A Closer Look - Outside

Fractal Design has done away with the all-mesh front we saw on the Core 3000, opting for a plastic panel that has been made to look and feel like brushed aluminum instead. The Core 2300 looks very much like its bigger brother, the Core 3300, but is considerably slimmer.


The front panel is out of fairly sturdy plastic, but the drive-bay covers are not completely flat, which is due to some manufacturing process, so there is a small visual blemish, though it is nothing to fret about. The PSU bay is in the bottom, and the layout in the rear looks very traditional.


Both sides of the Core 2300 are completely straight, but Fractal Design placed an opening for a 120 mm fan there should you require any additional cooling for a discrete card. It should work well as it is low enough not to get in the way of a CPU cooler, which would allow you to include as tall of a CPU cooler as possible with a cooling unit installed.


Taking a closer look at the front, those who know the company's approach to branding in the past will be surprised to see nothing but a simple logo on the bottom instead of a large embossed logo toward the top. Just like the Core 3300, the Core 2300 comes with two 5.25" bays.


The PSU bay in the back has been placed into the very bottom. Above it are the seven expansion slots with their own removable white cover each, and the 120 mm exhaust fan can be found in the very top. As the width of the chassis basically allows for nothing larger than a 120 mm fan, up to a 120 mm tower cooler will also fit; anything larger probably will not.


You will find the I/O on top, toward the front. It consists of a single USB 3.0 and a USB 2.0 port. I see no reason for there not be two USB 3.0 ports instead as the current implementation essentially takes up two full headers inside the motherboard, which is not only a waste of unnecessary connectivity as it also adds to the cable mess inside. Next to these are also the usual audio plugs, and to the left are the Power and Reset buttons. You will even find two openings for 120 mm or 140 mm fans here. They are spaced to also hold a radiator of up to 280 mm in size instead.