Fractal Design North XL Chalk White TG vs Fractal Design North XL Momentum Editioncomputed

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.

Side by side

Fractal Design North XL Chalk White TGFractal Design North XL Momentum Edition
FormE-ATX mid towerE-ATX mid tower
Volume61.4 L61.4 L
Dimensions503 × 240 × 509 mm503 × 240 × 509 mm
Frontmesh dust filtermesh dust filter
Fan mountsfront 3 × 120/140, top 5 × 120/140/180, rear 1 × 120/140front 3 × 120/140, top 2 × 120/140/180, rear 1 × 120
Radiator supportfront 420 mm, top 360 mm, rear 140 mmfront 420 mm, top 360 mm, rear 120 mm
Dust filtersfront, psufront, top, psu
GPU length413 mm413 mm
Cooler height185 mm176 mm
Stock fans3 × Aspect 14 PWM (front)3 × Momentum 14 (front)
Stock airflow, max rpm183 in / 0 out CFM187 in / 0 out CFM
Stock pressure verdictpositive, worst case includedpositive, worst case included
Case air at 290 W+2.9 K+2.8 K
Stock fan noise40.3 dB(A)36.7 dB(A)
All mounts, reference fans176 in / 396 out CFM 3 / 6 mounts176 in / 185 out CFM 3 / 3 mounts

With a reference pressure-optimized fan on every mount the North XL Chalk White TG moves more air. 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.

North XL Chalk White TG — mounts and stock fans

TOPBOTTOMREARFRONT · mesh

North XL Momentum Edition — mounts and stock fans

TOPBOTTOMREARFRONT · mesh

Case air heating with the stock fans — computed

0 5 0 100 200 300 400 450 W GPU (open cooler) + 40 W board North XL Chalk White TG North XL Momentum Edition K case air above room

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How these numbers are computed

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.

MountingAirflow bladesPressure-optimized
Open grille0.88 (0.80–0.95)0.88 (0.80–0.95)
Dust filter0.70 (0.60–0.80)0.78 (0.70–0.86)
Floor + filter0.64 (0.52–0.74)0.72 (0.62–0.80)
Solid or glass front0.50 (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.