- my motherboard has the sata connections at a right angle facing the power supply. Can't connect/disconnect the cables without removing power supply using right angled connectors. This blocks 2 of the 4 ports. Not sure who to blame on this one. - Lots of windows to allow air flow in/out.

- Solid construction - Slapped in a GA-Z170N-WIFI MB, no issue with mounting to stand off post as others mentioned - Has room (barely) for ATX power supply - Accommodates a 212 evo cooling tower with two fans; Barely clears the HyperX Predator 2x16gig sticks

- No Speaker, really Cant hear bios beeps to debug issues if they happen to occur; - No accessible switch for Power Supply - No reset switch - Need to remove just about everything from the case to mount MB (rear fan, cross bar that hold HD brackets, front panel, power supply

I am using the case for a NAS/workstation build. In combination with a Syba JBOD SATA card and a couple of 4x SATA power splitters I can fit my entire collection of HDs into the case. That's 6 3.5" drives for a total of 8TB, a 750GB 2.5" and an SSD.

Stylish, Supports 6 3.5" drives; Compact; Good airflow

Noise: the fans can be heard when on full and medium speed, hard disk noise is easily transmitted through the thin sheet metal, No USB 2.0 front panel support anymore, no where does it say the 2.0 adapter has been dropped; No word from NCIX or Fractal support on the issue; Very disappointing

I like the configuration of this case. The PSU in front and the motherboard on the bottom allows for the use of a big cpu cooler if you are willing to give up the drive storage bays. I found all the screws to be screwed in what seems like as tight as possible.

Best case for itx motherboards and hi density systems. Very clever layout. Im running an 6790k, 7 pro rev 2 cooler and 6 - 3TB hhds and havent had any over heating issues with 24/7 running. If you take out 2 of the hhds you can also fit a full length GPU like a 1080.

While a small case should normally cost less than a large one, in practice I find that's rarely the case. Nonetheless I was pretty impressed with what ￡60 got me in the Node 304. The finish on the case is soft (possibly powder-coated

About the size of two shoe boxes, the Node 304 Mini ITX case is great for building a high performance computer using the mITX form factor. The GPU can sit comfortably and the hard drive bays are designed to allow a good amount of airflow through the case from the front to the back.

Spacious design - Removable hard disk bays - Fits a GTX 660 - No sharp edges - ATX PSU supported

- Requires creative cable management

The Fractal Design Node 304 obviously caters a very specific audience. The guys and gals that need something small and sexy for that functions as a simple net-top, HTPC or the coolest looking NAS/file server ever.

Small form factor systems have become increasingly popular over the past year. The main reason for

– Great build quality; – Support for up to 6 hard drives; – Supports normal ATX power supplies; – 3 fans included with fan controller; – Elegant design; – USB 3.0 support

– Motherboard standoffs are quite hard to install correctly; – Modular power supplies will not work with longer graphics cards; – No 5.25inch drive bays

Everything is getting smaller. With today's emphasis on efficiency and mobility, and processors that do even more with much less power consumption, it is a trend that will probably continue.

Actually would make a great quiet-running file server; HTPC or high-end gaming system; Three fans with included fan controller; One of the smallest enclosures that can still fit high-end GPUs; Still keeps those high-end GPUs cool; Intelligent layout; Fits full size ATX PSUs; Simple; clean and...

Have to cherry-pick a PSU if building a high-end gaming rig; Must choose between full-length GPU and six HDDs; Cable management always a struggle; Odd shape for an HTPC (Hard to place with other home theater components

Fractal Design expands their line of cases with the NODE family aiming to provide unique enclosures to storage and HTPC enthusiasts. We take the little one - the NODE 304 - for a spin to see what scenario it is best suited for.