Fractal Design Node 202 - Black - Mini-ITX Slim Profile Compact Small Form Factor Computer Case – Modular interior - USB 3.0

Product Information

Fractal Design is a well-known Swedish designer of PC cases. Most of their ITX designs are not an exception to the aforementioned rule, sacrificing volume for component compatibility and performance. However the company wanted us to take a look at their smallest ITX case, the Node 202. It is a slim case that physically resembles many other designs that were created for HTPC use, but, despite its very narrow chassis, the Node 202 can hold a full size video card, allowing the creation of very small but powerful gaming systems. Fractal Design Node 202 Default voltages and fan speeds were used to accurately reflect the same standard out-of-the-box experience that little Timmy might have after building his first computer. In our eyes, the Fractal Design Ridge is a welcome addition to the Small Form Factor market and we’re very pleased that Fractal Design hasn’t forgot about the little guys. Pros The top of the case (when laying horizontal) is one entire piece that securely screws into the base plate. The sides are just airflow ventilation panels and don’t come off as you would see from a regular PC case. The sides are part of the entire top shell, which lifts off.

To add, both components were under a 100% synthetic load, consuming more juice and generating far more heat than even the heaviest of normal loads. The internal layout of the Node 202 keeps the hot components separate and has them all placed in proximity of free-flow air so the case will run cool despite not having any extra case fans.To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel Pentium Anniversary G3258, Sapphire ITX Compact R9 285 graphics and an SSD storage drive. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Fractal Design Node 202‘s cooling capabilities. This raises the question of how you will use your shiny new PC. The Node 202 does not have an optical drive bay (so you can forget about playing Blu-ray) which means the Node 202 isn't quite an obvious candidate for a media centre PC that you might first think. The unexpected thing is that Fractal Design is aiming the Node 202 at the general PC market and states it ‘can house a capable gaming build.' The case also doesn’t include any magnetic fan filters so if you’re in the market for some, be sure to keep an eye on Demcifilter as I’m sure they will release them.

However I have found that the ID-COOLING IS-60 Paired with the Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM is a better option as the ID Cooling has more heatpipes. The Noctua fan sits right at the intake hole of the Node 202 case allowing it to pull in fresh air. It's the ideal choice IMO, But keep in mind, the cooler sits above the ram, so make sure you get some Low clearance (height) ram such as Corsair. As for thermal paste, Kryonaut all the way. As always, we highly recommend undervolting your components to maximize your cooling, save on electricity, and to configure custom fan profiles to reduce noise. Make sure when you get the case that you NOTE which screws are the GPU RISER SCREWS. I almost messed up, those GPU riser screws can be tough to get in once you already have the cpu cooler on. Consider that when building The power button has a solid tactile feeling and its functionality is predictable. It not hit or miss, it doesn’t wiggle, and it’s not squishy to press on. Following the retro-modern trend of mixed materials, the Ridge features a cloth mesh grill that would bring warmth to any living room or office.For stress testing we use a mixture of Prime95 and FurMark to create the maximum heat output. Prime95′s ‘Small FFTs’ setting allows us to stress our CPU. FurMark’s ‘GPU Burn-in’ mode creates the maximum amount of load our GPU is ever likely to see. Like the legendary NCASE chassis, the side panels on the Ridge use the same lovely ball joint clips (quiet and effortless unlike Sliger) to snap the side panels into place. If you wanted to simplify access to the internal components, I would recommend removing the captive screws on the side panels as these will perform just fine. All that said, those are very impressive results. With a 95w TDP processor, you would likely experience similar or better results. So when building a rig there's a few things to consider, especially with thermal performance. The Node 202 can trap heat and it's crucial to find ways to get around this. Thankfully I got the answers.

Due to the small footprint of the Node 202, we see an impressive interior layout with separate chambers. The motherboard and graphics card are separated in what Fractal Design call, thermal interior design. You will be taking off your fan cooler and placing this above, You can essentially fit this in the GPU compartment as there should be enough room The Node 202 comes with no fans. A common mod people do is to add two Notcua fans to the top, so the CPU is have some sort of exhaust. You can find just the right spot to screw them in. Installation wasn’t difficult and didn’t require anything to be removed. Here I wanted to illustrate that even an aftermarket cable (non-ribbon) fits comfortably.The stand is made of plastic and not aluminum like the face of the chassis. Only the mounting points are metal A lot of pleasing features to really help get the best out of my components and the pre-installed PSU made things even easier. This is going to be a great addition to the modern living room but with no 5.25” drive bay, it might not replace everyone’s HTPC needs. Our Verdict Installed from the inside of the chassis, the case and the stand include provisions for the screws that are threaded into the stand. If you look closely, you can see how the power light on the Fractal Ridge is neatly hidden and diffused behind the mesh face, just above the IO.

First of all, CPU Cooler. You have the mainstream option which is the (Dont buy this) Noctua NH-L9i. There are two nearby provisions for cable organization and at the top of this picture you can see the underside of a PCI riser card that will need to be plugged into the motherboard (similar to the Node 202).Dust-Free – Where ever we see an intake vent, we see a dust filter. With such a small foot-print, keeping dust out of this PC case is more important than with a mid-tower as dust can add heat. While the dust filters aren’t the easiest to access it’s great to see them included. On the graphics side of things the Sapphire ITX R9 285 idled at 41 degrees and rose to 78 degrees under extreme duress. There is absolutely no cause for concern with those figures.