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Fractal Design Node 202 Owners Thread

404K views 833 replies 153 participants last post by  taurus1 
#1 ·
It has been a very long time since I was looking for a compact and silent, yet powerful gaming rig. I have looked at plenty of ITX cases and couldn't find any that is small enough and could handle a full sized GPU.
Recently Fractal Design has released the Node 202 slim-desktop case and as soon as it hit the shelves in Russia I bought it (apparently only 10 were sold since the release). My BitFenix Prodigy was build as a NAS right away so I could build Node 202 the way I want, but unfortunately my GPU has died and I have to wait for a refund to get another one.

Current configuration:
Case: Fractal Design Node 202
CPU: Intel Core i7 3770
CPU cooler: Intel Stock Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte H67N-USB3-B3
RAM: Kingston Low Profile 1333MHz 8GBx2
GPU (Temporary) : PowerColor HD4890
PSU: Zalman ZM-450FX
SSD: SanDisk Ultra 120GB
HDD: External Western Digital My Passport Ultra 1TB
OS: Windows 7 Professional
Exhaust Fan: Noctua NF-S12b Redux-700

http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/20151211_2257171.jpg.html

As soon as I have booted the system and checked the temperatures of the GPU, I knew I had to do something otherwise it would overheat (over 70C idle and 105C under load in games), it was time I put the super-silent Noctua fan for exhaust. Temperatures are now at 60C idle and little bit under 90 when gaming (fan at 60-65% on GPU which makes it quite loud).

My next steps would be to install an intake fan in gpu slot (silent one too), replace the CPU fan, put some dust filters on the top of the case and above the cpu, replace the GPU. Quite possibly if the PSU fan would prove to be loud under load, I will replace it too.

Parts I will be getting:
Intake fan: Noctua NF-S12b redux PWM with Noctua NA-SYC1 accessory to connect it to CPU fan connector.
CPU fan: Noctua NH-L9i (probably to replace the fan with Noctua NF-B9 PWM, more airflow and more silent).
GPU: XFX Double Dissipation R9 380 2048MB or Zotac ZT-90101-10P GTX970 (depending the money I will be willing to spend).
Dust filters.

My goal is to make it the PC as silent as possible while maintaining acceptable temperatures for computer parts. I will later post more images of the build process and keep updated on how the temperatures have changed.

http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/20151210_2320021.jpg.html
 
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#2 ·
Hey, I am currently ending similiar build with these specs:
Case: Fractal Design Node 202
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590s
CPU cooler: Alpenfohn Silvretta
Motherboard: MSI H81I
RAM: Kingston HyperX Black 2 x 4GB 1866MHz
PSU: build-in Integra 450W
SSD: Samsung 850 Evo 256GB
HDD: HGST 500GB 7200/32MB cache
External HDD: Western Digital My Passport Ultra 1TB
OS: Windows 7 Professional N

I am still waiting for some of the parts (including case), coz they're hardly available in my country. Currently I go with i3-4170 in Core 500 and it hits 65C under full load on stock cooler.

Will get some GPU in February, coz i want to pass my current exams
wink.gif
. Will let you know how the temps and noise are and if I am going to put any other fans, coz i don't want to go over 85C in full load (I hope that lower TDP i5 with Silvretta will make it, even after buying 380X or Pascal) and maybe I'll have to put two 120mm low RPM fans, as an intake to create positive air pressure inside, so the heat will follow up by unfiltered top holes.

I also wanted to go with Gold certified PSU, but the case is not available alone anywhere here.

Hope that this less than 12l monster will let me launch everything in 1080p comfortably. Maybe I'll make a little build log in meantime.
 
#3 ·
Well, my i7 temps don't ever go above 70C in this case with intel stock cooler. I looked into Prolimatech Samuel 17 but I'm not sure about the height of the cooler, so currently still researching best cpu cooler for this case. However the GPU gets rather hot, I replaced the exhaust fan to intake position and I think I will get another one for intake too, instead of air circulation (1 intake, 1 exhaust).
Case with the PSU was not available here at all, so I had to buy another one. We also had Chieftec SFX Gold 500W, but this Zalman can handle everything very well, even tested R9 390 on it and it worked without a problem, though not sure how well it will handle the GPU in the long run.
As for GPU, I would really suggest going with Nvidia, it runs much cooler and is, therefore, more silent.
As for HDD's, I really suggest not using internal, because the SSD gets up to 50C in full gpu load (since it shares almost the same space), so the lifespan of HDD's won't be very long as they will run hot.
 
#4 ·
Ty for advice
wink.gif


I have both SSD and HDD from previous build, and I only store on HDD games from steam, and some minor large things, which are backuped on external anyways. I will place HDD on the upper side and will see if it'll go over 45C under load. This is why I am going with lower TDP CPU and I want to wait for Pascal with GDDR5X(or even GDDR6 hopefully). Anyways I don't want it generate more heat than R9 380X/GTX 970 (Tonga is cooler than Tahiti and comparable with GM204) - no more than this 190W level. Will see how 960Ti will work, coz I don't want to spend too much. My only concern is if blower style GPU cooler would make a big difference - for entire case temps it surely will, but hard to say how big the diff will be compared to noise that it will make.

And how about mounting liquid AIO cooler, either from CPU or GPU (maybe from both) over the GPU fans place? Kinda insane idea, but I am wondering if any 120mm radiator with a fan or two will fit (+short GPU like Asus GTX 970 Mini DCU II)?
 
#5 ·
I thought of the AIO cooler too, but it is a very slim build and it is unlikely that 120x120 radiator and a fan will be able to handle both CPU and GPU, plus there will be absolutely no air circulation in the case which will most likely generate extra heat.
I have my SSD on the PSU side (upper side) and it's 41C idle. Don't think HDD will run cooler. But yeah, current GPU I'm running is a heater so maybe a newer GPU will lower the temps.
From what I have seen so far, the blower style GPU is the best in this case. Place an intake fan next to it and it will run rather cool at all times.To my knowledge the GTX 9xx blowers are silent and efficient. And as far as I know they do not work until the temp of GPU reaches 60C (like on all 9xx series, have no idea about the AMD r9 3xx).
 
#6 ·
I just built a similar system

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: ASRock B85M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: OCZ Trion 100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500 500GB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card (Blower style)
Case: Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case
Power Supply: Silverstone 450W 80+ Bronze Certified SFX Power Supply
Wireless Network Adapter: Edimax EW-7811Un 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter
Keyboard: Logitech K400 Plus Wireless Mini Keyboard w/Touchpad

meant for mid range PC living room gaming. I'll post some pics and/or temps tonight if anyone is interested.

I decided to go with the stock CPU cooler as I doubt the system will be overclocked, but that may change later down the road. The system is near silent, although there is a slight rattle from the GPU that I noticed when the system is laying flat (my preferred orientation). It seems to go away when the system is vertical, so I'm thinking it's due maybe to GPU sag? Anyone else experiencing something similar?
 
#8 ·
I'm still waiting on the Hitachi drive, but the solid state is installed (on the PSU side).







ALL tests were done in the flat orientation.

I pointed out in the idle test, something that seemed odd. One of the mobo temps seemed higher than everything else, not sure whats up with that, but the HD temp seemed fine throughout.

No fan under the GPU as you can see from the pictures above. Just a messy bunch of cables that I swear I'm going to manage better... at some point.

Anyways
I ran FurMark to stress the GPU, and after about 20 minutes of running the stress test, max temp of the GPU was 81C.

I ran Prime95 v287 to stress the CPU, and after about one run of the torture test with 2 threads, I stopped it, as the CPU temps were dipping into the 90's. Just in case anyone is curious, the stock fan was SCREAMING at those temperatures, It was obnoxiously loud.




I'd say definitely upgrade the stock cooler if you think your use will push your CPU, even if you don't plan on overclocking. I know that I plan to upgrade mine, after running those tests today.
 
#9 ·
That is really weird seeing this high temps on an i5. I ran prime95 on my core i7 and never managed to get anything above those temps.

CPU coolers in such a thin case is always a pain, from reading many reviews on slim coolers none of them seem to have half-decent cooling and are usually worse or no better than intel stock cooler. Noctua NH-L9i cools the CPU by a small margin better but is more silent. What thermal compound have you used?
But you seemed to have made me get a blower style GPU for this case, as nothing else will probably run cold in this case.
Next week I should be getting another CPU cooler for myself, I have yet to decide which one I will be getting.
The ones I have looked into and been thinking of.
Thermalright AXP-100-R (58mm) - in some review it fit, but I cannot guarantee it.

EverCool HPL-815EP (45mm with stock fan) - it is absolutely the same as the Titan CPU cooler.

DeepCool Gamer Storm Gabriel (60mm with stock fan) - replace with Gelid Slim 12 PL Blue PWM (very silent cooler) or Akasa Slim PWM and it should fit.

Prolimatech Samuel 17 (45mm) with Scythe Slip Stream Slim fan, total height - 57mm (think it should fit, though max height says 56mm).
800x600px-LL-dcfc2bcd_839169840_20109715519482.jpeg

Titan TTC-NC25TZ/PW(RB) (46mm with stock fan) - replace with Noctua NF-R8 PWM height should become 56mm (not sure of that).

I'm leaning towards the last 3 and I think will choose the DeepCool in this case with Gelid fan.
 
#10 ·
Well, I did it, but it is tight AF. Gotta change PSU for one with flat cables. I've got multiple BSODs yesterday, because of the 24pin cable bent my RAM ;_;. But I somehow managed to fix it (anyways wasted 3h thinking that I broke MOBO or RAM). It is silent, but to get it really silent I want to replace later that Alpenfohn fan (despite it's doing really well, I can barely hear him idling) with Noctua 25mm thick (means more air with less rpm, ergo less noise). But it will only with flat cables.
Cable management excluding 8pin EPS is unnecessary - determined by design of included PSU. And SATA cable has so damn bad rotation...



Temps: My 4170 stands at 35-40C idle, and 57-60C at full load and I guess that 4590S will hold same. SSD is in GPU chamber and holds 48C, HDD is still at kinda safe at 40C, but I think that GPU will give him a really hard test
smile.gif
Maybe two intakes will make HDD's temps lower after GPU installation.

Thermalright is the best option IMHO if you only want to keep it really cool, but you have to remove that dust filter. Same story with Prolimatech+Scythe. Mine is noticeable at full load, since I got much lower TDP. It is really hearable at 2800rpm, but not as annoying as stock's screech was.

While waiting for Pascal and Arctic Islands, I will probably buy a blower style GTX760 (above entry level, not too hot, cheap).
 
#11 ·
I have already ordered the Gelid fan and DeepCool cooler. Should arrive monday. Also, I have redone my cable management , now it looks like this.

The temperatures have dropped for motherboard by 5C, before it was 49C idle now it's at 43-44C.
As for GPU I'm really tight on budget and not sure which one I will be getting temporarily. Maybe even a 750Ti, should be enough for minimum.
 
#12 ·
Quote:
CPU coolers in such a thin case is always a pain, from reading many reviews on slim coolers none of them seem to have half-decent cooling and are usually worse or no better than intel stock cooler. Noctua NH-L9i cools the CPU by a small margin better but is more silent. What thermal compound have you used?
I'm using arctic silver 5 thermal paste.

I mentioned my CPU temps to a friend, and he told me he thought those temps were normal for the prime 95 torture test. Apparently that test pushes the CPU to extreme stress levels that you wouldn't normally see in any real gaming. I'm gonna try maxing out a few games on steam and see what the temps are from gaming just to get a more realistic view. If they are still hot, then I'll order one of those fans you recommended.
 
#13 ·
It is true that Prime95 stresses your cpu to it's limit and you most likely won't get such high temps in regular use. I suggest trying out Witcher 3 or GTA5, probably one of the most demanding games as of yet.
Don't rush with buying CPU cooler, I'll soon post the results of deepcool cooler.
 
#14 ·
Today I have received the CPU cooler and the fan.
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/100_0137.jpg.html
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/100_0142.jpg.html
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/100_0143.jpg.html
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/100_0145.jpg.html

The radiator comes with 4 heatpipes and is 40mm tall.
About the fan: all 120mm slim fans have vibrations, while below 1200 rpm it is hardly noticeable and almost non hearable, when it goes all the way to 1400rpm you can hear the fan vibrations and the airflow very well. Will have to place some thin rubber around the cooler so it wouldn't make any vibration noise during high rpm's.
Preparing for installation:
As you can see the cpu cooler comes with a thermal paste (some deepcool one), however I use Gelid GC-Extreme for my PC/laptop all the time.
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/100_0146.jpg.html
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/100_0147.jpg.html
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/100_0149.jpg.html
After the installation, as we can see the radiator height is truly 40mm and a fan should fit no problem.
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/100_0150.jpg.html
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/100_0151.jpg.html
I can say that with fan there is very little amount of soace between the dust filter and the fan itself, so some thin rubber should fit no problem for noise dampening from the cooler.
After complete installation the cable management for me looks like this:
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/100_0154.jpg.html

As for the temperatures.
Idle:
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/idle new.png.html
Load:
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/load new.png.html
I recommend this to everyone who is concerned about high CPU temperatures, though you can hear the airflow at high rpm.
 
#15 ·
Well, with your rams it seems a bit easier to get this 24pin power cable routed. I made some cable routing by clinging cables near riser and over mobo's backplate and it looks like this:

I need to invest in angled SATA cables tho.

Got GPU yesterday so here are current temps:

MAX shows temperatures under actual max load, however GPU fan doesn't go over 70% (100% was set manually to feel this hurricane for a moment
smile.gif
) Under regular load it is like CPU 57C, GPU ~80C, HDD 36C, SSD 42C.
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arengeta View Post

The only reason I have not bought the 1151 socket is because there is no LP DDR4 ram.
I got myself Sapphire R7 370 Nitro 4GB, it never got above 80C under load.
Never over 80? Is that with Horizontal orientation as well? I'd always heard the AMD cards run hot, but that sounds no hotter than my GTX 960 blower style.
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arengeta View Post

Just did a 10 minute test in unigine valley, in vertical orientation GPU temperature didn't go above 74-75C. Momentary 76C but it often stayed within 75C range.
In horizontal it was 9-10C hotter. From 84 to 86C.
I hate that the temperatures are so much better in vertical. Almost makes me want to cut a hole in my entertainment center and set the case over the top of it for better airflow.
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moneyd623 View Post

I hate that the temperatures are so much better in vertical. Almost makes me want to cut a hole in my entertainment center and set the case over the top of it for better airflow.
Well, I have done some temperature tests today with no fans, 1 fan and 2 fans installed in the GPU bay.
The fans were be quiet! shadow wings 120mm pwm and noctua nf-s12b redux pwm, GPU was a MSI GTX 760 Gaming 2GB.
http://s61.photobucket.com/user/ZonDerr/media/20160112_0413091.jpg.html

The best was with only 1 fan installed (be quiet!) at the HDD bay, temperature never went above 81-82C in Furmark (10 minutes test). With 2 fans and no fans installed the GPU temperatures were over 90C (turned it off once it reached 90C). Perhaps the results could have been better with slim fans (akasa 15mm, gelid 120mm slim or scythe 120mm slim) as there was almost no space between the fans and GPU, but I highly doubt it.
 
#22 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arengeta View Post

The best was with only 1 fan installed (be quiet!) at the HDD bay, temperature never went above 81-82C in Furmark (10 minutes test). With 2 fans and no fans installed the GPU temperatures were over 90C (turned it off once it reached 90C). Perhaps the results could have been better with slim fans (akasa 15mm, gelid 120mm slim or scythe 120mm slim) as there was almost no space between the fans and GPU, but I highly doubt it.
So would a single Gentle Typhoon 1850 over a reference GTX 970 intake be advisable?
 
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