[nextpage title=”Presentation”]The Fractal North needs no introduction. As soon as it was released in December 2022, the wood-clad case was the talk of the town. Its design inspired many others, and wood has now taken over PC configurations. Since then, it has been joined by an XL version, which can even accommodate an Alphacool distroplate for custom water cooling enthusiasts.
In a surprise move at the start of 2026, Fractal is back with a new edition of its best-selling wooden case : the Fractal North Momentum Edition.
We were lucky enough to get our hands on the newcomer, giving us the opportunity to build the ultimate air-cooled configuration.
Fractal North Momentum: what’s new?
It’s impossible to radically redesign a chassis that won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award in 2023. The North is an icon in its genre. Fractal has therefore decided to offer us an extreme edition, both in style and performance.
The dimensions and overall shape of the case remain strictly unchanged: 447 x 215 x 469 mm, weighing 7.6 kg (mesh) or 7.7 kg (glass). The XL version (503 x 240 x 509 mm, weighing 9.5 kg) is also available. Our model is a standard glass version.
However, the exterior colors no longer have much in common with previous models. Whereas the Fractal North was light and airy, in keeping with the popular Nordic style, the new edition is completely black. The darkest variant to date, Charcoal Black, retained its lightness thanks to a fairly light wood tone and the addition of small details that brightened up the whole (golden feet, tab, start button).
On the North Momentum Edition, everything is black or shades of gray. The dark oak of the front panel almost disappears into the mass of the chassis. We must admit that we quite like this bold look. The tab, button, and feet are now gray.
And inside?
To see the main difference, you have to remove the wooden front panel of the North Momentum. Behind it, we discover three 120 mm fans of the same name. Newly added to the Swedish brand’s catalog (at the same time as the Meshify 3), they replace the Aspects, previously supplied with the North. And that’s no small thing! It’s true that their predecessors are starting to show their age.
Fractal North Momentum: the fans
With the Momentum fans, Fractal makes no secret of its desire to compete with the industry leaders.
- New blade design
- LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) blades
- FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) bearings
- PWM control with zero RPM mode
- Daughterboard connection possible
- Integrated anti-vibration mounts
Nothing new, but a summary of what makes the leaders in this field so successful. The number of blades (7) and their design are intended to ensure maximum airflow, at the expense of static pressure. The small cutouts on the blades are designed to limit turbulence. They are intended to be quiet, with a direct competitor in their sights: Noctua.
Fractal claims 67.34 CFM for the Momentum, which places them among the best in terms of airflow, ahead of the Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 and their 63.15 CFM. But beware, while the Austrian fans do not exceed 1800 rpm, our Fractal Momentum fans achieve this performance at 2200 rpm. In real-world use, it is the performance/noise ratio that will make the difference for the user.
On a radiator, the Momentum fans will be average, but will not shine with their static pressure of 2.51 mm H2O.
In practice, the detailed test carried out by our colleagues at Hwcooling confirms their excellent performance as case fans: a serious competitor for Noctua in the same price range. The test also proves that any obstacle or radiator will compromise these fans. They remain satisfactory, but do not shine.
They are therefore an excellent choice for the front of the North. As the main source of fresh air for a case whose dimensions encourage air cooling, they should work wonders discreetly: let’s check it out.
[nextpage title=”The configuration”]It seemed obvious to us to assemble an air cooling configuration for this discovery of the Fractal North Momentum Edition. The dimensions and style of the case lend themselves perfectly to this. For water cooling (custom or AIO), we would prefer the XL version. We won’t dwell on the unchanged capacity of the Fractal North. It retains the strengths and weaknesses of the original model and imposes few limitations on the components chosen (GPUs up to 355 mm).
Fractal North Momentum: air cooling
Our configuration of the day focuses on air cooling. The configuration is as follows:
- Asrock B650E Taichi
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X delided
- TeamGroup Tcreate DDR5 32GB
- Asus X Noctua GeForce RTX 3080 OC
- Seasonic Vertex PX-1200
Fresh air is supplied by the three Fractal Momentum fans included with the case.
Hot air is extracted by a Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 fan at the top and an NF-A12x25 fan at the rear. Although competitors in the field of ventilation, the Noctua and Fractal models are a perfect match. There are countless North configurations equipped with Austrian fans. We will see that the chemistry is still there.
The highlight of the show will be our Noctua NH-D15 G2 Chromax Black. The king of air coolers will coolthedemandingRyzen 9 in aDirect Die configuration. The glass version of the case can accommodate the 170 mm NH-D15 G2. The mesh version , equipped with its side ventilation support, would not allow this.
Assembly
Again, no surprises here. The North Momentum does not revolutionize the formula.
Once the critical step of applying liquid metal to the CPU and installing the NH-D15 G2 has been completed, the rest is a formality… except for cable management. The motherboard and cooler assembly is set up in a matter of moments. There is sufficient space in the case. The same goes for the imposing ASUS x Noctua graphics card. We appreciate the Fractal Momentum’s daisy chain connection: a single wire to connect to the motherboard for the front panel. While not disastrous, cable management remains an area for improvement on the North. The rear chamber lacks a little depth and, more importantly, there is no dedicated passage for GPU cables at the front. It’s nothing dramatic, and we see it as a challenge: organizing the cables is not an option in this case.
Assembly is quick and easy. The various panels and materials exude quality. The overall effect is superb, for those who appreciate this type of extreme aesthetics. Let’s move on to usage.
[nextpage title=”Verdict”]The Fractal North Momentum Edition is beautiful. Its new fans promise performance and silence. Results in practice.
Generic tests
We perform the usual tests: OCCT, Cinebench, 3D Mark benchmarks (Port Royal, Time Spy, Extreme), and Unigine Valley.Although not very representative of real-world use, these tests allow us to make a reliable comparison with our usual configurations. Note that we used the same Ryzen 9 9950X in a Direct Die configuration under a Noctua NH-D15 G2 for the LiquidHaus ISO test. They were then in an open configuration, benefiting from virtually unlimited airflow without any constraints.
The fans and cooling tower follow a standard ventilation curve. The room temperature, as in the ISO tests, is 19°C.
Air!
The results are clear. Starting with our CPU, for which we obtained the same results as in the open-air tests. For example, we recorded a maximum temperature of 58°C on Cinebench R23 and during long-term testing at 200W on OCCT. On Time Spy Extreme, we still reached 70°C and 61°C on Fire Strike.
On the GPU side, we reached a maximum hotspot temperature of 70°C on Time Spy Extreme, Valley, and Port Royal. This is one of the best temperatures observed in stress tests for this model in our configurations. It generally tends to reach 75 or even 78°C at its hotspot. The average value is about 10°C below this hotspot.
During testing, the overall noise level remained more than tolerable. The NH-D15 G2 is audible at high speeds, but retains its pleasant profile.
Fractal North Momentum: in use
In practice, users of this type of case will be looking for a balance between cooling performance and noise. And it’s incredibly easy to achieve here. Our fans don’t need to reach their maximum speed to ensure air circulation in the case.
We establish a gentle curve while ensuring positive pressure. And what a joy! We sit next to a PC that is so quiet that we wonder if it is actually running in most cases—except for very intensive use. No noise, not a hint of RGB, it blends into the background with class.
We have fun unplugging the Noctua and Fractal fans one after the other to compare their respective contributions to the sound of the configuration. The conclusion is clear: the sound profile and performance of the Momentum has nothing to envy its Austrian counterparts. They also benefit from excellent overall operating silence and a gradual, pleasant increase in speed—a true match at the top.Â
Conclusion
Revising a model as iconic as the North was a challenge… one that Fractal rose to with flying colors. With subtle touches, the Swedish brand has brought a welcome maturity to its case. Without seeking to reinvent what made it successful, it has added extra style and incredibly efficient fans. This isn’t enough to prompt owners of the first North to buy a new one —for them, we recommend purchasing the Momentum fans alone—but it’s a nice update for those who want a wooden case and haven’t yet taken the plunge.
Is the North Momentum revolutionary? Absolutely not. But it’s a superb evolution and a sure bet on the market. Its MSRP of €179.99 is very close to that of the original model when it was released.