If you purchased Fractal Design’s new Torrent mid-tower computer case, the company says you should unplug the included fan hub and request a replacement. Fractal Design says the original fan hub could have been damaged during manufacturing, and in such cases, it would be prone to short circuiting.
Fractal Design is in the process of reevaluating the design of the circuit boards that go into these Nexus 9P Slim fan hubs. In the meantime, it has suspended sales of the case and is working with retailers to issue refunds to customers who prefer to go that route instead.
“You can still use your Torrent without the fan hub, but given the compromised feature set, we are also coordinating with retail partners to enable a smooth refund process if you prefer not to wait for the replacement kit. We have temporarily stopped sales of the Torrent until the fan hub is updated,” Fractal Design says.
Fractal Designs offers step-by-step instructions on how to remove the fan hub, which is located behind the motherboard tray, towards the bottom of the case. It looks simple enough—just unplug any connected fans, remove three screws, and it should lift right up and out of the case.
In order to request a replacement, there is a short form to fill out. You will need to provide the serial number, which you can find on the bottom of the Torrent (there’s a pictorial how-to guide on that as well).
I’ve been admiring the Torrent from afar. To my eyes, it is an attractive case with a somewhat unique looking front panel. Our friends at Tom’s Hardware spent some hands-on time with the case and praised the chassis for its “excellent thermal performance,” while noting that cable management could be better.
The potentially faulty fan hub is certainly a bummer, but kudos to Fractal Design for how it is handling the situation.
