Fractal Design Pop Air vs Phanteks XT Pro Ultra

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against PC cases at a similar price

The Phanteks XT Pro Ultra scores 6.7/10 overall, ahead of the Fractal Design Pop Air at 6.5/10.

The Fractal Design Pop Air leads on build and ease of building and noise.

The Phanteks XT Pro Ultra leads on airflow and cooling and value.

They score the same on space and compatibility.

Fractal Design Pop Air

6.5/10verdict: good, not the best

The Pop Air is for builders who want a mesh-fronted ATX mid-tower with room for large graphics cards and radiators. It suits people who plan to add or swap fans for better cooling. It is less suited to anyone who wants a quiet case or relies on the stock fans.

Typically about £80 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK

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Phanteks XT Pro Ultra

6.7/10verdict: good, not the best

The Phanteks XT Pro Ultra is a mid-tower for builders who want a mesh-fronted case with fans already fitted. It suits people planning a large graphics card, a tall air cooler or a 360 mm radiator. It is less suited to anyone who puts quiet running or a rigid side panel first.

Typically about £76.99 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	Fractal Design Pop Air	Phanteks XT Pro Ultra
Airflow and cooling	30%	6/10	7/10
Build and ease of building	20%	7/10	6/10
Space and compatibility	20%	8/10	8/10
Noise	15%	5/10	4/10
Value	15%	6/10	8/10
Overall		6.5/10	6.7/10

Specifications

Spec	Fractal Design Pop Air	Phanteks XT Pro Ultra
Case type (mid tower, Micro-ATX, small form factor…)	Mid-tower ATX	Mid-Tower
Motherboard sizes supported (E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX)	ATX, Micro ATX, Mini ITX	E-ATX (up to 280 mm wide), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX; rear-connect boards supported for MSI Project Zero, ASUS BTF and Gigabyte Project Stealth
Maximum graphics card length (mm)	405 mm	415 mm; GPU width 184 mm
Maximum CPU cooler height (mm)	170 mm	184 mm
Power supply type supported (ATX or SFX) and maximum PSU length (mm)	ATX only; PSU max length 170 mm	Maximum PSU length 270 mm; bottom mount
Radiator support (e.g. 360mm top, 280mm front)	Top 120, 240 mm; front 120, 240, 280 mm; rear 120 mm	Top: max 360 mm; Front: max 240 mm; Rear: 120 mm
Fans included and fan mounts	Front 2x 120/140 mm; top 2x 120/140 mm; rear 1x 120 mm; included 2x Aspect 12 (front), 1x Aspect 12 (rear)	Four M25-140 D-RGB fans included; top 3x 120 mm or 2x 140 mm; front 3x 120 mm or 3x 140 mm; midplate 3x 120 mm; rear 1x 120 mm or 140 mm
Drive bays (3.5 and 2.5 inch)	2x dedicated 2.5" mounts; 3x combined 3.5"/2.5" mounts; 2x 5.25" mounts	5x 2.5-inch plus 1x 3.5-inch HDD, or 3x 2.5-inch SSD plus 2x 3.5-inch

Strengths and weaknesses

Fractal Design Pop Air

+ Honeycomb mesh front with dust filter
+ Fits 405 mm GPUs and 280 mm front radiator
+ Cable ties and pass-through holes ready to use
− Included fans criticised for weak airflow
− Only 19 mm of cable routing space
− RGB fans measured at 39 dBA at 85% power

Skip it if:

Buyers who want a quiet build without changing the stock fans
Anyone who needs a PSU longer than 170 mm
Builders who want lots of cable routing space behind the tray

Read the full Fractal Design Pop Air review ›

Phanteks XT Pro Ultra

+ Four D-RGB fans included
+ Roomy: 415 mm GPU, 184 mm cooler, E-ATX
+ Owners praise cable routing and value
− Owners report noisy stock fans
− Side panel flex reported by owners
− Only two 3.5-inch bays at most

Skip it if:

Buyers who put quiet running first and don't want to deal with stock fan noise.
Anyone building a storage-heavy system with several 3.5-inch hard drives.
Buyers who want a rigid side panel.

Read the full Phanteks XT Pro Ultra review ›

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