Fractal Design Unveils New Node 804 mATX Chassis at CeBIT

Fractal Design has launched its newest mATX chassis at CeBIT in Germany.

Called the Node 804, it is designed with, as the company puts it, “cooling performance and maximum configurability” in mind. Featuring a dual-chamber interior which separates heat-generating components from less thermally-active ones, the Node 804 is interesting given its size; put another way, given mATX chassis are, by definition, smaller than ATX designs, there are definite limitations as far as how to distribute the space contained within the chassis.

Fractal Design, quite wisely, adopts the “cube” design for its new Node 804. Cube-style cases typically feature the least-restrictive interior dimensions, given that length, width, and height measurements are all similar to each other. Consequently, Fractal Design has been able to isolate the motherboard and most of the components that attach to it in one chamber, and the power supply unit and most of the storage devices in another chamber.

The upshot with the Node 804 is that the resulting layout has aesthetic as well as practical benefits. It definitely looks like a typical Fractal Design chassis, endowed with elegance, balance, and a classy style that is the company’s aesthetic signature.

The Node 804 has a couple of truly revolutionary features as well. Chief of these is the capability of supporting up to four radiators simultaneously. Fractal Design says that this mATX chassis can fit 1x240mm, 1x280mm, and 2x120mm radiators all at once! Most ATX cases cannot do this without heavy modification; for Fractal Design to be able to fit all this radiator area truly speaks to the Node 804’s superior cooling potential.

Other salient features include: A variable storage device mounting system that can host either 1) 8 x 3.5″ HDDs + 4 x 2.5″ HDDs/SSDs, or 2) 10 x 3.5″ HDDs + 2 x 2.5″ HDDs/SSDs; three Fractal Design Silent Series R2 120mm fans pre-installed, with the capability to support up to seven more fans; fan filters fitted to all air intakes; a windowed left side panel; a fan controller; and five PCI expansion slots. The front I/O panel is highlighted by a pair of USB 3.0 ports, as well as the usual mic-in and headphone-out jacks.

The Node 804, available in black, has an MSRP of $109.99. Fractal Design says it should be available in May 2014.