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Fractal Design Node 304 - Black - Mini Cube Compact Computer Case - Small form factor - Mini ITX – mITX - High Airflow - Modular interior - 3x Fractal Design Silent R2 120mm Fans Included - USB 3.0

£37.475£74.95Clearance
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Included fan controller for 3 fans 2 - Front mounted 92mm Silent Series R2 hydraulic bearing fans, 1300 RPM speed (compatible with 80mm fans) – included1 - Rear mounted 140mm Silent Series R2 hydraulic bearing fan, 1000 RPM speed (compatible with 120mm fans) – included We've said it before but it bears repeating: desktop systems are getting smaller. ATX is becoming less and less necessary, and mini-ITX-based machines more and more offer the same performance and features that their bigger brothers do. That's just the direction of the technology industry as a whole, cramming everything we need into a space half as large. What's specific to cases is their own evolution running parallel with the technology we're putting into them. The same rules apply if you take out two of the drive cages to squeeze in a 310mm graphics card. To get anywhere near a tidy build in the Node 304 a modular PSU is a must. Lastly, not all PSU;s are created equal. So you're not necessarily guaranteed even 50% of the power total provided on the 12v rail. Assuming a single rail PSU. Most that I would trust being made by seasonic, while being branded by different companies. Antec comes to mind ( earthwatts 500 ) I've owned one now for 4-5 years and am perfectly happy with it. Granted, as stated above, i do not require a massive GPU.. Mostly i opt for mid range. When it comes to choosing a power supply and GPU there are a few things to be aware of. The case supports graphics cards up to 160mm long but by removing one of the drive cages you can squeeze in a card that's 170mm - but only if you use a shorter power supply.

Node 304 — Fractal Design

Getting the PSU in is also a bit of a tight squeeze; our test PSU is 180mm with modular connections, essentially longer than the Node 304's spec. As a result, the PCIe slot is rendered essentially unusable to cards longer than the motherboard itself. The problem is that a modular power supply is practically essential for a case like this as there simply isn't anywhere else for the cables to go. I don't think this is a dire situation, but it's one of the places where I feel like the SFX power supply standard really needs to proliferate and would be more ideal. You just don't need a full ATX PSU in a case this size, and space is at a premium. The node is designed for front intake and rear exhaust, so yes, the way you have planned it is the best way. The best Noctua fans you can get (although you don't have to get Noctua, there are plenty much cheaper fans that will do almost as well) are the NF-A9 and NF-A14. The Hyper 212 is a very good cooler for the money, but if you're going to be spending that much money on fans alone you might as well get an NH-D14 or NH-D15, although I'm not sure if they'll fit, it depends on your motherboard. My sweet spot is something not as small as Node 202 and not as large as Corsair 250D (26L). My build is going to be a mini ITX with an ATX PSU (150 mm modular) and a 10 inch GPU. mm (when 2 HDD slots are removed; graphics cards longer than 170 mm will conflict with PSUs longer than 160 mm) While the maximum size support for motherboards is microATX, you can get a good deal on older boards that work with powerful Intel processors for running Plex Media Server, virtual instances, and other server-related tasks. There are also some good gaming motherboards in this segment that will make for great PC foundations.Cooling 2 x 92mm front fan mounts (fan supplied), 1 x 120/140mm rear fan mount (140mm fan supplied)

Fractal Design Node 304 Black Mini ITX Case - Scan

http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=561&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=63&g=spec Front: 2 x 92mm Silent Series R2 hydraulic bearing fans, 1300 RPM speed (compatible with 80mm fans) – included Befitting the Fractal Design Node 304's simple aesthetic is an equally simple assembly, but there are definitely measures that could've been taken to make it easier still. In its own way this is par for the course with Fractal Design's cases; they're easy to build but they could've optimized things even further.

Fractal Design Node 304 Review

Along the floor of the left side of the case are some spots for employing zip/twist-ties. Unfortunately, given the cramped layout, there really isn’t much room for excess cabling. Only one question left: The 212 EVO's fan can be swapped for two 120mms. Should I do that? If so, which Noctua fans should I replace it with? I choose these two cases to compare with and i just can't find any big differences between these two cases... charlie89 - I hadn't realised the case itself has a fan controller. Can the fans be controlled by way of mobo headers (i.e. variable speed), or only by the fan speed switch in the case (fixed speed)? Case: Fractal Design Node 804 (yes, I got that 304 brings a pain with cable management and air flows)

Fractal Design Node 304 - Black - Mini Cube Compact Computer

You could replace the case fans with 4-pin fans so the motherboard could control them. This is what I did on my Define R4.

Suck it, Scalpers! - Spider-Man 2 PS5

CPU Cooler: Intel heatsink from combo OR CoolerMaster V4 GTS (Optional) - I've it already from old PC This one's a fairly standard looking cube-style mini-ITX case, the likes of which we've seen plenty of in the past from Lian Li, SilverStone and a host of budget/re-branded models besides. However, the Node 304 isn't without innovation - it has plenty of interesting features but read on if you're thinking about adding it to your shortlist. http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=480&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=64&g=spec There's room for CPU coolers up to 165mm tall, which allows for some quite serious third party offerings, though a liquid chiller may make more sense. We’re happy to award the Fractal Design Node 304 our Stamp of Approval for a product we’d recommend for those looking to build a clean and non-intrusive Mini-ITX build.

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