Fractal Design Node 304 itx case

Prob the best looking shoebox case, pity it's almost double the size of the SG05 :( but it can fit a DH-14 HSF!
 
I really like it. The size for a mini ITX is a little on the big side though.

The design is very good. But I'm also from Scandinavia like Fractal is. Perhaps I have finally found a supplier that shares my thoughts.

Node304_front-angled-view_lores.jpg


Next step is is to wait for some reviews. Interested to know if their promises of quiet lives up in the real work. Should be out in August. -> The waiting game continues :)
 
Like a few of their latest SFF designs, there is no optical drive. Not a deal breaker, but a slot-in opening would have been nice.
 
I'm glad they are getting rid of optical drives. They are ugly and obsolete :)
 
i like this one a lot. too bad i just bought a matx motherboard :p
 
I've been planning on upgrading the PCs of my oldest boys and wanted to go mITX - I thought about the SG05, but this is actually perfect.
 
Nice! This is perfect for the NAS i'm building,
Was going to mod a sg05 but i'll just wait for this thing.
hope it doesn't get delayed.
 
Gorgeous case but I would have love to have seen a SG-05 sized case with a 120mm exhaust fan up top over the CPU socket and the PSU mounted up so you could have a atx psu. Would have considered getting rid of my sg-05 for that.
 
It's very nice, but I still like the Lian Li PC-Q18 better due to the fact that the Q18 can accommodate a full size DVD-ROM in addition to its 140mm fans and ATX power supply.

The Lian Li is bigger than the Node 304, but it's still reasonably compact -- about 2 Coke cans tall. The Lian Li can take a push/pull Corsair H80 cooler to keep those OC Ivy Bridges frosty while still accommodating long video cards. So far it's unclear if the Node 304 can do the same. And the Lian Li has a second 140mm for exhaust. The Node 304 uses 92mm fans, which tend to have a higher pitched whine than larger fans.

Here's a size comparison:

http://sizeasy.com/page/size_compar...gn-Node-304-vs-SilverStone-SG07-vs-Drinks-Can

And a pic:

http://www.lian-li.com/v2/tw/product/PC-Q18-b.jpg

Fractal does a better job at painting the inside of the case, though. I wish Lian Li would paint or anodize the inside of their cases.
 
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ShinySteelRobot said:
It's very nice, but I still like the Lian Li PC-Q18 better due to the fact that the Q18 can accommodate a full size DVD-ROM in addition to its 140mm fans and ATX power supply.

The Lian Li is bigger than the Node 304, but it's still reasonably compact -- about 2 Coke cans tall. The Lian Li can take a push/pull Corsair H80 cooler to keep those OC Ivy Bridges frosty while still accommodating long video cards. So far it's unclear if the Node 304 can do the same. And the Lian Li has a second 140mm for exhaust. The Node 304 uses 92mm fans, which tend to have a higher pitched whine than larger fans.


Fractal does a better job at painting the inside of the case, though. I wish Lian Li would paint or anodize the inside of their cases.
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Although I to like the Lian Li cases a little more, this really isnt the thread to do that in. This is talking about the new Fractal Design Node 304. not the Lian Li Q18. Just my 2c
 
EQWoody said:
Although I to like the Lian Li cases a little more, this really isnt the thread to do that in. This is talking about the new Fractal Design Node 304. not the Lian Li Q18. Just my 2c
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People talking about how a comparable case stacks up against the 304 is very on-topic and does not constitute thread crapping.
 
It looks quite promising, but I think I'll wait for the reviews before forming an opinion.
 
I heard in a video from a swedish site that the two 92mm fans can be exchanged for one 120mm fan and that a water cooling syatem can be mounted there
 
Interesting case :)

Are there any pics of the inside where the PCI-slots are completely visible? I would like to know if the 304 has these openings next to the motherboard:
wspcislots.jpg

I don't want brackets falling in when I'm hooking up something to the connectors.;)
 
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Yeah, it doesn't look like it can fit :S, but he clearly said that you can replace the 2 92mm fans for a 120mm. I will e-mail fractal-design and see if they have any comments.
 
cnyg said:
Yeah, it doesn't look like it can fit :S, but he clearly said that you can replace the 2 92mm fans for a 120mm. I will e-mail fractal-design and see if they have any comments.
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I found this post from a Fractal representative that said that it isn't possible due to the power supply.

Here's a rough Google translation of it:

There are no place for greater than 92mm fans because of the power supply location. To make room for larger fans in the front we would have to make the chassis a lot bigger and we have prioritized in this case size. Both fans are, however, low-speed and very quiet and in combination with the large 140mm fan at the back, even on low speed, the air flow is quite enough even for high performance / hot components. There is plenty of air vents in the top of the front (mesh).
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Flip the fans and have it intake from the back and exhaust the front?
 
I would so mod the top of the case and put a 120mm exhaust fan over the cpu heatsink.
 
adjas said:
Looking at this picture, I don't see how a 120mm fan can be installed in the front without hitting the PSU
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Fractal should have skipped the ATX power supply in favor of a TFX supply like this recently reviewed Seasonic. Mount it lengthwise along the front of the case and there would be plenty of room to have a 120 mm front fan. A TFX power supply would allow the depth of the case to be shortened as well.

There's plenty of alternatives to ATX power supplies available now. Companies just aren't interested in using them. Designs shouldn't be constrained to 17 year old form factors. :mad:
 
they would be alienating the vast majority of computer owners if they did that. pretty sure most people that have bought a psu have bout atx sized ones. unless they included their own like how the sugo cases are. but then that would drive up the cost.
 
ATX power supplies just don't make sense to use in small form factor systems where power requirements are much lower and space is at a premium. TFX supplies are ~$30 at Newegg. Wouldn't you pay that much to have a smaller enclosure?
 
I don't see any high quality TFXs with the ability to power even a mid range gaming PC. 450W seems to be an absolute minimum for todays cards and CPUs.
 
cmadki4 said:
I don't see any high quality TFXs with the ability to power even a mid range gaming PC. 450W seems to be an absolute minimum for todays cards and CPUs.
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Uhh 450W an absolute minimum? you're pushing it. SG05 with 450W SFX has no problem powering powerful machines, with a GTX680, 6970, or 7970. Thing to remember: this is mini-ITX so single GPU config.
Actually even the 300W version is powerful enough for very good gaming rigs. That's why maybe using a SFX power supply would have made sense. That being said, nothing prevents us from using one with an adapter. In that case, a 120mm fan might fit?
 
cmadki4 said:
I don't see any high quality TFXs with the ability to power even a mid range gaming PC. 450W seems to be an absolute minimum for todays cards and CPUs.
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Uhh what :confused:

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nexxusdev said:
Flip the fans and have it intake from the back and exhaust the front?
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Fantastic idea!

NichoTL said:
Uhh 450W an absolute minimum? you're pushing it. SG05 with 450W SFX has no problem powering powerful machines, with a GTX680, 6970, or 7970. Thing to remember: this is mini-ITX so single GPU config.
Actually even the 300W version is powerful enough for very good gaming rigs. That's why maybe using a SFX power supply would have made sense. That being said, nothing prevents us from using one with an adapter. In that case, a 120mm fan might fit?
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+1
 
@NichoTL and MissJ84 - would you run your systems on 350W? Because at quick glance, the only step down from a quality 450W SFX would be 350W SFX. I personally wouldn't go so low, so doesn't that make 450W the minimum? On top the fact that you're both proving my point by running powerful systems on a small power supplies. But besides these points, Nega was talking about TFX and I also don't see any decently powered TFX power supplies readily available through the normal retailers.

But I'm not arguing, just making a friendly point. :)
 
cmadki4 said:
@NichoTL and MissJ84 - would you run your systems on 350W? Because at quick glance, the only step down from a quality 450W SFX would be 350W SFX. I personally wouldn't go so low, so doesn't that make 450W the minimum? On top the fact that you're both proving my point by running powerful systems on a small power supplies. But besides these points, Nega was talking about TFX and I also don't see any decently powered TFX power supplies readily available through the normal retailers.

But I'm not arguing, just making a friendly point. :)
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Actually I've been running my system on the basic 300W in SG05, but that's because my GPU was fairly frugal (6850). But that was with a lot of margin (can't remember the exact numbers). I've heard that 7850 is fine too. Right now I don't even have a discrete GPU (not playing at all). The point is, gaming on a SFX PSU is not a problem. With a 450W a GTX680 is easy-peasy and that's good as mini-ITX gaming goes, wouldn't you agree?
 
NichoTL said:
Actually I've been running my system on the basic 300W in SG05, but that's because my GPU was fairly frugal (6850). But that was with a lot of margin (can't remember the exact numbers). I've heard that 7850 is fine too. Right now I don't even have a discrete GPU (not playing at all). The point is, gaming on a SFX PSU is not a problem. With a 450W a GTX680 is easy-peasy and that's good as mini-ITX gaming goes, wouldn't you agree?
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Agreed :)
 
negaprion said:
ATX power supplies just don't make sense to use in small form factor systems where power requirements are much lower and space is at a premium. TFX supplies are ~$30 at Newegg. Wouldn't you pay that much to have a smaller enclosure?
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i don't know about anyone else, but i would not trust any $30 psu after investing 500+ in other parts :p
 
cmadki4 said:
@NichoTL and MissJ84 - would you run your systems on 350W? Because at quick glance, the only step down from a quality 450W SFX would be 350W SFX. I personally wouldn't go so low, so doesn't that make 450W the minimum?
Click to expand...

This thread over on a German computer forum is a good read for real world power consumption measurements. Looking at the first table, it shows the total system power draw of various video cards using an i7 2600K running at 4.5 ghz as a test base. The majority of the cards tested kept the total system power under 300 watts! As long as it is from an established manufacturer such as FSP, Delta, Seasonic, etc., a 350 watt power supply should be more than enough to power a heavily loaded system.

With system components becoming more and more power efficient, it's time to push back against all the marketing stating that humongous power supplies are a necessity. It's hard not to laugh when you see >1000 watt power supplies being offered. It's a ridiculous pissing contest for bragging rights.

illli said:
i don't know about anyone else, but i would not trust any $30 psu after investing 500+ in other parts :p
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The margins on these OEM type power supplies are quite thin, especially compared to ATX supplies marketed towards enthusiasts. When you see Antecs being sold on Newegg for $30 after rebate, it makes you wonder just how much these supplies cost to build. They sure aren't selling them below that.
 
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