A premium 10.4L ITX case with natural design accents, the Fractal Terra offers excellent GPU and cooler support, an adjustable spine layout, and top-tier build quality. Stylish, small, and highly usable—with a few trade-offs in cooling flexibility.
The Fractal Terra is a 10.4L ITX case that blends clean design with thoughtful engineering. Featuring a real walnut wood front accent, an adjustable internal layout, and surprisingly strong GPU support for its size, the Terra is both functional and stylish. But it unfortunately lacks support for liquid coolers like other cases with similar features in its size category.
The standout aesthetic of the Terra is its blend of industrial and natural design elements. The aluminum body contrasts with a real walnut wood panel on the front, giving it a premium feel that fits seamlessly into modern living spaces. It doesn’t scream “gaming PC,” and that’s part of its appeal.
Panel removal is tool-less and intuitive: the side panels hinge up and pop off, while the top is secured with a hidden magnetic leather tab. It’s a clever system that makes accessing the internals feel effortless and more enjoyable than many ITX cases, which often feel cramped or fiddly.
Build quality is generally solid, though minor issues like uneven panel gaps and small imperfections can appear. The green and silver finishes are smooth and resistant to marks, but the textured black version tends to show fingerprints more readily.
Internally, the Terra uses an adjustable central spine that allows users to shift space between the GPU and CPU cooler areas. The mechanism is easy to use, marked with positions from 1 to 7, and makes this one of the most flexible cases in the category.
Clearances include support for GPUs up to 72mm thick, up to 322mm in length, and CPU coolers up to 48mm in height.
In practice, the need to adjust the spine becomes apparent depending on your GPU height. To accommodate the RTX 4080 Founders Edition, the spine had to be set to position 5.5. Without doing this, the GPU would interfere with the side panel clips. It’s not difficult to adjust, but it does end up leaving slightly less room for CPU cooling on the opposite side and reveals a minor oversight in an otherwise well-executed design.
This GPU clearance issue highlights a surprising misstep in the case’s fitment strategy. It would be great to see Fractal revise the panel clip mechanism in future iterations to avoid unnecessary limitations with taller GPUs.
The Terra can accommodate triple-slot GPUs like the RTX 4080 Founders Edition, and there’s enough clearance for clean cable routing—even with the bulky 12VHPWR connector. Using custom cables helps a lot here, but even standard ones can be managed with some planning.
Cooling support is reasonable for a 10.4L case. A slim 120mm exhaust fan can be mounted on the bottom panel to help move warm air away from the GPU and CPU area. While airflow is inherently limited due to its small size, this small addition can help maintain more stable temperatures during sustained loads. It’s not a dramatic improvement, but it’s helpful.
That said, the lack of support for liquid cooling is an unfortunate drawback. Cases like the FormD T1 and NANOQ S, which are in the same size class, offer 240mm radiator support. Not having that option here limits flexibility, especially for those who want quieter or more thermally efficient builds. It’s a missed opportunity in an otherwise forward-thinking design.
Other thoughtful features include a pre-routed PCIe Gen 4 riser cable, which simplifies GPU installation, and a power supply mounting bracket with integrated airflow standoffs to help improve thermals. The front I/O includes easy access to a USB-C port, and the internal case cables are smartly routed for a cleaner build experience.
Cable management is tight but manageable, especially with lower profile modular cables. A slim fan grill is highly recommended if you are adding a fan below the PSU to prevent contact with nearby cables.
The Fractal Terra is a refined case with premium aesthetics and genuinely smart internal design. It’s small, elegant, and capable of housing serious hardware with minimal fuss. That said, it’s not perfect. The panel clip clearance issue and lack of liquid cooling support may frustrate users looking for maximum flexibility.
Still, if your focus is a clean, quiet, and good-looking ITX build with a powerful GPU, this case nails most of what matters. And it does so with style.
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