Review on Fractal Design Node Computer Case by Wiktor Marciniak ᠌
Great quality, did not expect at all for the price.
It is advisable to install a modular power supply unit in this case, because if the built-in video is used, the VGA power wires that are unnecessary in this case will allow you not to waste space on them without use. Similarly, you can remove all other unused wires and make the assembly "cleaner". If you really want neat cable management, you will have to use non-starter cables and mounts that are found in some reviews or are used when modding. At a minimum, in addition to the modular PSU, it is desirable to have 10, 15 and 20 cm SATA cables (depending on the connectors on the MP) so that no bulky loops are obtained. Despite the disadvantages, the case itself is strong and practical, it is almost impossible to find an analogue with six disk spaces and the same size, in this regard, it can be definitely recommended at the time of the comment, especially if you take into account the outweighing pluses. In the case of using a discrete video card, it is better to check all dimensions in advance, as full-size cards may simply not fit in this case (exact figures and examples can be found in other reviews, in my case the assembly was with a built-in GPU).
- This case is one of the units of available cases for mini-ITX boards with more than 4 full-sized places for 3.5-inch drives - this is its main and main advantage that there are six of them, only because of this the case is almost ideal for NAS , to which full-size discs "outdated" for regular PCs are sent. Disk "baskets" allow you to mount disks either one by one or in pairs. Despite the fact that they are not hot-pluggable, in general it is much more convenient than hard shelves in the case itself. Rubber dampers under the screws are also present. A tower cooler is placed in the case (at least a stock Wraith Prism from Ryzen of the third generation, while leaving a “reserve” in place). Good ventilation - air is taken from the front panel by two small "turntables", a large 140 mm cooler on the rear panel, plus additionally there are holes with meshes on the sides of the case. The frame and shell of the case are good, if not excellent, there is no backlash or creaking, there are no sharp edges, the thickness of the metal is adequate, everything is painted over, you can take a fully loaded case by the frame and not be afraid that it will fall apart or something will bend. The front panel can be easily removed for cleaning. The design is a little outdated, but still minimalistic and the white color still looks quite aesthetically pleasing (black grids on the sides - subjectively, do not interfere with the overall look).
- Ill-conceived cable management, it is almost absent in the design - it will not work to carefully lay the wires when even 1.5-2 disk cages are occupied without a lot of cable ties, also if the main ATX connector is located "far away" on the board, then a healthy "snake" of wires will interfere everything else. It is likely that in such a compact case, convenient wiring simply cannot be done due to the size in principle, however, it is still worth bearing in mind. The blue disk usage indicator LED is incredibly bright and at night, even when the system is idle, it gives a feeling of "useless color music". Since the usefulness of the disk usage information itself is near zero, it can simply not be connected to the MP. The body screws and basket screws (end screws) are screwed "on the paint", so it is extremely difficult to unscrew and tighten them without a screwdriver (at least until the paint on the threads comes off). The same applies to the landing "legs" for the MP itself. The case fan speed controller is more useless than useful, the noise level practically does not change, there is practically no difference between the first and second levels. However, it does not interfere, apart from a certain number of wires.
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