# Fractal Design Pop 2 Air Solid Review: 416mm GPU Room, Non-PWM Fans & Storage Limits > Pop 2 Air Solid by spec: 416mm GPU, 170mm cooler, 360mm top AIO; non-PWM stock fans, one 3.5in bay, and who should skip it. Tags: pc-case, fractal-design, pop-2-air, mid-tower, atx, airflow, mesh-front Source: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0FDQWMC9F Article page: https://web-autoai.com/articles/fractal-design-pop-2-air-black-solid-pc-fd-c-poa2a-01-cs9678?lang=en Prices and ratings change over time — check the article page for the current values. --- ## Overview This article covers the Fractal Design Pop 2 Air Black Solid FD-C-POA2A-01 — Mid-tower PC case with high airflow design. It is an airflow-focused mid-tower with an open mesh front and three 120mm Aspect 12X fans pre-installed. The short verdict: it is a strong value if you want a long graphics card, cool your CPU with a large air cooler or a 360mm top-mounted AIO, and store most things on NVMe SSDs with at most one HDD. It is a weaker fit if you need several hard drives, want the quietest possible system, or want to show off your components. The model number is FD-C-POA2A-01. CS9678 appears to be a listing or retailer code rather than a spec variant, so match the FD-C-POA2A-01 model number when buying. At the time of capture (June 2026), the Amazon. co. That is a small sample, so treat it as an early signal rather than a settled verdict. ## Key Specs at a Glance | Item | Spec | What it means | |---|---|---| | Motherboards | ATX / Micro-ATX / Mini-ITX | E-ATX not listed | | Dimensions (W×D×H) | 215×481×462 mm | Check desk depth and floor space | | Weight | 7.0 kg | Grows a lot once built | | Max GPU length | 416mm | Generous for a mid-tower | | Max CPU cooler height | 170mm | Fits most large air coolers | | Max PSU length | 180mm | Leave room for cables | | Drive bays | 2x 2.5in, 1x 2.5/3.5in combo | Only one 3.5in HDD | | Included fans | Front 3x 120mm (non-PWM, 1650 rpm) | No exhaust fan included | | Top | 3x 120mm / 2x 140mm, radiator up to 360mm | Where an AIO goes | | Rear | 1x 120mm, 120mm radiator | Exhaust fan slot | | Expansion slots | 7 | Standard ATX layout | The table shows the trade-off: generous room for the GPU, CPU cooler and a top radiator, but limited drive storage and little control over the stock fans. Which of these matters more to you decides whether this case fits. ## Compatibility Guide ### Motherboard and expansion slots The case supports ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX boards and has seven expansion slots, so a typical ATX board with one graphics card fits without trouble. E-ATX and wider boards such as SSI-EEB are not listed. If you plan to use a large workstation board, assume it will not fit. ### Graphics card (up to 416mm) At 416mm, GPU length is unlikely to be a problem even for high-end cards. The common mistakes are elsewhere. With thick cards that take three or more slots, check for clashes with the lower slots and nearby cables. Also make sure there is room between the power connector and the side panel to bend the cable. Check Fractal's spec sheet to see whether the 416mm figure assumes front fans or other front-mounted hardware are installed. ### CPU cooler (up to 170mm) Most single-tower air coolers with 120mm fans are roughly 150 to 165mm tall, so the 170mm limit covers them as a rule of thumb. Some large dual-tower coolers come close to 170mm, so check the cooler's total height with its fans mounted before you buy. ### AIO liquid cooling The listed radiator positions are the top (360/240/120mm) and the rear (120mm). **A front radiator is not listed in the specs. ** A 360mm AIO therefore goes on top. Check that tall RAM and the motherboard's VRM heatsinks will not collide with the radiator and fans. With a top-mounted radiator, the top becomes your main exhaust, so plan it together with the rear exhaust fan described below. ### Power supply The case takes a standard ATX PSU mounted at the bottom, up to 180mm deep. A 180mm unit with modular cables needs extra space behind it for the connectors to bend, so a slightly shorter PSU is easier to build with. The compatibility data suggests 650W as a guideline. That is a typical-build figure, not a case requirement, so size your PSU for your actual GPU and CPU. ### Storage There are two 2.5in bays and one 2.5/3.5in combo bay, so **only one 3.5in HDD fits**. The case assumes a build where the OS and games live on motherboard M.2 NVMe drives, with one HDD and up to two 2.5in SATA SSDs added. No 5.25in bay is listed, so it is not suitable if you want an internal optical drive. ### Front I/O The front panel has one USB 5Gbps Type-C port, one USB 5Gbps Type-A port and an audio jack. **To use the front Type-C port, your motherboard needs a front USB-C header. ** Older or budget boards may not have one, and without it the port will not work. ## Product Info The case measures 215 x 481 x 462 mm (WxDxH), weighs about 7.0 kg and is made of steel. This is the Solid variant, with a windowless black side panel. It has seven expansion slots and three drive bays in total. The three front Aspect 12X 120mm fans come pre-installed. They are non-PWM and rated at 1650 rpm. You can add three 120mm or two 140mm fans on top and one 120mm fan at the rear. Radiators fit on top (360/240/120mm) and at the rear (120mm). Check the retailer's page for the latest price. co. eBay prices vary widely with seller, shipping and exchange rates. Both prices change often with sales and stock, so check the current price on the product page before buying. For a realistic budget, include extra fans on top of the case price. As explained below, a rear exhaust fan is close to essential, and PWM replacements are worth considering if noise matters. ## Cooling and Airflow Setup Out of the box, the three front fans only pull air in, and **there is no exhaust fan**. This creates positive pressure: more air comes in than is actively pushed out, and warm air leaves through the top and rear openings on its own. That is fine for light builds, but a power-hungry graphics card will trap heat near the top of the case. The first upgrade to make is **a 120mm exhaust fan at the rear**. If GPU or CPU temperatures are still high, add a 120mm or 140mm exhaust fan on top. With a 360mm AIO on top, set its fans to exhaust so that air flows in at the front and out through the top and rear. The open mesh front lets air through easily, but it also lets in more dust. If you do not clean the filters regularly, intake airflow slowly drops. An airflow case only keeps performing well if you keep it clean. ## Best Use Cases - **Gaming builds with a long graphics card**: with 416mm of GPU clearance, length is rarely a concern, even for upper-tier cards. - **Air coolers or a 360mm top AIO**: the case supports air coolers up to 170mm and a 360mm radiator on top, so you can choose either. - **NVMe-first storage**: if one HDD is enough, the limited drive bays will not hold you back. - **First-time builders**: standard form factors and pre-installed front fans mean you can complete a build without buying extra fans. - **People who prefer a plain look**: the windowless Solid panel keeps the case low-key on a desk. ## Things to Consider **The stock fans are non-PWM. ** You cannot fine-tune them with PWM control, and they are rated at 1650 rpm. Whether your motherboard's voltage (DC) control can slow them down depends on the fan connector and control method, so do not count on it. If noise matters, budget for PWM replacements. **No exhaust fan is included. ** All three stock fans are front intakes. For a build that runs hot, treat a rear exhaust fan as effectively required and include it in your budget. **Only one 3.5in HDD fits. ** If you need several hard drives for backups or recordings, look at a full tower or a storage-focused case such as the Fractal Design Define series. **No front radiator is listed. ** Do not choose this case expecting to mount a 280mm or 360mm radiator at the front. Your AIO goes on top. **Front Type-C needs a motherboard header. ** Without a front USB-C header on your board, the port will not work. **It is windowless. ** If you want to show off RGB lighting or your components, choose the windowed version in the same series. That is too few to judge unit-to-unit variation or long-term durability. **About the price data. ** In the automatically collected price data, an entry recorded as an international price pointed to the Japanese Amazon page. Listings can be mislabeled, so confirm you have the right product by checking the images, title and model number (FD-C-POA2A-01) on the product page. ## Alternatives The usual rivals at this price are the Corsair 4000D Airflow and the NZXT H5 Flow. The Corsair 4000D Airflow is also a mesh-front mid-tower and has long been a go-to airflow case. The number of included fans and the front I/O layout can differ depending on when it was sold, so compare the official specs of both cases side by side. A clear strength of the Pop 2 Air is that its three front intake fans are installed from the start, so you do not need to buy intake fans. The NZXT H5 Flow is more compact and has a cleaner look. Its GPU clearance is listed at 365mm, compared with 416mm for the Pop 2 Air, so the Pop 2 Air is the safer choice for very large cards. If you want a cheaper option, mid-towers such as the Cooler Master MasterBox K500 or the Montech HS02 PRO are worth a look. If you need more drive storage, consider a full tower. Decide what matters most for your build (GPU length, radiator position, number of HDDs, window or no window) before comparing. ## FAQ **Q. Can I slow down the stock fans? ** A. They are non-PWM, so PWM control will not work. Whether voltage control can slow them depends on your board and the fans. Replacing them with PWM fans is the reliable fix. **Q. Will a high-end graphics card fit? ** A. With 416mm of length clearance, most cards fit lengthwise. Thickness and room to bend the power cable vary by model, so check the card's dimensions. **Q. Can I mount an AIO radiator at the front? ** A. The only listed radiator positions are the top (up to 360mm) and the rear (120mm). Do not plan on a front mount. **Q. How many 3.5in HDDs fit? ** A. One, in the combo bay. You can also fit two 2.5in drives. **Q. What PSU wattage do I need? ** A. The compatibility data suggests 650W as a guideline, but your GPU and CPU decide the real number. PSUs up to 180mm deep fit, though a slightly shorter one leaves more room for cables. ### Product Disclosure (Amazon) - Manufacturer: Fractal(フラクタル) - Seller: Amazon.co.jp - Fulfilled by: Amazon.co.jp - ASIN: B0FDQWMC9F - Note: This article covers a manufacturer-made product based on Amazon listing details.