Fractal Design S Nano

It's cute. I've never seen one in person but I saw a Define R5 one at Microcenter and for a mid tower that thing was huge. I'm kind of a Lian Li snob though.
 
A bit too big for my taste though obviously quite good looking with its traditional Fractal tower design.
Case dimensions - wtih feet/protrusions/screws: 203 x 344 x 412mm [...]
Case volume: 26.80 litres
 
Couple of thoughts:

1. If you want the silent part of this case to remain so, don't open the top panel or place fans there. Learned this with the Define R5.
2. One 140mm input and 1 120mm exhaust? That's not a lot of air movement if you choose to install an air cooler in this one.
3. 280mm of input if I install a nice rad in the front and only a 120mm exit?

I really want to like this one but not so sure about (2, 3) above, comments?
 
Not all that small, and it seems to have quite a lot of wasted space inside, but it looks quite the part and seems to be a reasonable choice if you're just getting into mITX. There don't seem to be many ITX cases with this tower layout.

Couple of thoughts:

1. If you want the silent part of this case to remain so, don't open the top panel or place fans there. Learned this with the Define R5.
2. One 140mm input and 1 120mm exhaust? That's not a lot of air movement if you choose to install an air cooler in this one.
3. 280mm of input if I install a nice rad in the front and only a 120mm exit?

I really want to like this one but not so sure about (2, 3) above, comments?

1. Jup. I guess it could still be quite silent when sitting on your desk and you're using full watercooling as the sound exiting the top will not directly hit you.
2. If you install a tower cooler, that is plenty. Personally, I'd ditch the 120mm exhaust fan if the tower cooler is exhausting towards the back.
3. That is called positive pressure and if you're using dust-filters, that is actually the desired option because you control where the intake air is coming from.
As I said previously, I'd probably ditch the exhaust fan, as the pressure from two 140mm fans will force all the hot air out the back vent anyway. This is all when the top stays closed.
 
Not all that small, and it seems to have quite a lot of wasted space inside, but it looks quite the part and seems to be a reasonable choice if you're just getting into mITX. There don't seem to be many ITX cases with this tower layout.



1. Jup. I guess it could still be quite silent when sitting on your desk and you're using full watercooling as the sound exiting the top will not directly hit you.
2. If you install a tower cooler, that is plenty. Personally, I'd ditch the 120mm exhaust fan if the tower cooler is exhausting towards the back.
3. That is called positive pressure and if you're using dust-filters, that is actually the desired option because you control where the intake air is coming from.
As I said previously, I'd probably ditch the exhaust fan, as the pressure from two 140mm fans will force all the hot air out the back vent anyway. This is all when the top stays closed.

thanks for the comments, hoping to see one soon at Microcenter.
 
MiniITX chassis…

26.8 liters in volume…!

How is this SFF…?
 
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You mean an ITX case was released that wasn't another slim clone? Well fuck me...

It's been a while since a notable tower case was released; everyone has been focusing on steam boxes and yachts that it almost seemed like a dead concept. This looks like great case for water cooling enthusiasts who like their massive graphics cards and certainly a welcome step down from some of the obscenely larger cases like the the prodigy and core x1.

I would like to see a similar case in the future designed for more practical SFF builds. Switch to an SFX PSU and chop the top radiator mounts off to reduce the height and width, and probably reduce the length by a considerable amount.
 
The Prodigy case itself (Website: 250 x 310 x 340 = 26.35 liters, incl. handles etc. 250 x 404 x 359mm = 36.26 liters) is actually a tiny bit smaller than the Nano S.
 
The Phantexs Enthoo Evolv ITX is similarly sized as well, a little bigger, but not by alot.
If this had been out 3 months ago, it would have made my short list
 
Pretty interesting. I like the fan options, but at these dimensions it defeats the purpose of itx
 
MiniITX chassis…

26.8 liters in volume…!

How is this SFF…?

Okay, I know I shit on it earlier (quoted for reference), but that was strictly from an overall size versus SFF aspect…

I am looking at this chassis a bit more as of late, as it seems the perfect one for a full water cooled mITX build, with no shoehorning (mostly) of components needed…

One could go full custom loop with a 280 radiator up front & a 120 radiator in the rear (both pulling in); CPU, GPU & RAM under water, with everything exhausting out the top…

OR…!!! One could go middle-of-the-road functional rig; 240 predator up front, add in a pre-filled GPU water block (using the QDCs available) so no need for filling/bleeding/etc. …

Single 120mm fan exhausting out the rear, NON-windowed version & leave the ModuVent in place up top; should make for a pretty quiet unit…?

Seems like I am in need of some Prozac, as I keep swinging back & forth between wanting an ultra compact SFF air-cooled chassis and a much larger water-cooled setup…

ARRRGGGHHHH…!!! What to do, what to do…?
 
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^ exactly my sentiments. I thought it was too large for an itx casing, going purely by volume numbers. But then i realized, there aren't many itx casings that offer this level of WC support and it's starting to grow on me.
 
Seems like I am in need of some Prozac, as I keep swinging back & forth between wanting an ultra compact SFF air-cooled chassis and a much larger water-cooled setup…

ARRRGGGHHHH…!!! What to do, what to do…?

I thought I was the only one with that syndrome. ;) I have owned the Nano S for a while, and it's really a nice case. It feels big compared to smaller ITX cases, but the Nano S is noise dampened and allows for great water cooling setup. I think it can still be made in a smaller footprint, but so far no one wants to make that kind of case, with a design that I like. Custom cases here on HF tend to be compact noisy little beasts. I have often wondered how the Ncase M1 would fare with just a 240 rad in the bottom, but since you need to use slim fans on high rpm, I think it would be noisy as heck. I don't like side mounted radiators, they are pretty awkward to work with. Preferably at the front or top.
 
Man, here I am back at the Fractal Design Nano S…!!!

I really, Really, REALLY want one of the forthcoming 'boutique' SFF/UCFF chassis' that are on the horizon (Hutzy XS, MI-6), but I also want an overall cool & quiet unit…!

At this point, the build (as planned in my head) looks like this:

Corsair SF600 SFX PSU (w/Silverstone SFX>ATX adapter plate)
MSI H170I Pro AC mITX motherboard
Intel i7 6700 CPU (considering sending this to Silicon Lottery for a de-lidding)
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 SDRAM – 16GB (2 @ 8GB DIMMs) – 2133 / CAS13
Intel 750 Series 400GB 2.5″ PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD (w/the newer M.2 adapter cable)
MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Aero OC GPU

I plan on using the EK 240 Predator w/QDCs, in conjunction with a pre-filled EK full-cover GPU water block (and an EK backplate, just because)…

The Predator would mount up front in a push configuration & I would replace the rear 120mm fan that comes with the chassis for an EK Vardar F4-120ER fan for chassis exhaust…

(…thoughts here towards adding a second EK fan to the bottom of the chassis as an additional intake; wonder if the three intakes fans would be too much for the single exhaust fan to handle…)

The ‘ModuVent’ panel would stay in place up top; this, along with the solid side panels (sound dampening material on all three panels) should keep the unit relatively quiet…

This will be a NON-overclocked system, with the NON-K series CPU de-lidded for additional cooling effect…

I will be using Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut TIM on both the CPU & GPU…

So, long story short, thoughts/advice towards the overall setup…?

Thanks…!

Oh…! Side question… EK now has a cable that they intend the end user to place between the fan header on the GPU & the CPU Fan header on the motherboard… Supposed to help with fan control & such if you have more load on the GPU than the CPU…? Thoughts towards that as well…? I am still trying to wrap my head around how that might work…?

Again, THANKS…!!!
 
I'm loving the room available in the Define Nano S to easily add a custom loop. I switched my the NCase M1 to another small mini ITX, and now I'm in the Nano S.
 
oh look, watercooling at this day and age for an itx, like "look, imma geeking! look at the pretty water running in my pc!"

and its too big.
 
I'm loving the room available in the Define Nano S to easily add a custom loop. I switched my the NCase M1 to another small mini ITX, and now I'm in the Nano S.

Oh you did? I understand why - I have spent so much time trying to make mine as tidy as possible....
But it's still a bit sad to hear.
 
This case is not SFF. Fractal did not even try to make it SFF. They could have at least moved the PSU to the front to cut down on the height.
 
oh look, watercooling at this day and age for an itx, like "look, imma geeking! look at the pretty water running in my pc!"

and its too big.

What a junk post.

This case is not SFF. Fractal did not even try to make it SFF. They could have at least moved the PSU to the front to cut down on the height.

I think they wanted to keep real case air flow going. That is more difficult when the PSU is moved to the front, blocking it. In fact, the air flow in the Nano S is fantastic. Two 140mm in the front blowing cold air - temperatures are freezing. The case is a bit on the big side though, as pointed out, which is annoying. But otherwise it ticks the marks for good air flow, dust filters, and noise dampening. You typically don't get that with smaller cases. Trade-off's.
 
Good case. I purchased this for my Main build. Using a noctua tower case and it fit! Online said it was a 165mm tall tower and the case limitation was 160mm but it fit.
 
For what the chassis is designed for, primarily aimed at water-cooled builds; the chassis is pretty damned good…!

Is it a SFF chassis…? No, but it IS a chassis that I can put a quality ITX build with a substantial amount of water cooling gear into without having to break out the shoehorn & a stick of butter…

I also love the cable management aspect of the chassis, everything routed back to a closed off section and plenty of grommets to bring cables back thru where needed and attached to the various components…

Like I stated above, I would NOT be interested in the windowed version of this chassis; so the water-cooled ITX naysayers who feel those interested in water cooling smaller builds have no ground to stand on when they go on about "look at the pretty water"…

Could I build a windowed version with UV reactive fluid & clear hard tubing runs…? Sure, but I am interested in water cooling for the actual cooling & noise control aspects, no for the "pretty water"…

Besides, for the build envisioned, a 240 Predator with an add-in GPU block is all that is needed… More than enough for a NON-overclocked build…!
 
I built one of these last night for my friend. Decent case to work on, but a bit big. I mean.. it even fit a freaking Coolermaster Hyper 212 that I had laying around.
 
Drop the watercooling support. Drop the ATX PSU support.

That lets you chop 25mm or more from the height (including removal of the vents at the top) and chop 100mm from the front.

Keep all of the other layout, cable management, and acoustic features.

That gets you down to around 18.6L. Call it the Define Pico S.
 
Drop the watercooling support. Drop the ATX PSU support.

That lets you chop 25mm or more from the height (including removal of the vents at the top) and chop 100mm from the front.

Keep all of the other layout, cable management, and acoustic features.

That gets you down to around 18.6L. Call it the Define Pico S.

You mean something like this?

14e7c9b6f511dcf75167240fe513ac9b


Had this concept sitting in my archive for about a year. 332mm x 303mm x 168mm, making it about 16.9L. Despite it using such a classic layout, no manufacturer has shown any interest in something like this. At least you can enjoy looking at the pretty picture for now.
 
Drop the watercooling support. Drop the ATX PSU support.

That lets you chop 25mm or more from the height (including removal of the vents at the top) and chop 100mm from the front.

Keep all of the other layout, cable management, and acoustic features.

That gets you down to around 18.6L. Call it the Define Pico S.

Exactly what I thought, I have no clue why they stick to ATX PSU support, especially when SFX-L PSUs are so easily obtainable now

People who are after mITX are ready to make some sacrifices for space and elegance, IMHO
 
The PSU is not the problem since the case is >160mm wide anyway and the 18mm or so height increase going from SFX to ATX is not a big deal. The reason why the Nano S is to big is due to it being over 200mm wide.
 
I can see a shrunk Nano S, where the width is defined by the supported height of the videocard.
 
See, for the size, the ATX PSU makes sense…

And that extra width allows a taller GPU, and allows for the cable management 'section' behind the MB & all…

Now, if one approaches the Define Nano S for what it seems truly designed for, a custom loop water cooling rig, it is PERFECT…!

Room for the MB & a 'standard' (or taller than, but NOT longer than) GPU…

Room for a regular D5 water pump below the GPU, & room for a decent reservoir above the GPU…

Room for a 280mm (2 x 140mm) radiator & dual 140mm fans up front…

Single exhaust fan on the back side, definitely a positive pressure chassis…!

Built-in (yet easily removable for cleaning) dust filters on the entire front & bottom of the chassis…

PERFECT for a custom loop water cooled mITX build…! Throw a Haswell-E or Broadwell-E CPU in there with a GTX 1080 or a Titan X (P), and the 280mm radiator should be more than enough to keep it cool, even with some overclocking…

And keeping with the single exhaust out back & leaving the sound dmpened cover up top (assuming the NON-windowed version of the chassis) virtually silent running as well…!

I am torn between this 'massive' chassis & the Hutxy XS; two totally opposite ends of the mITX chassis spectrum…!

(…now I am back over at the EK website, planning a full custom loop build…)
 
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While I haven't tried it yet, a single 280mm in front is still too little to run a custom loop real quietly with high end components. And in my experience, 140mm fans do get audiable earlier than 120mm ones, as well.
 
See, for the size, the ATX PSU makes sense…

And that extra width allows a taller GPU, and allows for the cable management 'section' behind the MB & all…

Now, if one approaches the Define Nano S for what it seems truly designed for, a custom loop water cooling rig, it is PERFECT…!

Room for the MB & a 'standard' (or taller than, but NOT longer than) GPU…

Room for a regular D5 water pump below the GPU, & room for a decent reservoir above the GPU…

Room for a 280mm (2 x 140mm) radiator & dual 140mm fans up front…

Single exhaust fan on the back side, definitely a positive pressure chassis…!

Built-in (yet easily removable for cleaning) dust filters on the entire front & bottom of the chassis…

PERFECT for a custom loop water cooled mITX build…! Throw a Haswell-E or Broadwell-E CPU in there with a GTX 1080 or a Titan X (P), and the 280mm radiator should be more than enough to keep it cool, even with some overclocking…

And keeping with the single exhaust out back & leaving the sound dmpened cover up top (assuming the NON-windowed version of the chassis) virtually silent running as well…!

I am torn between this 'massive' chassis & the Hutxy XS; two totally opposite ends of the mITX chassis spectrum…!

(…now I am back over at the EK website, planning a full custom loop build…)

I feel this is the same problem as we see with phones where if you want good CPU with a decent amount of RAM and other goodies OEMs will only give it to you if you buy a giant phablet 5 inch or bigger.

Other than the assumption of everyone wanting to stick a GTX1080 and 5Ghz overclocked CPU in there, I like the internal and external design. I'd like a more middle ground mini tower option for those of us with more modest setups. There are plenty of us who would be fine with just a regular non-K CPU and ITX 120 watt GPU.
 
There are plenty of us who would be fine with just a regular non-K CPU and ITX 120 watt GPU.

And this would be the perfect chassis for that…! The shorter ITX GPU would allow for a pump/reservoir combo unit to be used, eliminating the extra tubing to connect separate components (pump / reservoir) and the awkward routing of said tubing around the GPU… And a non K-series CPU & lower TDP GPU would also allow the entire water cooling system to run quieter… The real trick is finding a full cover water block for any of the ITX GPUs out right now (looking at the Gigabyte 1070 ITX GPU)…

One reason I am hoping that (Ry)Zen & Vega will be a One Two knockout punch towards the gaming market… A powerful multi-core / multi-thread CPU with a powerful Radeon R9 Nano-sized GPU (providing third parties make full cover water blocks for these) would leave all of the front area of the Nano S chassis for the bulk of the water cooling loop (pump/reservior combo, radiator & fans)…
 
And this would be the perfect chassis for that…! The shorter ITX GPU would allow for a pump/reservoir combo unit to be used, eliminating the extra tubing to connect separate components (pump / reservoir) and the awkward routing of said tubing around the GPU… And a non K-series CPU & lower TDP GPU would also allow the entire water cooling system to run quieter… The real trick is finding a full cover water block for any of the ITX GPUs out right now (looking at the Gigabyte 1070 ITX GPU)…

One reason I am hoping that (Ry)Zen & Vega will be a One Two knockout punch towards the gaming market… A powerful multi-core / multi-thread CPU with a powerful Radeon R9 Nano-sized GPU (providing third parties make full cover water blocks for these) would leave all of the front area of the Nano S chassis for the bulk of the water cooling loop (pump/reservior combo, radiator & fans)…

What advantage does water cooling have over air cooling with stock i3/i5 processors and 1060 GPU's? None? Then it's a waste of space.
 
Would not do a water-cooled build in this chassis with a 1060, no one makes water blocks for the 1060s that are short enough to fit with a radiator & full thickness fans up front… No water blocks for the 'shorty' ITX sized 1060s, and no reference length 'full-size' 1060s out the; excepting the nVidia reference model, which EK does NOT make a full cover water block for…

Specificlally why I mentioned the Gigabyte GTX 1070 ITX GPU as the one I would love to see a full-cover block for…
 
Specificlally why I mentioned the Gigabyte GTX 1070 ITX GPU as the one I would love to see a full-cover block for…
Looking at it from a manufacturers perspective, it's making a niche product based on another already niche product; not the best business decision. But it may be possible, however, through a crowd funding campaign. I'm sure EK or Swiftech or whoever would be willing to make a batch if there were a guaranteed number of purchases from the get go. All depends on if you're willing to put the effort in.
 
Looking at it from a manufacturers perspective, it's making a niche product based on another already niche product; not the best business decision. But it may be possible, however, through a crowd funding campaign. I'm sure EK or Swiftech or whoever would be willing to make a batch if there were a guaranteed number of purchases from the get go. All depends on if you're willing to put the effort in.


A 970 mini block wouldn't be the strangest thing to occur in enthusiast cooling. Last year BitsPower made a full cover block for the Strixx GTX 960 - a card which ran at under 60C loaded and overclocked on air.

--

I really like the Nano S. The only trade off it has is size, which is less trade offs than any other mitx case around. I don't like it when people post pictures of a Nano S build in a SFF community, but I do like it when people post a mature Nano S build in a Nano S owners club community.

I think the only annoying part of the Nano S is that intensely bright, blue power LED haha (really needs to be white)
 
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