Fractal Design North Chalk White (Mesh) / Lian Li LANCOOL II MESH Performance

Fractal Design North Chalk White (Mesh): FD-C-NOR1C-03: Chalk White, oak front panel, perforated steel (mesh) left side panel. The Charcoal Black and tempered glass (TG Clear/TG Dark) versions of the North share the same internal layout; the side panel and weight differ.

Lian Li LANCOOL II MESH Performance: LANCOOL II MESH Performance (black; the Performance-X version adds USB-C). The LANCOOL II MESH RGB with RGB fans, the white colour and the glass-front LANCOOL II are separate versions; the LANCOOL III and 216 are different cases.

SpecificationFractal Design North Chalk White (Mesh)Lian Li LANCOOL II MESH Performance
Release year20222020
MotherboardATX, Micro ATX, Mini-ITX Fractal Design—
Dimensions, volume and weight447 × 215 × 469 mm; 42 L; 7.6 kg net Fractal Design—
MaterialsReal oak front panel with brass accents; perforated (mesh) left side panel, steel right panel

Fractal says the wood is sustainably sourced. The mesh side panel lets air in directly to the side fan mounts.

Fractal Design		Steel; 4 mm tempered glass on both sides

The glass panels and PSU covers are hinged doors that close with magnets; the cable-side glass comes with covers that hide the cables.

Lian Li
Graphics cardUp to 355 mm; 300 mm with a 360 mm front radiator Fractal Design—
CPU coolerUp to 145 mm tall

The spec table published by TechPowerUp says coolers up to 170 mm fit with the side fan bracket removed; Fractal’s product page gives only 145 mm.

Fractal Design		—
Power supplyATX, up to 255 mm long Fractal Design—
Fans2 × Aspect 14 PWM front; front 3 × 120 or 2 × 140 mm, top 2 × 120/140 mm, side 2 × 120/140 mm, rear 1 × 120 mm

Only the two front fans are included; extra fans are needed for rear and top exhaust.

Fractal Design		—
RadiatorFront 120/140/240/280/360 mm; top 120/240 mm; side 2 × 120/140 mm; rear 120 mm

The largest top option is 240 mm; a 360 mm radiator fits only at the front and reduces graphics card length to 300 mm.

Fractal Design		Front (multi-way bracket): 360/280/240 mm; top: 240 mm (aligned to the left)

The multi-way bracket places a radiator closer to the motherboard or the front panel; Lian Li warns not to mount a 140/280 mm radiator on the inner side of the bracket.

Lian Li
Front I/O1 × USB-C 20 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2); 2 × USB-A 5 Gbps; headphone and microphone jacks; power button

The 20 Gbps speed needs a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 front-panel header on the motherboard; with a slower header the port runs at that header’s speed. There is no reset button on the front panel.

Fractal Design		2 × USB 3.0; 1 × USB 3.1 Type-C; TRRS audio jack; fan speed button

The USB-C port is on the Performance-X version; other versions add it with a separately sold kit.

Lian Li
Expansion and drive bays7 expansion slots; 2 × 2.5-inch brackets, 2 × combined 3.5/2.5-inch brackets Fractal Design—
Cable management and filters30 mm behind the motherboard, cable grommets and Velcro straps; front and PSU dust filters; captive thumbscrews

The top panel is open without a filter; dust entry can increase in builds without top fans.

Fractal Design		—
Warranty2 years Fractal Design—
Case type and motherboard—Mid-tower; E-ATX (under 280 mm wide), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX Lian Li
Dimensions—478 × 229 × 494 mm (D × W × H) Lian Li
Included fans—2 × 140 mm PWM at the front (600–1200 rpm, 60.56 CFM, 25.8 dB(A)); 1 × 120 mm PWM at the rear (600–1500 rpm, 54.6 CFM, 26.1 dB(A))

PWM fans are 4-pin fans whose speed can be controlled by the motherboard or the case controller.

Lian Li
Fan support—Front: 2 × 140 mm or 3 × 120 mm; top: 2 × 120 mm or 2 × 140 mm; top of PSU chamber: 2 × 120 mm

The built-in hub supports up to six 3- or 4-pin fans; the four-mode button selects fan speed.

Lian Li
Component clearances—Graphics card 384 mm; CPU cooler 176 mm; PSU 210 mm; 7 expansion slots Lian Li
Drive bays—3 × 3.5″/2.5″ in the cage; 2 × 2.5″ behind the motherboard tray; 2 × 2.5″ behind the right flip panel; 2 × 2.5″ above the PSU chamber

There is room for up to 9 drives; the drive cage slides on a rail without tools.

Lian Li
Dust filters—Magnetic top filter, tray-type bottom filter

No separate dust filter is listed for the mesh front panel.

Lian Li
Optional kits—Vertical GPU kit (PCIe 3.0 riser); hot-swappable back plate; anti-sag GPU bracket

When using the PCIe 3.0 riser with a PCIe 4.0 motherboard and graphics card, the slot must be set to Gen 3 in the BIOS.

Lian Li