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 Jeremy Edwards

I like the configuration of this case. The power supply on the front and the motherboard on the bottom allow for a large CPU cooler if you're willing to forgo the drive bays. I found that all the screws should be as tight as possible. This includes thumbscrews, so I had to use a large screwdriver to take this case apart. I also found the included screws confusing. There are different types of black screws. They all seemed to border on stripping when hand tightened or untwisted. The thumbscrews did not turn easily even after removing them. Using screws to secure hard drives and containers was a dubious choice as any removal could result in the screw falling directly onto the motherboard. A screwless solution would be nice. I didn't use any additional drive bays as I chose the nvme drive on the motherboard and that's all I needed. However, I like that I can use this for a NAS or build with more memory if I want to reallocate it. My power switch was broken and had to be removed and reinstalled. It looks like it's been pushed in and pinched a lot. Consistency if not quality. I was able to fix it but it still tends to get stuck in the case and not working. The top and sides are one piece, which isn't usually a problem, but it never seems easy. There always seems to be some snag preventing a smooth slide down. This case will serve as a reminder of how much you rely on cases to be built to relatively tight tolerances for trouble-free performance. Build issues appear to be a poor execution of a very good design. If production improves, this could be a big opportunity. To me. It's built, not homemade, but I doubt I'll take it apart as I'll likely add a remote switch to replace the faulty one. All in all, it's better than having a bad design that needs a bunch of fans to keep it cool. I only use one CPU cooler so it can run silently with a top CPU and still be very cool. That's worth a lot to me. It's all about what matters most to you.