There are several major factors you must consider when selecting a new case for your current system, or selecting a new case for a new build....

Sleek and stylish design; filters on all intakes; support for a full-sized graphics card; support for ATX power supplies; support for tower CPU coolers

Various systems interfere with each other; Cleaning filters requires opening case; No external ODD slot; Power plug can be difficult to connect; Only 3 zip ties in the bag

Its price might seem steep at first, especially when you take into account the bargain-tastic Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced and budget-friendly BitFenix Prodigy. However the Node 304 is better-built than either case and offers significant benefits in some departments too.

The Fractal Design Node 304 Case is tiny, doesn't have a 5.25" drive, but up to six 2.5" or 3.5" drives can be installed. This is a simple, elegant SFF case that would be perfect for a server or if you require a compact mini-ITX/DTX solution with lots of storage.

I used it for a mini server build. Excellent Case.

One area that has seen substantial growth over the past 18 months is the mini-ITX case market. The realisation that these mini-motherboards can be the basis for some pretty powerful PCs has started to dawn on people, not least the chassis manufacturers.

KitGuru says: A good first attempt at an ITX case from Fractal Design but it needs some tweaking before we would recommend it hands down.

Attractive design; Well built; Quiet running

Limited choice of compatible power supplies; Expensive

Perfect case for my FreeNAS build. Fits 6 HDDs With smaller a PSU like EVGA G3 you can fit a full-size graphics card if needed (something I may add one day if expanding media side of things).

One area that has seen substantial growth over the past 18 months is the mini-ITX case market. The realisation that these mini-motherboards can be the basis for some pretty powerful PCs has started to dawn on people, not least the chassis manufacturers.

December 10, 2013 by Lawrence Lee Product Fractal Design Node 304 Mini-ITX Case Manufacturer Fractal Design Street Price US$90 Though the mini-ITX form factor has been around for over a decade and become significantly more popular over the past few years, there is no defined case specification like...

If you're building a new PC and are aiming for the mITX form-factor, chances are good that you'll be placing this PC out in the open, for everyone to see. That being the case (no pun, of course), you no doubt want it to look good, and be reasonably easy to install in.