Fractal Design North Chalk White (Mesh) / Lian Li O11 Air Mini

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 O11 Air Mini: O11 Air Mini (2021); black O11AMX and white O11AMW. The O11 Dynamic Mini, O11D Mini V2 Flow and full-size O11 Dynamic are separate cases.

SpecificationFractal Design North Chalk White (Mesh)Lian Li O11 Air Mini
Release year20222021
MotherboardATX, Micro ATX, Mini-ITX Fractal DesignE-ATX (up to 280 mm wide), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX

The 7-slot back panel is for ATX, Micro-ATX and ITX; the 5-slot back panel is for Micro-ATX and ITX. Both are included.

Lian Li
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		—
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		2 × USB 3.0, 1 × USB 3.1 Type-C, 1 × HD Audio

The Type-C port needs a matching front-panel USB-C header on the motherboard.

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—
Size and materials—400 (D) × 288 (W) × 384 (H) mm; 4 mm aluminium panel, 0.8 mm mesh panel, 4 mm tempered glass

The mesh pattern on the front, top and side is designed to let fans draw air straight from outside.

Lian Li
Graphics card and vertical mounting—Up to 362 mm long; 7 or 5 expansion slots; vertical GPU support (top or bottom mode)

With the vertical GPU bracket in top mode, two 120 mm fans can be fitted under the card; in bottom mode there is no room for them.

Lian Li
CPU cooler and power supply—CPU cooler up to 170 mm; ATX power supply up to 200 mm Lian Li
Included fans—2 × 140 mm PWM at the front, 1 × 120 mm PWM at the rear

PWM fans adjust their speed to temperature using a signal from the motherboard.

Lian Li
Fan support—Top 3 × 120 / 2 × 140 mm; side 2 × 120 mm; bottom 2 × 120 / 2 × 140 mm; front 2 × 120 / 2 × 140 mm; rear 1 × 120 mm Lian Li
Radiator support—Top 240 or 280 mm; side 240 mm; bottom 240 or 280 mm; front 240 or 280 mm

When fitting a 240 mm radiator at the top with an ATX board, an offset bracket is used to avoid clashing with memory modules.

Lian Li
Storage—6 × 2.5-inch SSD or 3 × 2.5-inch SSD + 3 × 3.5-inch HDD

Drives mount in the chamber behind the motherboard tray.

Lian Li
Dust filter—1 × removable bottom dust tray Lian Li