Fractal Design Node 605 Case Review

1. Introduction2. Fractal Design Node 605: Packaging and Bundle3. Fractal Design Node 605: Exterior4. Fractal Design Node 605: Interior and Installation5. Testing Methodology and Performance6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

Today we are going to look at the Node 605 from Fractal Design which is designed to be used primarily for home theatre PC builds. It is part of the same range as the Node 304 that we looked at recently which we found to be a very competent product. We did feel that it was slightly over-priced when compared to the competition, though, so we are hoping that the Node 605 will offer superior value for money.

Fractal Design are a fairly new player in the PC chassis market as they have only been established for a few years. They have been steadily expanding their range since their genesis however, catering for the specific needs of different users.

Considering Fractal's rich history of producing quiet cases, it seems quite surprising that they have waited until now to launch a series of cases for those looking to build home theatre PCs. When compared to the Node 304 which we reviewed recently, the 605 has a number of advantages.

It's larger size means that it's able to support Micro-ATX motherboards in addition to Mini-ITX units, giving users the opportunity to install other expansion devices alongside the graphics card.

We look forward to seeing how the Node 605 fares in our tests, especially the acoustic test which is critical for HTPC users.

Features

• Solid aluminum front panel.
• Supports full ATX motherboards.
• Noise-dampening material.
• 4 HDD/SSD slots.
• Integrated card reader.
• Two Silent Series R2 hydraulic bearing fans included.
• Supports graphic cards up to 280mm in length (180mm with all hard drives in place).
• USB 3.0 and FireWire front connectors.

Specifications:

• ATX, microATX, Mini ITX, DTX motherboard compatibility.
• 7 expansion slots.
• 4 – supports either 2.5″ or 3.5″ HDD / SSD.
• 1 slim-line ODD (only supported with mATX or smaller motherboards).
• PSU compatibility: 180 mm (including any modular connectors) with both hard drive cages mounted or 190 mm (excluding cables and any modular connectors) with one hard drive cage mounted.
• CPU cooler compatibility: Approx 125mm with side-mounted fans – For coolers with top-mounted fans, Fractal Design recommends that you add at least 30 mm clearance for decent airflow.
• Case dimensions (W x H x D): 445 x 164 x 349 mm (excluding front panel – 440 x 162 x 341 mm).
• Net weight: 6,0 kg.

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