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

Product Information

My BitFenix Prodigy was build as a NAS right away so I could build Node 202 the way I want, but unfortunately my GPU has died and I have to wait for a refund to get another one. A separated chamber for the graphics card is well reflected in CPU- or GPU-bound tests: The less-used component stays pretty cool.

The rear of the Node 202 is interesting, as we cannot see a place for the PSU but only a receptacle, hinting that Fractal Design moved the PSU compartment to the front of the case. Thermalright is the best option IMHO if you only want to keep it really cool, but you have to remove that dust filter.

One of the mobo temps seemed higher than everything else, not sure whats up with that, but the HD temp seemed fine throughout.

Intake fan: Noctua NF-S12b redux PWM with Noctua NA-SYC1 accessory to connect it to CPU fan connector. PCPartPicker may receive compensation for purchases made at participating retailers linked on this site. At one point I had a Ryzen 5 1600x in here and still managed to keep it at a relatively safe temperature. GPU support is only for 2 expansions slot but up to 310mm long and 50mm thick even 70mm if you dont want to add fans.

At first sight, the Node 202 appears to be just another slim HTPC case that forbids the use of full size expansion cards, a design that effectively negates the installation of any high performance video card, making it useless to gamers.

But you seemed to have made me get a blower style GPU for this case, as nothing else will probably run cold in this case.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. Performance AnalysisThe first thing to note is that the vertical orientation benefits both the CPU and GPU more than the horizontal one, which is to be expected. Standard 25 mm thick fans would press right up against the GPU fans, and this fan stacking would create horrendous noise.

Edit 2: I ended up not getting the PNY but did snag an EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 XC3 ULTRA GAMING card which is a bit over 2 slots wide. Will have to place some thin rubber around the cooler so it wouldn't make any vibration noise during high rpm's.Perfect balance of temps/perfrormance/noise, if I was to make a new build in this case without modding I'd stick to this method amd have saved myself a lot of messing around. The Node 202 is different, perhaps best described as Fractal’s version of a console-sized PC gaming case. HDD mount, provided your GPU is less than 200mm, which ITX versions of the GTX 970 and the R9 Nano both are. Fractal Design offers its new Mini-ITX Node 202 either as a bare case or paired with its Integra SFX 450W PSU.