Fractal Design Core 500 - Updated Node 304?

[@Jayztwocents]

Hey guys. Some AIOs fit, and some dont and it has to do with the tubing. The thicker, more rigid tubing like found on the H100i and the Predator make it a very tight fit. The H105 that Dimitry used has much thinner and more flexible tubing. So keep that in mind when purchasing.

[@erkkiboy]

+JayzTwoCents wouldnt a 120 AIO still be a good fit a PDX build?my enermax 120 runs my desktop with i5-4690K at 4,9Ghz stable(pushpull config though) so im not really sure why you would need to have a larger rad there?

[@verlicht]

+JayzTwoCents Will you please review a non-gaming ITX rig? A very small case without a GPU, but that fits something like a 6700K in a very small chasis.

[@sparkhelix]

+JayzTwoCents Thanks for this Jay! I've been really curious to see how this case would hold up under the due diligence of a good reviewer.

[@Senzorei]

+JayzTwoCents Saw that i7 box uptop... i7 6700K review confirmed?

[@BrenskiIP]

+JayzTwoCents You may have better luck with one of these cases. www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-009-RT&groupid=2362&catid=2850 And yes I know that you cant put a 240mm radiator in there but it is still smaller that the core 500 and you can try a 120mm liquid cooler in there. however I think it would work nicely for what you want.

[@Bitwit]

That shirt looks awful. Who would make such a hideous thing.

[@hjuns]

eww yea, I wonder who made it? :DD

[@PaulPaulsen]

+Awesomesauce Network this is a product of some random techtuber-impersonating youtube-kid

[@deakindarbz8602]

+Awesomesauce Network Some idiot called Kyle. He makes the worst videos I've ever seen in my life.

[@CorvusxRex]

+Awesomesauce Network I wonder what kind of jackass would put on a shirt with a pc case on it ;P

[@hjuns]

Deakin Darbz but wait, we are forgetting about Linus aren't we? :P

[@ZachsTechTurf]

Awesome vid Jay!

[@ooh-ahh]

This is no replacement, let alone an upgrade to the Node 304 at all. The latter accommodates six 3.5" HDDs with ease, and the airflow in it is designed just perfect to cool them. That's what's special about it and what it's made for, and where the Core 500 completely "fails" to deliver ... of course it doesn't fail, as that is not the purpose of this case; hence the different product family name, obviously.

[@furoluro]

So, who else appreciates Jay's grey? It's just something that I appreciate when someone rocks the change. It also adds to the whole 'wise' thing, since, you know, I come here to hear what he has to say, him looking the part more in my opinion only adds to that. I mean, we can't change his sense of humor, but no one's perfect.

[@micThurrr]

my node 304 has 6 3.5 inch drives and the 2 90mm fans and 120mm exhaust fan keep them chilly, only a couple C over ambient. i think the node 304 layout is really great for a NAS, this case more for a gaming pc.

[@Grumpy_Wolf]

I have the white fractal 304 and I live it, only downside opposed to this one is the lack of ability to use a larger radiator. I have to use 2 x 120mm fans with the radiator sandwiched in the middle pushing the hot air out.

[@EposVox]

At some point I still want to build a good small PC in a case like this.

[@TrueMegaManiac]

If you do a custom loop I have no doubt that it would work.That said, could you watercool both the Cpu and Gpu if you use separate 120's for each or possibly incorporate both blocks together in one loop? That'd be cool(both figuratively and literally) if you could. Edit: Oh and if it could be installed, would an SFX power supply be a viable space-saver?

[@DeilGrist]

Jay, you should probably use the Node 202 as your travel case. It's so tiny and you could probably put your monitor on it too to save table/leg space.

[@realzyxtomatic]

I see on the Predator you tried with the fans above the radiator. What about having the fans on the bottom, instead? That would move the radiator up an inch, and that might give you a bit more room for the tubing.

[@MrRyanfisher]

Did you try mounting the radiator to the bracket and the fans on the inside? Also the Corsair H105 has extremely flexible tubing, more so than the Predator and the H100.

[@1FrankJaeger1]

I would love to see a video where you cut down the tubing on the EK Predator so that it fits in there because A: I'm intrigued as to how you prevent air from being in the loop B: I think that would be a cool video in general that showcases how awesome the Predator is for this even being feasible and C: a 240mm water cooling loop in an ITX case like that is so fricking awesome! WHO WOULDN'T WANT THAT?!

[@SciPunk215]

How about a 120mm rad on the top? Something like the Cooler Master Seidon 120V or Corsair H60 on top ??? Also, not sure why people consider top fans for intake... hot air rises. Shouldn't you exhaust out the top??

[@MikeysPsyche]

I think a 120 radiator might be able to fit in the front area above the psu, with the fittings towards the back, but it would depend on if the psu would still be in the way. That way, you could probably populate the other 2 fan spots.

[@ДмитрийГрантовский]

Really like all those "minipc" microatx builds and was considering Core 500 for my refreshed build - and now I'm not, thanks to +JayzTwoCents (in a very positive way). Hope to see more of mini-but-still-full-powered-pcs in the future.

[@djryan87]

Nice to see they kinda evolved the Node 304 in some ways (more space efficient in some ways, like the 2,5/3,5'' mounts), but both cases will still have their own target group. If I take myself as example (Node 304 owner), when I was looking for an itx case for LAN's, I didn't need a 5,25'' slot, it needed to house a full size GPU, PSU, a 12mm AIO I already had laying around (H80) and I only was going to use one SSD, so restriction was no problem. I just removed the drive brackets and put some Noctua fans inside (you can't see them because of the front panel, so yay), but the airflow will still be somewhat restricted due to the filtered intake, but it works for me.. So no need for me to 'upgrade'. If a 240 AIO doesn't fit, I think it will be a bit disappointing for some of the potential buyers. I think you kinda need to decide if you want a basic gaming itx pc (so just air cooled, for example i5-4460/ i5 6500, gtx 960) or if you want high end parts and overclock, and thus benefit from the extra airflow inside the Core 500. In that case you can put the money you save into other parts. Keep in mind, the Core 500 is a 19.5 liter case (same as the Node 304 if I remember correctly), the Corsair 250D is like 28 liters..

[@zenomunang]

+djryan87 Hardware Canucks did a review of the Core 500 which is currently still only on their Vessel channel, but they managed to install a H100i onto a mini ITX board in the Core 500 with no problems and the tubing was above the motherboard as well. I think Jay should have just used a bit more force when installing the Corsair AIO and I remember Fractal showcasing the Core 500 at CES this year with their own 240mm AIO.

[@djryan87]

+The Lord of Moisture Ah, thanks for telling! That's a big plus for those who are interested in the Core 500. I hope to see Dimitri's review soon.

[@zenomunang]

+The Lord of Moisture EDIT: It looks like Hardware Canucks managed to fit a H105 and not a H100i in the Core 500. My bad, but the Core 500 can still fit certain 240mm AIO coolers.

[@mynameisjeff9174]

Doing my first custom loop in the node804. Love that chassis

[@Agallx]

The grills on the front are for the hdd and/or the big hole you cut into it to mount a radiator there

[@Midland1072Productions]

ITX Travel case you say? Corsair 380T may be the answer, though it is up there in price as far as ITX cases go.

I'm only interested in Fractal products that come in white. I don't do the boring all black anymore.

[@t.7527]

ok

[@wazzap500]

agree. black is so overrated.

[@ccricers]

+Ryan R Except for a modded Dell case I never had a black case. Most of them look dull. I like white, silver or some other color like blue.

[@Jonadam23ify]

The Thermaltake Core V1 is a pretty good ITX chassis. I think any of the dual chamber ITX cases (Core V1, 250D, etc) are more practical then a design like the Core 500. There is just too much of a restriction on the power supply.

[@dreded7961]

great video, feel like you pushed the replacement for node 304 a bit much... the node 304 is not meant to be a desktop computer it is meant to be a NAS(freenas/unraid) setup. In no way does this replace the Node 304 for a small NAS. I have 9 drives in my node 304 that all run around 36 degrees with stock fans... 6x 3.5" 2x 2.5"(mounted to the outside edges of the drive cage opposite a 3.5") and 1x MiniPCI-E I think Fractal realized a lot of people where using the Node 304 for a desktop so they made a desktop case that is simialar(btw this totally looks like a shuttle case from the mid 2000's)

[@Jacob-F45]

I was thinking the exact same thing! The Node 304 is designed for server/NAS use, hence the 3 hard drive mounting brackets directly in front of the intake. It would be nice to see a refresh of the 304, but designed towards server/NAS use.

[@whitepawrolls]

@@Jacob-F45 I don't know about refresh, but they did update the drive cages for the new drive mounting on 6tb+ drives that don't have the center holes.

[@joshsmith8612]

What about the Corsair 380T? Might fit your needs perfectly, even has a handle.

[@dominicsalazar2942]

do a build with it. want to see how much you can fit. i am looking to do a small factor build soon and am looking at cases.

[@TheAfterPein]

Corsair 380T, Jay? Nice ITX case with decent space, carry handle, and similar, but smaller dimensions than the Caselabs X2M like you mentioned.

[@snekiege9796]

you could put a 120mm radiator in the back for the cpu and a 120mm rad in the front for a all in one water cooled graphics card. :)

[@PhilipClouds]

If you want a traveling mitx case, isn't water cooling a problem? I mean it's heavier right?

[@giggyolly]

I wouldn't mind doing an ITX build for a secondary system, but for my primary it needs to be a full sized beast!

[@BritishTeaLover]

Jay, have you had a look at the Xigmatex Aquila? It's an interesting (not-so-little-for-mATX) case design and I'm curious what you would make of it, given that it has some nice features like the horizontal mobo and chamber design giving you a fair bit of room to work in.

[@TheRewt8100]

Wait, why couldn't you do a 120 AIO in the front slot, and do regular 120 fans in the back slot and rear?

[@TCWordz]

Does a 120mm fan up front at the top block the use of an optical drive?

[@vroom0voom]

Please check out the Cougar QBX and possibly a build

[@Killershark217]

in my opinion a 120 aio exhausting at the top and something like a 120 evga 980 ti hybrid rad exhausting at the top as well plus a 120 intake on the back will be perfect

[@andreipardos]

I would love to see a gaming rig using a Cougar QBX Kaze case. It seems a fairly small and capable.

[@keyboardgamer44]

The Phanteks Enthoo evolv itx is the itx case i just used for a build.Easy to work on and water cooling friendly.

[@madshansen2082]

I was thinking about this case for my first build, but is mini ITX a lot harder than to build than ATX? Also how much hotter would this run than Define R5 with 3 fans in each?

[@ezforsaken]

You should take a look at the Silvertone Sugo SG14 (mesh front version) if you are looking for a compact case for LANs.

[@TommyThousandFaces]

Why not use a 140mm cooler in the front slot of the barcket, a 140mm fan blowing on the motherboard next to it (to cool VRMs and stuff on the board) and a 120mm fan as exhaust? Is this combination not enough overkill for a case that small? XD Another option may be the Swiftech 220X (if I remember correctly) but I don't think it will fit because it has a bigger pump/resevoir on one side.

[@whitepawrolls]

Usually love JTC's videos, but I'd have to disagree with this one. Trying to say the core 500 is an upgrade for the node 304 would be bad as both cases are designed for different things. The node 304 is a micro server case where the core 500 is a "gaming/media" case. The node 304 is still sold today (I just ordered one) and was even updated for the new drive mounting they do with the 6tb+ drives where they get rid of the center holes like on the seagate enterprise drives I use.

[@JCinLapel]

A case you might find interesting is the one i just got an APEVIA X-Qber it is a little bigger then this but it has twin clear side panels and can fold down into a test bench. Mine has an 5820k with an 120 AIO in the back. I think with a little modding you can get a full 240 and a fill soft water loop. Everone tat has seen the case loves it

[@gime114]

It's 12pm. I got school tomorrow that I finish at 4:30pm (don't worry it's just Tuesdays day I am not getting tortured), but Jay uploaded a video so why not watch it?

[@ArendtMusic]

can you fit a 970 strix in there?

[@ZachNovak]

i feel like i should make my own itx case... i have no idea how they cant accommodate the perfect case yet with all the limitations required to make it awesome... should have a 120mm front intake too. props for trying to fit components into the case, nothing worse than a case review without components put in.

[@crumbman]

Currently i'm building a Mini-ITX system inside of a Chieftec FI-01W-U3, but this PC is not for gaming. My question about the Core 500 is simple: Can you install a R9 Fury X with the radiator at the back of this case?

[@rikkiboodram2911]

Never tried Fractical design for computer cases. Actually I never heard of that brand before. Ill look into that brand for future builds.

[@jastnorn]

DIYPC HTPC-Cube-BK Black USB3.0 Aluminum/Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer case I managed a 120 aio, Asus r7 260x and full sized psu in this case and the thing is tiny and comes apart almost completely with just screws. no rivets.

[@valursvalur1]

Jay do a custom loop with one 55mm Sr2 Rad from Hardwrelabs. 100mm DDCpump combo kit+ res and hardline it up. Pleanty of room

[@m2kkillshot]

hey jay what about putting an 120mm aio water cooling cpu kit on the back wall and then put an amd r9 Fury with its water cooler above the power supply thus eliminating the need for additional air flow to cool the system.

[@Cyph3rHaxPalm]

Try Cooler Master Elite 130 ITX with AiO Water Coller with Eneramax Liqtech 120x or something to that sense and it comes with an optical drive too and its smaller then the core 500!

[@vortextubes]

I have a corsair H80i v2. Will it fit in this case? If it does, which do you think is better in terms of placement? The top front, the top back, or the rear? Appreciate the input

[@crazycanadian7223]

I'll bet if you used one of those rads with the built-in reservoir and pump (can't remember what those were called or what company makes them) you could squeeze a custom loop in there with appropriate tube length.

[@Jayztwocents]

+Crazy Canadian Thats how the Predator is. Im thinking of just shortening the tubes.

[@crazycanadian7223]

+JayzTwoCents That was my first thought, too, but does the Predator even have fillports? Because if not it'll probably be really annoying to refill it.

[@thatguyb3rt]

+JayzTwoCents Could make a cool video opportunity, Was looking at buying a Predator for my Fractal design Define r4 but would like the custom tube length. I don't like messy tubing and am not quite ready to build a custom loop so it would be nice to see you do it firsthand before I try it.

[@Jayztwocents]

+Crazy Canadian Yep, it has a fill port as well as a bleed port for the pump

[@doreenz4872]

Nice video, I was really fond of the window shades in the background!

[@dreamkiss4u]

you could fit water cooling but not those pre build type just do a custom build they are not even hard to do you can buy the kits online for like 40-80 bucks, the reason that one does not fit is because they give you way to much hose lines in those but custom made you fit it how ever you want with cool attachments. to swivel hoses and everything.

[@TheSpeedo666]

Just a random thought that popped into my head when you said the case was too small for water cooling, do you think it would be in anyway possible to water cool a smartphone? There was a company called NEC that did it in 2013, using something called a head pipe system, but I want to know if it would be possible to do it by yourself, rather than waiting for an OEM to do it. Also on a side note, for the all-in-one cooler not fitting in the case, what if you cut of the vent portion at the top of the case and mount the radiator to the other side of the bracket, that way the radiator is basically sitting on top of the case.

[@txgamer1347]

You should put a Xeon E5 2699 v3 and Titan X in it lol

[@txgamer1347]

+Stattikk Yeah i guess there's that as well

[@ollie786]

Unsolicited suicide advice intensifies

[@HilbertXVI]

+Stattikk or you could go fuck yourself lol

[@blah31477]

+Gautam Mahesh no u

[@HilbertXVI]

Stattikk It was a joke XD

[@tr233]

Hey Jay ! I want to express my gratitude ! The fractal 500 case is absolute beauty and i mean it!! It so good each day i have great time i use and AMD CPU in itx form and a lot of fans , like 3 addional coolers and one on cpu. For me it was good choice to switch from 6 year old laptop to this case with amd cpu and i use onboard vide gfx it is great feels goood...... Here is my setup for people who want to know what can you put in this case: Memory Summary Maximum Capacity 8192 MBytes Number Vulcan-2133 Capacity 4096 MBytes Speed 2132 MHz Data Width 64 bits Total Width 64 bits Amount:2 ram stick cpu: Number of Logical Processors 4 Number of Physical Processors 4 CPU #1 AMD Processor CPU Name AMD A8-7650K Radeon R7, 10 Compute Cores 4C+6G CPU Code Name Bulldozer Vendor AuthenticAMD Number of Bits 64 Speed 3793.1 MHz Manufacturer motherboard ASRock Model A68M-ITX R2.0 North Bridge AMD ID1422 Revision 00 South Bridge AMD ID780E Revision 00 And this is all what i want to share, it works great!

[@sirnicko1]

You should do a video on the Raijintek Metis. Fairly sure that can have an AIO cooler in the back. but as a 120 not anything bigger

[@Joe-wk9ow]

jay just make your own aio water cooler. you can use the Swiftech apogee Drive 2 with the intergraded pump and have a rad with an intergraded res Swiftech-mcr220 quiet power res series. and then you can call your mini itx computer skunkworks jr. :) just make sure to fill the loop outside of the case. ;)

[@bryandiel6773]

Jay, this case supports rads less than 100 mm in depth...This case aldo supports 170mm tall heat sink, so air cooled may be way 2 go.

[@goldslayer1]

How about a Corsair 380T? its Mini-ITX and portable. You can fit a 240 AIO on the side and a 120 rad at the front (On the inside) so you could theoretically put a Fury X on there. But so far I haven't really seen anyone with such build. That's actually a build I've been thinking about. High end CPU (ie. M-ITX X99 & i7 5820k) with an AIO and a water cooled GPU, Either by AIO like the fury X or Custom 120mm loop.

[@jaynj908]

I installed a 240 rad in there. It was tight but you can do it

[@ohduck]

a review of NCASE M1 would be nice, though I don't think it can fit predator 240, due to predator being extra thicker than other 240 AIOs.

[@patrickcheh5563]

Jay you should do a review on the node 202. think it's one of the nicest looking console size cases.

[@gorangecin7447]

Maybe take a look at NCASE M1, expensive as the caselabs X2M, but much smaller.

[@alexandsimba]

Corsair 250d or 380t. There is also the noise 202.

[@corkicorki1]

Hey man, I put NZXT Kraken x41, which is 140mm cooling system on back side and it's enough room/space for it ;)

[@keymind117]

Would you recommend this case, or a Corsair Air 240?

[@Vudoo_]

Have seen the Phanteks Enthoo evolv itx? I think it's a worthy case imo

[@Artamos1020]

Jay repping Kyle's shirt

[@jthompson2214]

Hey Jay, awesome review. This looks like a very good improvement over the Node 304. Just wanted to let you know that Dmitry (Hardware Canucks) was able to fit a Corsair 105 AIO cooler in the Code 500. I'm assuming that the Predator hoses are thicker and longer and therefore less flexible than the ones corsair uses.

[@cakelesscoder9562]

It isn't itx, but the thermaltake core v21 is a nice matx cube-ish case that is super flexible and honestly looks nice for its low price IMO. also, watercooling in it should be a breeze (I have a h75 on one of the front 120mm's, the tubing actually runs great with no kinks or weird bends) as there would be no problem fitting a decent sized res, 3 or 4 240mm rads (one of them could easily be 280). anyway I have loved mine, and for a budget case it is great anyway.

[@svampae]

For me it works perfect with a h100i, i just made the tubing like a swirl.

[@n3Amaterasu]

what about custom watercooling on the core 500 ?

[@chriskeach1908]

Would a noctua (NH-D14 maybe?) fit in Jay? and what length GPU will fit in the case? Titan X capable? Good review :)

[@Gohrek]

I'd just put a low profile Noctua cooler for the CPU and put 2 fans on top. I think it's more than enough for a moderate OC for everyday use, plus there's no fear of any potential leakage.

[@laughingcheeze8566]

Is Fractal no longer producing the 304? I could only find it on newegg and just received it yesterday. It is a gorgeous case but I am having some issues with it. =\

[@TheNannerBeans]

Ncase M1 is the only mitx case I would build in.

[@EllioxTV]

Hey Jay Where did you get that shirt?

[@martinducre1821]

What about the corsair 250d for a itx build?

[@neosabre]

Jay, I have three recommendations for a PDX itx build. I've used all three. One is the Corsair Graphite Series™ 380T Portable Mini ITX Case. It has a handle (if you like that sort'a thing). Its kinda like the PokeBall of ITX cases. :-P This fits a 240mm radiator. Second is the Corsair Obsidian Series® 250D Mini ITX PC Case. A little easier to work with and it has a more traditional brushed aluminum boxy look. I like how it looks more refined and "pretty" than the 380T. Fits a 240mm radiator. And if you don't mind the bump up in size, Corsair has the Carbide Series® Air 240 High Airflow MicroATX and Mini-ITX PC CaseIt can fit a Micro-ATX board too. But that may be a bit too large for what you are looking for. But this fits two 240mm radiators when using Mini ITX boards and one 240mm when using a Micro-ATX board. I have both the Obsidian 250D and the Carbide 240 if you want to do a review on one of them. I'm not using them for anything and I don't mind parting with them if you can give them a good home. I have too much junk here and its more likely to end up in the storage (or worst case scenario - the trash) if I can't find a use for them soon.

[@Slay1337pl]

Great airflow, no front intake. Keep it up everyone, we need airflow separation! Side intake for the GPU. rear intake for the CPU and a top exhaust.

[@Joe-Vitale]

I love my define Rs but their customer support is absolutely awful. my case was missing or is missing a front intake fan and I sent them an email not asking for a free fan but asking what model the fan was so I could just buy one. I have not heard from them and this is like over a month later.

[@kamonyoud]

Dynamic series GP-12 IIRC

[@gmatta1112]

I just bought the phanteks enthoo evolve itx. Maybe that is worth looking at, I have no idea because I haven't seen any reviews for it, but I think it might be worth looking at? But you're the big KZbin star, so you tell us haha.

[@gmatta1112]

+GM 1193 I didn't realize that it was so large. I am more of a "phan" (hehe) of smaller cases, but this would be really good for watercooling, at least I think so. Maybe a possible build just to showcase the water cooling features.

[@jasondads9509]

I got the node 304, scratched the frame so much trying to get that case cover on and off.

[@Leviathan3DPrinting]

my favorite itx case as of yet in my ncase M1 V4 because it's tiny and fits a full 240mm aio cooler or possibly idk because I don't own one a 120mm aio cooler and a fury x which would just be extremely cool

[@DachoL777]

I wish it had magnetic dust filters all around. Great review

[@jorkirasalas2726]

Can you tell me what PC psu intakes underneath & exhausts sideways? I can’t find any!

[@MitchDenham]

I have a Node 304, however it's not big enough to fit the thickness of my MSI R9 390, was hoping this would be a couple millimetres wider than my Node 304... Sadly, it's not. So I'll keep looking for another ITX case.

[@ZAGAN-OZ]

What about 120mm AIO for CPU and Fury X?

[@sime3250]

Prositive or neutral airflow ?

[@billychan6999]

I was going to get the gtx 950 but there's no "blower" style 950. Should i upgrade to a "blower" gtx 960 just for the better airflow???

[@Buttsubushi_OCE]

Hey Jay could you fit a 140mm all-in-one in the top like the Kraken X41? Either above cpu(with no rear exhuast) or above the psu(with fittings facing towards the MB side).

[@pumpuppthevolume]

What if u make a huge hole on the top an mount it on the outside....I hate that all itx cases r always designed to mount stuff only on the inside

[@iadhaid1230]

How thick radiator can you put in this thing?

[@ethanroslinq]

hope you will find that specific case since i'm looking for that one also...

[@AdamH1029]

I have an EVGA SC Cooler (non-blower) on my GTX 780 and I want to build a small form factor PC in a case like the Core 500. The R4 I have at the moment is a fantastic case but being a student, it takes up so much damn space and since I have to move twice a year in and out of Uni, it's a pain to transport that often. Should I buy a reference cooler for my card? I believe the reference water blocks fit on this card too, so the reference cooler itself must fit if I can find a used one. Thanks :D

[@DeangusMcFife]

looking forward to see some sort of build for the case

[@hjuns]

do u think a fury x would fit somewhere?

[@reijer8167]

What gamer grade graphics card would you put in there? I think the most people have the money for a 970/390. But are the blower style versions not too loud? People who want a AMD card could not put in there..