Casemaker Fractal Design brought not one but two new designs to this year’s Computex, both built to hold some very compact mini-ITX PCs—and full-length, dual-slot graphics cards.
First up is the Node 202, which looks like a DVR box without any ugly plastic accenting to be found. It’s all sleek black, down to the USB 3 ports on the front. Fractal wanted the case to blend into a living room, but it includes a vertical stand and could sit on a desk as easily as an entertainment center. Fractal plans to offer a version of the case with an included Integra SFX 450W power supply with shortened cables to save space in the case’s tight quarters.
Here’s a full overview of the case specs, along with a shot of the Node 202 from Fractal’s Computex event.
Drive bay capacity: 2 - 2.5” positions
Expansion slots: 2
Motherboard compatibility: Mini ITX
Cooling / Ventilation: 2 - 120mm optional fan positions in Graphics card chamber
Front interface: 2 USB 3.0, Audio in/out, Power button with LED (white)
Power supply compatibility: SFX PSUs up to 130 mm long
CPU cooler compatibility: CPU coolers up to 56 mm in height
Graphics card compatibility: Maximum dimension of graphics card: 310x145x47mm (LxHxD)
Additional information: Can be placed both vertical and horizontal position, 3 dust filters included (for CPU, GPU and PSU)
Colors Available: Black
Case volume: 10.2 litres
Case dimensions (Horizontal) - W x H x D (mm): 377 x 82 x 330
Case dimensions - (Horizontal) with feet/protrusions/screws: 377 x 88 x 332
Case dimensions (Vertical) - with feet/protrusions/ screws: 125 x 385 x 332
Net weight (kg): 3.5
The Node 2 costs $80 (£65), or $140 (£115) with the integrated power supply.
The second case is the Core 500, which bears closer resemblance to a traditional small form-factor computer rectangle. Of the two, it naturally looks like the easier case to build in, with a bit more space to maneuver. It can fit a full-size ATX power supply and a tall 170mm CPU cooler. There’s also ample room for liquid cooling, including space for up to a 280mm radiator at the top of the case, if you remove the ODD bay. Another nice touch: the top and bottom vents are covered by easily removable magnetic filters.
Again, full specs and some photos.
Drive bay capacity: 1 - 5.25” bays (removable), 3 - 3.5” HDD positions, 3 - 2.5” dedicated SSD unit positions
Expansion slots: 2
Motherboard compatibility: Mini ITX
Cooling / Ventilation: 2 - 120mm optional fan positions in Graphics card chamber
Front interface: 2 USB 3.0: Audio in/out, Power button with LED (White), HDD activity LED (White), Reset button
Power supply compatibility: ATX PSUs, up to 170mm in length (non modular PSUs), ATX PSUs, up to 160mm in length (modular PSUs)
CPU cooler compatibility: CPU coolers up to 170mm in height
Graphics card compatibility: Graphics cards up to 310 mm in length
Colors Available: Black
Case volume: 19.5 litres
Case dimensions - W x H x D (mm): 250 x 203 x 367
Case dimensions - with feet/protrusions/screws: 250 x 213 x 380
Net weight (kg): 4.4
Cooling system
Rear: 1 – 120/140 mm fan (included is 1 Fractal Design Silent Series R3 fan, 1000 RPM speed)
Top: 2 - 120/140 mm fan (not included)
Water cooling compatibility: Top – 280, 240, 140 and 120 mm radiators. (Thick- ness limitation of 100 mm for both radiator + fan) (240 and 280 mm radiators require removal of the ODD bay) (280mm radiator can be maximum 325mm in length), Rear – 120 mm radiator (not compatible with the rear 3.5” HDD position)
Dust filters: Magnetic filters on side and top panel, PSU filter
The Core 500 costs $60 (£50). Both cases should be available soon.
