Fractal Design North Chalk White (Mesh) / Lian Li LANCOOL III (black, LANCOOL 3-X)

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 III (black, LANCOOL 3-X): LANCOOL 3-X: black version with four 140 mm PWM fans. The white LANCOOL 3-W and the ARGB-fan 3R-X and 3R-W are colour and fan options of the same case; the LANCOOL 207 and 216 are separate cases.

SpecificationFractal Design North Chalk White (Mesh)Lian Li LANCOOL III (black, LANCOOL 3-X)
Release year20222022
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		0.8 mm SGCC steel; 4 mm tempered glass on both sides; aluminium door handles

The side glass panels are hinged and open like doors.

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 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		Power, reset, 2 × USB 3.0, 1 × USB Type-C, audio 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—
Dimensions—526 × 238 × 523 mm (D × W × H) Lian Li
Motherboard and power supply—E-ATX (under 280 mm wide), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX; ATX power supply up to 220 mm Lian Li
Included fans—3 × 140 mm PWM at the front, 1 × 140 mm PWM at the rear; 200–1800 rpm, 83.5 CFM, 33 dB(A)

On the ARGB-fan 3R versions the fan speed is 300–1650 rpm.

Lian Li
Fan support—Front 3 × 120/140 mm, top 3 × 120/140 mm, rear 1 × 120/140 mm, above the PSU shroud 3 × 120 mm Lian Li
Radiator support—Front 360/420 mm, top 360/420 mm, above the PSU shroud 360 mm Lian Li
Component clearances—Graphics card up to 435 mm; CPU cooler up to 187 mm Lian Li
Storage—2 + 3 + 3 × 2.5-inch bays and a 4 × 3.5/2.5-inch drive cage Lian Li
Expansion slots—8 Lian Li
Dust filter and warranty—1 bottom dust filter; 1-year warranty Lian Li