I also find it a bit more boring. The first version stood out with a selection of exciting and different color combinations and details, like the small drawer in the front.

The new Pop 2 Air is more streamlined and average in its look and features.

We land with a final grade of 8, for a nice update to the series, which gives more space, but removes a bit of the character that meant the original Pop Air stood out.

Benefits

• Good materials and good build quality
• Plenty of space for hardware and cooling
• Easy SSD mounting

Disadvantages

• The black version is not truly black
• Not High Speed USB-C