Like rival case vendors, Fractal Design arrived at Computex 2024 with several notable products in tow, two of which should make small form factor fans happy. But fans of the Raspberry Pi—arguably the smallest form factor—only got a teaser of what could be, in the form of the ittiest, bittiest Fractal Design North.
Yes, that’s right: Fractal created a Raspberry Pi case in the style of its popular wood-trimmed North line for its tradeshow suite. This micro enclosure is a far cut above the more typical acrylic cases for the ultra-affordable single-board computer. While some are fun or cute (like the retro Nintendo console-themed ones), none look like they belong in a sleek home.
Currently, Fractal Design has no formal plans to produce a North Micro, though members of the press (not just me, ahem) already have begun encouraging the idea. If it’s a cost issue, let me be the first to say I’ve bought decor priced higher than what this RPi case probably would go for. (Maybe the same as the Raspberry Pi board itself, maybe even more.) This is about aesthetics, and trust me, the decorative pieces I own aren’t remotely as practical.
Speaking of elevating your living room vibe, Fractal Design’s actual case reveals hit extremely polished notes. The Fractal Mood sports a fabric layer over its metal mesh panels, allowing it to blend in with your speaker setup, while the Fractal Era 2 updates the original’s top panel to a slatted wood piece for better airflow. Neither would look out of place within a chic entertainment system. The Mood becomes available on June 18th for $150 in dark and light colorways, and the Era 2 will release in Q3 2024 for $200 in silver, charcoal gray, and midnight blue.
Meanwhile, the unofficial Fractal North Micro has no release date—yet. But perhaps with enough positive feedback over X (Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook, Fractal Design will make it available for purchase.
You know what to do.
Author: Alaina Yee, Senior Editor, PCWorld
A 14-year veteran of technology and video games journalism, Alaina Yee covers a variety of topics for PCWorld. Since joining the team in 2016, she’s written about CPUs, Windows, PC building, Chrome, Raspberry Pi, and much more—while also serving as PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter (#slickdeals). Currently her focus is on security, helping people understand how best to protect themselves online. Her work has previously appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine.