Best PC Cube Case? Fractal Design Node 804 Review

Pricing:
NCIX (CANADA): www.ncix.com/de...
NCIX (US): www.ncixus.com/...
Since its first tease at Cebit 2014, the Node 804 has been generating hype about being the next cube case to get and Fractal Design have put a lot of thought for clever layout integration to make this one of the best dual chamber chassis on the market.
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[@kingsley.chimezie]

I've been looking for a case with a lot of drive slots for my server. 9 years later, this video is still top quality, definitely ahead of it's time.

[@Cameron88799]

Thanks for the shots with the tape measure. Sealed the deal for me, as I can now confirm I can fit what I want to in it. CrossFireX 7970's, 2 240x60mm and 1 120x30mm rads coming up!

[@HardwareCanucks]

Cameron Dean Sweet build!

[@brechanfraser5797]

Don't know if you noticed Dmitry; on the front (slim loading) optical drive cutout, there is no external eject button for accessing the drive, so this function is only available through the O/S. No problem if you're not using the drive, but would have been nice for you to point this feature (or lack thereof) out. Informative just the same. Now; if Fractal Design could design one for ATX motherboards, might be suitable for my brother's HTPC.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Thanks for pointing that out! something i didnt think about :))

[@1trueJ]

Node 605. Looks great, supports ATX.

[@SirBunghole]

Would have been better to have the DVD and I/O on the left hand side next to the window as well. That is side facing the user.

[@bigbuckoramma]

This chassis would be perfect if it had three things changed... 1: Mount the motherboard upside down on the opposite side, and give some extended length card support options. Similar to the TJ08e. 2: Adjust the drive mounting options for horizontal storage. I know they are going for better cooling with the vertical orientation, but as pointed out, its not convenient for cable or drive management. 3: Put in quality rubber grommets between the two halves. Not only does it look better, and give the cable management a cleaner look, but it gives better static pressure performance between the two halves. I know Fractal loves customer feedback, so hopefully they can take some of these criticisms to heart, and produce a real unique, and world beating product.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Great feedback! I do also hope they modify the storage brackets and add in rubber grommets!

[@dolex161]

This chassis would be perfect if i had money!

[@post_24.]

4: The USB ports on the Top. Never! Never! on the left or right side or bottom.

[@aristotle870]

I really love the way you review computer cases, showing all the features and not shying away from pointing out the flaws! As far as if I"m going to get this, I'm really intrigued of the idea of building inside of it, definitely going to consider this!

[@williamfinucane]

no ssd support? double sided tape allows for ssd support on anything

[@DylanCyr]

There are 2 SSD mounts behind the front panel

[@williamfinucane]

*****​ I just picked this case up after I watched the review and saw them. after I taped my ssd to the inside of course

[@stanislovegun3239]

Willie Finucane and 2 SSD mounts motherboard compartment. total 4 ssd

[@KingdomOfCreation]

How would you feel if you were taped to the side of the car as your mum drives you to church? aye

[@uonadtehrrocks]

Willie Finucane its not that the case has no SSD support but that the drive cages will fit 8 HDD's but 0 ssd's

[@ethannewhouse7541]

10 x 3.5" HDD support? I'm thinking NAS.

[@EpicAwesomeWin87]

A bit late, but yes, I'm getting one from christmas sales, thinking 12TB drives since they aren't that expensive atm.

[@homeaudiobasics]

i really like fractals cases. i am in the planning stages of a gaming pc build that is compact but looks like it belongs in an adults living room not a 14yr olds corner of the basement. the clean look of this case makes it a top contender for me.

[@demondpenalver]

Being the proud owner of a NODE 304, I really love this case! Definitely would been a great feature for easier hdd drive swapping instead of have to remove the cage every time you need to add a hard drive. More SSD support would have also been a plus, but otherwise I would definitely buy this case in a heartbeat! Great review!

[@jondanielmehtonen729]

Great review Dimitri, just love the amount of information youre able to fit in a 7 minute video, might pick this up for my next build. Btw, whats the background music?

[@pr0jectSkyneT]

Been waiting for this case for a FreeNAS build!

[@michgingras]

talk about waiting for nothing lol

[@voscra]

I came here because I saw NCIX upload a video on this and that must mean there is a High Quality video of this case over on Hardware Canucks! I was right!

[@dragonld123]

Which optical/bluray drive can fit this load slot? I want to make my old i7 a multimedia cube pc but I cant find many choices for cases. This has an optical drive option but has the load slot instead of normal optical drives slot that the drive move inside/outside.

[@Jesskellya]

Really good work on this video - I can tell a lot of time has been put into it when you showed that water-cooling setup. I think I'll be picking this up to throw under my TV stand.

[@ScreenHorror]

Can an H100i fit in this cube case?

[@hannyah2045]

I am using this case for my current build. I managed to fit two r9 290x with watercooling. The airflow is great! I think I will keep this case for a good while. The only case that I have tested that matches this one is the nanoxia ds4. It's cheaper as well, but it doesn't have that sexy window.

[@commentator3513]

damn, sli AND watercooling? basass 11/10 would totally applaud again

[@matthewtansil3463]

Is it quiet??? pls reply. I plan on getting this case.

[@StylinRed]

wow, this 804 really took a step up from my 605 case, it cut the size down and increased the hdd capacity! wow! I've been extremely impressed with Fractals customer service, which is a major necessity as the 605 as wrought with QC issues, i hope they've rectified those issues too with the 804! as I think this will be my new case

[@KelosF]

I've had this case for over a year & it's awesome. Love it!

[@matthewtansil3463]

Is it Quiet??? I plan on getting this case.

[@deeraz]

I'm so itching to build a new system, but for myself it's at least a year away. Anyway, I do always keep an eye for new cases and this one looks great (somehow missed this review originally, just watched it now). I love the fact that it can accommodate large power supplies, though lack of SSD mounting options is a bit of bummer. I keep looking for mid-tower cases that would allow me to build the full-tower system that I want, and funny enough it looks like this compact cube case actually comes closest to being able to do that.

[@melack857]

Is there an eject button for the optical drive?

[@ahoymateeez]

I still think that for HDD mounts, tool-less plastic brackets suck :), a well secured hdd on those good rubber grommets that fractal offers is the way to go. IMO it's pretty neat case.

[@Mauricio6302]

Can you post the link of that amazing Watercooled system? Also i'll like to mention that your videos are awesome. The details, the image quality and your professionalism is remarkable.

[@keilis3698]

Is this case easy enough to work in? For example i am a first timer [yes a n00b :(] and i was wondering is this alright for my first build because i need something that i can game in well enough and still fit on my desk because i have limited space. thanks :D

[@failwheeldrive]

I'm totally going to do a client build in this case the first chance I get. I can see it now: lga2011-3, 880 sli, dual 240 mm rads, EK blocks and acrylic tubing with BP fittings. Best lan rig ever.

[@benny332]

Looks amazing, if I ever go micro atx this will be the case for me. But blue pcb's on motherboards are the anti-christ.

[@markcharette6653]

Hi HardwareCanucks! Fantastic review of the case, and just sold me on it! In the water-cooling setup, are you using EVGA HydroCoppers? If not, would those gpu's fit in that case? If you're not sure, can you tell me what the clearance is between the side panel and the motherboard?

[@Liteg0]

I have a Node 304 for my media PC, absolutely love that case! It's not a dual chamber though, and I see they went with a few different solutions. But I'm sure the 804 is a great case.

[@f1racer908]

Fractal Design make great cases, but this case is just fantastic, the amount of attention to detail and innovative design towards perfection is really appreciated by me, and I'm sure most high-end users.

[@brettnanney1932]

Thanks for the well detailed review. I'm highly considering this case for my gaming rig because my mid tower is too big for my desk.

[@greenmachine6672]

I really like it. Black looks awesome, i'm going to get it to build my first mini computer

[@ArthurNagae]

I'm not even interested in getting a new case (just bought one), but I still come over just to see the editing of the video

[@markdavenportjr5129]

Wow! I may grab this for my next build in a few yrs or so.

[@Tribulation88]

It's not "dust proof" as it's not airtight, fully filtered would have been how I'd describe it accurately, even dust resistant is a better description if a little misleading. I plan to grab one of these for my next build, I am done with full tower cases... just because it's big =P

[@mklschwrtz2]

So if I take out one of the harddrive cages so I can mount a radiator vertically in the front, and then use that to watercool my CPU in the other chamber, just to maximize the cooling possibilities in the chamber with the GPU, CPU and such, what cooling am I left with in the other chamber? PSU fan and a rear fan in the chassi?

[@TheMuha200]

I love this case, it has Matx and it's as small as most mini itx cases. It even can hold up to 10 fans, more than the define r4!

[@Datastorm1HT]

I was looking for a small mATX case. Glad they released this. ITX just has too many compromises for me.

[@jigsomyoca5377]

I love how you can display your SSDs in the main chamber.

[@therealcaptainskeen]

Been looking for the right case for a mini-ITX build, I think I've found the right one!

[@dijosoul]

The only reason I can see someone choose the Corsair 540 over this case is ATX support, which this lacks. This is a good attempt by Fractal

[@iGameOvertv]

I will be actually doing a 3D rendering build with this case next week :D Quite excited about that.

[@jass434]

It finally came out :D!! I was waiting for this case for my next build (moving from a eatx to matx) I think it will be awesome because of its watercooling capabilities and relative small size

[@michaelfields8808]

This case looks awesome. I LOVE CUBE CASES. I have the Corsair Air 540 and its awesome. I wonder when someone will make a suitcase/briefcase case.

[@freechurros]

I'm thorn between this case and the new Phanteks enthoo pro. I'm upgrading my build a need a new case to build it around. Which one should I get?

[@SalahudeanTohmeh]

That B Roll makes you wanna live in the case!

[@Thatrollingmaster69]

Awesome review again Dimitri ! Thanks ! I have a question to make though. If you put two 120mm radiators (from the all-in-one coolers of two EVGA 980 Ti Hybrid GPUs) at the top of the main chamber for exhaust, can you fit another two 120mm fans at the front of the main chamber for intake ? The answer would be greatly appreciated :)

[@FirstLast-Sandman]

You will be fine with just the 2 120m fans.

[@MattsPaddock]

Great video guys and a really great case from Fractal, yet again! :) Can't wait to try it out myself!

[@Freeman935]

Hey guys! I used the BitFenix Phenom just for a few months now, and I'm thinking about getting this case. The reason is that with my air cooling even with a tower cpu cooler and the Windforce GTX 780Ti, I get really hot temperatures on all the parts, and also assembly is a pain in the ass! Would you recommend changing to this one, and do you think it would help my cooling down the system? Thanks in advance!

[@3eeple]

Jeez, Dmitry, that production is just the best out there. Seriously, you could show the biggest piece of crap and I would still want to buy it. Hand down

[@HardwareCanucks]

Haha! thanks you :))

[@6reve]

I love this design, like I love the Corsair 540 Air, for example, and this looks to be close to perfect for a mATX build, regardless of you're doing an air-cooled, all-in-one or custom liquid cooling. My only slight gripe would be the lack of a 5 1/4" bay, either full- or half-height. While ODDs are getting less relevant, these are still used for controllers, displays and reservoirs. But that is definitely a minor complaint.

[@robertobasp5767]

Amazing review guys! I'm going to buy one of them but i have a question: is it better this one or the Corsair Carbide Airflow 540? Thank you so much!

[@YahyaM]

Wohooo two case reviews in one day

[@Drunkenvalley]

Would love to hop onto this if I was going to go mATX. Fully watercooled loop in this case seems so simple and excellent.

[@stancartmankenny]

What is the water cooling system shown at 5:00? It looks like an AIO, except it has been routed through what looks like custom sli water blocks?

[@adamenglish1873]

I did my first build in this case. The front panel mounting isn't great because when you pop the front off the wiring is so tight that it often unplugs the drive. Lots of room for fans and great circulation. The three fans that are included run quietly at the low and medium toggle settings, but do make some noise at max.

[@f1tony2003]

Adam English Thanks for that info based on personal experience. Can you give any more pros and cons? Leaning towards this or the Corsair 240 Air.

[@adamenglish1873]

f1tony2003 The node is pretty minimalist - a smooth black box with a window on the side. The Corsair looks a little more flashy! I haven't bought an optical drive but there is a place for it (slim type) just above the front USB ports. I would guess that the corsair might have better airflow as the node's front intake fans pull through a filter that runs the length of the case along the bottom four inches. I think both of these cases are well suited for a CPU watercooler making air flow less of an issue. Water-cooled my CPU rarely gets above 40C. My GPU (R9 280x) runs at 50C - 60C using the stock fans at medium speed. When I did my build one of the two front USB ports was dead. I assumed it was a node hardware fault, and fractal designs sent me a whole new front USB setup up no questions asked. Unfortunately it appears to be a mobo problem, but fractal customer service was great. Good luck!

[@f1tony2003]

Adam English thanks so much!

[@DieselCat18]

How well would this work as a HTPC build ? Great reviews !

[@ProCoComputerRepairs]

I need a 5D, the quality is superb. Great video!

[@TEDdeMedici]

Really nice case. The CM HAF XB is still my favourite cube case though.

[@PlakRast]

How much space is there for air cooling the CPU in the case? Can a full-size cooler be used?

[@UkzEnglishBullTerrierz]

hello would this support the msi z87m g45 board along with the msi gtx 1070 also whats the room for the height of the gpu thanks

[@JavierLopez-ov2zi]

love this case already used in 3 builds

[@tuuxe]

Great video, helped me make my mind up about this and the air 240. Have now subscribed :)

[@HardwareCanucks]

+Alex Brooks awesome! Welcome to the channel :)

[@taffertime]

which did you end up going with? im between these two as well for my first build.

[@tuuxe]

+taffertime the node is good but there isn't very much room for your hands inside the case and I found the rear hard drive section to become really messy. Would recommend anything from fractal design or phanteks also have their p400s

[@Hahnck750i]

another gripe. the ports and button are at the wrong side of the case... imaging putting the case by the wall so you can see through the side panel window. can't reach them. if you put them on the left side. you can reach the port and button, but you can no longer look at the sidepanel window

[@AllEyesOnGeezy]

How do you mount the drive rack in front of the power supply as shown in this video? I bought a used one off ebay and it didnt come with drive rack railing on top, and only with one drive rack. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[@AllEyesOnGeezy]

I figured out you can line up the drive rack with low profile case screws if anyone else wanted to know. It's a bit tricky but can be done. Good luck routing those drives wires though lol, once they are in there it's a pain to swap out.

[@CallMeRabbitzUSVI]

Yep, Just Found My Next case, Finally Micro-ATX Getting Some Love

[@valterbaessa]

Fractal node 804 or Aerocool DS Cube White Edition Silent Cube ????? which is better :P ?

[@ApexierGS]

omg thank you for the NODE804 vid review was looking forward to it awesome job HardwareCanucks, although all those shots did disorient me a little bit from knowing which part of the case I was looking at I will have to rewatch it to understand more but I love the case but the cage position is iffy. I was really turned off by the NODE304 because of its cage design and looked to CM Elite 110 and 130 and the Corsair 250D

[@nostriluu]

I really doubt most people have this many HDDs so it'd be great to see a case like this which is narrower. Also, comments on noise levels please.

[@billdao9323]

I think this is a better thought on a dual chamber case than corsair's air 540.

[@HerroYuy246]

Man both of these cases are just great! Really hard to make a decision to go small or stay with the feature rich mid and full tower cases!

[@thatduckieYT]

Hey @hardwarecanucks, did you forget to put on the IO shield for the motherboard?

[@Kim2310]

SSD support is not really that much of a problem, since you can just mount them where ever with velcro or double sided tape.

[@danabnormal7987]

Watched a few reviews of this case now, but none have installed a large CPU air cooler, any idea if my Dark Rock Pro 3 will fit ??

[@Oscillutical]

+Dan Abnormal It might fit. Max CPU Cooler height is 160mm and the Dark Rock Pro 3 is 135mm

[@johnhattam2224]

wondering if they could have mounted the psu differently and removed some storage possibilities to make the case narrower

[@bradleymorris6981]

Could you install a slim 120mm fan in the top with the hard drive cage for clearance?

[@proxactual]

they did it! it's a mATX 540!

[@vastila]

Fractal doesn't make 280mm radiators, so I guess that's the S24 in the PSU chamber, Dmitri, right?

[@Priimerra]

Finally! i have got so hyped on that

[@BARBELLS-AND-BUDS]

I was looks at the corsair carbide series, but this looks better imo

[@BazDiamand]

Awesome case looking for my next mATX build :)

[@ColeMarkusen]

Great review in a timely fashion. Well done!

[@cryo2383]

Any news about any possible follow up? Fractal is taking way too much time >8[

[@ashtreylil1]

ive looked at the prodigy m, air 240, and phenom i think i may get this one even though it doesnt come in white i may be able to get it powdercoated

[@QuadraKev]

I picked one up, amazing case!

[@gregerfulgerman7802]

watched this and the air 240 video...went with the air 240 for $69 a couple months ago and couldn't be happier!!!

[@MarioDarnadi]

how you bought 240 not this ?

[@fervidace]

He probably used a wikihow

[@LVA2010]

Next HTPC case right here!

[@SheepInACart]

It seems a nice case interior layout wise, however its really too wide to fit on a desk well, and with such small feet, wide footprint and low height its clearly not meant to go on the floor. This begs the question, where is this case designed for? Sure its smaller than a mid tower, but given there are smaller mATX cases (like the silver stone SG10) or a great many mid towers that have better water cooling and HDD support in that price range it feels like the Node804 doesn't really have too much going for it. Having said that it does still look well sorted and quite flexible, and judging from my define r4 fractal design has great build quality for the money, so if you happen to need a short fat mATX case then jump on it, it'll do well.

[@thebuzz2010]

how is the air flow in this? Does it need extra fans?

[@clgaines2006]

I love this design. I was looking for a micro ATX case to use as a htpc/ gaming PC that had no compromise for the gpu, cooling, and storage; but attractive. Anyone knows when it will hit the US shelves? Or Newegg.

[@CosmicCage]

That case looks badass.

[@fmalone03]

Man looking at this got me hard imagining what the define r5 or arc midi r3 might look like. Hopefully we see something at Computex.

[@Galwaybanana]

looks great i jus built with corsair 540 found it was easy with my 1st build

[@cyanidespaceship3921]

You guys never fail to make astounding videos, as for this case I'll have to pass. I have my eyes set on a NZXT h440 ^_^.

This thing is awesome. Main question is where to put the res and the pump.

Damn it, i just realized that i have to find a new space for it, because the front i/o ports are in the wrong side.

[@EasyPCUK]

Péter Friedrich I don't understand that, they have the window in the left hand side (when looking at it from the front) so they want me to put it on the right side of my desk so I can see all of my components, but then the put the buttons on the right side, so they want me to put the PC on the left of my desk...Not a problem for most people, but some peoples (mine included) desks are up against 2 walls, so we have to choose one side or the other.

My desk is between two walls, almost. The Bitfenix Prodigy had the same problem. My friend solved that easily. He put switches on the 5.25"bay cover.

EasyPCUK little details are important for manufacturers, for Dimitry, but obvious ones for the customer only.

[@nicoufeizi1261]

You had me at slot loading optical cutout

[@HardwareCanucks]

It's a great case for sure!

[@Fahrenheit38]

What thickness is that rad you mount on the mobo side?

[@Adclif]

This case will be part of my next build with a x99 matx build.

[@TommieTF]

I'll just wait for the corsair air 240, looks better in my opinion and is also Matx

[@ayoubchaiguer]

i think this Type of cases is the future of Gaming rigs !

[@IL0vePcxD]

Why aren't the window, USB ports, power button, and audio jacks on the same side? It would be very convenient for someone who wants to see the inside of his computer and easily access USB, power and audio.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Good point! Plus i dont think placement of these connections on the left will interfere with fans so i ALSO would have preferred them to be on the same side as the window.

[@IL0vePcxD]

HardwareCanucks Hope manufactures realize this point one day.

[@CurryMonsterGaming]

is the optical bay slotload or slimline?