Review on Fractal Design Node 304 - Black - Mini Cube Compact Computer Case - Small Form Factor - Mini ITX – mITX - Enhanced Airflow - Modular Interior - Includes 3x Fractal Design Silent R2 120mm Fans - USB 3.0 by Bhavin Saini ᠌

Name: Fractal Design Node 304 - Black - Mini Cube Compact Computer Case - Small Form Factor - Mini ITX – mITX - Enhanced Airflow - Modular Interior - Includes 3x Fractal Design Silent R2 120mm Fans - USB 3.0
Item: Fractal Design Node 304 - Black - Mini Cube Compact Computer Case - Small Form Factor - Mini ITX – mITX - Enhanced Airflow - Modular Interior - Includes 3x Fractal Design Silent R2 120mm Fans - USB 3.0
Rating: 5

November 30, 2022

The quality is top notch, be sure to try it.

- There is no noise absorber, and when comparing the price tags of this case with ATX analogs from Fractal, you somehow count on it, I was disappointed and surprised when I saw bare metal.
Although my NAS doesn’t make any sounds in this “coffin” anyway, it doesn’t interfere with sleep at night (I speak as an irritable person who hears every unpleasant little thing))) )
- The wires must be laid over the PSU, but then one of the baskets will have to be sacrificed. For NAS, this is unacceptable.
I went the other way: I dragged the cables in a tiny distance between the PSU and the processor cooler. Access to sata, of course, was blocked, but that's okay - you can always "perekolbasit" everything if you need to cut something extra. The main thing is that air access is not limited by anything during operation.

Pros

- Fractal and that's it - the interior space is used to the maximum. Not every analogue, and even an ATX case, can boast of this. - 6 HDD bays. For me, it is relevant, because. I assembled a home NAS in this case. The reserve for the future on the HDD is very relevant. With a very strong desire, you can place the 7th hard) - A seat for an ordinary ATX power supply - no need to run around the market with bulging eyes and look for a rare beast like in-win's figs-you'll understand-what-size, but you can put almost any common PSU. - HDD activity diode shines, attention, <drum roll> DOWN! TO THE FLOOR! This is amazing! Especially when you consider that the server works at night. Of course, many may say: "yes, turn off the diode and that's it." But I need it to be turned on, so I'm very happy) - The presence of fans in the kit for running air through the entire case and, accordingly, blowing all 6HDDs, with exhaust air blowing out: two 92mm on the front wall and one 140mm on the rear wall. All three turntables are connected to the regular Fractal reobas. Even at maximum speed, I almost didn’t hear anything, though during the day. At night it is better to switch to medium or minimum)

Cons

A spoon of tar. - As already mentioned, flat head screws are a bummer. It feels like they were wrapped with an air pistol. Personally, I turned 2 screwdrivers while unscrewing them. For this money, they could actually glue the walls with the famous Fractal noise absorber, as in their ATX form factor cases. - PSU management cable. it is missing in principle. I have a modular PSU, but that didn't help either. - The reobass switch on the back wall is not logical for a mini-server oriented case. - A nitpick: I would very much like to see a power cord with an angled connection to the case in the kit, since the case does not fit on the shelf precisely because the cord protrudes into the wall)))