# North vs NV7: specs and price compared

A sourced, side-by-side comparison of the North (Fractal Design) and NV7 (Phanteks) among pc cases. North is the cheaper of the two at $129.99.

## Side by side

| Spec | North | NV7 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US price | $129.99 | $199.99 |
| Brand | Fractal Design | Phanteks |
| Released | 2022-12 | 2023-03 |
| Form factor | Mid-Tower (ATX/mATX/ITX) | Full Tower (E-ATX/ATX/mATX/ITX) |
| Max GPU length (mm) | 355 | 450 |
| Max cooler height (mm) | 170 | 185 |
| Included fans | 2 x 140 mm Aspect PWM | 0 (no fans included; 12 fan positions) |
| Radiator support | Front: 360 mm; Top: 240 mm; Rear: 120 mm | Top: 360 mm; Side: 360 mm; Bottom: 360 mm; Rear: 120 mm |
| Side panel | Tempered Glass (TG variant) or full mesh (Mesh variant) | Seamless Tempered Glass (front and side) |
| Dimensions (mm) | 447 x 215 x 469 | 532 x 253 x 586 |

## Key differences

- Form factor: North Mid-Tower (ATX/mATX/ITX) vs NV7 Full Tower (E-ATX/ATX/mATX/ITX)
- Max GPU length (mm): North 355 vs NV7 450
- Max cooler height (mm): North 170 vs NV7 185
- Included fans: North 2 x 140 mm Aspect PWM vs NV7 0 (no fans included; 12 fan positions)
- Radiator support: North Front: 360 mm; Top: 240 mm; Rear: 120 mm vs NV7 Top: 360 mm; Side: 360 mm; Bottom: 360 mm; Rear: 120 mm
- Side panel: North Tempered Glass (TG variant) or full mesh (Mesh variant) vs NV7 Seamless Tempered Glass (front and side)
- Dimensions (mm): North 447 x 215 x 469 vs NV7 532 x 253 x 586

## What reviewers say

**North** — Two whitelisted hands-on testers (Tom's Hardware, TechPowerUp) reviewed the base North ATX mid-tower; both were charmed by its wood-slat design and praised its thoughtful features, but flagged airflow and noise compromises. Tom's measured 53 dB and loved the thermals; TechPowerUp found the vented side panel and price harder to justify. North XL and Momentum variants excluded. (2 sourced reviews.)

**NV7** — Only one whitelisted hands-on review survived verification: Tom's Hardware (May 2023), which tested this exact Phanteks NV7 full-tower and gave it an Editor's Choice. It praises massive cooling and component space (fits up to twelve fans), a reasonable roughly $220 price, and a clean, unique cable-hiding design, while flagging that the case ships with no fans, runs somewhat loud in its test configuration, has awkward power-cable routing, and includes a wobbly GPU bracket. The originally cited TechPowerUp review was dropped because fetch-clean returned only its intro/spec page, so none of its quoted conclusions could be verified. Thermal and acoustic results lived only in chart images, so measured stays empty. (1 sourced review.)

## Sources

- North: https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/north/north/ (fractal-design.com, verified 2026-06-15)
- NV7: https://phanteks.com/product/nv7-black/ (phanteks.com, verified 2026-06-15)

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/pc-cases/fractal-design-north-vs-phanteks-nv7/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, North ($129.99) vs NV7 ($199.99) — sourced spec-by-spec comparison at https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/pc-cases/fractal-design-north-vs-phanteks-nv7/
License: CC BY 4.0.