Datasheet figures next to each other, and the airflow balance, pressure verdict and case air heating that the fans in each box compute to behind that case's own front. Calculated with the CaseFlow model, not measured.
| Fractal Design Epoch White TG Clear tint | Fractal Design North Charcoal Black TG Light | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | ATX mid tower | ATX mid tower |
| Volume | 45.1 L | 45.1 L |
| Dimensions | 447 × 215 × 469 mm | 469 × 215 × 447 mm |
| Front | mesh dust filter | mesh dust filter |
| Fan mounts | front 3 × 120/140, top 2 × 120/140, rear 1 × 120 | front 3 × 120/140, top 2 × 120/140, rear 1 × 120 |
| Radiator support | front 360 mm, top 240 mm, rear 120 mm | front 360 mm, top 240 mm, rear 120 mm |
| Dust filters | psu | front, psu |
| GPU length | 372 mm | 355 mm |
| Cooler height | 170 mm | 145 mm |
| Stock fans | 3 × Momentum 12 (front) | 2 × Aspect 14 PWM (front) |
| Stock airflow, max rpm | 157 in / 0 out CFM | 122 in / 0 out CFM |
| Stock pressure verdict | positive, worst case included | positive, worst case included |
| Case air at 290 W | +3.4 K | +4.4 K |
| Stock fan noise | 36.1 dB(A) | 38.5 dB(A) |
| All mounts, reference fans | 176 in / 185 out CFM 3 / 3 mounts | 176 in / 185 out CFM 3 / 3 mounts |
Both are close enough that the choice is not an airflow question. The pressure verdict describes the stock fan set, not the case: stronger or extra intake fans in the free mounts, or slower exhaust fans, turn a negative balance positive.
Each stock fan contributes CFMmax · derate · rpm/rpmmax behind its wall's mounting class: filtered mesh
front and side mounts as dust filter, bottom as floor + filter, top and rear as open grille, solid and glass fronts as side-slit intake at
roughly half of a mesh front. Front, bottom and side blow in; top and rear blow out.
| Mounting | Airflow blades | Pressure-optimized |
|---|---|---|
| Open grille | 0.88 (0.80–0.95) | 0.88 (0.80–0.95) |
| Dust filter | 0.70 (0.60–0.80) | 0.78 (0.70–0.86) |
| Floor + filter | 0.64 (0.52–0.74) | 0.72 (0.62–0.80) |
| Solid or glass front | 0.50 (0.40–0.62) | 0.58 (0.48–0.68) |
Worst case sums intake at the low end of each band and exhaust at the high end; positive there means positive regardless of how the estimates fall. Case air: ΔT = 3.1 · W / throughput (m³/h), with an open-cooler GPU putting its full board power into the case air plus board, RAM and drives. Capacity puts a reference pressure-optimized fan on every mount at max rpm — 120 mm 60 CFM, 140 mm 75 CFM — a generic good fan, not a product.
Mount counts, radiator support and clearances are datasheet figures. Nothing here is measured; the same model runs in CaseFlow.