Fractal Design USB3.0 Upgrade Kit for Define R3 Case

Comment:
It's nice to have some upgrade available for the R3 to move to USB3 only grip is that those cables are stiff and thick and hard to route. You have to pre-bent them to help installation

Comment:
Went ahead and purchased this upgrade for my wifes R2 case despite the reviews about the front panel not fitting properly afterward. Pleased to report i had no issues with the front panel fit but the thick wires do require some route planning. In this installation the top 5.25 drive bay was empty so the cables went through there instead of over the top of the drive like the original route. Nice upgrade.

Comment:
Well the idea is definitely there however i'm beginning to doubt that fractal engineers actually tested the installation. While swapping it out is not all that difficult, due to the positioning of the USB wires and how much more thicker they are, it is impossible to get your front panel to sit completely flush even after an hours worth of fiddling... However the ports do seem to work as advertised. I'm just shocked to discover this design flaw, it's really just a kick to the shin. But to be fair it's only noticeable when you look for it.

Comment:
Only just bought it, so this is my initial opinion without having tested it.Installation was tricky--inserting the piece was a matter of snapping it in, and the two USB3 cables and the eSATA cable had to take a very tight bend--and now the front doesn't sit flush with the rest of the case now. However, it's a very minor gap and since it's on the right side (the far side) I likely won't notice. Otherwise it looks great and is a welcome addition to the case.