Performance
With one additional 140mm fan and more in the way of mesh filters, the Arc Midi R2 is designed to offer better cooling performance than Fractal's own Define R4. Starting with CPU temperature, our benchmarks confirm that the refreshed Arc Midi is a definite step up. And remember, the above numbers are recorded with the chassis in its stock configuration - adding a couple of radiators would no doubt paint a more impressive picture.
Unlike its predecessor, the Arc Midi R2 doesn't provision for a side intake, but it matters not. The chassis' stock cooling configuration is ample for our dual Radeon HD 7950 OC graphics cards.
We're pleasantly surprised by the chassis' acoustic performance, too. Granted, it isn't as quiet as the Define R4, but even without soundproofing, the Arc Midi R2's 140mm fans are able to spin quietly at slow speeds. Note that the idle and under-load noise readings were taken with the fan controller set to low and high, respectively.