Test – Fractal Design Node 202 and SFX 450w: Specs| CPU | Hashrate

Test – Fractal Design Node 202 and Fractal Design Integra SFX 450W| :Specs | Price CPU performance | Advantage and disadvantage, Profitability, and other important information

Offered at a price of around 90 € for the bare version and 160 € for the version with power supply, the Node 202 is a competitor of choice to RVZ02 (or ML08) from Silverstone which is not as sober, while being cheaper. It will accommodate a Home » Tests » Box » [Test] Fractal Design Node 202

We are continuing the tests of mini-ITX boxes which are clearly on the rise lately with the latest addition from Fractal Design, the Node 202! In the program a box in “console” format with a thickness of 8.2 cm (the thinnest ever tested on Conseil Config) that can be installed either vertically or horizontally and is compatible with the largest graphics cards on the market. As silverstone with its RVZ02 Fractal Design has decided not to provide its Node 202 with fans, ventilation will be done passively through the many openings, so care must be taken in the choice of components.
Where Fractal Design hits the nail on the head is that the box exists in 2 versions, a “bare” version and another with an integrated 450 Watt power supply, enough to power a gamer configuration without even worrying about the choice of power supply.

Offered at a recommended price of 90 € without the power supply and 160 € with the power supply, it could be a serious competitor to the RVZ02, let’s take a closer look!

Specification: Fractal Design Node 202

The Node 202 is therefore a case only compatible with mini-ITX motherboards, made of steel and plastic (the cover in particular). The dimensions are the most compact that I could have in my hands in this format, namely 37.7 cm wide by 8.5 cm high and 33 cm deep, all for a weight of 3.5 kg, as much as the configuration will not be bulky or very heavy once mounted.
Despite this small size, it is possible to install a graphics card up to 31 cm, therefore compatible with the vast majority of graphics cards on the market. On the other hand, this small size limits certain components, such as the CPU cooler which will have to be content with a maximum of 5.6 cm in height, this does not leave a lot of choice. In addition to that, it will be necessary here to forget the 3.5 ″ peripherals and the 5.25 ″ reader / writer, indeed it is only possible to install 2 peripherals in 2.5 ″ format (therefore very logically SSDs, or hard disks), as you can guess the Node 202 will not make a good storage server

Offered at a price of around € 90 for the bare version and € 160 for the version with a power supply, it is placed very close to the RVZ02 from Silverstone in its bare version, the version with power supply has no competitor for the moment, however. . Let’s see what Fractal Design offers us with its integrated power supply:

Specification – Fractal Design Integra SFX 450W

Fractal Design Integra SFX 450W
Power	432 Watts for + 12V 120 Watts for + 3.3V and +5 V combined 6 Watts on -12V 12.5 Watts on + 5Vsb
Number of 12v rails	2 x 18A
Certification
Maximum yield	85% / 88% / 85% at 20% / 50% / 100% load
Sound level	Not disclosed
Modular	Non
Protections	OPP / OVP / UVP / SCP / OC
Dimensions	125 x 64 x 100 mm
Format	SFX
MTBF	100,000 hours at 50 °
Capacitors	Japanese
Guarantee	3 years

Fractal Design offers inside its Node 202 an Integra SFX 450 power supply, therefore in the classic SFX format of 12.5 x 6.4 x 10 cm. The 12V which is the voltage most used in a recent PC can provide a maximum of 432 Watts (on 2 rails of 18A each) and the 3.3V and 5V combined 120W, enough to power a gamer configuration without the slightest problem (as long as the ‘you do not type in graphics cards that consume a lot, like an R9 390X for example).

The Integra SFF 450 power supply is 80Plus Bronze certified, which is ultimately the union minimum for a power supply these days, despite all this should ensure a contained heat release.
The power supply is of course equipped with all the safety devices and has an MTBF of 100,000 hours at a temperature of 50 °, which is clearly not nothing when we can see the vast majority of the power supplies given for 40 ° (see 25 °).

The box is very sober, as usual with Fractal Design, on the front there is a drawing of the case as well as of course the brand and the model. A sticker is present when the version has a power supply giving the model, the number of connectors, the 80Plus Bronze certification as well as the 3-year warranty. At the back of the box there is an exploded view of the case showing the different parts.

On the side a table of technical characteristics is present, so you can know everything about the box before buying it.

In the box we find the box wrapped in its plastic bag sandwiched between 2 polystyrene molds, a great classic here which should ensure safe transport (as long as no one jumps on the box with both feet!).

Here is the beast! As usual at Fractal Design the look could not be more sober, the case is entirely black and only the gray logo disturbs everything. The case is made of 2 parts which fit together, the steel part which accommodates the components as well as a cover which covers all the sides. The build quality is really very good, despite the light weight of the Node 202 the whole is solid and will hold without worry over time.

The front is in very good quality granular plastic with a “glossy” border. As we can see the sobriety is clearly there, the box can be placed next to a TV without problem.

The front connector could not be more classic, 2 USB 3.0 ports as well as 2 3.5mm jack connectors for the microphone and the headphones, it will be necessary to be satisfied with it!

At the back we find the 2 white openwork extension brackets as well as the power cord socket, in fact the socket has been deported because the power supply is not directly accessible from the outside.

On the side of the power supply and the motherboard a large grid is present and will allow the hot air to escape from the components. No dust filter here as the air logically only comes out.

On the graphics card side, only a small opening is present in order to evacuate the air spat out by the latter.

Above, sobriety is once again essential, there is only an opening equipped with an anti-dust filter which opens directly on the motherboard, it will therefore be used to let in the fresh air from the outside thanks to the cooler processor.

Below are 2 air vents, one for the power supply and a larger one for the graphics card, both are equipped with a dust filter. Note that we find here the only screws holding in place the cover of node 202, once removed we will have access to everything inside.

Exterior presentation

To have access to the interior as I have just said it is necessary to remove the cover, made almost entirely of plastic (with a metal plate covering the top), we can see that the dust filter is removable, but it Unfortunately, you have to open the case to access it.

Inside we are facing a most classic design now for this type of product, top right the location for the motherboard, left the location for the graphics card and bottom right the power supply. Between the 2 compartments there is a plate capable of accommodating the 2 2.5 ″ peripherals (bottom middle on the photo. Let’s take a closer look.

The graphics card is entitled to a large opening capable of accommodating 2 fans of 12 cm, the cables of the front connector also pass through here and with the fans installed it will be necessary to be careful to move them in order to leave the field free to a large graphics card.

The 2 brackets are removable and perforated, we can also see the socket of the extension for the power supply, the graphics card cannot exceed 2 slots thick without bumping against the metal frame and / or the socket.

Here is the plate which accommodates the 2 peripherals 2.5 ″, it is enough to remove it thanks to the single screw and to install the SSD / hard disks before putting it back in place.

The Integra SFX 450 power supply, we can see that the OEM is FSP, which ensures at least correct quality of the whole, so no worries to be done at this level. The cables coming out are braided and of a length perfectly adapted to the dimensions of Node 202.

The cables coming from the front are rather classic, an audio connector, a USB 3.0 as well as a power button and a power-on LED. As you can see there is neither drive activity LED nor reset button, it can be annoying.

The bundle consists of:

• 1 Fractal Design Node 202 box (yes yes!)
• 1 Manuel
• 1 feet for vertical installation
• 4 feet for horizontal installation
• 1 PCie extension to connect the graphics card to the PCIe riser
• Some plastic cable ties
• The necessary screws
• A power cord

The bundle is rather complete, in addition to the user manual, the power cord (for the version with power supply) and the necessary screws there is also a large plastic feet allowing a vertical installation (which I strongly recommend if a card graphic is installed in order to have a much better airflow).

The configuration used during the tests is as follows:

• Processeur: Intel Core i5 655K @ Stock
• CPU Fan : Silverstone AR06
• Motherboard : Gigabyte GA-H55N-USB3
• Carte graphique : XFX 7870 Black Edition
• Mémoire: Corsair Vengeance 1 x 4 Go 1600Mhz
• SSD: Intel X25-M 80Go
• Power supply : Fractal Design Integra SFX 450 sold with the box
• Operating system : Windows 8.1 64bits

The assembly in the Node 202 went very well, you just have to be careful to place the graphics card in its slot before starting, so that you only have the connector. To start, you have to add the PCIe extension:

Once this is done, just screw the PCIe riser on the module where you fix the graphics card (thanks to 3 screws), and put the beast in place:

Once the graphics card is in place, the assembly is done in a very classic and hassle-free way, everything fits perfectly and there is no part that interferes excessively:

Even if the place is clearly counted as we can see everything breathes and nothing hinders the various components. The power supply has enough room at the back to store unused length of cables.

There is room between the graphics card and the case, perfect for installing the 2 fans as needed.

And here is the beast once installed! Unlike the RV02 (with window) tested previously, there is nothing here that disturbs the sobriety of the whole once the components are installed.

In order to test the box, I will carry out an OCCT Power Supply test for 30mins and then take the temperatures of the main components such as the processor (average of the 4 cores), the motherboard, the graphics card as well as the hard drive. The box will not be tested with the Western Digital raptor hard drive this time because there is no 3.5 ″ slot, so the issue of vibrations due to the hard drive does not arise.
Regarding noise pollution, I will proceed as in the file on silent PCs namely 1 raised in front, to the right, to the left, to the rear and above with the box in vertical position.

The Fractal Design Node 202 will be tested against the Silverstone RVZ02 and FTZ01 as it is sold, ie with 5V and 12V fans.
Note that the Node 202 will also be tested in a vertical position, I strongly advise against the use of a box of this type (without a passive fan) in a horizontal position, the graphics card would then be very (too) close to the support to offer a acceptable ventilation.

REpos

With a design very similar to the FTZ02, the Node 202 from Fractal Design offers equally similar performance, indeed with 30 ° for the processor, 33 ° for the graphics card and 50 ° for the motherboard we are almost on par with the FTZ02. Since the CPU cooler has direct access to the outside air and the graphics card has a large opening, there is absolutely no need to worry about the components.

Ambient sound level: 31dB

Depending on the location of the measurement, the case is more or less equal to the Silverstone RVZ02, indeed with 33 dB above and behind, 32 dB on the left and in front we could almost say that it is very quiet, it was without counting on the power supply which is not semi-passive like that installed in the RVZ02 and FTZ01. Indeed, the power supply fan is not the quietest and emits some parasitic noises easily audible once the ear is close, nothing that is however aggressive because with 35 dB in a classic environment it will really be necessary to listen carefully. to hear it but it could have been better.

As with the other boxes in the test, the fans are running at their minimum here, namely 966 RPM for the CPU cooler and 1200 for the graphics card, so everything is perfectly normal.

Charge – Temperature

This is when it normally hurts in a mini ITX case, especially when there is no active ventilation, and well the Node 202 does not disappoint and does once again like the FVZ02 from Silverstone. . The processor does not exceed 67 ° in load, the graphics card 86 ° and the motherboard 61 °! Again the large vents do a very good job of letting the air in from the outside.
One thing is certain, for the size of the case the performance is really very good, there is not much to deplore for the moment, let’s see the noise pollution in load, there on the other hand there should not be a miracle .

Ambient sound level: 31dB

Indeed the noise pollution under load is at the mercy of what the graphics card wants to do, being generally the one that makes the most noise in a PC, especially a configuration designed for games. The graphics card being installed on the right, this is where we find the highest reading, namely 51 dB, which is noisy yes and at the level of what we find on the RVZ02 (which at the graphics card on the left), so no miracle and if you install noisy components the configuration will be noisy, the choice of these is therefore crucial.

As I just said the graphics card is the main source of noise and spits its lungs well with 3500 RPM, the processor fan rotates at its maximum speed namely 1550/1600 RPM.

Here we are at the end of this test, what about Fractal Design Node 202?
As the trend wants Fractal Design signs here its first mini-ITX console type box, the brand as usual offers a product with an exemplary finish and a foolproof sobriety.

The installation of the various components is easy and allows to accommodate a good large graphics card up to 31 cm in length. Due to its small dimensions however there are some restrictions which could be quite annoying for some, it is absolutely necessary a cooler of less than 5.6 cm in height (even if the Silverstone AR06 of 5.8 cm of the test passes just by touching the wall) and there is no possibility to install only 2.5 ″ devices.

The performance is good for a case without fan of this type (even if we can add 2 fans of 12 cm for the graphics card part) even if it will be necessary to be careful not to take components that heat up enormously (such as a R9 390X for example which will most certainly overheat).

The only little things I could fault the Node 202 with is that it is only possible to remove the dust filters by opening the case, that there could have been 12cm fans (at least one ) delivered as standard and that the power supply fan (for the fitted version which is fitted with it) could be quieter at rest.

Offered at a price of around 90 € for the bare version and 160 € for the version with power supply, the Node 202 is a competitor of choice to RVZ02 (or ML08) from Silverstone which is not as sober, while being cheaper. It can accommodate a gamer configuration (as long as the components are well chosen) without the slightest problem.

Advantages

• Finishing the set
• Build quality
• Sobriety
• Graphics card up to 31 cm
• Good performance for its size
• Anti-dust filters.

Disadvantage

• .. but you have to remove the panels to clean them
• Pay attention to the height of the cooler
• Power supply fan which could
  be quieter when idle

A big thank you to Fractal Design who allowed me to do this test.

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