Fractal Design
North
$129.99Cheaper
Released 2022-12
Best PC Cases · head-to-head
North vs NV7
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. North is cheaper at $129.99. Every spec and price links to its source.
Phanteks
NV7
$199.99
Released 2023-03
Which is better: the North or NV7?
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The North is the cheaper at $129.99.
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| 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 |
| Release | 2022-12 | 2023-03 |
Sources — North: fractal-design.com (verified 2026-06-15). NV7: phanteks.com (verified 2026-06-15).
What's the difference between the North and NV7?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (7 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.
- 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
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
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, 2 lab-tested.)
Praised: Distinctive wood-and-mesh front that looks gorgeous and stands out from black-box cases; Thoughtful functional touches — PWM fan hub, included side fan bracket, solid 3.5-inch drive support; Exceptional CPU thermal performance in lab testing.
Flagged: Loud at full fan speed (53 dB average); Vented mesh side panel diminishes the front-intake tunnel effect unless extra side fans are added; Only two fans plus a simple hub feels high-priced for a compact ATX case.
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, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: Massive cooling and component space for extreme air or liquid-cooled builds (fits up to twelve fans plus multiple radiators); Reasonable roughly $220 price for the material and engineering; Clean look with a unique hidden cable-routing design.
Flagged: Ships with no fans included, adding to overall build cost; Somewhat loud / not the quietest case in the test configuration; Awkward power-cable routing looped out from the bottom.