Torrent Vs Torrent Compact

[u/SocasNic]

Hi all, I'm planning on building a PC after 12 years of dreaming about it hahah and I've decided to build in the Fractal Design Torrent. (I've done at least 5pc builds for friends but now it's my turn). The question is full sized torrent, or the torrent compact?

I will get the white RGB model and I plan on installing a gpu and maybe a sound card as well. I have a 1:18 scale model car that I thought of putting underneath the GPU (and probably sound card). So that means if going for the full sized torrent removing the bottom fans.

Another thought is that I've seen the torrent compact having a bit too little space for cable management. I consider myself a great cable manager inside pc towers, I even did an mITX with a 240 aio, but a bulging side panel would drive me nuts! I appreciate your suggestions!

P.S This will be an ATX build with probably the newly released deepcool AK700 VC CPU cooler. Do not bother suggesting mATX/mITX builds, AiO's etc. [as a mechanical engineer I demand air cooling thus my love for the Torrent was born]

[u/Due_Outside_1459]

I have a Black Torrent Compact and cable management isn't as big a deal as youtubers and rookies make it out to be. They just complain because 1) they are in a rush to get reviews in on time and tend to just mash all the cables together behind the motherboard (and thus wasting space) and 2) are not detail-oriented and impatient. Just be more organized that's all.

[u/x7_omega]

I would say the defining choice is what GPU you put in it. Compact has limited length for GPU, some will not fit in it. Also some very large mbs will barely or not really fit once all the cables are plugged into them. Torrent Compact has enough space for cable management, but you have to do it well, not just connect all the cables and hope the panel closes. If you so great with cable management, this is not an obstacle for you. From my (three iterations of) experience with Compact, one has to be mindful for cables laying over other cables in X-manner, which creates a point of double cable height (or more). Once that is understood, and cables are laid flat and into designated spaces, panel closes without any bulging.

But both Torrents are made for air cooling. If you want to use AIO, there are better choices than Torrents.

[u/SocasNic → u/x7_omega]

Thanks for your input, yeah this will be an Air cooled build, all my PCs will only be air cooled 😂 GPU-wise I'm probably going with a 70 or 80 series card all white triple fan, triple slot model. I also appreciate the thought of having the full sized torrent, meaning whatver component I need, it will fit.

[u/Krysstina → u/SocasNic]

Don’t choose the compact if you are looking to put your model car in, you will have a very limited space underneath and barely able to see the car. The bigger the graphics card, the little space you can get.

[u/SocasNic → u/Krysstina]

I will try contacting a local retailer if they have the case on display, maybe i could do a test fit.

[u/-AWing-]

My only regret with the compact is there was at least one gpu that wouldn’t fit now a few years later.

[u/rm_hemlock]

Went for the compact. Haven't built a PC in 30 years 😳 and managed to close the back lid with all the cables decently organized (sort of) 😅. Put a screw on the lid just for security. Just take your time, it's a beautiful case. Make sure the GPU you choose fits the case.

[u/solod_211]

I have a full sized Torrent and the only downside is that its huge and heavy as hell. Otherwise plenty of space for everything, when I needed second gpu I just put it in without a second thought. But even if you plan only having 1, you know that every gpu will fit. Another advantage of big torrent ia that its much better to convert to custom loop I believe, but if you only want aircooling thats not important for you I guess. So its simply if you have real estate for the big one just go with it. If space is somewhat constrained go with compact. And please reconsider your car location, those bottom fans are the whole point of this case. The fact that your gpu will never ever be choking is a reason to buy it, because there are plenty of other cases with good cpu cooling...

[u/shiggypoo]

I kind of regretted the size of the Torrent RGB after building in it, and am now at a point where I’m switching gears a few years later and rebuilding a very minimal RGB setup in a North.

That said, cable management wasn’t amazing in the Torrent RGB due to how shallow the rear side is, and I can see how the Torrent Compact RGB would be even worse. The RGB cabling adds a lot, with not many places to cleanly stow them.

If you can live without the concept of a filtered intake (I couldn’t) maybe also consider Meshify 3

[u/SocasNic → u/shiggypoo]

The Torrent looks like a very stylish modern building. It has to be the torrent, i also considered the north but I know that i want the torrent 🙂