Fractal Design Node 605 Black Aluminum/Steel ATX HTPC/Media Center Computer Case

Pros: This case is attractive and the best quality i have ever seen in a computer case! the case is made of solid heavy steel. and it looks like a piece of stereo equipment which is what i was looking for, and it fits 120mm fans, so it can still get good airflow and yet be quiet. which is also another reason that i bought it. when building a HTPC for audio, you can't have your computer sounding like a vacuum cleaner. It has a fan speed controller located on the right side, when paired with a few quiet fans this case is practically silent.

Cons: The fans that come with the case are decent but could be a bit quieter, i can hear them in a quiet room. the white metal brackets that hold the hard drives in place could be a bit more sturdy. also, when using a cd/dvd rom drive you cannot fit a full atx motherboard in this case.

Overall Review: I have purchased other cases in the past through online retailers and sometimes when they arrive they aren't the same quality as the images lead you to believe. (cough cough Lian-Li) I found this case in a local store on display and as able to check it out. i could tell this was a much higher quality product than the other ones i saw, so i bought it right then. if i had known at the time it was available here @newegg i would of bought it here and saved some money. I bought this to fit in my entertainment center with my stereo equipment, and it does nicely. it looks great. if i ever have a need for another one like this i won't hesitate to buy it again, this time it will be from newegg.

Pros: Awesome case for a media center. Mixes awesome with my receiver and looks the part. Easy to put together a system in this case.

Cons: Wiring can be an issue with this case so be sure to plan it out beforehand.

Overall Review: If you are looking for a case for a HTPC that fits a standard size motherboard choose this case, you won't be dissapointed

Pros: Sleek and Beautiful. Quiet, keeps everything cool. I'm usuing five 120mm fans total and I never hear a thing when im using my machine. Fits a full ATX board. Inconspicuous in my room, very small power indicator. Fan control built into case.

Cons: None. Just make sure to read the specs so you are aware what you are buying, user errors should never be considered cons.

Overall Review: Bought his case because I wanted to build a high end gaming PC in a case that didn't look like it fell off an alien space ship. Exceeds my expectations in every way. I put a full ATX motherboard in the case, two GTX 680 Superclocked graphics cards, four 120mm case fans (two come included with the case, pre-installed), a 750w power supply, and a low profile heat sync on my i7 3770k chip. The cable management is divine and my heat levels are extremely low with great airflow throughout the case. This is without a doubt the future of next gen gaming, HTPC cases that provide the ultimate gaming experience. Some things to be aware of for all users: 1. If you put an ATX motherboard in this case, there is no room for an optical disk drive (DVD, Bluray, etc). This will be a dealbreaker for some but with the future of digital dowloads growing this shouldn't be a big deal. 2. The case comes with two hard drive cages that can mount up to four hard drives (SSD or or standard) they hang in the case and it is very sleek BUT if you want to install high end graphics cards (Nividia GTX 660 and above or relative AMD equivalent) they almost all measure 11'' long meaning that you will have to remove at least one hard drive cage limiting you to two hard drives instead of four. 3. The case is not very deep. This means that you will need to shop around for a low profile heat sync for your chipset. Liquid cooling is not an option for this case reaslistically with a full ATX motherboard due to the fan set up built into the case and space constraints. I bought a Silverstone NT06-PRO low profile fan from Newegg and its working fabulously. Final Thoughts: Whether you're building a home theatre system and just need a quiet HTPC or are going to build a gaming powerhouse this case displays a versatility and amazing look that warrants the price tag. I highly reccomend this product. *All my advice is from a full ATX motherboard perspective, mATX and ITX boards will not have some of the space constraint issues I did so good luck and build an awesome machine!

Pros: Perfect sized case for what I needed. - Fits in carry on luggage size requirement box - Fits regular ATX motherboard and PSU - Solid, non-flashy construction - Does not look like a bomb - Three 120mm fan and two 80mm fan locations - Fits Corsair H60 radiator inside (See other thoughts)

Cons: - A tad heavier than I'd like - Some screws almost stripped, so use the right size driver - Dust screens inhibit airflow, so use higher SP fans - Fan locations could probably be a few mm higher so they clear the motherboard better - Radeon 7970 (MSI) pushes against hard drive chassis - Wish the Fractal Design logo wasn't so big in the front All fairly minor cons

Overall Review: I wanted a case that would fit as carry on luggage for my flights to semi-annual LAN parties. I wanted to follow the rules and fit within the 9"x14"x22" allowance, so I don't get any flack from the gate agents/TSA. Almost no who flies actually could fit their carry on bag in those tiny slots next to the gate, but this case will. I also wanted a case that would fit the existing ASUS P9X79 LE motherboard and Rosewill 750W power supplier (semi modular) that I already own, as well as MSI Radeon 7970. I didn't want to break the bank buying a $200 mATX board and custom PSU as well as a case, along with the other expenses of fitting into those micro chassis. The last, but definitely not least, I wanted this thing to be as cool as possible. Any aircooler you can find that fits in this case will not cool an overclocked Intel 3820 LGA2011 chip. I looked. Any tower cooler in this needs to be within 128mm, which all decent ones using 120mm fans will not. Regular non-tower coolers are super wide and have problems clearing RAM, or are just complete trash. The only exception was some Noctua and Cooler Master Geminii ones, but I have the big Vengeance RAM with massive fins as if I am compensating for something. So I tried the Corsair H60 with this. At first, I attempted to get enough positive pressure in the case with all fans set to intake, so I could mount the radiator without a fan. There isn't enough depth clearance to mount it with a fan. There is only one 120mm fan mount where the radiator fits; the one near the front of case, opposite the PSU. I had to remove the three position switch in order to do this. This was working. Passively mounted with only the positive pressure pushing air through, working at stock speeds and volts. It wasn't awesome, it worked... But I wanted more. So I removed the screen entirely where the radiator was mounted, and stuck a high SP fan on the OUTSIDE of the case, blowing in on the radiator. Slapped the screen over the top of the fan (to protect the fins and keep dust out). I had the 80mm fans on exhaust, but all 120mm fans on intake. Much better. So there it is with a little bit of a tumor on the case now. But it's all black, has a screen over it. I just think of it as a hood scoop on a muscle car. I have that 3820 at 4.3Ghz (3.6 is stock) with 1.328 Vcore, idling at 36 celsius. Load is at 74 celsius (30 minutes prime95 blend). I could probably get more clocks with those volts, but I wanted to test heat dissipation without stability problems first, cause I already know the limits on this CPU. Anyway, temps are higher than the Corsair H100, Carbide mid-tower case this all came from, but much better than I imagined I would get in this case with this cooler! I am ready to fly and ready to LAN... Should run UT 2004 and Mount and Blade real nicely now... ;) Maybe we will play something from this decade too. Oh the things we do to get our computer guts across the country.

Pros: This thing is SHARP. Has the look and feel of a high-end AV component. Superior build quality, with a nice finish inside and out. Design that crams a full ATX board, up to 4 3.5 drives, and a slimline optical drive into box that is the right depth for your component stack. Modular setup (removable HDD cages and center mounting rail) makes most parts of assembly a breeze.

Cons: Slimine optical drive mount is extremely finicky and needs vertical play to allow for height adjustment, as the short side mount was too low and made the drive scrape the opening. This single component took longer to mount than all other components combined. Included mounting screws were too long, jammed my drive. It took a lot of tweaking to get my ODD level and at the correct height. Due to the issue with the too-long mounting screws, I eventually just left the short side unattached, which is fine for my purposes. If you intend to play DVDs or Blu Ray disks, I'd suggest choosing another case anyway... I don't think a slimline drive would be very good for that purpose. I am heartily sick of blinding blue LEDs. I'll eventually dissect my power button to figure out some way to partially block or dim the LED. Expensive. (Worth it, IMO, for something that won't look cheap or out of place in your stack of audio gear.)

Overall Review: Note to builders: Slimline optical drive CAN fit with some ATX length boards. The mobo I chose was 12"x7.6" and I had just under 1/4" between the back of the slimline optical drive and the back of the mobo. The slimline mount is tall enough that it MIGHT be possible to overlap, if necessary. Further note to builders: I didn't realize that a slimline SATA ODD doesn't use a standard SATA power connector, so had to wait a few extra days for an adapter to arrive. Case fans aren't "silent," just considerably better than the vacuum cleaner roar that so many PCs have. My finished build is slightly less loud than a current-gen game console but considerably louder than an iMac. As another reviewer noted, the Fractal Design logo looks obtrusive in pictures, but is subdued and tasteful in person.

Pros: I have built about a dozen or so HTPCs, and I have primarily used silverstone MATX cases because they looked good in entertainment centers and the build quality is excellent. This case takes it to the next level. The build quality is exceptional, and I was able to build a full ATX gaming rig inside.

Cons: none

Overall Review: Despite what the details say, I was able to install a full size 7970 (GIGABYTE GV-R797OC-3GD, 11.4") in the case with a GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD3H motherboard. I was even able to have keep both of the white HDD/SSD mounts installed. I am only using one SSD, and I may have had to figure something else out if I wanted to mount a HDD. Hopefully this info helps if you were wondering the same thing.

Pros: Solid Feel to the Case. Price not too bad, (you pay for what you get). Fits Reg ATX Mobo (MIGHT -see comments- not be able to fit Optical Slim Drive). Looks really sharp and clean from the front, also the bottom panel flips up to hide any blinking access lights (HDD, ODD). Fans - No lights on the fans, they are also Very quiet, which is always nice for a HTPC case. USB 3.0 OR 2.0 Front panel connectors inside (so if you don't have 3.0 mobo, you can still hook them up to 2.0).

Cons: Power light it pretty bright, but I don't mind, just thought if I had to say something. Installing the ODD is a bit of a pain, have to screw it in from under the case

Overall Review: All Products listed in comments were bought here on Newegg at some time or another: I only have one SSD installed on one of the white bays that hang over the ODD, I took the other one out, but basically that is the only thing that is not in my case that others would have (minus any extra pci cards) Bought a 3rd 120mm fan here off newegg, same model. MOBO - Should be noted you CAN install an ATX mobo with an ODD, but it depends on the mobo....as it "Could" block the front panel or SATA connections. This board I'm using fits fine, it's older, but you can research it and see if your board might fit. Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD4P (check here on newegg), barely did not cover the front panel headers, although it did cover some sata and case fan headers...didn't need though. ODD if installed takes up basically 2 1/4" x 1 1/2" if the ODD actually was square, but they have that slant, so it's more like a triangle cover, there is also about 1/2 inch of clearance from mobo to ODD (maybe a little more). Anyhow, just wanted to let everyone know, an ATX mobo might work with an ODD, but I can see why they have to say it won't...just depends on the Mobo. Compare it to the one I listed above and you can check into it. The case is very solid and looks good. PSU - can't be more then 6.5" long or you might not be able to install your ODD. Might want modular, would probably be easier (mine is 5.5" long: EVGA 100-W1-500-KR 500W) cables are little bit crowded, but they fit ok and don't get too much in the way. VIDEO CARD - Can't be more then 10" or you will probably have problems. Sapphire Flex2 HD 7950 3GB Installed and there was barely enough room to plug the power cables in. (I will be taking this card, out, but it is pretty big and fits. CPU COOLER - You have about 5 1/4" - 5 1/2" from the actual top of the mobo to the top of the case, so check your Heatsink.

Pros: - Plenty of room for my components. I got a standard ATX power supply (Antec EA-380D), a relatively short video card (MSI N640GT-MD2GD3), and a MicroATX motherboard (MSI H77MA-G43), and I had more than enough space for everything. - Looks great. The brushed front fits in well with the rest of my components. - Relatively shallow; I only have about 15" of depth in my entertainment center, and this fits with some room for airflow. - Blue power light is dim enough to not distract during movies. - Includes two fans. Not the highest quality, but decent. - Built-in fan speed control switch in front is convenient. - Easy wiring of front inputs/buttons/switches. - Good internal airflow (with some modification; see below). - Sound-dampening material on top seems to be mostly for show, but I'm sure it helps a bit. - Hard drive location ensures good airflow; I only needed one, so I removed the second cage to improve flow even more. - Good array of connectors to use on front if that fits your needs, but I never use them, and the flap flips up to keep the face clean (unlike many Silverstones).

Cons: - The included dust filters can negatively affect airflow quite a bit. Thankfully, each fan has a 2-screen combo, so I simply took one screen per fan out. Airflow was much improved while retaining some dust protection. - Can't install slim optical drive with full ATX motherboard and can't install a full-sized optical drive ever. I opted to skip an optical drive entirely since I haven't used a disc in years. - Expensive. This unit was on sale when I got it, and even though the build quality is great, I still feel like I paid too much. Would like to see it get down to around $110-120 after shipping - Height of the unit limits what CPU cooler you can use (125mm with side fan, 95mm with top fan).

Overall Review: This was my first HTPC, but I've built several PCs over the years, so I'm fairly familiar with cases, and this one didn't disappoint. The threads of all the screws and screw holes were clean, there was no rattling after I got everything back together, all the internal pieces had appropriate clearance, the fan closest to the power supply had a cover, all rivets were firm, etc. Some of the reviews on Newegg and elsewhere noted a lack of airflow, so when I got the case, I also purchased a couple 120mm PWM fans and replaced one of the included 120mm fans in addition to removing part of the dust filter screens. I now have the one original fan running on Low and the other two PWMs controlled by the motherboard, and my phone says it averages around 37dB measured from about a foot in front of the case. We can hear the fans from the couch (12-14ft away) when the room is silent, but it's just a hum, and we never notice them when we're watching/listening to media. As with all computer cases, a bit of cable management goes a long way. I'm just using the retail heatsink/fan combo with my Core i3-3220, and I'm seeing CPU temps of 30°C or slightly below at idle with peaks around 40°C during fairly high activity (applying 70+ Windows Updates in a row). It usually hovers around 33-35°C when streaming/decoding HD video for a few hours. GPU temps are similar. I'm very happy that I got this case and ignored some of the negative reviews online. A lot of the cons in other reviews I see around could have been prevented with more attention to the measurements of the case and components. With some very basic modifications to the fan screens, the addition of one more fan, and good cable management, this keeps my system very cool while staying relatively quiet and looking great on my entertainment center.