Fractal Ridge Front LED Replacement Bracket (for 5mm Straw Hat LED)

This is a small replacement part for the Fractal Ridge PC case. The idea was simple: swap out the stock transparent plastic light guide and fixed LED for something you can customize with any color you want. I designed this bracket so you can use a regular 5mm straw hat LED and a bit of transparent PETG to keep the light traveling forward through the print.

The printed part uses the original two mounting screws from the case and fits into the same spot on the front panel. A 5mm LED slides into the printed channel and can be secured with a tiny amount of glue. I soldered mine directly to the wires that powered the original LED. As long as you align the printed layers so they’re parallel with the LED beam, the light diffuses surprisingly well.

Important Note

Replacing the original LED and plastic piece will permanently modify your Fractal Ridge case and its cables. This is a DIY mod. I’m not responsible for any damage, mistakes, or unintended results. Please do this only if you’re comfortable with soldering and case modding. Proceed at your own risk.

Printing Instructions

Material: Transparent PETG (recommended to help light pass through)
Orientation: Print upside down, with the fin with screw holes facing upward
Supports: Yes
Layer height: 0.2 mm works fine, but you can go lower for cleaner diffusion
Infill: Doesn’t matter much — I used 20%
Walls: 2–3 walls recommended for strength
Aligning the layers with the direction of the LED light helps a lot with brightness, so the upside-down orientation is intentional.

Assembly Instructions

1. Remove the stock Fractal Ridge front LED piece (this is the irreversible part).
2. Extract or cut the original LED from the cable assembly.
3. Insert your 5mm straw hat LED into the printed part and secure it with a small dab of glue if needed.
4. Solder the LED leads to the same wires the original LED used (observe polarity).
5. Screw the printed part into the chassis using the original two screws.
6. Reassemble the case and test the LED.

That’s it. Simple mod, but nice if you want a different color or just prefer DIY fixes over fixed factory LEDs.