# Fractal Design Node 202 Owners Thread



## Arengeta

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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## pharaun12

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







. 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.


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## Arengeta

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.


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## pharaun12

Ty for advice









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)?


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## Arengeta

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).


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## Moneyd623

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?


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## Arengeta

Most likely because the sound of the blower fan reflects from the table, that tends to increase the noise.
Do you have an intake fan in the GPU bay?

What's your HDD temps?


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## Moneyd623

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.


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## Arengeta

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).








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.


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## pharaun12

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







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).


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## Arengeta

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.


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## Moneyd623

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.


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## Arengeta

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.


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## Arengeta

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.


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## pharaun12

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







) Under regular load it is like CPU 57C, GPU ~80C, HDD 36C, SSD 42C.


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## Arengeta

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.


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## Moneyd623

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> 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.


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## Arengeta

No. That is in horizontal position, actually I have never tried it in vertical after buying that card.
I have 2 intake fans in the GPU area. Without the intake fans the GPU reaches 89C in games like witcher 3 and dying light.


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## Arengeta

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.


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## Moneyd623

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> 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.


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## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Moneyd623*
> 
> 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.


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## weredawg

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> 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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## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *weredawg*
> 
> So would a single Gentle Typhoon 1850 over a reference GTX 970 intake be advisable?


If you're planning to have the case in horizontal orientation, yes.
Vertical it wouldn't make much of a difference.


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## Danitsa

Nice build







could somebody make club for this case ?


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## weredawg

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by *weredawg*
> 
> So would a single Gentle Typhoon 1850 over a reference GTX 970 intake be advisable?
> 
> 
> 
> If you're planning to have the case in horizontal orientation, yes.
> Vertical it wouldn't make much of a difference.
Click to expand...

Yeah I was planning on it being horizontal. Thanks


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## sterik01

How was the fan noise ?

To arengeta


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## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sterik01*
> 
> How was the fan noise ?
> 
> To arengeta


Quiet, you can hear some vibrations though but only if you're really close to PC. Talking about the cpu fan, be quiet fan i cant hear. But I have them both set to quiet mode, its enough to keep everything within normal operating temperature.


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## driftin8ez

All components test fit. Just waiting on a noctua nf-a9 to replace whatever horrible 92mm fan i found in the parts bin and an EVGA GTX 1060 SC. Initial test are very promising. 29c at idle and 45c with prime95(i3 4330). it has room for a 7.25 inch gpu which the evga gtx 1060 sc is 6.8 inches. GPU sits at 55c during heaven runs but its also a horrible 6 inch AMD r7 240 i had lying around again for test fitting. I'm expecting the gtx 1060 to be sittings around 70-80 at reasonable fan speeds. It also has room now for a 120x15mm exhaust fan on the top of the cpu side.


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## richardjr77

Wanted to make a mini ITX gaming PC and decided to go with the Node 202 after seeing this forum and being inspired and just wanted to share my experience with it.









Build:
Fractal Design Node 202
i7 6700
Noctua NH-L9i Low Profile CPU Cooler
Asus Z170i Pro Gaming motherboard
DDR4 16gb
Corsair SF600 - 600W psu
Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 1070
3x Noctua NF-F12 120mm case fans

Initially only had a Gigabyte GTX 770 and had the stock 450W psu that comes with the Node 202. I upgraded to the GTX 1070 and it worked fine with the 450W stock psu. Decided to upgrade to the corsair SF600 psu because the stock psu had an annoying audible coil whine.

When it comes to temperatures, when I didn't have the 3 Noctua fans, I was getting temperatures of 72-75+ celsius for the CPU and for the graphics card I was in the 75-79 celsius range when under load - was playing DOOM (2016). After installing the 3x Noctua fans, when playing DOOM (2016) i was getting 48-53 celsius for the CPU and 66-69 celsius for the GPU. The extra fans helped a lot! At idle CPU is at 37-42 range and the GPU is at 33-35 range. Using Furmark set to 1080p 8x anti-aliasing the GPU went max to 67 degrees after 10 minutes of stress testing. That extra 120mm fan above the CPU which I just zipped tied helped in keeping the CPU cool. Noctua fans are awesome as they're pretty silent!

Cable management is a nightmare but that's expected with this kind of a case. Cable ties help a lot in this aspect. All in all it was a great experience. This is my second time putting a PC together. Love the size of it as I can easily carry it around everywhere with me.









Have fun building everyone!


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## richardjr77

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, on the pictures it shows the fans in the GPU bay as one intake and one exhaust. That wasn't good configuration as it made my temps rise up to 78 degrees in Furmark stress testing. So I made both fans intake and brought temps to a stable 67 degrees in Furmark stress testing.


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## keicam87

Hi,

I have read of all this thread and already found a lot of useful info in here. I am planning to build gaming pc based on Node 202 and I just wanted to ask you some questions if you dont mind.

1. Do you think it would be possible to place node 202 horizontally inside a desk like the one presented below? (let just say that there is totally 15 cm height space between the top and the bottom of this desk? Would that be enough for Node 202 to breathe ?. If you really think it is not recommended please advise



2. how many case fans can I fit in the Node 202 to help the air get out or get in the case?

Please do tell what kind case fans(any aprticular models) would work to work with Node 202

3. Can you actually set case fans to switch from intake/outtake or in other words the exhaust the hot air to the outside of the case, or suck the fresh air into the case ?

Thank you very much for reply









BR,


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## richardjr77

Hello. In reply to your questions...

1. Yes it will fit in a 15cm space as the height of the case with the rubber feet is about 8.8cm, giving you breathing space of 6.2 cm. But, depending on the parts you're planning to put there, I can't really say if that's enough breathing space. If you're planning to put in your build a Skylake i7 then it might cause some temp issues for you if you don't have a good cooling solution. I use my Node 202 in the vertical position, I heard that placing it in the horizontal position causes a bit of cooling issues for some people when it comes to the temps of their GPU as there's not much space under the case for air to be sucked into the case.

Could help a little more if you tell us what you plan to put into your Node 202









2. There are 2x 120mm fan slots in the GPU chamber which would be positioned under your GPU in the horizontal position. But like what I did, I mounted a 25mm thick case fan (now a 140mm case fan) above the CPU for extra cooling which mostly helps the motherboard temps. I've only worked with the SP120 120mm fans from Corsair and at the moment have installed 2x Noctua NF-F12 120mm case fans in the GPU chamber. It's advised that you go for static pressure fans rather than air flow as your dealing with tight spaces.

3. Yes you can set case fans to either intake or exhaust just by turning the fan around. On most fans nowadays, you'll find arrows that will show you the orientation of air flow and the direction the fans spin.

Hope this helps!


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## keicam87

Thank you very much Richard for very detailed reply









I initially planned my built to be:

Purpose: Gaming only in 1080P. But not like addictive junior high nerd DOTA gaming style. I am more like a person that grew up on doom 1, spear of destiny, wolf 3d, dynablaster. very oldschool guy, who would like ocasionally to play a shooter (BF1 is coming) for 1-2 hours during the week. Good old gaming times are gone for me, but Id to sink in the gaming once in a while







.

*Case:*Fractal Design Node 202
*CPU:* Intel i5-6600K => max OC till 4 Ghz
*MOBO:* ASRock Z170 Extreme4
*Memory:* Kingston Hyperx Fury 8gb 2133 cl14
*GPU:*MSI GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING X 8GB GDDR5
*SDD:* Crucial 480GB 2,5'' SATA SSD BX200
*Cooler:* Thermalright axp 100
*PSU:* Corsair SF450 450W (CP-9020104-EU)
*Monitor:* Asus vp 228t

+Case fans.

I guess thats all ?

If you feel that for 1080 gaming I could save some money on any of the above part, please do tell maybe rx 490 instead of gtx 1070 ?

*Case position:*
Vertical positon could work ! as I can set my case under the desk, which shouldnt disturb feng shui in my tiny living room









*Options*
I am also thinking of switching Node 202 for Thermaltake V1 - cube shaped case, that maybe would be easier for me to build and I wont have to stress about temps that much.

My goal is not to exceed temps of 85 C for GPU and 60 for CPU. These are just my idea about safe temps. I really didnt calculate them based on any actual potential

Thanks again Richard

BR,


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## richardjr77

Nice build!

Seeing others build with an i5 cpu, their temps were very stable even when overclocked in the Node 202. They were reporting around 55-60 degrees with a 4.0 Ghz overclock on full load.

I'm sure going for a rx 490 or 480 will save you quite a bit of money, probably $200.00 more or less. And looking at the benchmarks for the rx 480, it's a pretty good performer in Doom (2016) - Only a difference of approx. 20 fps between rx 480 and the GTX 1070 especially using the Vulkan API. But I don't know how it would perform temperature wise. Don't really know much about ATI cards










I considered the V1 at first too! Was really looking forward to making it, but then I found the Node 202 and just fell in love hehehe. Just like how portable and slim the Node 202 is. But the V1 will be a lot easier to build in and temps will be easier to stabilize. It just won't fit in your slim desk with that 15cm opening.









Right now these are my temps after playing 20 minutes of Doom 2016 with the Node 202 in vertical position ...



So temps are pretty stable in my Node 202 during normal gaming loads.

Hope this helps you in your decision making


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## richardjr77

Forgot to mention...

The MSI GTX 1070 supposedly runs cooler than the Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 1070 I have despite the Gigagbyte having 3 fans. So that'll help you get your desired safe temps


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## keicam87

You are the man Richard !

Thanks a lot for your support and the information. Now I actually feel more comfortable that Node 202 can handle all my needs.

*Case*: Fractal Design Node 202
*CPU*: Intel i5-6600K => max OC till 4 Ghz
*MOBO*: ASRock Z170 Extreme4
*Memory*: Kingston Hyperx Fury 8gb 2133 cl14
*GPU*: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING X 8GB GDDR5
*SDD*: Crucial 480GB 2,5'' SATA SSD BX200
*Cooler*: Thermalright axp 100
*PSU*: Corsair SF450 450W (CP-9020104-EU)
*Monitor*: Asus vp 228t

Just few more things I wanted to ask you:

I am really dull when it comes to that that I need some help:

1. *Parts Substitutes* (In case of out of stock at my Computer shop)

*PSU* Should I look for anything special in here ? Just SFX format round 500 W 80+ should be ok ?
*CPU Fan* Cryorig C7 or Thermalright axp 100? (Does it really matter that much ?







)
*Case Fans* Anything particular for GPU Case chamber fans and CPU chamber one ? Please advise
*Mobo* Is MSI Z170I Gaming Pro AC also ok?

2. Do I need any screws, screwdrivers or special cables or anythng custom to assembly the above Node 202 build?
3. I wonder if you wouldnt mind making the screeen as you did above from Battlefield 1 ( if you have an access to closed alpha)

Thanks again once again you are the man !
BR,


----------



## richardjr77

*Parts Substitution*

PSU: I found the stock 450W Integra PSU that came with the case ran everything in my build fine, but had quite an audible coil whine. Highest quality SFX PSU right now will be the Corsair SF series and if you find a sale and match price then that would be good. Their fans stay off until it reaches a certain temp so they're very quiet. So the Corsair SF450 should work fine with your build. I just bought the Corsair SF600 because it was the one in stock. Other branded SFX PSUs like Silverstone are being reported by others as having some coil whine too but are very capable too.

CPU Fan: Don't really have much experience with other CPU coolers as the Node 202 is only the second time I put a PC together. But I've heard good things with the C7 and the AXP 100 from other builders. The Noctua does the job for me. And right now, I've become a Noctua fan! Hehehe









Case Fans: Nothing in particular here. Just make sure that they are Static Pressure - to push as much air as possible through confined spaces - rather than air flow fans.They don't need to run at high RPMS, as long as they get the cool air from outside into the case for the GPU fans to use. Helps cooling the GPU a lot.

MOBO: I was choosing between the MSI and the Asus Z170 too. Preference just came to look, style, layout, and I/O connections, and the price over here for the Asus Z170i Pro Gaming was cheaper than the MSI Z170 mITX mobo. I was just more comfortable with the Asus because my previous mobo was an Asus too. Performance wise, I don't know much, but I believe they'll perform pretty much the same. For overclocking, I just read that the Asus has good overclocking capabilities. I'm not doing overclocking in this case as that would produce more heat for my CPU (i7 6700) and I have the non-"K" version, so my CPU not really made for overclocking.

For putting together the case, all you really need is a screw driver and cable ties for cable management and scissors to cut the cable ties.

I'm not sure I have access to the BF1 close alpha. Might look into it because never used a closed alpha or beta versions of games before.

Glad to be of help BR!


----------



## keicam87

Richard,

Thank you very much for all the information and insights you have given me so far !

Whats the main use of your build ?

I am wondering if you are just enthusiast or a graphic designer or a gamer, or just married as I am







?

Have you tested your PC in 1080 games recently how does it perform ?

BR,


----------



## richardjr77

Hehehehe yeah, just married









I'm not an enthusiast or graphic designer but I do like to game from time to time when I can, while the baby is asleep and the wife is busy doing her artsy crafty things.







And I just like to appreciate and awe at technology today especially in the PC world. Amazing how technology has advanced! Just love seeing how games look in all their glory with all settings turned up! Because I never got to experience this until 2014 when I built my first computer.









But probably 80% of the time, I use my Node 202 for productivity doing office work. And I bring my Node 202 from the office to home EVERY DAY! Which is why I choose to go with the Node 202 too. Still trying to look for a suitable bag to put it in too, because only been putting it back into it's original box for transporting. Yes I know this computer is overkill for that, but once you use a high spec'd PC, you can't go back hehehe.









Gaming in 1080p games with the GTX 1070 is a breeze. With everything set to Ultra settings in the latest games, the GTX 1070 won't even break a sweat but fans are spinning at 54% which is a bit audible but headphones (when baby is asleep) or loud speakers solve that. GTX 1070 is meant to be the sweet spot for 2k resolution or 1440p but I don't have the budget for a monitor like that yet. I bought a AOC G2770PQU 27" 1080p 144hz 1ms GTG monitor just recently to get the most out of the GTX 1070's power. Love the buttery smoothness of 144hz! In Doom (2016) Ultra-Nightmare settings in 1080p my frames are always above 100fps, haven't really seen or notice it dip under 100







So I'm guessing this build will last for a while until games get insanely crazy with the graphics or if I ever decide to go into 4k gaming (not likely for me in the next 10 years as we're expecting another little one in November







.)

Well, hope I gave as much help as I could for your next build!

Enjoy building!


----------



## keicam87

Aaaaaaand sold !









I am convinced to go with Node 202 build. I think it should handle all that I want to do on it.

BTW mobile Node 202 !? It weighs round 7-8 KG 18 LBS ? Do you at least drive to the office ? or are you using public transportation ?









Good to know that in can handle 1080p without a sweat. Just for fun I will google 144 Mhz Monitors, because I havent even consider that.

Good luck with your baby









I will keep you posted on my progress with this build.
Also I have just discussed with a colleague of mine to go for NO OC option and choose i7 6700 and B150 chipset MOBO.
Will have something to think about while 'working hard' in the office







.

BR,


----------



## richardjr77

Glad I was able to help in your decision to go for the Node 202 build!









Yep, mobile Node 202. It does get a bit heavy once you get everything in there but I don't really have to carry it for long. And yes, I do drive to the office so that's not a problem.

Thanks for the "good luck" wishes for our baby!









Would love to see how your build turns out and I hope everything goes smoothly for you.

Have fun building your Node 202!









-Richard


----------



## keicam87

Hi there,

I am recalculating my budget and I just wanted to know if Corsair SFX 450 is enough to handle my planned OC ~ 4.0 - 4.2 Ghz.
Or is it better to go for 650 just in case ?

See below test found at web

CPU 6600K @4.5 Ghz uses round *142 Watts*
GPU GTX 1070 not OC - *223*

So in total *365*

+HDD Samsung SSD 250 GB EVO 850
+CPU Fan Noctua NH-L9i Low Profile
+3case Fan - Noctua NF-F12

Is that enough ? or should I go for 500 W or more ?

Richard I am counting on you









BR,


----------



## richardjr77

Hi again BR,

I wish you could count on me for that question but to tell you the truth I have no experience at all when it comes to overclocking. Never tried it before. All I know about overclocking is that you change some clocks speeds and voltages to higher than stock and test for stability in the system and temps. But other than that, I have never tried experimenting with it myself as I have never had the need for it.

So with your build, I know your trying to save with your budget, but when it comes to overclocking I always see people say you can't cheap out on your PSU and they usually say to get a higher wattage PSU with a gold rating to be safe and efficient so that you won't run into insufficient wattage or voltage problems.

Wish I could really help more but I have yet to venture into the land of overclocking









On pcpartpicker.com there's quite a few people using the Node 202 with an i5, and some have overclocked. Maybe you can get ideas and answers from them? Just a thought.

Good luck with that BR!


----------



## richardjr77

Hi again BR,

Check this one out...

http://pcpartpicker.com/b/9vgLrH

He used the Corsair SF450 and overclocked his i5 to 4.3ghz


----------



## keicam87

Thanks again Richard.

I think 450 shoukd be sufficient but maybe just in case i will go for 600 instead.

Like jon snow i know nithing....aboyt oc but maybe it would be nice to try.

Will have a look at partpicker and see if i can find anything useful.

Thanks again.

Where r u writing from. Ur location? I cant assume based on your time zone. Is it LA?


----------



## keicam87

Hi R
I will have a look soon.

PS
BR means Best Regards.

My nickname is actually my first name spelled backwards.


----------



## richardjr77

LoL...well I feel a bit silly. All this time I honestly thought your name was BR haha. Sorry I called you by the wrong name '^_^

Well its very nice to meet you Maciek. I have never encountered your name before, where does it originate from?

Oh, I'm from Canada BTW. But only been here for a year and a half. Lived in Australia most of my life.

KR (Kind Regards ^_^)


----------



## keicam87

Hi Richard,

Maciek (read as Magic (super cool, right !?)) is Polish name, but I dont know what it origates from.

I have quick one for you

Noctua NF-F12 PWM or Noctua NF-F12 ??

Please advise as I am about to make my order.

PS
Australia and Canada are both countries I would be more than happy to move to.

Cheers!


----------



## richardjr77

Hi Maciek! That is a super cool name!









I bought the PWM so that I could control the speed/RPM and automatically adjust it depending on the temperature of the CPU using the Asus program that came with the motherboard (AI Suite 3). So that when the computer is idle or just doing light tasks such as web browsing, the fans are set automatically to low RPMs so that they're barely audible. But when doing heavy tasks and temps go up, that's when the fans would automatically rev up to keep everything cooler









Hope that helps.

Kind regards.


----------



## keicam87

Hi Richard,

Yes. I assumed to go for PWM and I did .X3









I have already made my order and waiting for parts to arrive. The only thing I am missing is GPU as I want to wait few days to if MS RX 480 Gaming X is going to be available anytime soon.

Hope I manage to assembley the PC myself ^^ Once I do and you will let you know how my built turned out.

PS.

Why Is my weekend ending and you just got up ?
















Thanks again and Have a nice day. !


----------



## richardjr77

Hehehe yeh my Sunday is just beginning









I look forward to seeing your build! I'm sure you'll be fine with putting it together.

Please keep us posted on your progress









Take care and have fun building!


----------



## keicam87

Hi Richard,

Will mobo z170i gaming pro ac handle 3 case fans? Could you help please? I see only 1 Fan header but I need 3 .

*Edited.*

sht ! Do i need any sort of spliiter ?? Am I tping too fast ? Am I panicking yet









Would appreciate help !

Thanks !


----------



## richardjr77

Hi Maciek,

Yes, no worries, the mobo will be able to handle 3 case fans. it has one fan header for the cpu cooler, and two fan headers for the case fans.

If you're getting the Noctua fans, they will come with a fan header splitter so that you can connect two fans to the one mobo fan header.

Don't panic! You'll be alright!









KR,

-Richard


----------



## keicam87

Hi,

But have you checked that this mobo has 2 *case* fan headers ? because I only see 1 CPU fan and 1 fan headear (meaning case fan) ??

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/Z170I-GAMING-PRO-AC.html#hero-overview

link to the offcial product site.

THank You !!!!


----------



## richardjr77

Oh you're right, sorry, I thought you were getting the same mobo as mine because they sound so similar - z170i Pro Gaming & z170i Gaming Pro - HAhahahaha ...

Yeh I had a look at your mobo and it does look like there's only one case fan header and one cpu fan header. You could attach two fans to the CPU fan header too if you don't mind that? Or...

You can always order a fan splitter that supports up to 4 case fans, but it connect to the PSU through molex connectors.

Regards,

-Richard


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *richardjr77*
> 
> Oh you're right, sorry, I thought you were getting the same mobo as mine because they sound so similar - z170i Pro Gaming & z170i Gaming Pro - HAhahahaha ...
> 
> Yeh I had a look at your mobo and it does look like there's only one case fan header and one cpu fan header. You could attach two fans to the CPU fan header too if you don't mind that? Or...
> 
> You can always order a fan splitter that supports up to 4 case fans, but it connect to the PSU through molex connectors.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> -Richard


There is also a splitter that connects to PWM connector and gets the power from molex for up to 3-4 case fans.


----------



## keicam87

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *richardjr77*
> 
> Oh you're right, sorry, I thought you were getting the same mobo as mine because they sound so similar - z170i Pro Gaming & z170i Gaming Pro - HAhahahaha ...
> 
> Yeh I had a look at your mobo and it does look like there's only one case fan header and one cpu fan header. You could attach two fans to the CPU fan header too if you don't mind that? Or...
> 
> You can always order a fan splitter that supports up to 4 case fans, but it connect to the PSU through molex connectors.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> -Richard


Hi Richard,

I sent you invitation on hangout if youd like to connect







.

So what you are saying is that I could connect one splitter to CPU fan header and the other splitter to Case fan header so that it will give me 2x2=4 Outputs - 1 for CPU and 3 for Case fans?

I hope that would work. And how did you solve this issue in your mobo ? Does it actually have 2 case fan headers and 1 for cpu ?
You would think the Z170l would keep similar standard across different manufacturers.

*@Arengeta*

Would you mind sharing any product manufacturers or just example of that splittters ? I want to look for one of these at my local computer shop but I need to know what I am looking for









Thanks a lot guys.

Just receive text message. Node 202 should arrive tommorrow and I Hope to get PSU + Noctuas tommorow too. Yay


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> *@Arengeta*
> 
> Would you mind sharing any product manufacturers or just example of that splittters ? I want to look for one of these at my local computer shop but I need to know what I am looking for
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks a lot guys.
> 
> Just receive text message. Node 202 should arrive tommorrow and I Hope to get PSU + Noctuas tommorow too. Yay


Akasa Flexa FP3S (3 fans), FP5S (5 fans); Gelid PWM 1 to 4 Splitter.


----------



## me2d09

Hi guys,

I am finishing my Node 202 build and this thread is probably most useful source of information, thanks! I am not very experienced so I will be happy for any help. I don't want to overclock. My idea is:

Node 202
Corsair SF450 450W - in my country Integra source is sold out








i5-6600
OCZ Trion 150 - 480GB
Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2133 - they are small
ASUS GeForce TURBO-GTX1070-8G - blower + has PWM connector for FAN
GIGABYTE GA-B150N Phoenix-WIFI - has two case PWM connectors if needed
I have a few questions.

Regarding GPU I plan to put ASUS Turbo + one silent case fan nearby HDD slot and regulate fan directly from card. Is this a good idea?
As an alternative I am thinking about Gigabyte 1070 Mini GTX with non-blower fan + two case fans as intake (MBO side) and exhaust (HDD side).
Which solution will be more quite?
If I will choose another GPU, is there a way ho to control speed of the fan connected to MB based on GPU temperatures? Standard fan curve utilities supplied by MB producers are always based on temps at MB/CPU, right?
About fans - is it better to have normal 1 inch fans with little space between them and GPU or to have slim ones with more space?
About PSU - is better to have flat or sleeve cables? Majority of the people use 450W PSU with GTX1070, but 500W is recommended by Nvidia - is it ok? Any suggestion for another PSU because of shorter/better cables?
About hard-drive - Will it help with airflow to remove HDD bracket completely and use only M2 SSD? What about cooling of M2 SSD, some people don't re comment to use M2 slots in SFF machines because of insufficient cooling.
Thanks a lot!


----------



## keicam87

Hi richard.

Should I remove dust filters before applying Noctuas F12 to the case ?

The nocuta Y splitter has one one side 3 pin on other extension 4 pin. Which one should go to CPU and whitch one should go to case fan ?

BR,


----------



## keicam87

Hi
A quick updtade i managed to put it all . Wasnt that hard. With no testing yet i have 39-42 cpu in horizontal. Cpu nh l9i is dead silent!. Tomorrow will instal gpu and other case fans.

Richard your case fan in mobo chamber has a sticker in the middle of case fan. Should i put the case fans in gpu chamber with sricker facing gpu or the opposite way do you know what i mean? Sticker facing gpu? Explain a noob please.


----------



## keicam87

Writing from a mobile sorry! Thanks!


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *me2d09*
> 
> Regarding GPU I plan to put ASUS Turbo + one silent case fan nearby HDD slot and regulate fan directly from card. Is this a good idea?
> As an alternative I am thinking about Gigabyte 1070 Mini GTX with non-blower fan + two case fans as intake (MBO side) and exhaust (HDD side).
> Which solution will be more quite?


I think even founders edition will be quiet. Blower fan has better cooling in those cases.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *me2d09*
> 
> If I will choose another GPU, is there a way ho to control speed of the fan connected to MB based on GPU temperatures? Standard fan curve utilities supplied by MB producers are always based on temps at MB/CPU, right?


Yes, they are based on CPU mostly.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *me2d09*
> 
> About fans - is it better to have normal 1 inch fans with little space between them and GPU or to have slim ones with more space?


Slim fans = more noise usually or vibrations and I have not found much of a difference in temperatures.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *me2d09*
> 
> About PSU - is better to have flat or sleeve cables? Majority of the people use 450W PSU with GTX1070, but 500W is recommended by Nvidia - is it ok? Any suggestion for another PSU because of shorter/better cables?


450W is enough for 1070.
Silverstone or Corsair SFX, but they are much more expensive.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *me2d09*
> 
> About hard-drive - Will it help with airflow to remove HDD bracket completely and use only M2 SSD? What about cooling of M2 SSD, some people don't re comment to use M2 slots in SFF machines because of insufficient cooling.


No, that bracket does not affect airflow anyhow.
I have never used M.2 SSD, but if regular SSD lives normally next to GPU bay (gets up to 45C under full load sometimes), why would M.2 be any worse without airflow?


----------



## stars4002

Hello!

I'm AttackGatsby. Richardjr77 linked my build earlier when I got my Node 202/i5-6500 build to 4.3GHz. I've since added a Cryorig XT140 slim chassis fan above my Cryorig C7 cpu cooler, delidded my i5-6500, and made other small adjustments and got my i5-6500 to a stable 4.5GHz @ 1.390v losing the silicon lottery.

However, I was more impressed with the CPU cooling improvements a 140mm fan made with a delid. With the 140mm, I noticed an average of Δ6°c decrease in temps. And with the delid (unsealed) using CLP both above and below the IHS, I noticed an additional temp decrease of Δ19°c. My i5 4.5GHz now never goes over 70°c and sticks on 68°c while using Prime95v287 small FFTs.


----------



## keicam87

Hi guys ,

Quick update!

I am almost there, just installing my OS and some apps and will do stress testing, but my oh my this unit is dead silent! I am very impressed !.

Will keep you posted with my results soon









Richard thanks a lot for all help with this build









BR !


----------



## richardjr77

Hi guys! Hi Maciek!

Sorry been away for a while, just got busy with family and work and just recently got into playing Witcher 3! hehehe..







Great game! Just lots of dialogue. And runs absolutely great on the GTX 1070

Great that your build is coming together really nicely Maciek. With the fans, I found that setting them all to intake (stickers facing GPU and CPU) gave me the best results for temps. Nice to hear your system is dead silent. I'm starting to notice my fans spinning up faster thus producing more noise when playing games. But I purposely put the fans to a more intense fan curve to keep things cool in my build. Well, something we have to deal with when going with a mini ITX build of our calibre







Can't wait to see your results for testing









@me2d09 - 450W PSU is enough for the GTX 1070. Flat cables is a lot more difficult to manage in the Node 202 than the sleeved, but IT CAN BE DONE! As you can see in the picture.








Also I have a m.2 installed on the under side of the motherboard and does get a bit hot when the CPU is under full load, my m.2 SSD gets to about 43 degrees Celsius. But I don't think it should be a big concern. A blower style GPU is said to be better in small cases like the Node 202, but I've never had any experience with them. My non-blower style GPU is doing pretty well with the help of the 2 case fans underneath it running at around 800-1000 rpms. While playing Witcher 3, my gpu never goes above 69 degrees Celsius.













@AttackGatsby - thanks for sharing with us your updates and temps for your system using the Cryorig fans and cooler.








@Arengeta - thanks for answer me2d09's questions ... and for STARTING THIS THREAD!!!







Great help!

Have fun everyone!


----------



## keicam87

Hi,

Still no GPU inside but please see below.
Using only 1 SSD gave me some extra room for cable management in GPU chamber.

*open case*


*Idle*



*Aida64 Extreme 25 min stress test*



*Prime 95 11 Min*


Will post OC results soon.

Thanks


----------



## KaptnFirlefanz

Hi everyone,

after reading the whole Thread i had to build my own node 202 because my seven-years-old one would not display the witcher logo :/
So decided to go with this Build:

Case: Fractal Design Node 202
PSU: Corsair SF450W
Mobo: MSI B150l Gaming Pro ac
CPU: i5-6500
CPU Cooler: Alpenfön Silvretta
RAM: Hyper X Fury 16gb
SSD: Crucial BX200
GPU: Sapphire R9 290 (blower)
Fan: Be Quiet Shadow Wings SW1

I choosed the blower style because it was recommended in some youtube videos and i got one really cheap on ebay, even though i read that this model will get hot and loud.



After the first test i removed the chassis fan, because it was quite loud above 1000 RPM and after running the first time on 100% its making horrible noise (not only airflow noise) at all RPM. (Is it possible i took a bad modell, or is it the Shadow Wing?)
Without the chassis fan, my CPU Temps decreased by around 5 degrees (***?) and are now at 80° max while running Prime95 for 10 min. This is okay, but not that good, right?

My main Problem ist the R9 290 blower while playing, because i have too look out of the window whether there is an tornado outside. Do you think there is an possibility to support the GPU cooler? I thought about 2 intake Noctuha fans, maybe the industrial with 2000 RPM max (can't imagine they wound make it quiter). But im wondering about by experience with 1 intake fan..

Best Regards!
PS: Excuse my english mistakes


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *KaptnFirlefanz*
> 
> Hi everyone,
> 
> After the first test i removed the chassis fan, because it was quite loud above 1000 RPM and after running the first time on 100% its making horrible noise (not only airflow noise) at all RPM. (Is it possible i took a bad modell, or is it the Shadow Wing?)
> Without the chassis fan, my CPU Temps decreased by around 5 degrees (***?) and are now at 80° max while running Prime95 for 10 min. This is okay, but not that good, right?
> 
> My main Problem ist the R9 290 blower while playing, because i have too look out of the window whether there is an tornado outside. Do you think there is an possibility to support the GPU cooler? I thought about 2 intake Noctuha fans, maybe the industrial with 2000 RPM max (can't imagine they wound make it quiter). But im wondering about by experience with 1 intake fan..
> 
> Best Regards!
> PS: Excuse my english mistakes


Get Noctua NH-F12, they are quiet and have really good static pressure.

What be quiet! did you exactly choose? They have 4 versions of Shadow Wings (Low RPM, Mid RPM and High RPM, as well as PWM model). The most silent of all those is the Low RPM and PWM model.
What kind of horrible noise did it make? It could touch the dust filter in the GPU bay, try removing it and see if anything changes.

R9 290 is a very hot card indeed, you probably would need to replace the stock thermal compound with something better (i.e Arctic Cooling MX-4, Gelid GC-Extreme) and put 2 extra fans (as most people here have stated it is better) in the GPU bay.


----------



## KaptnFirlefanz

It is the PWM model. I have tested it in the other slot without the magnetic dust filter and there is no more noise. I will try changing the termal compound (i have enough arctic silver 5 left) and buy an additional Noctuha. Maybe a GPU with an intake blower style is the better choice in this case for a silent experience.
After watching a youtub video, where a guy installt liquid cpu cooling in the node 202, i was wondering if there is an possibility for liquid gpu cooling, but i cant find such a small cooler+fan combination.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *KaptnFirlefanz*
> 
> It is the PWM model. I have tested it in the other slot without the magnetic dust filter and there is no more noise. I will try changing the termal compound (i have enough arctic silver 5 left) and buy an additional Noctuha. Maybe a GPU with an intake blower style is the better choice in this case for a silent experience.
> After watching a youtub video, where a guy installt liquid cpu cooling in the node 202, i was wondering if there is an possibility for liquid gpu cooling, but i cant find such a small cooler+fan combination.


The magnetic dust filter in this case is a pain, I have taken it off so it wouldn't randomly touch the fan and make awkward noise.
It is possible (only with ITX card though, like Fury X with water block?), but it's definitely not worth it in this case.


----------



## KaptnFirlefanz

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> R9 290 is a very hot card indeed, you probably would need to replace the stock thermal compound with something better (i.e Arctic Cooling MX-4, Gelid GC-Extreme) and put 2 extra fans (as most people here have stated it is better) in the GPU bay.


I removed the insulating layer of the r9 and replaced it with the arctic silver and its awesome! The card gets hot after some minutes (it took 15 seconds before) and never goes about 35% fan speed. Maybe i will adjust the fan curve for optimal performance. Thanks for your Tip!


----------



## lostep

Hey guys, have a bit of a heat issue with the new Node 202 build and I am thinking I made a wrong choice when I bought a slightly used Asus Strix 980TI OC graphics card. The temps are at 83C at 100% load, fans are pretty loud and the backplate gets incredibly hot, to the point that it heats up the whole case. The CPU temps are fine (I7-6700 non K with Noctua NH-L9i, mid-to-high 60's at load). I do have 2 x 120MM corsair fans underneath the card, blowing air onto the graphics card and I'm sure they help, but the whole setup is hot and loud at load.

What are my choices here?
Sell the 980TI and get a 1070 instead?
Take the cooler off and replace the thermal paste on the 980TI?
Remove the backplate, so it does not radiate heat onto the case?

I ran some games last night for about 30 minutes and I don't see it throttling. The machine is super fast and I can deal with the 980TI's fans being loud, but the heat worries me...

Any suggestions?

PS - The PSU is flipped, so the fan is pointing down now. Realized that it was pointing the wrong way after I took the picture ;-)


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lostep*
> 
> Sell the 980TI and get a 1070 instead?


Could do that, Asus Strix is the hottest card with Founders Edition in 980Ti line up.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lostep*
> 
> Take the cooler off and replace the thermal paste on the 980TI?


Do you still have warranty? If not, replace it, usually the paste on them is medium quality.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lostep*
> 
> Remove the backplate, so it does not radiate heat onto the case?


No, better not do that. It spreads the heat throughout the whole card, otherwise in some places it might overheat.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lostep*
> 
> PS - The PSU is flipped, so the fan is pointing down now. Realized that it was pointing the wrong way after I took the picture ;-)


Don't think that anything but PSU temperatures will change now.


----------



## keicam87

Hi,
Its been a while but i finally managed to get my build up and running. In the end iwasnt patient enough to wait for rx480 and i got msi gtx 1070 gaming x.oh well i can complain.Apart from the test i have already posted above i just want to let you know that i tested it on doom and on battlefield 1 open beta today and both games were maxed out on ultra and full hd resolution.my overall temps never got over 60 degrees, which is really amaIng from my point of view and just to say it one more time noctuas are dead silent. I am very satisified with this build and thank you all for your help you richard most of all but we done togather some good brainstorming and hope taht others can benefit from it. As for me yes you can totally have good gaming build in such small case without any heating problems


----------



## SirBun

Not sure if the threads still active but i luckily ran by it earlier today after looking for temps in the fractal node 202.
this is my first time buying, and due to my room being so small, i needed to get a SFF case. not only that but the fractal node looks far better than most cases ive seen.
My build so far, even thought im open to change and suggestions is
CPU i5-6600K or i7-6700k (originally i didnt plan to over clock it, but what ever gives the best performace at the lowest temps ill pick)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH L9i (ive heard a lot of good things about noctua fans so chose this for my cpu cooler)
Motherboard: ASUS z170i pro gaming this( was a bit trickier for me, some seemed real expensive, but id rather spend more for quality than cheap out, but if you have any other suggestions for motherboards im happy to hear)
Ram: Hyperx Fury 16GB 2133MHz
GPU: GTX 1070 (or i may go AMD) in a case like this ill be getting the style which has the better cooling, and hopefully one that doesent run too hot at max load. the reason i say or AMD is because for the monitor im going ultra wide, the LG 34UC88 which also has freesync support, but with the resolution being 3440p by 1440p i think the AMD card will struggle to hit 60 fps on high settings. but im not sure if free sync is worth sacraficing 10 plus fps, i have no experience with it.
PSU: corsair sfx 600w gold
SSD: 500gb samsung 850 evo
Case fans, i heard some fractal fans can be pretty quiet and offer good cooling, but again i heard so much good from noctua reviews i may go for them aswell. a bit more expensive but i dont want to cheap out on cooling.

and thats it for me, from reading all of the posts here i think that should be okay for me. i plan on using the case vertically to fit snug on my desk, so this will help with cooling a bit, and looking at some pics here it looks like you can install an exhaust fan above the CPU. ill most likely do that if it helps with overall cooling.


----------



## keicam87

I can definitely recommend noctus as cpu nh l9i and case fans f12 pwm. Testing my gear on doom and battlefield beta on full hd and ultra sertings temps get barely over 60. Pc is just dead silent. I also recommend gtx 1070 msi gamingx which is also dead silent. Write us if you need anything.


----------



## SirBun

Nice, would you reccomend the I7 6700k for the node 202, or the i5 6600k? i didnt plan on overclocking at all with this build, but if the temps are safe doing so, then i will.


----------



## Arengeta

i7 6700k would do just fine in this case with a decent cooler if you don't plan any overclocking.

As for GPU's, the MSI Gaming X GTX 1070 and Palit GameRock GTX 1070 have the best cooling solutions.


----------



## keicam87

I went for i5 6600k even though i dont ovetclock right now.i thought i would but i dont need that really. Just no need as i get desired performance with the stock settings. If u do have the budget go forr the 6700 but 6600 will be sufficienr


----------



## viking21

Hi guys, I'm looking for a build with this case. Can the pci-e riser affect gpu performance and latency?


----------



## keicam87

To be honest i dont know but i havent come across such issue on the internet. And so far for me i works just pefectly.


----------



## ivannooz

Fractal Design Node 202 build

Click the link to check the video build and please support my channel by liking and subscribing 



 thanks
My channel http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJqcaeNqKVxlZ2nnY5mLKxw?sub_confirmation=1


specs:
Cpu: Intel Skylake 6100 i3 @ 3.7ghz

Mobo: Asrock h170m-itx/ac wifi included

Gpu: Zotac gtx 970

Psu/case: Fractal Design Node 202 450w psu

Storage: 960gb Sandisk SSD

8gb 2133 ddr4 crucial


----------



## yarugumasou

Hi I'm attempting to build a pc with this case, and I'm wondering if there's any way I could put in an additional HDD drive? If not, can I use the laptop HDD instead?


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *yarugumasou*
> 
> Hi I'm attempting to build a pc with this case, and I'm wondering if there's any way I could put in an additional HDD drive? If not, can I use the laptop HDD instead?


You have 2 2.5" slots for HDD or SSD. So yeah, a laptop HDD will fit.


----------



## yarugumasou

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> You have 2 2.5" slots for HDD or SSD. So yeah, a laptop HDD will fit.


So do we have to take notice of anything when using laptop HDD? I'm afraid it may be impossible with some mini ITX mainboards


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *yarugumasou*
> 
> I'm afraid it may be impossible with some mini ITX mainboards


How so? All HDD's are equipped with a SATA port and a power port. They are all identical to 3.5 HDD's in terms of connectivity, how may it be impossible?


----------



## yarugumasou

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> How so? All HDD's are equipped with a SATA port and a power port. They are all identical to 3.5 HDD's in terms of connectivity, how may it be impossible?


Ah okay thank you








Then again, is an MSI H110i PRO AC motherboard good enough for gaming?


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *yarugumasou*
> 
> Ah okay thank you
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then again, is an MSI H110i PRO AC motherboard good enough for gaming?


Depends on the CPU and GPU you will be using for your build. If you plan on anything below GTX 1070 it should be fine.


----------



## yarugumasou

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Depends on the CPU and GPU you will be using for your build. If you plan on anything below GTX 1070 it should be fine.


Yup I'm thinking of the i5 6500 and the gtx 1060 or 960


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *yarugumasou*
> 
> Yup I'm thinking of the i5 6500 and the gtx 1060 or 960


Go for 1060, it's slightly faster than 970 in terms of performance.
960 is a weak card.

H110 is enough for anything but top-notch GPU's.


----------



## yarugumasou

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Go for 1060, it's slightly faster than 970 in terms of performance.
> 960 is a weak card.
> 
> H110 is enough for anything but top-notch GPU's.


Hmm how about the Asrock H110M-ITX/ac ? Will I be able to upgrade further?


----------



## FlyingSolo

After looking at this thread. I might downgrade my gaming rig to this case.


----------



## keicam87

I advise that tou do that. It runs all games flawlesly.


----------



## FlyingSolo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> I advise that tou do that. It runs all games flawlesly.


I really wish they made one for mATX. If i go for this then i will need to sell my current rig since it has an i7 5820k and a mATX board. If i do will post back my new rig


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *FlyingSolo*
> 
> I really wish they made one for mATX. If i go for this then i will need to sell my current rig since it has an i7 5820k and a mATX board. If i do will post back my new rig


Try looking at Lian Li PC-06, supposedly around same size but with window side and mATX compatible board. Slightly bigger though


----------



## FlyingSolo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Try looking at Lian Li PC-06, supposedly around same size but with window side and mATX compatible board. Slightly bigger though


Thanks will look into it.


----------



## LastRideOut

This thread has been extremely informative. Prior to visiting this thread, I already purchased the FD Node 202, however, I was interested in others' experience with this particular case. In that regard, there is lots of information in this thread. I've been building computers for over 20 years now, since I was 9 years old.

Based on what I read in this thread, I decided to do a few different things for my build. I'll list the parts here. I have most of the parts now- I'm just waiting on the SDD, RAM, and the GPU.

Current configuration:

*Case:* Fractal Design Node 202
*CPU:* Intel Core i5 6600k
*CPU cooler:* Noctua NH-L9i
*Motherboard:* Asus Z170i Gaming Pro
*RAM:* 16gb G.skill TridentZ 3000MHz 8GBx2
*GPU:* Asus Geforce 1070 (Blower-style)
*PSU:* Corsair SF600
*SSD:* M.2 Samsung 850 pro 512gb
*OS:* Windows 10

Fans:

*NH-L9i fan replacement:* Noctua NF-A9
*Intake fans for GPU:* (2) NF-F12 iPPC-3000

Because the i5-6600k is a 91 TDP processor, I decided to replace the included fan on the NH-L9i with the NF-A9 because the NF-A9 moves more air (30 CFM vs 47 CFM). My thinking is that the increased CFM of the NF-A9 should keep the i5-6600k within nominal temp ranges. I will not be overclocking the processor.

I also wanted to go with the NH-L9i primarily because of the low profile. I know that other fans, like the Thermalright AXP-100 will fit, but removal of the dust filter directly above the CPU on the case panel would be necessary. Long term, this would impede computer performance unless one was diligent in maintaining cleanliness inside the case. I consider dust filters to be essential as computers BSOD or exhibit other problems when they overheat due to excessive dust build-up. Keeping the dust filters on was absolutely a priority for me when deciding on my build configuration. The added space above and to the sides of the NH-L9i owing to the low profile also aids in cooling a hot CPU, which will kick the iPPC-3000 fans to full power, resulting in greater air pressure inside the case.

I'm also deaf, so fan noise is of no concern to me, hence my choice of the dual NF-F12 iPPC-3000 fans for the GPU intake. I will still throttle the RPM in the bios so they are not always running at 3000 RPM, but it is nice to have the dual NF-F12 iPCC-3000 fans as a fallback should the case need more air due to rising CPU temps. I will set the bios to kick the intake NF-F12 iPPC-3000 fans all the way up to 3,000 RPMs should the CPU reach temps of 75°C or above.


----------



## PhRe4k

I'm still waiting for some of my parts to ship (this case being one of them) so I hope my choice of video card will work out. I was planning on getting a newer card, blower style but I couldn't pass up an aswesome deal on a new GTX 960. Can't wait to put my Steam machine together


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *PhRe4k*
> 
> I'm still waiting for some of my parts to ship (this case being one of them) so I hope my choice of video card will work out. I was planning on getting a newer card, blower style but I couldn't pass up an aswesome deal on a new GTX 960. Can't wait to put my Steam machine together


GTX 960 is a cold card in general, you shouldn't have any problems with it.


----------



## alexdfc

Hi All, amazing thread!

I'm about to embark on a 202 build myself. I'll be mounting it underneath my desk, so technically it will be horizontal placement, but the sides and bottom will have completely unencumbered airflow, and a healthy couple inches of clearance between the CPU intake and the desk. I've locked in my performance target (i5 6500/gtx1060) so now I'm trying to figure out how to make it as quiet as possible (short of water cooling).

I'm pretty comfortable with the CPU cooling situation (I'm taking a risk and going with a big sharuken, as I saw some examples on pcpartpicker where that worked). From everything I've read it sounds like the GPU, specifically GPU exhaust, is the real challenge. I'm leaning towards the MSI 1060 GAMING X (v quiet, not a blower), with a couple of Noctua NF-F12s to force fresh air into it. But I was wondering if anyone's tried modding the case at all to alleviate the exhaust issues. A couple ideas have occurred to me:
- It appears the ventilation on the GPU side is minimal compared to the CPU/PS side. Perhaps I can dremel out some venting to mirror the other side.
- Intake fans might be more effective if there was a barrier separating the GPU intake from the exhaust. Perhaps some thin plastic creating a tunnel from the case intakes to the GPU intakes.

Are these crazy ideas? Has anyone considered or attempted them? Does anyone have any feedback based on their own experience with the case?

Thanks!
Alex


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *alexdfc*
> 
> - It appears the ventilation on the GPU side is minimal compared to the CPU/PS side. Perhaps I can dremel out some venting to mirror the other side.
> - Intake fans might be more effective if there was a barrier separating the GPU intake from the exhaust. Perhaps some thin plastic creating a tunnel from the case intakes to the GPU intakes.


Everything is very tight in that case. Basically case intakes is around 2mm away from a regular 2 slot GPU, so you will have absolutely no space for extra plastic.
PSU and CPU side has better ventilation because it is not so tight spaced and has an open side. Blower style GPU is best for this case only because there is absolutely no room for normal air circulation in GPU section, but its downside is being louder than a regular GPU.


----------



## Bassaris

Hello everyone ! I discovered this gold mine of information only after building my own pc based on the Node 202 case. That's unfortunate, but overall i think i made good choices regarding my build. However I would like to hear your opinion about some questions I have.

My build :
*Case :* Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case w/450W Power Supply
*CPU :* Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz
*Cooler :* CoolTek LP53 Powered by Thermolab
*Motherboard :* Gigabyte GA-Z170N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151
*RAM :* Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000
*SSD :* Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5"
*GPU :* Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Mini ITX OC
*Cooling :* 2*be quiet! SHADOW WINGS 120mm PWM

A few words about my build for those who are interested : the motherboard is the only component I would probably change if I had to do it again, as I could not manage to get my DDR4 running stable at 3000Mhz under the XMP profile, I had to settle for 2666Mhz. Moreover, the front panel USB port is really poorly located, making it impossible to plug in the connector with a custom CPU cooler installed. Other boards like the MSI Z170I Gaming Pro AC or similar products are not much more expensive and would probably fix those issues. The fan on the CPU cooler runs quite fast imo as it is always between 1400 and 1700 rpm. You definetely can hear it but the CPU remains cool all the time which is always nice. Otherwise pretty happy with this compact yet powerful machine.

Temps :
_Idle_ : CPU 30-40°C GPU 30-40°C (No real influence of the orientation of the case)
_Gaming_ : with fans around 900 rpm, CPU fan around 50% and GPU fan around 60-65%
Horizontal : CPU 50°C GPU 77°C
Vertical : CPU 55°C GPU 70°C

Here are my questions !

Can i safely put my case in a vertical orientation while the support for the GPU is removed (I had to remove it for installing the two fans) ? Even if I later switch to a full size GPU ?
My current GPU is a GTX 1060 mini ITX model, not a standard full size card. Would I actually get better temps/higher performances with a full size card ?
I plan on replacing this card with a GTX 1070. I read that the common thinking is that blower is the way to go in those kind of cases, but would a Gigabyte GTX 1070 8GB Mini ITX OC be a better choice than the FE in this case for example ? It is not a blower card but it is designed to fit in SFF systems, so I am a bit confused about which kind of card is the best fit here. I dont really know where the hot air going out of the back of the Mini ITX card really goes though, so maybe it is not ideal in terms of heat dissipation.
Another interesting thought that I discovered in another thread was that, if the case is oriented vertically, the hot air is naturally evacuated by the vent at the top of the case. Moreover, in that scenario, a GPU with an open air cooler with *vertical* fins might actually work pretty well as it is well supplied in fresh air and as, thanks to the vertical fins, the hot air is naturally evacuated towards the top of the case. Do you think it might actually be true ?
I already noticed slightly better GPU temps when setting my case vertically, has it anything to do with the fans I chose or is it more due to the "hot air chimney" effect ? Would a blower-style card be affected by the case orientation ?
All those questions are linked with the fact that I would like to put a GTX 1070 in that case, I am trying to find the ideal model and case position to achieve that.

Thank you very much for your help, if you want to know more about my experience with that great little case I will be happy to share it with you guys !


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Bassaris*
> 
> 
> Can i safely put my case in a vertical orientation while the support for the GPU is removed (I had to remove it for installing the two fans) ? Even if I later switch to a full size GPU ?
> My current GPU is a GTX 1060 mini ITX model, not a standard full size card. Would I actually get better temps/higher performances with a full size card ?
> I plan on replacing this card with a GTX 1070. I read that the common thinking is that blower is the way to go in those kind of cases, but would a Gigabyte GTX 1070 8GB Mini ITX OC be a better choice than the FE in this case for example ? It is not a blower card but it is designed to fit in SFF systems, so I am a bit confused about which kind of card is the best fit here. I dont really know where the hot air going out of the back of the Mini ITX card really goes though, so maybe it is not ideal in terms of heat dissipation.
> Another interesting thought that I discovered in another thread was that, if the case is oriented vertically, the hot air is naturally evacuated by the vent at the top of the case. Moreover, in that scenario, a GPU with an open air cooler with *vertical* fins might actually work pretty well as it is well supplied in fresh air and as, thanks to the vertical fins, the hot air is naturally evacuated towards the top of the case. Do you think it might actually be true ?
> I already noticed slightly better GPU temps when setting my case vertically, has it anything to do with the fans I chose or is it more due to the "hot air chimney" effect ? Would a blower-style card be affected by the case orientation ?


1. Yes, you can. As long as you don't plan on moving it or hitting the table, you should be totally fine.
2. Most likely no. My full-size GTX 1060 runs at 75C OC'd in vertical.
3. I don't think ITX sized cards is a good choice, if you can use full length cards with more heatpipes/heat dissipation, why not use it? I think best cards are Palit and MSI at cooling right now, EVGA is not bad too.
4. Your GPU is faced down, also there's a wall between CPU/PSU and GPU section, all heat goes to SSD/HDD section and won't evacuate from the case from the top side.
5. When the case is in horizontal position your gpu section basically suffocates due to low case feet height. If you put higher feet the temperatures will improve slightly, but in vertical position it always draws in cold air with no limit.


----------



## Bassaris

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> 1. Yes, you can. As long as you don't plan on moving it or hitting the table, you should be totally fine.
> 2. Most likely no. My full-size GTX 1060 runs at 75C OC'd in vertical.
> 3. I don't think ITX sized cards is a good choice, if you can use full length cards with more heatpipes/heat dissipation, why not use it? I think best cards are Palit and MSI at cooling right now, EVGA is not bad too.
> 4. Your GPU is faced down, also there's a wall between CPU/PSU and GPU section, all heat goes to SSD/HDD section and won't evacuate from the case from the top side.
> 5. When the case is in horizontal position your gpu section basically suffocates due to low case feet height. If you put higher feet the temperatures will improve slightly, but in vertical position it always draws in cold air with no limit.


Ok thanks ! So basically any full-size 1070 with an open air cooler will provide the best temps and performances, as long as the case is set vertically to improve fresh air supply. The orientation of the fins of the cooler does not matter, right ?

So I just have to check the power draw of the cards (I have the Fractal SFX 450W PSU) and everything should be ok ?
Was thinking about the EVGA 1070 SC or Gigabyte 1070 G1 Gaming for extra cooling, but if I follow your reasoning even a card like this Gainward 1070 should be fine right ?
https://www.amazon.de/Gainward-3750%C2%A0GP104%C2%A0X-A1%C2%A0Pascal-GTX1070%C2%A0NVIDIA-Graphics-GDDR5%C2%A0RAM/dp/B01INKRH2M/ref=sr_1_8?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1476890649&sr=1-8&keywords=gtx+1070#Ask

Thanks again !


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Bassaris*
> 
> Ok thanks ! So basically any full-size 1070 with an open air cooler will provide the best temps and performances, as long as the case is set vertically to improve fresh air supply. The orientation of the fins of the cooler does not matter, right ?
> 
> So I just have to check the power draw of the cards (I have the Fractal SFX 450W PSU) and everything should be ok ?
> Was thinking about the EVGA 1070 SC or Gigabyte 1070 G1 Gaming for extra cooling, but if I follow your reasoning even a card like this Gainward 1070 should be fine right ?
> https://www.amazon.de/Gainward-3750%C2%A0GP104%C2%A0X-A1%C2%A0Pascal-GTX1070%C2%A0NVIDIA-Graphics-GDDR5%C2%A0RAM/dp/B01INKRH2M/ref=sr_1_8?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1476890649&sr=1-8&keywords=gtx+1070#Ask
> 
> Thanks again !


It should be fine, many say that it runs rather hot with that cooler, but it shouldn't be a problem in vertical position.

No, it does not matter I think. Have not tried, but I think it won't make much of a difference.

450W with your setup should be enough if you don't plan on overclocking the card.


----------



## Dimensive

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Bassaris*
> 
> Ok thanks ! So basically any full-size 1070 with an open air cooler will provide the best temps and performances, as long as the case is set vertically to improve fresh air supply. The orientation of the fins of the cooler does not matter, right ?
> 
> So I just have to check the power draw of the cards (I have the Fractal SFX 450W PSU) and everything should be ok ?
> Was thinking about the EVGA 1070 SC or Gigabyte 1070 G1 Gaming for extra cooling, but if I follow your reasoning even a card like this Gainward 1070 should be fine right ?
> https://www.amazon.de/Gainward-3750%C2%A0GP104%C2%A0X-A1%C2%A0Pascal-GTX1070%C2%A0NVIDIA-Graphics-GDDR5%C2%A0RAM/dp/B01INKRH2M/ref=sr_1_8?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1476890649&sr=1-8&keywords=gtx+1070#Ask
> 
> Thanks again !


So I have an EVGA GTX 1070 SC ACX 3.0, my 202 horizontal, and 2 fans from the Scythe Big Shuriken in the GPU chamber. Running Heaven the temps max at around 74c with a custom fan curve.


----------



## Bassaris

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> It should be fine, many say that it runs rather hot with that cooler, but it shouldn't be a problem in vertical position.
> 
> No, it does not matter I think. Have not tried, but I think it won't make much of a difference.
> 
> 450W with your setup should be enough if you don't plan on overclocking the card.


Ok ! Now I have all I need to make a decision ! This case is even better than I thought actually...
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dimensive*
> 
> So I have an EVGA GTX 1070 SC ACX 3.0, my 202 horizontal, and 2 fans from the Scythe Big Shuriken in the GPU chamber. Running Heaven the temps max at around 74c with a custom fan curve.


Thanks for the info, very interesting indeed ! Maybe ill go for that card.


----------



## dahn626

This might be more of a generic pc question than a Node 202 question, but I just finished building my rig. Here are the components:

CPU - i5 6600k
GPU - msi gaming x 1070
Mobo: Gigabyte z170n gaming 5 rev1.1
HD: 500gb samsung 850 SSD
PSU: The one that came with the case (forgot its name)
CPU cooler: Noctua lh9i
Fans: 2x 120mm noctua nf-f12, 1x 140mm noctua af14 PWM (yes, I managed to squeeze this 140mm on the case cut out right in front of the CPU)

So my mobo only has 1 system fan header, so I daisy chained all my fans (3) using the included Y-splitters so 2 act like slave fans. And all works perfectly fine, but HWMonitor will randomly tell me I have 4 fans instead of 2 - one for CPU and one system fan.

Has anyone else had this happen to them on a build before? Should I be concerned that this thing thinks it has additional fans in it...? lol


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dahn626*
> 
> So my mobo only has 1 system fan header, so I daisy chained all my fans (3) using the included Y-splitters so 2 act like slave fans. And all works perfectly fine, but HWMonitor will randomly tell me I have 4 fans instead of 2 - one for CPU and one system fan.


Maybe it is reading also fans from PSU and GPU?


----------



## dahn626

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Maybe it is reading also fans from PSU and GPU?


I doubt that, seeing as how my PSU is spinning much faster and the gfx spins much faster when it reaches a certain temp. Thank you for your input, though!


----------



## domosed

Thanks to everyone in the thread, your experience helped me very much!




My build:
*case*: Node 202
*psu*: corsair sf450
*motherboard*: msi h110i pro
*cpu*: i7-6700
*ram*: 2x16 hyperx DDR4
*ssd* :256 OSZ TRN150
*gpu*: gtx 1080 FE
*cpu-cooler* noctua nh-l9i + NF-A9 FAN
*case-fan* NF-F12 PWM

*Temps:*
CPU:
At the stock with just noctua nh-l9i cooler the temps go up to 89C and the fan works at 100%!

My solution:
1. decrease vcore from 1.3V! to 1.1V -7C
2. remove the dust filter -4C
3. swap the stock noctua nh-l9i with NF-A9 FAN -2C but also it makes a little bit less noise
4. sacrifice the nh-l9i fan







to make an air tunnel (so the fan takes fresh air directly from outside) -2C

now it goes to 75 while burning and around 55 while gaming and

GPU
the core works stable 1950MHz (+200MHz), temps are around 83-84C
NF-F12 PWM works at 800 fixed rpm
the dust filter does not affect the temps at all



when I limit TPD to 80% it works at 1800MHz but temps are much lower ~75C and the fan is more quite aswell



The overall noise level from the case I would say is relatively quite

Also I forgot to mention that I've cuted out the card separator (the metal piece between slots) at the back


----------



## dahn626

You could get better CPU temps if you stick the stock fan back on from the nh l9i and put a 140mm fan on the grill in front of the CPU cooler. Your wire management looks clean enough that you'd be able to squeeze that in. Use the rubber screws to mount your fan to the grill.

I have one (noctua af14) in my case right now, but the 24pin cable on the Corsair sf600 isn't very flexible so I order a custom cable from ModCable. Also ordered a low profile USB 3 cable as well from moddiy bc my mobo has that right next to the CPU.

Using this setup, my pc runs EXTREMELY quiet (fans spin at apx 600 rpm, virtually non audible, CPU idle temps range around 36-38C)


----------



## jimzzzz

Hi. I've read so many different threads and watched so many different reviews of the Node 202. Can someone definitively tell me if a build with for eg a core i7 + GTX780IT/GTX1080 will be good enough for continuous hours of FPS gaming on the likes of Battlefield and COD? At the moment its a toss up between the Node 202, Dan A4 SFX and NCASE M1. Any thoughts appreciated!


----------



## dahn626

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *jimzzzz*
> 
> Hi. I've read so many different threads and watched so many different reviews of the Node 202. Can someone definitively tell me if a build with for eg a core i7 + GTX780IT/GTX1080 will be good enough for continuous hours of FPS gaming on the likes of Battlefield and COD? At the moment its a toss up between the Node 202, Dan A4 SFX and NCASE M1. Any thoughts appreciated!


What do you mean by "good enough"? Like will your setup be able to handle those games frame rate and performance wise or will it be able to stand up to the heat?

Either way, the answer is yes to both. I've currently got a gaming x 1080 in mine with a 6600k and my CPU never goes above 67 and gpu runs a lot hotter. afterburner prevents it going over 83, so if I want noise control, I'll leave it like that, but if I don't care about noise, I'll use a custom fan curve that keeps it at 78C.

As for my fans, my system fans never go above 900rpm (even while gaming) and my CPU fan is so quiet I never hear it even when it ramps up (noctua lh9i with a af-14 wpm fan mounted on the CPU window using rubber screws)


----------



## jimzzzz

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dahn626*
> 
> What do you mean by "good enough"? Like will your setup be able to handle those games frame rate and performance wise or will it be able to stand up to the heat?
> 
> Either way, the answer is yes to both. I've currently got a gaming x 1080 in mine with a 6600k and my CPU never goes above 67 and gpu runs a lot hotter. afterburner prevents it going over 83, so if I want noise control, I'll leave it like that, but if I don't care about noise, I'll use a custom fan curve that keeps it at 78C.
> 
> As for my fans, my system fans never go above 900rpm (even while gaming) and my CPU fan is so quiet I never hear it even when it ramps up (noctua lh9i with a af-14 wpm fan mounted on the CPU window using rubber screws)


yes exactly - I want to play an FPS on ultra/high at a decent FPS without the GPU/CPU getting excessively hot and consequently have the fans blowing like a hurricane. Out of interest, why did you choose the Node 202 as supposed to an NCASE M1 build where, according to the forums, you can water cool both the CPU and GPU? I'm kind of split between getting a node 202, ncase m1 and dan a4.


----------



## dahn626

that's easy - bc the node 202 + air cooling saved me a ton of money and it actually has a slimmer profile than either the m1 and dancase, allowing me to fit it basically anywhere. I also don't game for hours on end, so that's part of it as well


----------



## jimzzzz

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dahn626*
> 
> that's easy - bc the node 202 + air cooling saved me a ton of money and it actually has a slimmer profile than either the m1 and dancase, allowing me to fit it basically anywhere. I also don't game for hours on end, so that's part of it as well


lol that's def the cheapest option - don't game as much!


----------



## danzzal

Hi guys, newbie here. I have some questions regarding the Node 202 build.

Recently I just bought my first gaming PC with no case fan. My GPU is ASUS DUAL-GTX1060-O6G. Here's the link to the GPU:
https://www.asus.com/us/Graphics-Cards/DUAL-GTX1060-O6G/
With around 95-99% power, the card's temp goes up to 83 °C and I'm not really satisfied with that. It also made me scared sometimes as it might reduce the lifespan of the GPU fan. Btw the room temp is around 29°C-34°C.

I've read the Node 202 manual. The manual state that when the GPU height is ≤ 50 mm, the allowable case fan's height is 10 mm. With the GPU height of ≤ 35 mm, the allowable case fan's height is 25 mm.



But I've seen you guys go for the the 25 mm high case fan even the GPU's height is more than 35 mm, so I guess better ask people with more experience









My question is, what is the maximum GPU height so that I can fit two 25 mm high case fan (such as the Noctua NF-F12 PWM) optimally? Will my GPU allow the case fan to fit properly? My GPU height is 2.1 slot (43 mm), I'm afraid that I couldn't get the case fan to fit properly, wasting my money









Also, would the case fan will do any difference in term of GPU temp?


----------



## Dimensive

First off, welcome to OCN. That GPU looks slightly wider than my EVGA GTX 1070 SC ACX 3.0 so you should be able to fit 25mm fans in the GPU chamber just fine--though I went with 12mm thick fans. If you want to be 100% sure you can mount the GPU and take a tape measure to see if you have space, but I believe you should be fine as I had a decent enough gap between the GPU and a 25mm thick fan. It definitely helps having fans intake more fresh air and if the card is quiet enough, adjusting the fan curve would help.


----------



## MoBeeJ

hey guys,

I am planing on building a pc around this case, but i have 1 question.

Can a regular 3.5" hdd fit inside the case? I am thinking of using 1 120 mm fan that faces the gpu blower fan, and placing the hdd next to it (where the second fan should be).
Will it work? psu sata cables reach comfortably?

thanks


----------



## danzzal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dimensive*
> 
> First off, welcome to OCN. That GPU looks slightly wider than my EVGA GTX 1070 SC ACX 3.0 so you should be able to fit 25mm fans in the GPU chamber just fine--though I went with 12mm thick fans. If you want to be 100% sure you can mount the GPU and take a tape measure to see if you have space, but I believe you should be fine as I had a decent enough gap between the GPU and a 25mm thick fan. It definitely helps having fans intake more fresh air and if the card is quiet enough, adjusting the fan curve would help.


Thanks for replying!

I see your card specification on EVGA site, it state that the height is 2 slot (around 40 mm). Mine is a little bit bigger (2.1 slot, 43 mm). Do you seem to have any clearance between the GPU and the case fan? I'll get a ruler to measure one later to confirm


----------



## Dimensive

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *danzzal*
> 
> Thanks for replying!
> 
> I see your card specification on EVGA site, it state that the height is 2 slot (around 40 mm). Mine is a little bit bigger (2.1 slot, 43 mm). Do you seem to have any clearance between the GPU and the case fan? I'll get a ruler to measure one later to confirm


When I had a 25mm fan in there, there was maybe a 1/2" of space between the fan and the GPU.


----------



## Dimensive

Here's a pic showing the gap between my 12mm fans and the GPU:


----------



## danzzal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dimensive*
> 
> Here's a pic showing the gap between my 12mm fans and the GPU:


Thanks a lot man! That really answered my questions.


----------



## Dimensive

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *danzzal*
> 
> Thanks a lot man! That really answered my questions.


You're welcome!


----------



## hadookaan

I built a very similar system to *richardjr77* virtually the same but with a hotter cpu the 6700k different mobo and ram rest is the same, I manually turned down the Vcore, to get nice temps, which can still be tweeked further to improve temps but TBH they are good enough, I could even overclock but there is no need!

Motherboard. Gigabyte Z170n WIFI
Cpu 6700k stock boosting to 4.2ghz
Ram corsair 16gb vengence
Video card Gigbyte G1 GTX1070
Cooler. Noctua NH-L9i
3x Noctua NF-F12 120mm case fans
SSD 840 pro 256gb
HDD WD black 1TB

Runs very cool playing games the cpu will got to 53c, on prime torture test small TFT never goes over 70c after 1hr (this Is cooler than my tower case amazing!)
gpu max 69c on intense gaming session, so its fantasic system kudos to you *richardjr77* well done m8!
love this system that believe it or not I can put in a special rucksack for traveling along with a 24in dell 144hz 1440p gsync monitor its a slight tight sqeeze but it all fits in, and is padded to protect the all components and monitor.
much better then the rubbish alienware which I returned 1st time I ever tried a laptop and last time I'll always build a mini ITX in future for traveling, maybe a smaller monitor! with build would be better 24in is OTT, lol

I might upload my Video on youtube of the build, as I have recorded it, with everything from the building the system, and how it all fits in the Rucksack with the monitor I ll see if I can be bothered!!


----------



## hadookaan

repost sorry


----------



## Mikey22

Is there any way of mounting a 140mm fan to the case above the CPU while keeping the dust filter on? Maybe making holes through the filter or would there be issues with that? Thanks.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Mikey22*
> 
> Is there any way of mounting a 140mm fan to the case above the CPU while keeping the dust filter on? Maybe making holes through the filter or would there be issues with that? Thanks.


Buy a magnetic 140mm dust filter with mounting holes and you shouldn't have any issues.


----------



## Mikey22

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Buy a magnetic 140mm dust filter with mounting holes and you shouldn't have any issues.


Thanks that's a great idea!
Now what would be the total cpu cooler height with the OEM dust filter removed? I'm thinking Cryorig C7 heatsink (32mm) with a 140 fan (25mm) and a magnetic dust filter with mounting holes (3mm) which leaves me at 60mm. Would that fit?


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Mikey22*
> 
> Thanks that's a great idea!
> Now what would be the total cpu cooler height with the OEM dust filter removed? I'm thinking Cryorig C7 heatsink (32mm) with a 140 fan (25mm) and a magnetic dust filter with mounting holes (3mm) which leaves me at 60mm. Would that fit?


It should be able to but I'm not sure of that. I know that 58mm coolers fit in, so I guess 2mm shouldn't make a huge difference.


----------



## darealist

Anyone with this case delid their CPU yet? I want to see if it has much impact with ITX-size CPU heatsinks.


----------



## stars4002

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *darealist*
> 
> Anyone with this case delid their CPU yet? I want to see if it has much impact with ITX-size CPU heatsinks.


I delidded my i5-6500 and overclocked to 4.4GHz. Before the delid, it went well over 85c with the Cryorig C7. After the delid and with a 140mm over the C7, it tops at 64c.


----------



## stars4002

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Mikey22*
> 
> Thanks that's a great idea!
> Now what would be the total cpu cooler height with the OEM dust filter removed? I'm thinking Cryorig C7 heatsink (32mm) with a 140 fan (25mm) and a magnetic dust filter with mounting holes (3mm) which leaves me at 60mm. Would that fit?


This will not fit. I have a C7 and a XT140 140mm fan and there's barely enough clearance between the two given the XT140 is 13mm in height. The C7 is 47mm in height.


----------



## Mikey22

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *stars4002*
> 
> This will not fit. I have a C7 and a XT140 140mm fan and there's barely enough clearance between the two given the XT140 is 13mm in height. The C7 is 47mm in height.


Thanks for replying! Is this with the stock C7 fan still on? I'm planning on removing the stock fan (15mm) on the C7 and just using the heatsink with a 140x140x25mm fan attached to the case.


----------



## stars4002

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Mikey22*
> 
> Thanks for replying! Is this with the stock C7 fan still on? I'm planning on removing the stock fan (15mm) on the C7 and just using the heatsink with a 140x140x25mm fan attached to the case.


Yes, this is with the 92x92x15mm C7 stock fan installed. Your 25mm fan should fit if you remove the C7 stock fan.


----------



## r3mi5awi

I just swap my Thermaltake V1 for Node 202. Great case so far, excellent space saver but cable management is pain in the hole.

Current configuration:

Case: Fractal Design Node 202
CPU: Intel Core i5 5470
CPU: Thermalright AXP 100
Motherboard: ASUS Z97I-PLUS
RAM: Kingston 1600MHz 4GBx2
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1060 3GB
PSU: Fractal Design 450W Bronze
SSD: Corsair Force 3 120GB
SSHD: Seagate 1TB
M.2 : Kingston 120GB
OS: Windows 10 Home
Exhaust Fan: Silentium PC 120MM
Intake Fan: Enermax TB Silence 120MM

Temps are good: CPU idle: 36-39C GPU idle: 30-32C | CPU load: 50-55C GPU load: 55-60C


----------



## ColdRush

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *r3mi5awi*
> 
> I just swap my Thermaltake V1 for Node 202. Great case so far, excellent space saver but cable management is pain in the hole.
> 
> Current configuration:
> 
> Case: Fractal Design Node 202
> CPU: Intel Core i5 5470
> CPU: Thermalright AXP 100
> Motherboard: ASUS Z97I-PLUS
> RAM: Kingston 1600MHz 4GBx2
> GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1060 3GB
> PSU: Fractal Design 450W Bronze
> SSD: Corsair Force 3 120GB
> SSHD: Seagate 1TB
> M.2 : Kingston 120GB
> OS: Windows 10 Home
> Exhaust Fan: Silentium PC 120MM
> Intake Fan: Enermax TB Silence 120MM
> 
> Temps are good: CPU idle: 36-39C GPU idle: 30-32C | CPU load: 50-55C GPU load: 55-60C


Wow I'll have to get an AXP 100! Thanks for posting I never thought it would fit but I didn't think about mounting heat pipe side facing RAM!


----------



## r3mi5awi

No problem man.


----------



## ColdRush

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *r3mi5awi*
> 
> No problem man.


Does it touch the side panel at all? If not then I guess our real clearance is 58 not 56.


----------



## r3mi5awi

I did replace original dust filter with magnetic stripe one and I didn't hear any fan noises grinding side panel , so 58mm are real.


----------



## ColdRush

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *r3mi5awi*
> 
> I did replace original dust filter with magnetic stripe one and I didn't hear any fan noises grinding side panel , so 58mm are real.


Awesome I ordered one this morning







Do you have any upgrades planned?

I was thinking of swapping out my gpu with one that had a blower style cooler, maybe a Founders Edition if I can find one cheap enough.


----------



## jonu

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dimensive*
> 
> Here's a pic showing the gap between my 12mm fans and the GPU:


So i just happened across this thread as I've got a rather idiotic idea (read probably isn't going to work but I may try anyways), but is there anyway you could get another picture similar to this one but with a tape measure going from the floor of the case to the top side of the PCB? This would allow me to make some fairly decent approximations using my GTX980 to see if my idea has any legs.


----------



## Dimensive

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *jonu*
> 
> So i just happened across this thread as I've got a rather idiotic idea (read probably isn't going to work but I may try anyways), but is there anyway you could get another picture similar to this one but with a tape measure going from the floor of the case to the top side of the PCB? This would allow me to make some fairly decent approximations using my GTX980 to see if my idea has any legs.


Sorry, I have since moved my build over to another case because of heat and noise issues in the Node 202.


----------



## ColdRush

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *r3mi5awi*
> 
> I did replace original dust filter with magnetic stripe one and I didn't hear any fan noises grinding side panel , so 58mm are real.


Got mine today, definitely touches if you leave the stock panel in there but it's not bad. I ordered a Scythe Kaze Jyu Slim (100mm, 12mm thick) and it should fit perfectly


----------



## maena

ASUS Strix 980 Ti, not much space left, but it fits!


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *maena*
> 
> ASUS Strix 980 Ti, not much space left, but it fits!


That is really tight! Is that the 3 fan version?


----------



## maena

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> That is really tight! Is that the 3 fan version?


Yup, this one:


----------



## Arengeta

How is it in terms of heat? It's a very hot card based on reviews, among the hottest of whole 980 ti lineup.


----------



## maena

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> How is it in terms of heat? It's a very hot card based on reviews, among the hottest of whole 980 ti lineup.


Wouldn't know sadly, that card was RMA'd just after I took the picture (was busted before I got the case), just wanted to see if it would fit or not









That card is indeed a hot one, even in a normal tower it would borderline throttle.


----------



## r3mi5awi




----------



## r3mi5awi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ColdRush*
> 
> Awesome I ordered one this morning
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Do you have any upgrades planned?
> 
> I was thinking of swapping out my gpu with one that had a blower style cooler, maybe a Founders Edition if I can find one cheap enough.


Gigabyte GTX 1060 3GB ITX is fine for me, 1080P high, details gaming is what I want. Temps are great, running the Valley Benchmark: GPU 64°C and CPU 56°C while is almost whisper quiet.


----------



## Str8Klownin

Hey guys, love the thread.

Just wondering if anyone might have the space between GPU and the bottom of the case. The 1080 is about 38 mm, so how much room would i have? I ask because i see Silverstone has the TD03-SLIM and i wanna know if its possible to get a 120 fan under the GPU fan while sliding this AIO next to it.

Thanks for your help

Edit: found this 



So scratch that idea


----------



## Str8Klownin

Hoping to help anyone else thinking of getting this case, I'll give my experience.

Love this case. Not the smallest itx, but vertical it's beautiful. Thinking of painting it.

CPU - 2700k
Cooler - Scythe Big Shuriken rev B ver 2
MB - EVGA z77 Stinger
PSU - Silverstone SX500-LG
GPU - Nvidia GTX 1080 FE w/ MX-4 thermal paste
Fans - 2 Corsair SPs

Temps are actually fine with the 2 extra fans and replacing the paste with MX-4. +200/400 overclock, fan curve topped out at 73% around 70c. Corsairs following the gpu temp with Speedfan. Heavenly runs topping out at 73C. I hate this motherboard with a passion but it's tough to find an itx 1155 that hasn't been price gouged on eBay. The P8z77-I is a great board but I wasn't sure if that customer power board would fit sticking up like that. The Stinger hates me and fights me every chance I try to overclock. I'll try again later in the week but it's not really necessary to game at 1080 for now.

Thanks for all the information in this thread. Helped a ton


----------



## trigtm

Pretty sure I want to go the Node 202 route and am moving from a Nano S which currently has a 6700k (non-OC at the moment) with a H100i v2 and a 1060 Seahawk so the system it duel AIO cooled. Everything is cold as ice all the time, under 50C 100% of the time even under load (ambients are lower than normal as the system is in a finished basement in the North East).

I want to move to a 202 but to pump noise which I didn't anticipate as annoying me. Its a low hum but still is just background noise that I want to eliminate.

I know that the 202 isn't be best for heat dissipation and I'm trying to hedge against that by thinking of a few vid card options. I'll be keeping it vertical but I want the option for a horizontal setup. I don't LAN but could in the foreseeable future. The 6700K will the a Big Shriuken 2 most likely and for the vid card, I have to move to an air cooled card.

Would the Gigabyte 1070 mini OC be a better choise as I have more space in the GPU chamber for air movement?
OR
Would the MSI 1070 Gaming X be a better choice as it seems to have the best air cooler on the market combined with very low noise?

I want to avoid extra fans if I can but know that I will probably have to use them, which I am OK with. There is a single build using the 202 and the MSI card on PCPP and 0 builds using the Mini so I'm not sure what the better choice, all things considered. Noise is definitely a concern but keeping the system from throttling would be no.1.

Thoughts?


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *trigtm*
> 
> Pretty sure I want to go the Node 202 route and am moving from a Nano S which currently has a 6700k (non-OC at the moment) with a H100i v2 and a 1060 Seahawk so the system it duel AIO cooled. Everything is cold as ice all the time, under 50C 100% of the time even under load (ambients are lower than normal as the system is in a finished basement in the North East).
> 
> I want to move to a 202 but to pump noise which I didn't anticipate as annoying me. Its a low hum but still is just background noise that I want to eliminate.
> 
> I know that the 202 isn't be best for heat dissipation and I'm trying to hedge against that by thinking of a few vid card options. I'll be keeping it vertical but I want the option for a horizontal setup. I don't LAN but could in the foreseeable future. The 6700K will the a Big Shriuken 2 most likely and for the vid card, I have to move to an air cooled card.
> 
> Would the Gigabyte 1070 mini OC be a better choise as I have more space in the GPU chamber for air movement?
> OR
> Would the MSI 1070 Gaming X be a better choice as it seems to have the best air cooler on the market combined with very low noise?
> 
> I want to avoid extra fans if I can but know that I will probably have to use them, which I am OK with. There is a single build using the 202 and the MSI card on PCPP and 0 builds using the Mini so I'm not sure what the better choice, all things considered. Noise is definitely a concern but keeping the system from throttling would be no.1.
> 
> Thoughts?


Hello, the mini card will definitely make a lot more noise than MSI Gaming. Your best bet would be to go with additional intake fans for GPU and also the best in terms of heat/noise ratio.
I also think that NH-L9i with 140mm over it as intake fan would be much better than big shuriken.


----------



## trigtm

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Hello, the mini card will definitely make a lot more noise than MSI Gaming. Your best bet would be to go with additional intake fans for GPU and also the best in terms of heat/noise ratio.
> I also think that NH-L9i with 140mm over it as intake fan would be much better than big shuriken.


Interesting - I was thinking that the Mini would be offset by the additional airflow so as to run the single fan slower rather than the larger card with the two fans and less overall room for air circulation.

Also I have seen several others use the L9 cooler and an additional fan on top rather than the largest single fan cooler then can fit, like the BS Rev 2.B. I haven't seen any comparisons or data on either. I'd be fine with a CPU on the warmer side if the noise was down (70c) versus a cooler CPU where the fan sounds like a turbine.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *trigtm*
> 
> Interesting - I was thinking that the Mini would be offset by the additional airflow so as to run the single fan slower rather than the larger card with the two fans and less overall room for air circulation.
> 
> Also I have seen several others use the L9 cooler and an additional fan on top rather than the largest single fan cooler then can fit, like the BS Rev 2.B. I haven't seen any comparisons or data on either. I'd be fine with a CPU on the warmer side if the noise was down (70c) versus a cooler CPU where the fan sounds like a turbine.


First of all you're forgetting how the heat transfers, the mini has a very small heatsink compared to MSI gaming and since the case does not have any natural exhaust you have to exhaust it by the intake fans with pressure. So basically the bigger the heatsink is, the lower your temperatures will be.

A single full sized 120-140mm fan pulls much more air than slim fan on shuriken. Best would be to find a heatsink that can fit under the fan which will be used as intake on top of CPU on the top of the case. Like found in this post: http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/0_100#post_25435591


----------



## trigtm

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> First of all you're forgetting how the heat transfers, the mini has a very small heatsink compared to MSI gaming and since the case does not have any natural exhaust you have to exhaust it by the intake fans with pressure. So basically the bigger the heatsink is, the lower your temperatures will be.
> 
> A single full sized 120-140mm fan pulls much more air than slim fan on shuriken. Best would be to find a heatsink that can fit under the fan which will be used as intake on top of CPU on the top of the case. Like found in this post: http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/0_100#post_25435591


Good point on the mini vs full size GPU. I was thinking more air flow but I really want silence without overheating. What is the consensus on a blower card like the Asus Turbo on a reference design? Again, with a single fan in the GPU chamber, would you really be stressing the blower enough to cause a audible annoyance?

Adding a second fan adds noise but adding a 140mm fan shouldn't create any more noise and still cool in addition to the L9 cooler. I don't OC more than a probably 200 mhz so it's not going to be stressed.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *trigtm*
> 
> Good point on the mini vs full size GPU. I was thinking more air flow but I really want silence without overheating. What is the consensus on a blower card like the Asus Turbo on a reference design? Again, with a single fan in the GPU chamber, would you really be stressing the blower enough to cause a audible annoyance?
> 
> Adding a second fan adds noise but adding a 140mm fan shouldn't create any more noise and still cool in addition to the L9 cooler. I don't OC more than a probably 200 mhz so it's not going to be stressed.


I think maybe you can remove the L9 fan and leave the 140mm only. Using it at 600-800RPM with high static pressure fan should be more than enough for cooling your CPU. You can test it both ways, don't think it will take more than 10-15 mins to test that out and see what will be the best choice.

Adding more fans to GPU chamber does not necessarily mean it will be more loud. You can use Corsair ML120 or be quiet! Silent Wings 3 PWM as all intake fans (Over CPU and in the GPU chamber) and set the curve manually to 700RPM idle (absolutely silent) and 1000-1100 RPM during full load (can test and maybe even decrease to 850-900 RPM during load but at 1100RPM they still stay rather silent).

Blower fan types of GPU might have better temperatures in general but they will not remain silent because of their high speed. MSI Gaming X or Palit GameRock will probably be one of the silent GPU's you can use with 2 additional intake fans.

I suggest using all 3 fans same model and size so you can use a 3-way splitter and connect them all to CPU fan header and setup the fan curve manually. Up to 1000RPM should be more than enough to provide efficient airflow inside the case.


----------



## r3mi5awi

Temps under load in Witcher 3 Ultra settings (Hair OFF / AA OFF) with 60 FPS at all the time.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *r3mi5awi*
> 
> Temps under load in Witcher 3 Ultra settings (Hair OFF / AA OFF) with 60 FPS at all the time.


Those are some really nice temps!
What program do you use to monitor?


----------



## r3mi5awi

...


----------



## frozensasquatch

Hi guys! Glad to see a comprehensive thread on this case, as I'm new to building and have a question.

For the 2 case fans placed beneath the GPU - one intake, one out, or two intake?

At the moment, I have 2 sucking air in, as I have a reference/blower style 1070. I'm curious if it would be beneficial for the fan opposite the GPU intake-fan to exhaust?

Any help would be appreciated.


----------



## xP_0nex

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *r3mi5awi*
> 
> Temps under load in Witcher 3 Ultra settings (Hair OFF / AA OFF) with 60 FPS at all the time.


Hows the fan noise?


----------



## r3mi5awi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *xP_0nex*
> 
> Hows the fan noise?


Can't hear it when I use headphones same when using the speakers, you can hear it when is dead quiet in the room and pc is in idle.


----------



## r3mi5awi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Those are some really nice temps!
> What program do you use to monitor?


https://camwebapp.com/


----------



## trigtm

Found this over in the RVZ02 Silverstone thread and thought it relevant for those deciding between a blower design GPU (FE) and an open air design GPU. Temps and noise levels measured subjectively but still telling.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1466816/silverstone-raven-rvz01-rvz02-ml07-ml08-ftz01-owners-club/6380#post_25481577


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *trigtm*
> 
> Found this over in the RVZ02 Silverstone thread and thought it relevant for those deciding between a blower design GPU (FE) and an open air design GPU. Temps and noise levels measured subjectively but still telling.
> 
> http://www.overclock.net/t/1466816/silverstone-raven-rvz01-rvz02-ml07-ml08-ftz01-owners-club/6380#post_25481577


As far as I remember RVZ02 has no intake fans in gpu section unlike Node 202.


----------



## frozensasquatch

Maybe I'm just neurotic (well, that's a fact), but I'm not comfortable with a case this size venting heat internally. The blower style card, along with the optional case fans seems like the appropriate plan for this particular case.


----------



## trigtm

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> Maybe I'm just neurotic (well, that's a fact), but I'm not comfortable with a case this size venting heat internally. The blower style card, along with the optional case fans seems like the appropriate plan for this particular case.


That may be what you feel, but it might not be supported but the data. I have been looking everywhere for DAYS on end to try and get information and comparisons between a blower and a vented card with almost no data and examples at all. Tons of people say they feel this or that but no one seems to have done some hard comparisons that I've found...correct me if I am wrong.

The thinking that a blower like the FE is the best for thermals might be right, but I am also not seeing that tested with fans included in the bay and no fans and also the sound levels you hear. Latest information I am seeing is that the MSI Gaming X card, considered the quietest 1070 out there, would be just as good in a 202 but that without case venting, you might be at a net loss regarding thermal throttling, especially if the card does not have added fans.

My goal is to be as quiet as possible while staying under the thermal limits of a 1070 (FE or aftermarket). That can include or exclude fans in the GPU compartment but I just can't find an answer probably without doing this myself. I'm 99% on using the MSI card here and if anyone has a FE in the NE area and wants to get sciency, let me know and we call test all possibly permutations. I'm willing to do a full video and write-up also, to end the debate.


----------



## frozensasquatch

Was just my thoughts - I may be wrong of course, as you said, there isn't too much data out there either way.

Frankly, I don't think either method is going to give you poor results. Higher temps may hold back some games, and maybe the life of some components, but in the end, neither are "bad", per se.


----------



## trigtm

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> Was just my thoughts - I may be wrong of course, as you said, there isn't too much data out there either way.
> 
> Frankly, I don't think either method is going to give you poor results. Higher temps may hold back some games, and maybe the life of some components, but in the end, neither are "bad", per se.


Agreed, and I definitely wasn't attacking you, but there is just so much heresay and not a whole lot of actual results. Either way, I made my decision and I'll post back in a week or two when the system is up and running. I'll make sure to include as much data as I can.


----------



## frozensasquatch

Looking forward to hearing your results.

I have to admit, I'm swayed by many of the youtube personalities that prefer blower-style for small cases, so I'll be interested to hear how you fare. I'm no the most knowledgeable on these types of things, so I tend to take advice at face-value.


----------



## trigtm

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> Looking forward to hearing your results.
> 
> I have to admit, I'm swayed by many of the youtube personalities that prefer blower-style for small cases, so I'll be interested to hear how you fare. I'm no the most knowledgeable on these types of things, so I tend to take advice at face-value.


I agree - I think I've watched every SFF build from the big youtube channels there are but they never hit on exactly what I was looking for. They may have used a blower right away and didn't measure sound levels or didn't even consider the open air style card at all because they dismissed it as not a logical thing to do. I'm just a consumer trying to make an informed decision by scienceing something...

What bugs me is that my current Fractal Define Nano S is a great case but the power supply location is bad and using a H100i v2 on the 6700k and a 1070 Seahawk, all I hear is pump noise now and I just can't get over it. I thought I wanted a dual AIO setup for ease of maintenance, insanely cold temps and that additional rarity factor but all I see now is how annoying the pumps can be and that I actually value silence and that I really don't care much for overclocking...which is hard to say on here.

The quest continues.


----------



## smithydan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *trigtm*
> 
> I agree - I think I've watched every SFF build from the big youtube channels there are but they never hit on exactly what I was looking for. They may have used a blower right away and didn't measure sound levels or didn't even consider the open air style card at all because they dismissed it as not a logical thing to do. I'm just a consumer trying to make an informed decision by scienceing something...
> 
> What bugs me is that my current Fractal Define Nano S is a great case but the power supply location is bad and using a H100i v2 on the 6700k and a 1070 Seahawk, all I hear is pump noise now and I just can't get over it. I thought I wanted a dual AIO setup for ease of maintenance, insanely cold temps and that additional rarity factor but all I see now is how annoying the pumps can be and that I actually value silence and that I really don't care much for overclocking...which is hard to say on here.
> 
> The quest continues.


I assume you have the top open?


----------



## trigtm

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *smithydan*
> 
> I assume you have the top open?


Nope, top is closed, the H100i is at the front pulling air in and the Seahawk is at the rear pushing air out. I just think the pump ramps up too fast when the temp is still really low and is just too much for my linking. The case is also about 15 inches from me on the desk too.


----------



## xP_0nex

Finally got my Node 202 build together and have to say it was a real pain to put it all together.


----------



## frozensasquatch

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *xP_0nex*
> 
> Finally got my Node 202 build together and have to say it was a real pain to put it all together.


Absolutely...it definitely has some challenges. Are you happy with how it worked out though?


----------



## xP_0nex

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> Absolutely...it definitely has some challenges. Are you happy with how it worked out though?


Sure am! Was able to free up some much needed space in the small room where I had all my PC related stuff in.


----------



## frozensasquatch

So, because I'm a bisquillionaire, I bought an i7-7700 (I lie, I bought it with tears).

As expected, nothing to get excited over, but a bit of a jump from the i5-6500.

Before you say it - yes, the 400 could have been spent elsewhere to much more effect. I realize this and did it anyway.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> So, because I'm a bisquillionaire, I bought an i7-7700 (I lie, I bought it with tears).
> 
> As expected, nothing to get excited over, but a bit of a jump from the i5-6500.
> 
> Before you say it - yes, the 400 could have been spent elsewhere to much more effect. I realize this and did it anyway.


Congrats! That sure is a nice upgrade.


----------



## frozensasquatch

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Congrats! That sure is a nice upgrade.


Thanks! I know it's minor at the moment, but it should last a few years before I get the itch again.

Also, being a noob builder, this wasy first experience with thermal paste. It stressed me out.


----------



## Fischer707

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> As far as I remember RVZ02 has no intake fans in gpu section unlike Node 202.


Thats why a lot of ppl do this mod for the GPU

http://www.overclock.net/t/1595110/build-log-hyperion-mk-iii-a-silverstone-ml08-build


----------



## frozensasquatch

I have a dumb question - I've seen examples of heatsink fins being installed in both directions. One where the fins are parallel to the RAM sticks, and one where they are perpendicular.

Would there be an advantage to having them facing the RAM perpendicular, so that each fin would have access to airflow?


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> I have a dumb question - I've seen examples of heatsink fins being installed in both directions. One where the fins are parallel to the RAM sticks, and one where they are perpendicular.
> 
> Would there be an advantage to having them facing the RAM perpendicular, so that each fin would have access to airflow?


I'm sorry I don't understand what you mean


----------



## frozensasquatch

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> I'm sorry I don't understand what you mean


For example, this user has the heatsink fins perpendicular to the ram sticks:

http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/10#post_24748141

While this user has them parallel:

http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/130#post_25676597

Does that make sense?


----------



## ZodiacG66

Yay, just finished my Node 202 build








Managed to "squeeze" a Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Revision B into the case with a 140mm prolimatech slim vortex fan on it. . . . . and when I say "Squeeze" I mean put in a vice and crush it by about 4mm to make it fit. Worked a treat








i7 4790k (under volted to 1.075v) @ 54c under gaming load and 78c under prime95 so not bad at all.

GPU is a R9 Nano and that sits at around 74c when full load gaming with 2x 120mm Nanoxia quiet fans pulling air from outside over it, ambient temps are about 22c


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> For example, this user has the heatsink fins perpendicular to the ram sticks:
> 
> http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/10#post_24748141
> 
> While this user has them parallel:
> 
> http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/130#post_25676597
> 
> Does that make sense?


Ah, I see what you mean.
I think that doesn't really matter since when we place the cooler we make sure that we can connect and set everything up without blocking something else.
Like my DeepCool Gamer Storm Gabriel could only be set one way on my ITX motherboard or otherwise it would block my GPU, RAM or even 4pin CPU power supply cord.


----------



## ZodiacG66

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> For example, this user has the heatsink fins perpendicular to the ram sticks:
> 
> http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/10#post_24748141
> 
> While this user has them parallel:
> 
> http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/130#post_25676597
> 
> Does that make sense?


If you Node 202 is flat then it dosen't matter which way to cpu cooler is mounted.

If you have your case upright then both the ways you have posted in the links are correct, with the U shaped heat pipes they need to be on ether side or on the lower part of the cooler when mounting, never on the top.



Hope that helps


----------



## NN PianoMan

Great thread - still in the process of building mine (relegating the older parts from my gaming PC into a Steam Machine/HTPC):

Node 202
CPU: i5 2400 (soon to inherit an i7 2600/2600k)
Cooler: Stock (for now)
Mobo: Asus P8H61-I R2.0
RAM: 4GB G.Skill Ripjaws 1333
GPU: ZOTAC GTX 750 Ti (will inherit GTX 970 from gaming PC once I upgrade... whenever...







)
PSU: Integra SFX - the included unit
Case Fans: 2x AC F12s (GPU area)

I built this above without the case fans in the GPU area, and shockingly







- saw the need to add the Arctic Cooling fans. Saw 80deg C on the GPU and 65deg C on the CPU. Case is horizontal and in a media cabinet cubby about 7-8" high (the shelf above is short and open towards the back).

Two questions at this point while I'm in the final stages of the build:

1) the GPU dust filter very lightly touches the fans in some areas, enough to cause some objectionable noise - what have some of you done to prevent this? I was thinking fan grills in between fan/case/filter, but this would raise the fan height towards the GPU. Not an issue with the 750 Ti, but may be an issue with the GTX 970 in the future (ACX 2.0 cooler). Is there another option? (I'd really like to keep the filters, so simply leaving them uninstalled would not be optimal)

2) initially, without the GPU area fans, I saw SSD temps rise into the high 50s, sometimes touching into the very low 60s - obviously, lots of dead space air by the SSDs. I would expect this to be a little lower once the GPU area fans are running - but does anyone have concerns with their SSDs in the stock mounting configuration?

2 - cont.) I was thinking a spot fan to cool, or a more ambitious plan would be utilize the thick partition between the SSDs, carve a hole between the compartments, and mount a fan in the open space, so it will be between the SSDs, and potentially pushing additional air out of the GPU area (or vice versa). Too crazy? Too much work for such little benefit?

Otherwise, love the case! Thanks for any feedback.


----------



## ZodiacG66

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> Great thread - still in the process of building mine (relegating the older parts from my gaming PC into a Steam Machine/HTPC):
> 
> Node 202
> CPU: i5 2400 (soon to inherit an i7 2600/2600k)
> Cooler: Stock (for now)
> Mobo: Asus P8H61-I R2.0
> RAM: 4GB G.Skill Ripjaws 1333
> GPU: ZOTAC GTX 750 Ti (will inherit GTX 970 from gaming PC once I upgrade... whenever...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> )
> PSU: Integra SFX - the included unit
> Case Fans: 2x AC F12s (GPU area)
> 
> I built this above without the case fans in the GPU area, and shockingly
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - saw the need to add the Arctic Cooling fans. Saw 80deg C on the GPU and 65deg C on the CPU. Case is horizontal and in a media cabinet cubby about 7-8" high (the shelf above is short and open towards the back).
> 
> Two questions at this point while I'm in the final stages of the build:
> 
> 1) the GPU dust filter very lightly touches the fans in some areas, enough to cause some objectionable noise - what have some of you done to prevent this? I was thinking fan grills in between fan/case/filter, but this would raise the fan height towards the GPU. Not an issue with the 750 Ti, but may be an issue with the GTX 970 in the future (ACX 2.0 cooler). Is there another option? (I'd really like to keep the filters, so simply leaving them uninstalled would not be optimal)
> 
> 2) initially, without the GPU area fans, I saw SSD temps rise into the high 50s, sometimes touching into the very low 60s - obviously, lots of dead space air by the SSDs. I would expect this to be a little lower once the GPU area fans are running - but does anyone have concerns with their SSDs in the stock mounting configuration?
> 
> 2 - cont.) I was thinking a spot fan to cool, or a more ambitious plan would be utilize the thick partition between the SSDs, carve a hole between the compartments, and mount a fan in the open space, so it will be between the SSDs, and potentially pushing additional air out of the GPU area (or vice versa). Too crazy? Too much work for such little benefit?
> 
> Otherwise, love the case! Thanks for any feedback.


For question 1. what I did was mark the fans on a thick bit of cardboard, drew around the edge, mark the holes and the inside bit, the cut out and use as a spacer to move the fan away from the mesh, better idea would be to use a sheet of silicone from a discount shop (like poundland) you can find then in the food area, silicone tray type thing and cut it up to fit (would act as a vibration damper also).

Question 2. Temps seem way too hot, my 2 SSDs don't get over 30c even when full gaming and my hardware is much more powerful/Hotter then yours. A 60mm fan inside may push air across them if put in the right place.

Think the biggest issue you have is that the case is in a confined area with very little air movement, try it on it's stand next to the media unit to see if temps drop much before you spend out on hardware that won't make much difference but a better cooler would be a good start


----------



## NN PianoMan

Thanks! I'll do the spacer (cardboard or silicone - laziness may get the better of me, but my OCD will probably win) tonight.

WAF dictates the PC remain where it is (in the cabinet), but I'll try the vertical position outside of the living room and see what temps do. I haven't run this little bugger with the GPU fans installed, so maybe I have already solved the SSD temp problem.

Will let all know how it pans out; thanks for the quick reply!


----------



## frozensasquatch

I just stuck the magnetic filter on the outside of the case.


----------



## NN PianoMan

So my OCD won out last night, and I ended up ordering two fan gaskets from Amazon - they arrive Wednesday. Didn't trust nor have time for my DIY skills to blossom...

I did a test also, removed the filter (noise was annoying) and placed it in the cubby. Remember, WAF will not allow any other placement, LOL. Now with the 2x AC fans in the GPU area, I get 65deg CPU, 75deg GPU, and 45deg SDD (max temps). I believe I can live with those numbers. AC fans are noisier at speed than I'd like; so Noctuas may be making their way into the build sooner rather than later...

With the fan gaskets, build should be complete and played on (mostly courtesy of the kids) by the weekend...

Future upgrades (timing unknown - parts from gaming PC upgrades): i7 2600, GTX 970, Noctuas, and a better CPU cooler.

Great thread - I'll keep the updates coming as they occur. Will include pics of current build towards end of week.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> I just stuck the magnetic filter on the outside of the case.


Simple solution







; but that's where my OCD kicks in.


----------



## frozensasquatch

Can someone point me to a good DYI instruction on replacing a PSU? I find the integra to have a whiney fan.


----------



## NN PianoMan

I noticed that too last night - but had a hard time figuring out whether it was the PSU, the Intel stock cooler, or the AC F12s.

For replacing a PSU within this case, I'd search for build videos on YouTube. Otherwise, the connections are pretty simple: 24pin, CPU 8/6pin, PCI-E for the GPU, and SATA. It's the routing as you know which will be the pain.


----------



## frozensasquatch

Thanks....I'd really rather not replace it, it sounds like a pain. :/

What are everyone's thoughts on the new 1080ti? Too power hunger for the 450w PSU methinks...But I still want one.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> Thanks....I'd really rather not replace it, it sounds like a pain. :/
> 
> What are everyone's thoughts on the new 1080ti? Too power hunger for the 450w PSU methinks...But I still want one.


Not at all. With a non overclocked i7 6700k/7700k the whole system won't pull more than 350W in stress tests, real world use will even be lower.

You want to replace your PSU or fan inside your PSU? I didn't really get that


----------



## frozensasquatch

That's good to know...I figured it would be too much.

EDIT - what about heat?

I'd like to replace the whole PSU because it's probably difficult to find the parts to replace the fan. What do you think?


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> That's good to know...I figured it would be too much.
> 
> EDIT - what about heat?
> 
> I'd like to replace the whole PSU because it's probably difficult to find the parts to replace the fan. What do you think?


With 2 good fans on intake you should have no problems with too much heat.

Replacing a fan in PSU is often very easy but it voids your warranty.
IF you want to replace PSU I'd suggest going for Corsair SF450 or Corsair SF600.


----------



## smithydan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> With 2 good fans on intake you should have no problems with too much heat.
> 
> Replacing a fan in PSU is often very easy but it voids your warranty.
> IF you want to replace PSU I'd suggest going for Corsair SF450 or Corsair SF600.


Those 92mm fans on those are good enough already, no need to replace.


----------



## Lumme11

Hey there, found this epic thread about the Nod 202, so wanted to post my new Node 202 built i finally got together after finding the right parts. Ive been in love with this case for a long time now as i dont like the ITX cube cases.

So this is my "new" node 202 setup:

Intel i5 4670K
Scythe Kozuti
Gigabyte Z87N-WIFI
Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB 1600mhz DDR3
Samsung 830 SSD 128GB
MSI Geforce GTX 6GT OC 6GB
Corsair SF450
Mounted 1x4Pin Arctic 120mm cooler on the top cpu grill, it just managed to fit without the dust filter on and mounted with cable strips, and then 2xPhanteks 120mm fans underneath the GFX (one of em apparently got some noise problems so currently its disconnected).

The motherboard got a really crappy position for the CPU as the mounting the CPU cooler wasnt so easy. And here is why.
I had the Kozuti lying around, so wanted to put it into the case, but it wouldnt fit, so i started to try out with the Intel Stock cooler, but the temps went really high (95c) in Prime95 when running at 3.8ghz. So i tried again to put the Kozuti in, and i got it to fit, but that was quite an experiement to get it to fit. I had to take off the heat spreader of one of the memory. And it could only fit in that direction, in the other direction it wouldnt fit on because the graphic card was in the way.

With the Kozuti installed it went to 85c at max in Prime95 running at 3.8ghz.
My temps on normal use looks like this:

Idle:
CPU 42c
GFX: 35c

Load:
CPU: 75c
GFX: 83c

But im thinking about trading my graphic card to an ITX version of the 1060 GTX and then modify the case to fit a small AIO CPU water cooler.


----------



## Arengeta

Lumme11 or you could delid your i5 4670k and lower the temps by quite a lot








Those haswells run very hot and maybe even aio cpu cooler will not benefit much.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Something's not right - my i5 2400 stables out in the low 70s on the stock cooler?

Have you checked the obvious stuff (you probably have)? Reseating, fan profiles, flow reversal?


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> Something's not right - my i5 2400 stables out in the low 70s on the stock cooler?
> 
> Have you checked the obvious stuff (you probably have)? Reseating, fan profiles, flow reversal?


TIM on Sandy bridge is totally different than the one used on Haswell.
4670k and 4770k are known to have really high temperatures even at stock clocks.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Hmmmm... I heard about that issues, but wasn't expecting it to be such a large temp delta.

Seems like OP better start planning some CPU surgery...


----------



## frozensasquatch

Is anyone going for the 1080ti? I'm very tempted...I want that "near 60fps @ 4k". I'm a bit worried about temps though.

Thoughts? Aftermarket or FE?

Also - anyone know the retail in CAD$?


----------



## NN PianoMan

Is this computer case? Roll in the freezer, park it next to the Node 202, and open the door.









Yep - I want, but will wait until the initial euphoria dies down (how much are these going to go for when they hit retail stock?!?). And if I do, it's probably going to go into my Qmicra.

What temps does your 1070 run?


----------



## FTBPC

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> Is anyone going for the 1080ti? I'm very tempted...I want that "near 60fps @ 4k". I'm a bit worried about temps though.
> 
> Thoughts? Aftermarket or FE?
> 
> Also - anyone know the retail in CAD$?


I called NCIX today - you can get one for 999$ CAD.

I'm planning on a 1080 TI AIB board - probably a MSI card.

I have a question - has anyone tried using Noc's industrial fans that spin upto 3000 RPM for the CPU chassis fan? I don't mind the noise, and I think it would be a good compliment to the L9i.

BTW, glad I found this thread, planning to build when I'm done school in 2 months.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> First of all you're forgetting how the heat transfers, the mini has a very small heatsink compared to MSI gaming and since the case does not have any natural exhaust you have to exhaust it by the intake fans with pressure. So basically the bigger the heatsink is, the lower your temperatures will be.
> 
> A single full sized 120-140mm fan pulls much more air than slim fan on shuriken. Best would be to find a heatsink that can fit under the fan which will be used as intake on top of CPU on the top of the case. Like found in this post: http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/0_100#post_25435591


Hey, I'm wondering if anyone has fit a Noc L9x65 into the Node? And then stick a fan on the outside of the chassis blowing in?


----------



## frozensasquatch

Right now after playing my usual he, I'm around 56°. Keep in mind I live in Canada and it's @_#-ing freezing here.


----------



## frozensasquatch

Ok I ran Firestrike and it appears from SpeedFan that my GPU temps peacked around 72. Can anyone suggest a better utility to give concrete information?


----------



## asdf916

So I'm officially a Node 202 owner on paper and will be receiving the actual thing some time next week.

One question I have is: Are case fans required/suggested for the Node 202? I'm running pretty low wattage (i5-7500 with stock cooler + MSI 1050ti 4GT [dual fan, open air]).

Here's my PCPP: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bk2pRG


----------



## NN PianoMan

frozen: I use HWMonitor, as I don't need continuous watching. I turn it on, do whatever I need to do (stress test, benchmark, game, etc.) - if temps and everything else OK, turn it off until the next time. There may be better options out there.

asdf916: the general consensus is that a vertical mount you may be able to do without. I've got mine horizontal on the stock feet in a media cabinet (8" high, open in the front and towards the back), and ended up putting in fans to cool my GTX 750 Ti. It was hitting high 70s while gaming.

Update on my build: still haven't posted pics - the Cryorig C7's backplate doesn't fit on the motherboard when installed in the case. Looking for an alternative...



And thanks to ZodiacG66, the gaskets on the fans in the GPU section worked perfectly. Minimal raise, but enough to keep the rubbing from happening. These AF12 fans are quiet!!!


----------



## Lumme11

Hello again, anyone with a 120mm AIO CPU cooler system? Would like to know how you built it up.

Its my build in post #204.

Im thinking about trading my MSI GTX 1060 OC 6GB to an GTX 1060 ITX version (would prefer Gigabyte version).

And get a 120mm AIO liquid cooler (Corsair H55) with pull setup, but i dont think the 120mm fan would fit, think it would hit the graphic card (17cm is the ITX 1060 versions). So thought about getting and 120mm to 92mm fan adapter to mount on top of the radiator and then mount an NOCTUA NF-B9 REDUX-1600 PWM - 92MM fan.

Would cut out the middle bar of the Node 202 to fit in the tubes for the cooler.

Think it would work or would it be a bad idea?


----------



## r3mi5awi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> frozen: I use HWMonitor, as I don't need continuous watching. I turn it on, do whatever I need to do (stress test, benchmark, game, etc.) - if temps and everything else OK, turn it off until the next time. There may be better options out there.
> 
> asdf916: the general consensus is that a vertical mount you may be able to do without. I've got mine horizontal on the stock feet in a media cabinet (8" high, open in the front and towards the back), and ended up putting in fans to cool my GTX 750 Ti. It was hitting high 70s while gaming.
> 
> Update on my build: still haven't posted pics - the Cryorig C7's backplate doesn't fit on the motherboard when installed in the case. Looking for an alternative...
> 
> 
> 
> And thanks to ZodiacG66, the gaskets on the fans in the GPU section worked perfectly. Minimal raise, but enough to keep the rubbing from happening. These AF12 fans are quiet!!!


Thermalright AXP-100 without dust filter is keeping my I5 4570 in around 50°C while under load.


----------



## frozensasquatch

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *asdf916*
> 
> So I'm officially a Node 202 owner on paper and will be receiving the actual thing some time next week.
> 
> One question I have is: Are case fans required/suggested for the Node 202? I'm running pretty low wattage (i5-7500 with stock cooler + MSI 1050ti 4GT [dual fan, open air]).
> 
> Here's my PCPP: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bk2pRG


The thing about the stock cooler is noise - a Noctua L9i will be quieter and more efficient at cooling. Not a necessity though. I personally also use 2 120mm Noctua case fans next to the GPU.


----------



## ZodiacG66

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> Ok I ran Firestrike and it appears from SpeedFan that my GPU temps peacked around 72. Can anyone suggest a better utility to give concrete information?


I use NZXTs CAM software, always been good at showing temps and fan speeds even if you don't have any NZXT stuff.


----------



## ZodiacG66

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Lumme11*
> 
> Hello again, anyone with a 120mm AIO CPU cooler system? Would like to know how you built it up.
> 
> Its my build in post #204.
> 
> Im thinking about trading my MSI GTX 1060 OC 6GB to an GTX 1060 ITX version (would prefer Gigabyte version).
> 
> And get a 120mm AIO liquid cooler (Corsair H55) with pull setup, but i dont think the 120mm fan would fit, think it would hit the graphic card (17cm is the ITX 1060 versions). So thought about getting and 120mm to 92mm fan adapter to mount on top of the radiator and then mount an NOCTUA NF-B9 REDUX-1600 PWM - 92MM fan.
> 
> Would cut out the middle bar of the Node 202 to fit in the tubes for the cooler.
> 
> Think it would work or would it be a bad idea?


Been looking into doing the same thing, found a youtube video of someone who has put one in and it seemed to work ok (he did have a few problems).

The biggest problem I can see is the fact that the water block/pump is at the highest point if your case is in the vertical position which is bad for getting air trapped in it ( the Rad or Res need to be the highest part in a water cooled system to trap air). If your system is flat then not a problem with that but finding an AIO with water tubes long enough to reach may prove a problem.

Fractals own AIO looks good as you can "upgrade" it with removable tubes so it would be easy to fit through the centre part of the case without modding it but the Rad is 46mm thick which won't leave much room for a fan and any clearance needed to move air







.

Silverstone do a Slim AIO which would be the best bet for fit but you would need to mod the centre rail to get the tubes through, also they look like they would be too short.

And to anyone wanting to Delid your CPU, don't.
I did a delid on my i7 4790k, using prime95 I has temps of 100c before the delid and 89c after, 11c drop (which was nice







) BUT my idle didn't change, my gaming temps didn't change.
The biggest temp drop I had was from UNDER-volting my CPU, stock volts were 1.275 but my chip ran normal on 1.1 and the temps dropped 15c when gaming, took boost off and dropped another 10c. Under full gaming I get about 52c on my CPU and 72c on my GPU (AMD R9 Nano).

Got 2 Nanoxia 120mm Quiet fans in the GPU area running 100% and silent, and the CPU is cooled by a scythe big shuriken 2 rev.b with a 140mm prolimatech vortex slim fan (Had to remove the internal mesh air filter and crush the cooler down by about 3mm to fit) works great and silent. Will add some photos later.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Well, leaning towards the Noctua L9i or Scythe Kozuti - simple screw mounts in the back - no chance of physical interference!
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Lumme11*
> 
> Think it would work or would it be a bad idea?


Anything's possible, and I know others have attempted and succeeded at such a build. As for me - I want to use that GPU section as it was designed - my GTX 970's headed here next (soon as I figure out how/when I'm gonna grab a 1080 - wait: did someone say "Ti"?!?







).
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *FTBPC*
> 
> I have a question - has anyone tried using Noc's industrial fans that spin upto 3000 RPM for the CPU chassis fan? I don't mind the noise, and I think it would be a good compliment to the L9i.
> 
> Hey, I'm wondering if anyone has fit a Noc L9x65 into the Node? And then stick a fan on the outside of the chassis blowing in?


Noise in the living room computer will put me in the dog house.










I have not seen any outside fans blowing in - but again, anything's possible. My OCD would kick in - I want this case looking stock.


----------



## NN PianoMan

So ordered a Noctua L9i - ordered and received in one day (go Amazon Prime!), installed, and... a little underwhelmed. Though I wasn't expecting much, due to the design towards 65W TDP, only two heatpipes and small fin surface area - I get 2-5deg cooler than the stock HSF.

But it's quiet, and with just the four thumbscrews on the backside of the mobo - I'm able to install it.


----------



## ZodiacG66

Photos of my build, bit untidy but will sort that out when I have some free time


----------



## frozensasquatch

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> Ok I ran Firestrike and it appears from SpeedFan that my GPU temps peacked around 72. Can anyone suggest a better utility to give concrete information?


Ran Fire Strike again using Hardware Monitor (thanks for the suggestion), and it again peaked at 72 degrees. I'd love to know how the 1080ti will do in this case with a blower-style fan.

I was hoping Asus' Turbo edition would replicate the design of the reference model, but they left in the DVI port (do people still use DVI?) I doubt it makes that much of a difference for cooling anyway, but it's probably a bit of a help having the extra room for exhaust.

ps - apparently Nvidia is suggesting a 600w power supply for the 1080ti, so those of us with the 450w integra may be out of luck.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frozensasquatch*
> 
> Ran Fire Strike again using Hardware Monitor (thanks for the suggestion), and it again peaked at 72 degrees. I'd love to know how the 1080ti will do in this case with a blower-style fan.
> 
> I was hoping Asus' Turbo edition would replicate the design of the reference model, but they left in the DVI port (do people still use DVI?) I doubt it makes that much of a difference for cooling anyway, but it's probably a bit of a help having the extra room for exhaust.
> 
> ps - apparently Nvidia is suggesting a 600w power supply for the 1080ti, so those of us with the 450w integra may be out of luck.


Nvidia is considering all CPU's that might be used and also overclocking the GPU.
If you will be using stock i7 and stock GTX 1080 Ti 450W power supply would be sufficient. Sure, it will be quite loud during gaming but nothing that it wouldn't be able to handle.
Considering that GTX 1080 Ti has a power consumption of around 250-280W, add in peripherals (30W) and stock CPU (i7 - 90W) and you would get ~400W during stress testing both CPU and GPU at the same time, gaming consumption would be around 300-350W.

It seems that most new GPU's have thermal target... Like my GPU would never go above 77C even if I heavily overclock it, so that's why you might be getting 72C all the time.


----------



## NN PianoMan

I've also heard you can run with a 500W to 600W "decent" PSU on a 1080. At 450W we'd be stressing the Integra big time, but it should handle it.

Did some digging, and found reviews on the Fractal Integra line of ATX PSUs. Budget conscious, Bronze certified - build/soldering quality looks well enough, but part selection may leave something to be desired:

Kitguru Review - Internals

The Integra SFX units in our Nodes may handle a GTX 1080 Ti in the short term, but I'd be concerned over the long run if we run them close to their design limit.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Okay - performed the ultimate practical stress test today; son did a few hours of gaming this afternoon. The i7 2600 from my gaming computer hit 72deg max. The Noctua L9i was sweatin' (more like melting!







).

I had him do the same games this evening and pulled the Node out of the media cabinet. Same temps.

I know someone on this thread said to not rush CPU cooler purchases - you were right.

@Arengeta - what improvements did you see switching to the Deepcool Gabriel? If better than 4-5deg over stock cooler, I may switch that direction.

Otherwise, the Evercool HPL-815 is on my radar as well. Too bad the Thermalright doesn't seem to be sold anymore.

Taking me a bit longer to dial this build in (the gaming rig is upgraded and running fine!) - but that's the fun we have with SFF builds.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> I've also heard you can run with a 500W to 600W "decent" PSU on a 1080. At 450W we'd be stressing the Integra big time, but it should handle it.
> 
> Did some digging, and found reviews on the Fractal Integra line of ATX PSUs. Budget conscious, Bronze certified - build/soldering quality looks well enough, but part selection may leave something to be desired:
> 
> Kitguru Review - Internals
> 
> The Integra SFX units in our Nodes may handle a GTX 1080 Ti in the short term, but I'd be concerned over the long run if we run them close to their design limit.


Mate, how often do you play games on your pc? Do you have them running 24/7? If not then I certainly would not be concerned about PSU even in the long run because it would have no issues being cooled by the fan. Loud yes, unsafe for PSU no.
Also how can you compare atx and sfx lineups if they are most likely built by completely different oems?


----------



## NN PianoMan

I don't play 24/7, and I agree - it's maybe different OEMs between the ATX and SFX. But within the Integra line, would think the SFX is built better? I would expect they are built similarly and use similar parts. Regardless of form factor, these PSUs are built to a price point.

You may not have an issue running a GTX 1080 Ti with this PSU, and I don't think I would have much running it for a little bit. But I'd start to think about replacement the longer it's run that close to the thermal limits of the components inside.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> I don't play 24/7, and I agree - it's maybe different OEMs between the ATX and SFX. But within the Integra line, would think the SFX is built better? I would expect they are built similarly and use similar parts. Regardless of form factor, these PSUs are built to a price point.
> 
> You may not have an issue running a GTX 1080 Ti with this PSU, and I don't think I would have much running it for a little bit. But I'd start to think about replacement the longer it's run that close to the thermal limits of the components inside.


What thermal limits? They have 105C capacitors secondary side and are highly unlikely to reach that temperature, however the life expectancy is quite sad at that temperature.
Considering that it's a very tight space they are working at around 60-75C during full load which is completely fine and might affect lifespan of your power supply in the long run, but who knows.

I can only judge by the comparison reviews of Silverstone ST45F and Integra SFX unit (they perform approx. the same). If they are the same then they are group regulated which results in bad voltage regulation. It is made by Enhance and is of decent quality power supply with Teapo both on primary and secondary sides, which are considered decent quality capacitors.

While I would say it is more than enough for i7+gtx 1080 ti I would most likely recommend moving to Gold rated units from Corsair and Silverstone, both of them are a tad higher quality (even 450W variants).


----------



## NN PianoMan

I'd be surprised if our SFX units have 105C capacitors, as the ATX versions of the Integra line have 85C Teapos. Again, the Integras are built to a price point, so I would expect Fractal to spec out the same parts. Not a fan of Teapos, but seems they may have turned themselves around recently. Enhance is totally thumbs up in my book.

In any case, I plan to run the Integra on the GTX 970 once it gets transferred over. I'm not _*too*_ worried, it should hold up quite well.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> I'd be surprised if our SFX units have 105C capacitors, as the ATX versions of the Integra line have 85C Teapos. Again, the Integras are built to a price point, so I would expect Fractal to spec out the same parts. Not a fan of Teapos, but seems they may have turned themselves around recently. Enhance is totally thumbs up in my book.
> 
> In any case, I plan to run the Integra on the GTX 970 once it gets transferred over. I'm not _*too*_ worried, it should hold up quite well.


Secondary is completely filtered by 105C Teapos if you look closely. The Primary capacitor is 85C but it does not matter that much since it has no problems being cooled by the fan.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Secondary is completely filtered by 105C Teapos if you look closely. The Primary capacitor is 85C but it does not matter that much since it has no problems being cooled by the fan.


Ah - thought you were talking about the primary. Ur right - between the two, having the secondaries rated at 105C is preferable.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Build update: did some research on the Cryorig C7 backplate "interference", and it turns out they offer an option of not using the backplate (washers and screws on the backside, similar to the Noctua). Replaced the Noctua with the Cryorig, and temps are down 4-5 deg. I consider the build done (son is playing on it right now).

Next up with be when I move to a GTX 1080 (Ti?) on the gaming rig. The GTX 970 moves over to the Node.


----------



## reely989

So, I see a lot posted online about the Big Shuriken 2 for this case, but you lose the dust filter. I'm looking at moving my gaming rig to a node 202, but want to keep my overclock. Is there a sufficient cooler for a mild-moderate OC that allows me to retain the dust filter? Lots of great builds and advice in this thread


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *reely989*
> 
> So, I see a lot posted online about the Big Shuriken 2 for this case, but you lose the dust filter. I'm looking at moving my gaming rig to a node 202, but want to keep my overclock. Is there a sufficient cooler for a mild-moderate OC that allows me to retain the dust filter? Lots of great builds and advice in this thread


Dust filter restricts airflow so it's a no-go for overclocked CPU either way.
With delid you might be able to pull mild overclock, without absolutely not.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Dust filter restricts airflow so it's a no-go for overclocked CPU either way.
> With delid you might be able to pull mild overclock, without absolutely not.


Agree - with the Cryorig, still having a hard time controlling temps with a stock i7 2600.

*Maybe* an AXP-100 or Big Shuriken can cool sufficiently, but you're ditching the dust filter in either case.


----------



## ZodiacG66

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> Agree - with the Cryorig, still having a hard time controlling temps with a stock i7 2600.
> 
> *Maybe* an AXP-100 or Big Shuriken can cool sufficiently, but you're ditching the dust filter in either case.


If you want a dust filter you can get a magnetic one for the outside of the case.


----------



## FTBPC

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ZodiacG66*
> 
> If you want a dust filter you can get a magnetic one for the outside of the case.


Nice build - I really like your ingenuity in trying to squeeze a 140mm fan with your Big Shur. Although I wonder if bending the pipes may cause damage down the road?

Would you mind sharing a link to that Filter? It is something I'm interested in.


----------



## ZodiacG66

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *FTBPC*
> 
> Nice build - I really like your ingenuity in trying to squeeze a 140mm fan with your Big Shur. Although I wonder if bending the pipes may cause damage down the road?
> 
> Would you mind sharing a link to that Filter? It is something I'm interested in.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Demciflex-200mm-Dust-Filter-Black/dp/B005VPRDZE


----------



## Dalinos

Hey guys! I am new here...I recently order the Node 202 and the following but still haven't received them:

*CPU*: i5 7600k
*GPU*: MSI gaming X 1060 6gb
*MotherBoard*: Asus Strix z270i
*RAM*: Corsair Vegeance 16gb 3200mhz
*CASE*: Fractal Design Node 202
*PSU*: Corsair SF 600 Gold
*Storage*: M.2 Samsung 960 EVO 500gb
*CPU Cooler*: Noctua NH-L9i
*Case Fans*: 2 x Noctua NF-F12

Do you think I will need one more fan for the cpu or I will be ok with Nh-l9i? I am planning to use this PC for daily use as my main for both games and productivity.
And as I never had an M.2 NVME before, should I use my single drive in RAID? I am planning to buy one more later after few months maybe.


----------



## NN PianoMan

I had a hard time keeping temps at a comfortable level with an NH-L9i on an i7 2600. They are designed for CPUs w/TDPs <65W. Cryorig C7 was what I eventually "settled" with. If you plan to OC, you'll need to upsize the cooler even more (many options in this thread).

Single drive in RAID? Perhaps you mean ACHI (which is essentially the same, but doesn't support multiple disks). NVMe is plenty fast enough you won't need to RAID. Maybe someone with more experience comparing RAID on SSDs can chime in.


----------



## Dalinos

I am not planning to overclock my cpu at least for now. The reason I buy the 7600K are for future use. Do you think that Cryorig C7 is a better solution than the NH-l9i? Reading many posts in this thread I thought that NH l9i is maybe the best solution for cpu cooling.
I am not an expert in PC build and trying to read and watch videos to learn things. I know RAID is for multiple disks but watching a video that guy said put your disk in RAID if you planning to use RAID in future. But I don't even know if you can do that to be honest. I will keep ACHI in single drive and when I get the second one I will change to RAID as I understand.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dalinos*
> 
> I am not planning to overclock my cpu at least for now. The reason I buy the 7600K are for future use. Do you think that Cryorig C7 is a better solution than the NH-l9i? Reading many posts in this thread I thought that NH l9i is maybe the best solution for cpu cooling.
> I am not an expert in PC build and trying to read and watch videos to learn things. I know RAID is for multiple disks but watching a video that guy said put your disk in RAID if you planning to use RAID in future. But I don't even know if you can do that to be honest. I will keep ACHI in single drive and when I get the second one I will change to RAID as I understand.


RAID is made to either backup your drive -RAID 1 (information is being written on both drives at the same time) or speed it up (different files are being written simultaneously to 2 drives, thus speeding them up) - RAID 0. The downside of RAID 0 is if one of your drives dies you won't be able to recover any information since they will not be able to work individually.
With RAID 1 you just replace the drive and information gets copied to the new drive from the second one.
It might be an issue to many people because it requires software or hardware RAID and can have compatibility issues throughout different motherboards. So it's not necessary to run RAID in regular home environment.

Cryorig C7 will be better than Noctua, however if you place 120-140mm fan as intake over the CPU cooler as people have mentioned earlier then Noctua will be better.


----------



## Dalinos

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> RAID is made to either backup your drive -RAID 1 (information is being written on both drives at the same time) or speed it up (different files are being written simultaneously to 2 drives, thus speeding them up) - RAID 0. The downside of RAID 0 is if one of your drives dies you won't be able to recover any information since they will not be able to work individually.
> With RAID 1 you just replace the drive and information gets copied to the new drive from the second one.
> It might be an issue to many people because it requires software or hardware RAID and can have compatibility issues throughout different motherboards. So it's not necessary to run RAID in regular home environment.
> 
> Cryorig C7 will be better than Noctua, however if you place 120-140mm fan as intake over the CPU cooler as people have mentioned earlier then Noctua will be better.


Thx a lot for your reply. Do you suggest to use one of two Noctua f12 I order as in take over the cpu cooler and only one intake over the gpu? Or I should order one more?
My Noctua NH-l9i already dispatched so I can't see changing to cryorig as an option right now


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dalinos*
> 
> Thx a lot for your reply. Do you suggest to use one of two Noctua f12 I order as in take over the cpu cooler and only one intake over the gpu? Or I should order one more?
> My Noctua NH-l9i already dispatched so I can't see changing to cryorig as an option right now


Well, I certainly do not like how Noctua looks like







But that is my personal taste.

Here is what exactly I'm talking about : http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/0_100#post_25435591


----------



## Dalinos

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Well, I certainly do not like how Noctua looks like
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But that is my personal taste.
> 
> Here is what exactly I'm talking about : http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/0_100#post_25435591


I actually hate how they look like







But after reading this thread I decide to buy them as they had some good reviews, but it seems I miss the posts about cryorig!
Anyway I will stay with them for now without an intake fan for cpu cooler and I will decide later. Do you really thing I will have problem with nh-l9i as I am not planning to OC the cpu?


----------



## NN PianoMan

With an additional fan on top and no OC, you should be fine with the Noctua. I had trouble with my initial setup as my case is in a media cabinet with limited ventilation.

For your SSD, you can set the BIOS up for RAID (vice AHCI) now, and add a drive later. RAID can handle both single drives and arrays. AHCI cannot. They are essentially the same performance-wise, so if you plan on RAID'ing in the future, save yourself some trouble and setup your OS w/RAID drivers loaded up.

Good luck - keep us posted; you're gonna like the ride. The case kicks butt for what it is!


----------



## Dalinos

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> With an additional fan on top and no OC, you should be fine with the Noctua. I had trouble with my initial setup as my case is in a media cabinet with limited ventilation.
> 
> For your SSD, you can set the BIOS up for RAID (vice AHCI) now, and add a drive later. RAID can handle both single drives and arrays. AHCI cannot. They are essentially the same performance-wise, so if you plan on RAID'ing in the future, save yourself some trouble and setup your OS w/RAID drivers loaded up.
> 
> Good luck - keep us posted; you're gonna like the ride. The case kicks butt for what it is!


Thx a lot ! I will let you know once its ready. Almost everything is here. Still waiting for the case though. I need to build it first to check RAID and AHCI and how that works as I never done it before.
My motherboard has one 4-pin chase fan and one 4-pin cpu fan connector and I will use Y extension to connect the two intake fans but what about the 3rd one over the cpu cooler? Should I connect it straight to PSU or Y connector at cpu 4-pin would be ok?


----------



## NN PianoMan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dalinos*
> 
> Should I connect it straight to PSU or Y connector at cpu 4-pin would be ok?


Either way - fan headers usually have enough juice to power two fans. If you are going to be doing various tasks on the PC (game and then, say surf) - I'd Y-conn them, so the mobo can spin the fans down when you're not doing stressful tasks. Or you could go straight to the mobo and undervolt it if the fan's too loud. Almost comes down to personal pref. My pref would be to Y-conn them so you utilize the fan control on the mobo.


----------



## Predaking

Bout a month ago, I upgraded mine to a GTX 1080 and installed 2 Vardar f4 high static pressure fans under the GPU. Keeps it very cool and is quieter than I expected, about as loud as the original PS4 while gaming.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Predaking*
> 
> Bout a month ago, I upgraded mine to a GTX 1080 and installed 2 Vardar f4 high static pressure fans under the GPU. Keeps it very cool and is quieter than I expected, about as loud as the original PS4 while gaming.


Nice! Are temps OK? And are you running the stock PSU? Curious.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> Nice! Are temps OK? And are you running the stock PSU? Curious.


Judging by the looks he's running a fully modular Corsair SF series.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Seems you're right; should've taken the trouble of peering more closely - but that GTX has me all distracted...


----------



## stars4002

I zip-tied a 92mm Noctua fan on my Cryorig C7 and attached a magnetic dust filter. With my delidded i5-6500 @ 4.3GHz, I'm getting 70c running prime95v287 small fft's but it's really quiet. I also spray painted my case blue/white.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Nice temps on that OC; there a bit of headroom if u get an intake fan on the CPU side (perhaps an option on the next version of the 202?).

NICE look on the colors!


----------



## TheInternal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *reely989*
> 
> So, I see a lot posted online about the Big Shuriken 2 for this case, but you lose the dust filter. I'm looking at moving my gaming rig to a node 202, but want to keep my overclock. Is there a sufficient cooler for a mild-moderate OC that allows me to retain the dust filter? Lots of great builds and advice in this thread


I've been very disappointed with my Big Shuriken 2 in my Node 202 build

Suuuuper noisy, and underwhelming cooling performance. I've tried mounting the CPU fan sucking air in to the case (drastically louder, but better temps) and blowing air out (less awful sounding, worse thermals). I'm currently trying to decide between doing The Cryorig C7 on it's own, or going with a very low profile cooler and zip tying a 120mm above it.

For folks who've tried both, which is quieter with non-throttling temps on a 91 TDP processor? The Cryorig C7, or super low profile cooler + zip tied extra fan sucking in air?

Also, anyone manage to cram the Reeven Brontes in a 202 successfully / have it work well?


----------



## TheInternal

Dumb questions on optimizing airflow for the Node 202...

My Specs -

*Motherboard:* GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 w/32 GB Corsair LPX RAM
*CPU:* i7-6700k (TDP 91) at stock speeds
*CPU Fan:* Scythe BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B. (fan sucking air into the case)
*Storage:* 1 x 950 Samsung Pro 512GB NVME SSD, 2 x Samsung 850 Evo 500 SSDs
*PSU:* Corsair SF600 PSU
*GPU:* ROG STRIX-GTX1080-O8G-GAMING (fans seldom spin up, but suck air in when they do).
*Additional Case Fans:* 2 x Gentle Typhoon 120mm fans mounted by GPU (attached to ASUS GPU, almost never spin up, set to suck air in)

Do any of my fans need orientation changes?

I've tried both sucking air in on the CPU fan (very loud, but less crappy thermals) and blowing away from the CPU (less loud, crappier thermals).

Thermals on the 1080 are always comfortably within margins, even at max load. It's really just the CPU fan / cooling solution that seems to struggle. Throttling occurs if I do synthetic benchmarks for much more than 15 minutes on the CPU due to heat issues.

Am I overlooking something obvious?


----------



## NN PianoMan

You don't seem to be missing anything; your fan orientations look OK. Thermal control in the CPU area of this case is very challenging (I thought the other way around on the GPU side, as I'm sure many others did), and stems from the fact that with just the CPU cooler and fan in that area, that's the only thing moving air (akin to having a normal case and turning all the fans off).

Between a C7 and a L9i with an additional fan, I'd say is almost even, with the L9i+fan having a slight edge. I didn't go the +fan route (and ended up returning my L9i) as I'm a goofy stickler for keeping cases as stock as possible.


----------



## TheInternal

The ASUS ROG STRIX OC is a beauty. For general computing, it has zero fan spin. The fans never go to max, even in the Node 202. Are you running your Node vertical orientation with the GPU side down? I'm running mine vertical with GPU side up.


----------



## TheInternal

Well, I decided to try to address some ongoing issues with my initial node 202 build. Namely, the CPU temps and the noise being higher than I would prefer.

Node4k current specs:
- Fractal Node 202
- intel Core i7-7700k
- Cryorig C7 CPU Fan
- Gigabyte Z170N-Gaming 5 motherboard
- Corsair Vengeance LPX 2 x 16GB DDR4 3200 RAM
- ASUS ROG STRIX Geforce 1080 GTX OC
- 512 GB Samsung 950 Pro NVME M.2 SSD
- 500 GB Samsung 850 Evo 6GBs SATA SSD
- 2 TB Seagate Firecuda 6GBs SATA SSHD
- 2 x Gentle Typhoon 120mm case fans
- Corsair SF600 600 watt SFX PSU

In the process, I decided to upgrade to a i7 7700k processor and swap one of the two 850 evo 500GB drives for a 2 terabyte firecuda storage solution.

I'm also trying out a new CPU Cooler, the cryorig C7, in the hope that it might be a little quieter than my scythe shuriken big.

My first day of tinkering yielded me some positive results, though the biggest gain was possibly from one of the most bone-headed things ever.

My CPU was running extremely hot at stock speeds (easily went into 90Cs after sustained BOINC / 100% CPU utulization in less than 30 minutes) with my initial configuration where I had the case vertically-oriented with the GPU at the top and the CPU at the bottom. By flipping the case orientation 180 degrees I lowered the CPU temperature a good bit while keeping the GPU temperature still well within thermal tolerance (73C max after sustained BOINC / Futuremark Time Spy stability testing). The reason I feel so dumb about it is that it looks so obvious if you just eyeball the case. There are large vents at the top of the case if you have vertical orientation with the CPU at the top. The GPU has much smaller ventilation at the top If running the case GPU-up in vertical orientation. By flipping the case, I was hitting low 90s C after sustained BIONCing, but it wasn't SUPER loud... I do want those temps lower though. I was also able to get two runs of the latest Futuremark Time Spy stabiliy / burn in to go off without a hitch... Just from flipping over the case.

I'm experimenting with undervolting today, in an effort to lower overall CPU temperatures. I manually set my CPU down to 1.2v vcore down from the stock 1.26. I've only done some mild overclocking in the past, so undervolting isn't super familiar to me. Lowering vcore by .06 volts, from testing I'm doing while typing this, have so far been positive. Temps seem down around 10C lower than before in Time Spy (peaking around mid 80s), and additional runs of Futuremark Time Spy stability test have all passed easily.

I would be curious to get feedback from other node users on a few things.

If anyone else is running a 7700k in the Node, what sort of temps are you getting (particularly if you are using the Cryorig C7 and/or are undervolting)? For fellow 7700k owners, what sort of undervolting have you been able to do stably at stock speeds? Do many folks have luck doing small (100MHz or so) to moderate overclocks while undervolting in thier SFF builds? I always worry I use to much thermal paste... are my temps greatly different from other Node 202 folks?


----------



## NN PianoMan

Heya Internal - for what it's worth, I steady up around low-70deg on my old SandyBridge 2600 (non-K) @95W TDP with a C7; stock speeds gaming on Steam. But my Node is horizontal and in a media shelf.

It's unclear what temps you are hitting on your 7700k - low 90s? If so, seems very high - but I'll defer to other Node 202 owners that may be running 7700s.


----------



## Predaking

I have a C7 and get normal temps on my 4770k. For the GPU which is a 1080 gtx, I get normal temps with a couple of Vardar 120mm static pressure fans but I imagine most any static pressure fan would be fine. Nothing overclocked but I can run it for hours and the outside of the case is barely warm. Now before I got the static pressure fans, I had airflow fans and that wasn't working nearly as well. Be sure to use the thermal paste that comes with the C7 because the paste is designed and tested for the use of their heatsinks. Using aftermarket pastes can often yield mixed results which is why most heatsinks come with a certain kind.


----------



## Eibe

Hello guys,

I was thinking of making a build in a Fractal Design Node 202 case. However, due to its small size, a few questions arised and I thought that there was no one better to ask them to other than people that own it.









My would-be build is: https://it.pcpartpicker.com/list/6GLxjc
I was wondering if Noctua NF-F12 (25mm) would fit along with the 3.8cm thick blower style GTX 1060, as in the Fractal Design Node 202 website it says that the maximum fan thickness should be 10mm if the GPU is wider than 3.5cm. I have seen some builds with similar-sized cards, but I thought of asking just be sure.
I have already read of people using the Cryorig C7 as a CPU cooler, so I am not too worried about that - even though I am considering the Noctua NH-L9i as well.

Also, the reason for which I am building a gaming PC inside this small case is to bring it on flights, as I travel often. Obviously, I would keep it with me as a hand-luggage so that it would not be smashed around by the airport staff, but I am still afraid by unavoidable vibrations (e.g. landing and/or turbulence). Should I remove the GPU or any other part during those flights to avoid any damages?

Other than that, do you have tips to give me? I am not only new to the Node 202, but to PC building in general. I have always been gaming from a laptop, and decided it was time to switch.


----------



## NN PianoMan

You'll be fine with the C7. At least in my experience, the NH-L9i was 4-5deg warmer and unacceptable ranging CPU temps during gaming (not stress testing) into the low-70's. Bear in mind my 202 is in a media cabinet with no-so-great airflow (something I plan to rectify with a USB fan inserted into the back wall), so it may be fine for you (as it is for others) while on a desktop.

I recall some other owners of 202s w/double-width GPUs (I still have my 750Ti in the box for the moment, so I can't comment), and they didn't have any problems. Review the history of this thread, I believe someone has pics as well. Otherwise, perhaps someone will chime in.

As for flying with it - I've considered the same (with a Steam box when I was in the market for one before getting a 202 instead), but never went through it. I believe incurred damage on the flight is very real if you hit hard turbulence (gaming laptops are tested to ensure survival in such environments). However, I travel quite a few times during the year, and I don't think I'd have too much a problem keeping a Node 202 in the overhead compartments - but I haven't experienced moderate to bad turbulence yet (now I jinxed myself...). I do recall some Google searches when I was researching others considering such a feat, but couldn't glean any anecdotal evidence from the *net whether it fared out well (or not). I'm not sure if any of the 202 owners here have experience in that area...


----------



## TheInternal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Eibe*
> 
> Also, the reason for which I am building a gaming PC inside this small case is to bring it on flights, as I travel often. Obviously, I would keep it with me as a hand-luggage so that it would not be smashed around by the airport staff, but I am still afraid by unavoidable vibrations (e.g. landing and/or turbulence). Should I remove the GPU or any other part during those flights to avoid any damages?
> 
> Other than that, do you have tips to give me? I am not only new to the Node 202, but to PC building in general. I have always been gaming from a laptop, and decided it was time to switch.


I flew with mine round trip once. Hardest bit is finding luggage that won't squish it terribly and still fit airline carry on luggage guidelines. Expect to raise eyebrows / have to tell airport security what it is.


----------



## TheInternal

So, I delidded and relidded my i7-7700k to attempt further temperature reductions in addition to a small undervolt.

Running GPU and CPU at max sustained load (al la BOINC) in around 73F ambient room temp, According to HW mon, I'm hitting 83C on average, 86C max CPU package temps and 73C max GPU temps on my mild OC'd ROG STRIX 1080. I notice that if my GPU isn't running at load / only running CPU at 100% all cores, temps drop to around 75C or so for CPU. So, clearly, it's the GPU's fault for bumping temps up by 10C+ on the CPU. Also of note, with everything but the undervolt and RAM on an XMP profile being stock settings, the i7 is maxing around 4.4GHz...

I also feel like a dummy for not writing down the temps for everything before the delid. herp derp. I feel like I'd gotten temps a bit down in 100% CPU/GPU loads from mid 90C to high 80C by undervolting and changing to my current case orientation. Time Spy stress test is down around 15C-18C on the cpu side after the delid.

All that being said, I'm wondering if I should reverse orientation on my case fans... I do worry that having them pulling air out right by the GPU fans trying to pull air in may not work, but the heat from the GPU getting trapped and trying to escape into the CPU chamber (running case vertical with CPU on top still). Has anyone else tried this / had any luck?

For Cryorig C7 owners; how did you orient your cooler? Any obvious improvements by having fins facing one direction or the other? I currently have the fins parallel to my case's vertical orientation, so less air being pushed onto RAM or VRMs.

Thoughts?

*Update:* So, running Time Spy stress test had ok thermals. Max across any CPU core was 68C. Time Spy stress test is down around 15C-18C on the cpu side after the delid.


----------



## FTBPC

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TheInternal*
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> *Update:* So, running Time Spy stress test had ok thermals. Max across any CPU core was 68C. Time Spy stress test is down around 15C-18C on the cpu side after the delid.


As a test - can you put a fan on the exterior of the case, blowing air directly into the case itself?

I'm wondering if the (somewhat) poor C7 performance is caused by an inability to suck in adequate fresh cold air into the case?

CPUs with L9is have seen improved results by adding an intake fan, so I'm wondering if the C7 suffers from the same constraint.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Internal - I have my C7 fins oriented the same way you do; fins towards the side vent (i.e., not towards the RAM or backplate).

I don't think changing the GPU chamber fans will do much, as the amount of air leakage into the CPU chamber is rather minimal. Limiting factor as FTBPC puts it in the amount of cold air feed into the CPU side. I am adding a media cabinet fan to recycle air into the cubby my 202 sits in, as I don't like modding the exterior of the case since it looks clean. But if you're up to it, adding an external fan to the top air vent has yielded good results as stated earlier in this thread.


----------



## TedG

Hi everybody.

I'm doing a build soon in a Node 202 case. It will be placed horizontally on a shelf in my home entertainment center, so I'm concerned about cooling in general and CPU cooling in particular. Here are my components:

Case: Fractal Design Node 202
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H270N-WIFI
CPU: Intel i5-7600 (3.5 GHz)
RAM: Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 2400
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
PSU: Corsair SF450
SSD: Mushkin Reactor 250 GB
OS: Windows 10 initially; may try to dual boot as a Hackintosh later

This system will be a home theater PC and will run the Dolphin Emulator (to play Nintendo GameCube and Wii games). The components were chosen with three goals in mind:

1. High Dolphin emulator performance, so I can run GC/Wii games smoothly at 1080p with some enhancements.
2. Compatibility with Hackintosh builds.
3. Low power/heat where possible. (That's why I won't be overclocking and picked a GTX 1050 rather than 1060 or higher.)

I haven't picked a CPU cooler, or decided on a case fan configuration. I would greatly appreciate advice on those two topics. I've skimmed through the entire thread looking for options, but my head's spinning now and it doesn't seem like a consensus has been reached.

Thank you,
Ted


----------



## NN PianoMan

TedG.

Welcome to Node 202 land. My head's still spinning.

For CPU coolers, if you don't want to appreciably modify your case, most people have settled on the Cryorig C7 or Noctua NH-L9i low profile coolers. More performance could be had with larger coolers, but you'll be ditching the top vent dust filter, and/or run into interference issues elsewhere on the motherboard and case.

Only real choice for the case fans are mounting the two in the GPU area. Not familiar with the 1050, but if it ain't a heat monster, you may be able to get away with one, or none at all. Most peeps have mounted two fans there blowing into the case.

The CPU area is where this case is thermally challenged. If you won't be overclocking, and will keep the case in some open space, the two coolers previously mentioned will suffice. Otherwise, you will need to modify the case and add an intake fan (typically down at the top vent).

Good luck!


----------



## TedG

Thanks for the reply, PianoMan.

My CPU (i5-7600) shouldn't run too hot; it's not a K (so no overclocking) and it has a 65 watt TDP. I could have gone with a cooler chip that would still suffice for Dolphin (the Pentium G4620, at 51 watt TDP), but I prefer four real cores (rather than the Pentium's two real + two hyperthreaded). The i5 is more likely to be compatible with a Hackintosh build too.

But I still want to be careful about CPU temps, given the Node 202's reputation for poor circulation in that part of the case. I'll definitely check out the Cryorig C7 and Noctua NH-L9i.

The GTX 1050 is supposedly one of the most power/heat efficient graphics cards in the current generation. It doesn't even use a separate power lead, drawing all it needs from the slot. Maybe I'll try it without a case fan and only add one if my temps are too high. It's a really short card, so a second fan would probably be a waste.

Again, thank you for the advice!

Ted


----------



## NN PianoMan

No problem!

From what you've said, with either of those CPU coolers and that GPU - you'll have a pretty easy build which you'll get a lot of use out of.

My GTX 750 ran fine without the case fans. I ended up putting both of them in (as this Node will eventually inherit my GTX 970), and it's pure overkill.

You'll love this case for what it is and what it can do. Cheers!


----------



## Reflexion

Can someone please tell me whether the LC Power LC-CC-120-LiCo fits into the "Fractal Design NODE 202" housing (?)


----------



## NN PianoMan

Not sure it was on here at OC.net, but I recall seeing posts of peeps putting AIO coolers in the 202, but not after considerable modification. Conceivably, u have space in the GPU chamber for a 240mm AIO rad and space in the CPU chamber for CPU block and pump. Just need to run the hoses back and forth. Yeah - possible, but I not perfectly certain, nor familiar with the AIO u mention in the original post.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> Not sure it was on here at OC.net, but I recall seeing posts of peeps putting AIO coolers in the 202, but not after considerable modification. Conceivably, u have space in the GPU chamber for a 240mm AIO rad and space in the CPU chamber for CPU block and pump. Just need to run the hoses back and forth. Yeah - possible, but I not perfectly certain, nor familiar with the AIO u mention in the original post.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


I've seen people doing that in Silverstone RVZ02 but not in Node 202. I cannot imagine any place where you can fit in reservoir and also not having to use external fans or radiator. I can actually see use of expandable AIO cooler like be quiet! silent loop 240mm or fractal design kelvin s24 with GPU waterblock and slim fans, but I cannot imagine setting up a fully custom water cooled loop.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Agreed - custom water loop would be a huge challenge. The LC Power cooler Reflexion mentioned is a single fan AIO (120mm); that should be able to be ramrodded into the 202, I think.


----------



## brit151

Tried attaching a 140mm noctua fan to the air intake above the cpu. It makes a lot more noise then my other two 120mm noctua by the gpu. Played around with it a bit and I think it's caused by the flow of air being drawn through the air vent. Same problem with a 120mm Arctic fan. When you move them away from the vent the extra noise goes away! Anyone else noticed this? Not sure how to get round it!?


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *brit151*
> 
> Tried attaching a 140mm noctua fan to the air intake above the cpu. It makes a lot more noise then my other two 120mm noctua by the gpu. Played around with it a bit and I think it's caused by the flow of air being drawn through the air vent. Same problem with a 120mm Arctic fan. When you move them away from the vent the extra noise goes away! Anyone else noticed this? Not sure how to get round it!?


Is there a place for air filter after the fan? That should make the noise go away.


----------



## brit151

Cheers Arebgeta that did the job. I had to remove the stock dust filter that came with the case in order to cable tie the fan on. Had a spare magnetic filter from another case. Stuck in on the outside of the node over the air vents and the noise disappeared. Find the noctua a bit big although does fit so sticking with the Arctic. Figure there's more room for air to circulate.


----------



## TWISM

I added a 202 to my HT Rack. It fits just perfect.


----------



## Wolfstorm21

I was thinking about building a mini-ITX rig in a Node 202, but need to known what bag would it fit... so far I was looking at those Ogio bags, do you think it would fit?

http://www.ogio.com/backpacks/axle-laptop-backpack/spr4704861.html

The width is 13 inches, that is 330mm, this fits exactly one of the sides of the Node 202, which is also 330mm. But I'm not counting any possible padding, side pockets and stuff like that. Do you think it would hold?

Also the bag have a space for laptop, which would be useful for a monitor as well. I was thinking about fitting a Dell 18,5" monitor there, without the stand, but dont known if it would work.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TWISM*
> 
> I added a 202 to my HT Rack. It fits just perfect.


Sexy. No ventilation issues there.









A mostly HT set up? What speakers and amplification are you running?


----------



## NN PianoMan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Wolfstorm21*
> 
> I was thinking about building a mini-ITX rig in a Node 202, but need to known what bag would it fit...


Not really knowing exactly how big that bag is, but looking at it's length vs. width and how I expect it should fit on a person - I think the width of the backpack may be limiting. These Nodes are surprisingly deep. Probably gonna be a tight squeeze in there, but there's really no telling unless you go about and do it.

Any local dealers for a test fit? You could also purchase via Amazon and have their return policy as backup should it not work out, but you may be out shipping.


----------



## Dimensive

For you guys talking about a custom loop in a Node 202, it's possible and has been done very well. I came across this build a few months ago: https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/603714-project-node-way-will-it-fit-a-hardline-watercooled-node202/


----------



## Lallo

Hello everyone!

I'm planning on building a new rig with the node 202.
I'm going to use a r9 380x Sapphire Nitro GPU that is 41mm in height.
I heard that I can only use fans that are 10mm in height if I want to put two over the blower GPU.

Which fans do you recommend and first of all: do I even need them?

I wanted to have the node 202 laying down on its side but I was thinking to put the stand "under it" so it "looks like its levitating".
Would that still work if I put a monitor on top of it or would it be to heavy for the case?

Also, how is the built in SFX PSU ? Some people said its making a lot of noise is this true?

Any other tips regarding the build is very welcomed!


----------



## drm8627

Hey fellas, Ive got a buddy trying to put his 6950x into a node 202. he has everything he needs, motherboard, cpu, ram, gpu , psu. etc etc. But what hes trying to figure out is what the very best way to cool that cpu ?

Also hes putting a reference design 1080ti in the other side.

He would prefer that it at least be able to maintain the turbo clock of the cpu.

Any suggestions?


----------



## Arengeta

Well, he would need to remove the dust filter and I have big doubts that any low profile cpu cooler will suffice to cool that beast CPU.
Maybe AXP 100 w/o overclocks will be able to handle it, but it definitely will not be silent.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Lallo - in practice, most have put in 25mm fans in the GPU area just fine with standard double width cards. I'm not familiar with your card, but do think you should be able to pull off not using fans with a blower card. Fans can be any of your preference.

With the middle partition, it should hold a monitor, but I wouldn't go crazy. Plus keep the CPU intake clear; these cases are challenged on that end.

The SFX PSU is just fine, though I only have a 750Ti in there for the moment, so I'm not stressing the PSU much.

What CPU will you run?

@drm - I agree with Arengeta. That's a beast of a CPU - it may have too much fun in a 202.


----------



## Lallo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> Lallo - in practice, most have put in 25mm fans in the GPU area just fine with standard double width cards. I'm not familiar with your card, but do think you should be able to pull off not using fans with a blower card. Fans can be any of your preference.
> 
> With the middle partition, it should hold a monitor, but I wouldn't go crazy. Plus keep the CPU intake clear; these cases are challenged on that end.
> 
> The SFX PSU is just fine, though I only have a 750Ti in there for the moment, so I'm not stressing the PSU much.
> 
> What CPU will you run?
> 
> @drm - I agree with Arengeta. That's a beast of a CPU - it may have too much fun in a 202.


Thank you for the response!
I'm thinking of getting a i5 6700k although I wanted a Ryzen since the extra threads would be good for gaming +so streaming but sadly there is a lack of itx motherboard for ryzen.

If I get a i5 and a noctua cpu cooler, can I overclock it?


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Lallo*
> 
> Thank you for the response!
> I'm thinking of getting a i5 6700k although I wanted a Ryzen since the extra threads would be good for gaming +so streaming but sadly there is a lack of itx motherboard for ryzen.
> 
> If I get a i5 and a noctua cpu cooler, can I overclock it?


6700k is an i7. But if you want to overclock skylake or kaby lake I suggest you delid the CPU. Don't expect any high overclocks, just slight voltage bumps over the stock.


----------



## TWISM

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *NN PianoMan*
> 
> Sexy. No ventilation issues there.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A mostly HT set up? What speakers and amplification are you running?


The nice thing is, its at the top and the fans exhaust a lot of air out of the rack. Temps within the Node 202 are pretty good.

Here is the link to the rest of my HT setup.

Speakers are all GoldenEar. Pre-Pro is Anthem, Amps are Emotiva.

http://twism.myqnapcloud.com:8080/photo/gallery/#thumbnail/nUwqeR


----------



## Sem

I'm currently building a system in the Node 202 with a 7700k and i would like some advice on the best CPU cooler to get for it

not interested in overclocking the CPU currently while using this case... in fact i plan to under volt and possibly down clock to 4.2 GHz max turbo... for now anyway

from what Ive read the Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B seems to offer the best performance even tho that's still not great for some people but i am worried about it fitting and i don't like that i cant use a dust filter but then again i do have a datavac duster so....

i'm not even considering the Noctua or Cryorig C7 though i do like the sound of the recently announced all copper C7 but that's not out yet

so what other CPU coolers do you guys recommend is the AXP-100 a good alternative to the Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B or what about the silverstone AR05?


----------



## Lallo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Sem*
> 
> I'm currently building a system in the Node 202 with a 7700k and i would like some advice on the best CPU cooler to get for it
> 
> not interested in overclocking the CPU currently while using this case... in fact i plan to under volt and possibly down clock to 4.2 GHz max turbo... for now anyway
> 
> from what Ive read the Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B seems to offer the best performance even tho that's still not great for some people but i am worried about it fitting and i don't like that i cant use a dust filter but then again i do have a datavac duster so....
> 
> i'm not even considering the Noctua or Cryorig C7 though i do like the sound of the recently announced all copper C7 but that's not out yet
> 
> so what other CPU coolers do you guys recommend is the AXP-100 a good alternative to the Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B or what about the silverstone AR05?


I'm also wondering if there is any good CPU cooler or if I should just stick with the stock intel cooler?
As far as I know the only real difference is a bit of sound level?


----------



## Lallo

I got my node 202 and made my build.

CPU: i5 7600 (using stock cooler)
GPU: Sapphire Nitro r9 380x (open air)

The CPU temps are great, almost a bit sad that I didn't buy the "K" version cause temps are under 69 celsius on load in benchmark.
GPU doesn't go over 81 celsius in benchmarks. But it becomes a bit loud, especially since the case is standing next to my monitor and not "on the floor".

I bought two noctua NF-12 fans and I will test them out tomorrow.
I will post here later with the results of having 0, 1 and 2 fans. Cause In my head I think that the first fan will do the most and that a 2nd fan won't do so much for performance.

Will keep u guys updated.

Btw are my cpu temps so low because I choose the non K version? Stock cooler is actually pretty good I always thought they were **** but to be honest I think it performs just as good as noctua cpu cooler (the one that everyone is using on this case).
Check out all the reviews, the performance is practically the same and noise is no big difference.
Only downside is that you can't mount an extra fan on top since the stock cooler is higher but you don't really need it if you are not going to overclock (and tbh I don't think this is the case you should go for if u are looking for DAT OC performance..)


----------



## Lallo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *richardjr77*
> 
> Wanted to make a mini ITX gaming PC and decided to go with the Node 202 after seeing this forum and being inspired and just wanted to share my experience with it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Build:
> Fractal Design Node 202
> i7 6700
> Noctua NH-L9i Low Profile CPU Cooler
> Asus Z170i Pro Gaming motherboard
> DDR4 16gb
> Corsair SF600 - 600W psu
> Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 1070
> 3x Noctua NF-F12 120mm case fans
> 
> Initially only had a Gigabyte GTX 770 and had the stock 450W psu that comes with the Node 202. I upgraded to the GTX 1070 and it worked fine with the 450W stock psu. Decided to upgrade to the corsair SF600 psu because the stock psu had an annoying audible coil whine.
> 
> When it comes to temperatures, when I didn't have the 3 Noctua fans, I was getting temperatures of 72-75+ celsius for the CPU and for the graphics card I was in the 75-79 celsius range when under load - was playing DOOM (2016). After installing the 3x Noctua fans, when playing DOOM (2016) i was getting 48-53 celsius for the CPU and 66-69 celsius for the GPU. The extra fans helped a lot! At idle CPU is at 37-42 range and the GPU is at 33-35 range. Using Furmark set to 1080p 8x anti-aliasing the GPU went max to 67 degrees after 10 minutes of stress testing. That extra 120mm fan above the CPU which I just zipped tied helped in keeping the CPU cool. Noctua fans are awesome as they're pretty silent!
> 
> Cable management is a nightmare but that's expected with this kind of a case. Cable ties help a lot in this aspect. All in all it was a great experience. This is my second time putting a PC together. Love the size of it as I can easily carry it around everywhere with me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Have fun building everyone!


I'm trying to fit two noctua fans under the gpu but I can't get both to fit the the rubber screws. Did you use metal screws and is there a differencedifference?
I even went so far that I ripped of screws in two pieces when trying to get them through the fan.

Does two fans really make a difference from only one fan ?
And what did you do to the front USB cables that zi have to bend extremely much to fit the second fan


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Lallo*
> 
> I'm trying to fit two noctua fans under the gpu but I can't get both to fit the the rubber screws. Did you use metal screws and is there a differencedifference?
> I even went so far that I ripped of screws in two pieces when trying to get them through the fan.
> 
> Does two fans really make a difference from only one fan ?
> And what did you do to the front USB cables that zi have to bend extremely much to fit the second fan


You must use screws, rubber screws will not fit because they're wider than dust filter and the side panel will bend a bit. You could try rubber screws with no dust filter though.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TWISM*
> 
> The nice thing is, its at the top and the fans exhaust a lot of air out of the rack. Temps within the Node 202 are pretty good.
> 
> Here is the link to the rest of my HT setup.
> 
> Speakers are all GoldenEar. Pre-Pro is Anthem, Amps are Emotiva.
> 
> http://twism.myqnapcloud.com:8080/photo/gallery/#thumbnail/nUwqeR


----------



## NN PianoMan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Lallo*
> 
> Does two fans really make a difference from only one fan ?
> And what did you do to the front USB cables that zi have to bend extremely much to fit the second fan


For open air GPU coolers, I'd imagine the second fan would help, if only to ensure most of the air is drawn up thru the intake and out the vents.

You'll need to carefully (though firmly) bend the USB cables up towards the center. I know, I had the same reticence, but it seems those USB ports are of reasonable quality.


----------



## Lallo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> You must use screws, rubber screws will not fit because they're wider than dust filter and the side panel will bend a bit. You could try rubber screws with no dust filter though.


Thank you for notifying me about this.

I was trying to get it to fit with the rubber screws but I couldn't get the 2nd fan in with rubber screws . I went so far that I actually pulled one of the screws into two pieces....
For some reason its just so tight between the fans that it won't fit with the rubber screws and I also noticed that the dust filter pops out more than it should.
Hopefully the normal screws won't make any extra noise right?

I have an open air card but its not as long so the 2nd fan of the GPU is not "right under" where the 2nd case fan would be its more like "in between the 1st and 2nd fan.
Did anyone make any tests how much better 2 fans are ? Cause I'm thinking that maybe a bit of hot air would get out of the case from the "2nd fan grill" if there isn't a fan there... Maybe I'm overthinking...

I did however notice that the stock intel cooler is really quiet and also cools my cpu really good. I had no problems with it and almost felt stupid for not taking the "K" version and trying to overclock. But I'll see how the temps are with both the fans installed - Right now I'm just trying to get less noise cause it sounds a lot when the gpu is reaching 80 celsius. I can even hear it through my headphones.

Also, My gpu is far taller than recommended height . Right now the fans are literally touching the gpu so its really tight. But we will see how it goes.
I can post the results here later!


----------



## richardjr77

Hi!

Yeah it's a bit tricky trying to get the "rubber screws" to go through the screw holes of the fan. I had to use pliers to pull them through as there wasn't enough space in the case for just my fingers. And I too snapped like 3 rubber screws trying to install them. Don't really know if there's a big difference in using the rubber versus the normal metal screws, just thought/guessed it might reduce vibration and noise, but don't know because never tested it with the metal screws.

For me there was a big difference in my GPU cooling when I used the 2 extra case fans under the GPU. With no fans or only one fan under my long GPU, my temps were hitting the 80's. But once I installed the 2 extra case fans, then my GPU was at a stable 71-72 on normal gaming loads. So did wonders for me, but for others depending on their GPU, their mileage might vary.

Also, I place my dust filter outside of the case - because when placed inside, the fans would suck it up and cause an annoying noise, also easier cleaning when placed outside the case









Hope this helps.


----------



## mong00se

Is it possible to fit three 2.5 in drives in this case?


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mong00se*
> 
> Is it possible to fit three 2.5 in drives in this case?


Yes, it is possible. 2 in the special drive slots and 1 next to PSU under cables (preferably SSD).


----------



## mong00se

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> Yes, it is possible. 2 in the special drive slots and 1 next to PSU under cables (preferably SSD).


Ok thank you! Does anyone know if I could fit 2 of these 2.5 inch drives in the case?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822179104

They are about twice as thick as normal SSDs.

Sorry for all the questions. I like to have a lot of hard drive space for movies, media, and games so I'm thinking about my options. Now I'm thinking it would be great to put in two of these for storage, plus a 500gb 960 evo M.2 which I could fit on my motherboard for OS/programs etc.


----------



## CykaDelik

Hey guys! I was wondering if all you knowledgeable people could help me out with my build.

First off, my intent for this PC is to be a living room console, mostly for playing Steam indie games. I plan on having it set in the horizontal position in my entertainment center. The entertainment center is wide open for plenty of breathing room, so no worries there. I'd also like to bring it along with me when I travel (I'm away from home about half of the time with my job).

I have this build, so far. I'm not wanting anything huge, and I'd definitely be willing to scale back by a $100-$200. Like I said, I want this primarily for indie games. There are so many I'm missing out on by only having a PS4 and Switch, and I honestly prefer indie games over AAA titles, most of the time. I guess I would like a little extra Oomph, in case I feel like playing some more demanding games.

Newegg.pdf 552k .pdf file


I'm super concerned about overheating, especially with laying it in the horizantal position. I've read that the blower type of GPU is ideal for these SFF builds, but they start getting pretty expensive from what I've seen. I guess the main thing I'm looking for is what CPU/GPU will be best suited for my needs and not overheat.

I've built several PCs, but have been out of speccing components for several years now. I'm not up to date on the latest and greatest. And I've never built/specced a SFF PC before.

Any advice would be super appreciated!

Thanks!

(And yeah, I realize that I don't have a SDD in that build. Haven't picked one out yet.)

Also: I want to be able to upgrade this machine in the future, if I feel like it. So I went with this MOBO for the LGA 1151 since it will run Skylake / Kaby Lake and has DDR4 RAM.


----------



## Skydancer

Hello everybody. Just became owner of a Node 202 and had a question about GPU side ventilation.
I mount a Gigabyte 1070 mini OC, which is open air, and quickly found out that the amount of hot air trapped in the case is quite high with no additional fans.
How many fans would you suggest installing under the GPU and in what direction?
Thank you.


----------



## DigitrevX

To the guy above me.
-2 fans. Fans don't need to cost much.
-You can only mount the fans as a intake into the video card. I'm sure you can use your imagination on what happens when you sandwich two fans pulling air from each other does.
-In terms of hot air being trapped? Lol I'm using mine outside.

Finished a node 202 build for a mobile graphics machine for edm shows.

I did some benchmarking out doors in 31c weather and chose my parts based on the software I use for doing live graphics.

Since the codec decoding is done on the gpu, the cpu isn't key for my needs other then frequency. A quad core will just be harder to cool as well outside. With a cryorig C7 and delidded with a OC 7350k and pushed it up to 4.5ghz on 1.24 vcore. Highest I saw was 85c in prime outside in 31c summer heat. It bumps against 79c 80c in 23c indoor temps.

Again that is torture testing and not a realistic scenario when using the computer for what it's built for. Since the most I saw out side using the software was 65c on the cpu.

The gpu is a 1080ti ftw 3 card and psu is a 600w corsair SF. Motherboard is a their highest end of version strix mITX asus offers.
Ram is Gskill pc 3200 running at just above 3200mhz. The only storage is a 960 evo nvme. It saves me weight and It's all I need to stream the play back for the software.

I added in a photo of the bag since it will be traveling. I noticed nobody ever tried to put a FTW3 card in this so figured I'd share that.
Also for fun I added 2 corsair HD LED fans and even 2 phanteks LED strips for bling if I want. It weighs 15.5lbs so definitely can take on flights.

Also I chose a evga ftw3 because it's 2 slot, has a cooler from hell. Very open air design which I think works great having 2x 120mm fans raming air down on it. Also I wanted as many video out connections as possible for the type of work this machine will be doing. So blower style gpu's are out.


----------



## Skydancer

To the helpful guy above me:
Since the mini card I own has only one fan, I figured I could have put one fan blowing over the gpu fan and the side one pulling out, where the side gpu exhaust is, that explains my question.

What kind of bag is that from your pictures?


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Skydancer*
> 
> To the helpful guy above me:
> Since the mini card I own has only one fan, I figured I could have put one fan blowing over the gpu fan and the side one pulling out, where the side gpu exhaust is, that explains my question.
> 
> What kind of bag is that from your pictures?


You can try it but usually people don't put fans pulling and pushing next to each other because just like the air is instantly pulled out of the case some of it is pulled right back in on the outside. So not really ideal.. I realized you had a short card and I understood what you wanted but because nobody does that I wasn't going to suggest it.

The bag is from UDC, they make DJ gear bag's. This one is for midi controllers. Runs about $200.


----------



## Razor767

Hi everyone.

I'm planning on a Node 202 build that's capable of 1080p gaming and is as quiet as possible. I would like some opinions on this part list.

Budget is around £1300 including a monitor. Any feedback would be appreciated, thank you.

PCPartPicker part list: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/cvgJd6

CPU: Intel - Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£172.50 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler (£34.59 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX H270I GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard (£121.72 @ BT Shop)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£110.40 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£114.00 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 2TB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For £0.00)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GAMING X Video Card (£249.99 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case (£70.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair - SF 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply (£77.98)
Case Fan: be quiet! - SilentWings 3 PWM 50.5 CFM 120mm Fan (£17.59 @ Aria PC)
Case Fan: be quiet! - SilentWings 3 PWM 50.5 CFM 120mm Fan (£17.59 @ Aria PC)
Monitor: Asus - ROG SWIFT PG248Q 24.0" 1920x1080 180Hz Monitor (£355.14 @ Aria PC)
Total: £1342.49


----------



## keicam87

Hi Guys,

Special hello to Richard - Long time no speak ! Hows your kid ?









I have just read all the thread. It is very cool guys that more and more people are trying their luck with Node 202!

I just wanted to update you on my gear. In summer 2016 I have purchased this:.

*CPU:* Intel - Core i5-6600k
*CPU Cooler*: Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler
*Motherboard*: MSI Z170 Gaming PRO AC
*Memory*: HyperX Fury Black 8GB 2400
*Storage*: Samsung - 850EVO 250GB (my good old SSD)
*Video Card*: MSI - GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING X
*Case*: Fractal Design - Node 202
*Power Supply*: Corsair - SF 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply
*3x Case Fan*: be quiet! - SilentWings 3 PWM 50.5 CFM 120mm Fan
*Monitor*: Asus 27 IPS 60hz - VC279H-W

The unit ran perfectly and it was more than enough for me, but I am just wondering about upgrading my gear to run ~90-100 FPS @ 1440p, and I have few questions for you:



I want to upgrade GPU: MSI 1070 Gaming X for MSI 1080 TI Gaming X. According to MSI.com, 1080 TI dimensions are 290 x 140 x 51 mm and should fit in the case.
Have any of you tried putting 1080TI + cooling inside n202?
How does the gear do ? What are the temperatures ?

Which 1440p monitor would you suggest ? I doubt I can achieve 144hz with only 1 GPU in AAA games, so maybe stick with 60-100 hz monitors.

I have 2x4 DDR 4 2400. SRam upgrade from 8 GB to 16 GB. I think its a must, right?
Is 6600k enough to handle 1440p. nonOC / OC?

Apart from the upgrade itself i have also this question:

I keep nod 202 horizontally in my desk so the ventilation from the top and the bottom is limited by the desk itself. Just Imagine a sandwich or a burger. I keep getting 40-43 C degrees on idle. Do you think I can tune CPU and system 1 FAN somehow to reduce it to under 40 when idle ? I can install MSI Command Center for that. What RPMs would you suggest? Any FAN tunning, or Fan upgrades changes to get generally lower temps? Not that the case itself is burning or anything. Just would be nice to have them a bit lower.

*Summoning @Arengeta*

Please let me know if you have any experience with that.

Thank You and enjoy your n202 builds!

Have a nice day!


----------



## Arengeta

Hello keicam87,
The GPU should have no problems at all if you will have direct flow over it (intake fans), it might get on the noisy side but nothing that it won't be able to handle. Currently I am not using this case since I moved to a fully custom built water cooling loop and changing computers all the time (oh i'm so bad at that, I'd rather have stayed with my Z68 ITX and 3770k back then in node 202 build...). I plan on building myself another PC soon in Node 202, have no idea right now what I'm gonna use in it.

As for monitor, CPU and RAM upgrades. The higher the resolution, the more RAM and VRAM your system will use, so upgrading to 16GB is a must nowadays in AAA titles (BF1 uses up to 10.8GB of RAM on my pc). If you want to upgrade your monitor to 1440p first of all you have to decide what is going to be your primary use and your budget (you could go for 165Hz IPS, best all around) and a single 1080 Ti will be enough to power it all the way to 100+ fps and you will have G-Sync enabled as well which will make your video output butter smooth.
From my testing with i5 vs i7 (6600k vs 6700k) I have noticed that in BF1 regardless of the resolution (tried 1080p, 1440p and 4k with GTX 980Ti) I could not get above 100 fps stable at 4.7Ghz overclock on any settings (I usually play on medium there, best performance to quality ratio I think) while the 6700k OC'ed to 4.4Ghz pulls up to 160FPS with no bottlenecks. If you do plan to upgrade it to i7 I suggest you delid your CPU, those skylake and kaby lake chips are very hot and since the space in the case is very cramped we are bound to use low profile coolers that cannot properly cool the CPU with stock thermal paste.


----------



## keicam87

Hi Arengeta,

Thanks a lot for your reply!

As I assumed going for 1440p ULTRA @ ~100 FPS will not be easy to do in n202. Not only it requires hell of an upgrade but managing temps goes to the next level.

*GPU*
So, 1080TI should fit. MSI Gaming X is 51 mm thick, which gives me 9-10 mm for the case fans (At least according to n202 manual). Are there any good in that size?

*CPU*
Yes. i7 upgrade is an option, actually a must here. I wonder if it is possible to have a CPU without OC to keep temps a bit lower in this case. Maybe 6700 or 7700? Or K version so 6700K or 7700K but not OC it any more than stock version be enough? *update:* Maybe I sell z170 mobo and settle for MSI H270 Gaming Pro AC?

*Monitor*
ASUS ROG SWIFT PG279Q is the way to go but not in my budget....yet









*RAM* is not a problem I will just replace it with 2x8 2400 mhz for now.

Thanks a lot for your help.

PS.
If temps are the biggest problem in here maybe I need to find and an alternative and change n202







for something similar but a little bigger?

Thank you,
Have a nice weekend !


----------



## DigitrevX

I don't get why ppl worry about their cpu temp with even a tiny cryorig c7. If you're not rendering off the cpu using, C4D, Maya, Max, Premerie, AE ex with the thing OC to heck it's not going to be a problem unless your bed room or office is outside. A intel heat sink will handle a stock 7700 and a stock 7700 is all you need for 1440 @ 100fps unless the game uses other resources more.


----------



## Xyrokz

Hi everyone, im building a system with this case, the only part im missing so far is the GPU.

The idea is to get a 1080 ti but i dont know if its better to use a custom cooler edition or a norma one (aka blower), what do you guys think?


----------



## keicam87

Hi DigitrevX

Not that I am worried I just keep the Case in my desk above my balls and I would like them to remain as cold as ice







. Actually I just like to know as much as possible before I make any decision. Thats all









BR,


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> Hi DigitrevX
> 
> Not that I am worried I just keep the Case in my desk above my balls and I would like them to remain as cold as ice
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> . Actually I just like to know as much as possible before I make any decision. Thats all
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> BR,


It will never be cold. All that matters is it operates. The fractal node 202 isn't a case designed for cooling bragging rights. It just needs to function since it's small.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Xyrokz*
> 
> Hi everyone, im building a system with this case, the only part im missing so far is the GPU.
> 
> The idea is to get a 1080 ti but i dont know if its better to use a custom cooler edition or a norma one (aka blower), what do you guys think?


Either style cooler on the gpu works. It's been covered a lot. Usually people add 120mm fans to the gpu bay if possible if it's open air style coolers.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> *GPU*
> So, 1080TI should fit. MSI Gaming X is 51 mm thick, which gives me 9-10 mm for the case fans (At least according to n202 manual). Are there any good in that size?


None. I'd suggest going for EVGA GTX 1080 Ti since they all are 2 slot and you'll be able to fit 25mm fans inside the case. Or a reference 1080 Ti would do the job very well as well.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> *CPU*
> Yes. i7 upgrade is an option, actually a must here. I wonder if it is possible to have a CPU without OC to keep temps a bit lower in this case. Maybe 6700 or 7700? Or K version so 6700K or 7700K but not OC it any more than stock version be enough? *update:* Maybe I sell z170 mobo and settle for MSI H270 Gaming Pro AC?


Delidded 6700k would do the best job. 7700k are worse than 6700k in thermals, I have no idea why. Selling Z170 and getting a H270 is a downgrade in my opinion.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> *Monitor*
> ASUS ROG SWIFT PG279Q is the way to go but not in my budget....yet


AOC AG271QG. Almost same monitor for 30% cheaper. If you get lucky then you might even get a better panel than on the ASUS and vice versa. IPS panels are just lottery.


----------



## keicam87

Hello,

Thanks again for your input.

I have thrown coldwater bucket all over my head and I have decided to wait a while with any bigger PC upgrades, and here is why.

Apart from surfing on the net, the most demanding thing I do on my PC is gaming which I do VERY ocasionally. I am getting old you know. I have just given another try to Doom and BF 1. Doom is not an issue, but BF 1 is more demanding in terms of rendering. So, as the aim is to switch to 1440p I have done some tests.

*1440p @ 1080p DSR and CPU OC*

The goal is to switch to 1440p. I have researched on the internet that you can actually render 1440p on 1080p monitor (DSR) and apparently given results in this case rendered FPS, should be similar to actually running 1440p on 1440p monitor. At least this is what I have read on the internet. First of all I changed in game resolution (BF1 @1440p ULTRA) to see how it runs. With stock CPU 6600k @3500 I think my CPU bottlnecked GPU? or there was just not enogh power on CPU and I couldnt get smooth 60 fps (round 50-59). Even though I got close to 60 I constantly had this "yellow low FPS warning icon" and screen was not smooth. So I decided to boost my CPU and do some OC. I tried @ 4.0 and 4.5 GHZ but the results were somehow similar and I could render constant 60 fps(65-72 fps) @1440p (DSR). As the results were similar I went back to 4.0 GHZ. Kind of cool..







.

*+ GPU OC*
Then it occured to me, why only OC CPU, OC the GPU too!







. So obvious I know, but I have never experienced with overclocking, so it was big unknown to me. Knowing even less about overclocking GPU I went to MSI Afterburner and changed Power Consumtion to 120%. Was that enough tweaking to do GPU OC? I dont know, but I am sure that you do! So with that "tweaking" I havent seen any changes BF Performance.

So in the end I went back to stock GPU settings.

*My thoughts*
It got me thinking how much would I squeeze of my PC if I updated the CPU? So i went to your advice to maybe upgrade to 6700k, but then I found out that intel is supposed to release Coffee Lakes in H2 2017, which are supposed to be +30% better than Kaby Lakes, and at similar price. It would be ideal if Coffee Lakes were compatible with my Z170 (maybe after bios update?). if not I can just as well update mobo + CPU.

*Conclusion*
1440p upgrade is bigger and more expensive than i though and hitting 1440p @ 100 fps in AAA is more complex. I would need to take it in 2 or even 3 steps.

There is always going to be new tech just round the corner ready to boost the performance, so I decided to wait a while and maybe upgade the parts that arent going to change that much in the near future, so the first step is to have 2x8 GB Ram and 1440p Monitor. I will wait for Coffee Lakes premiere and at the same time postpone GPU (1080ti) upgrade as it is way too expensive right now.

What do you guys think ? Is there any more tweaking I could try?

Thanks a lot,

Enjoy your day


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> What do you guys think ?


Instead of doing something now, you're going to wait till Q2 of 2018 to be a early adopter of a chip nobody has seen or reviewed? Unless you have saved up your entire life for this one computer that seems a bit dramatic. The number one question in pc hardware is "should I wait?" The answer is almost always no. Very rarely is the public's opinion soooo sure that a new product will be so much better it is worth waiting that long for.


----------



## keicam87

Hi,

You know the idea of an upgrade is just out of boredom







.

My gear can handle ULTRA 1080p @ 60 hz which is max for me. It is very comfortable PC gaming and I dont need to rush with the upgrade today.. Would be nice, sure, but I can wait.
Sure, the new tech is always just round the corner, but waiting 6 more months doesnt change anything for me and maybe with the new tech, the older one will get cheaper









I was just curious about your opinion,

Thank You.


----------



## Xyrokz

The system specs so far are

Mobo: Asus Z270i
Cpu: Intel 7600k
Ram: Corsair Dominator Plat. 2x8
M.2: Samsung evo 960 500gb -- OS and main programs with one or two games
SSD: Samsung 840 pro 256 and Samsung 850 evo 500gb -- Other games and storage
VGA: Asus Strix R9 390 for now, plan to upgrade it to an 1080ti later on
PSU: Corsair sf600

Not yet decided between Noctua nh-l9i of it or Cryorig C7. Anyone tried them with other fans beside the stock ones?

Anyone has review both noctua and cryorig coolers in this case? if i could get some oc that would be great but i have no problem with leaving it without it. The most important thing by far is low noise.
Does the Cryorig C7 block the ram in any way? Seems bigger than the Noctua

For the vga slot i plan to use some Sflex 1600 i have and if they dont do the work i plan to get some Noctua f12

Which m2 socket should i use for the 960 evo to get the lower temps? Front or back?

Thanks everyone


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Xyrokz*
> 
> The system specs so far are
> 
> Mobo: Asus Z270i
> Cpu: Intel 7600k
> Ram: Corsair Dominator Plat. 2x8
> M.2: Samsung evo 960 500gb -- OS and main programs with one or two games
> SSD: Samsung 840 pro 256 and Samsung 850 evo 500gb -- Other games and storage
> VGA: Asus Strix R9 390 for now, plan to upgrade it to an 1080ti later on
> PSU: Corsair sf600
> 
> Not yet decided between Noctua nh-l9i of it or Cryorig C7. Anyone tried them with other fans beside the stock ones?
> 
> Anyone has review both noctua and cryorig coolers in this case? if i could get some oc that would be great but i have no problem with leaving it without it. The most important thing by far is low noise.
> Does the Cryorig C7 block the ram in any way? Seems bigger than the Noctua
> 
> For the vga slot i plan to use some Sflex 1600 i have and if they dont do the work i plan to get some Noctua f12
> 
> Which m2 socket should i use for the 960 evo to get the lower temps? Front or back?
> 
> Thanks everyone


I can't answer about the Noctua nh-l9i. But I can tell you the main pit fall of asus's strix model mITX boards with coolers like the C7 and nh-l9i. Because of the phase cooling sinks around the cpu socket the consequence is air is boxed in pretty bad with coolers like the C7. The air gets rammed down into the cooler and has only one exit if you mount the fins parallel with the ram. If you choose to mount it any other way its even worse. The air has almost not escape.

I swapped over to a Thermalright AMP cooler. Which is a lifted design with open space under the cooler. It took some bracket modification and I had to remove the heat sink closest to the back of the IO on the board to fit it. The up side is because the cooler is lifted there is a lot of space for air to freely move through the cooler.

There was about a 10 degree drop changing over to the Thermalright. The cooler can only mount with the heat pipes facing opposite of the M.2 on the asus strix mITX boards. However it isn't all bad news because in this single configuration option the elevated cooler sits partially above the m.2 so it gets some pretty good air running over the asus heat sink.

That's my 2 cents on it.


----------



## Xyrokz

Thanks for your answer.

Have you tried to inverse the fans with the noctua in a pull configuration throwing the air away, i have done it with one noctua heatsink, cant remember the model in a Lian Li v351 and it worked really nice for years.

Any chance of a pic of your set up ?


----------



## DigitrevX

Not sure why the quotes aren't working..

Since I don't have a noctua cooler I can't really comment on it too much. I have heard of people reversing their cooler fans in small form factor builds.
I did post a photo of my build a couple pages earlier. But since I swapped out the cooler I'll see if I can take a photo tomorrow since it's a bit late right now.

I also stuck a 780 gtx gpu in it temporarily to borrow the 1080ti for a project this month. So that changed too temporarily.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Xyrokz*
> 
> Thanks for your answer.
> 
> Have you tried to inverse the fans with the noctua in a pull configuration throwing the air away, i have done it with one noctua heatsink, cant remember the model in a Lian Li v351 and it worked really nice for years.
> 
> Any chance of a pic of your set up ?


Hi sorry for the delay in the images





Again I had to modify the mounting bracket to nudge the cooler away from the ram. It wouldn't fit otherwise for some reason. My guess is because its a older model cooler and this is a new board. Also again I had to remove one of the sinks for the power delivery. But air blows on it from the cpu cooler.


----------



## Xyrokz

Thanks mate, nice set up

Anyone knows if a Asus 1080 ti strix would fit this case with 2 120x25 fans under it?

Thanks!


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Xyrokz*
> 
> Thanks mate, nice set up
> 
> Anyone knows if a Asus 1080 ti strix would fit this case with 2 120x25 fans under it?
> 
> Thanks!


Its a 2.5 slot gpu so it wont fit with 25mm fans. You're limited to 2 slot gpus if you use standard 25mm fans. I suggest evga since they make 2 slot cards with good coolers.


----------



## keicam87

Hi,

*CPU Cooling solution in N202*

Do we have a sure winner in CPU coolers category for 6600k / 6700k / 7700k without OC, or with mild OC ?

As far as I am concerned there are 3 candidates:

Noctuna NH L9i + Noctua PWM (NF-F12)

Cryorig C7 (CR-C7A) Low Profile + Case fan?

CPU Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B SCBSK-2100
Which one would be the best solution in terms of temperature, and noise level (idle and under load) ?

Personally I use Noctuna NH L9i + Noctua PWM (NF-F12) with 6600k (no OC) and have the following results:

*Case position* horizontal inside a desk (like a sandwich)

*idle*
CPU ~ 40 C
Mobo ~45 C

*Stress (Prime 95) 30 min stress test*
CPU ~ 78 C
Mobo ~ 56 C


----------



## Xyrokz

I cant get the evga ftw3 where i am, asus strix and fe and some msi but i had bad experiences with msi so i wouldnt buy one again.

Do you think that the Strix one would do fine without the fans in a vertical position?

Wish there would be more tests with this case out there


----------



## keicam87

HI guys,

I have done the following updates in m gear:

1. Updated Ram to 16 GB with FuryX 2x 8 DDR 2400 (they worked great with 6600k)

2. After two weeks, I have updated CPU to 6700k, and my pc wont boot with both ram sticks plugged in. With one plugged in DIMM1 it works ok. I had the latest BIOS installed.

I tried enabling XMP in bios with one ram stick, then add another ram stick but it did not boot. (CPUand RAM lights on mobo are flashing interchangeably)

Weird thing is that even though FuryX (either 2x4 or 2x8) worked great with 6600k, this particular model of (2x8) is not on compatible list on MSI site (mobo is MSI z170i Gaming pro AC). So why the hell it worked with 6600k ?

I also tested 6700k with my old RAM FuryX 2x4 2133 DDR4 which also worked great with 6600k, but PC wont boot either - same symptom.

Is there any tweaking in BIOSI can do?

Any ideas?


----------



## Jonatius

Hey guys,

I'm planning to do the following build:

*CPU*: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 Boxed
*GPU*: MSI GeForce GTX 1060 Gaming X 6G
*PSU*: Corsair SF450
*HDD*: WD Black SATA 6Gb/s WD10JPLX, 1TB
*SSD*: Crucial MX300 m.2 525GB
*Memory*: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB 3000Mhz
*Cooler*: Noctua NH-L9i
*Fans*: Noctua NF-F12 PWM, 120mm (2x)
*Case*: Fractal Design Node 202

No OC, mainly 1080p gaming planned.

I prefer the Ryzen 5 because I think it will be more future-proof than the i5 7500, but I'm not sure which mini-ITX mobo to use. I've heard some negative stories about the Biostar, so I've looked at the *ASRock Fatal1ty AB350 Gaming-ITX/ac* but I'm not sure it fits in a Node 202 case because of the location of the SATA connectors (source), the *Gigabyte AB350N-Gaming WiFi* could have the same problem. Any of you have any experience with these mobo's or any alternative suggestions?

General feedback on the build is also welcome!


----------



## NN PianoMan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> HI guys,
> 
> I have done the following updates in m gear:
> 
> 1. Updated Ram to 16 GB with FuryX 2x 8 DDR 2400 (they worked great with 6600k)
> 
> 2. After two weeks, I have updated CPU to 6700k, and my pc wont boot with both ram sticks plugged in. With one plugged in DIMM1 it works ok. I had the latest BIOS installed.
> 
> I tried enabling XMP in bios with one ram stick, then add another ram stick but it did not boot. (CPUand RAM lights on mobo are flashing interchangeably)
> 
> Weird thing is that even though FuryX (either 2x4 or 2x8) worked great with 6600k, this particular model of (2x8) is not on compatible list on MSI site (mobo is MSI z170i Gaming pro AC). So why the hell it worked with 6600k ?
> 
> I also tested 6700k with my old RAM FuryX 2x4 2133 DDR4 which also worked great with 6600k, but PC wont boot either - same symptom.
> 
> Is there any tweaking in BIOSI can do?
> 
> Any ideas?


You may want to post your issue above in the Memory forum (if you haven't done so already). Sounds like you need to tweak your timings; there may be an interaction with the 6700k's faster core clock, its memory controller, and your RAM.

I'm not familiar with the Z170 chipset, but your issue is a bit of the reverse of what happened with FuryX RAM on my X99/5820k: I had trouble getting (2x8) Corsair Vengeance 3000 memory to work properly in OS with my mobo/CPU. Thing was, it would boot, and enter Windows, but blue screen ONLY when coming out of sleep. After several days of unsuccessful timing tweaks, I purchased (2x8) FuryX 2400, which is advertised to automatically work out of the box with X99 chipsets, which it did.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Jonatius*
> 
> Hey guys,
> 
> ...but I'm not sure it fits in a Node 202 case because of the location of the SATA connectors (source), the *Gigabyte AB350N-Gaming WiFi* could have the same problem. Any of you have any experience with these mobo's or any alternative suggestions?


Having the SATA ports on the right side of the mobo is probably best, but I don't think I'd say having them on the front makes it not work on the 202. It would seem it to be a hassle routing the cables in the 202, but it should work.

My ASUS mobo has the SATA ports on the right; but perhaps someone who's worked in a front-SATA-ported mobo into the 202 can chime in?


----------



## Hdgwndu955

Account deleted


----------



## Zachal

Hi! Im a new Freak here









Jap Heat is really a Problem.
I noticed that the Case was extreme Hot on the Top Side, where the GPUs Back is. The Case was so hot, i couldn't even touch it there.

My GPU was a GTX970 Gigabyte Windforce OC
I used only 1 Cooler for Intake, that the hot Air can leave on the other Side.

The CPU Area is not better.....

After my Experience with the normal Case. I would only recommend GPUs with Radial Fans

Im a complete Mod Amateur but i tried my first Projekt








Now, the hot Air can leave on the other Side. It was Time for an Upgrade!









Node 202
Corsair SF600
Ryzen 1600X
Biostar Racing X370GTN
ASUS GTX1070 Strix OC
2x Tacens Mars 120mm Fans
16GB 3200MHz Corsair
M.2 Samsung EVO
1TB Data HDD 2,5"

Thinks i need to do:
1) 1 maybe 2 . 40x40mm Noctua on the Top/intern Side. I want a cooler CPU Area.
2) LED Light for Ryzen Logo. (And the Logo is now on the Outside of the Case)

 
 

UPDATE:
(Screws looks only bad in Zoom Mode xD)


----------



## gbak

any chance of better cooling at gpu? playing bf1 ,and my msi 1060 6gb run hot 70c. no fans at all, dont know maybe i refund the case, think too small for big gpus


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gbak*
> 
> any chance of better cooling at gpu? playing bf1 ,and my msi 1060 6gb run hot 70c. no fans at all, dont know maybe i refund the case, think too small for big gpus


1x 120mm Fan INTAKE

70°C without Fans is good. But i think its not on full GPU Load^^
My GTX970 reached 80°C on Full Load at PUBG Ultra Setting.


----------



## gbak

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> 1x 120mm Fan INTAKE
> 
> 70°C without Fans is good. But i think its not on full GPU Load^^
> My GTX970 reached 80°C on Full Load at PUBG Ultra Setting.


100% gpu ,thanks m8, the thing is i got lower frames dropped down to 60-65 ultra on bf1, when i opened the case the temps back to normal 60c gpu and 50c cpu and frames 80+ utra 1080p
i think i'm gonna return it back to amazon,there is no chance to save dat thing,way to hot for dat hardware.

never seen in my life so hot case, i had changed more than 10+ cases..propably i go for Fractal Design Core 500


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gbak*
> 
> 100% gpu ,thanks m8, the thing is i got lower frames dropped down to 60-65 ultra on bf1, when i opened the case the temps back to normal 60c gpu and 50c cpu and frames 80+ utra 1080p
> i think i'm gonna return it back to amazon,there is no chance to save dat thing,way to hot for dat hardware.
> 
> never seen in my life so hot case, i had changed more than 10+ cases..propably i go for Fractal Design Core 500


totally agree
I thought the same.

A) Return
B) Should i complete destroy the Layout? Come on, i take my Dremel and do it xD

Jap. Fractal should put a Note on the Website "Only for Blower Fan GPUs"
Its not possible to get "normal" Temps with Axial Fans. Maybe if you use a small form factor GPU.

The next Thing is.... try your Case horizontal without the Case-Feet/Holder.
Your GPU reach 10°C+ more


----------



## gbak

well end up with this(ml08).. excellent engineering from silverstone for once more time since silverstone ft02 owned, happy so far with this sst case, temps quite good for that size and the gpu breathe more sufficient .


----------



## Zachal

Looks good!

More Pics please. From the other Side to.
And closed.


----------



## jbyron

Did you every figure this out? I had the same problem in my node 202, turns out I was over tightening the CPU cooler and it warps the mobo enough to cause ram problems. Surprisingly common issue when I googled it!


----------



## gbak

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> Looks good!
> 
> More Pics please. From the other Side to.
> And closed.


here u are mate, bit more expensive the case *but* superb design and fully aluminum as all silvestone cases,that means better heat dissipation.
i won't close it totally mate,better like this...msi 1060 looks beauty







*dx12 bf1 on ultra* needs plenty of air.





sorry mods last post about this case


----------



## keicam87

Very nice !

I have 2 quick ones for you:

*Questions*
1,Will Corsair SF 600 handle 1080ti + Ryzen x1800 without OC ?
- Yes according to my build and https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator it should be enough

2.Do you have any ideas for low profile CPU Cooling ?
- Sure dummy Same CPU Noctua NH-L9i that you already has, was updated with mouting kit for AM4

Thanks !


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> Very nice !
> 
> I have 2 quick ones for you:
> 
> *Questions*
> 1,Will Corsair SF 600 handle 1080ti + Ryzen x1800 without OC ?
> - Yes according to my build and https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator it should be enough
> 
> 2.Do you have any ideas for low profile CPU Cooling ?
> - Sure dummy Same CPU Noctua NH-L9i that you already has, was updated with mouting kit for AM4
> 
> Thanks !


1) Corsair SF600 is fine








2) Maybe Cryorig C7 with AM4 Kit:
http://www.cryorig.com/c7.php


----------



## voidfahrenheit

hi everyone... i was using before an ATX case which is the Master Case Pro that now i'm using as my NAS.
I really like the Node202 because of its size. almost same weight of my Ps3 and little bigger than the PS4.









this is my first time to have an ITX gaming pc. and because of all the owners here who contributed with their build.

still using my RX580 while thinking of 1070 vs 1080ti. i also added 2 red riiing fans on the gpu side for better cooling. big shuriken 2 Ver B.
for my cpu.

I will get a custom cables with exact measurements for my cable management part.

Case: Node202
CPU: i7 6700k delidded and using Coolaboratory Liquid Pro. OC to 4.6ghz 1.3v
Motherboard: Asus Viii Impact
Ram: LPX Corsair 16gb rams 3000mhz
PSU: Silverstone 600w Full Modular.
GPU: XFX RX580 (temporarily)
SSD: Crucial MX300 M2 in a 2.5 casing
Fans: Red 120mm Riiing Fans from Thermaltake on GPU side like the one I saw in the other post.
Ordered 2pcs 40mm Noctua Fans for the cpu side like i saw in one post here.


----------



## keicam87

Hi,

What kind of CPU cooler did you use for AM4 ?

BR,


----------



## Dimensive

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> Hi,
> 
> What kind of CPU cooler did you use for AM4 ?
> 
> BR,


Looks like a Scythe BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4RE2YH7199


----------



## Zachal

The difference with 2x 40mm for CPU Air exhaust:

GAME Test: Player Unknowns Battleground

AMD Ryzen 5 1600x with Wraith Spire LED @ Normal Case
80-82°C

With 2x Noctua 40mmx10mm
66-72°C

wow! Update:
3x Noctua @ 7V (Silent Mode)
60-67°C









Nothing more to say....









I ordered a third and put all in 7V for Silent Mode.

The 40x20 Noctua with PWM would be a better Choice, but now ive got the 10mm FLEX.


----------



## keicam87

That is very interesting!

Do you think it is possible to add to my current cooling solution I have 2 Noctunas F12 PWM under GPU + one case Fan on top of CPU Fan. I would like to add 2 x 40x40 Noctuas on the side of CPU ?

in my old mobo I had 2 plugs for fans(?) and with Y splitter and I managed to get 2 more, so 4 in total. How do you get two more ? Just use another splitter

In this case I would like to have in CPU chamber: Noctua NH-L9i + Noctua F12 PWM + 2 x 40x40 Noctuas.

Please advise


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> The difference with 2x 40mm for CPU Air exhaust:
> 
> GAME Test: Player Unknowns Battleground
> 
> AMD Ryzen 5 1600x with Wraith Spire LED @ Normal Case
> 80-82°C
> 
> With 2x Noctua 40mmx10mm
> 66-72°C
> 
> Nothing more to say....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I ordered a third and put all in 7V for Silent Mode.
> 
> The 40x20 Noctua with PWM would be a better Choice, but now ive got the 10mm FLEX.


I bought the 40mm noctua fans for the procie side


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> That is very interesting!
> 
> Do you think it is possible to add to my current cooling solution I have 2 Noctunas F12 PWM under GPU + one case Fan on top of CPU Fan. I would like to add 2 x 40x40 Noctuas on the side of CPU ?
> 
> in my old mobo I had 2 plugs for fans(?) and with Y splitter and I managed to get 2 more, so 4 in total. How do you get two more ? Just use another splitter
> 
> In this case I would like to have in CPU chamber: Noctua NH-L9i + Noctua F12 PWM + 2 x 40x40 Noctuas.
> 
> Please advise


My tiny 40x40x10 use only 0,05A.
I use a 4pin @ 3x 4pin Adapter, because my Biostar have only 1x 4pin








My 2 GPU Fans on the Backside are plugged on the Asus Strix 1070. It have 2x 4pin Fan-Connector









I saw your Pictures. It looks like your CPU Temperature is fine enough, because you have much Air-Pressure.
But hows your GPU? 2x 120mm Intake with Axial Fans?


----------



## geesix

I have the white ASUS 1070 and 2x Noctua NF-12 beneath it. The GPU fans collide with the case fans, causing the GPU fans to not spin at all.



Anyone had this issue? Ideas?

I'm about to remove the dust filter, I have been reluctant to do this because.... dog owner.

Edit: The dust filter beneath this doesn't give me any space.


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *geesix*
> 
> I have the white ASUS 1070 and 2x Noctua NF-12 beneath it. The GPU fans collide with the case fans, causing the GPU fans to not spin at all.
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone had this issue? Ideas?
> 
> I'm about to remove the dust filter, I have been reluctant to do this because.... dog owner.


Remove the Noctua Anti-Vibration Things and use Screws. You win 2-3mm


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> Remove the Noctua Anti-Vibration Things and use Screws. You win 2-3mm


i cut a ziptie and put it between the fan and gpu, on the rubber part. XD


----------



## Zachal

OK, CPU Area DONE


----------



## keicam87

Easy. I had
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *geesix*
> 
> I have the white ASUS 1070 and 2x Noctua NF-12 beneath it. The GPU fans collide with the case fans, causing the GPU fans to not spin at all.
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone had this issue? Ideas?
> 
> I'm about to remove the dust filter, I have been reluctant to do this because.... dog owner.
> 
> Edit: The dust filter beneath this doesn't give me any space.


Hi!

I had similar issue with MSI 1070 GTX Gaming where there was actually no space between noctuas and GPU. It caused GPU fans to hit noctua ones which made rumbling noises.
*Solution:* All I did was I took a piece of paper or cardboard wrapped it round few times with scotch tape to make it thicker put it on the top of noctuas right in the place where two noctuas stick to each other. Also make sure it will not impact GPU fans in any way. Just find a sweet spot to lift uo 2-3 mm that damn heavy GPU. Worked like a charm


----------



## keicam87

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> My tiny 40x40x10 use only 0,05A.
> I use a 4pin @ 3x 4pin Adapter, because my Biostar have only 1x 4pin
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My 2 GPU Fans on the Backside are plugged on the Asus Strix 1070. It have 2x 4pin Fan-Connector
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I saw your Pictures. It looks like your CPU Temperature is fine enough, because you have much Air-Pressure.
> But hows your GPU? 2x 120mm Intake with Axial Fans?


MSI 1070 GTX Gaming is with 2x120 Noctuas F-12 PWM does their job under stress never went above 75 Celsuis i guess (from the top of my head).

For sure I will go with 2 more noctuas on the side to cool my CPU chamber. Which one should I get ? exactly I am not really familiar with them at all to be honest. I was thinking of either getting more air inside CPU chamber. Or use them to put the hot air out of the case.

*Please advise:*

Should i go for this one: http://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a4x10-flx

or this one.

http://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a4x10-5v

*PS. One last thing do you think it will fit on the side ?Is it not to thick*

http://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a4x20-pwm


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> MSI 1070 GTX Gaming is with 2x120 Noctuas F-12 PWM does their job under stress never went above 75 Celsuis i guess (from the top of my head).
> 
> For sure I will go with 2 more noctuas on the side to cool my CPU chamber. Which one should I get ? exactly I am not really familiar with them at all to be honest. I was thinking of either getting more air inside CPU chamber. Or use them to put the hot air out of the case.
> 
> *Please advise:*
> 
> Should i go for this one: http://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a4x10-flx
> 
> or this one.
> 
> http://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a4x10-5v
> 
> *PS. One last thing do you think it will fit on the side ?Is it not to thick*
> 
> http://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a4x20-pwm


With your Top-Intake @ CPU you should use it as exhaust:

for PWM Mode: *Noctua NF-A4x20 PWM, 40mm*
or FLX Mode with Silent or without Silent Adapter: *Noctua NF-A4x20 FLX, 40mm*

When you need more Space, you have the Option to go with 10mm : *Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX, 40mm*


----------



## keicam87

Perfeeecto ! Thanks! You went for 3x Noctua NF-A4x20 FLX, 40mm , right ?

This thread is getting more epic every day


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> Perfeeecto ! Thanks! You went for 3x Noctua NF-A4x20 FLX, 40mm , right ?
> 
> This thread is getting more epic every day


Your Mobo have a really high Passiv-Cooler next to the CPU.
You should go with the 10mm Version.
It could collide.

The next Thing is, you need a little Space between the Cooler and the Fan for Airflow.

Yep, go with the 10mm.









I took the 10mm Version. My fault... with AMD standart Fan, i could use the better 20mm. But now i bought it, **** happens


----------



## keicam87

Actually i upgrade for amd too! So will use 2x 40x10 noctuas. Hehhe


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> OK, CPU Area DONE


thanks man, i was planning to ask you how you put the 40mm fans there. and you posted it.









i ordered 2pcs only for that cpu exhaust i think that's enough for my node







i will plug it in the 5v part of my fan splitter.

i hope tomorrow my 1080ti FTW3 will arrive to finalize my build together with my NAS + Mining build heheh!


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dimensive*
> 
> Looks like a Scythe BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B
> 
> https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4RE2YH7199


yes it's a big shuriken 2 rev. B. great cooler for my delidded i7 6700k and using the Coolaboratory Liquid Pro the temps looks good for me.

I'm also thinking if i should put CLP on my 1080ti once i receive the item tomorrow or leave it as it is and monitor the temps first

UPDATE: 8/14/2017

finally got my 1080ti ftw3! and this gpu rocks!!! i also included a photo of my Node 202 together with my PS3 and PS4 with controllers for size comparison













my kid unboxing my gpu XD


----------



## keicam87

Hi. Great gear!
Could you test out the your pc: cpu plus gpu on aida64 for 25 min and post the results here?. I am wondering about the temps of 1080ti in node202.

Enjoy your build thanks!


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> Hi. Great gear!
> Could you test out the your pc: cpu plus gpu on aida64 for 25 min and post the results here?. I am wondering about the temps of 1080ti in node202.
> 
> Enjoy your build thanks!


i will try that once i finished my NAS + Mining PC. XD

im mining with my node202 if im not gaming. temps depends on my settings but highest i got was 70c+ on gpu. now it's 64c

my processor highest temp in Intel Burn Test is 70c for 4.6ghz 1.3v

i will post once i try aida64 extreme









==================================================================================

Update:

Here's the test using Aida64.

Got high temps in CPU but immediately cools down to 70c+ maybe because of the coolaboratory liquid pro but I'm not bothered since I don't reach those temps when I'm using it.







vcore jumps more than 1.3v maybe because of LLC Lvl.5 but i'm just guessing so I might be wrong.









GPU part max is 69c which i think is lower than when i'm mining with 100%tdp.

The cooling of the EVGA GTX 1080Ti FTW3 is really awesome. I like my whole ITX build and honestly will never go back to matx to eatx build for my "Personal Computer". but like I said, tomorrow if my order arrives, I'm building my NAS + Mining Rig which is atx with 2pcs of EVGA 1070 SC,






I really hope what I did helps.


----------



## Zachal

1080 Ti









Damn maybe later...
I got the Asus 1070 Strix OC from a Friend. 5 Months old with Bill, 415 EUR


----------



## keicam87

Thank You very much ! That is more than helpful!

Regarding GPU you got EVGA GTX 1080Ti FTW3 + 2x Red 120mm Riiing Fans from Thermaltake placed under it ?

According to specs Riiings are 25 mm thick, so it must mean that EVGA 1080 ti is slimmer than msi 1080 ti ! .Did you manage to put it GPU + 2 case fans without any space isssues ?

BR,


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> Thank You very much ! That is more than helpful!
> 
> Regarding GPU you got EVGA GTX 1080Ti FTW3 + 2x Red 120mm Riiing Fans from Thermaltake placed under it ?
> 
> According to specs Riiings are 25 mm thick, so it must mean that EVGA 1080 ti is slimmer than msi 1080 ti ! .Did you manage to put it GPU + 2 case fans without any space isssues ?
> 
> BR,


yes that's what i have. and yes riiing fans are 25mm thick like standard fans.

the good thing with the FTW3 is that, the fans are pushed inside like few mm from the body. so the riiing fans doesn't hit either the fans or body of the FTW3. the FTW3's body (the silver like frame) is like perforated and that helps i guess. i forgot to take photo of the ftw3's fan area

i also think the evga ftw3 is slimmer than the msi version but maybe longer?
coz I removed the pcie bracket of the node202 and attached first the FTW3 on the angled bracket before putting it back. i cannot put the FTW3 if the bracket is not removed.


----------



## keicam87

MSI 1080 Ti is 51 mm thick, but good to know that EVGA 1080 TI can fit with 25 mm case fans!

To be honest I dont think there is any other way of attaching GPU than the one you have described. Well thats at least what i did: first put GPU into bracket and then put it all into case and PCI slot..

Thanks!


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> MSI 1080 Ti is 51 mm thick, but good to know that EVGA 1080 TI can fit with 25 mm case fans!
> 
> To be honest I dont think there is any other way of attaching GPU than the one you have described. Well thats at least what i did: first put GPU into bracket and then put it all into case and PCI slot..
> 
> Thanks!


yeah i just checked msi website too. but in evga they didn't specify the thickness of the ftw3. only shown is dual slot









cheers!!


----------



## Zachal

If you need smaller Fans.
Noctua have 15mm to:
https://geizhals.at/?cat=coolfan&xf=1034_Noctua~355_120~356_15


----------



## keicam87

Thanks !

I am off for now...Will be back, once I have something to show









BR,


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> If you need smaller Fans.
> Noctua have 15mm to:
> https://geizhals.at/?cat=coolfan&xf=1034_Noctua~355_120~356_15


i got the 40mm fans. was that your photo with 2 noctua 40mm fans? i forgot the name but i remember the build


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *voidfahrenheit*
> 
> i got the 40mm fans. was that your photo with 2 noctua 40mm fans? i forgot the name but i remember the build


Yes.
^^ But now, im the Freak with 3 NOCTUAS! muahahaah


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> Yes.
> ^^ But now, im the Freak with 3 NOCTUAS! muahahaah


when you showed the 3 noctuas I was like, whaaaaat? i already bought 2pcs T_T

but i guess 2 is fine. i'll just get another 1 if i will buy something else


----------



## Zachal

hmmm new CaseMod?

How about:
Install the 2x 120mm Fan on the Outside of the Case with Fangrills?
The whole GPU Champer would be free @ 3 Slot GPU's


----------



## keicam87

Dear ryzens, please post your cpu model with idle and stress temps. Aida 64 20 mi is enough. Thanks!

So I have upgraded my PC to Ryzen 1700x + AsRock x370 Fatality Itx/ac + 2x 8GB 3200 hz G skill Flare X. Details will come soon. Enjoy !


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> hmmm new CaseMod?
> 
> How about:
> Install the 2x 120mm Fan on the Outside of the Case with Fangrills?
> The whole GPU Champer would be free @ 3 Slot GPU's


that would be for 3 slot gpus XD i prefer not changing the node 202 i really like it







it's like a high powered handgun XD


----------



## keicam87

*Node Build #2*

*Case*: Node202
*CPU*: Ryzen 1700x - Stock Speed
*Motherboard*: Fatal1ty X370 Gaming-ITX/ac
*Ram*: G.SKILL 16GB 3200MHz Flare X Black Ryzen CL14
*PSU*: Corsair SF 600
*GPU*: MSI 1070 GTX Gaming X
*SSD*: SSD Samsung 840 EVO 240 GB
*CPU Cooling*: Noctua NH-L9i ( with mouting kit for AM4 socket)
*Case Fans*

*GPU Chamber* - 2x Noctua F12-PWM *intake*
*Above CPU* - Noctua F12-PWM *intake*
*Side of Case ear CPU area - 2x Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX outtake
*
Temperatures (case is vertical):

*Idle*
CPU *38 C*
MOBO *39 C*
GPU *33*

*Stress ( Prime 95 @ 25 min + surfing)*
CPU Max *66*
MOBO *47*

*3dMark*
TimeSpy- 6000 points

*BF 1 (Conquest 64)* @ 1440p @ ULTRA DX 11 - *75 fps* ( on lowest details I got 99 fps)

Still to upgrade:
[*] GPU
[*] Monitor



Enjoy!

*PS. The torment*

Cable management was a bloody nightmare with two more fans, more than usual a torment actually. As I had bad readings on CPU fan (0 RPM) even though it was working. I wanted to have a look and open the cheast of my case....at midnight and it would be ok but of course something apparently went ******* wrong. Even though I did nothing apart from opening the chest I could not post my PC. I asked my self why the **** have I opened that at midnight ? As my wife is more than happy that i spent entire friday afternoon on my new toy, I decided to deal with it that very night. I have reset CMOS multiple times, unpluged all cables and tidy them up a bit and mount it again. Finally the PC posted. I closed the chest with only 3 loose stiches and went to bed. Amen


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keicam87*
> 
> Dear ryzens, please post your cpu model with idle and stress temps. Aida 64 20 mi is enough. Thanks!
> 
> So I have upgraded my PC to Ryzen 1700x + AsRock x370 Fatality Itx/ac + 2x 8GB 3200 hz G skill Flare X. Details will come soon. Enjoy !


----------



## Ultracarpet

Hey just wondering what some of your thoughts are about a build i have been sort of toying around with doing. I'm fairly certain im going to be picking up a gtx 1080 or 1080ti within the next month or so, and the plan after that was to slowly convert over to a sff build in a node 202. I want the CPU to still be able to keep up with the card so it's going to need decent cooling. I Was thinking about doing an AIO with a short card, but it seems that the zotac mini isn't quite short enough for a AIO to fit next to it... So i started thinking more radical.

I'm pondering the possibility of getting a slim AIO (the silverstone td02-slim) and running it underneath the graphics card, then removing the graphics card's shroud and fans and putting some high static pressure 25mm fans in between the graphics card and the aio rad to do double duty. Putting aside the possible measurement oversights that i made in this, either the GPU or the CPU might run much hotter than I would like them to depending on the fan orientation (pulling through rad into the GPU, or pulling through GPU into the rad). Then the zotac mini came back into play, though; if i had the fan pulling from the gpu across the rad, only one 120mm spot on the rad would be getting air from the GPU, the other 120mm fan would just be pulling case air.

Thoughts on this/any info about people that have done similar sort of things?


----------



## revlimiter

Can I fit a MSI GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X and two 2.25 drives in the Node 202? Also, would the temps be acceptable for gaming? (I won't be overclocking)


----------



## revlimiter

I should also point out that I will only be gaming at 1080p ultra so it might not be as taxing on the graphics card. Hopefully it will keep the temps lower than if I was gaming on 4K ultra. But still, would like to know if it's OK to run this card without any problems in this case. It's a big card so I don't know where I would be able to fit two 2.25" drives....

Thanks


----------



## h0w1er

Well, theoretically saying you can. But why?
I'm not sure it's good idea to put no blower type VC into HTPC. It will start spreading heat to the rest case, especially if you want to have it vertical.

Here, see someone tried: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/Bp8Ycf
I've briefly looked (TL;DR) but seems guy rejected idea to continue with HTPC and moving to ATX box.


----------



## h0w1er

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> Yes.
> ^^ But now, im the Freak with 3 NOCTUAS! muahahaah


Help needed for another noctua's multi fans freak, please.

I have (for pull):
- 2 x NF-F12 PWM in CHA ;
- 1 x NH-L9i in CPU;
- 1 x NF-A14 PWM in AIO Pump.

So, I've read your post about 3 x NF-10 FLX, got them for air push, but... Man, can you please show or to tell where you got power for them and cable management exp?

I was able to connect 2 out of 3 to AIO Pump together with NF-A14 using 2 Y-connectors (from F12 and A14). But for some strange reason temp are much higher (+10c) during AIDA CPU stress, and not so sure that power is enough.
Are you using Molex or SATA power for NF-10? Many thanks in advance.


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *h0w1er*
> 
> Well, theoretically saying you can. But why?
> I'm not sure it's good idea to put no blower type VC into HTPC. It will start spreading heat to the rest case, especially if you want to have it vertical.
> 
> Here, see someone tried: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/Bp8Ycf
> I've briefly looked (TL;DR) but seems guy rejected idea to continue with HTPC and moving to ATX box.


Totally agree. Thats the Point, why im doing my CaseMod. I havent done it, when the Temps are fine or Ok..
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *h0w1er*
> 
> Help needed for another noctua's multi fans freak, please.
> 
> I have (for pull):
> - 2 x NF-F12 PWM in CHA ;
> - 1 x NH-L9i in CPU;
> - 1 x NF-A14 PWM in AIO Pump.
> 
> So, I've read your post about 3 x NF-10 FLX, got them for air push, but... Man, can you please show or to tell where you got power for them and cable management exp?
> 
> I was able to connect 2 out of 3 to AIO Pump together with NF-A14 using 2 Y-connectors (from F12 and A14). But for some strange reason temp are much higher (+10c) during AIDA CPU stress, and not so sure that power is enough.
> Are you using Molex or SATA power for NF-10? Many thanks in advance.


My Biostar X370GTN got only 1 Fan-Connector. I use a 1x 4pin @ 3x 4pin Connector:
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01LFCOH50/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Cable is between the PSU and ATX Connector
The PSU Case/Holder, where the PSU is mount, got 2 little Holes. I but a Zip there, to hold the whole Thing.

And for my LED Lights, i use a SATA @ Molex Adapter. Because i had 1 Sata free and dont want to but the PSU Molex Cable in the Case, because of the Space-Problem.
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0036PTA4I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And my 2x 120mm GPU Fans are connected to the GPU. Asus Strix got 2x 4pin for Fans








When i change the Asus Strix. i use 2x 4pin @ Molex


----------



## h0w1er

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> And my 2x 120mm GPU Fans are connected to the GPU. Asus Strix got 2x 4pin for Fans
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> When i change the Asus Strix. i use 2x 4pin @ Molex


Okies. Checked my VC, no extra pins available. Therefore, I've got "SATA => 3x3pin" splitter.

After some cable management was able to achieve a result. But with top case fan it's not made any temps difference during 15mins AIDA's CPU stress test.
Will run more games to see if changes are positive or passive air push was enough with top fan. For some reason "Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag" warming up CPU higher then AIDA stress.

    


Thanks for all pics and suggestion in this thread about extra fans. Now I have 7 Noctua fans in a such small case


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *h0w1er*
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!
> 
> 
> 
> Okies. Checked my VC, no extra pins available. Therefore, I've got "SATA => 3x3pin" splitter.
> 
> After some cable management was able to achieve a result. But with top case fan it's not made any temps difference during 15mins AIDA's CPU stress test.
> Will run more games to see if changes are positive or passive air push was enough with top fan. For some reason "Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag" warming up CPU higher then AIDA stress.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for all pics and suggestion in this thread about extra fans. Now I have 7 Noctua fans in a such small case


Do you think anything bigger than 40mm would fit alongside the motherboard there? I know delta makes pretty good 50mm and 60mm fans at the same width as the nf-10


----------



## Zachal

@h0w1er Nice little Noctua Monster
Have you tried to remove the CPU FAN and only use the Top/Case FAN? It could help, because the Air can move in the Chamber.

I give you the FAN-Freak Crown









@Ultracarpet 50mm could fit, but how you mount the 2 Holes on the Top? 40mm is the perfect Way, because they fit direct on the Mesh.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> @h0w1er Nice little Noctua Monster
> Have you tried to remove the CPU FAN and only use the Top/Case FAN? It could help, because the Air can move in the Chamber.
> 
> I give you the FAN-Freak Crown
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> @Ultracarpet 50mm could fit, but how you mount the 2 Holes on the Top? 40mm is the perfect Way, because they fit direct on the Mesh.


I was thinking by rotating them sightly and screwing them directly to the mesh with just 2 screws per fan


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> I was thinking by rotating them sightly and screwing them directly to the mesh with just 2 screws per fan


hmm 50mm and turn. Could be close... Here is my Pic from the Inside:
http://cdn.overclock.net/b/be/900x900px-LL-be626873_IMG_20170812_172411.jpeg


----------



## h0w1er

@Zachal
I've didn't try to remove CPU fan. Not sure if it will work with only top one. I mean, CPU fan creating much more RPMs, big guy will not be able to handle it with its slow speed.

@Ultracarpet
40mm fully taking the size, fitting perfectly on slot. 2x40mm into each segment. 50mm would not deliver required volume probably, because case will be blocking full air flow at sides.


----------



## bAllehc

Hey guys

I am thinking about building a node 202 for portable gaming - PUBG, DOTA 2, CS:GO and Overwatch. What do you think about these parts? I am gonna buy 2x 120 mm Noctua fans for the GPU.
Is it possible to make a build like this without the GPU or CPU throttling and with decent temps OCing the GPU to 3.8k and ram about 3k mhz? Its only for 1080p gaming with 144 hz monitor

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kR4mtJ
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kR4mtJ/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($197.28 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - C7 40.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - X370 Gaming-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($149.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($154.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung - 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($454.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair - SF 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($119.85 @ Amazon)

I already got the SSD

Total: $1186.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-08-30 15:14 EDT-0400


----------



## h0w1er

@bAllehc
I'm not sure if PUBG able to deliver 144 fps in 1080p with current setup, since it's ARMA3. Is engine even optimized to use so many cores?
Rest mentioned games should be fine.

But I'm not owner of AMD, hence not sure what happens there with temps, OCing and general software optimization.

Consider pumping it with NVME drive, if MoBo supports it. It's a magic. Everyone complains about long loading in Deus Ex (MD) and Prey (2017), and for me it's just a moment.


----------



## bAllehc

@h0w1er
I don think its able to maintain 144 fps in PUBG with the engine right now but at some point in should be fine. Played a lot of Overwatch in closed beta and they gone miles with improvement as well.
I am really in doubt if i should buy a node 202 since its my main build - but then again I want my desktop to be mobile since I play a lot of games with friends in the weekends. The other solution i was thinking about was to build in the Corsair Air 240 with the following build list:

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/ballehc/saved/#view=r64D8d

I managed to get a GTX 1080 in the build since I already got an ATX EVGA psu. On r/buildapc they suggested that the 240mm AIO was way to overkill so in that setup I would also be able to get a Ryzen 1700 with some Air cooling. I am really in doubt on one site I want to be able to OC a bit with the Ryzen setup on the other site I want a mobile gaming desktop that can play low gfx with 144 hz.


----------



## TheHexVex

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *voidfahrenheit*
> 
> I will get a custom cables with exact measurements for my cable management part.


Hey mate. Nice build.

I'm also looking to get some custom cables made up. I'm wondering if you ever did and if you could post the lengths that you went? Did you wish you got any shorter, longer etc? Would be massively helpful for others about to embark on a Node 202 do-over.


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bAllehc*
> 
> Hey guys
> 
> I am thinking about building a node 202 for portable gaming - PUBG, DOTA 2, CS:GO and Overwatch. What do you think about these parts? I am gonna buy 2x 120 mm Noctua fans for the GPU.
> Is it possible to make a build like this without the GPU or CPU throttling and with decent temps OCing the GPU to 3.8k and ram about 3k mhz? Its only for 1080p gaming with 144 hz monitor
> 
> PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kR4mtJ
> Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kR4mtJ/by_merchant/
> 
> CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($197.28 @ OutletPC)
> CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - C7 40.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.89 @ OutletPC)
> Motherboard: ASRock - X370 Gaming-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($149.99 @ SuperBiiz)
> Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($154.88 @ OutletPC)
> Storage: Samsung - 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
> Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($454.98 @ Newegg)
> Case: Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
> Power Supply: Corsair - SF 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($119.85 @ Amazon)
> 
> I already got the SSD
> 
> Total: $1186.86
> Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
> Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-08-30 15:14 EDT-0400


I play PUBG and my FPS is around 100 something only using a 144hz monitor. 2560x1080p on my 1080ti ftw3. so for a 1070 you need to lower some details. but yeah it's not yet that optimized so maybe our fps will be more stable. sometimes i experience dips without doing anything. like 50fps or 70fps just by standing.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TheHexVex*
> 
> Hey mate. Nice build.
> 
> I'm also looking to get some custom cables made up. I'm wondering if you ever did and if you could post the lengths that you went? Did you wish you got any shorter, longer etc? Would be massively helpful for others about to embark on a Node 202 do-over.


thanks! still no time for the cable management as we are packing all our things







i will do the modding back home







and will let you know.


----------



## DigitrevX

So I sorta see talking about heat and the node 202 case. Like this fear that a low profile cooler isn't good enough. But when you think about it, a laptop handles most tasks and has almost nothing in terms of heat dissipation. Some even running desktop chips.

So here's the ultimate lan party scenario. I fly with my node202 as a carry on to other countries and run displays with it. Which is more demanding then you might think considering it runs the gpu, ram and m.2's at full throttle reading up to 1500gb's constantly and throwing stupid high resolutions for hours.
I use mine as a media server where it's rendering graphics 12 hours a day sometimes 3 days or more in a row.
It can get a little warm while doing this but if mine can do this yours can handle the heat of rendering premiere or games no problem.
I've taken mine outside and stress tested it with prime and furmark at the same time in summer heat for outdoor festivals. So this should pretty much lay the node202 heat conversations to rest. If a laptop can handle heat this can easily handle both refrence and non-refrence cards for days.
No Frankenstein fans or cut holes. The only modding was the cpu heat sink bracket since the heat sink is a bit older and doesn't fit perfectly and a tiny amount of filing to get the gpu slot cover to slide in nicely.





I run a FTW3 evga 1080ti oc. 2 corsair 120mm fans in the gpu bay. I'm being real here. I honestly don't think they do that much for either the cpu or the gpu. A thermalright muscle heatsink on a oc 7350k cpu oc to 4.5ghz. Reason for this is IPC is king for real time hardware decoding with my media server software and a 7700's additional cores are useless to me most of the time.


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> So I sorta see talking about heat and the node 202 case. Like this fear that a low profile cooler isn't good enough. But when you think about it, a laptop handles most tasks and has almost nothing in terms of heat dissipation. Some even running desktop chips.
> 
> So here's the ultimate lan party scenario. I fly with my node202 as a carry on to other countries and run displays with it. Which is more demanding then you might think considering it runs the gpu, ram and m.2's at full throttle reading up to 1500gb's constantly and throwing stupid high resolutions for hours.
> I use mine as a media server where it's rendering graphics 12 hours a day sometimes 3 days or more in a row.
> It can get a little warm while doing this but if mine can do this yours can handle the heat of rendering premiere or games no problem.
> I've taken mine outside and stress tested it with prime and furmark at the same time in summer heat for outdoor festivals. So this should pretty much lay the node202 heat conversations to rest. If a laptop can handle heat this can easily handle both refrence and non-refrence cards for days.
> No Frankenstein fans or cut holes. The only modding was the cpu heat sink bracket since the heat sink is a bit older and doesn't fit perfectly and a tiny amount of filing to get the gpu slot cover to slide in nicely.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I run a FTW3 evga 1080ti oc. 2 corsair 120mm fans in the gpu bay. I'm being real here. I honestly don't think they do that much for either the cpu or the gpu. A thermalright muscle heatsink on a oc 7350k cpu oc to 4.5ghz. Reason for this is IPC is king for real time hardware decoding with my media server software and a 7700's additional cores are useless to me most of the time.


the 2x 120mm fans helps with the gpu cooling. im sure of that.







but our FTW3 is a beast even for the cooling part. haven't tried without my 2x 120mm riiing fans.
i also used the 40mm noctua fans on the cpu part just to help a little bit with heat dissipation. i use my pc for everything. and i'm mining when i'm not using my pc so it runs 24/7.

like i mentioned even with my friends, i'll never go back to matx-eatx build for my personal computer XD
the node 202 is really great IMHO


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *voidfahrenheit*
> 
> the 2x 120mm fans helps with the gpu cooling. im sure of that.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> but our FTW3 is a beast even for the cooling part. haven't tried without my 2x 120mm riiing fans.
> i also used the 40mm noctua fans on the cpu part just to help a little bit with heat dissipation. i use my pc for everything. and i'm mining when i'm not using my pc so it runs 24/7.
> 
> like i mentioned even with my friends, i'll never go back to matx-eatx build for my personal computer XD
> the node 202 is really great IMHO


When I tell you the 2x 120 mm fans barely do anything. I'm telling you they barely do anything. I've taken them out of the machine and ran it that way. The card never throttled off it's boost clock even outside in the sun.
Any benefit of a slightly larger 120mm fan compared to a gpu fan for your bedroom or game room to achieve silence is offset entirely by the fact you introduced the chopping of air with staggered fans laying on top of one another. The actual benefit is in the mind of enthusiasts that just want a reason to add stuff to their pc.

Extra fans on the mosfets and stuff don't do anything beneficial actually. It operates regardless because engineers planned for no active cooling. Then when people don't have a factual reason to justify what they are doing they say unscientifically well it's improving it's life span. Sure, Maybe by 0.0000001%. You will replace that board before you see the 20 minutes of life in it you saved. I actually have one of the mosfet passive cooling sinks removed off my strix board I'm using. They are open air an nothing but a little cpu fan air. It runs perfectly and overclocked safely enough I can run shows on it without crashing ever.

Even mining only uses your gpu. No HDD activity, little ram activity and little to no cpu activity.


----------



## TheHexVex

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> When I tell you the 2x 120 mm fans barely do anything. I'm telling you they barely do anything. I've taken them out of the machine and ran it that way. The card never throttled off it's boost clock even outside in the sun.
> Any benefit of a slightly larger 120mm fan compared to a gpu fan for your bedroom or game room to achieve silence is offset entirely by the fact you introduced the chopping of air with staggered fans laying on top of one another. The actual benefit is in the mind of enthusiasts that just want a reason to add stuff to their pc.
> 
> Extra fans on the mosfets and stuff don't do anything beneficial actually. It operates regardless because engineers planned for no active cooling. Then when people don't have a factual reason to justify what they are doing they say unscientifically well it's improving it's life span. Sure, Maybe by 0.0000001%. You will replace that board before you see the 20 minutes of life in it you saved. I actually have one of the mosfet passive cooling sinks removed off my strix board I'm using. They are open air an nothing but a little cpu fan air. It runs perfectly and overclocked safely enough I can run shows on it without crashing ever.
> 
> Even mining only uses your gpu. No HDD activity, little ram activity and little to no cpu activity.


Hey DigitevX,

I came across this article recently and they're reporting otherwise. If you've not noticed any tangible bumps in temperature then I wonder where their results are coming from? They see a difference of up to 8°C in their GPU. It seems the dust filters added a rather surprising amount of temp also.

I'm not sure if you ever tried a single fan Pulling from under the GPU? Worked for them but they had a mini card.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TheHexVex*
> 
> Hey DigitevX,
> 
> I came across this article recently and they're reporting otherwise. If you've not noticed any tangible bumps in temperature then I wonder where their results are coming from? They see a difference of up to 8°C in their GPU. It seems the dust filters added a rather surprising amount of temp also.
> 
> I'm not sure if you ever tried a single fan Pulling from under the GPU? Worked for them but they had a mini card.


So here's the thing. On a FTW3 card it makes little to no difference. For cards of similar design you'll notice similar trends. They used a MSI 950 2gb card in their test with it's utterly terrible heat sink design. Then also used extra space to place a fan. Which probably does have a little impact because of the space it has to circulate air.

We are talking full 300mm cards here with proper attention to heat sink design here. You can't put a fan in pull. It simply is not an option.
Two fans stacked and pulling away from each other is a disaster and it should be obvious why.

So knowing this, the difference you'll find from environment to environment does not cause the card to behave very differently. I double checked my node202 and the dust filters are in place. Again the card does not throttle even outside with no fans installed in the node202's gpu bay. That is outside and not in a climate controlled environment. So if they find a 8c different with their specific underwhelming card you gota stop and ask does it actually even effect the cards performance. Judging by their recorded temps I'd say no it's not and they didn't even touch on that fact.

Before we even talk about saving a components lifetime by 0.0001% by 3-8c we are talking about a 950 2gb card. Ironically is worth a lot right now due to cripto mining. But otherwise is a $139.99 card and the value of it's life savings isn't even worth the money of the fan pulling the air out of the case. We are also talking about improving the life of a item that is often replaced with something better in the short amount of time as well lel.


----------



## TheHexVex

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> So here's the thing. On a FTW3 card it makes little to no difference. For cards of similar design you'll notice similar trends. They used a MSI 950 2gb card in their test with it's utterly terrible heat sink design. Then also used extra space to place a fan. Which probably does have a little impact because of the space it has to circulate air.
> 
> We are talking full 300mm cards here with proper attention to heat sink design here. You can't put a fan in pull. It simply is not an option.
> Two fans stacked and pulling away from each other is a disaster and it should be obvious why.
> 
> So knowing this, the difference you'll find from environment to environment does not cause the card to behave very differently. I double checked my node202 and the dust filters are in place. Again the card does not throttle even outside with no fans installed in the node202's gpu bay. That is outside and not in a climate controlled environment. So if they find a 8c different with their specific underwhelming card you gota stop and ask does it actually even effect the cards performance. Judging by their recorded temps I'd say no it's not and they didn't even touch on that fact.
> 
> Before we even talk about saving a components lifetime by 0.0001% by 3-8c we are talking about a 950 2gb card. Ironically is worth a lot right now due to cripto mining. But otherwise is a $139.99 card and the value of it's life savings isn't even worth the money of the fan pulling the air out of the case. We are also talking about improving the life of a item that is often replaced with something better in the short amount of time as well lel.


I'm probably about where you were before you purchased that FTW3 (I'm waiting to see a nice deal on one) so I greatly appreciate your insights mate. I have a 1060 right now with two fans underneath in PUSH at low RPM but I'll run some tests to see if they're getting in the way or not.

I was also researching the need for extra ventilation as I've got my Node 202 attached to the underneath of my desk using a home made bracket with about 2cm clearance above it. It seems sufficient so far but I'd love to push my Ryzen 5 to about 3.7-3.8GHz and just looking at my options.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> When I tell you the 2x 120 mm fans barely do anything. I'm telling you they barely do anything. I've taken them out of the machine and ran it that way. The card never throttled off it's boost clock even outside in the sun.
> Any benefit of a slightly larger 120mm fan compared to a gpu fan for your bedroom or game room to achieve silence is offset entirely by the fact you introduced the chopping of air with staggered fans laying on top of one another. The actual benefit is in the mind of enthusiasts that just want a reason to add stuff to their pc.
> 
> Extra fans on the mosfets and stuff don't do anything beneficial actually. It operates regardless because engineers planned for no active cooling. Then when people don't have a factual reason to justify what they are doing they say unscientifically well it's improving it's life span. Sure, Maybe by 0.0000001%. You will replace that board before you see the 20 minutes of life in it you saved. I actually have one of the mosfet passive cooling sinks removed off my strix board I'm using. They are open air an nothing but a little cpu fan air. It runs perfectly and overclocked safely enough I can run shows on it without crashing ever.
> 
> Even mining only uses your gpu. No HDD activity, little ram activity and little to no cpu activity.


Stacking fans improves static pressure performance, but will only move as much air as the fastest fan. In certain scenarios it will make a big difference and in others not so much.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> Stacking fans improves static pressure performance, but will only move as much air as the fastest fan. In certain scenarios it will make a big difference and in others not so much.


I don't remember gpu heat sinks being very restrictive. Far less then a radiator.
Is there some other actually impact-full reason why we would care about static pressure?


----------



## voidfahrenheit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> When I tell you the 2x 120 mm fans barely do anything. I'm telling you they barely do anything. I've taken them out of the machine and ran it that way. The card never throttled off it's boost clock even outside in the sun.
> Any benefit of a slightly larger 120mm fan compared to a gpu fan for your bedroom or game room to achieve silence is offset entirely by the fact you introduced the chopping of air with staggered fans laying on top of one another. The actual benefit is in the mind of enthusiasts that just want a reason to add stuff to their pc.
> 
> Extra fans on the mosfets and stuff don't do anything beneficial actually. It operates regardless because engineers planned for no active cooling. Then when people don't have a factual reason to justify what they are doing they say unscientifically well it's improving it's life span. Sure, Maybe by 0.0000001%. You will replace that board before you see the 20 minutes of life in it you saved. I actually have one of the mosfet passive cooling sinks removed off my strix board I'm using. They are open air an nothing but a little cpu fan air. It runs perfectly and overclocked safely enough I can run shows on it without crashing ever.
> 
> Even mining only uses your gpu. No HDD activity, little ram activity and little to no cpu activity.


once i got back home i will try without the 2x 120mm and check the difference.







what fan profile you're using for the FTW3? quiet or the aggressive? mine's aggressive.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *voidfahrenheit*
> 
> once i got back home i will try without the 2x 120mm and check the difference.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> what fan profile you're using for the FTW3? quiet or the aggressive? mine's aggressive.


Honestly I haven't checked. It's not set up since it's mostly a show computer and sits in the corner till I gota leave home.
However to me any profile that keeps it at full boost is the best profile at a show. Noise is no issue.
I believe it was set at default profile for the last time I used it. However it had fans in the gpu bay last time I used it for an event.

I have no doubt the gpu's fans will need to be speed up some without the fans in the node202. However here is a consideration for the FW3 cards. If the profile is set to defualt chances are the fans over the phases and chokes and other parts of the card are off completely. Means no spinning fans.

So if the card is at load and the fans spin up chances are the case fans are keeping it cool enough it will try to ramp its fan speed down. So now you have a issue of faster fan hitting a much slower fan. Either way this is gona result is more noise then cooling if you care about that sorta thing.

The only benefit I've seen out this and I mean it's a real reach is having fans in there protect the card during travel in my situation. Prevents things like putting pressure on the riser card, or slot bracket because it has less room to move. And no that little foot that comes with the node202 is trash and not to be trusted for travel.


----------



## Ultracarpet

So I sort of canned the watercooling idea as I think the VRM's are going to overheat faster than the CPU will with these am4 iTx boards... I picked up a slim 80mm delta to put on the ryzen spire heat sink in preparation to move my build into a 202.... It dropped temps by about 5-10c from what i can tell, but boy oh boy is it loud lol. The mounting holes are 80mm but the fan blades are 92mm on the stock spire fan, so I think i might just try and find a slim 92mm fan and drill 80mm holes in it.

I think i will pick up this and try it out.


----------



## therock003

Hi guys, i'm soon to visit the node202 owners club. I am expecting the parts for this new build any day now and I got some starter questions.

-In what order shall i assemble the unit since things are crammed in there. I heard you firsts have to screw the gpu adapter, othwerwise you'll have a really tough time bolting some screws if you've placed the mobo first.

So GPU kit first, then shouls i first place things into the mobo, or can i easily place cpu, coolers and ram if mobo is screwed on first into the chasis

-Been looking into some airflow videos. So whats the best way to create a posivite pressure airflow in this case?

-I'm ordering 2x120mm airflow fans (Silverstone FN123) for the gpu. IS it better to have a GPU with 2 or 3 fans for better AIrFlow? So shich of these?





I saw a youyube video from JayzTwoCents saying a blower type gpu is preffered, but i cannot believe the sound it is going to make


----------



## DigitrevX

Either of evga's 1080ti's with iCX do fine. The ftw3 card is just longer and barely faster to the point it honestly doesn't make a impact to your experience.

I have opinions about adding 2 fans to the gpu bay. I've posted about it recently.
You can do it for fun but it's not going to impact your experience with the machine. If seeing fans through the vents is your thing instead of your video card sure. I don't believe positive pressure is even a thing with the node202. Fully built it's simply a solid brick of pc hardware. Maybe if you attached the exhuast end of a shop vac to it you might get something.

If you really want fans in the gpu bay the 2 fan iCX evga card will at least line up with the case fans better and cause less noise.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> Either of evga's 1080ti's with iCX do fine. The ftw3 card is just longer and barely faster to the point it honestly doesn't make a impact to your experience.
> 
> I have opinions about adding 2 fans to the gpu bay. I've posted about it recently.
> You can do it for fun but it's not going to impact your experience with the machine. If seeing fans through the vents is your thing instead of your video card sure. I don't believe positive pressure is even a thing with the node202. Fully built it's simply a solid brick of pc hardware. Maybe if you attached the exhuast end of a shop vac to it you might get something.
> 
> If you really want fans in the gpu bay the 2 fan iCX evga card will at least line up with the case fans better and cause less noise.


I think that the improved static pressure would definitely be helpful in some situations, like for example having the case in horizontal orientation. Also, I'm not sure if you still have the dust filter in your case, but that might also restrict airflow somewhat.


----------



## therock003

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> Either of evga's 1080ti's with iCX do fine. The ftw3 card is just longer and barely faster to the point it honestly doesn't make a impact to your experience.
> 
> I have opinions about adding 2 fans to the gpu bay. I've posted about it recently.
> You can do it for fun but it's not going to impact your experience with the machine. If seeing fans through the vents is your thing instead of your video card sure. I don't believe positive pressure is even a thing with the node202. Fully built it's simply a solid brick of pc hardware. Maybe if you attached the exhuast end of a shop vac to it you might get something.
> 
> If you really want fans in the gpu bay the 2 fan iCX evga card will at least line up with the case fans better and cause less noise.


Just posted the images to paint a picture, not necesarily meant icx. But here are 2 cards i am considering

https://www.skroutz.gr/s/9561371/Gigabyte-GeForce-GTX1080-8GB-GV-N1080WF3OC-8GD.html
https://geizhals.eu/evga-geforce-gtx-1080-sc-gaming-acx-3-0-08g-p4-6183-kr-a1449254.html?hloc=at&hloc=de&hloc=pl&hloc=uk&hloc=eu

I would prefer getting the 3 fan card which i can get locally (Greece) cause the 2 fan comes from Germany

But the concept that 2 case fans align better with the 2 gpu fans makes more sense to me

How did you come to the conclusion that placing fans does not make a difference? Did you bench temps with and without fans installed


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Just posted the images to paint a picture, not necesarily meant icx. But here are 2 cards i am considering
> 
> https://www.skroutz.gr/s/9561371/Gigabyte-GeForce-GTX1080-8GB-GV-N1080WF3OC-8GD.html
> https://geizhals.eu/evga-geforce-gtx-1080-sc-gaming-acx-3-0-08g-p4-6183-kr-a1449254.html?hloc=at&hloc=de&hloc=pl&hloc=uk&hloc=eu
> 
> I would prefer getting the 3 fan card which i can get locally (Greece) cause the 2 fan comes from Germany
> 
> But the concept that 2 case fans align better with the 2 gpu fans makes more sense to me
> 
> How did you come to the conclusion that placing fans does not make a difference? Did you bench temps with and without fans installed


Oh it makes a difference, as in it has an effect. The effect is the gpu's fans slow down and the case fans do the work. The temp result between no case fan and case fans ends up being pretty mild. The card won't come off boost regardless unless it's got a garbo heat sink like the zotac 1080ti amp extreme. And at that point you can't even add a fan to fix the situation because the heat sink is massive lol.

This should not come at a surprise considering the place where case fans are installed is where the privilege of choosing different cards with higher heat sinks go. Not every card can be matched with fans in the gpu bay so it was engineered to not matter that much.

Just 2 pieces of advice for choosing your card for the node 202.

**If you really want gpu bay fans. Like 25mm fans. Make sure your card is under 74mm in height. That's 2.81 inches. (The gigabyte card is 3.3inches so that's like 83mm. It took some searching to get that info) So 25mm fans are not a option. **

**If you want 25mm fans in the gpu bay and have a card under 74mm. The other thing is pay super close attention to the gpu's fan shroud design. SPECIALLY if it's a 3 fan design since the case and gpu fans do not line up. If the tips of the fan blades stick out further they will likely wack the plastic frame of the 25mm fans you install in the gpu bay. For example I have a older EVGA 780 gtx classified that has this problem http://www.hardwareasylum.com/images/evga_gtx780_classified/gtx780_glam.jpg **

This is why the evga iCX cards are nice. The plastic shroud is higher then the fan tips. It's a true two slot card at 71mm and it comes in 2 or 3 fan models.


----------



## therock003

Are you talking 25mm as in thickness? I have order the Silverstone FN123 which is slim profile and it is 15mm. Will i still have a problem

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=499

I'm trying to decide if i can order from Germany and get the EVGA (ACX3) model, listed previously.

It only mentions height and width, on the specs not depth

https://www.evga.com/products/Specs/GPU.aspx?pn=ab7b6447-6329-4361-8ab7-4ad62ea6a2af

But i dont think ill have any issues with the 15mm fans right


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Are you talking 25mm as in thickness? I have order the Silverstone FN123 which is slim profile and it is 15mm. Will i still have a problem
> 
> http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=499
> 
> I'm trying to decide if i can order from Germany and get the EVGA (ACX3) model, listed previously.
> 
> It only mentions height and width, on the specs not depth
> 
> https://www.evga.com/products/Specs/GPU.aspx?pn=ab7b6447-6329-4361-8ab7-4ad62ea6a2af
> 
> But i dont think ill have any issues with the 15mm fans right


So I'm glad I looked at this again. Here's why:

When I was looking into the FTW3 because nobody had put one into a node202 before I did super careful measurements and a lot of research before and after I received them since I have two rigs with this card that have tight tolerances. I can tell you the measurements at this amazon listing if you scroll down are accurate.
https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-GAMING-GDDR5X-Technology/dp/B06Y15DWXR

However if I do the same thing for the gigbyte card you are interested in I get some odd results.
https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GeForce-WINDFORCE-Cooling-Graphics/dp/B01GCAW1IA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1504779377&sr=1-1&keywords=Gigabyte+GeForce+GTX1080+8GB

You'll notice the windforce card is listed at 1.57 inches 39.8mm. You'll also notice the other cards in that listing are about that height as well. The exception is the G1 Gaming card but it also looks like it has the windforce cooler but some how 3.3 inches nearly 84mm.

Which if that is correct even with your 15mm low profile fans you'll be over the limit by 3mm. I'm not saying that G1 gaming card is the one your interested in but with that weird number and the fact they look the same and how sensitive these specs are for the node202. It's a little worrisome.

So for this reason I don't want to be responsible for making any suggestions till you or I find another source that has specs. Or someone comes along with that card and measures it to validate.

The other EVGA card you linked will fit no problem. Specially with low profile 15mm fans. I'm not sure if my memory serves me correct but didn't that shroud design evga had some heat problems??


----------



## therock003

I was leaning more towards the 2 fans EVGA card but thanx for making sure the Gigabyte is not an option, now i wont have to choose. The thing about the shroud design you mentioned now brings me more worries. I have not made any extensive research. It only came up in suggestions as a vfm on sale product.

I only read this article which favors the SC compared to FTW which consumes more Watts for minimal speed increase, and guys recommend getting the cheaper 1080 out there.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-3106853/evga-gtx-1080-ftw-evga-gtx-1080.html

I'm interested in hearing more about those problems you mentioned.

And a final thing that is bothering me, is i cannot find a sngle mention on how a blower type 1080 performs on node202

It only ops up as amention in this video (linked it to the exact time)






I was looking at this one

https://www.skroutz.gr/s/10658771/Gigabyte-GeForce-GTX1080-8GB-Turbo-OC-GV-N1080TTOC-8GD.html

Which is the cheapest and easily available at my country, but mostly ruled it out due to noise concerns. The GTX- 480 blower card i got now sounds like a helicopter and i wouldnt want to hear that noise again ever

Apparently this is how this cards sound at full load


----------



## DigitrevX

Yeah I'll have to look around if there are specifics on the the evga 1080 gtx's having heat problems. Like specific models. I know the reason for the over kill iCX design is a direct result of the previous acx cooler design on the older models which I believe was all the 1080's but I might be wrong. I heard things about cards actually dieing left and right, tons of RMA's and some catching on fire. No exaggeration.

I think the youtube channel gamers nexus touched on this some.

I mean you can look into blower cards if you want but yeah usually they are always lot louder. And often they do actually throttle off their boost pretty often. I can say for sure a gpu with a open air cooler with any decent review in a node 202 will have zero problems.

I watched Jays2cents video a while back I think you mentioned earlier? But I feel like he said what he did about blower cards because he didn't want to take the time to test something that to him is a typical assumption and honestly it's not the first time I've dissagree'ed with that guy.
I'm like just as old as him so after you've seen some stuff you think critically about everything and don't just take it at face value if you know what I mean.

If you put those slim 15mm fans on the case about all they will do if anything is help the card become a blower. I'm gona assume your not going make them exhuast fans even with the small gap you will have with 15mm fans. So it's just gona push potentially used heated air either out the back slot of the gpu or up through the large cable hole and into the cpu chamber and out one of the vents around the cpu.
The case fans will probably be fighting whatever the gpu fans are doing but it's a theory. Either way they are optional fans anyways. ^^


----------



## therock003

I was almost ready to order but ill wait some more in case you find any information that indicates otherwise.

The open air gpus have gaps all around so even if you push air inside i dont think it will work as a blower and push it down the sides. I guess air will still escape from all the gaps and get trapped inside the case.

So what do you suggest?

Also if i had order 25mm case fans would the results have been significantly better?

I hear these are a good option

http://www.phanteks.com/PH-F120MP.html


----------



## codex41

Just did an install of an EVGA 1080 icx in my node 202, while it does fit I had one frustration. the card extends under the far left mounting screw, making it difficult to properly seat the gpu cage without bending the tab at the bottom left side of the gpu. Right now it's sitting at around 60c idle in the vertical orientation.

upon completing aida64 extreme stress test, it looks like my Ryzen 1600 topped out at around 64c, and my 1080 hit a max of 83c.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> I was almost ready to order but ill wait some more in case you find any information that indicates otherwise.
> 
> The open air gpus have gaps all around so even if you push air inside i dont think it will work as a blower and push it down the sides. I guess air will still escape from all the gaps and get trapped inside the case.
> 
> So what do you suggest?
> 
> Also if i had order 25mm case fans would the results have been significantly better?
> 
> I hear these are a good option
> 
> http://www.phanteks.com/PH-F120MP.html


I'm only saying it might because if you block off the only vents into the gpu bay with fans pushing some air the heated air sorta has only 2 major paths of least resistance. That is out the back gpu slot like a blower card or up through the cable hole.

A 25mm fan usually does push more air but I don't think the results will be necessarily better. I think a 15mm fan if you like the design, reviews, and style is a better choice because having a small gap improves your odds of not having your gpu fans wack the case fans. Also improves the odds of a quieter experience since there is a risk the fans wont line up perfectly.

The only down side is if you travel that gap will let the video card sag and wiggle around. It's pretty much the only reason I left my 25mm fans in my node202 on my last event. So firmly keeps the card in place. Because I had to catch 6 planes round trip and all sorts of bumps and customs check points to getting it there.

Here's some articles on the older evga 1080's. But yes it looks like it's worse on the FTW versions.
http://www.gamersnexus.net/news-pc/2661-evga-mosfet-failure-possible-from-thermal-runaway-scenario

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/238633-evga-gtx-1080s-1070s-allegedly-exploding-due-improper-vrm-cooling

http://www.gamersnexus.net/news-pc/2666-evga-heat-solution-thermal-imaging-of-vrm-1080-ftw

So evga being a good company went crazy on the iCX design since that heat issue was pretty damaging to their reputation.


----------



## therock003

So yes what you said is accurate, i confirmed locally as well. Supposedly the company sent pads for you to install on faulty ones, but i heard a comment that newer revision fixed issues altogether. Not sure though if the poster meant a newer acx3 revision or if he was refering to the latest icx implementation. Then again ICX costs 200 Euros more whch is a 40% increase in price and is unaccapteable. Also will the card i'm supposed to be getting have the issue mentioned above?
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *codex41*
> 
> Just did an install of an EVGA 1080 icx in my node 202, while it does fit I had one frustration. the card extends under the far left mounting screw, making it difficult to properly seat the gpu cage without bending the tab at the bottom left side of the gpu. Right now it's sitting at around 60c idle in the vertical orientation.
> 
> upon completing aida64 extreme stress test, it looks like my Ryzen 1600 topped out at around 64c, and my 1080 hit a max of 83c.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> So yes what you said is accurate, i confirmed locally as well. Supposedly the company sent pads for you to install on faulty ones, but i heard a comment that newer revision fixed issues altogether. Not sure though if the poster meant a newer acx3 revision or if he was refering to the latest icx implementation. Then again ICX costs 200 Euros more whch is a 40% increase in price and is unaccapteable. Also will the card i'm supposed to be getting have the issue mentioned above?


You can always buy it and then apply for the free thermal pads I guess. I'm really not sure it's been corrected in all the batches evga of gpu's still on the market.

I'm not really sure what that poster means honestly. Anyone with basic problem solving skills should be able to fully slot the card. I had to file down a millimeter of metal around the inside of the case around where the screws are located on the gpu slots of the node202. Not sure if he's talking about the same thing. Regardless it didn't effect the cards thermals.

Just know when you slide any gpu into the node202 you gota press the tips of the metal back plate on the gpu. By tips I mean what is inside the red box: 

Here's another image illustrating the metal slots on the node202. Sorry for the lighting it's night here.


The node202 is built so you can see the tabs slotting in from the back. So putting pressure on them with your other hand while slotting helps them slide past the metal slots correctly and fully seated.


----------



## codex41

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> I'm not really sure what that poster means honestly. Anyone with basic problem solving skills should be able to fully slot the card. I had to file down a millimeter of metal around the inside of the case around where the screws are located on the gpu slots of the node202. Not sure if he's talking about the same thing. Regardless it didn't effect the cards thermals.


In your photo, the top right of the backplate is directly under the mounting screw and made it (imo) a little tough to get in without bending a few things out of the way. This is my first sff build so I might just be inexperienced


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *codex41*
> 
> In your photo, the top right of the backplate is directly under the mounting screw and made it (imo) a little tough to get in without bending a few things out of the way. This is my first sff build so I might just be inexperienced


You don't have to bend anything.

With the node202 case laying on it's side with the gpu bay facing up like the photo. You simply drop the slot end of the card first in while making sure the screw holes go into the small rectangular cut out..



Then you drop the end with the pci power connectors in. The GPU should now be resting flat in the node 202. Now just slide the entire card over into the pci-e riser slot.



Then screw the 2 screws in that I was too lazy to remove for these 2 demo photos. It's not a rubiks cube.


----------



## rjkITX

Hi, I am one of the few who used a 25mm standard fan in conjunction with a 39mm msi 1060 gaming x card. When I place the node 202 sideways or flat, the gpu sags down just enough to grind its fans on my chassis fans(riings). I was wondering if, excuse my laziness, I can just flip the pc upside down with the cpu and mobo facing down, on a platform so that there will be ventilation. Please help!!


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rjkITX*
> 
> Hi, I am one of the few who used a 25mm standard fan in conjunction with a 39mm msi 1060 gaming x card. When I place the node 202 sideways or flat, the gpu sags down just enough to grind its fans on my chassis fans(riings). I was wondering if, excuse my laziness, I can just flip the pc upside down with the cpu and mobo facing down, on a platform so that there will be ventilation. Please help!!


When I stick the 780 gtx in the photos above in the case it grinds too. So I stack a couple layers of stuff like on a few points of the gpu. This way it pads and separate the card from the fans.
https://www.dhgate.com/product/led-strip-light-red-film-double-sided-foam/264065350.html

Just leave the last layer with the red tape on so it's not sticky.


----------



## therock003

Still making my preparation until the case arrives. Just saw this video and i was disheartened that i decided for a sata ssd instead of m2 type






Seems like cabling is a hellish nightmare, and adding a power and sata cable on top of all these was a bad judgment call on my part and i wish i could take it back


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Still making my preparation until the case arrives. Just saw this video and i was disheartened that i decided for a sata ssd instead of m2 type
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Seems like cabling is a hellish nightmare, and adding a power and sata cable on top of all these was a bad judgment call on my part and i wish i could take it back


It will be fine but yeah a m.2 is a much better solution then a 2.5" ssd.


----------



## therock003

BTW the guy on the video says you'll hav to unscrew the cpu cooler fan to screw the gpu expansion middle hole. Is that true, or is there any workaround


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> BTW the guy on the video says you'll hav to unscrew the cpu cooler fan to screw the gpu expansion middle hole. Is that true, or is there any workaround


That's only true if you don't have the correct tools.

These things work:
https://everythingforyourpiano.com/shop/tools/piano-technician-tools/ratchet-offset-screwdriver/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxdPNBRDmARIsAAw-TUmcOu0xqmWxI3llkESpDhb2kDQnp9DOUpSNV8gV1nhhQM1TwoGdoloaAu3WEALw_wcB
or
https://www.walmart.com/ip/1-8-Hex-Shank-125mm-Length-Flexible-Extension-Screwdriver-Bit-3-Pcs/48379615?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=571&adid=22222222227035805415&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=76365916474&wl4=pla-177384375874&wl5=9010171&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=111838760&wl11=online&wl12=48379615&wl13=&veh=sem

Really if you don't have one you should have one of these. It has a flexible extension as part of the kit.
https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Pro-Tech-Toolkit/IF145-307-1

I was easily able to put the screw in with a cooler installed already.


----------



## saranw71

Hi all from a hopefully soon-to-be Node 202 owner. This is my first time here.

The thread is really resourceful but I still have some questions regarding GPU cooling. I'm thinking of getting a 1080 for it. Choices are:

1. Asus turbo blower style
2. Good open air card (maybe need a suggestion here)
1&2 will be assisted by 2xNoctua 120mm fans pushing air in and for positive pressure.
3. Getting a Zotac mini card and put 1x120mm fan pushing on it and maybe another fan (80mm?) as exhaust over the empty space.

For CPU:
I'll probably get an i7 7700k with scythe big cooler plus some noctua 40mm as exhausts and undervolt to maybe 1.2V. Would it be enough for ambient of 33-37C?


----------



## therock003

Damn my luck. As soon as Monday started i loaded my debit card so i can get the EVGA 1080, but it run out of stock and wont be available till 29.09. Not sure if i can hold out for that long

Thinking of doing something crazy and go all out on the 1080ti. Here are some budget options, one is the icx we were talking about and then theres one of these Zotacs Mini. Sure Mini will help a lot on this case but im not sure how performance and heating is affected.

https://www.caseking.de/en/evga-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-sc2-gaming-icx-11264-mb-gddr5x-gcev-299.html
https://www.caseking.de/en/zotac-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-mini-11264-mb-gddr5x-gczt-101.html

So even if theres no size issue and i can still fit these on the node, will the extra 250 im paying scale respectably with the performance, or do i need to chill ut and wait

Id also think i;ll have to go with a ryzen 7 straight away now instead of the ryzen 5 1600X to see some of the benefits, and then will the SF450 PSU suffice for the 1080TI?

This situation has gotten me stressed


----------



## therock003

Is this for real? Youtuber combines stock Ryzen cooler with C7 fan and drops 35 degrees on his node202. Should we try this


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Is this for real? Youtuber combines stock Ryzen cooler with C7 fan and drops 35 degrees on his node202. Should we try this


It dropped 35 degrees by going from the c7 cooler to the ryzen spire with a c7 fan. I also think he might have had a bad mount with the c7 because 35 seems a bit of a big jump, but regardless it was an improvement.

The spire has 80mm fan mounts, but it's fin size matches a 92mm fan. Very few 92mm fans with 80mm mounts exist, and one of them happens to be the custom cryorig c7 fan...

I was curious about other options so I ordered a slim 80mm delta that does about 48CFM at max and bolted it onto the spire. My temps dropped a bit from the stock spire fan, but it is loud as hell (to be expected) and there is heatsink sticking out on all sides so it's not getting full fan coverage. A 92mm fan is the way to go, because I figured I could just drill out 80mm mounting holes into the frame of one. I couldn't find a super high speed slim 92mm fan like the 80mm delta, but I did find-and ordered the ID-COOLING NO-9215 fan. ID-Cooling claims 44.3 CFM, which is less than the 80mm Delta I have but with the extra coverage on the fins I think should just about equalize the performance, with the added benefit of it being much quieter lol.

We'll see though, the NO-9215 should be at my place by tonight.


----------



## TheHexVex

The stock Spire was ramping up and was just a bit noisy for me as is. I'm assuming the zero clearance when in the Node 202 was a contributing factor. So after reading of another user's reported success I decided to try adding some exhaust fans in the CPU compartment. I picked up 2x NF-A4x20 PWM and split them from the CPU header in pull and it's really dropped the noise while gaming. I haven't done too much stress testing to compare before and after noise wise it's quite an improvement!

I also purchased a NH-L9a and I'm currently waiting for the AM4 mounting kit. I'm pretty confident it'll be even quieter once I've put that on but straight up I can attest that with it's brought down the noise coming from the Spire. Also, for anyone like me that thought they could replace the stock Spire with the NF-A9x14 that comes with the NH-L9a ... it does not natively fit. You could probably drill some holes and make it fit easy enough but I'm going to wait for the NH-L9a before I commit to barbarism.

Pics of how well the NF-A4x20s fit to come.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Is this for real? Youtuber combines stock Ryzen cooler with C7 fan and drops 35 degrees on his node202. Should we try this


That's pretty unlikely. The guy didn't mount the heat sink correctly when he swapped or his test a flawed.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TheHexVex*


Also if a spire cooler is transferring harmonic vibrations because it's pinned against the case why not invest in a proper aftermarket heat sink. Instead of spending $30 on a hack.


----------



## Zachal

@ YouTube Video: 35°C improvement ..... never!

@ TheHexVex: The only Problem i see with the Noctua NH-L9a is, that the Cooler direct the Hot Air sideways to the Ram and Case and not outside to the Case-Holes.


----------



## TheHexVex

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TheHexVex*
> 
> I also purchased a NH-L9a and I'm currently waiting for the AM4 mounting kit. I'm pretty confident it'll be even quieter once I've put that on but straight up I can attest that with it's brought down the noise coming from the Spire. Also, for anyone like me that thought they could replace the stock Spire with the NF-A9x14 that comes with the NH-L9a ... it does not natively fit. You could probably drill some holes and make it fit easy enough but I'm going to wait for the NH-L9a before I commit to barbarism.
> 
> Pics of how well the NF-A4x20s fit to come.


Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> That's pretty unlikely. The guy didn't mount the heat sink correctly when he swapped or his test a flawed.
> Also if a spire cooler is transferring harmonic vibrations because it's pinned against the case why not invest in a proper aftermarket heat sink. Instead of spending $30 on a hack.


Second part of my post mentioned how I've already done so and waiting on parts to fit. Cheers.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> That's pretty unlikely. The guy didn't mount the heat sink correctly when he swapped or his test a flawed.
> Also if a spire cooler is transferring harmonic vibrations because it's pinned against the case why not invest in a proper aftermarket heat sink. Instead of spending $30 on a hack.


The spire heat sink is very good, and "proper aftermarket heatsinks" that fit AM4 in the node 202 are the c7 and the similar noctua cooler. The spire likely outperforms both in all but maybe noise.


----------



## therock003

Guys take a look at some of these comments. Hes using a 1600, says the wraith spire has a vapor chamber and is longer, so it allows for that much better performance.

So i guess if we could just get the fan of the C7, or a fan of the same profile, and fit it on the Spire, that would be the better and cheaper option

BTW i have ordered the 1600x and i read that it does not come with any stock cooler. *Can anyone confirm if this is true*?

Yesterday i also became aware that you need to order the custom AM4 kit for the C7 to fit. This puts me back, it seems ill gather the parts first and i wont have a system to run, until the wait is over for this additional mount bracket...


----------



## Zachal

R5 1400 : Small Cooler
R5 1500x: Normal Cooler
R5 1600 : Normal Cooler
R5 1600x: NO Cooler
R7 1700 : Normal Cooler + RGB LED
R7 1700x: NO Cooler
R7 1800x: NO Cooler

1600x + 1700x + 1800x = 95W TDP
The Other = 65W TDP

I use a R5 1600x with R7 1700 Cooler. Works fine. 73°C Full Load.


----------



## therock003

Yes its a fact. Besides that even the part number mentions it as WOF (Without FAN).

Where did you buy that cooler, and how did you fit it in the Node?

My biggest problem as of now is that Cryorig asks for proof of purchase of CPU to ship the AM4 upgrade kit, this will certainly set me back


----------



## keicam87

Hi

I had similar problem with noctua nh l9i. I couldnt find reciept for my fan and order free mounting kit from noctua so i just spent few bucks and bought the mounting kit . lets face it withot i wouldnt finish my build.


----------



## therock003

My situation is worse i believe. Since i already got the C7 and some of the parts, and i now have to wait for the rest and when i finally get the CPU i can send them proof of CPU purchase (proof of C7 is OK i send them the photo), and after that i have to wait like an ahole for another 10-20 days until they ship me overseas the mounting kit, and leave me hanging with a newly buily system for just a stupid bracket.. Crazy stuff


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Yes its a fact. Besides that even the part number mentions it as WOF (Without FAN).
> 
> Where did you buy that cooler, and how did you fit it in the Node?
> 
> My biggest problem as of now is that Cryorig asks for proof of purchase of CPU to ship the AM4 upgrade kit, this will certainly set me back


Gift of a Friend. He bought a R7 1700 with another Cooler.

ONLY the Ryzen 1400 fits into the Node202.
Mine fits, because of the Casemod.

Picture from Top:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/lightbox/post/26280401/id/3097402


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TheHexVex*
> 
> Second part of my post mentioned how I've already done so and waiting on parts to fit. Cheers.


Well waste of $30 but, that's on you. I guess when you run a business it changes your prospective on wasting money.
The only time I felt I did anything like that was when I bought a C7 and found air was boxed in by a Asus Strix mosfet heat sinks. So I bought another heat sink. A thermalright AMP muscle which lets air pass under the heat sink making more room for it to escape which made a 10c difference during stress tests.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> The spire heat sink is very good, and "proper aftermarket heatsinks" that fit AM4 in the node 202 are the c7 and the similar noctua cooler. The spire likely outperforms both in all but maybe noise.


Is this just an opinion? I can't find any solid evidence of such that backs this claim.

Also to the earlier post about the vapor chamber being the reason for a 30c drop. Not a chance in hell. You could make be a believer at 10c. Not 30.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> Well waste of $30 but, that's on you. I guess when you run a business it changes your prospective on wasting money.
> The only time I felt I did anything like that was when I bought a C7 and found air was boxed in by a Asus Strix mosfet heat sinks. So I bought another heat sink. A thermalright AMP muscle which lets air pass under the heat sink making more room for it to escape which made a 10c difference during stress tests.
> *Is this just an opinion? I can't find any solid evidence of such that backs this claim.*
> 
> Also to the earlier post about the vapor chamber being the reason for a 30c drop. Not a chance in hell. You could make be a believer at 10c. Not 30.


Well the 30c drop by swapping out just the heatsink should be an indication. Though I do agree 30c is excessive, and was likely being compounded by a less than ideal mount; He mentioned another youtuber had a similar result which should probably count for something.

There is no other reviews directly comparing them. All i know is I can comfortably game with my 1700 at 3.9ghz under the spire; temps are in the 60's. I can't speak for the c7 or nh l9i as I don't have them, but from what i've seen I don't think they could do the same.


----------



## therock003

Anybody with C7/R5 1600X to tell me what idel/load temps are considered normal?


----------



## IroneI

Hello guys,

Concerning the wraith spire cooler (the one that came with my R5 1600), I actually have one in my node 202, I've just swapped the fan by a slim 92mm Noctua one (i'll post pictures tomorrow to show the mounting).

My Ryzen 5 1600 is OC @3.8GHz (1.3V), idle temp is about 35/40°C and full load temp is around 80°C.

The Noctua fan is pretty quiet and have a pleasant noise even at full speed.

I'll do a proper presentation of the system tomorrow







.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> He mentioned another youtuber had a similar result which should probably count for something.


To be clear that other youtuber was a person in the comment section. Without testing methodology.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> To be clear that other youtuber was a person in the comment section. Without testing methodology.


No, he was referring to bitwit who is a popular reviewer on youtube. His results with the c7 on a ryzn r7 @ 3.8ghz 1.35v were 85c playing gtav for 15 minutes. The hoosierhardware guy was saying that he was getting about the same, so he doesn't think it was just a bad mount.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> No, he was referring to bitwit who is a popular reviewer on youtube. His results with the c7 on a ryzn r7 @ 3.8ghz 1.35v were 85c playing gtav for 15 minutes. The hoosierhardware guy was saying that he was getting about the same, so he doesn't think it was just a bad mount.


Ohh nitwit. Anyone here could make videos with the same competence level. Paul however tries to not look stupid.
85c is what I get on a c7 running prime with a 7700k outside in the sun with it's turbo clock. Fan profiles matter.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> Ohh nitwit. Anyone here could make videos with the same competence level. Paul however tries to not look stupid.
> 85c is what I get on a c7 running prime with a 7700k outside in the sun with it's turbo clock. Fan profiles matter.


Well Paul Reviews (which im assuming you are talking about) also did a video on the c7 with a r5 1600 at stock and was seeing mid 80's in aida stress test, and was hitting mid 70's just running GPU benchmarks. Which also seems pretty in-line with both other videos.


----------



## pav087

Hello everybody!
I'm planning to build on i5 7500 and gtx 1070.
Help with the choice of video card. Which is better to choose a dual (two fans) or founders edition (turbine)?
Which of them will be colder in this case?

p.s. Sorry for my English)


----------



## Zachal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *pav087*
> 
> Hello everybody!
> I'm planning to build on i5 7500 and gtx 1070.
> Help with the choice of video card. Which is better to choose a dual (two fans) or founders edition (turbine)?
> Which of them will be colder in this case?
> 
> p.s. Sorry for my English)


Welcome! =)

Turbine / Radial Cooler for Air exhaust
+ 1 FAN Intake.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *pav087*
> 
> Hello everybody!
> I'm planning to build on i5 7500 and gtx 1070.
> Help with the choice of video card. Which is better to choose a dual (two fans) or founders edition (turbine)?
> Which of them will be colder in this case?
> 
> p.s. Sorry for my English)


Blower or iCX makes no difference. It needs to be a FAQ at this point.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1583897/fractal-design-node-202-owners-thread/390#post_26321595


----------



## Zachal

With Blower my GTX 970 reach 83°C.... And it was an Gigabyte Version with 3x FANs O_O
The whole hot Air stuck in the Case.

The Case on the GPU Backside was sooo hot, i couldnt even touch it.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Zachal*
> 
> With Blower my GTX 970 reach 83°C.... And it was an Gigabyte Version with 3x FANs O_O
> The whole hot Air stuck in the Case.
> 
> The Case on the GPU Backside was sooo hot, i couldnt even touch it.


Great. That happens even in Full ATX cases sometimes. What is your point. Also don't buy Gigabyte gpu's.
Lets get some terminology correct. Blower cards = cards that push air out the back plate. A 3 fan gigabyte wind force card is not a blower card.

A FE blower style 1070-1080. Anything modern runs at 83c and higher when gaming all day and night. How does saying your old windforce card does 83c win any arguments when a FE blower does that and higher in any computer case you put it in.

Here's my node202 running a 1080ti FTW3 card [email protected] 2050mhz running 3d mark with 2 120mm fans over the gpu.
80c isn't uncommon man. https://image.ibb.co/iJr17k/Score3.png
For fun I ran the heaven bench in loop for10 minutes on a completely different pc with the same gpu. I don't have 3d mark installed on it. So I ran heaven. With the exact same card with same OC profile and exact same fan curve in a mid tower case. I'm seeing a 3c difference on the core man. It wasn't even running up to it's 2050mhz oc.
https://image.ibb.co/dsyXeQ/Unigine.png


----------



## Zachal

Its OK, it was my fault. I mean Open Air Cooler not Blower.
i recommend Turbine / Blower / Radial whatever you call a GPU with 1 Cooler who puts the Air direct OUT.


----------



## pav087

I also tend to the turbine. But there is also such a good option - https://www.asus.com/Graphics-Cards/DUAL-GTX1070-O8G/


----------



## therock003

@DigitRevX

Do you have the hydro Copper ftw3? This one

https://www.caseking.de/evga-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-ftw3-icx-hydro-copper-11264-mb-gddr5x-gcev-308.html

I got the sc2 icx which was on sale

https://www.caseking.de/pc-komponenten/grafikkarten/nvidia/geforce-gtx-1080-ti

Do you know how they compare


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> @DigitRevX
> 
> Do you have the hydro Copper ftw3? This one
> 
> https://www.caseking.de/evga-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-ftw3-icx-hydro-copper-11264-mb-gddr5x-gcev-308.html
> 
> I got the sc2 icx which was on sale
> 
> https://www.caseking.de/pc-komponenten/grafikkarten/nvidia/geforce-gtx-1080-ti
> 
> Do you know how they compare


Why assume I have a hydro copper card? I'm super confused and interested in why you think that. But no, I have a "regular" FTW3 air cooled card.

The hydro copper is the same principal as a regular EK gpu block. It will run cooler then a sc2. That shouldn't be surprising. However it wont game any better. Sure it comes from the factory with a slight boost in clock. Nobody can tell the difference when gaming.

The Sc2 wont come off it's boost clock in normal conditions. Nvidia caps the voltage on all pascal cards so after you are done sliding the voltage all the way up with evga precision or similar it's not getting any hotter. So if a sc2 can handle the voltage cranked to nvida's cap what is the actual point for a hydrocopper.

Internet bragging rights, that's all. But owning a Sc2 is plenty enough to brag about if you're into that sorta thing.


----------



## therock003

My bad, there were so many options that i missed the air cooled version of ftw3

https://www.caseking.de/en/evga-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-ftw3-gaming-icx-11264-mb-gddr5x-gcev-300.html

So the only difference between our cards is the 2 vs 3 fans? I;m only trying to figure out what the gap is between each model, since 1080 ti offers a great range starting with 700 and going more than 1000 euros


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> My bad, there were so many options that i missed the air cooled version of ftw3
> 
> https://www.caseking.de/en/evga-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-ftw3-gaming-icx-11264-mb-gddr5x-gcev-300.html
> 
> So the only difference between our cards is the 2 vs 3 fans? I;m only trying to figure out what the gap is between each model, since 1080 ti offers a great range starting with 700 and going more than 1000 euros


There are only really 3 differences.
The icx sc2 has 1 less fan.
The icx sc2 is around 1.5cm shorter then the icx ftw3
The icx sc2 is about 10 mhz slower then the icx ftw3 (nobody will notice that difference)

The sc2 stays just about as cool as the ftw3. The only difference of having 3 fans vs 2 is tuning fan curves for the overly sensitive audiophile folks out there that can't stand a 1dba difference.

https://www.evga.com/products/Specs/GPU.aspx?pn=1190fbf7-7f11-465d-b303-cab0e50fbdc6
https://www.evga.com/products/Specs/GPU.aspx?pn=61e6d689-506e-45df-8202-b49614e9d54d

The reason I personally got the ftw3 model was if I'm doing a show outside in the sun in the tropics I want 3 fans at my disposal to run at 100%. I'm talking about extreme situations that are job related that can ruin a entire performance in a show. Since I use my node202 for work and not play I justified the 3 fan model for a little bit of reliability. Not for sitting at home playing a game.


----------



## x-64

Hi All, I'm inching very close to pulling the trigger on a Node 202 build!

With that being said, can you guys look over my build list and let me know if there are any glaring issues with it? I suspect not but I would love to get another opinion on it.

I will also add that I already own the two SSDs, I will be repurposing them into this build.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/b8FgGf


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *x-64*
> 
> Hi All, I'm inching very close to pulling the trigger on a Node 202 build!
> 
> With that being said, can you guys look over my build list and let me know if there are any glaring issues with it? I suspect not but I would love to get another opinion on it.
> 
> I will also add that I already own the two SSDs, I will be repurposing them into this build.
> 
> https://pcpartpicker.com/list/b8FgGf


That's a beastly little rig u got there. Just make sure you put those fans the right way underneath the GPU. I think those evga's pull air rather than push it.

Also, if you can fit it in, an m.2 for a boot drive is nice to have.


----------



## x-64

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> That's a beastly little rig u got there. Just make sure you put those fans the right way underneath the GPU. I think those evga's pull air rather than push it.
> 
> Also, if you can fit it in, an m.2 for a boot drive is nice to have.


Yeah, I'll have those two fans pulling air into the case. That would be the correct orientation right?

Thanks! I would love to buy an m.2 drive for boot but I don't want to pay 120 EUR for a 275GB m.2 sata drive. I already own a 256GB m.2 sata drive but it's 2230 and not 2280







It won't fit on the ASrock board.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *x-64*
> 
> Yeah, I'll have those two fans pulling air into the case. That would be the correct orientation right?
> 
> Thanks! I would love to buy an m.2 drive for boot but I don't want to pay 120 EUR for a 275GB m.2 sata drive. I already own a 256GB m.2 sata drive but it's 2230 and not 2280
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It won't fit on the ASrock board.


No you will have to have those noctuas pulling air out of the case, cuz the graphics card pulls air away from the card rather than pushing the air against the board.

As far as the m.2 goes. I think they make length adapters... and actually adapters in general. Like this:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=1Z4-006X-00007


----------



## x-64

Thats amazing. I didn't even think of this!


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *x-64*
> 
> Thats amazing. I didn't even think of this!


The only thing i can think of that MAY be a problem with that is the thickness because the m.2 slot is on the back of the board. I think there should be enough clearance but I am not 100% sure either.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> No you will have to have those noctuas pulling air out of the case, cuz the graphics card pulls air away from the card rather than pushing the air against the board.


Just cuz I sorta pitty this guy building this machine. Do not take this advice.

acx and icx open air cards have always been designed to have fans push air down onto the heat sinks and out the sides. Never has there been a card designed to pull air away from the heat sink.

Don't believe me, refrence this old thread. https://forums.evga.com/How-does-the-intake-and-exhaust-of-a-GPU-work-m2481974.aspx
Still don't believe me call evga.

Do not put gpu bay fans in the case pulling air out for any card other then a half length card. And only then, can the fan not underneath the card be in pull configuration.

Also there seems to be a a possible mounting position for a 2230 m.2. Asrocks spec information is garbage so of course they don't mention it. But when you get it try removing the mounting stand off and putting it in the tapped screw hole closer to the slot. Even incompetent manufacturers try to offer more then just mounting for 2280 m.2's.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> Just cuz I sorta pitty this guy building this machine. Do not take this advice.
> 
> acx and icx open air cards have always been designed to have fans push air down onto the heat sinks and out the sides. Never has there been a card designed to pull air away from the heat sink.
> 
> Don't believe me, refrence this old thread. https://forums.evga.com/How-does-the-intake-and-exhaust-of-a-GPU-work-m2481974.aspx
> Still don't believe me call evga.
> 
> Do not put gpu bay fans in the case pulling air out for any card other then a half length card. And only then, can the fan not underneath the card be in pull configuration.
> 
> Also there seems to be a a possible mounting position for a 2230 m.2. Asrocks spec information is garbage so of course they don't mention it. But when you get it try removing the mounting stand off and putting it in the tapped screw hole closer to the slot. Even incompetent manufacturers try to offer more then just mounting for 2280 m.2's.




Well it would seem EVGA has those fans backwards according to you.

Also that second mountiing position is 2260, 2230 m.2 drives are much smaller.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> Well it would seem EVGA has those fans backwards according to you.
> 
> Also that second mountiing position is 2260, 2230 m.2 drives are much smaller.


The fans spin counter clock wise. That means the air is driven down. Onto the heat sink.
You can't stack case fans in pull above your gpu in exhaust. Meaning pull air out of the gpu bay. It does not work like that.
Just about every gpu's fans spin counter clock wise. Why is this news to you anyways??


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> The fans spin counter clock wise. That means the air is driven down. Onto the heat sink.
> You can't stack case fans in pull above your gpu in exhaust. Meaning pull air out of the gpu bay. It does not work like that.
> Just about every gpu's fans spin counter clock wise. Why is this news to you anyways??


Look at how the fans are oriented. If they are blowing down into the heatsink why would they not have them flipped the other way?


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> Look at how the fans are oriented. If they are blowing down into the heatsink why would they not have them flipped the other way?












The only gpu ever that had fans that spun to blow air up and away from the heat sink was this card and it ONLY did it to try to clean it self of dust.


Here's even a thread where some poor guy couldn't understand either. https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?86460-Strix-GTX-1070-Fans-Airflow

If you still don't get it pick up a phone as talk to a evga representative. And then stop offering advice to people about this. This is hardware damage type of misinformation.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The only gpu ever that had fans that spun to blow air up and away from the heat sink was this card and it ONLY did it to try to clean it self of dust.
> 
> 
> If you still don't get it pick up a phone as talk to a evga representative. And then stop offering advice to people about this. This is hardware damage type of misinformation.


Lol, i don't know why you are getting upset about this, chill out. You linked a gigabyte graphics card that has fans in the opposite orientation as the icx coolers. I just looked and you seem to be correct that it blows air down through the heatsink but my confusion is stemming from the fact that the fans are oriented backwards compared to other conventional fans. It makes very little sense to me to design the blades the way they did.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> Lol, i don't know why you are getting upset about this, chill out. You linked a gigabyte graphics card that has fans in the opposite orientation as the icx coolers. I just looked and you seem to be correct that it blows air down through the heatsink but my confusion is stemming from the fact that the fans are oriented backwards compared to other conventional fans. It makes very little sense to me to design the blades the way they did.


They have been designed this way from evga for the last 3 years. They are designed like a lot of manufacturers. This is really really easy stuff to understand and I'm only all over it because you are trying to defend something that will break this guys gpu. Ever slam two running pc fans together pointed at each other before? You might notice no air moves. That's how stupid this advice you are giving him is.

And ALL the links, and images I showed you the fan spins counter clock wise with the blade pitch so it rams air down onto the card. Even the self cleaning MSI card. I mean my god dude.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> They have been designed this way from evga for the last 3 years. They are designed like a lot of manufacturers. There is really really easy stuff to understand and I'm only all over it because you are trying to defend something that will break this guys gpu. Ever slam two running pc fans together pointed at each other before? You might notice no air moves. That's how stupid this advice you are giving him is.


Yea i think it's pretty obvious i understand what happens as it's the whole point i warned him in the first place.

Define "alot of manufacturers", because i can't find a single other cooler with fans designed backwards like the icx.

Holy man, you need to chill out for real.

The ICX cooler has a blade design that is OPPOSITE to normal fans. The images you linked are of a conventional fan design. If i would have known evga's fans were just designed weird i would not have recommended what i did to the op. Hell, i even admitted as much in my second reply to you.

Look at the fan, closely, it is pretty much a mirror image of normal fans.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> Yea i think it's pretty obvious i understand what happens as it's the whole point i warned him in the first place.
> 
> Define "alot of manufacturers", because i can't find a single other cooler with fans designed backwards like the icx.


Ok.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *x-64*
> 
> Yeah, I'll have those two fans pulling air into the case. That would be the correct orientation right?


Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> *No you will have to have those noctuas pulling air out of the case, cuz the graphics card pulls air away from the card rather than pushing the air against the board.*


This isn't a warning. You are telling someone to put two fans that are millimeters apart facing each other pulling air in opposite directions. That's idiotic.

"Alot of manufactuers" as in almost all of them. Look at the blade pitch on every gpu on the market. The side that is convex or shaped like a scoop is the side the drives the air. Also find me any pc fan where the exposed side of the hub without the support brackets that hold the fan in place isn't on the intake side of the fan. You'll notice EVERY gpu with a acx or icx design has the exposed part of the hub facing away from the heat sink. This means the intake side of the fan is facing outward and the exhaust side is facing toward the heat sink. Pretty obvious.

https://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/open-grille.png
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/B00E20SSZ8_image_003.jpg
http://cdn.overclock.net/9/96/350x700px-LL-96008a5b_fan.jpeg
http://noctua.at/media/wysiwyg/images/faqs/faqs_airflow_rotation.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7NvUxKVAGDpcrR4M3dQaSYGEKp_XGh0rbUcdTt9T20fzy43UF


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> Ok.
> 
> This isn't a warning. You are telling someone to put two fans that are millimeters apart facing each other pulling air in opposite directions. That's idiotic.
> 
> "Alot of manufactuers" as in almost all of them. Look at the blade pitch on every gpu on the market. The side that is convex or shaped like a scoop is the side the drives the air. Also find me any pc fan where the exposed side of the hub without the support brackets that hold the fan in place isn't on the intake side of the fan. You'll notice EVERY gpu with a acx or icx design has the exposed part of the hub facing away from the heat sink. This means the intake side of the fan is facing outward and the exhaust side is facing toward the heat sink. Pretty obvious.
> 
> https://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/open-grille.png
> https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/B00E20SSZ8_image_003.jpg
> http://cdn.overclock.net/9/96/350x700px-LL-96008a5b_fan.jpeg
> http://noctua.at/media/wysiwyg/images/faqs/faqs_airflow_rotation.jpg
> https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7NvUxKVAGDpcrR4M3dQaSYGEKp_XGh0rbUcdTt9T20fzy43UF


For the 256357873257873477 time I KNOW I MADE THE WRONG RECOMMENDATION. Jeez lol.

Yes i understand that the scoop is what drives the air. That is why the evga fan is weird because the scoop is oriented AWAY from the heatsink. It is the exact opposite of 99% of every other computer fan.

Go ahead and draw one of those condescending diagrams on the icx coolers fans... you might see it then.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> For the 256357873257873477 time I KNOW I MADE THE WRONG RECOMMENDATION. Jeez lol.
> 
> Yes i understand that the scoop is what drives the air. That is why the evga fan is weird because the scoop is oriented AWAY from the heatsink. It is the exact opposite of 99% of every other computer fan.
> 
> Go ahead and draw one of those condescending diagrams on the icx coolers fans... you might see it then.


To help you with future identification. It's the exposed hub and blade pitch curve that tells a fans story not the curve of the blades sweep.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> To help you with future identification. It's the exposed hub and blade pitch curve that tells a fans story not the curve of the blades sweep.


Hahahaha, i had a feeling you would actually go through with making a diagram.

Despite once again ignoring the fact that I have known what direction the air flows since my second reply... you did finally address what i was referring to the entire time: that the blade sweep is the opposite to pretty much every other fan on the market.

Also it's funny that the only reason we are talking about this is because i was concerned that op might possibly orient the fans the wrong way, and then you proceeded to give me petty lectures about the dangers of orienting fans the wrong way. Literally the only thing I've been trying to convey is that the fans look counter intuitive.

Looking at most of your other replies to others, you tend to jump all over people for even the slightest ignorances. If helping people bothers you, why are you still here?


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ultracarpet*
> 
> Hahahaha, i had a feeling you would actually go through with making a diagram.
> 
> Despite once again ignoring the fact that I have known what direction the air flows since my second reply... you did finally address what i was referring to the entire time: that the blade sweep is the opposite to pretty much every other fan on the market.
> 
> Also it's funny that the only reason we are talking about this is because i was concerned that op might possibly orient the fans the wrong way, and then you proceeded to give me petty lectures about the dangers of orienting fans the wrong way. Literally the only thing I've been trying to convey is that the fans look counter intuitive.
> 
> Looking at most of your other replies to others, you tend to jump all over people for even the slightest ignorances. If helping people bothers you, why are you still here?


I spend more time trying to figure out how explain how dumb this to you then it took to put some lines on a photo. Why did it take this long? Because who would have thought someone actually thinks how the blade is bent determines the way a fan spins. I mean that's a pretty narrow view of fan design.
I mean things like this must be mind blowing.


I guess Asus's strix 1080 gpu's are a real bugger to figure out having strait blades. Maybe they go both ways?? Same for sunon biscuit fans.
Nobody looks at how the blade bends unless you just got into this.

I don't consider this to be a case of slight ignorance. There was obviously more to it.

I'm jumping on you a bit because this forum specializes in PC's and you are here trying to help someone basically ruin their pc because you don't know much about the product he's using. And it's something unbelievably fundamental. That kinda help is for Reddit. Not OCN. If you wana help someone, research it or own it before hand. As far as I'm concerned he knows more about it then you based on his initial hunch.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> I spend more time trying to figure out how explain how dumb this to you then it took to put some lines on a photo. Why did it take this long? Because who would have thought someone actually thinks how the blade is bent determines the way a fan spins. I mean that's a pretty narrow view of fan design.
> I mean things like this must be mind blowing.
> 
> 
> I guess Asus's strix 1080 gpu's are a real bugger to figure out having strait blades. Maybe they go both ways?? Same for sunon biscuit fans.
> Nobody looks at how the blade bends unless you just got into this.
> 
> I don't consider this to be a case of slight ignorance. There was obviously more to it.
> 
> I'm jumping on you a bit because this forum specializes in PC's and you are here trying to help someone basically ruin their pc because you don't know much about the product he's using. And it's something unbelievably fundamental. That kinda help is for Reddit. Not OCN. If you wana help someone, research it or own it before hand. As far as I'm concerned he knows more about it then you based on his initial hunch.


Yea, that's about the response i expected.


----------



## x-64

Quote:


> Also there seems to be a a possible mounting position for a 2230 m.2. Asrocks spec information is garbage so of course they don't mention it. But when you get it try removing the mounting stand off and putting it in the tapped screw hole closer to the slot. Even incompetent manufacturers try to offer more then just mounting for 2280 m.2's.


I'll definitely give it a try before I install the 256GB sata drive. Can't seem to find the m.2 key extender anywhere in the EU but with that being said, I don't think it's the end of the world. I'd just like to remove as much cable mess as I can. Thanks!

As for the rest of the posts, I didn't expect it to blow up like this. If fan orientation bringing cool air in the case is the right way to do it then great, it's what I thought.

Would you guys give the go-ahead for me to start buying?


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *x-64*
> 
> I'll definitely give it a try before I install the 256GB sata drive. Can't seem to find the m.2 key extender anywhere in the EU but with that being said, I don't think it's the end of the world. I'd just like to remove as much cable mess as I can. Thanks!
> 
> As for the rest of the posts, I didn't expect it to blow up like this. If fan orientation bringing cool air in the case is the right way to do it then great, it's what I thought.
> 
> Would you guys give the go-ahead for me to start buying?


The build looked good to me dude.

Also, are you able to order from uk ebay? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M-2-NGFF-Key-M-Extender-Adapter-/262463647120?hash=item3d1c0d6d90:g:Ea4AAOSw4q9XTsIJ

OHHH and before i forget, just to make all parties clear: I made a mistake about the direction of air travel of the GPU fans, I made a wrong assumption at first glance of looking at the GPU. You were right with your original thoughts on how the fans should be mounted. I hope this apology is satisfactory to the thought police


----------



## x-64

Yeah, I'm sure I could order from ebay UK. Thanks for that listing. Can't wait to start building this. It will be my first time building anything ITX.

-Apology Accepted.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *x-64*
> 
> I'll definitely give it a try before I install the 256GB sata drive. Can't seem to find the m.2 key extender anywhere in the EU but with that being said, I don't think it's the end of the world. I'd just like to remove as much cable mess as I can. Thanks!
> 
> As for the rest of the posts, I didn't expect it to blow up like this. If fan orientation bringing cool air in the case is the right way to do it then great, it's what I thought.
> 
> Would you guys give the go-ahead for me to start buying?


If it doesn't work out and you don't have a use for it try one of these and make it a external ssd.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2RP5G14498&cm_re=2230_enclosure-_-9SIA2RP5G14498-_-Product
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAE8G62H8294&cm_re=2230_enclosure-_-9SIAE8G62H8294-_-Product

I got a ahci 2280 m.2 in a startech enclosure that does about 410mb/s read 370mb/s write. 250gig and it's about the size of a pack of gum.


----------



## rjkITX

I've run two thermaltake riing fans(static pressure) as intakes under my msi 1060 gaming card. They barely fit, and the whole thing is 139mm + 25mm. The fans grind against each other for the moment, but tilting the pc or putting something in between the gpu and the case fans would solve the problem. IMPORTANT: I've seen almost a 20C degree difference since I've put these on. From 80C under full load to 60C when I play PUBG


----------



## therock003

Just got the Node today, along with almost all of my missing parts, and i'm only waiting for the ryzen cpu to power up my new system. I am getting ready with setting up the parts i got and I'll start with some questions about the fans
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> If you put those slim 15mm fans on the case about all they will do if anything is help the card become a blower. *I'm gona assume your not going make them exhuast fans even with the small gap you will have with 15mm fans. So it's just gona push potentially used heated air either out the back slot of the gpu or up through the large cable hole and into the cpu chamber and out one of the vents around the cpu.*
> The case fans will probably be fighting whatever the gpu fans are doing but it's a theory. Either way they are optional fans anyways. ^^


-I am still hung up on your suggestion. Since case fans are aligned with gpu fans, why not use them as exhaust and get all that hot air from the graphics card out of the case. Its not a blower card so pushing air inside i imagine will result in trapping the hot air in, only make it a bit cooler since cooler air is coming in

-WIf i do make the fans exhaust shall i remove the air dust filter

-If i remove the filter, can i mount them with the rubber screws

-Dont know how i missed that but the fans i got are simple 3pin, not pwm. Got the Silverstone FN123 while with1 more euro you can get the FW121 which are PWM fans. Can i at least control rpm via software if i decide theyre too loud at 2000 rpm?

-I fell like the power cable is pressed by that lower corner of the fan. Could there be any danger from that


----------



## rjkITX

Please dont orient the case fans as exhaust. They will be counteracting what your gpu fans are doing. Use static pressure fans as intake for optimal performance. This will bring cooler air into the gpu.


----------



## therock003

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rjkITX*
> 
> Please dont orient the case fans as exhaust. They will be counteracting what your gpu fans are doing. Use static pressure fans as intake for optimal performance. This will bring cooler air into the gpu.


https://pcpartpicker.com/forums/topic/233905-node-202-airflow


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> https://pcpartpicker.com/forums/topic/233905-node-202-airflow


The fans are way too close to the GPU. They need to be oriented the same way that the gpu fans are. If you have the case fans in the node 202 pulling air out of the case, the there will be a vacuum where the GPU fans are trying to pull air from, and the GPU will quickly overheat as there is no air moving over it's heatsink.

Stacking fans in the same airflow direction does not increase total airflow (cfm), but it does increase static pressure. The reason this is helpful in the node 202 is because, as you have pointed out, the air that has entered the case and been pushed through the graphics card heatsink, doesn't have many places to go. It will eventually get out of the case, but it will take a higher amount of pressure to make that happen. So the added static pressure of a stacked fan allows more of the potential CFM capability to be accessed.

^that's how i understand it anyway


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> https://pcpartpicker.com/forums/topic/233905-node-202-airflow


If people are not going to listen to fairly reasonable advice of making your case fans intake only then you should try reversing them. Because I feel at this point it's a waste of time telling dozens of people how bad of a idea this is.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Just got the Node today, along with almost all of my missing parts, and i'm only waiting for the ryzen cpu to power up my new system. I am getting ready with setting up the parts i got and I'll start with some questions about the fans
> -I am still hung up on your suggestion. Since case fans are aligned with gpu fans, why not use them as exhaust and get all that hot air from the graphics card out of the case. Its not a blower card so pushing air inside i imagine will result in trapping the hot air in, only make it a bit cooler since cooler air is coming in
> 
> -WIf i do make the fans exhaust shall i remove the air dust filter
> 
> -If i remove the filter, can i mount them with the rubber screws
> 
> -Dont know how i missed that but the fans i got are simple 3pin, not pwm. Got the Silverstone FN123 while with1 more euro you can get the FW121 which are PWM fans. Can i at least control rpm via software if i decide theyre too loud at 2000 rpm?
> 
> -I fell like the power cable is pressed by that lower corner of the fan. Could there be any danger from that


Hey about the fans intake or exhaust I mean if you don't believe me you can try it out for you self. You are very likely going to create a vacuum. Your gpu fans will run at their max speed to fight the case fans millimeters away from them. I'm very sure it will result in thermal throttling on your gpu. I'm out of way's to explain this so if you want to be adventurous please do whatever you like.

You can mount the fans with or without the magnetic dust filter. You just take it off, mount the fans and stick it back on. The screws don't even need to be flush.

3 pin fans can be speed controlled through voltage regulation. Some motherboards can do it. Fan controllers can also do it. You wont be able to see their RPM.

There is no danger that I am aware of by having the internal power cable pressed by the fan once it's mounted. At least I haven't noticed any negative side effects.


----------



## TheHexVex

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TheHexVex*
> 
> The stock Spire was ramping up and was just a bit noisy for me as is. I'm assuming the zero clearance when in the Node 202 was a contributing factor. So after reading of another user's reported success I decided to try adding some exhaust fans in the CPU compartment. I picked up 2x NF-A4x20 PWM and split them from the CPU header in pull and it's really dropped the noise while gaming. I haven't done too much stress testing to compare before and after noise wise it's quite an improvement!
> 
> I also purchased a NH-L9a and I'm currently waiting for the AM4 mounting kit. I'm pretty confident it'll be even quieter once I've put that on but straight up I can attest that with it's brought down the noise coming from the Spire. Also, for anyone like me that thought they could replace the stock Spire with the NF-A9x14 that comes with the NH-L9a ... it does not natively fit. You could probably drill some holes and make it fit easy enough but I'm going to wait for the NH-L9a before I commit to barbarism.
> 
> Pics of how well the NF-A4x20s fit to come.


An update for others who are Googling around and anyone else interested in fitment etc.

I've fit the NH-L9a and a 1080ti in the case now. There's a definite noise reduction with the NH-L9a over the stock AMD Spire. I've been able to put the dust filter back in the case because of it's reduced height as well. I'm not running a super overclock on my Ryzen 5 1600 yet. It's currently sitting at 3.4GHz with 1.2375v running through it and after 10 minutes in an AIDA 64 stress test it hit a max temp of 70º.

When screwing down the NH-L9a I was worried it would damage the silver motherboard components just below it. But I've had no dramas after screwing it in and firing up some stress tests - all seems well.

With the way the fans sit below the 1080ti I had some trouble with a clicking noise that turned out to be the fans connecting/knocking somewhere so I fashioned a small piece to prop it up just slightly out of the card prop up wedge that came with the Node 202. There's a very slight angle as seen in the image below but it's not adding much stress at all and is solid enough thanks to the added rigidity of backplate to not worry me and has totally fixed the noise issue. My 1080ti SC2 doesn't get much above ~75º (from memory) so I'm happy with how the fans are working together, even if it's only a slight bump!


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TheHexVex*
> 
> With the way the fans sit below the 1080ti I had some trouble with a clicking noise that turned out to be the fans connecting/knocking somewhere so I fashioned a small piece to prop it up just slightly out of the card prop up wedge that came with the Node 202. There's a very slight angle as seen in the image below but it's not adding much stress at all and is solid enough thanks to the added rigidity of backplate to not worry me and has totally fixed the noise issue. My 1080ti SC2 doesn't get much above ~75º (from memory) so I'm happy with how the fans are working together, even if it's only a slight bump!


This stuff will also work to fix fan knocking. Just a few layers of foam tape on a few outside locations of the plastic gpu housing to separate it from the housing of the fan.
The tape is removable as well. https://www.dhresource.com/0x0s/f2-albu-g3-M01-5E-17-rBVaHVY80b6AQe-CAAFg_h2-VFE224.jpg/led-strip-light-red-film-double-sided-foam.jpg
https://www.dhgate.com/product/led-strip-light-red-film-double-sided-foam/264065350.html


----------



## therock003

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> If people are not going to listen to fairly reasonable advice of making your case fans intake only then you should try reversing them. Because I feel at this point it's a waste of time telling dozens of people how bad of a idea this is.


You seem to know what youre talking about, I will listen to you and turn them into intakes. Was only looking for the explanation so i can educate myself

Does the dust accumulate from intake or exhaust position? I know iu can easily take them off, i'm only wondering which scenario makes more sense to keep them off

I am also thinking of turning the power cable the other way around (from left) , so it does not stretch the usb headers of the front plate


----------



## therock003

UPDATE: This is my setup so far

it pisses me off how little room there is for cable management, and those big ass psu cables taking all that space


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> You seem to know what youre talking about, I will listen to you and turn them into intakes. Was only looking for the explanation so i can educate myself
> 
> *Does the dust accumulate from intake or exhaust position? I know iu can easily take them off, i'm only wondering which scenario makes more sense to keep them off*
> 
> I am also thinking of turning the power cable the other way around (from left) , so it does not stretch the usb headers of the front plate


Dust will build up regardless of orientation if you take the filter off, but dust tends to build up more in a negative pressure setup. Meaning that you have more air being pulled out of the case than pushed in.

**actually tho, if you for some reason want to half a negative pressure setup (not recommended), 100% you will want to remove the dust filters because they will trap dust inside rather than expelling it.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> You seem to know what youre talking about, I will listen to you and turn them into intakes. Was only looking for the explanation so i can educate myself
> 
> Does the dust accumulate from intake or exhaust position? I know iu can easily take them off, i'm only wondering which scenario makes more sense to keep them off
> 
> I am also thinking of turning the power cable the other way around (from left) , so it does not stretch the usb headers of the front plate


Oh I thought it was covered in the last few pages.

If the fan is exhaust it makes less sense to have a air filter. Only when it's a intake does it make most sense to have a filter. I mean why would you want to collect / trap dust that you want out of your pc... You want to prevent dust from entering the pc to begin with so the filters go on intake only fans.

Also because you only use filters for intake fans it's why they supply a filter for the gpu bay fan area. Because they expect you to use fans as intake.

You can run without the filter if you think the tiny bit of restriction makes a huge impact on your gpu's temp. I SUPER doubt it. But you can do that. But u'll just have to take it apart more often. Which you'll find with the node 202 to be a chore..

You can try moving the cable but you'll probably find that it isn't long enough to go any other way. At least that is what happen to me. I didn't notice many other options when I was assembling my machine.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> UPDATE: This is my setup so far
> 
> it pisses me off how little room there is for cable management, and those big ass psu cables taking all that space


You gota jam the access cable into the space between the psu and the crappy hard drive cage / sleeve. Also in my situation since I used 2 m.2's I used the 2.5" hard drive cage / sleeve to stuff cables I folded up into.

Also use a ton of zip ties and try to follow contours. It was a dumb choice on my part but I managed to stuff 2 corsair ML HD fans with it's stupid hub AND LED color / mode box. And even 2 15" LED strips. If you've ever experienced these fans you'll be familiar with all the cables they come with to operate.
The only 2 special cables I bought was a short braided pwm spliter cable for the corsair fans. And a very special custom cable that uses one pci-e plug on the psu to single sata connector. I needed this to power corsairs ******ed fan hub to even use the LED's. I wanted this special cable because I needed only 1 sata connector and I didn't want even more wire to deal with.. Again dumb but it's possible to fit all that junk and not look bad. But again I've built a lota pc's and I'm able to problem solve and research.




Side note when I can I'll replace the corsair HD fans since they don't have a OFF mode. And honestly while it's fine for little club events, it looks absolutely stupid at big shows were you got hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment around you. And here I am with LED fans..


----------



## therock003

I've also built 3 or 4 pcs but for plain desktop use and with much space inside to move everything around. I plugged everything to where it needed to be, and never cared for anything else. This one being high performance gaming rig and with such a small space, i'm OCDing about everything.

I got the fan pwm splitter as well not that it matters since i got non pwm fans.

http://www.pc1.gr/showitem.php?ID=200263673

You can see it connected on the lower part on my previous pic. The upper part is further along and i need to run longer cables to reach it. Though the manual says this is where the cooler for the water pumps should connect. I googled and it said connecting an air fan there should not be a problem. It seems as though it uses the same pins as the plain chassis fan connector, but Is that safe for me to do?



I'm also kicking myself for not getting the m2 drive. Managed to vram the psu power sata connectors on the corner of the case. Now looking for a small circulara sata data cable. Like 15cm to reduce the clutter


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> I've also built 3 or 4 pcs but for plain desktop use and with much space inside to move everything around. I plugged everything to where it needed to be, and never cared for anything else. This one being high performance gaming rig and with such a small space, i'm OCDing about everything.
> 
> I got the fan pwm splitter as well not that it matters since i got non pwm fans.
> 
> http://www.pc1.gr/showitem.php?ID=200263673
> 
> You can see it connected on the lower part on my previous pic. The upper part is further along and i need to run longer cables to reach it. Though the manual says this is where the cooler for the water pumps should connect. I googled and it said connecting an air fan there should not be a problem. It seems as though it uses the same pins as the plain chassis fan connector, but Is that safe for me to do?
> 
> I'm also kicking myself for not getting the m2 drive. Managed to vram the psu power sata connectors on the corner of the case. Now looking for a small circulara sata data cable. Like 15cm to reduce the clutter


Just weird questions for someone that has built 3 - 4 pcs. But yeah the pump header does the same thing as a fan header. Most are labeled pump to help guide extremely novice people into plugging their AIO's into the header closest to the cpu socket. Otherwise it does the same thing.


----------



## TMatzelle60

Wonder what the C7 inside the Node 202 will be like when using a 8700K


----------



## TheHexVex

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> This stuff will also work to fix fan knocking. Just a few layers of foam tape on a few outside locations of the plastic gpu housing to separate it from the housing of the fan.
> The tape is removable as well. https://www.dhresource.com/0x0s/f2-albu-g3-M01-5E-17-rBVaHVY80b6AQe-CAAFg_h2-VFE224.jpg/led-strip-light-red-film-double-sided-foam.jpg
> https://www.dhgate.com/product/led-strip-light-red-film-double-sided-foam/264065350.html


Aye that's a more even and elegant solution. I'll look into something similar where I am. Cheers mate.


----------



## Foxm83

Hi guys, just bought a Node 202. Tried several cooling methods cause of 6700k heat. My 6700k is delided. Now I'm cooling it with a Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B with a Prolimatech Vertex Slim 140mm Fan.

My GPU is a Palit GTX1080 ti Jetstream. To have more air flow in the GPU chamber I installed two Scythe Slipstream Slim 120mm fans.
PSU is a Corsair SF600 with changed fan, Noctua a9x14.

Gesendet von meinem SM-G950F mit Tapatalk


----------



## Sollybolly

Is this a good set up? I want to also use these exact components but worry about turbulence making it cool poorer than the C7 alone.


----------



## therock003

Has anyone OC'ed a Ryzen 5 1600X, and has temps and specs to offer


----------



## ikjadoon

What dust filters have people added to the top vent?

I want to add it internally; just snaking some pantyhose or a mosquito filter up there seem like my best options?


__
https://www.reddit.com/r/4ccf6k/i_made_a_custom_dust_filter_for_the_node_202_top/


----------



## Foxm83

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Sollybolly*
> 
> Is this a good set up? I want to also use these exact components but worry about turbulence making it cool poorer than the C7 alone.


For me it's a good compromise between cooling and loudness. GPU is in the lower 70°C by 80°C Temp Limit.
While gaming the CPU reach about 65°C. At Prime95 75°C. All with lownoise fans ~700-800 rpm.

Important to say, my Node stands verticle in a table shelf with door. It's a pc table from Ikea.

Perhaps I will install 2 Noctua 40mm fans in the top.


----------



## Sollybolly

As previously promised I am back with the details of my newly completed Node 202 build which features an i5-4570k, GTX 980ti, 16GB RAM, and plenty of cooling power!

Here is the family picture:

and below are the detailed specs and the prices I hunted down and paid:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670k 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£80.00 - r/HardwareswapUK)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - C7 40.5 CFM CPU Cooler (£27.00 - eBay)
Motherboard: Asus Z87i-PRO 1150 Motherboard (£78.00 - eBay)
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 2TB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (£50.00 - CEX)
Storage: Intel 1500 Pro 240GB SSD (£28.00 - Gumtree)
Memory: Crucial - 2 x 8GB G-Skill Ripjaws X DDR3-2133 Memory (£63.00 - Gumtree)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card (£200.00 - Gumtree)
Case: Fractal Design - Node 202 (£73.00 - Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair SF600 SFX Power Supply (£101.00 - Amazon)
GPU Fan 1 and 2: 2 x Arctic F12 PWM Rev.2 (£8.00 - Amazon)
CPU Fan: CRYORIG XT140 (£9.95 - Amazon)
Total: £717.95

You may notice the Slim 120mm Silverstone fans at the bottom of the family photo have been swapped with 25mm thick Arctic F12 fans in my parts list. This is because I had more space in the GPU compartment than planned for and so they were swapped. Additionally, the storage drives are not present in the family photo because they were already installed in the case at this point.

Now on to the build process itself. I'll begin by saying I think the Node 202 is thought out very well in its use of limited space, and it's fantastic to work in. I started by stripping down the case and running a few cables:

followed by installing the fans in the GPU compartment. You can see the cables are routed through a convenient hole in the compartment divider and come out above where the fan headers will be located on the motherboard. Note: the actual fans in this image are the slim 120mm Silverstone ones which were shortly thereafter swapped out for the Arctic 120mm fans.


Next, I prepped the motherboard by installing my i5-4670k, Cryorig C7, and 2x8GB G-Skill RAM. I made certain to test these components were functioning independently before installing them to prevent potential frustration later. At this point I was a little concerned the motherboard's daughterboard which is raised out of the motherboard near the top would cover all-important ventilation grills, but this turned out to be not significant enough to worry.



Once I inserted my 980ti atop the slim 120mm Silverstone fans I realised I had plenty of leftover space that was underutilised. Therefore, I went out and purchased 2 thicker 120mm Arctic F12 fans to maximise my airflow. The new fans leave virtually no space between themselves and the 980ti, however they do not touch and run perfectly and were actually cheaper.



It was then a case (heh heh) of wiring everything up and finding a space to push all the remaineders. At this point I came to believe the GPU and CPU compartment are essentially 100% separated as the connecting gap in the divider was so chock full with cables I couldn't imagine air flowing through.


I thought I would try and copy what I'd seen many other builders doing here with their Noctua NH-L9i and add another case fan above my cooler. In my system it turned out to be a slim 140mm fan from Cryorig above their Cryorig C7 CPU cooler. Cryorig's fan is 13mm thin and just barely fits when the dust filter is removed, necessitating a magnetic filter be placed on the outside of the case which I don't think looks too bad.



Finally I am pleased to show you my thermals which I think turned out excellent. Running Aida64 alone for around 10 minutes got my i5-4670k up to around 58C at stock settings. This is fantastic as it gives me loads of headroom to start overclocking and attaining that higher performance. I also ran Aida64 in combination with Furmark for around 10 minutes and once again found my CPU to stay at around 58-60C supporting my theory the compartments are separated. My 980ti only reached 78C.



Just as a side note: This PC is actually a rebuild of a Fractal Design Core 500 which reduces the volume down from the Core 500's 18L to the Node 202's 10L. I took a comparison picture of the two cases side by side to show how much of a decrease in size this really was.


Next step, adjusting the various case fan curves and overclocking!


----------



## Sollybolly

I've reached a stable overclock of 4300MHz @ 1.3v which is pretty poor for Haswell but nevermind, it explains why I got the chip for so cheap. Thermals were only at around 80-85C while stress testing but there was no way to get it any higher.

I've also been playing around with the fans in the sense of which ones to install and how to set their curves. I tested having no 120mm fans in the GPU compartment at all, having 25mm thick Arctic F12s, and slim 15mm Silvertones. It turns out the latter was the best set up keeping acceptable temperatures and the lowest noise output.



http://imgur.com/jMLCy


----------



## Metaphysical

Hey guys, I am a newcomer here seeking comradery and any advice surrounding the Fractal Design Node 202

Here is mine so far, I'm going look into some more neatening at some point.



http://www.overclock.net/lists/display/view/id/6803687

I'm not overclocking yet because I need to research a bit on that first, there is no rush.


----------



## x-64

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> The reason I personally got the ftw3 model was if I'm doing a show outside in the sun in the tropics I want 3 fans at my disposal to run at 100%. I'm talking about extreme situations that are job related that can ruin a entire performance in a show. Since I use my node202 for work and not play I justified the 3 fan model for a little bit of reliability. Not for sitting at home playing a game.


Hey, quick question, did you have to do anything special when mounting the FTW3 inside the node 202? Did you need to remove anything?


----------



## therock003

Finally build my Ryzen Node 202 (R5 1600X/C7 Cooler/16GB 3200 Ripjaws V/1080 TI ICX SC2)

First Thoughts

-More noisey than i had hoped
-Temps are 46-51 idle, 74,5 C when i stress test with AIDA64
-Hate the cpu PSU cable that leaves a mess and cant shove it anywhere with cable management.
-Front Panel ports, dont align, at all. Reassambled the case still the same. Maybe the way i have their cables stressed theyre pulling the connectors upwards
-Power LED does not work although i have onnected the pins correctly

These are my benchmarks.





First Setup, Changed BIOS and AMD chipset drivers, Set Ram to 3200. It seems i had a drop with latest BIOS and AMD chipset drivers, but got a boost with the highest RAM frequency


----------



## therock003

@DigitRevX

Since you got the 1080ti as well could you tell me your scores to see what bottleneck i got from the ryzen. Best i got from passmark is 15523 with the 3200 ram xmp profile. I got the summer released drivers, i'll install the latest geforce today and retest.

Also anything to be done with the front IO? Besides being a hassle to plug stuff on the mobo ports, The usb3 on the back has got a weird bug (possible from the amd chipset drivers for usb 3 host hontroller) and the usb stick connects/disconnects randomly


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *x-64*
> 
> Hey, quick question, did you have to do anything special when mounting the FTW3 inside the node 202? Did you need to remove anything?


Just a very very tiny bit of metal next to the where the back slots are in the case needed to be filed down or dremeled down some.
I'm talking about the slots where the video outs on your video card would be on the node 202.

It was only necessary to get the card to fully slide in.


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> @DigitRevX
> 
> Since you got the 1080ti as well could you tell me your scores to see what bottleneck i got from the ryzen. Best i got from passmark is 15523 with the 3200 ram xmp profile. I got the summer released drivers, i'll install the latest geforce today and retest.
> 
> Also anything to be done with the front IO? Besides being a hassle to plug stuff on the mobo ports, The usb3 on the back has got a weird bug (possible from the amd chipset drivers for usb 3 host hontroller) and the usb stick connects/disconnects randomly



That's all I got. My screen shots on my thumb drive were deleted and my node build partially being worked on removing the fans.
This was covered some what by gamers nexus though.

The front IO is a problem if you installed fans. It mashes the back of the usb cables to the point it's actually bending the usb connections on the outside one direction..
The only other thing I personally did IO wise technically is make the light on the front connected my my HDD activity and not the power led.

My z270 board doesn't have random disconnection chime issues. It definitely sounds like a driver if the pc is still like a rock and suddenly you start getting that chime noise.


----------



## therock003

Thanx for that but could you please run the performance test 9 app from passmark

https://www.passmark.com/download/pt_download.htm

Even with the trial you get full functionality on testing. It just doesnt let you save results, which is no issue since you can easily print screen like you do

Strange thing for me is that a couple days later, my scores dropped significantly. I was getting 15k results which put me on the 99th percentile (way more than the card is supposed to go with stock values) and today i'm getting 13k like all the rest.



Besides installing 2-3 games, and a package with runtimes, and libraries i havent worn the card or donw anything to bloat the OS.

My latest scores as of today

The usb is definitely a driver thing no doubt in my mind about it. Posted on the asrock forum, havent got a reply. Although i have installed the latest AMD drivers which supposedly are the latest and molst recent than the ones on the manufacturers bundle.


----------



## arth

Hello All,

Current Setup.
Node202
Ryzen 1700
Wraith Spire with c7 fan
MSI GTX 1080 Founders
32 GB Corsair Vengence 2666mhz
Asrock B350 Mobo
120GB corsair NVME SSD (Boot Drive)
500GB SSD (Games drive)
500W SFX-L Silverstone PSU.

Recently got my new rig up and running its a bit of a kick ass machine. I did have it overclocked to 3.7ghz at 1.25V. I did think it was running stable managed to get AIDA64 running for a few hours without it crashing for a few hours until i got bored and tuned it off. Temps. maxed out somewhere in the high 70's. Was running with the OC for a month or so and didn't have problems gaming or anything. However I recently ran Prime95 and could only get about 10 mins on it before the PC screen goes black and resets. So i have reverted back to stock settings for the time being.

The main problem I have is the noise of the C7 fan drives me nuts (loud as hell). I have been looking around and have noticed that the actual heatsink of the Wraith spire and Wraith max without fan are nearly identical. Ill be picking up a wraith max cooler on Wednesday ripping off the fan and fit a 120mm Noctua low profile to it. Hopefully i can fit it in. Will have to figure a way to mount fan though. Pretty sure I will be able to fit if i get rid of the dust filter hopefully i can keep it on.

Since the wraith max is rated at 140 TDP i should be able to get my overclock back. And keep things silent(er).

Updates to come.


----------



## arth

.....................


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Thanx for that but could you please run the performance test 9 app from passmark
> 
> https://www.passmark.com/download/pt_download.htm
> 
> Even with the trial you get full functionality on testing. It just doesnt let you save results, which is no issue since you can easily print screen like you do
> 
> Strange thing for me is that a couple days later, my scores dropped significantly. I was getting 15k results which put me on the 99th percentile (way more than the card is supposed to go with stock values) and today i'm getting 13k like all the rest.
> 
> 
> 
> Besides installing 2-3 games, and a package with runtimes, and libraries i havent worn the card or donw anything to bloat the OS.
> 
> My latest scores as of today
> 
> The usb is definitely a driver thing no doubt in my mind about it. Posted on the asrock forum, havent got a reply. Although i have installed the latest AMD drivers which supposedly are the latest and molst recent than the ones on the manufacturers bundle


I'm not going to be of much use right now. Like I said my node 202 build is being worked on. I don't plan on putting it back together in a few weeks. Since I'm completely crushed by client projects that are urgent using another pc.
All I have is another 1080ti FTW3 build using a z270 asus board and a oc 7700k in a tower. That is the closest thing I can do to run a test using the same card.

My guess is your cpu slowed down for whatever reason and hurt the gpu score mid test considering the cpu score changed as well. No idea why since I have no experience with ryzen. I just choose not to get involved with issues and bugs when it comes to my personal machines.


----------



## arth

Looks like your front IO hasn't clicked in properly when you fit the bottom plate on. I had it happen to mine. Just need to nudge it a bit until it clicks in place.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Finally build my Ryzen Node 202 (R5 1600X/C7 Cooler/16GB 3200 Ripjaws V/1080 TI ICX SC2)
> 
> First Thoughts
> 
> -More noisey than i had hoped
> -Temps are 46-51 idle, 74,5 C when i stress test with AIDA64
> -Hate the cpu PSU cable that leaves a mess and cant shove it anywhere with cable management.
> -Front Panel ports, dont align, at all. Reassambled the case still the same. Maybe the way i have their cables stressed theyre pulling the connectors upwards
> -Power LED does not work although i have onnected the pins correctly
> 
> These are my benchmarks.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> First Setup, Changed BIOS and AMD chipset drivers, Set Ram to 3200. It seems i had a drop with latest BIOS and AMD chipset drivers, but got a boost with the highest RAM frequency


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *arth*
> 
> Looks like your front IO hasn't clicked in properly when you fit the bottom plate on. I had it happen to mine. Just need to nudge it a bit until it clicks in place.


I'm confused by this. I never felt the need to remove or touch the IO pcb ever during installation. So why would it need to be clicked in place.


----------



## arth

The bottom of the case i am talking about, not removing the pcb. Node 202 is in 3 sections The bottom clicks onto the inner frame with the io and all hardware. Sometimes it doesn't align properly that's the only problem. Look at therock003's front USB ports the IO has not clicked in place when putting the bottom cover on.


----------



## DigitrevX

Lol this forums stupid bugs.. God


----------



## DigitrevX

Yeah I know how it comes apart lol.


----------



## therock003

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> I'm not going to be of much use right now. Like I said my node 202 build is being worked on. I don't plan on putting it back together in a few weeks. Since I'm completely crushed by client projects that are urgent using another pc.
> All I have is another 1080ti FTW3 build using a z270 asus board and a oc 7700k in a tower. That is the closest thing I can do to run a test using the same card.


Temps will be better and if you have overclocked results will vary but still i could use your numbers to see how higher you can get.
Quote:


> My guess is your cpu slowed down for whatever reason and hurt the gpu score mid test considering the cpu score changed as well. No idea why since I have no experience with ryzen. I just choose not to get involved with issues and bugs when it comes to my personal machines.


I suspected something similar, since I was playing games for a couple of hours so cpu may have gotten hot and underperformed. Havent tweaked anything maybe mobo, undervolts/underclocks when temperature goes up


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Temps will be better and if you have overclocked results will vary but still i could use your numbers to see how higher you can get.
> I suspected something similar, since I was playing games for a couple of hours so cpu may have gotten hot and underperformed. Havent tweaked anything maybe mobo, undervolts/underclocks when temperature goes up


One moment I'll download and run it


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Temps will be better and if you have overclocked results will vary but still i could use your numbers to see how higher you can get.


This is what I got. The 1080ti ftw3 was not overclocked. The 7700k is oc to 5.0ghz and it's how I run it every day.


----------



## DigitrevX

Because of my own curiosity I put together enough to run the node202 build. I took the same 1080ti ftw3 out of the 7700k pc and put it right into the node202.
(Discovered the riser card is junk in the 202 and makes terrible contact and ate 20 minutes of my time)

the cpu is a kabylake i3-7350k oc to 4.5ghz. gpu stock clocks like last machine. So you can see the difference.




The 7350k with 0.5ghz less then the 7700 and half the threads does half the cpu score of the 7700k.
And about 3k off the gpu score. So does it bottleneck it. Yeah some but keeping a 7700k at 5.0ghz cool in a node 202 isn't exactly realistic.

Consider even a bottlenecked score 15.8k is still in the top 99% for the gpu.

It's also a nice demonstration how a tiny budget chip allows a gpu to perform better then ryzen. While the cpu score on ryzen will be better it's only better at doing things that not many people do on daily basis. So I hope ryzen owners are doing that niche stuff pretty often to get what they paid for and not gaming every day.

That i3 will oc higher with a better cooler.


----------



## therock003

Wow man you're killing it! 20k on the 7700 is a beast. Thats what i needed to see. Although thats good for you it is a bummer for me cause i needed to built this pc on such a hurry that i blindly accepted recommendations from the forum without having the time to do the research myself. I later realised i should have gone with the 7600k myself

http://www.overclock.net/t/1636734/mini-itx-gaming-pc

I even stated it specifically that i only needed to build this just for gaming
Quote:


> Looking to build a new mini-itx gaming PC to play AAA at highest settings at least FullHD (My monitor is 1440p). *It is going to be just that. A gaming PC for my play room.* So i only need a small Case to put everything into, and recommendations for motherboard-cpu-gpu combo. My requirements are that it needs to be cool, quiet and energy conservative.


Anyway it is what it is, no point in crying about it now. I should have made time to research it better, Now im left with Ryzen and no need for rendering, compiling or any of that weird multi threaded **** its aimed for. I know its all my fault

At least people are saying Ryzen is the future and i got a new setup that is only going to go higher from there and a 7600k would have left me with a non upgradeable rig


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> At least people are saying Ryzen is the future and i got a new setup that is only going to go higher from there and a 7600k would have left me with a non upgradeable rig


Yeah I'm 100% positive some fan of amd will come by to cheer you up since any dissatisfaction by anyone triggers their insecurities.

Anyways it's a fine chip. I feel less fine in a node202 since it gets hot like a 7700. Which is why I even decided a 7700 wasn't the answer.
A 7600k would have been a really good option.

This is my guess on the future:
The sad thing about cpu future proofing with ryzen is by the time millions of applications come up with ways to use this sudden growth in cores your socket and chip will be history. This is really a consequence of amd doing well. It's now started a cpu race and I feel will cause even stronger desires to upgrade for consumers every launch.

But if you ever decide to stream or record your game then edit it and post it up on youtube you got the right chip that sorta stuff.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Wow man you're killing it! 20k on the 7700 is a beast. Thats what i needed to see. Although thats good for you it is a bummer for me cause i needed to built this pc on such a hurry that i blindly accepted recommendations from the forum without having the time to do the research myself. I later realised i should have gone with the 7600k myself
> 
> http://www.overclock.net/t/1636734/mini-itx-gaming-pc
> 
> I even stated it specifically that i only needed to build this just for gaming
> Anyway it is what it is, no point in crying about it now. I should have made time to research it better, Now im left with Ryzen and no need for rendering, compiling or any of that weird multi threaded **** its aimed for. I know its all my fault
> 
> At least people are saying Ryzen is the future and i got a new setup that is only going to go higher from there and a 7600k would have left me with a non upgradeable rig


I switched to a coffee lake setup because i didn't really like any of the am4 mini itx boards. However; if someone is on a budget and wants their rig to last, ryzen is pretty much a no brainer. More threads is a bit like vram at this point, you may say "i don't need all that vram", but when you run out it's devastating, and almost every new game coming out is utilizing more than 4 threads. That's why 4 core i5's are/were tough to recommend, especially when ryzen and coffee lake are available/around the corner. Ryzen still packs a punch ipc wise, and unless you are searching to get every single frame you could possibly get out of a 1080/1080ti at 144+hz, it will be unnoticeable to an i7. I'm guessing your screen is 60hz, to which i would say you made a way better choice going ryzen.

TLDR, you definitely don't have the fastest gaming chip, but it won't run into any of the roadblocks that the 4 core i5 will (limited threads, limited upgrade path). I'm fairly certain am4 is going to be used until 2020.


----------



## arth

Heres what I got.
DigitrevX just curious what Discs you are using thats huge compared to me and I have a Corsair NVME m.2?







Ryzen 1700
Wraith Spire with c7 fan
MSI GTX 1080 Founders
32 GB Corsair Vengence 2666mhz
Asrock B350 Mobo
120GB corsair NVME SSD (Boot Drive)
500GB SSD (Games drive)
500W SFX-L Silverstone PSU.

Strange about therock003's GPU score. I don't think its the CPU affecting it. Because both the scores on day 1 and day 3 are pretty close but the GPU scores are pretty far off. Maybe the Video card is overheating and throttling. Im getting similar GPU results with a regular 1080 not ti as day 3. There's something going on.

Don't worry therock003 AMD Ryzen is the best.
You need to overclock an intel to 5.0ghz. Considering it only a ryzen 5 its a great CPU for the price. I'm sick of people saying how much intel are better for gaming. Realistically it like 10fps at the most in most cases. But intel are a better gaming machine. But not by that much in real life. And I'd rather support a company that values its customers than a bunch of crooks that have been screwing their customers for the last 10 years. If AMD didnt bring out ryzen intel would still be charging 1000 bucks for a six core. I haven't had an intel CPU since my Pentium 2 400. And don't think I will if AMD keep bring out good hardware.


----------



## therock003

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> Yeah I'm 100% positive some fan of amd will come by to cheer you up since any dissatisfaction by anyone triggers their insecurities.
> 
> Anyways it's a fine chip. I feel less fine in a node202 since it gets hot like a 7700. Which is why I even decided a 7700 wasn't the answer.
> A 7600k would have been a really good option.
> 
> This is my guess on the future:
> The sad thing about cpu future proofing with ryzen is by the time millions of applications come up with ways to use this sudden growth in cores your socket and chip will be history. This is really a consequence of amd doing well. It's now started a cpu race and I feel will cause even stronger desires to upgrade for consumers every launch.
> 
> But if you ever decide to stream or record your game then edit it and post it up on youtube you got the right chip that sorta stuff.


Not sure if gaming is going to be better on multithreading in the future and if the AM4 will give better CPUs on next gen with greaters IPCs but for now Ryzen is definitely eating it. Have not seen a benchmark so far that favors AMD in gaming and thats the only thing i care about. Damn it man, if only you had posted on my thread.

http://www.legitreviews.com/cpu-bottleneck-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-tested-on-amd-ryzen-versus-intel-kaby-lake_192585/6
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *arth*
> 
> Heres what I got.
> DigitrevX just curious what Discs you are using thats huge compared to me and I have a Corsair NVME m.2?
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> 
> Ryzen 1700
> Wraith Spire with c7 fan
> MSI GTX 1080 Founders
> 32 GB Corsair Vengence 2666mhz
> Asrock B350 Mobo
> 120GB corsair NVME SSD (Boot Drive)
> 500GB SSD (Games drive)
> 500W SFX-L Silverstone PSU.
> 
> Strange about therock003's GPU score. I don't think its the CPU affecting it. Because both the scores on day 1 and day 3 are pretty close but the GPU scores are pretty far off. Maybe the Video card is overheating and throttling. Im getting similar GPU results with a regular 1080 not ti as day 3. There's something going on.
> 
> Don't worry therock003 AMD Ryzen is the best.
> You need to overclock an intel to 5.0ghz. Considering it only a ryzen 5 its a great CPU for the price. I'm sick of people saying how much intel are better for gaming. Realistically it like 10fps at the most in most cases. But intel are a better gaming machine. But not by that much in real life. And I'd rather support a company that values its customers than a bunch of crooks that have been screwing their customers for the last 10 years. If AMD didnt bring out ryzen intel would still be charging 1000 bucks for a six core. I haven't had an intel CPU since my Pentium 2 400. And don't think I will if AMD keep bring out good hardware.


Ill try Vertical next time, but even at Day one i had the case placed on the horizontal orientation, so im not sure if a possible temp obstruction occured that way.

Furthermore an R7 1800X user reports scores on the same levels as my R5 (also you get 13k on your 1700 as well) so maybe thats as far as Ryzen goes with this card, and the 15k i got origina was the anomally somehow, not the newer and lower scores


__
https://www.reddit.com/r/6pdoas/did_some_benchmarks_on_my_ryzen_7_1800x_with_a/
Quote:


> Synthetics
> 1080 ti 1080ti OC
> Firestrike normal 28711 29826
> Firestrike extreme 14163 15152
> Firestrike Ultra 6943 7491
> Unigine Heaven 3607 3774
> Timespy 9544 10506
> *Passmark 13783 14118*


Did you get the spire c7 fan idea from the hoosier youtube video? I posted this a while back but the 1500x does not come with any stock cooler so i got C7 cooler+fan. Can you also post your temps


----------



## DigitrevX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *arth*
> 
> Heres what I got.
> DigitrevX just curious what Discs you are using thats huge compared to me and I have a Corsair NVME m.2?


The 7700k build has samsung 960evo's gen2 version.
The node 202 is using the slightly cheaper samsung 960evo's gen1 version.

The node 202 got the cheaper ones since I travel with it and it can be stolen. Also even the cheaper ones are still really fast for the work I use it for.


----------



## arth

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DigitrevX*
> 
> (also you get 13k on your 1700 as well) so maybe thats as far as Ryzen goes with this card, and the 15k i got origina was the anomally somehow, not the newer and lower scores
> 
> Furthermore an R7 1800X user reports scores on the same levels as my R5 (also you get 13k on your 1700 as well) so maybe thats as far as Ryzen goes with this card, and the 15k i got origina was the anomally somehow, not the newer and lower scores
> 
> Did you get the spire c7 fan idea from the hoosier youtube video? I posted this a while back but the 1500x does not come with any stock cooler so i got C7 cooler+fan. Can you also post your temps


But thing with my 13000 points is that i'm only using a regular 1080 not a 1080TI. Where the TI is a much better card.

I did get the c7 idea from the hoosier vid. The thing still gets hot. High 70s in stress test going to try a wraith max soon with slim fan.


----------



## saranw71

I've just finished my build. Here it is: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/KnGG3C

Thanks for ideas and suggestions!


----------



## saranw71

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ikjadoon*
> 
> What dust filters have people added to the top vent?
> 
> I want to add it internally; just snaking some pantyhose or a mosquito filter up there seem like my best options?
> 
> 
> __
> https://www.reddit.com/r/4ccf6k/i_made_a_custom_dust_filter_for_the_node_202_top/%5B/URL
> It is for external though.


----------



## arth

Comes already with a top dust filter. I'm not sure if you would have to remove it with the scythe shuriken because of the height. But many people have used this cooler so if you look around you could find out.

The only thing i would do personally for this build, if you wanna go intel is get an x370 mobo instead of x270 and a 8700 or 8700k just because x270 is at the end of its life. You wont get that much overclocking done in this case with that cooler really. Maybe a bit.


----------



## ikjadoon

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *saranw71*
> 
> I've ordered a custom one. You can find it here: https://www.demcifilter.com/c498-282mm-x-66mm
> It is for external though.


Thank you. No worries if it's external; I might be able to cut out the mesh and stick it inside to look a bit more seamless; $9 ain't much at all.

That's awesome that you got it custom-ordered and other people can follow-up and buy it again; thank you for saving the link.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *arth*
> 
> Comes already with a top dust filter. I'm not sure if you would have to remove it with the scythe shuriken because of the height. But many people have used this cooler so if you look around you could find out.


"Top" as in closer to the Fractal Design logo and far from the USB ports? Are you sure? I've not seen one that had _that_ filtered. Does yours have a filter here, from Fractal, you mean?


----------



## arth

I think the case is suppose to be horizontal or the logo would not be facing the direction its does. So the top for me is here.
I gather you know that already. Just a miscommunication. And me not looking at your link to see the image.


----------



## therock003

Getting back to that weird behavior i mentioned with the passmark score going from 15k to 13.5k. I tried the vertical orientation today for the first time, run some test but still on the 13.5k neighborhood. Could it be that i installed these runtimes that somehow dropped systems performance.

https://www.computerbase.de/downloads/systemtools/all-in-one-runtimes/

I honestly cant think of anything else, or any other system change that happened to deteriorate the gpu scores


----------



## arth

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Getting back to that weird behavior i mentioned with the passmark score going from 15k to 13.5k. I tried the vertical orientation today for the first time, run some test but still on the 13.5k neighborhood. Could it be that i installed these runtimes that somehow dropped systems performance.
> 
> https://www.computerbase.de/downloads/systemtools/all-in-one-runtimes/
> 
> I honestly cant think of anything else, or any other system change that happened to deteriorate the gpu scores


Have you installed the latest AMD chipset drivers.

http://support.amd.com/en-us/download/chipset?os=Windows+10+-+64


----------



## therock003

Yes is that good or bad


----------



## saranw71

@ikjadoon This is how the filter looks on the case. The magnet overlap a little with the grill to get some pull but not too much to cover the holes.


----------



## arth

Have y
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> Yes is that good or bad


Good I think


----------



## GamingK

Hello everyone.

I have one more of those queries.

I am planning a Node 202 build with CPU 7600k/7700k and GPU 1080TI for pure gaming (plus some streaming or just disk-recording).

For owners with the same specs and addicted to long gaming hours, what sort of temperatures do you achieve (CPU, GPU) and if you could let me know which GPU type you have (blower/air) and any extra fans to induce air.

Thank you


----------



## h0w1er

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *GamingK*
> 
> I have one more of those queries.


7700k/1080Ti (blower)

1) CPU cooler + 2x120mm coolers for VC temps (intake): 98c,75c
2) Same + cpu_delid: 80c,75c
3) Same as 2 + 1x140mm on top of CPU cooler (intake): 71c,75c
4) Same as 3 + 3x40mm next to CPU (outtake): 71c,75c

In result:
a) If to game with blower with 4k, then VC is 70-75c. If to play 1080p then it can be 45-71c, depends on a game and the graphical extra features set;
b) options 3 & 4 are making no difference for CPU/VC, but it will keep MoBo, RAM, NVRAM SSD cooler than usual with 4th option;
c) VC temp 10c lower with vertical stance (in stand-by, no gaming mode), but moving some heat up to CPU chamber in game-mode;
d) VC temps +10c in horizontal stance (no gaming mode), but no difference with temp in gaming mode, plus less heat shared to CPU chamber.


----------



## GamingK

Hi h0w1er, many thanks for those setups.

Still thinking between a blower or dual-triple fan (possibly the FTW3). Does your blower do an absurd noise like some people mentioned?


----------



## jbravo14

For folks that use open-air type GPUs, how do you orient the node 202 vertically?

GPU on top, CPU at the bottom?

or

CPU on top and GPU at the bottom?

I used to have mine where the GPU is at the bottom, but quickly realized that I have higher temps, thus louder fans.

Recently changed the vertical orientation to have the GPU on-top to help exhause exess heat from the GPU, but negatively impacting CPU temps.

Any recommendations?


----------



## jbravo14

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *GamingK*
> 
> Hi h0w1er, many thanks for those setups.
> 
> Still thinking between a blower or dual-triple fan (possibly the FTW3). Does your blower do an absurd noise like some people mentioned?


I have an r9 390 open air (dual fan) with 2x120mm SP fans and i max the temps at 75C. I have both the 2x120mm and the GPU fans with a custom fan profile (20% @ 60C - 100% @ 90C).

I would say, that the noise is less compared to a blower style fan (I have a vega 64 on my sentry case and the noise is absurd).


----------



## GamingK

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *jbravo14*
> 
> Recently changed the vertical orientation to have the GPU on-top to help exhause exess heat from the GPU, but negatively impacting CPU temps.
> 
> Any recommendations?


Horizontal sat on top of a laptop cooler, GPU vent down for intake. Would probably look ugly. Add extra fan(s) to extract / control room temperature.


----------



## lupohki

Has anyone tried using

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/6fn15w/3d_printed_custom_ducting_for_my_node_202_case
? I don't have access to a 3d printer and I'm curious how the ducts perform compared to (2) 120mm fans. I messaged the original author, but he never tried it with fans.


----------



## jbravo14

[/URL]

1080ti FTW3 was a snug fit!


----------



## majttolosa

Anyone tried the Noctua NH-L12S https://www.amazon.ca/Noctua-NH-L12S-low-profile-cooler-quiet/dp/B075SF5QQ8


----------



## h0w1er

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *majttolosa*
> 
> Anyone tried the Noctua NH-L12S https://www.amazon.ca/Noctua-NH-L12S-low-profile-cooler-quiet/dp/B075SF5QQ8


"70mm total height". Will it fit?


----------



## spike2100

Just ordered this little beast.
I am from Belgium btw....pain in the @zz to find a 8700K right now

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

*CPU:* Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($399.99 @ B&H)
*CPU Cooler:* Scythe - BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B 45.5 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($35.88 @ OutletPC)
*Motherboard:* ASRock - Z370M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($126.98 @ Newegg)
*Memory:* Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($169.91 @ Newegg Marketplace)
*Storage:* Crucial - MX300 525GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($149.88 @ OutletPC)
*Video Card:* MSI - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB GAMING X Video Card ($766.89 @ B&H)
*Case:* Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case ($59.99 @ Amazon)
*Power Supply:* Corsair - SF 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Amazon)
*Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-A12x15 PWM 55.4 CFM 120mm Fan ($19.95 @ Newegg Marketplace)
*Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-A12x15 PWM 55.4 CFM 120mm Fan ($19.95 @ Newegg Marketplace)
*Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-A12x15 PWM 55.4 CFM 120mm Fan ($19.95 @ Newegg Marketplace)
*Other:* Xbox controller for pc ($79.99)
*Total:* $1969.35
*Total in Belgium :* $2600 :-/
_Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available_
_Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-30 17:56 EDT-0400_

I wonder if I can replace the scythe 12mm height cpu cooler with the noctua 15mm height cooler....









Keep u up to date with pics and benchmarks in a couple of days if hopefully everything is delivered.

Greetings


----------



## h0w1er

Why there are 3x120mm? Where are you going to put 3rd one?


----------



## spike2100

As you can see....everything just fits.

Had to take the top ventilation dust cover away. Only 4mm space left in my case, the cover is 6mm and just hits the cpu cooler.

I only placed 1 120mm slim fan beneath my gfx card.

I ordered 3 120mm fans, my plan was 2 below my gfx card and 1 to replace the scythe fan on my cpu cooler. The shop were I ordered had only 1 fan in stock...so..that did not happen. I think it's just possible with 1mm space left between the top of the case & the cpu cooler( stock cooler is 12mm thick,Noctua 15mm). Time to install Windoooz


----------



## h0w1er

What hight is your RAM?


----------



## spike2100

33.5mm


----------



## therock003

I recently saw a video mentioning thermal throttling scenarios on node202. Is this really an issue. How can i see if i'm experience it on either or both CPU/GPU


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *therock003*
> 
> I recently saw a video mentioning thermal throttling scenarios on node202. Is this really an issue. How can i see if i'm experience it on either or both CPU/GPU


good temps - Low Noise - node 202

Pick 2 lol.

But seriously, depends on a ton of different things. Mostly, though; it is the type of cooler you buy for your CPU, the cooling capability of your graphics card, and the setup of additional fans.


----------



## spike2100

Just played the new Wolfenstein for 1 hour on my old tv, next year I'll upgrade to a 4K Oled tv.

1080P @ 60fps (60fps capped, tv is only 60hz lol), everything on max video settings.

Cpu temps max 55 degrees.
Cpu cooler @ 1000rpm
Case fan @ 1000 rpm

Geforce max 70 degrees @ 1800 rpm...only a couple of minutes was the temp 70.

System was silent








Starting the game takes 5 seconds and loading a save takes 4 seconds.

Crazy how fast this beast is.

Idle in windows with downloading some stuff is my cpu around 32 degrees and gpu around 36. Happy with the performance and temperatures


----------



## flyxman007

I am going to build a similar pc as yours.

I am deciding between the zotac 1080ti mini card and msi gaming-x. The mini card is smaller, should give more space for airflow. The gaming x is said be to very quiet. Your figure is encouraging!

I have lg oled tv in my living room. I build this pc to play GTAV with it in 4k.

I have thought the msi card is too big /. thick for this case. Is it all right for you? If so, I will use it too. The mini card is said around 37db even at idle


----------



## flyxman007

Here is my list: ( will replace the gpu with msi gaming x):

[PCPartPicker part list](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/8PR4r7) / [Price breakdown by merchant](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/8PR4r7/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD - Ryzen 5 1600X 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/8hwqqs/amd-ryzen-5-1600x-36ghz-6-core-processor-yd160xbcaewof) | £191.94 @ Aria PC
**CPU Cooler** | [Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/xxphP6/noctua-cpu-cooler-nhl9i) | £34.44 @ Ebuyer
**Motherboard** | [ASRock - AB350 Gaming-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/nG98TW/asrock-ab350-gaming-itxac-mini-itx-am4-motherboard-ab350-gaming-itxac) | £111.10 @ Alza
**Memory** | [G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/sHQRsY/gskill-tridentz-rgb-16gb-2-x-8gb-ddr4-3000-memory-f4-3000c15d-16gtzr) | £160.25 @ Amazon UK
**Storage** | [Crucial - MX300 525GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/34Nypg/crucial-mx300-525gb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-ct525mx300ssd4) | £136.59 @ BT Shop
**Video Card** | [Zotac - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Mini Video Card](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/dHcMnQ/zotac-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-11gb-mini-video-card-zt-p10810g-10p) | £649.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk
**Case** | [Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/GsZ2FT/fractal-design-case-fdcanode202bk) | £72.94 @ Amazon UK
**Power Supply** | [Silverstone - 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/vQjG3C/silverstone-power-supply-sstsx600g) | £103.10 @ Alza
**Case Fan** | [Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/b2vRsY/noctua-case-fan-nff12pwm) | £16.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk
**Case Fan** | [Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/b2vRsY/noctua-case-fan-nff12pwm) | £16.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk
**Case Fan** | [Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/b2vRsY/noctua-case-fan-nff12pwm) | £16.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **£1511.32**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2017-11-01 23:53 GMT+0000 |


----------



## spike2100

Msi just fits fine....with one slim case cooler under it. If you want to place 2 coolers, have fun with cable management, I think it's possible with some patience. (What's the plan with the 3 coolers







?)I also took the harddrive holder thing out because I have a tiny m.2 ssd hd.

My msi gaming is super quiet on 1080P. Also watched some reviews, Msi is a winner on low temperatures, thats why I picked this one for this tiny case. The opposite, if u want to play on 4K with this tiny case, I think everything will make some noise, butt it's possible...put the node in a closet







. Grtz


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *flyxman007*
> 
> I am going to build a similar pc as yours.
> 
> I am deciding between the zotac 1080ti mini card and msi gaming-x. The mini card is smaller, should give more space for airflow. The gaming x is said be to very quiet. Your figure is encouraging!
> 
> I have lg oled tv in my living room. I build this pc to play GTAV with it in 4k.
> 
> I have thought the msi card is too big /. thick for this case. Is it all right for you? If so, I will use it too. The mini card is said around 37db even at idle


I would say get the bigger card. The zotac 1080ti mini is pretty unnecessary in the node 202 because it can fit full length cards. I don't regret getting it because it was the cheapest 1080ti i could find by about $60, but it's definitely not the best performer, especially in the acoustics department lol.

I added 2 1300rpm 120x25mm fans underneath the card and it dropped the temps a bit, as well as the noise. I don't have a db meter but id guess somewhere between 35-40db when gaming. It's not quiet by any means, but it's not deafening. The stock Intel cooler is actually the noisiest thing in the case... it has a pretty annoying high pitched hum. It's the next thing to be replaced.


----------



## flyxman007

Thanks a lot .

Yes, I will use two fans for the GPU and two fans for the CPU. I am going to place the node 202 in a corner next to my TV. However it is still good to keep it as quiet as possible, The Ryzen 1600x is 95w TPD CPU. It seems like lots of people recommend Noctua L9i. So I choose that. I am going to use an 140 mm fan over the CPU cooler., that is how 4 fans there. I also see people are use two additional 40 mm case fan fitted to the top part of node 202. I am not sure if that is overkill. That will be 6 fans in total!

A single C7 instead of two Noctua fans is another choice as CPU cooler. I am not sure which is better yet.

Here is the build I am going to copy. https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/b/TyxG3C

I have seen quite a few people are having high temperature issues with this case. That is my biggest concern at the moment. Hopefully, my build will be fine.

The mini card is around 60-70 pounds cheaper than the gaming x, it is quite tempting. I may move my node202 to a desk using it with a monitor a few years later. It probably is worth paying that to keep it quieter. I am also hope the price can come down a bit in a couple of weeks.

Here is my updated list:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

*CPU:* AMD - Ryzen 5 1600X 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor (£191.94 @ Aria PC)
*CPU Cooler:* Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler (£34.44 @ Ebuyer)
*Motherboard:* ASRock - AB350 Gaming-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard (£111.00 @ More Computers)
*Memory:* G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£160.25 @ Amazon UK)
*Storage:* Crucial - MX300 525GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£135.00 @ Amazon UK)
*Video Card:* MSI - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB GAMING X Video Card (£714.99 @ CCL Computers)
*Case:* Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case (£72.94 @ Amazon UK)
*Power Supply:* Silverstone - 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply (£103.10 @ Alza)
*Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan (£16.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
*Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan (£16.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
*Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm Fan (£18.95 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
*Total:* £1576.59
_Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available_
_Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-02 22:03 GMT+0000_


----------



## flyxman007

I was about the click the button to buy 1600x and its MB but was distracted by the advert on the page. That led me to Intel! I was quite confident to go for 1600x until then. Now it seems 8400 is a better choice in reality, 1600x is only better on paper (more cache, more thread). Clearly 8400 performs better in games and produce less heat at the same price (cpu +mb). It seems to be a better choice in terms of both performance, power, heat. I had hoped AMD wins here but apparently not. Have I missed anything?

Here is my intel version
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

*CPU:* Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor (£173.99 @ BT Shop)
*CPU Cooler:* Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler (£35.08 @ Ebuyer)
*Motherboard:* ASRock - Z370M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard (£127.86 @ Ebuyer)
*Memory:* G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£160.25 @ Amazon UK)
*Storage:* Crucial - MX300 525GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£135.00 @ Amazon UK)
*Video Card:* MSI - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB GAMING X Video Card (£714.88 @ More Computers)
*Case:* Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case (£73.28 @ Amazon UK)
*Power Supply:* Silverstone - 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply (£103.10 @ Alza)
*Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan (£16.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
*Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan (£16.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
*Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm Fan (£18.95 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
*Total:* £1576.37
_Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available_
_Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-05 10:21 GMT+0000_


----------



## jpm888

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *flyxman007*
> 
> I was about the click the button to buy 1600x and its MB but was distracted by the advert on the page. That led me to Intel! I was quite confident to go for 1600x until then. Now it seems 8400 is a better choice in reality, 1600x is only better on paper (more cache, more thread). Clearly 8400 performs better in games and produce less heat at the same price (cpu +mb). It seems to be a better choice in terms of both performance, power, heat. I had hoped AMD wins here but apparently not. Have I missed anything?
> 
> Here is my intel version
> PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
> 
> *CPU:* Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor (£173.99 @ BT Shop)
> *CPU Cooler:* Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler (£35.08 @ Ebuyer)
> *Motherboard:* ASRock - Z370M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard (£127.86 @ Ebuyer)
> *Memory:* G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£160.25 @ Amazon UK)
> *Storage:* Crucial - MX300 525GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£135.00 @ Amazon UK)
> *Video Card:* MSI - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB GAMING X Video Card (£714.88 @ More Computers)
> *Case:* Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case (£73.28 @ Amazon UK)
> *Power Supply:* Silverstone - 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply (£103.10 @ Alza)
> *Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan (£16.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
> *Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan (£16.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
> *Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm Fan (£18.95 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
> *Total:* £1576.37
> _Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available_
> _Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-05 10:21 GMT+0000_


The i5 8400 comes with a stock cooler if you want to save a bit


----------



## flyxman007

I have bought the cpu cooler and it is on the way. This pc is mainly just for web browsing, gaming. For work I really need connect to offcice network to use server there. I can spend a l little more to get 8600k but I just don’t want to spend many on the extra power I really don t need, or just don’t want to waste my money. The only advantage I can see from amd could be I don’t need change mb possible when upgrading cpu. However I doubt I will change cpu in three years. After three years, it will be better to buy a new board anyway as the tech will advanced a lot such as pice 5.0 etc. I want to support AMD, without it but cannot a reason now. Disappointing.


----------



## Arengeta

To anyone who's using 2.5" HDD's in the case, what are your temps during gaming?


----------



## x-64

I wanted to come back to say, I've completed my build! I had several hardware issues initially, but with that all solved its working and running like a dream.

I was able to set it up from nothing to completely built in no less than 20 minutes after how many times I disassembled lol. I've OC'd my CPU to 3.5ghz @ 1.235 volts and temps are stable while gaming in the high 60s low 70s (Suprising to me tbh). Under AIDA 64 stress test it will reach 83C though. Not too fussed about that. GPU temps are just fine, haven't done any extensive testing to see how high/hot it really gets though.

I will add: I removed the 2.5" drive caddy completley. it allowed me to route the GPU cables properly because the drive caddy blocks the best routing hole for the GPU. I managed to snugly fit two SSDs right below the PSU cables.

Just wanted to thank you guys for your help.

Here is the parts list I used: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kHXncc


----------



## flyxman007

Congratulations!

Would you consider i7-8700 over Ryzen 1700 if the price is £270 vs £249?


----------



## x-64

That completely depends on what you're doing with the PC. What do you plan on using it for?


----------



## flyxman007

Gaming with GTA 5, in future GTA 6 and Tom raiders, web browsering. I am considering 1600x and 8700.


----------



## x-64

If you're just gaming, for sure go with the 8700. If you are planning to stream or do any CPU intensive workloads then Ryzen 7 is your best bet. 8700 is a fantastic CPU and will be better in gaming right now and in the future compared to Ryzen 7.


----------



## Arengeta

Here goes another node 202 build.
Ryzen 5 1600 CPU is overclocked to 3.6Ghz, ram is overclocked to 3333mhz.
CPU temp is around 68-70C during gaming in BF1 with almost 80-90% CPU usage.


----------



## pav087

Hello everybody!
Take to the club owners node 202!

My hardware list:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/fbCbFd
Memory - GOODRAM Iridium IR-2400D464L15S/8GDC Black - x2
Headphones - Sony MDR ZX770BN
Cable - DisplayPort to DisplayPort 1m
Stand - Neo-Flex® All-In-One Lift Stand 33-326-085 (https://www.ergotron.com/en-us/products/product-details/33-326#/)











Temp:
Idle - CPU 33, GPU 34
Load - CPU 58, GPU 65


----------



## chessmyantidrug

I'm considering the Node 202 for a future build, but I'm skeptical because of the limited CPU cooler options. I was wondering if a consensus has been reached on what is considered the best CPU cooler for this case and if overclocking a Coffee Lake i7 would be possible with this case. I do plan on delidding. Another case I'm strongly considering is the FTZ01B-E since it has more room for a CPU cooler.


----------



## Ultracarpet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *chessmyantidrug*
> 
> I'm considering the Node 202 for a future build, but I'm skeptical because of the limited CPU cooler options. I was wondering if a consensus has been reached on what is considered the best CPU cooler for this case and if overclocking a Coffee Lake i7 would be possible with this case. I do plan on delidding. Another case I'm strongly considering is the FTZ01B-E since it has more room for a CPU cooler.


I think that the user above you possesses the best air cooler for the node 202. I'm using the slim noctua cooler with a 140mm fan on the grill above... it works ok... I get about 70c fully loaded in synthetics with my i5-8400...

There are people who have managed to mod in clc coolers (see bitwit on youtube as well), but it really limits you on the graphics card options.


----------



## chessmyantidrug

I've seen Bitwit's video. That's what kind of turned me onto this case and concept. I tried out a Nepton 140XL since I got it on sale and it had good reviews all over the internet. It lasted me less than a month before I put the TRUE back on my X5670. I'm not afraid to modify the case, but I would prefer to not get an AIO cooler. I'm currently leaning toward a FTZ01B-E with a Raijintek Pallas or Noctua NH-L12S.


----------



## blind3rdeye

Hello there.

I've just put in an order to join the Node 202 owners club... but unfortunately they were out of stock of the CPU cooler that I wanted. So now I'm kind of leaning towards just trying to stock cooler, and maybe replacing it later. I figured while I think it over, I might as well post here to see if my set of parts gets the seal of approval!

I'm a bit unsure about how much cooling will be required. At the moment, I'm intending to just have the stock CPU cooler, and one single low-speed case fan. I looked at the air-flow of that fan and calculated that it could flush an entire case full of air in less than 1 second... so I figure it's probably enough. But I know very little about fans, so I'd be glad to hear any advice on that!

Here's the parts list: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/Xtwm4C

Case: Node 202
CPU: Intel Core i5 8400
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Aero ITX OC 8GB
MB: Asus ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming LGA 1151 ITX
RAM: Corsair 16GB (2 x8) CMK16GX4M2B3000C15B DDR4 3000MHz
SSD: Samsung 1TB SSD 850 EVO
PSU: Corsair SF450 High Performance SFX
CPU cooler: Noctua NH-L9i stock cooler
Case fan: 1 x Noctua 120mm NF-S12B Redux Edition 700RPM Fan

Fan filter: 1 x Silverstone SST-FF123B 120MM Fan Filter
Monitor: Philips BDM3270QP2/75 32inch
OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Retail

Any thoughts, comments, suggests, or cheers of approval would be appreciated.









At this stage, I'm thinking I'll probably just remove the NH-L9i from my order so that I can buy everything tomorrow.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *blind3rdeye*
> 
> Hello there.
> 
> I've just put in an order to join the Node 202 owners club... but unfortunately they were out of stock of the CPU cooler that I wanted. So now I'm kind of leaning towards just trying to stock cooler, and maybe replacing it later. I figured while I think it over, I might as well post here to see if my set of parts gets the seal of approval!
> 
> I'm a bit unsure about how much cooling will be required. At the moment, I'm intending to just have the stock CPU cooler, and one single low-speed case fan. I looked at the air-flow of that fan and calculated that it could flush an entire case full of air in less than 1 second... so I figure it's probably enough. But I know very little about fans, so I'd be glad to hear any advice on that!
> 
> Here's the parts list: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/Xtwm4C
> 
> Case: Node 202
> CPU: Intel Core i5 8400
> GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Aero ITX OC 8GB
> MB: Asus ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming LGA 1151 ITX
> RAM: Corsair 16GB (2 x8) CMK16GX4M2B3000C15B DDR4 3000MHz
> SSD: Samsung 1TB SSD 850 EVO
> PSU: Corsair SF450 High Performance SFX
> CPU cooler: Noctua NH-L9i stock cooler
> Case fan: 1 x Noctua 120mm NF-S12B Redux Edition 700RPM Fan
> 
> Fan filter: 1 x Silverstone SST-FF123B 120MM Fan Filter
> Monitor: Philips BDM3270QP2/75 32inch
> OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Retail
> 
> Any thoughts, comments, suggests, or cheers of approval would be appreciated.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At this stage, I'm thinking I'll probably just remove the NH-L9i from my order so that I can buy everything tomorrow.


Why do you need a fan filter? Every intake in this case has a dust filter already.
Get a scythe big shuriken rev. b or thermalright axp-100 (old version, not the 100R), they're better than noctua.


----------



## blind3rdeye

I'm under the impression that the included dust filters are a bit awkward to clean. Dust has been a bit of a problem for my current computer, and so I figured that I'd try to make dust removal as easy as possible for myself by getting an easy to clean filter.

As for the scythe big shuriken rev. b, I've seen that recommendation a lot - but unfortunately it's not easy to get a hold of in Australia. I haven't seen the thermalright axp-100 either; but I've only checked for that in one shop.

I'm just going to see how well the stock cooler works. I can't overclock that processor anyway, so maybe the stock cooler will be fine. And if it isn't, I'll just worry about changing it later.

Thanks for the thoughts on the cooler.


----------



## Arengeta

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *blind3rdeye*
> 
> I'm under the impression that the included dust filters are a bit awkward to clean. Dust has been a bit of a problem for my current computer, and so I figured that I'd try to make dust removal as easy as possible for myself by getting an easy to clean filter.
> 
> As for the scythe big shuriken rev. b, I've seen that recommendation a lot - but unfortunately it's not easy to get a hold of in Australia. I haven't seen the thermalright axp-100 either; but I've only checked for that in one shop.
> 
> I'm just going to see how well the stock cooler works. I can't overclock that processor anyway, so maybe the stock cooler will be fine. And if it isn't, I'll just worry about changing it later.
> 
> Thanks for the thoughts on the cooler.


The GPU bay dust filter is magnetic so you can place it outside for easier cleaning. For CPU intake you can buy a 140mm demciflex filter, remove the stock one and place it outside as well since it's usually magnetic, thus the dust cleaning will take a few seconds and will not require disassembling the top cover.


----------



## hardiboy

if i use zotac gtx 1070ti mini
can i us 2 corsair sp120 fan below gpu?


----------



## flyxman007

Finally, I finished my build. Here is it
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/b/F3mqqs


----------



## flyxman007

Can you run stress test for a few minutes to see what cpu tempreture you get such as aid64, Prime95 blend? Mine is fine for gaming but hit 90+ under stress tests the power goes to 120 w


----------



## flyxman007

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *spike2100*
> 
> Just played the new Wolfenstein for 1 hour on my old tv, next year I'll upgrade to a 4K Oled tv.
> 
> 1080P @ 60fps (60fps capped, tv is only 60hz lol), everything on max video settings.
> 
> Cpu temps max 55 degrees.
> Cpu cooler @ 1000rpm
> Case fan @ 1000 rpm
> 
> Geforce max 70 degrees @ 1800 rpm...only a couple of minutes was the temp 70.
> 
> System was silent
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Starting the game takes 5 seconds and loading a save takes 4 seconds.
> 
> Crazy how fast this beast is.
> 
> Idle in windows with downloading some stuff is my cpu around 32 degrees and gpu around 36. Happy with the performance and temperatures


----------



## flyxman007

8700 can use 120-140w under stress tests.!


----------



## arth

I have tried a heap of coolers in the node 202.
Best so far I have found to be.
Zalman cnps 8900 quiet. I would have liked the extreme because it has a 2000+ rpm fan and i think i could overclock my r7 1700 with it but the quiet version is quiet and works really well. Was using a c7 fan on the wraith spire heatsinc. This cools heaps better and doesn't sound like a jet engine.
Had to take off the fan filter and cut a little bit of plastic off the filter holder so it would fit.



More images here.

https://postimg.org/gallery/1cekz7y7w/


----------



## flyxman007

Thanks for the pictures. Just update:

I tried the Scythe Shuriken CPU Cooler Rev.B last night. It doesn't make big difference to my two Noctua fans solution. It probably is quitter at full speed and probably 3-5 C lower. I am not 100% sure yet. It comes with a few problems though:

1. With AsockZ370M itx mobo, as you saind, have to take off the fan filter and cut a little bit of plastic off the filter holder so it would fit. Otherwise, the cover cannot be closed.

2, Ram has to be lower profile, 35mm. 44mm RBG ram won't fit.

3. Difficult to install. I planed one hour to fit it but end up spent more than six hours, as I bend some CPU pins by accident when planning to install it, one of the screws for fix the mobo around CPU power cable is very difficult to fix. The Noctua fan is a lot easier to install by just fixing four screws.

4. Upgrade ram in future requires to reseat CPU cooler again.

I am tired of reapplying thermal paste now. I think I am going back to my original two fan solution. Probably that is the fact I need accept with node202.


----------



## flyxman007

It was a frustrating day before Christmas I broke a pin in the CPU socket when trying it fixing the bend pins in a better way. It worked fine after my first fix. It didn't look perfect so I tried again. However the second time I broke it. Those tiny pins are really fragile. I ordered a new motherboard after that..

After a good sleep, I feel better now. I am in the mood to continue to try CPU cooler again. I read some reviews about the Zalman cooler. It seems to be a good choice. Although I cannot find anybody else uses that in node202. How much better is it compared to your C7+the AMD heatsink? What max power consumption do you see with your 1700? An post here says the Zalman cooler has problem with capacitors on mobo. The heatsink can sits on them.
www.overclock.net/t/1561026/heat-pipe-orientation-for-zalman-cnps8900


----------



## flyxman007

I read some earlier post in this thread while waiting for my new mobo. It looks like everybody is happy with the notcua fan with / without another fan over it as the solution for CPU cooling. Maybe it is just because 8700 runs too hot for me as it voltage is very high too. Should I change something in the bios of asock z370m itx?


----------



## flyxman007

My node202 is back to life now. I added RGB lights!

I tried Zalman yesterday. It gives similar result but gives slightly noise even at idle. The other two I tried are completely silent. I think proabably it is more a bios issues, I saw some discussion on reddit about it. I tried set voltage to 1.25 but windows froze when running cenebench. I changed back to two fan solution now, the temperature seems better now. I will run more tests later.


----------



## arth

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *flyxman007*
> 
> It was a frustrating day before Christmas I broke a pin in the CPU socket when trying it fixing the bend pins in a better way. It worked fine after my first fix. It didn't look perfect so I tried again. However the second time I broke it. Those tiny pins are really fragile. I ordered a new motherboard after that..
> 
> After a good sleep, I feel better now. I am in the mood to continue to try CPU cooler again. I read some reviews about the Zalman cooler. It seems to be a good choice. Although I cannot find anybody else uses that in node202. How much better is it compared to your C7+the AMD heatsink? What max power consumption do you see with your 1700? An post here says the Zalman cooler has problem with capacitors on mobo. The heatsink can sits on them.
> www.overclock.net/t/1561026/heat-pipe-orientation-for-zalman-cnps8900


As for clearance issues with capacitors etc. I am using the ASRock Fatal1ty AB350 Gaming-ITX/ac Motherboard and the zalman seems to clear everything fine. Just clears the RAM by about 1mm but its a close one. The only place I can find the AM4 bracket online for the zalman is from here.

https://www.mwave.com.au/product/zalman-am4-bracket-kit-suits-cnps2x-and-cnps8900-quiet-cpu-coolers-ac07895

And they only seem to ship to Australia. I think if you really wanted them to they might ship to overseas as they are pretty helpful if you give them a call.
Temperatures are better than the C7 and AMD Heatsink. Not by much maybe 5 degrees. But the noise difference is like night and day.
I did thave the 1700 overclocked to 3.7 and it did pass an aida 64 stress test for a few hours. But it couldnt handle Prime 95 stress test for more than 20 mins without crashing. So im still running stock speeds. I think i have given up on overclocking in the node 202 unless i get an AIO in it but im happy at the moment.

As for power draw I have a GTX1080 and a 1700 with 32GB RAM and an m.2 and 512gb SSD. I used a wall meter to measure it under load once and I was suprised on how little power it pulled from the wall. I don't think it was much over 300W.


----------



## flyxman007

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *arth*
> 
> As for clearance issues with capacitors etc. I am using the ASRock Fatal1ty AB350 Gaming-ITX/ac Motherboard and the zalman seems to clear everything fine. Just clears the RAM by about 1mm but its a close one. The only place I can find the AM4 bracket online for the zalman is from here.
> 
> https://www.mwave.com.au/product/zalman-am4-bracket-kit-suits-cnps2x-and-cnps8900-quiet-cpu-coolers-ac07895
> 
> And they only seem to ship to Australia. I think if you really wanted them to they might ship to overseas as they are pretty helpful if you give them a call.
> Temperatures are better than the C7 and AMD Heatsink. Not by much maybe 5 degrees. But the noise difference is like night and day.
> I did thave the 1700 overclocked to 3.7 and it did pass an aida 64 stress test for a few hours. But it couldnt handle Prime 95 stress test for more than 20 mins without crashing. So im still running stock speeds. I think i have given up on overclocking in the node 202 unless i get an AIO in it but im happy at the moment.
> 
> As for power draw I have a GTX1080 and a 1700 with 32GB RAM and an m.2 and 512gb SSD. I used a wall meter to measure it under load once and I was suprised on how little power it pulled from the wall. I don't think it was much over 300W.


Thanks Arth! I am using i7-8700 with a 1080 ti. I think AIO is too big to fit in the small case. As for the power, I mean the package power reported in HWmonitor. I saw max 130w with mine when all cores runs above 4.4GHz.

I tried Zalman. I have to place in vertical position instead of horizontal position to fit it. The is a tiny gap between the low profile LPX ram and the heat sink. I have thought it will be problematic to fix those four screws as the heatsink blocks them. It turned out that was not a problem at all. Installation is easy. I have to remove the plastic clips on the cover and bend the copper pieces on the heatsink near that a bit to get the cover closed. it probably is similar to Noctua two fan solution, still slightly worse than Scythe Shuriken CPU Cooler Rev.B in terms of temperature. In terms of noise, Zalman is still the worst. I can hear it even when doing like work such as browsering webpages. Noctua and SCythe both are completely silent in that case. Underload, Zalman's noise is may slightly better than Noctua two fan solution. Scythe is much better.

Overall, Scythe gives best result for cooling and noise. However I don't like the fact the screw near the top rear side cannot be reached to install the mobo. Even if I can do it with a scew head, it still difficut to unscrew in further. I will choose it only if it is significantly better. However it is not.

The two Noctua fan solution is not too bad and very easy to change. It keeps everything simple and neat. Plus I can continue to use my RGB Ram with it. I still have the option to replace the CPU fan with Noctua A9 PWM or replace the fan above it with F12 or S12.

For Node202, probably Ryzen 1700 is a better choice. With 130W CPU package power from a i7 8700, it is not unexpected it runs hot.

Another thing I notice is that my SSD temperature hits 63C after running witches3 for a while. I think it is caused by the heat air from GPU chamber. It is within the 70C operation limit. Idealy, some exhaust fans on the GPU chamber will fix this but there is no space for them in this case. The GPU itself runs ok, the max temp is around 75-78 when 99% underload, given it is a 250w card, I am fine with it.


----------



## flyxman007

Quote:


> I did thave the 1700 overclocked to 3.7 and it did pass an aida 64 stress test for a few hours. But it couldnt handle Prime 95 stress test for more than 20 mins without crashing. So im still running stock speeds. I think i have given up on overclocking in the node 202 unless i get an AIO in it but im happy at the moment.


Is that the default blend test in prime95? I didn't run aid64 very long, usually just 2-10 mins to see what the max value and current value are. I did run prime95 default tests, it ran fine for 40 minutes before I stopped it.


----------



## Jonathan7

Does anyone know how much clearance there is between the PSU in the NODE 202 and the top of the case, I'm wondering if it would possible to do a case mode, adding a slimline optical drive there.


----------



## flyxman007

I don't think that is possible.


----------



## flyxman007

Finally I achieved my target on thermal and noise management! CPU under 80C in stress tests but still be quiet. GPU under 75C at full load and be just slightly noisy. I am really happy with it now.

This is my latest result: CPU under Aida64 is 78 under 40 minutes test. Core temperatures give max value 84 in 40 minutes tests. Prime95 default test is much easier to handle I even don't bother to run it. During that, I can hear some noise but it is very low, I have no problem to stay next to it.

GPU under full load is 72-74. I am surprised it is so quiet than before. I have no problem to play my games rather than looking for my Bluetooth wireless earphone. It won't be silent apparently, but that noise level is very acceptable.

For the CPU I limit the power to 95w, it still gives Cenebench 1250/190.
For the GPU and overall noise reduction, I use SpeedFan.

You can find details about what I have done. here https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/builds/edit/?userbuild=F3mqqs

CPU:




GPU:


----------



## Diizzel

Finally I have jumped on mini-itx train to! I had Silverstone gd04 with intel i5-4690 and now I decided it's time to upgrade! Here is my new baby: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/4kWD4D

Now I'm wondering if noctua 140mm fan installed straight to top of the case (inside of course) would be better in cooling the cpu than Wraiths original fan is. And also if it fits at all. In theory it should be able to move more air than small fan and it would also be sitting straight on top of cooler because space is so crammed.


----------



## NN PianoMan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arengeta*
> 
> To anyone who's using 2.5" HDD's in the case, what are your temps during gaming?


Temps for the GPU, or SSDs?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## therock003

Guys heres the clearance behind my TV. I'm thinking of putting the Node there to save some space. Would that be a good or a terrible idea?

In terms of either not getting enough cool air from envirnoment by sitting there, and or outputting heat on the back of my TV?

I'm also looking for a way to power my pc remotely without having to jam a pci card inside, or use an ethernet cable for WOL. Are there any easier alternatives?


----------



## Xrc6

http://www.overclock.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=62321&stc=1&d=1517181363


----------



## mirkoj

Hello,
I could use a bit of help.
I finished my small home rig build last night.
8700k, 32GB ram, 512 ssd, asus strix 1080ti, corsair spf 600W and finaly for cCPU cooler noctue NH-L9i.

It was a bit of struggle to push everything in there especially that my last couple cases were huge 90d from corsair and couple air series for my 4gpu render nodes 
But even big asus strix managed to get in there. 

But problem I'm having first is CPU temperature.
It easily goes close to 90 degrees when under stress. Not really what I like seeing.
Wondering if maybe I should just go and try to reapply thermal paste and screw cooler a bit more carefully.. this time when I was rotating board to put screws cooler was sliding a bit on top of CPU... It is 8700K and it does clock automatically up to 4.7GHz but still seems a bit too high temperatures.

As for strix it is sitting in idle at 52 degrees which is also 15-20 degrees more then when it was in standard case so I will see if I can plug two more Noctua in there but not sure that there is enough clearance.
Also not sure for air direction where gpu is.. Are you guys putting extra gpu fans on case as intake or blowing air out?

Any help tips and tricks are appreciate, this is my first small factory build so... be gentle 
Opening case in a bti again and will get some images too, had to be imaginative with some cables as there is little to non space around GPU...


----------



## mirkoj

Hello,
I could use a bit of help.
I finished my small home rig build last night.
8700k, 32GB ram, 512 ssd, asus strix 1080ti, corsair spf 600W and finaly for cCPU cooler noctue NH-L9i.

It was a bit of struggle to push everything in there especially that my last couple cases were huge 90d from corsair and couple air series for my 4gpu render nodes 
But even big asus strix managed to get in there. 

But problem I'm having first is CPU temperature.
It easily goes close to 90 degrees when under stress. Not really what I like seeing.
Wondering if maybe I should just go and try to reapply thermal paste and screw cooler a bit more carefully.. this time when I was rotating board to put screws cooler was sliding a bit on top of CPU... It is 8700K and it does clock automatically up to 4.7GHz but still seems a bit too high temperatures.

As for strix it is sitting in idle at 52 degrees which is also 15-20 degrees more then when it was in standard case so I will see if I can plug two more Noctua in there but not sure that there is enough clearance.
Also not sure for air direction where gpu is.. Are you guys putting extra gpu fans on case as intake or blowing air out?

Any help tips and tricks are appreciate, this is my first small factory build so... be gentle 
Opening case in a bti again and will get some images too, had to be imaginative with some cables as there is little to non space around GPU...


----------



## therock003

I notice conversations have halted for this case how come?

Anyway i was thining of swapping sata ssd for m2 to create a bigger clearance for the case. And to have the sata ssd as an external drive with usb3 connection. Whats your opinion on gaming performance for installations stored on the externl drive via usb3


----------



## NN PianoMan

mirkoj: while the NH-L9i’s cooling power isn’t cutting edge, u shouldn’t be approaching triple digit temps, even in this case. I would def reapply paste and remount. If I recall correctly, the L9i is designed to fully torque the screws to mount (as most others).

R u horiz or vertical on the case. And is it out in the open? Or confined in a corner/cabinet somewhere?

For the GPU, most with this case run the additional fans as intakes. Otherwise, u’ll be fighting the natural tendency of the GPU’s fans to draw air in.


----------



## NN PianoMan

therock003: I’d ask in the storage section ur question; probably more ppl have there run the configuration u describe.


----------



## Direkiba

I just had this problem and had to move to a bigger cooler in a bigger case Node 304, with just the 8700, the TDP is way too high for the NH-l9i, I had to turn off tuboboost in the bios as the Strix Z370 had it all tweaked. The multi core enhancment was on and all the stuff. the only cooler that can seem to keep it cool and fit in the Node 202 is the Scythe big shurken version 2 but was out of stock everywhere I looked. and for 100 bucks I wanted a kick ass cooler. 

As for GPU I had 2 SilverStone SST-FW121 15mm thick 120mm fans blowing in the case under the 1080ti strix and it was keeping it cool enough, however I put the blower 1080 back in as the 1080ti is in the office system.


----------



## CiscoKid85

I moved this post.


----------



## EuphoriaZX

spike2100 said:


> Just ordered this little beast.
> I am from Belgium btw....pain in the @zz to find a 8700K right now
> 
> PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
> 
> *CPU:* Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($399.99 @ B&H)
> *CPU Cooler:* Scythe - BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B 45.5 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($35.88 @ OutletPC)
> *Motherboard:* ASRock - Z370M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($126.98 @ Newegg)
> *Memory:* Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($169.91 @ Newegg Marketplace)
> *Storage:* Crucial - MX300 525GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($149.88 @ OutletPC)
> *Video Card:* MSI - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB GAMING X Video Card ($766.89 @ B&H)
> *Case:* Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case ($59.99 @ Amazon)
> *Power Supply:* Corsair - SF 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Amazon)
> *Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-A12x15 PWM 55.4 CFM 120mm Fan ($19.95 @ Newegg Marketplace)
> *Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-A12x15 PWM 55.4 CFM 120mm Fan ($19.95 @ Newegg Marketplace)
> *Case Fan:* Noctua - NF-A12x15 PWM 55.4 CFM 120mm Fan ($19.95 @ Newegg Marketplace)
> *Other:* Xbox controller for pc ($79.99)
> *Total:* $1969.35
> *Total in Belgium :* $2600 :-/
> _Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available_
> _Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-30 17:56 EDT-0400_
> 
> I wonder if I can replace the scythe 12mm height cpu cooler with the noctua 15mm height cooler....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Keep u up to date with pics and benchmarks in a couple of days if hopefully everything is delivered.
> 
> Greetings


Great thread guys! Thank you all for sharing... at the end it was Spike2100 that hit the spot  
I just placed an order on building a Node202 system. 
Spike I pretty much have the same hardware with exception to the:
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z370N WiFi and 
Storage: 2x 960EVO 500GB to run in RAID 0

I got the same CPU Cooler: Scythe - BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B 45.5 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
but I also got a low profile fine dust filter from Amazon so I hope that can fit in the case... if not I ordered a magnetic strip dust filter that I can put outside the box.

Cant wait to build this... I've been running on my LianLi midtower i3770k for almost 5 years


----------



## voidfahrenheit

therock003 said:


> Guys heres the clearance behind my TV. I'm thinking of putting the Node there to save some space. Would that be a good or a terrible idea?
> 
> In terms of either not getting enough cool air from envirnoment by sitting there, and or outputting heat on the back of my TV?
> 
> I'm also looking for a way to power my pc remotely without having to jam a pci card inside, or use an ethernet cable for WOL. Are there any easier alternatives?


why not on the side of the tv instead of the bacK?

also regarding storage I was able to put my other 2.5 1TB hdd inside my Node 202 together with my 512gb ssd(which originally was a m2 but my viii gene doesn't have m2) . I guess once I got the time for the cable management I will show a photo 'coz I don't like my cable management now that I'm using the 2.5hdd.


----------



## EuphoriaZX

Ok I ordered everything, and is on the way... to arrive by Wednesday.
https://pcpartpicker.com/user/EuphoriaZX/saved/#view=v8b9WZ

The only thing I already had and am still keeping is the Nvidia GTX 1070 FE from Zotac... 
I will keep it till the next-gen GPUs arrive from Nvidia. 

Considering I am currently on i3770k and 16GB DDR3, just the CPU and Mem upgrade will give me at least 30-40FPS boost in games. Should be enough to keep playing at 1440p.

Not sure yet about delidding my i8700k... I'll keep it as it is unless temps are really becoming an issue.


----------



## EuphoriaZX

Finally finished my build, I've been just busy playing with it 
Here is the final build: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/MNsZxr

Love the case! Pure silence when surfing the web and doing regular work. 
When playing games fans slightly increase but still reasonably quiet.

A lot of power in just one third of my old lian li case.

Let me know if anyone wants to buy my old PC. i3770k, 16GB DDR3 2400, 600GB RAID 0 7200RPM, 2TB 7200 HD, and GTX 570. all in a Lian Li aluminum black case.


----------



## Gdourado

Hello, 
How are you?
Going to build in a 202 soon.
I am still waiting to see if I go Ryzen or intel.
Either way, what is currently the best cpu cooler to use with the node 202?

Here is what I have so far:
- Node 202 case
- Enermax Revolution 650w sfx psu
- Samsung 960 Evo M.2 500gb
- Gigabyte 1070 Windforce OC.

I just need to choose the motherboard, cpu and memory combo and also the cpu cooler.

What do you think of the build?
Will the 1070 be ok temperature wise?

Thank you.
Cheers


----------



## EuphoriaZX

Gdourado said:


> Hello,
> How are you?
> Going to build in a 202 soon.
> I am still waiting to see if I go Ryzen or intel.
> Either way, what is currently the best cpu cooler to use with the node 202?
> 
> Here is what I have so far:
> - Node 202 case
> - Enermax Revolution 650w sfx psu
> - Samsung 960 Evo M.2 500gb
> - Gigabyte 1070 Windforce OC.
> 
> I just need to choose the motherboard, cpu and memory combo and also the cpu cooler.
> 
> What do you think of the build?
> Will the 1070 be ok temperature wise?
> 
> Thank you.
> Cheers


From all the research I've done, without doing any mods to the case "Scythe - BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B 45.5 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler" is what you want.

1070 is running great. I have the Zotac AMP! version and when idle, fans are not spinning and temp sit at 27-30C. Under load I get around 75C.


----------



## Gdourado

EuphoriaZX said:


> From all the research I've done, without doing any mods to the case "Scythe - BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B 45.5 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler" is what you want.
> 
> 1070 is running great. I have the Zotac AMP! version and when idle, fans are not spinning and temp sit at 27-30C. Under load I get around 75C.


Hello, thank you for the suggestion.
I'll look into that cooler.
From what I see, without the dust filter, an amd wraith spire can fit.
If I go ryzen, dies the Shuriken offer improved performance?
Also, are you running cade fans on the gpu chamber?

Cheers 

Sent from my Le X821 using Tapatalk


----------



## Gdourado

Also, saw this site:
https://ru.gecid.com/cases/fractal_design_node_202/?s=all

They say the L9x65 fits without the dust filter, wuth the fan against the case mesh.
Anyone tried fitting one?

Cheers!


----------



## EuphoriaZX

Gdourado said:


> Also, saw this site:
> https://ru.gecid.com/cases/fractal_design_node_202/?s=all
> 
> They say the L9x65 fits without the dust filter, wuth the fan against the case mesh.
> Anyone tried fitting one?
> 
> Cheers!


So the Shuriken heatsink fan is 58mms in height and I can tell you it's 1mm short of touching the case.
Now this will also depend on the motherboard, screws and washers you use. In a small build like this every millimeter counts (thickness of motherboard and washers)

Now the Noctua CPU Cooler NH-L9x65 is 65mm in height which means, unless you are planning to cut a hole in your case it wont really fit in. Not sure how they did it in the website you linked... There is a groove/lip on the inside of the case where the CPU opening is, to hold the filter. Maybe if they removed this lip via sand paper or some other alteration and the motherboard they used provided couple of more mm of work space.... they might have been able to fit in these additional 6mm.

For case fans on the GPU side I used the Noctua - NF-A12x15 FLX 55.4 CFM 120mm Fan. They are a slim (15mm) alternative to the 25mm Noctua case fans. They are quiet and I liked to have the additional 10mm space between the fans and the GPU card for air circulation, and in case my next Nvidia card (1180 or 1180 ti) does need this space.

I keep editing this post, as I look at that Russian website...  So if you see close up of the photos you can notice that the fan of the NH-L9x65 is above the height of the power supply, this means that even if somehow they were able to fit this heatsink/fan in the case, the fan would be literally glued to the case does resulting in bad/no air circulation. Look at the placement of the CPU and Heatsink in reference to the CPU opening on the Node 202 case. I can bet that half or more than half of that NH-L9x65 is not even seeing that opening.

That will also explain their 85C-89C temps on the CPU under load.


----------



## EuphoriaZX

I also wanted to share this alternative WiFI antenna solution for the Gigabyte Z370N WiFi mini ITX motherboard.
The WiFi antenna that comes with the Z370N Gigabyte motherboard has cables that end into a plastic stand with a magnetic footing... This looks ugly and also adds to the size and complexity of an already small case. So I thought of finding an alternative. 
I used a pair of SMA female to RP-SMA male adapters and a Makerfire 2pcs 2.4G 5.8G FPV TX Antenna SMA Male Dipole Whip FPV Antenna. 
They end up working perfectly fine with no degradation in signal and download and upload bandwidth. No more tangling antenna cables from the back of the case. 
 
I tried using a regular antennas like the HUACAM HCM82 2x 8dBi 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8GHz Dual Band Wireless Network WiFi RP SMA but the antenna ports on the motherboard are so close together that HUACAM antennas could not fit next to each-other due to the large diameter of the RP-SMA screw-in port. Since I had to do some research and some trial and error, I thought I share it here in case someone else is wondering and looking for an antenna alternative.


----------



## Gdourado

I kind of want to pull the trigger on the node 202 but then when I browse reddit or pcpacrtpicker, I keep seeing post and post of bad thermals on the case and how it acts like a toaster for your components.
That is making me hesitant.
And I understand in some respects.
Both the gpu with an open fan cooler and a cpu with also an open air cooler, both these components will dump heat into the case.
On a regular atx case, you then have intake fans and an exhaust fan to move the air inside the case.
On the node 202, there is no air circulation inside the case.
And the gpu chamber has almost no venting.
So that makes me scared.

Is this a fact?

Cheers 

Sent from my Le X821 using Tapatalk


----------



## EuphoriaZX

Gdourado said:


> On the node 202, there is no air circulation inside the case.
> And the gpu chamber has almost no venting.
> So that makes me scared.
> 
> Is this a fact?
> 
> Cheers


Well to a point any HTPC case will have some air circulation constrains in comparison to a mini, mid or full tower cases.

For the Node 202 Would have been maybe better to have another opening behind the GPU card to help with hot air exhaust, but overall it is working quite well considering all these constrains.

The concept that works on Node 202 is creating positive air pressure within the case, and that is being done via the CPU fan being close to the opening and sucking air from the outside via this opening. I've seen online someone actually 3D printing a duct... (would love to have that )
Then on the GPU side you have two more 120mm fans pushing cold air from outside-in. Hot air is then being pushed out via the rear (where the HDMI and D-Port are of the video card + there is slight opening below that I believe was left there for that reason.
Some people have suggested that having a blower card vs open heatsink might work better in this situation but i have not seen any benchmarks comparing this.

Originally I was thinking that i might need to dellid my CPU to keep the temps down, but now I can see it is working quite well the way it is. 
I love the idea I can put this PC in a bag and take it to my friend's place or anywhere else I go and plug it into TV and work and game.

Motherboard has Bluetooth so any BT keyboard and mouse will work, thus rendering any need for cables beside power and TV/monitor

EDIT: BTW search on youtube, there are quite a few videos and reviews of happy Node 202 owners. That's what made me pick this case vs. my original idea to go Mini Tower and water cooling with all the fancy lighting  which I really dont care about.
Anyway, at the end you'll have to weigh in the pros and cons and go with what you feel comfortable. You dont want to wake up at night screaming in fear that your case is running hot 
Cheers!


----------



## Gdourado

EuphoriaZX said:


> Well to a point any HTPC case will have some air circulation constrains in comparison to a mini, mid or full tower cases.
> 
> For the Node 202 Would have been maybe better to have another opening behind the GPU card to help with hot air exhaust, but overall it is working quite well considering all these constrains.
> 
> The concept that works on Node 202 is creating positive air pressure within the case, and that is being done via the CPU fan being close to the opening and sucking air from the outside via this opening. I've seen online someone actually 3D printing a duct... (would love to have that )
> Then on the GPU side you have two more 120mm fans pushing cold air from outside-in. Hot air is then being pushed out via the rear (where the HDMI and D-Port are of the video card + there is slight opening below that I believe was left there for that reason.
> Some people have suggested that having a blower card vs open heatsink might work better in this situation but i have not seen any benchmarks comparing this.
> 
> Originally I was thinking that i might need to dellid my CPU to keep the temps down, but now I can see it is working quite well the way it is.
> I love the idea I can put this PC in a bag and take it to my friend's place or anywhere else I go and plug it into TV and work and game.
> 
> Motherboard has Bluetooth so any BT keyboard and mouse will work, thus rendering any need for cables beside power and TV/monitor
> 
> EDIT: BTW search on youtube, there are quite a few videos and reviews of happy Node 202 owners. That's what made me pick this case vs. my original idea to go Mini Tower and water cooling with all the fancy lighting  which I really dont care about.
> Anyway, at the end you'll have to weigh in the pros and cons and go with what you feel comfortable. You dont want to wake up at night screaming in fear that your case is running hot
> Cheers!


Hello,
That's what I want in part.
I was always building in large cases with large fans and huge coolers to use overclockable parts and try to push them as far as I could.
Now I guess I am tired of that and always be reading reviews and thinking what to buy next or what part to upgrade.
Age is starting to get to me, but that's why I thought about building in the node with good parts that work well and then just place the computer next to the TV on the living room and just enjoy games comfortably on my recliner.

But at the same time, I also fear the compromises especially in the cooling side of things.

I was also looking to build a ryzen system.
But then, more compromises.
The ar06 and big Shuriken aren't AM4 compatible.
Then I keep reading that all itx Ryzen boards are crap with crappy VRMs...

I just don't know what to do at this point.

Cheers 

Sent from my Le X821 using Tapatalk


----------



## EuphoriaZX

Gdourado said:


> Hello,
> That's what I want in part.
> I was always building in large cases with large fans and huge coolers to use overclockable parts and try to push them as far as I could.
> Now I guess I am tired of that and always be reading reviews and thinking what to buy next or what part to upgrade.
> Age is starting to get to me, but that's why I thought about building in the node with good parts that work well and then just place the computer next to the TV on the living room and just enjoy games comfortably on my recliner.
> 
> But at the same time, I also fear the compromises especially in the cooling side of things.
> 
> I was also looking to build a ryzen system.
> But then, more compromises.
> The ar06 and big Shuriken aren't AM4 compatible.
> Then I keep reading that all itx Ryzen boards are crap with crappy VRMs...
> 
> I just don't know what to do at this point.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Sent from my Le X821 using Tapatalk


Is there a reason you are going AMD? Perfromance-wise for gaming Intel does better, and cost wise is about the same... this is what I got with a quick search:

*CPU**:* Intel - Core i5-8600K 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor *$237.89* 
*Motherboard:* ASRock - Z370M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 *$126.98* 
*Total:* $364.87

*CPU:* AMD - Ryzen 7 1700X 3.4GHz 8-Core Processor *$288.90* 
*Motherboard*: Gigabyte - GA-AB350N-Gaming WIFI (rev. 1.0) Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard *$89.99 * 
 *Total: *$378.89

In many ways Core i5 8600k outperforms the Ryzen 7 1800x which is about $40-$50 more expensive then the 1700x.... unless you want to go with the cheaper 1500x


----------



## Gdourado

EuphoriaZX said:


> Is there a reason you are going AMD? Perfromance-wise for gaming Intel does better, and cost wise is about the same... this is what I got with a quick search:
> 
> *CPU**:* Intel - Core i5-8600K 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor *$237.89*
> *Motherboard:* ASRock - Z370M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 *$126.98*
> *Total:* $364.87
> 
> *CPU:* AMD - Ryzen 7 1700X 3.4GHz 8-Core Processor *$288.90*
> *Motherboard*: Gigabyte - GA-AB350N-Gaming WIFI (rev. 1.0) Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard *$89.99 *
> *Total: *$378.89
> 
> In many ways Core i5 8600k outperforms the Ryzen 7 1800x which is about $40-$50 more expensive then the 1700x.... unless you want to go with the cheaper 1500x


Hello,
I am in Portugal, so euro prices for me.
I was thinking of getting an asrock ab350 Fatal1ty board with a 1600.
The board is 80 euros and the cpu 135.
For Intel, the cheapest itx board is 120 euros.
Then for cpu, the i5 8400 is 150 for lower clock speed and less threads then the ryzen.
The 8600k is 190 and the 8700 is 250.
Both of these can be harder to cool as they are considered hotter cpus than ryzen models.

So I was leaning towards a ryzen build.

Also, the spectre and meltdown patches hurts Intel performance and nvme performance on Intel. 

Cheers 

Sent from my Le X821 using Tapatalk


----------



## EuphoriaZX

Gdourado said:


> Hello,
> I am in Portugal, so euro prices for me.
> I was thinking of getting an asrock ab350 Fatal1ty board with a 1600.
> The board is 80 euros and the cpu 135.
> For Intel, the cheapest itx board is 120 euros.
> Then for cpu, the i5 8400 is 150 for lower clock speed and less threads then the ryzen.
> The 8600k is 190 and the 8700 is 250.
> Both of these can be harder to cool as they are considered hotter cpus than ryzen models.
> 
> So I was leaning towards a ryzen build.
> 
> Also, the spectre and meltdown patches hurts Intel performance and nvme performance on Intel.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Sent from my Le X821 using Tapatalk


:thumb: makes sense


----------



## rainmein

Long time lurker of this thread, and owner of the Node 202, so I thought I'd finally contribute something!

I can confirm that the Coolermaster GeminII M5 LED fits right into the case if you remove the dust filter. I initially wanted to get the Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B but then stumbled upon this user review comparing a number of ITX coolers: https://www.hardwareluxx.de/communi...emeinsamkeit-die-flache-bauweise-1169055.html

The Coolermaster kept the CPU quite a bit cooler than the Scythe in that review (scroll down to the benchmarks, the numbers reflect the delta degree between room temperature and the hottest core) and it was cheaper than the Scythe from where I bought it. 

As for how it performs, I can only provide limited impressions. Kodi + madVR used to put enough load on the CPU that the Noctua NH-L9i's fan spun up to full speed (2200rpm) at around 70°C, while the Coolermaster keeps my i5-3570T at around 50°C at 800rpm. So yeah, quite a big difference!

Unfortunately there aren't many (professional) reviews of the Coolermaster out there yet, it's only been on the market for a few months I believe but it'd be interesting to see more reviews, especially in comparison to the Scythe.


----------



## EuphoriaZX

@rainmein can you post some photos of your box and how the Heatsink looks/fits in?
Also can you run some benchmarks and post idle and load CPU temp?
Thanks!


----------



## rainmein

@EuphoriaZX Any benchmarks you'd like to see? 

Should add I've swapped the Coolermaster fan for the Noctua NF-A12x15 as the bearing of the Coolermaster fan was noisier than I would've liked.


----------



## EuphoriaZX

rainmein said:


> @*EuphoriaZX* Any benchmarks you'd like to see?
> 
> Should add I've swapped the Coolermaster fan for the Noctua NF-A12x15 as the bearing of the Coolermaster fan was noisier than I would've liked.


 @*rainmein* heh what do you know... it does look like the Coolermaster heatsink/fan can fit in... 

Maybe post some screenshots from HWINFO temp sensors when idle and after playing games, like witcher 3 or destiny 2 and also post some temps when running prime95 stress test. 

At this point it is highly unlikely to remove my shuriken 2 heatsink/fan just to get couple of deg lower temp. But is sure useful to keep in mind for new builds, or if I am to delid the CPU one day and then overclock it.


----------



## keicam87

Hi guys,

So here is my 3 build update on Node 202:

builds
#1 Intel Based: z370 +6600K
#2 Ryzen Based: ryzen 1700x +x370 itx +2x8gb [email protected]
#3 Ryzen Upgrade: upgraded my CPU to 2700x. SSD to EVO 850 500 GB, Sold 1070 Gaming X for a good price and bought gt 1030 just for now till next gen comes up.

So my build right now looks like this:

Node Build #3

Case: Node202
CPU: *Ryzen 2700x - Stock Speed*
Motherboard: Fatal1ty X370 Gaming-ITX/ac (Bios 4.5)
Ram: G.SKILL 16GB 3200MHz Flare X Black Ryzen CL14
PSU: Corsair SF 600
GPU: *MSI GeForce GT 1030 2GH LP OC 2GB GDDR5*
SSD: *SSD Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB*
CPU Cooling: Noctua NH-L9i (with mouting kit for AM4 socket)
Case Fans

GPU Chamber - 2x Noctua F12-PWM intake
Above CPU - Noctua F12-PWM intake
Side of Case ear CPU area - 2x Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX outtake

Temperatures (case is vertical):

Idle
CPU 34C
MOBO 35C
GPU 26

Stress ( Prime 95 @ 30 min + surfing)
CPU Max 69.5
MOBO 47


----------



## PassiTheApe

Zachal said:


> wow! Update:
> 3x Noctua @ 7V (Silent Mode)
> 60-67°C


Hey, could you show me a picture of how you added the three extra fans?


----------



## Gdourado

Hi,

Can anyone confirm if a 2.5 slot gpu fits the Node 202?
I am looking at the Palit 1080 Super Jetstream:

























I think it might fit because on a standard 2 slot gpu, there is also space for a 25mm thick fan underneath.
With this gpu, can I use Slim 12mm intake fans?

Thanks!


----------



## NN PianoMan

U probably have already figured it out, but I’d think if a double-wide and 25mm fan fits, the a 2.5x wife and 12mm fan would fit also.

So - did it?


----------



## ozlay

I was thinking about using the Node 202 for a ryzen 5 2400G build. And it wont be using a dedicated GPU... So will a 240mm AIO fit? Push/pull?


----------



## kgtuning

For those who built their Node 202 as a gaming rig, are you happy? Would you do anything differently or use a different case? I'm seriously considering switching from my caselabs SMA8 down to the 202. I'm just hesitant as I've always had a large watercooled computer.


----------



## kgtuning

kgtuning said:


> For those who built their Node 202 as a gaming rig, are you happy? Would you do anything differently or use a different case? I'm seriously considering switching from my caselabs SMA8 down to the 202. I'm just hesitant as I've always had a large watercooled computer.


Yup... pulled the trigger. Im pretty impressed with this case so far. Hopefully won't take long to fill it with parts.


----------



## Martin778

I've bought new stuff, 8700K, Fatal1ty Z370, Big Shuriken REV.2 B and the Node 202. I know it will be a very snug fit but shouldn't the CPU fan be blowing outwards from the CPU, exhausting hot air straight out of the case?? I've seen everyone place the fan so it blows downwards but can't think how this can be good since you're pushing hot air back into the case and spreading it around?


----------



## kgtuning

Martin778 said:


> I've bought new stuff, 8700K, Fatal1ty Z370, Big Shuriken REV.2 B and the Node 202. I know it will be a very snug fit but shouldn't the CPU fan be blowing outwards from the CPU, exhausting hot air straight out of the case?? I've seen everyone place the fan so it blows downwards but can't think how this can be good since you're pushing hot air back into the case and spreading it around?


I'd think the CPU fan as an intake would be better. Sucking in cooler air and exhausting out the top vent... but my rig won't have a CPU to test that thought out until next week.


----------



## Martin778

That would work best when the case is in vertical orientation I think, and when using a blower style card that throws 100% of the hot air outside the case.

I'm still hesitating about which 1080Ti to take...can get the MSI Aero or Founders for 600. Not sure if an open-air card is a clever option for this case..


----------



## kgtuning

Martin778 said:


> That would work best when the case is in vertical orientation I think, and when using a blower style card that throws 100% of the hot air outside the case.
> 
> I'm still hesitating about which 1080Ti to take...can get the MSI Aero or Founders for 600. Not sure if an open-air card is a clever option for this case..


There are a few guys here with 1080ti ftw3s in the node that dont have any issues. I actually have a 1080ti ftw3 that is going into my node.


----------



## Martin778

Well tell me your CPU / GPU temps after you're done, I'm curious. 1080Ti pumps out massive amounts of heat and even the FE which blows all hot air outside is struggling with the power target.
I've now undervolted it to 1760MHz @ 0.83V and it stays at 81*C in Furmark with 58% RPM.


----------



## kgtuning

Martin778 said:


> Well tell me your CPU / GPU temps after you're done, I'm curious. 1080Ti pumps out massive amounts of heat and even the FE which blows all hot air outside is struggling with the power target.
> I've now undervolted it to 1760MHz @ 0.83V and it stays at 81*C in Furmark with 58% RPM.


I will definitely report back with temps. I just ordered my CPU so early next week itll be up and running. Hopefully it won't be melting the case to the desk... haha.

Which GPU do you have?


----------



## Martin778

1080Ti Founders Edition, repasted with Gelid GC-Extreme. I didn't dare to use an open air card  
Managed to undervolt it to 1800 @ 0.85V and in GTA V 3440x1440 maxed out it gets up to 74*C with around 56% RPM peak.


----------



## kgtuning

Martin778 said:


> 1080Ti Founders Edition, repasted with Gelid GC-Extreme. I didn't dare to use an open air card
> Managed to undervolt it to 1800 @ 0.85V and in GTA V 3440x1440 maxed out it gets up to 74*C with around 56% RPM peak.


That's not bad. Is it only in Furmark that the temps are too high? 74 sounds good. I cant wait to see what my GPU and CPU do. My 8700k will be here on Saturday. In my full size case my 1080ti ftw3 sits at 64c in Hellblade or dark souls 3 maxed out in 4k with an ambient of 24c. Guess we will we see what happens.


----------



## kgtuning

My previous numbers are still the same in the Node. CPU running IBT never breaks 73c no matter what. Ambient is still 24c.


----------



## Arengeta

Done some changes to my friends build: https://www.overclock.net/forum/26455713-post584.html
We replaced the stock CPU cooler with Noctua NH-L9a AM4 and put 140mm noctua fan over it. Results were very impressive with much lower noise. CPU is now clocked at 3.8Ghz @ 1.34V and maximum gaming temperature is 65-66C. Max linx temperature - 71C. 140mm intake fans idles at 600 RPM and during heavy load spins up to 900-1000 RPM.
Also after some thermal throttling on GPU we decided to put 2 120mm intake fans in the GPU section. They idle at 600 RPM and spin up to 800 RPM during load. GPU temperature never goes above 74C now, before it would easily reach 82C and thermal throttle after 30-40 minutes of gameplay in summer.


What do you guys think if I will group up all the builds in this thread (link them) and all necessary information about cooling and etc into the first post?


----------



## Martin778

Can someone make a picture or post the thread and length of the screws that lock the top cover to the rest of the case? I've lost them somewhere between all the mess here...

Also, is there anybody here who managed to mount a thicker fan on the Big Shuriken 2? It looks like there is a few mm of clearance before it touches the top cover but a standard 25mm fan won't fit (tried a Gentle Typhoon).


----------



## kgtuning

Martin778 said:


> Can someone make a picture or post the thread and length of the screws that lock the top cover to the rest of the case? I've lost them somewhere between all the mess here...
> 
> Also, is there anybody here who managed to mount a thicker fan on the Big Shuriken 2? It looks like there is a few mm of clearance before it touches the top cover but a standard 25mm fan won't fit (tried a Gentle Typhoon).


Did you get the screw issue sorted? 

Are there actually any fans that are 17mm or so thick? I've never seen one.


----------



## Arengeta

kgtuning said:


> Did you get the screw issue sorted?
> 
> Are there actually any fans that are 17mm or so thick? I've never seen one.


Akasa, Noctua, Prolimatech has 15mm fans, Gelid Slim (https://www.overclock.net/forum/24717228-post14.html) is 16mm.


----------



## kgtuning

Arengeta said:


> Akasa, Noctua, Prolimatech has 15mm fans, Gelid Slim (https://www.overclock.net/forum/24717228-post14.html) is 16mm.


Man, apparently I dont pay attention enough... I was thinking the scythe big Shuriken had a 15mm thick fan. Disregard my dumb question. Thank you for the information.


----------



## Martin778

kgtuning said:


> Did you get the screw issue sorted?
> 
> Are there actually any fans that are 17mm or so thick? I've never seen one.


Not yet, I used short case screws (the ones with hexagon head). They have JUST the mm of bite to keep the cover in place. 

I've installed 3x Noctua 40x20mm FLX fans but havent noticed much difference yet besides a bit cooler PCH and -3*C on the CPU peak temp in under Prime95. I'll have to see when happens when gaming. 
3x40mm fans is the maximum you can fit on the side, 4th might be doable if you cut off a piece of the PSU bracket or cut the plastic bars off on the side grille.


----------



## kgtuning

Here is my rig. Almost done. I need some higher speed ram and I'll be delidding the 8700K this weekend.
Parts used:
Fractal Design Node 202
Asrock Fatality Z370 Gaming-itx/ac
I7 8700K
Scythe Big Shuriken rev B
EVGA 1080TI FTW3
Corsair SF600 PSU
G.Skill 2X4GB 2666mhz ram "place holder"

I also have two 2150rpm Darkside GT's blowing on the fan side of the 1080TI

Thanks to all that helped along the way either directly or indirectly


----------



## CheezyCheeto

*GPU Support w/chassis fans*

Not sure if anyone's done this before but I wanted to add some info that might help. For the ones who want to use dual chassis fans but also still want to use the gpu support bracket, all you need is an extra fan mount screw and to drill two holes in the bracket. One hole is to mount the bracket to your fan and one is to give clearance to your screwdriver to tighten this screw. My setup is a GTX 980Ti 6GD5T OC and 25mm thick fans so YMMV depending on your setup.


----------



## Martin778

I've managed to squeeze 4x40mm fans in the Node202, you have to cut the 2 plastic pieces behind the grille to fit them, though. Thankfully it's not visible from the outside.


----------



## kgtuning

Martin778 said:


> I've managed to squeeze 4x40mm fans in the Node202, you have to cut the 2 plastic pieces behind the grille to fit them, though. Thankfully it's not visible from the outside.


How much of a difference does 4X40 make temperature wise?


----------



## chvvkumar

Finished my Ryzen 5 Node 202 build:

Parts list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor (Purchased For $189.99)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 GAMING-ITX/AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard (Purchased For $101.00)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (Purchased For $137.50)
Storage: SanDisk - SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Storage: Crucial - M500 M.2 480GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($259.99 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB SSC GAMING Video Card (Purchased For $199.00) 
Case: Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case w/450W Power Supply (Purchased For $127.00)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $19.00)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $19.00)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A4x20 PWM 5.5 CFM 40mm Fan ($14.95 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A4x20 PWM 5.5 CFM 40mm Fan ($14.95 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Dell - U2515H 25.0" 2560x1440 60Hz Monitor (Purchased For $0.00)
Monitor: Dell - U2515H 25.0" 2560x1440 60Hz Monitor (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $1082.38
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-21 12:00 EDT-0400


----------



## kgtuning

Looks good. Can you tell how much those 40mm fans help?


----------



## chvvkumar

kgtuning said:


> Looks good. Can you tell how much those 40mm fans help?



I did some testing and in essence, I am seeing about 2C and 5C lower CPU temperatures at idle and under stress respectively. 

CPU: Ryzen 5 2600x @ -0.1v Vcore offset.

Here are the graphs:

40mm Turned off
Screenshot 1: After running RealBench for 10 minutes
Screenshot 2: Idle for 5 minutes

2 x 40mm Turned on @ 100% (~5100 RPM)
Screenshot 3: After running Realbench for 10 minutes
Screenshot 4: Idle for 5 minutes

As you can see, the idle temperature is not that different (although it was hard to notice the difference since the temps were so spiky at idle). At full load, there was an easy 5C difference (compare the hills in the top graph.). Obviously, the cooling time is faster with the smaller fans turned on as expected.



Hope this helps.


----------



## kgtuning

Very interesting, every little bit helps. In my mind 5C off load temperature is pretty good. Hows that fan noise with 5100rpm? I'm pretty happy with my temperatures so far but I need to go through the bios as everything is stock/auto.


----------



## chvvkumar

kgtuning said:


> Very interesting, every little bit helps. In my mind 5C off load temperature is pretty good. Hows that fan noise with 5100rpm? I'm pretty happy with my temperatures so far but I need to go through the bios as everything is stock/auto.


Yup, every little bit helps in this case. Fan noise at 5000 RPM is audible but it is the non annoying kind. It is there and it is audible but I was surprised by how much quiter Noctuas at 5k RPM are (admittedly, my only other reference point for 5k rpm fans are the Deltas I use in my servers).


----------



## Martin778

I now have 8700k sitting in my Node 202 and w. Big Shuriken 2. Well it is perfectly usable for gaming and non-AVX workloads but it hits 95+ in Prime95 SmallFFT AVX, which is predictable.
HWInfo64 says the stock voltage at 4.7GHz is 1.40V so might want to try bringing it down to ~1.25V.


----------



## kgtuning

Can the 8700k run 4.7 at 1.25?


----------



## Martin778

I have no clue what my MB is doing, I have it set to 1.25V 4.7GHz w. AVX -3 offset but HWInfo64 reports 1.229VID and Vcore from 1.216V to as low as 1.12V. No way this board drops 0.1V under load, does it?
But yes it did 3 loops of x264 @ 4.4GHz since it's offset by -3 and x264 is AVX. CPU fan at 100%, case placed vertically and 4x40mm Noctuas at 3800RPM on top it's fighting that it won't throttle.

Risky business since it doesn't have a thermal diode on the VRM........


----------



## kgtuning

Martin778 said:


> I have no clue what my MB is doing, I have it set to 1.25V 4.7GHz w. AVX -3 offset but HWInfo64 reports 1.229VID and Vcore from 1.216V to as low as 1.12V. No way this board drops 0.1V under load, does it?
> But yes it did 3 loops of x264 @ 4.4GHz since it's offset by -3 and x264 is AVX. CPU fan at 100%, case placed vertically and 4x40mm Noctuas at 3800RPM on top it's fighting that it won't throttle.
> 
> Risky business since it doesn't have a thermal diode on the VRM........


What is the LLC set at? Turning that "up" might help prevent the voltage from dipping. I haven't overclocked in a long time so I can't really help. I'll be fumbling my way through my asrock bios hopefully tomorrow.


----------



## Martin778

It only prevents dipping when LLC is at the high/highest level, otherwise the Vdroop is massive.


----------



## voidfahrenheit

kgtuning said:


> Here is my rig. Almost done. I need some higher speed ram and I'll be delidding the 8700K this weekend.
> Parts used:
> Fractal Design Node 202
> Asrock Fatality Z370 Gaming-itx/ac
> I7 8700K
> Scythe Big Shuriken rev B
> EVGA 1080TI FTW3
> Corsair SF600 PSU
> G.Skill 2X4GB 2666mhz ram "place holder"
> 
> I also have two 2150rpm Darkside GT's blowing on the fan side of the 1080TI
> 
> Thanks to all that helped along the way either directly or indirectly


wow we have the same GPU and Cooler  only using 6700k delidded, corsair rams and silverstone sfx


----------



## voidfahrenheit

chvvkumar said:


> Finished my Ryzen 5 Node 202 build:
> 
> Parts list:
> 
> PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
> 
> CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor (Purchased For $189.99)
> Motherboard: ASRock - B450 GAMING-ITX/AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard (Purchased For $101.00)
> Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (Purchased For $137.50)
> Storage: SanDisk - SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
> Storage: Crucial - M500 M.2 480GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($259.99 @ Newegg Marketplace)
> Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB SSC GAMING Video Card (Purchased For $199.00)
> Case: Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case w/450W Power Supply (Purchased For $127.00)
> Case Fan: Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $19.00)
> Case Fan: Noctua - NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $19.00)
> Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A4x20 PWM 5.5 CFM 40mm Fan ($14.95 @ Amazon)
> Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A4x20 PWM 5.5 CFM 40mm Fan ($14.95 @ Amazon)
> Monitor: Dell - U2515H 25.0" 2560x1440 60Hz Monitor (Purchased For $0.00)
> Monitor: Dell - U2515H 25.0" 2560x1440 60Hz Monitor (Purchased For $0.00)
> Total: $1082.38
> Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
> Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-21 12:00 EDT-0400



nice dual monitor setup with the node 202 at the back


----------



## Ultracarpet

kgtuning said:


> Here is my rig. Almost done. *I need some higher speed ram* and I'll be delidding the 8700K this weekend.
> Parts used:
> Fractal Design Node 202
> Asrock Fatality Z370 Gaming-itx/ac
> I7 8700K
> Scythe Big Shuriken rev B
> EVGA 1080TI FTW3
> Corsair SF600 PSU
> G.Skill 2X4GB 2666mhz ram "place holder"
> 
> I also have two 2150rpm Darkside GT's blowing on the fan side of the 1080TI
> 
> Thanks to all that helped along the way either directly or indirectly


Unless you are willing to remove the heatspreaders avoid the Ripjaw V's... They are fast and cheap, but don't fit under that big shuriken... I learned the hard way. I think the corsair LPX stuff is low enough, but it is also expensive


----------



## kgtuning

Ultracarpet said:


> kgtuning said:
> 
> 
> 
> Here is my rig. Almost done. *I need some higher speed ram* and I'll be delidding the 8700K this weekend.
> Parts used:
> Fractal Design Node 202
> Asrock Fatality Z370 Gaming-itx/ac
> I7 8700K
> Scythe Big Shuriken rev B
> EVGA 1080TI FTW3
> Corsair SF600 PSU
> G.Skill 2X4GB 2666mhz ram "place holder"
> 
> I also have two 2150rpm Darkside GT's blowing on the fan side of the 1080TI
> 
> Thanks to all that helped along the way either directly or indirectly
> 
> 
> 
> Unless you are willing to remove the heatspreaders avoid the Ripjaw V's... They are fast and cheap, but don't fit under that big shuriken... I learned the hard way. I think the corsair LPX stuff is low enough, but it is also expensive /forum/images/smilies/frown.gif
Click to expand...

Machine is already built but ram heatsinks aren't an issue. I'd just remove them and put my EK heatsinks on. Actually running on spare ram right now until I buy some fast ram.


----------



## chvvkumar

So I changed the Spire to the IS-60V2 on my 2600X in the Node 202. The heatsink blocks the innermost RAM slot but I intend to remove the heat spreader on my RAM (G.Skill Ripjaws). But preliminary results have been very good.

In the graph, the temperatures until the first break (12.30AM) are from the Spire and the ones afterwards are from the IS-60. I am seeing a 10 degree centigrade drop.

The middle section is the high temperatures from running Prime95 on the IS-60.

Graph with longer data points:


----------



## chvvkumar

Added a Noctua fan to the cooler (ID Cooling IS-60V2) and removed heatspreader from one of the RAM modules:


----------



## keicam87

hi guys,

long time no see! we have new intel cpus on board but more importantly new gpus are finally here - total crap btw!

just thought of an upgrade, but i have a question first:

have we ever tested GPU like 1080or1080ti without any extra case fans on top? what were idle temps and full load temps? just wonderin if they are needed for casual 2 hr sesion gaming.
thanks


----------



## kgtuning

keicam87 said:


> hi guys,
> 
> long time no see! we have new intel cpus on board but more importantly new gpus are finally here - total crap btw!
> 
> just thought of an upgrade, but i have a question first:
> 
> have we ever tested GPU like 1080or1080ti without any extra case fans on top? what were idle temps and full load temps? just wonderin if they are needed for casual 2 hr sesion gaming.
> thanks


Does it matter what 1080ti? I have an evga 1080ti ftw3 with the extra 120mm fans but I can turn them off. I won't be home until later tonight. I can test then. My guess is the GPU fans will try and pick up the slack and be a bit loud.


----------



## keicam87

nope it doesnt matter at all which 1080ti. i would more than appreciate that. if by any means you could ulpoad screens from the test it would be just perfect! TYTY


----------



## kgtuning

First pic is after gaming in 4k maxed out settings in Doom for 30 minutes or so.

Second image is idle... it took almost 10 minutes for the load temps to return to idle.
room temps is about 73F/22.8C


----------



## keicam87

kudos on that! you are the man! thank you very much. i am doing a research before my next upgrade. based on your test i think its safe to assume that gpu case fans are not obligatory as gpu fans can take over their duty.

why am i asking all o this?

i am considering gpu upgrade to rtx 2080 and try to decide which one to take and with or without gpu case fans on top.

i used to have 1070 gaming x with 2 noctuas on top, temps were 30 C / 67 C with case fans on. now that i have seen your test and temps arent that different with case fans off so i think i could sacrifice room for gpu case fans and get thicker gpu itself like strix or palit game premium. 

another option is blower gpu again with or wo gpu fans or something like msi ventus with case fans on top.

just wondering and seaeching the best option.

the real main goal in here ~144 fps @1440p in bf1 ultra or almost ultra. hell if 1080ti will do the trick i might aswell just atick with that and evga 1080ti ftw 3 would be my choice.


----------



## kgtuning

keicam87 said:


> kudos on that! you are the man! thank you very much. i am doing a research before my next upgrade. based on your test i think its safe to assume that gpu case fans are not obligatory as gpu fans can take over their duty.
> 
> why am i asking all o this?
> 
> i am considering gpu upgrade to rtx 2080 and try to decide which one to take and with or without gpu case fans on top.
> 
> i used to have 1070 gaming x with 2 noctuas on top, temps were 30 C / 67 C with case fans on. now that i have seen your test and temps arent that different with case fans off so i think i could sacrifice room for gpu case fans and get thicker gpu itself like strix or palit game premium.
> 
> another option is blower gpu again with or wo gpu fans or something like msi ventus with case fans on top.
> 
> just wondering and seaeching the best option.
> 
> the real main goal in here ~144 fps @1440p in bf1 ultra or almost ultra. hell if 1080ti will do the trick i might aswell just atick with that and evga 1080ti ftw 3 would be my choice.


Also note the fans were set to auto in my "under load" screenshot. 

When I run both my darkside GTs normally blowing on the GPU, gaming sits around 55 to 60C for hours. Yup fans at full speed (2150rpm). Maybe if I redid the paste I could get the temps lower.. but I'm happy with these temps.

I think gpu's with 2 or 3 fans are the way to go personally. I've had a few evga cards, all FTW versions and they do well with temps. 

If it were me, I'd stick with a 1080ti. I think I'm going to skip the 20 series. I may change my mind but for right now I'm content. I need a new set of ram, 8gb of 2666 isn't cutting it for me. 

Next time a do a long game session(few hours) I'll grab a screenshot to show temps.


----------



## Mr. Monday

What is the best GPU compartment fan setup for blower cards? I know that with open air cards two static pressure optimized 120mm fans is recommended but is that also recommended with blower cards?

When I asked this question over on the SFF reddit I was told that one 15mm thick 120mm fan under the blower card intake was the best setup because it would create less turbulence than a 25mm thick fan and a second fan would be pointless because it would just blow air at the sealed enclosure.

Has anyone tested this?


----------



## kgtuning

Mr. Monday said:


> What is the best GPU compartment fan setup for blower cards? I know that with open air cards two static pressure optimized 120mm fans is recommended but is that also recommended with blower cards?
> 
> When I asked this question over on the SFF reddit I was told that one 15mm thick 120mm fan under the blower card intake was the best setup because it would create less turbulence than a 25mm thick fan and a second fan would be pointless because it would just blow air at the sealed enclosure.
> 
> Has anyone tested this?


Hmm not sure. I think I'd rather have a 25mm fan even if it created a little bit of turbulence. Do you already have a blower style card? If not maybe it's worth it to go with an open air card.


----------



## keicam87

November 2018 GPU choice for 2019.

I need GPU because all i have is 1030 GT. So I need something decent for the next 2-3 years. Till next gen ? Not something hardcore, but...please advise me on what to choose as we know that 20XX series isnt that good plus the recent findings on micron issues in 2080ti might also affect other cards so... Knowing all of that.

I wanted to go for:

*1080 TI*
Zotac 1080 TI MInii
MSI 1080 TI Gaming X
EVGA 1080 TI FTW 3

*RTX 2080*

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 WINDFORCE OC 8 GB - room for 20 mm thick space for case fans
ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 ROG Strix OC 8GB GDDR6 - room for 6 mm thick space for case fans
MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ventus OC 8 GB - room for 10 mm thick space for case fans

What do you think?

Any suggestions. Pure occasional gaming. Any idea where to get good deals on used 1080tis ? World shipping ?
Thanks !


----------



## kgtuning

keicam87 said:


> November 2018 GPU choice for 2019.
> 
> I need GPU because all i have is 1030 GT. So I need something decent for the next 2-3 years. Till next gen ? Not something hardcore, but...please advise me on what to choose as we know that 20XX series isnt that good plus the recent findings on micron issues in 2080ti might also affect other cards so... Knowing all of that.
> 
> I wanted to go for:
> 
> *1080 TI*
> Zotac 1080 TI MInii
> MSI 1080 TI Gaming X
> EVGA 1080 TI FTW 3
> 
> *RTX 2080*
> 
> Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 WINDFORCE OC 8 GB - room for 20 mm thick space for case fans
> ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 ROG Strix OC 8GB GDDR6 - room for 6 mm thick space for case fans
> MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ventus OC 8 GB - room for 10 mm thick space for case fans
> 
> What do you think?
> 
> Any suggestions. Pure occasional gaming. Any idea where to get good deals on used 1080tis ? World shipping ?
> Thanks !


Well, if you want a 2080 then I'd go with the thinnest one just so you could run the thickest fans in the gpu compartment. What about the EVGA 2080, I think one of them is a 2 slot. I'm not sure how the thermals will be on a 2080 and a Node 202. I've been waiting to see someone post a SFF with a 20 series. I have only used EVGA products so I can't speak to those other gpus. I do have the 1080ti FTW3 and it runs great. I only game as well. 4K all settings maxed and just about every game runs at 60fps. Of course there are a few games that won't sit at 60fps but other then that Its great.


----------



## Mr. Monday

Mr. Monday said:


> What is the best GPU compartment fan setup for blower cards? I know that with open air cards two static pressure optimized 120mm fans is recommended but is that also recommended with blower cards?
> 
> When I asked this question over on the SFF reddit I was told that one 15mm thick 120mm fan under the blower card intake was the best setup because it would create less turbulence than a 25mm thick fan and a second fan would be pointless because it would just blow air at the sealed enclosure.
> 
> Has anyone tested this?


I decided to test this myself. I have a FE GTX-1080 and ran Unigine Heaven for 15 mins at 1440p ultra settings without case fans, with one NF-F12 at 1150 rpm, and with two NF-F12 at 1150 rpm. Without fans, the GPU fan was at 79% and it was running at 79*C after 15 mins. With one fan, the GPU fan was at 68% and it was running at 68*C after 15 mins. With two fans, the GPU fan was at 67% and it was running at 67*C after 15 mins. All the fans were always set to intake. 

As you can see, the second fan didn't do much and I can't recommend it for blower cards. I only tested at one RPM and the results may have been different with the fans at different RPMs but this is enough evidence for me to return one of these Noctuas.


----------



## zeroibis

Ultracarpet said:


> Unless you are willing to remove the heatspreaders avoid the Ripjaw V's... They are fast and cheap, but don't fit under that big shuriken... I learned the hard way. I think the corsair LPX stuff is low enough, but it is also expensive


Interesting, I had seen posts that they do fit but only if the heatsink is orientated correctly.


----------



## OGdrifter

My ultimate 202.

I am obsessed with small form factor low noise without sacrificing performance builds.

Have been building pc s forever. Every gen of gpus(top end). Water, tec, phase, everything.

Sadly, the current state of pc building is such that extreme cooling yields little for 24/7 builds considering the hassel.

Overclocking dumbed down to single input manipulations.

So i turn my focus to performance in small form factor.

The build is much less complex then what i enjoy and requires no modding almost because there is literally nothing i can tweak to squeeze out more performance ir achieve quieter operation.

The setup:

2080ti rog strix (it fits just barely, had to bend the case a bit to squeeze in.)
I went with this gpu because the cooler is one of the best. I can run 75c at 65 % fan speed timespy extr stress test at around 2k stabilised core. Can squeeze a bit more with galax bios and fans at 100 but defeats the point.
Notice the hole on the gpu side. I had to remove the extra plastic to cool the gpu properly. Otherwise impossible to control the thermals without a blower style cooler.
I put foam around the gpu fans to make a sort ofshroud and prevent hot air from circulating. So in a way the card works like a blower card by dumping the hot air through the hole.

The reason the case is sitting on the wrong side is because i can not cover the hole as it is required for airflow and i actually prefer it this way cause i very often acess the i o.
It can sit flat without issues.

CPU is 9600k oc at 4.8. 1.25v
Can do 5 ez, but i d raver give up a bit of per for very quiete operation. I did not get a bigger cpu because i need the highest frequency on 6 cores at the lowest temps for gaming as the games i play do not use over 6 cores. So this cpu is the sweet spot in terms of performance, heat output, 24/7 stable core clock on all cores.


Cooler is gemini 2 with a prolimatech 1000rpm 140mmx15 mm fan.
The cooler is ok and the fan provides the best in slot noise/performance ratio for a quiete operation. The 120mmx15 fan was too noisy but only slightly better thermals because of higher static pressure.
Another option for the fan could be cryori g 140mmx15 for a bit more airflow but a bit more noise too.

Memory is 3600. Had to remove the rgb lights by force because could not fut the cooler otherwise..

Psu is corsair 600sfx
Solid as a rock at full load on gpu and cpu.

Mobo is asus z370 l gaming. 

Will do the cables to tidy up a bit and all done.

Nothing can be upgraded imho.

Going for 9900k would require 700w sfx psu probably and there is simply no cooler that would fit available to handle any oc or probably even stock max clocks on all cores 24/7 on that cpu. Maybe if you squeeze in some 60mm fans on the side and beef up the fan you can improve some cooling potential but just not enough to manage 200w on the cpu. The other components would overheat probably because of how cramped it is.

Oh, and senheise hd800s for headset. (Got a ton of headphones, 800s are just incredible for daily)
I have a good dac/amp but onboard audio actually does very well! So unless i am listening to high fidelity audio, headphones plugged directly.

EDIT:

Imho going for a very thick gpu cooler and making a sort of shroud so that the air is sucked in directly by the high static pressure gpu fans and exhaused through the side makes adding fans redundant.


----------



## Fractal Design

OGdrifter said:


> My ultimate 202.
> 
> 2080ti rog strix (it fits just barely, had to bend the case a bit to squeeze in.)
> I went with this gpu because the cooler is one of the best. I can run 75c at 65 % fan speed timespy extr stress test at around 2k stabilised core. Can squeeze a bit more with galax bios and fans at 100 but defeats the point.
> Notice the hole on the gpu side. I had to remove the extra plastic to cool the gpu properly. Otherwise impossible to control the thermals without a blower style cooler.
> I put foam around the gpu fans to make a sort ofshroud and prevent hot air from circulating. So in a way the card works like a blower card by dumping the hot air through the hole.
> 
> The reason the case is sitting on the wrong side is because i can not cover the hole as it is required for airflow and i actually prefer it this way cause i very often acess the i o.
> It can sit flat without issues.


That is a brilliant idea, opening up the side like that for the GPU exhaust. Even though there are side vents to help with the intake, it's obvious looking at your photos here that open GPU coolers with this fin orientation would benefit massively from having a second exhaust vent higher up on the side. I'll have to show this to the PD team. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## OGdrifter

Fractal Design said:


> OGdrifter said:
> 
> 
> 
> My ultimate 202.
> 
> 2080ti rog strix (it fits just barely, had to bend the case a bit to squeeze in.)
> I went with this gpu because the cooler is one of the best. I can run 75c at 65 % fan speed timespy extr stress test at around 2k stabilised core. Can squeeze a bit more with galax bios and fans at 100 but defeats the point.
> Notice the hole on the gpu side. I had to remove the extra plastic to cool the gpu properly. Otherwise impossible to control the thermals without a blower style cooler.
> I put foam around the gpu fans to make a sort of shroud and prevent hot air from circulating, and stagnating in the gpu compartment area closest to the wall separating from cpu. So in a way the card works like a blower card by dumping the hot air through the holes.
> 
> The reason the case is sitting on the wrong side is because i can not cover the hole as it is required for airflow and i actually prefer it this way cause i very often acess the i o.
> It can sit flat without issues.
> 
> 
> 
> That is a brilliant idea, opening up the side like that for the GPU exhaust. Even though there are side vents to help with the intake, it's obvious looking at your photos here that open GPU coolers with this fin orientation would benefit massively from having a second exhaust vent higher up on the side. I'll have to show this to the PD team. Thanks for sharing.
Click to expand...

If i may, to expand on this idea.

In my opinion the node 202 is almost as good small gactor as it gets. Inside and out.
The clever design allows to squeeze in great performance in a small package with barely any compromise.

The part that needs improvement is gpu compatrment to accomodate the beefy dual-tripple slot open coolers.

The way i see it is, according to my experiments, sealing off the gpu compartment and channeling the air out benefits the package temp management most.

The major simple improvements to provide signifficant results are:

Seal off the gpu compartment (i used foam sheet)

Open side for exhaust. But most effective only with gpu compartment sealed as that prevents hot air dump in the cpu compartment and recirculation on the right of the gpu.

Now alternatively/complimentary you could simply provide airvents on top of the gpu either covering the whole gpu compatrment with a mesh or 2 strips on either side along the gpu.

Last but not least, imho, if there was a clever way to create a shroud around the gpu fans to channel the air from the bottom of the case towards gpu fans thus pressurising the airflow and inhibiting recilculation l, the gpu temps will be close to open case and usage of bottom fans redundant. I feel this could be an elegant solution.

Currently even if you squeeze in 2 fans down there for high end gpu cooling the turbulence created generates unnecessary noise, depending on how thick gpu cooler is, gives little performance, especially without side/top vents in the gpu compartment.

Imho this is the best way to get the most from high pressure static fans of thegpu, save for open case.

PS: blower style gpu coolers suck. Too much noise.


----------



## kckyle

hey guys i just bought this case, i have a strix 1070 and got this case and oh boy does it run hot. right now i'm leaving the tops off in order to cool it, but i'm planning on drilling small holes on the side, does anyone have advice on drilling the gpu side where is plastic and gpu top where i believe is metal. 

i know i have to use a dremel drill bit at slowest speed.


----------



## chvvkumar

Any one try push-pull case fans with a full length GPU? If yes, was it better than both fans pushing air into the GPU compartment?


----------



## EuphoriaZX

Great build @OGdrifter ! I've been thinking of upgrading my GTX 1070 to RTX 2080ti.

I was thinking more about using the 2slot 2080 ti from EVGA: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814487402

The RTX 2080ti XC model takes only 2 slots, I am just not sure how it will be temperature-wise in the Node 202....


----------



## OGdrifter

EuphoriaZX said:


> Great build @OGdrifter ! I've been thinking of upgrading my GTX 1070 to RTX 2080ti.
> 
> I was thinking more about using the 2slot 2080 ti from EVGA: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814487402
> 
> The RTX 2080ti XC model takes only 2 slots, I am just not sure how it will be temperature-wise in the Node 202....


This is my second 2080ti, the other one is rma because of artifacts.

First one was gigabyte oc.

It ran a fair bit louder and hotter.

This asus card is on another level of noise vs temps.

If those things do not matter, any 2080 is probably fine if you can live with loud fan noise. BUT, you NEED extra holes and create a shroud around the intake.

Otherwise the temps and noise will bee to much.

My gigabyte 3 fan card was running about 10c hotter and much louder.

Asus card is incredible with timespy stress temps hovering around 70 at 60ish! Fan load with OC to north of 1950 constant in stress test.
I am using the quiete fan profile, and i do not chase the few extra mhz of performance.

Take a look at the updated WIP.

That extra hole in the middle and widening the cpu fan grill made a huge difference.

The hole helps the gpu temps and keeps the fan quieter, and widening the cpu fan grill helped lower the fan noise on the cpu cooler alot.

The build is super quiet!

I have tried several different fans including noctua a12x15 for thecm cpu cooler and best noise to perf fan is prolimatech slim vortex 140mm. 

Overall the package runs super quiete, temps below 70 on gpu with 60% fan on max load and 80 on cpu on max burn.

Gaming temps are 60+ gpu 60+cpu

PS: need to apply more paint layers


----------



## OGdrifter

https://www.overclock.net/#/topics/1715880


----------



## Jspinks020

I needed chair over case man. Go get the good walmart gaming chair, it is a good chair.


----------



## blackhawk85

*need help on upgrades for my 202 build*

my Rig:
Fratal Node 202 case
silverstone ATX 650W PSU
Ryzen 5 1600x CPU
Noculus L-9 CPU fan
BioStar X370 GTN ITX mobo
PNY Anarchy X 3200Mhz 16GB (2x8GB) kit
120GB M.2 SSD ("HP" Brand NVME-Running Windows 10 64bit)
2.5 HDD 5400rpm 1 TB drive ( 2 each)
EVGA GTX 1070 GPU

MY question is should I upgrade to the Ryzen 2700 or wait until Ryzen 3000 series come out?


----------



## jirachijirachi

Hi all, I am looking to move my currently caseless build to a Node 202 and would love some advice on CPU and GPU cooling. My system consists of a Ryzen 1600 and a Sapphire Nitro+ RX580.

My current plan of CPU cooling is to use the Wraith Spire cooler with a 25mm Noctua A9 fan. This should perform similarly to using the stock cooler without shroud but with improved acoustics - considering turbulence that might arise due to its close proximity with the case. Unfortunately, I'll have to run without dust filter for now.

GPU cooling is where I need some help with. The Nitro+ is a 2.2slot card and when used with 25mm fans, it will be touching the shroud. I just wonder if it's more effective to just use the 25mm fans for GPU cooling (by removing the GPU fan, and maybe shroud) or I have to settle with slim 15mm fans. Or this card is simply not suitable for the case, considering it's running around 200W.

Any thoughts on the CPU and GPU cooling before I pull the trigger?


----------



## toyz72

Quick question about cpu coolers. I’m going to use the MSi b450 mobo. Will the factory cooler fit in this case? Or give me advice on what I’ll need?


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

hi fellow Node 202 owners - I just built my first ITX rig tonight (well... migrated an existing ATX setup with new PSU/mb/cpu cooler). I had been wanting to try the Node 202 for a long time and finally decided to give it a go.

PSU is a Corsair 600w SFX unit
MB is an Asus Z270i that I picked up used for $70 because the previous owner broke some of the plastic on the USB 3.0 front panel header (really don't care since you can't see it and the plug still stays on the pins fine)
CPU is an i7 7700 (non-K) which I delidded and resealed with Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut liquid metal under the IHS
RAM is a 2x 8gb Corsair Vengeance LPX pair of DDR4 at 2666mhz CL16
Video card is an MSI Geforce GTX 1070 Gaming X which I couldn't use in the previous version of this rig because I was a dummy and didn't check the Silverstone GD09 specs VS the MSI 1070's specs to see that the card would be too wide to put the top lid on - so I had been using an EVGA 1070 SC2 instead.
CPU cooler is a Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev B. which I'll be honest was a super huge pain in the rear to install - that alone probably took a good hour to figure out and mod slightly (the instructions were awful - and I ended up grinding part of the backplate off to be able to remove the VRM heatsink just to be able to tighten the 4 mounting nuts)

Part of me wants to buy a USB 3.1 gen 2 Type C front panel connector and mod the case to install it, but the other part of me never wants to have to work inside that thing again until it's time for a platform upgrade.

Anywho, I am very pleased with the results so far - it is nearly silent (even with two Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM fans under the graphics card), and just in case I have a Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM fan arriving tomorrow to replace the stock Scythe fan on the CPU cooler since the Noctua unit has greater static pressure, greater airflow and lower noise.

--------

That all being said - my room is ~ 24 C ambient tonight, and after using this little beast for a few hours to see what kind of temps to expect with light use (4-5 Chrome tabs, Hardware Monitor and MSI Afterburner running in the background) the CPU cores seemed to sit between 38-40 C. Is that about what would be expected given the chassis, CPU cooler, ambient temp, and 'silent' BIOS fan profile?


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

jirachijirachi said:


> Hi all, I am looking to move my currently caseless build to a Node 202 and would love some advice on CPU and GPU cooling. My system consists of a Ryzen 1600 and a Sapphire Nitro+ RX580.
> 
> My current plan of CPU cooling is to use the Wraith Spire cooler with a 25mm Noctua A9 fan. This should perform similarly to using the stock cooler without shroud but with improved acoustics - considering turbulence that might arise due to its close proximity with the case. Unfortunately, I'll have to run without dust filter for now.
> 
> GPU cooling is where I need some help with. The Nitro+ is a 2.2slot card and when used with 25mm fans, it will be touching the shroud. I just wonder if it's more effective to just use the 25mm fans for GPU cooling (by removing the GPU fan, and maybe shroud) or I have to settle with slim 15mm fans. Or this card is simply not suitable for the case, considering it's running around 200W.
> 
> Any thoughts on the CPU and GPU cooling before I pull the trigger?


You'll want to at least get one of those magnetic external filters for the CPU fan vent.

As far as GPU, I'd steer clear of high TDP cards in this case unless you don't mind some fan noise. I've got a 1070 in mine and am a little puzzled why people have built rigs in these with 1080 Ti etc.


----------



## jirachijirachi

Kalm_Traveler said:


> You'll want to at least get one of those magnetic external filters for the CPU fan vent.
> 
> As far as GPU, I'd steer clear of high TDP cards in this case unless you don't mind some fan noise. I've got a 1070 in mine and am a little puzzled why people have built rigs in these with 1080 Ti etc.



I actually built it, with the Wraith Spire + A9 fan and the RX580 Nitro+ in it. The CPU cooler combo is certainly not optimal though - idling at 50C with low RPM (30% PWM) and needs about 1,000RPM for it to idle at 40C. I gained a few more C after I added 2 50mm fans at the side (horizontal placement on top of the vertical stand). GPU is a pleasant surprise - it is able to cool itself without needing fans. It idles at 50C (which still doesn't turn its fan on) and never goes past 75C when stressed with Furmark or when gaming. I'll look to add 2 slim fans when the weather gets warmer in a few months.


CPU cooling needs to be improved. Although they can be hard to get, I am deciding between: Thermalright AXP-100 (with potentially a 140mm Cryorig slim fan), Thermalright AXP-100 Full Copper (very expensive though) or the Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev B (needs mod to get it to work with AM4). Any ideas how they compare with each other?


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

jirachijirachi said:


> I actually built it, with the Wraith Spire + A9 fan and the RX580 Nitro+ in it. The CPU cooler combo is certainly not optimal though - idling at 50C with low RPM (30% PWM) and needs about 1,000RPM for it to idle at 40C. I gained a few more C after I added 2 50mm fans at the side (horizontal placement on top of the vertical stand). GPU is a pleasant surprise - it is able to cool itself without needing fans. It idles at 50C (which still doesn't turn its fan on) and never goes past 75C when stressed with Furmark or when gaming. I'll look to add 2 slim fans when the weather gets warmer in a few months.
> 
> 
> CPU cooling needs to be improved. Although they can be hard to get, I am deciding between: Thermalright AXP-100 (with potentially a 140mm Cryorig slim fan), Thermalright AXP-100 Full Copper (very expensive though) or the Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev B (needs mod to get it to work with AM4). Any ideas how they compare with each other?


Well, I'm on literally my 2nd day of ownership with this case (my first ITX setup ever) so not sure how much stock you can put into my findings but I am using the Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev B on the i7 7700 (delidded, liquid metal under the IHS). In my ~ 24 C room, I played World of Warcraft on it last night for about an hour to see how it would handle TV gaming (1080p 60Hz tv) and the max any core hit was 60c (they are idling around 36-40c).

I never heard any of the fans (the CPU cooler, 2x on the graphics card, or 2x Noctua NF-A12x25 below the graphics card) so I can at least say the Scythe seems to be doing its job but the 7700 is I believe only a 65 watt TDP chip, whereas your Ryzen is 105w TDP, right? that will I'm sure have a huge impact.


----------



## jirachijirachi

Kalm_Traveler said:


> Well, I'm on literally my 2nd day of ownership with this case (my first ITX setup ever) so not sure how much stock you can put into my findings but I am using the Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev B on the i7 7700 (delidded, liquid metal under the IHS). In my ~ 24 C room, I played World of Warcraft on it last night for about an hour to see how it would handle TV gaming (1080p 60Hz tv) and the max any core hit was 60c (they are idling around 36-40c).
> 
> I never heard any of the fans (the CPU cooler, 2x on the graphics card, or 2x Noctua NF-A12x25 below the graphics card) so I can at least say the Scythe seems to be doing its job but the 7700 is I believe only a 65 watt TDP chip, whereas your Ryzen is 105w TDP, right? that will I'm sure have a huge impact.



I am on a Ryzen 1600 that is a 65W chip. It overclocks well though, so it draws about 95W as far as I am concerned. The biggest issue with the Big Shuriken 2 is that the AM4 socket is not officially supported. It can be modded but it will take some effort for me to gather the tools and part. I might just pull the trigger on the expensive AXP-100 Copper if no other solution comes up.


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

jirachijirachi said:


> I am on a Ryzen 1600 that is a 65W chip. It overclocks well though, so it draws about 95W as far as I am concerned. The biggest issue with the Big Shuriken 2 is that the AM4 socket is not officially supported. It can be modded but it will take some effort for me to gather the tools and part. I might just pull the trigger on the expensive AXP-100 Copper if no other solution comes up.


ooh that's good to hear! If you end up going that route please let us know how the installation is. I'm not sure if all ITX cpu coolers are difficult, but this Scythe one was a nightmare - I had to dremel off part of the backplate to be able to remove the VRM heatsink in order to tighten down the nuts.


----------



## kgtuning

Kalm_Traveler said:


> jirachijirachi said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi all, I am looking to move my currently caseless build to a Node 202 and would love some advice on CPU and GPU cooling. My system consists of a Ryzen 1600 and a Sapphire Nitro+ RX580.
> 
> My current plan of CPU cooling is to use the Wraith Spire cooler with a 25mm Noctua A9 fan. This should perform similarly to using the stock cooler without shroud but with improved acoustics - considering turbulence that might arise due to its close proximity with the case. Unfortunately, I'll have to run without dust filter for now.
> 
> GPU cooling is where I need some help with. The Nitro+ is a 2.2slot card and when used with 25mm fans, it will be touching the shroud. I just wonder if it's more effective to just use the 25mm fans for GPU cooling (by removing the GPU fan, and maybe shroud) or I have to settle with slim 15mm fans. Or this card is simply not suitable for the case, considering it's running around 200W.
> 
> Any thoughts on the CPU and GPU cooling before I pull the trigger?
> 
> 
> 
> You'll want to at least get one of those magnetic external filters for the CPU fan vent.
> 
> As far as GPU, I'd steer clear of high TDP cards in this case unless you don't mind some fan noise. I've got a 1070 in mine and am a little puzzled why people have built rigs in these with 1080 Ti etc.
Click to expand...

A 1080ti is fine, just need to pick the right one. My Evga 1080ti ftw3 is pretty quiet but it's all subjective.


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

kgtuning said:


> A 1080ti is fine, just need to pick the right one. My Evga 1080ti ftw3 is pretty quiet but it's all subjective.


oh I mean from a thermals standpoint - not noise. My 1070 thermal throttles in there, even with two 120mm fans beneath it helping to bring in fresh air.


----------



## kgtuning

Kalm_Traveler said:


> kgtuning said:
> 
> 
> 
> A 1080ti is fine, just need to pick the right one. My Evga 1080ti ftw3 is pretty quiet but it's all subjective.
> 
> 
> 
> oh I mean from a thermals standpoint - not noise. My 1070 thermal throttles in there, even with two 120mm fans beneath it helping to bring in fresh air.
Click to expand...

Ohhh I understand. Hmm, but I think it's the GPU that you pick. My 1080ti doesn't hit higher then 65ish at full load. Which 1070 do you have?


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

kgtuning said:


> Ohhh I understand. Hmm, but I think it's the GPU that you pick. My 1080ti doesn't hit higher then 65ish at full load. Which 1070 do you have?


MSI Geforce GTX 1070 Gaming X, so it has the larger PCB and 8+6 pin PCIE connectors


----------



## kgtuning

Kalm_Traveler said:


> MSI Geforce GTX 1070 Gaming X, so it has the larger PCB and 8+6 pin PCIE connectors


What temperature does it throttle at? I wish the Node 202 had a few more vents or larger vents. I've kicked the idea around of modding the case but I'm not sure if its really worth the time and energy to drop a few degrees.


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

kgtuning said:


> What temperature does it throttle at? I wish the Node 202 had a few more vents or larger vents. I've kicked the idea around of modding the case but I'm not sure if its really worth the time and energy to drop a few degrees.


well, technically with GPU Boost 3.0 or whatever Pascal has, it 'throttles' in steps from around 45c I think, but hard throttles at 83c, which is what the card is reaching when gaming currently.

I'm not sure if ramping up the 2 case fans below the graphics card would help though as I'm actually not sure how air is supposed to evacuate that side of the case...


----------



## kgtuning

Kalm_Traveler said:


> kgtuning said:
> 
> 
> 
> What temperature does it throttle at? I wish the Node 202 had a few more vents or larger vents. I've kicked the idea around of modding the case but I'm not sure if its really worth the time and energy to drop a few degrees.
> 
> 
> 
> well, technically with GPU Boost 3.0 or whatever Pascal has, it 'throttles' in steps from around 45c I think, but hard throttles at 83c, which is what the card is reaching when gaming currently.
> 
> I'm not sure if ramping up the 2 case fans below the graphics card would help though as I'm actually not sure how air is supposed to evacuate that side of the case...
Click to expand...

I guess that GPU does get hot... without my extra fans on, the GPU can run close to 70 but the case doesn't breathe well. Have you ever ran the rig without the top cover on? I'd love an NFC S4 mini but it's a bit small.


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

kgtuning said:


> I guess that GPU does get hot... without my extra fans on, the GPU can run close to 70 but the case doesn't breathe well. Have you ever ran the rig without the top cover on? I'd love an NFC S4 mini but it's a bit small.


oh I could try that - just as a test of course. It also might help if I change the PWM fan profiles from 'silent' to 'normal' in the BIOS. 

Also wondering if flipping the CPU cooler fan the other way would help so it's exhausting up and out rather than pulling in from above.


----------



## kgtuning

Kalm_Traveler said:


> kgtuning said:
> 
> 
> 
> I guess that GPU does get hot... without my extra fans on, the GPU can run close to 70 but the case doesn't breathe well. Have you ever ran the rig without the top cover on? I'd love an NFC S4 mini but it's a bit small.
> 
> 
> 
> oh I could try that - just as a test of course. It also might help if I change the PWM fan profiles from 'silent' to 'normal' in the BIOS.
> 
> Also wondering if flipping the CPU cooler fan the other way would help so it's exhausting up and out rather than pulling in from above.
Click to expand...

Couldn't hurt to try. My fan on my big Shuriken is set to full, blowing in. GPU fans set at about 45% and extra 120s run at max...2100rpm. The sound isn't loud to my wife and I but we like the hum of fans.


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

kgtuning said:


> Couldn't hurt to try. My fan on my big Shuriken is set to full, blowing in. GPU fans set at about 45% and extra 120s run at max...2100rpm. The sound isn't loud to my wife and I but we like the hum of fans.


I'll give it a try this weekend and let you know what the results are for sure


----------



## kgtuning

Kalm_Traveler said:


> kgtuning said:
> 
> 
> 
> Couldn't hurt to try. My fan on my big Shuriken is set to full, blowing in. GPU fans set at about 45% and extra 120s run at max...2100rpm. The sound isn't loud to my wife and I but we like the hum of fans.
> 
> 
> 
> I'll give it a try this weekend and let you know what the results are for sure
Click to expand...

Sounds good. Good luck.


----------



## larsbonde

I have followed this thread for quit some time now with great interest. The case is bought and painted, and is now ready to be equipped. The idea is as follows:
CPU  i5 8400
Cooler Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B
MoB Asus ROG STRIX B360-i
SSD Samsung 970 EVO 500GB m.2
RAM Corsair Vengeance LPX - 2 x 8 GB - 2666 MHz
PSU Corsair SF Series SF600 - 80 PLUS Gold

My biggest concern is the GPU. I would like to go for an AMD RX 580 (eg. Sapphie Pulse) due to price and performance. But it seems like they draw more power than eg. a GTX 1060, which could be a problem. It also looks like most of you are using GTX GPU's. What would you suggest? Should I be worried about using a RX 580?

I will add 3D printed fan ducts on the GPU like this https://pcpartpicker.com/b/mJNQzy :specool:
He has also added a small 50mm fan between the CPU and GPU bays.

------------------------------
An alternative could be a ZOTAC GTX 1060 AMP! Edition 6GB and only 450W PSU.


----------



## larsbonde

I have 3D printed a dummy model of the fan duct, just to see if the mounting holes fit and give a hands-on model to work from. I desided to go for the Zotac 1060 AMP GPU, so when it arrives I can do the exact measurements for the duct.

Update:
As you can see, there is enough space behind the duct to maybe add a couple of 50mm fans for hot air out-take both from the GPU and CPU bay. Just an idea - what do you think?

Update 2:
Another crazy idea :bulb:
What about removing the GPU fans and place 2x120mm fans (or smaller) at the duct in-take and direct the air into the GPU fan holes. Then you would have bigger fans and hence lower rpm. Also the GPU fan center is blocking for air directly behind it, hence poor cooling. At least that is my own theory 
A bit overkill perhaps, but a fun idea


----------



## larsbonde

Finally the GPU fan duct is finish. It took three prototypes to find the perfect fit. I also cut away the metal bar dividing the in-take area.


----------



## keicam87

Hi Friends,

Long time no speak I missed you

Updated! I just realized I have already asked about this few months ago...my poor memory. Anyway I asked once again which would be better in terms of temps GPU with big heatsink and no case fans or GPU + 2 extra case fans.

FYI Zotac RTX 2080 TWIN FAN with 2x 120x120x25 Noctuas (yes it fits but barely) held temps on stress test AIDA / Furmark +70 Celsius.

I am going to try second option either Palit GameRock or Strix without extra case fans. Will see the outcome.
Thanks!

Will Try Palit Game Rock or Asus Strix

Great writing you all!


----------



## keicam87

So i decided the following.I have ordered 3 gpus and i will test and try them in the following order.If i am happy with temps ans noise i will not test any further gpu.whats the point if i am happy with the outcome,right?

1.rtx 2080 palit gamerock premium.
pros: semi-passive cooling, very cool and low noise.
cons:59.6 mm thick. the limit is 60mm. no space for additional case fans.

2. rtx 2080 zotac amp maxx + 2x120x120x15 noctuas. Right here i would choose this config.
pros:
this gpu has nice heatsink,semi passive cooling and still some room for 2x15 mm fans. the shop I can get it in my region seems shady.

3. rtx 2080 zotac twin fan. like a level better than a blower version plus 2x120x120x15 mm noctuas. pros:...cons: will be hot.


what do you think? any auggeations on 2080 choice?



update

1. just realized that option 1 wont fit. if i see correctly gpu will be in the way of psu cable or a plug.


----------



## kgtuning

keicam87 said:


> So i decided the following.I have ordered 3 gpus and i will test and try them in the following order.If i am happy with temps ans noise i will not test any further gpu.whats the point if i am happy with the outcome,right?
> 
> 1.rtx 2080 palit gamerock premium.
> pros: semi-passive cooling, very cool and low noise.
> cons:59.6 mm thick. the limit is 60mm. no space for additional case fans.
> 
> 2. rtx 2080 zotac amp maxx + 2x120x120x15 noctuas. Right here i would choose this config.
> pros:
> this gpu has nice heatsink,semi passive cooling and still some room for 2x15 mm fans. the shop I can get it in my region seems shady.
> 
> 3. rtx 2080 zotac twin fan. like a level better than a blower version plus 2x120x120x15 mm noctuas. pros:...cons: will be hot.
> 
> 
> what do you think? any auggeations on 2080 choice?
> 
> 
> 
> update
> 
> 1. just realized that option 1 wont fit. if i see correctly gpu will be in the way of psu cable or a plug.


I definitely curious how this turns out. I'd love to see how the Evga 2080 runs in the Node 202.


----------



## larsbonde

I have just finished 3D printing the new feet for the case. They are way smaller than the original and therefor not covering the vent holes as much. I did a GPU temp test with Unigine Valley both with and without the fun duct. With the fan duct mounted the temp max'ed at 70 degrees celcius. Without the duct it max'ed at 77 degrees. I am very pleased with the reduction of 7 degrees. The CPU test was performed with Prime95 and ended at 62 degrees. I have also showed a picture of the fan profile I use for the GPU.

Next step is to 3D print some extra decorate bling for the case 
And also to make a trolley for transporting the case and monitor to LAN parties.


----------



## zjjxl

Hi guys just locally sourcing components here in Perth Australia for a new Node 202 1080p gaming build.

PCPartPicker part list: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/fn7rgw
Price breakdown by merchant: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/fn7rgw/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8 GHz 6-Core Processor ($318.00 @ Austin Computers) 
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX B360-I GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($209.00) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($189.00) 
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($117.00) 
Case: Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case ($125.00 @ Austin Computers) 
Power Supply: Corsair - SF 600 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($209.00) 
Case Fan: Corsair - ML120 Pro 75 CFM 120mm Fan ($21.00) 
Case Fan: Corsair - ML120 Pro 75 CFM 120mm Fan ($21.00) 
Monitor: Samsung - S27A950D 27.0" 1920x1080 120 Hz Monitor (Purchased For $0.00) 
Keyboard: Corsair - STRAFE MX Silent Wired Gaming Keyboard (Purchased For $0.00) 
Mouse: Logitech - G502 Proteus Core Wired Optical Mouse (Purchased For $0.00) 
Headphones: Audio-Technica - ATH-AD700X Headphones ($165.35 @ Amazon Australia) 
Other: Modmic 5 ($69.95)
Other: Razer eXactMat (Purchased)
Other: GALAX 2080 OC ($1019.00)
Total: $2463.30 AUD

Will probably not be overclocking unless it doesn't increase noise. Using stock cooler for now unless itself too noisy as using Open Air/Ear phones and need to be able to hear kids crying in a couple of rooms away (hopefully not too much wishful thinking :s)

Will this be fairly quiet with not much clearance between the 2x Corsair ML120 (25mm) and the 2080 Galax OC and cooling wise including the CPU?

Dimensions(with Bracket): 283*139*41mm
Dimensions(without Bracket): 268*123*38mm

Thanks


----------



## mokmoki

hi guys! first timer here, just finished my Node 202 build:










Specs:
CPU: i7-9700k
Cooler: NH-L9i / IS-60 (still deciding which one to use)
Mobo: Asus ROG Strix Z390-i
RAM: Corsair LPX 2x8gb 3200
OS Drive: Samsung 840 Pro 256gb (my old drive)
Game Drive: ADATA SX8200 Pro 1tb
Data Drive: Seagate Firecuda 2tb
GPU: Zotac 1080Ti Mini
PSU: Corsair SF600 Gold
Case Fans: Noctua NF-F12

Full Parts List & Pics:
https://pcpartpicker.com/b/F6fH99

I'm still thinking of using the IS-60 cooler but I would have to remove the massive VRM heatsink / IO cover on my motherboard to do so. Is it safe to run those VRM's naked? I ordered a couple of copper heatsinks but not sure if these tiny things are enough to cool down the VRMs without the huge IO cover:


----------



## dust26

mokmoki said:


> hi guys! first timer here, just finished my Node 202 build:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Specs:
> CPU: i7-9700k
> Cooler: NH-L9i / IS-60 (still deciding which one to use)
> Mobo: Asus ROG Strix Z390-i
> RAM: Corsair LPX 2x8gb 3200
> OS Drive: Samsung 840 Pro 256gb (my old drive)
> Game Drive: ADATA SX8200 Pro 1tb
> Data Drive: Seagate Firecuda 2tb
> GPU: Zotac 1080Ti Mini
> PSU: Corsair SF600 Gold
> Case Fans: Noctua NF-F12
> 
> Full Parts List & Pics:
> https://pcpartpicker.com/b/F6fH99
> 
> I'm still thinking of using the IS-60 cooler but I would have to remove the massive VRM heatsink / IO cover on my motherboard to do so. Is it safe to run those VRM's naked? I ordered a couple of copper heatsinks but not sure if these tiny things are enough to cool down the VRMs without the huge IO cover:


I think you should try Deepcool GABRIEL, replace the stock fan by a noctua a12x15 (total height 55cm), it will fit node 202. And it will fit most motherboard


----------



## mokmoki

thanks! will try Deepcool Gabriel if my IS-60 experiment doesn't work well - looks like there's someone selling it locally.

update: Thermal care package has arrived! Will experiment with different configurations for best thermals:

1. NH-L9i with 25mm fan
2. IS-60 with Noctua A12x15
3. 9700k Delid with Rockit Cool 89 kit + Copper IHS
4. 1080Ti Mini heatsink upgrade with Arctic Accelero Extreme 3


----------



## thematic psn

I'm currently using i7 3770k with ID Cooling IS-40X
would like to upgrade to 9th Gen Intel CPU

anyone tried i9 9900k with this case?
I wonder how throttled it will be with low profile cooler 

also what is the best cooler for this board? 
I can't find big shuriken 2 anywhere now


----------



## keicam87

Hi,

BUILD #4 - 7/10/2019

Upgrades 
GPU - from GT 1030 to Palit RTX 2070. A while ago i posted that iwould d check different rtxs 2080 but I passed on the idea as local shop failed me with availability of selected gpus. I decided to get rtx 2070 palit dual as pretty cheap and overcloackable it is enough for now. Will see about rtx 2080 SUPER though
CPU - from 2700x to Ryzen 5 3600 Stock speed. Bit a downgrade few might say, but i wanted to budgetly buy ryzen 3000series. will post some test below.
No other changes

Case: Node202
CPU: Ryzen 3600 - Stock Speed
Motherboard: Fatal1ty X370 Gaming-ITX/ac (Bios 5.7)
Ram: G.SKILL 16GB 3200MHz Flare X Black Ryzen CL14
PSU: Corsair SF 600
GPU: RTX 2070 Palit Dual OC 
SSD: SSD Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB
CPU Cooling: Noctua NH-L9i (with mouting kit for AM4 socket)
Case Fans

GPU Chamber - 2x Noctua F12-PWM intake
Above CPU - Noctua F12-PWM intake
Side of Case ear CPU area - 2x Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX outtake

Temperatures (case is vertical):

Idle
CPU - NA
MOBO - NA
GPU - NA

STRESS CPU AIDA64

CPU TEMP 62 C
AVG CLOCK 3900 mhz
MAX CLOCK 4024 mhz
AVG TDP 80 W

RYZEN MASTER READINGS 
CPU temp 88.88 (95 C is the limit per application)

PRIME95 20 min + surfing

CPU temp (AIDA 64) - 62 C
AVG CLOCK - 3600 mhz
CPU temp (RYZEN MASTER) - 90 C(95 C limit)

PS I dont like applying thermal paste LOL 
Have a nice afternoon


----------



## Newbie2009

I have a 3600x with a wraith spire in the case, removed shroud in cooler and dust filter in case. Would I see a big improvement in temps with the noctua? Seems there is only one noctua that fits?


----------



## GodOfGaming

Hello guys, I've decided to downsize my i7-5775c gaming PC to make it suitable for lan parties and stuff, as such I've listed my maximus vii formula for sale and looking for a maximus vii impact to replace it, and I've decided on the FD Node 202, and, I really need to ask, which is the absolute fastest graphics card you can fit in one of these without it cooking itself to death? I'd like to use it in horizontal orientation too, with the monitor placed on top. I'm guessing it will have to be a blower style card. Would a 1080 FE or 1080Ti FE bode well, or do I need to go down to 1070/1660ti for such usecase? 1070/1660ti would feel like a bit of a waste considering the capabilities of this cpu and its magic cache™ . I imagine RTX cards and 5700XT would be out of the question?


----------



## kgtuning

GodOfGaming said:


> Hello guys, I've decided to downsize my i7-5775c gaming PC to make it suitable for lan parties and stuff, as such I've listed my maximus vii formula for sale and looking for a maximus vii impact to replace it, and I've decided on the FD Node 202, and, I really need to ask, which is the absolute fastest graphics card you can fit in one of these without it cooking itself to death? I'd like to use it in horizontal orientation too, with the monitor placed on top. I'm guessing it will have to be a blower style card. Would a 1080 FE or 1080Ti FE bode well, or do I need to go down to 1070/1660ti for such usecase? 1070/1660ti would feel like a bit of a waste considering the capabilities of this cpu and its magic cacheâ„¢ . I imagine RTX cards and 5700XT would be out of the question?


I have a evga 1080ti ftw3 and even after hours of gaming never sees more then 68c. Im not sure about an RTX card.


----------



## therock003

Id appreciate help in upgrade to Ryzen 3000 and diagnosing a drive possibly due to overheatign caused inside the case

-Guys i got Ryzen 1600X with Cryorig C7. Thinking of going for 3700X in order to get more out of my 1080ti. Will this CPU handle things well inside this case or will i run into trouble. Also should i keep the C7 cooler or will the Wraith give better results

-Additionaly after almost 2 years my Crucial SSD turned to junk. HDtune reported 36 errors which seems its dying, and i also get POST fails and game freezes, which i googled and found drive to be a strong candidate for that. Although HDtune reports 32C temps and HWinfo no more than 34 could it be a case that SSD drive overheated and got messed up? I got a video where kingston ssd with rgb lights causes the drive to reach 60C and fails. Maybe my crucial spiked in those temps and eventually failed? Now i'm thinking of going for an m2 drive that doesnt have chassis plus it sits on the bottom of the board

https://www.overclock.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=298896&thumb=1


----------



## qhash

hi guys,
I sold my SG13 build some time ago and now I have an urge tu build something. I wanted this build to be different so I chose node 202. Also cause its going to stay in the living room. I have everything sorted out (or at least I think so), but what bothers me is the space for GPU. Especially that most limited parameter in case of 202 - thickness. I wanted to use 2060S Palit Jtstream version which is "2.7 slot" card - 292 x 130 x 59.6 mm. Node 202 spec says 310x145x47 mm. I find it very wierd as the limit for card "thickness" will not allow to even mount MSI Gaming X cards there. Is that dimension provided by the manufacturer takes into account some additional fans or is that case just so thin?
edit:
OK, I have found some answers at page 12 and 13 of this thread bit it seems a little bit wierd for me - why there are additional fans taking space for the GPU itself? Can I use GPU which height is greater? Like abovementioned Gaming X or JS of a 2060S breed. In many cases GPU almost "sticks" to vent openings and it works just fine.

therock003: nowadays you can get pretty decent M2 nvme drive for 50 USD which is 500GB. It does not take space, its faster than sata drives - long time I did not use 2,5" for any small or even standard build.


----------



## qhash

keicam87 said:


> So i decided the following.I have ordered 3 gpus and i will test and try them in the following order.If i am happy with temps ans noise i will not test any further gpu.whats the point if i am happy with the outcome,right?
> 
> 1.rtx 2080 palit gamerock premium.
> pros: semi-passive cooling, very cool and low noise.
> cons:59.6 mm thick. the limit is 60mm. no space for additional case fans.
> 
> 2. rtx 2080 zotac amp maxx + 2x120x120x15 noctuas. Right here i would choose this config.
> pros:
> this gpu has nice heatsink,semi passive cooling and still some room for 2x15 mm fans. the shop I can get it in my region seems shady.
> 
> 3. rtx 2080 zotac twin fan. like a level better than a blower version plus 2x120x120x15 mm noctuas. pros:...cons: will be hot.
> 
> 
> what do you think? any auggeations on 2080 choice?
> 
> 
> 
> update
> 
> 1. just realized that option 1 wont fit. if i see correctly gpu will be in the way of psu cable or a plug.


so did you try 2080 GRP? and the others? your test would tell a lot to other people, like me . GRP is within 202 limitations for the GPU, you only need to cut a little bit where the I/O plate "sticks" to the case side

I would like to try GB 2070S 2slot WF 3X OC vs GB 2070S 2.5slot(50.2mm) GAMING OC - 1st would work with 15mm fans, second one with none. Would really appreciate someone with experience with the case to guide me which way to go.


----------



## Newbie2009

I would grab a blower card and slightly undervolt it, lose a little performance but the card won't cook itself. Lower volts lower heat lower fan speed.


----------



## Newbie2009

dust26 said:


> I think you should try Deepcool GABRIEL, replace the stock fan by a noctua a12x15 (total height 55cm), it will fit node 202. And it will fit most motherboard


Interesting, never heard of that cpu cooler before. Running stock amd wraith spire and would like something a little quieter, it's louder than the GPU!


----------



## Ailanthus

Running my Fractal 202 setup here with with an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and a RX5700XT. 
The motherboard I use is this one:


https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/X570 Phantom Gaming-ITXTB3/index.us.asp#Overview

Here is the only cooler I found that would fit perfectly on the Asrock and the small case is this one:

http://www.idcooling.com/Product/detail/id/170/name/IS-50X (black)
http://www.idcooling.com/Product/detail/id/20/name/IS-50 (silver)

Tried to use the Big Shuriken 2 which I got from a friend but due to the large heat sinks of the mainboard it wouldn't fit.

I also mounted three little coolers on top of the case in order to blow hot air out of it.


----------



## claytoncta

*My new setup*

Node 202
Msi x390 Gaming Edge
Core I7 9700
Corsair Lpx 2x8gb 2666mhz
Adata Xpg gammix s11 1tb
Seasonic 650W SFX Focus
Galax 2080 ti sg
Noctua Nh-9li

Still assembleing and can tell 2080 ti sg from galax has bend a little bit near the bracket because is a 2.5 slot item. so forget cards bigger than that. 
Later I will post some pictures.


----------



## claytoncta

So these are my first impressions

1. i7 9700 gets hot on Noctua Nh9 so I had to buy 3 Noctuas 120x15 so my temps on cpu die come from 90(with throtle) to 80 Under Load
2. 2080 ti sg from galax comes from 87 to 84 under load. 
3. The Noctuas have to be on full rpm and this with my gpu fans at full make my build loud at gaming. (58db at 1cm from the case) but dead silence at normal use. 

after all im very satisfied with my build. 58db is not that loud because from the couch I get 40 db. Its very ok to me.


----------



## deafboy

Work just gave me one of these cases yesterday, had no intentions of building a new HTPC but that might be happening. Looking forward to reviewing this thread and seeing what you guys have done with this thing


----------



## SirTw1st

Hey guys - just registered and wanted to maybe get some of you interested in looking at my Node 202 build with a cpu fan duct mod. Posted it all on reddit:


https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/comments/ecl6fu/node_202_build_with_cpu_fan_duct_mod_resulting_in/


hope offsite links are okay


----------



## deafboy

SirTw1st said:


> Hey guys - just registered and wanted to maybe get some of you interested in looking at my Node 202 build with a cpu fan duct mod. Posted it all on reddit:
> 
> 
> https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/comments/ecl6fu/node_202_build_with_cpu_fan_duct_mod_resulting_in/
> 
> 
> hope offsite links are okay


Thank you! This is great, I have a feeling I might give something like this a go for my future build


----------



## kgtuning

claytoncta said:


> So these are my first impressions
> 
> 1. i7 9700 gets hot on Noctua Nh9 so I had to buy 3 Noctuas 120x15 so my temps on cpu die come from 90(with throtle) to 80 Under Load
> 2. 2080 ti sg from galax comes from 87 to 84 under load.
> 3. The Noctuas have to be on full rpm and this with my gpu fans at full make my build loud at gaming. (58db at 1cm from the case) but dead silence at normal use.
> 
> after all im very satisfied with my build. 58db is not that loud because from the couch I get 40 db. Its very ok to me.


What is the 9700 running for voltage?


----------



## Antoine1

Hello,

I have a Node 202 build actually using 2 nf-s12b-redux-1200-pwm in the GPU chamber: https://noctua.at/fr/nf-s12b-redux-1200-pwm and following to some readings above, I'd like to add 2 additionnal NF A4*20 fans.
These fans would be installed as exhaust fans in the CPU chamber

But I'm a little blocked because of some technical questions:
1)I only have one fan header on my mother board Gigabyte B450 Aorus I Pro Wifi >> Can I put all 4 fans on the same header? I would use 3 splitters of 2 in order to be able to plug everything in. I would say yes looking at the total amp of the 4 fans (2*0,075 + 2*0.05) according to what I've read and the specifications of the fans available on producer website?
2)Can I mix voltage of the fans? The 120mm fans are in 12V and I was wondering about buying the 40mm fans in 5.5V https://noctua.at/fr/products/fan/nf-a4x20-pwm/specification

Many thanks in advance

EDIT: a 3rd option just pop up in my head: plug the 2 40mm fans on the CPU fan header with the CPU fan with a splitter. Would it be a better solution?
I actually have a Cryorig C7


----------



## deafboy

Swapped out my noctua N9 this weekend for the IS-60

Miss the look of the black noctua setup buuut the cooling on the IS-60 is noteably better and still very very quiet. Might swap it out for a A12x15 but happy camper

Then put the accellero xtreme III on the Titan and a couple A12x25 fans in the GPU chamber.

Quite impressed with the noise and performance under load now.


----------



## kgtuning

deafboy said:


> Swapped out my noctua N9 this weekend for the IS-60
> 
> Miss the look of the black noctua setup buuut the cooling on the IS-60 is noteably better and still very very quiet. Might swap it out for a A12x15 but happy camper
> 
> Then put the accellero xtreme III on the Titan and a couple A12x25 fans in the GPU chamber.
> 
> Quite impressed with the noise and performance under load now.


I’m looking at the IS-60 too. I wonder how it compares to the big shurikan rev b.


----------



## deafboy

kgtuning said:


> I’m looking at the IS-60 too. I wonder how it compares to the big shurikan rev b.


Depends how you compare it I suppose. The big shurikan I think is still top dog but pretty close, the BS just doesn't have AM4 support.


----------



## kgtuning

deafboy said:


> kgtuning said:
> 
> 
> 
> Iâ€™️m looking at the IS-60 too. I wonder how it compares to the big shurikan rev b.
> 
> 
> 
> Depends how you compare it I suppose. The big shurikan I think is still top dog but pretty close, the BS just doesn't have AM4 support.
Click to expand...

Good to know. I think i will grab an is-60 because I’ll actually have two mitx systems in the next month. One will be a z370/8700k/1080ti and one will be z390/9900k/2080ti so ill run one with my bs and one with the is-60. I know, odd time to upgrade but I can’t wait.


----------



## deafboy

Nice, looking forward to hearing how it works out for you.


----------



## qhash

did someone make some tests whether it is better (by means of cooling efficiency) to have a GPU that is 2 slot thick and 25 mm thick case fans or bigger radiator that is 2,5 slot with only 15mm thick case fans?


----------



## deafboy

Depends a bit on what you're cooling.

There aren't many good 15mm high static pressure fans

I did notice a big improvement though upgrading the cards air cooler and some proper 120mm fans.

The only water cooling setup that I've seen that seemed somewhat reasonable was a XSPC TX240 with some noctua A12x25s on it. But even then, the cooling wasn't all that impressive to me.


----------



## kgtuning

A thicker gpu with good fans probably doesn’t need extra 15mm fans imo. I have a 1080ti ftw3 with 2X120 darkside GTs and there is very little difference with the fans on or off... maybe less then 5c.


----------



## lromixl

Hi guys, will ASUS ROG GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Strix fit in our case?
The guy with 2080 TI strix somehow managed to fit it, so my guesses "yes". And what about card limitation, I've measure case capabilities and it's 310-315 mm length, 130-135 width and 50-60 height. Is this correct?


----------



## Madset

*2.7 slot vcard in a Fractal design Node 202*

Hi everybody. I have a Fractal design Node 202 and I want to buy the ASUS GeForce RTX 2070 Super Overclocked which has a 2.7 slot fan. Product page specify the height of the vcard is 5.8 cm (2.28 inch). Node 202 page specify a 4.7 cm clearance for the vcard but I'm not sure if taking in account the space of the slim case fans the clearance could be more. Is anyone here that have tested a 2.7 slots vcard in a Node 202?

https://www.asus.com/Graphics-Cards/DUAL-RTX2070S-O8G-EVO/specifications/


----------



## deafboy

It's hard to say for sure but you'd definitely be cutting things close.

I have a dual slot card (with the accelero minus fans) with 2 25mm thick fans on the case.

So the card is roughly 36mm thick and the 25mm fans, so 61mm (6.1cm)

And I have maybe a couple mill between the heatsink and fans at best


----------



## kgtuning

Yeah I have a evga 1080 ti ftw3 that is dual slot with to Gentle Typhoons and Im pretty sure you couldn’t fit a piece of paper between them. I think a 2.7 slot card with 15mm fan might fit but what is the point of slim fans in this situation? I think just turning up the gpu fans to compensate would work. Im actually looking at a 2080ti aorus extreme card that “I think” would be similar in size. Id just take out my GT fans.


----------



## Madset

*Madset*

Thanks for your responses, I am concern about thermals if I remove the case fans in order to put the Asus dual evo OC shroud. Someone said to me that I could remove the shroud of the card and use the case fans but I don't know if is worthy. I mean, the only reason for buying the ASUS 2070S Evo OC is the price (489 USD in newegg but I also could buy a 500USD EVGA 2 slot 2070S and don't lose the two fans. What do you guys think is better? What about an external case fans modding? I'm using two Corsair Air Series AF120 25mm thick fans, maybe I could modify the case in order to install the fans externally, but I not sure how.


----------



## deafboy

That'd kind of defeat the point mounting fans externally don't you think?

I see no reason you'd have to have the cards heatsinks fans on there if you had case fans in. I don't.

the corsair AF fans wouldn't be very good for that though, their static pressure sucks.


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

hi guys - I am debating upgrading my HTPC's guts in this case but wanted to see what the community has learned about newer parts. 

Right now I have an i7 7700 delidded with liquid metal under a Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B but with a fan swap to a thin Noctua that barely fits without the case air filter installed. 
For graphics, I have an MSI Geforce GTX 1070 Gaming X dual fan card which fits fine above two Noctua NF-A12x25 fans.

I'd like to upgrade to an x570 board + Ryzen 7 3700x, and the graphics card for the quietest 2080 Ti that will fit but I'm not sure these 2.75-slot cards will fit and I see a few comments about them lately.

Are any of you running AM4 chips, and if so which cooler + fan did you opt for?

and for graphics cards, what is the largest one we've managed to fit while keeping full size 120mm case fans?


----------



## deafboy

I don't have an x570 board but I have the IS-60 heatsink with a Noctua A12x15 Chromax on it. Fits just fine with the filter still installed.

Graphics card, I haven't had any issues but haven't used a huge card since I use the accelero cooler + the A12x25 noctuas


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

deafboy said:


> I don't have an x570 board but I have the IS-60 heatsink with a Noctua A12x15 Chromax on it. Fits just fine with the filter still installed.
> 
> Graphics card, I haven't had any issues but haven't used a huge card since I use the accelero cooler + the A12x25 noctuas


ooh thanks, I'd never even heard of that company!


----------



## lromixl

So I've built a Ryzen based pc. 3700x + Zotac 2070s AMP. You will regret when you choosing "hot" and powerful parts like that. For CPU I decided to stick with Noctua L9 + additional 92mm fan on it the reason why I choose that cooler is that my AsRock motherboard x570 with a tall radiator for vrms. If you have space on your MB (mine doesn't) for "fat" cooler just pick ID cooling is 60 with 6 heat pipes and much larger radiator... And you must undervolting your CPU and GPU to keep temp acceptable. Long story short IDLE temps for 3700x 60c with 0.93V and precision boost turned off and for GPU idle temp is 40-45 c. Under heavy load such as unreal engine4 light baking, blender benchmarks I have CPU temps around 76-77 Celsius, and for GPU such as gaming Borderlands 2 at 2k resolution on ultra 60c, heaven benchmarks 70c


----------



## Kalm_Traveler

lromixl said:


> So I've built a Ryzen based pc. 3700x + Zotac 2070s AMP. You will regret when you choosing "hot" and powerful parts like that. For CPU I decided to stick with Noctua L9 + additional 92mm fan on it the reason why I choose that cooler is that my AsRock motherboard x570 with a tall radiator for vrms. If you have space on your MB (mine doesn't) for "fat" cooler just pick ID cooling is 60 with 6 heat pipes and much larger radiator... And you must undervolting your CPU and GPU to keep temp acceptable. Long story short IDLE temps for 3700x 60c with 0.93V and precision boost turned off and for GPU idle temp is 40-45 c. Under heavy load such as unreal engine4 light baking, blender benchmarks I have CPU temps around 76-77 Celsius, and for GPU such as gaming Borderlands 2 at 2k resolution on ultra 60c, heaven benchmarks 70c


Oh that's disconcerting. 

The 7700 and gtx 1070 I have in there right now both stay fairly cool when when being used for gaming. 

I'd hoped that the 3700x being the same TDP and 7nm would run about as hot as my non-k 7700 😭


----------



## deafboy

I had the L9 before moving to the IS-60, big difference in temps and noise

I obviously can't speak to the 3700x but I wouldn't be too worried about it.


----------



## kgtuning

So I decided it was a good idea to stuff a Gigabyte 2080ti Aorus extreme into the 202... well this card overwhelms this case with heat within minutes. It’s a 2.5 slot card and fits with minor mod of the case. But i ended up cutting the top cover to vent.


----------



## deafboy

Dang, that think fills up every little bit of that compartment, haha

Let's see the cut!


----------



## kgtuning

deafboy said:


> Dang, that think fills up every little bit of that compartment, haha
> 
> Let's see the cut!


Still very rough but gets the job done. But I’m pretty sure I’m going to a larger case. Trying to keep this 9900k and 2080ti cool has been quite the adventure.


----------



## deafboy

Haha, I mean that looks amazing but that's not exactly what I had invisioned when you said cut.

And yeah, I hear ya. I've been keeping my eyes out for other cases. My temps have been...okay. But not as cool as I'd like, granted mine is in a tight space.


----------



## kgtuning

deafboy said:


> Haha, I mean that looks amazing but that's not exactly what I had invisioned when you said cut.
> 
> And yeah, I hear ya. I've been keeping my eyes out for other cases. My temps have been...okay. But not as cool as I'd like, granted mine is in a tight space.


Thank you. I still have the metal panel that goes over the top shell so at any point i can cover that “vent” and noone can see the cut. Pretty sure you could do the same thing with the bottom shell where the two 120 mm fans go..


----------



## deafboy

Metal panel?

I don't know if I've looked at the cover close enough to ever notice that.

I have my 2 120mm gpu fans in exhause though to help with CPU air circulation so that might hurt me a bit haha.


----------



## kgtuning

deafboy said:


> Metal panel?
> 
> I don't know if I've looked at the cover close enough to ever notice that.
> 
> I have my 2 120mm gpu fans in exhause though to help with CPU air circulation so that might hurt me a bit haha.


Yes, the top and bottom shells are made up of a plastic panel AND a metal panel. If you take off the top shell, look at the inside of it... you will see little tabs that are bent inward. If you unbend them then the metal panel will release. The bottom shell will do the same.


----------



## deafboy

kgtuning said:


> Yes, the top and bottom shells are made up of a plastic panel AND a metal panel. If you take off the top shell, look at the inside of it... you will see little tabs that are bent inward. If you unbend them then the metal panel will release. The bottom shell will do the same.


Interesting! Had no idea but that makes sense, definitely has some heft to it.

Will have to take a look the next time I work on it.

Can't wait for the Noctua A12x25 chromax fans to come out

Current config:

https://i.imgur.com/SQQ3dKL.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DaT6shx.jpg


----------



## kgtuning

deafboy said:


> kgtuning said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, the top and bottom shells are made up of a plastic panel AND a metal panel. If you take off the top shell, look at the inside of it... you will see little tabs that are bent inward. If you unbend them then the metal panel will release. The bottom shell will do the same.
> 
> 
> 
> Interesting! Had no idea but that makes sense, definitely has some heft to it.
> 
> Will have to take a look the next time I work on it.
> 
> Can't wait for the Noctua A12x25 chromax fans to come out
> 
> Current config:
> 
> https://i.imgur.com/SQQ3dKL.jpg
> https://i.imgur.com/DaT6shx.jpg
Click to expand...

Those chromax fans look great, i was looking at the slim version. By the looks of your titan it looks like you don’t have regular gpu fans except the noctua?


----------



## deafboy

kgtuning said:


> Those chromax fans look great, i was looking at the slim version. By the looks of your titan it looks like you don’t have regular gpu fans except the noctua?


Correct. The noctuas are pretty much touching the accellero. Has seemed to be working well, so far.

Found a pic:

https://i.imgur.com/aNxu0mJ.jpg

Then the CPU heatsink super tight by the ram

https://i.imgur.com/Sm0jHzE.jpg


----------



## kgtuning

deafboy said:


> kgtuning said:
> 
> 
> 
> Those chromax fans look great, i was looking at the slim version. By the looks of your titan it looks like you donâ€™️t have regular gpu fans except the noctua?
> 
> 
> 
> Correct. The noctuas are pretty much touching the accellero. Has seemed to be working well, so far.
> 
> Found a pic:
> 
> https://i.imgur.com/aNxu0mJ.jpg
> 
> Then the CPU heatsink super tight by the ram
> 
> https://i.imgur.com/Sm0jHzE.jpg
Click to expand...

What does the temperatures for the titan look like under load? 

My 2080ti with the side cut open sits at around 70 after quite sometime.


----------



## deafboy

kgtuning said:


> What does the temperatures for the titan look like under load?
> 
> My 2080ti with the side cut open sits at around 70 after quite sometime.


Things definitely get toastier than I'd like

CPU: 42c idle / 82c load

GPU: 36c idle / 75c load


----------



## jaze21

Hi guys, I need help with my node 202. I had my rig built by a computer shop a few years ago. I wanted remove the GPU but it has a support piece that is blocking the GPU from moving away, and to remove that support piece, it seems like I need to open the back side of the case, and to do that I need to unhook the hooks of the back case, but some of the hooks are hidden under the GPU. Can anyone help how to remove this support piece and GPU? Thanks!


----------



## kgtuning

jaze21 said:


> Hi guys, I need help with my node 202. I had my rig built by a computer shop a few years ago. I wanted remove the GPU but it has a support piece that is blocking the GPU from moving away, and to remove that support piece, it seems like I need to open the back side of the case, and to do that I need to unhook the hooks of the back case, but some of the hooks are hidden under the GPU. Can anyone help how to remove this support piece and GPU? Thanks! /forum/images/smilies/smile.gif


Just unscrew the 3 screws on the cross brace and rear panel, remove the screw on the IO panel and lift the gpu and bracket out after you release the pci riser and power cables.


----------



## jaze21

kgtuning said:


> Just unscrew the 3 screws on the cross brace and rear panel, remove the screw on the IO panel and lift the gpu and bracket out after you release the pci riser and power cables.


Thanks! I'll give it a try next time. I saw a pic on your node 202 rig and it seems that you don't use the support piece? will it be okay for a full sized GPU to not have the support piece? will it sag or anything? I put the case vertically with the GPU on the bottom section.


----------



## rares495

jaze21 said:


> Thanks! I'll give it a try next time. I saw a pic on your node 202 rig and it seems that you don't use the support piece? will it be okay for a full sized GPU to not have the support piece? will it sag or anything? I put the case vertically with the GPU on the bottom section.


It's not as risky as in a regular case because worst case scenario the card will just break the two little PCI-E extension pieces, not the full PCI-E slot. But that happening is still very unlikely.


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## kgtuning

jaze21 said:


> kgtuning said:
> 
> 
> 
> Just unscrew the 3 screws on the cross brace and rear panel, remove the screw on the IO panel and lift the gpu and bracket out after you release the pci riser and power cables.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks! I'll give it a try next time. I saw a pic on your node 202 rig and it seems that you don't use the support piece? will it be okay for a full sized GPU to not have the support piece? will it sag or anything? I put the case vertically with the GPU on the bottom section.
Click to expand...

I had two 120mm fans under the gpu. If you use a full size card i will tell you this... I switched to a 2080ti and without support, the gpu literally warped the rear panel so use the support or use extra fans because the chassis of the 202 will not take the weight.


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## qhash

so I did complete my node202 build - i9600kf w/ BS2, LPX Vengance, Palit RTX2060, SX500-L. The difference in noise and heat in this case vs my old SG13 build (almost same spec, just generation older) went way above I expected. Scythe is extremly loud at its full 2100 RPM speed when Prime95 runs (85 C under load after 30 minutes). Same goes for Palit 2060 - when I play Civ6 and I want to do it without headphones, its like a jet (and thats normally a quiet card). Moreover, 2060 is just a temporary option. The card I have borrowed. I want to put Gigabyte 2070S Gaming OC.. cant think about how hot and loud it will run.
I removed the air filter on the CPU (later on I will add external magnetic one) and did some scrubbing on the border of the vent as I thought my 13mm thick silverstone 140mm will work there just fine.... unfortunately it does not fit :/. I ordered freaky expansive Noctua 15mm fan as there is space where the filter was. Should I also but two more for the GPU chamber? Will that help significantyly? Can't stand how loaud it is right now. Super silent is a must for me. and what about the future - the 2070S?

edit: also, whatever I am going to apply (intake fans, GPU change) when I touch the side of the case where the back of the GPU is, its so hot that I wonder if the case did not became a heatsink  one can't do nothing about it. How this work for you guys?


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## qhash

I did some basic measurements. Measurement device has a great system error I can't test - its my P20Pro with sound meter from play store. Noise level is 34 dB. Prime95 is causing ScytheFan (I guess thats Stlipstream?) to reach 49dB and 100C on my CPU (when HWInfo shows 150Watt - dont know why) from time to time, but mostly 80 C @ 95W. Noctua A12x15 does the same with respect to temperature levels, but at much lower 46dB. 
The latter one is way better at middle loads. Also the sound "feeling" is way better with Noctua at all load levels.
GPU stays at 86 C when stressed by Furmark reaching over 7600 points @FHD preset, so no throttling, but at 3500RPM and 52dB.. so jet speed . No intake fans.
One Noctua intake fan added and temperature of the GPU under load went down to 75 C and RPMs to 2500, all @ 46dB. 
All measurements were taken from the distance of ~1m.
Maybe someone will find this useful as a reference.
I could get it below 40dB under load keeping GPU @ 75 C and CPU @ 80 C I would be more than happy.


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## Madset

kgtuning said:


> So I decided it was a good idea to stuff a Gigabyte 2080ti Aorus extreme into the 202... well this card overwhelms this case with heat within minutes. It’s a 2.5 slot card and fits with minor mod of the case. But i ended up cutting the top cover to vent.


Hi. I see you mode the powe cable plug to be outside. Could you plz explainme how you do that?


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## qhash

deafboy said:


> Things definitely get toastier than I'd like
> 
> CPU: 42c idle / 82c load
> 
> GPU: 36c idle / 75c load


You push the air onto the GPU or pull it out of the case? I have read that the latter works best for Ncase N1 scenario with Accelero. Maybe this could improve the situation here?


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## deafboy

I have my GPU fans in exhaust.

I think it's mostly just because of my overclock, haha. Overall I'm okay with the temps given the audio and performance levels.


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## qhash

kgtuning said:


> Still very rough but gets the job done. But I’m pretty sure I’m going to a larger case. Trying to keep this 9900k and 2080ti cool has been quite the adventure.


what is the fan you are using? is it the new scythe, the one that is 17mm thick?


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## qhash

deafboy said:


> I have my GPU fans in exhaust.
> 
> I think it's mostly just because of my overclock, haha. Overall I'm okay with the temps given the audio and performance levels.


did you do a research on the fans? I was wondering, if you set them as exhaust should you choose by airflow or static pressure?


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## kgtuning

qhash said:


> what is the fan you are using? is it the new scythe, the one that is 17mm thick?


Yes I got the new Scythe fan.... but it made only a degree or two difference. I've actually gone to a Fractal define 7. BUT I wanted to try putting one of my Darkside GTs at 2500rpms on the SFF cooler and it made next to no difference. So that says to me that the cooler/thermal paste is at it's best as possible. Good luck on your SFF adventure.


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## deafboy

qhash said:


> did you do a research on the fans? I was wondering, if you set them as exhaust should you choose by airflow or static pressure?


Why not both?! haha. Went with an all-around good fan with the dual Noctua A12x25


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## NewMember

*Quiet and cool with no GPU?*

I'm looking to build a small desktop using the Node 202 to be used for programming, Matlab, and various office productivity programs, but I want the PC to be extremely quiet. I've seen a lot of conversation about trying to cool the case with various GPUs, but was curious how hot the case gets without any GPU at all. There are some larger Fractal cases with sound proofing that run cool, but I'd like to use the Node 202 if possible.

I was thinking of using an I5-9600K without overclocking, using the integrated graphics instead of a GPU, probably a Noctua CPU heatsink, Silent Wings fans, and an SSD. Based on that, do you think the Node 202 will run cool enough and stay quiet? 

Also, did anyone try the Integra SFX 450 power supply? If so, how was the noise? I've read a few posts indicating it is pretty loud. If so, are there any recommendations for a quiet SFF power supply?


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## deafboy

The GPU really doesn't effect the CPU temps at all since they're in different compartments. The stock PSU is kind of meh.

The Corsair SF450/600/750 are all pretty quiet these days.


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## SonofNoob

Since the Scythe Big Shuriken 2 is discontinued. What’s the next best thing to cool a socket 1150 in a node 202


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## deafboy

IS-60 is your next best bet


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## qhash

the big upside of the IS-60 is that it will fit node202 with a 20mm fan on the top - mine arrived yestarday (after 6 months with one unsuccessful delivery attempt) so I will do some testing soon


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## deafboy

6 months?! I assume you're not in the US?


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## gerikoh

Anyone using a Thermalright AXP-100 in this case? I got a full copper version and the temps are idling on the high side and the fan gets loud every 5 secs which doesn't make any sense this is supposed to be the best low-profile cooler out there (and I really had a hard time in acquiring it and paid $200 including shipping). xD

It performs really well outside the case so I guess it's probably because it's already stretching the height limit since the cooler is 58mm, which is 2mm taller. I've seen some forums where they said they modded the cooler to fit or some had changed the to a shorter one. So I bought an IDC IS-30 and swap the fans. That way it would be 56mm and hopefully solves the problem.

Anyone that had gone through this? Would like your thoughts on this. Thanks


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## Von Dudemeister

*Speedholes(tm)*

Hello Beautiful People,

This thread is great. I would like to add something. c:

The 5700 XT Red Dragon was overheating out of the box. I added two Arctic P12 and changed to [email protected] / [email protected] The vertical stand was ditched for some 3D-printed stands that add plenty of room under the case. This was not enough. I cut some speedholes in the GPU chamber. 

https://ibb.co/NVmbKxq
https://ibb.co/vvnyJcD
https://ibb.co/s9YxkNb
https://ibb.co/h9s4jw9

I cleaned the edges and think about adding a nice bevel. Yet, no one is ever going to see those holes. The Node 202 is needy. If want to see the other ghetto mods I posted on Reddit a while ago. Who needs screws to mount a fan to CPU sink anyway? https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/comments/h8sc9i/red_dragon_5700_xt_in_node_202/


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## gerikoh

So I got the IDC IS-30 and got to test around with this case. Using ThermalGrizzly Kryonaut and stock fan curves with the Gigabyte X570 I Aorus Pro WiFi/

Here are the results with my R5 3600:

*AXP-100 Full Copper (Stock fan)*
*Idle:* 44c, 39dB
*Load:* 73c, 45dB

*AXP-100 Full Copper (IS-30 fan)*
*Idle:* 44c, 31dB
*Load:* 75c, 46dB

*IS-30 (Stock fan)*
*Idle:* 46c, 35dB
*Load:* 80c, 47dB

*IS-30 (AXP-100 fan)*
*Idle:* 46c, 35dB
*Load:* 79c, 47dB

*Ryzen Stealth*
*Idle:* 55c, 26dB
*Load:* 83c, 36dB

I'm keeping the stealth since the other two are just way too noisy even on idle. But what I've noticed is that this case loves thick high SP fans, otherwise the slim fans will just be way too loud.

But maybe I'll toy around with the fan curves and if it's still too loud, I'll just buy the Noctua. xD


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## Newbie2009

SonofNoob said:


> Since the Scythe Big Shuriken 2 is discontinued. What’s the next best thing to cool a socket 1150 in a node 202


Custom loop


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## qhash

deafboy said:


> 6 months?! I assume you're not in the US?


I am in Europe.This is quite a nishe product so ali does not keep any stocks in EU. Its just that at first there were shortages, then there was the spring outbreak, then they lost the package... you know, standard Murphys law squared


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## qhash

Newbie2009 said:


> Custom loop


how you would like to cram a radiator inside the node202? where?


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## qhash

just bought 5600X. Paired it with IS60 w/ noctua. Idle 30C/gaming 50-58/Prime 68C. Great setup. Cool, quiet and performing enough


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## markhimself

I'm pleased to have almost finished my Node 202 build. I was lucky to get an RTX 3070 within days of release but like the GTX 980 I had inside before, the temps were insane! This thing heats up like a space heater. All the new RTX cards have that new port hole at the back that exhausts air through the card, so I decided to cut a hole in the top of the case to match. This has dramatically improved temperatures - around 10-15oC lower and able to hold its boost clocks now. Got the issue with the Noctua CPU fan recycling hot air so I've ordered a Shuriken 2 which is coming this week, I'm going to set that to reverse and blow hot air out the top as well so hopefully that works. On the GPU side I've got 2 fans blowing cold air in creating enough pressure to push the hot air from the GPU out the rear, side and top of the case. Now I wish I had more space for drives as I have a 1tb SSD, 2tb 2.5" HDD and a 1tb m.2 from Sabrent. It's an excellent little box, I've been loving playing Red Dead Redemption 2 at Ultra settings at 4K.


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## markhimself

Got that Big Shuriken installed now.

The retention plate under the board was a bit difficult to fit as the rear motherboard hole isn't quite large enough for the clamp but I made it work


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## qhash

how is the BS2 working for you? for me IS60v2 is far more efficient thus quiter. the GPU is always a problem in such a small cases. I always thought that the bigger radiator in an SFF case the better the cooling will be. I have proven myself wrong by testing several GPUs inside my node 202 in the last couple of months. I have started with 2070 Supers - had Gigabyte Gaming OC, Palit GamingPro, KFA2 and PNY Dual and then had Gigabyte 5700 XT Aorus with power cable connector removed ( I did direct connection with cable routerd through the hole). The latter one was a beast . Now I did compare ZOTAC 3070 Twin Edge OC and ASUS 3070 TUF Gaming OC. ASUS is one of the best 3070 and 3080 cards there are. And guess what? The bigger cards were never as quiet and as cool as advertised and reviewed while the thinner cards w/ additional fans were performing almost as expected (of course usually louder, but not much hotter). ZOTAC is able to sustain constant load and clock of 1950MHz while ASUS was fluctuating and giving wery different results each and every time.

The idea of an additional vent is great


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## markhimself

qhash said:


> how is the BS2 working for you? for me IS60v2 is far more efficient thus quiter. the GPU is always a problem in such a small cases. I always thought that the bigger radiator in an SFF case the better the cooling will be. I have proven myself wrong by testing several GPUs inside my node 202 in the last couple of months. I have started with 2070 Supers - had Gigabyte Gaming OC, Palit GamingPro, KFA2 and PNY Dual and then had Gigabyte 5700 XT Aorus with power cable connector removed ( I did direct connection with cable routerd through the hole). The latter one was a beast . Now I did compare ZOTAC 3070 Twin Edge OC and ASUS 3070 TUF Gaming OC. ASUS is one of the best 3070 and 3080 cards there are. And guess what? The bigger cards were never as quiet and as cool as advertised and reviewed while the thinner cards w/ additional fans were performing almost as expected (of course usually louder, but not much hotter). ZOTAC is able to sustain constant load and clock of 1950MHz while ASUS was fluctuating and giving wery different results each and every time.
> 
> The idea of an additional vent is great


The BS2 is a big improvement in the Noctua I had as the smaller heatsink caused the recycling of hot air and it had no where to dump it especially on the left side where there's no exhaust between the CPU and GPU sides... Having the CPU fan on a pull configuration and 2 fans on the side blowing air in has resolved this for me, it's much quieter and cooler now. The exhaust hole for the GPU worked wonders too I highly recommend doing the same. I can play my games maxed at 4k and it's barely audible now. It's quite surprising how hot the air is pushed out the top of the 202 

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk


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## NN PianoMan

I was upgrading our Win 10 server leading up to the holidays (upgraded the MB & CPU plus went SSD to increase throughput); so I took the spare parts leftover and built my second 202 which will be a dedicated VR PC for the Oculus Quest 2 coming in a few days.

Existing Intel DQ67EP/i5 2400/8GB Kingston DDR3, ADATA SSD, WD Scorpio HDD for data/games (leftover from another laptop SSD transplant) and added a GTX 1660 Ti plus an IS-47K cooler. Settled for a smaller offering of ID Cooling's cost-effective line of coolers as the Intel MB doesn't allow for much tweakage to require a larger cooling solution. Great case (the first is in the son's cave as a Steam box), fits easily inside the media cabinet in the living room.


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## timattard

Hello guys and girls, after some node 202 advice!

So im looking to build a new rig thats more portable (Currently use a 9kg 37L case) and looking at the Node 202 but my issue thats holding me back is i like to run low temps, currently i never see above 50c on my build during stress testing. I know im going to have to sacrifice some cooling to reduce size but want to do the best i can in the Node.

To that end what would be the best cooling set up, ive read the forum and done a load of reseach and narrowed it down to:
Sythe Big Shuriken 3 
ID-Cooling IS-60 (Cant find it in stock anywhere)
Noctua NH-L12S (Cheapest and fits)
Thermalright AXP-100

I know some of those dont offically fit but im an engineer and dont mind a bit of modding or even cuttting out a 120mm square and leave the fan exposed (I regularly clean the pc and will be in a fairly dust free enviroment)
Will i have any other issues with those coolers?

The build is: Ryzen 5 5600, RTX 3060ti, 16gb Low profile memory.

Any constructive input is most appricated


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## markhimself

timattard said:


> Hello guys and girls, after some node 202 advice!
> 
> So im looking to build a new rig thats more portable (Currently use a 9kg 37L case) and looking at the Node 202 but my issue thats holding me back is i like to run low temps, currently i never see above 50c on my build during stress testing. I know im going to have to sacrifice some cooling to reduce size but want to do the best i can in the Node.
> 
> To that end what would be the best cooling set up, ive read the forum and done a load of reseach and narrowed it down to:
> Sythe Big Shuriken 3
> ID-Cooling IS-60 (Cant find it in stock anywhere)
> Noctua NH-L12S (Cheapest and fits)
> Thermalright AXP-100
> 
> I know some of those dont offically fit but im an engineer and dont mind a bit of modding or even cuttting out a 120mm square and leave the fan exposed (I regularly clean the pc and will be in a fairly dust free enviroment)
> Will i have any other issues with those coolers?
> 
> The build is: Ryzen 5 5600, RTX 3060ti, 16gb Low profile memory.
> 
> Any constructive input is most appricated


You'll definitely not get the temperatures you was getting in your old case. My system was a 3700x and RTX 3070 and my CPU reaches around 89-90oC on load, GPU sits around 80-83oC. I had to cut a hole out the top panel of the case so that the GPU could exhaust out the top, this dramatically helped with temps. Without this I would see GPU temps over 100oC.


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## timattard

markhimself said:


> You'll definitely not get the temperatures you was getting in your old case. My system was a 3700x and RTX 3070 and my CPU reaches around 89-90oC on load, GPU sits around 80-83oC. I had to cut a hole out the top panel of the case so that the GPU could exhaust out the top, this dramatically helped with temps. Without this I would see GPU temps over 100oC.


thanks for the info, i know i wont reach my current temps but id like sub 75, I've had an idea of modding a 240/280 AIO to the case on the rear of the GPU so the 2 fans would force cool air in, over the gpu and out through the aio which will have another 2 fans. any reason why this wouldnt work? Obviously wont look great but i dont really care about looks and still remains fairly small and compact


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## NN PianoMan

So you want the airflow to go case GPU grille, GPU intake fans, GPU, then (???) AIO fans, and finally AIO? Will the latter two be outside the case? How will air go from the GPU intake fans and thru the GPU (the reason why I put the (???) in the previous sentence)? I'm thinking you're going to open up the top of the case where the GPU is so air and flow out to the AIO, but it's gotta get around the GPU PCB first.

(Apologize if I'm misinterpreting what you're suggesting above)


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## timattard

NN PianoMan said:


> So you want the airflow to go case GPU grille, GPU intake fans, GPU, then (???) AIO fans, and finally AIO? Will the latter two be outside the case? How will air go from the GPU intake fans and thru the GPU (the reason why I put the (???) in the previous sentence)? I'm thinking you're going to open up the top of the case where the GPU is so air and flow out to the AIO, but it's gotta get around the GPU PCB first.
> 
> (Apologize if I'm misinterpreting what you're suggesting above)


Yeah thats basically my idea, the RTX 3070 is 54mm thick, 3 fans.... they will suck air in through the grill, push over the GPU. they have a rear plate hole to allow air through but most will be pushed out the sides, then the aio fans will suck that air (all be it quite warm) and push it through the aio rad. JaysTwoCents did it on a mod he did - Node 202 Aio Mod


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## NN PianoMan

Yes - I figured if you want to invest the time, effort, and moolah - you can really do anything to any case you've got. If you're up to the challenge, go for it - pics or it didn't happen.

I was wondering - if you're looking for portability, why not look at mini-ITX/micro-ATX compact box cases with handles (Jonsbo, Lian-Li, etc.)? You'll get more airspace and cooling power over something that's designed to go into a media shelf.


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## markhimself

timattard said:


> Yeah thats basically my idea, the RTX 3070 is 54mm thick, 3 fans.... they will suck air in through the grill, push over the GPU. they have a rear plate hole to allow air through but most will be pushed out the sides, then the aio fans will suck that air (all be it quite warm) and push it through the aio rad. JaysTwoCents did it on a mod he did - Node 202 Aio Mod


I'm not a fan at all of the mod JayTwoCents did there, the external cooler looks messy. The case looks nice with everything enclosed.


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## pyroteck

First time posting, but I wanted to share some pictures of recent updates to my little node with other node owners (former owners?)
Reviving the thread for those keeping the 202 alive


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## 2080tiowner

Hi all,

First modification on my node 202 :


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## EuphoriaZX

Hey all! Any of you have tried fitting a 7900xt into Node 202?
I am split between that or waiting for 4700 ti... which should be smaller... hopefully and less power hungry...

I currently have a rtx 2080


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