Home Server Case Upgrade - Node 304

L

lucidmammary

n00b
Joined
Oct 9, 2013
Messages
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System Components:

Original Case: Lian-Li PC-Q08
New Case: Fractal Design Node 304
i3-2120T
Intel BOXDH77DF LGA 1155 H77
8GB Corsair XMS RAM
Intel 330 Series Maple Crest SSD
5x WD Green 2TB
Seasonic SS-460

The role of this system is 24/7 subsonic music server and NAS, to be as silent as possible. The current HSF is a stock cooler for a 2600k, to be upgraded soon. Historically I am a big fan on Lian-Li and have had great luck with two cases in the past. But I have problems with the PC-Q08, the node 304 wasn't for sale during the original build and I kinda rushed into the case. So what cpu cooler should I get? Who thinks a passive solution would be viable? Challenge is the first PCIe slot is used to expand SATA connectivity limiting the width of the cooler.

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Looking good in your new Node. However, what were your passive PSU's temperatures like in the old case? I think Seasonic recommends the PSU to be mounted horizontally, not vertically.
 
You are asking what tower cooler to Node 304 without blocking the PCI-E slot ? Well, that would be easy, if it wasn't for your hard drives :
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Now because you got hard drives, your next best option is probably Noctua NH-U9B, as that one should fit just with those stupidly placed sockets, as it just barely hangs over the original area reserved for CPU & cooler. Your other option is one of the Thermalright AXP coolers, but i am not sure how silent are those.
 
JJ Johnson said:
What are the advantages does the Node 304 give you over your old case?
Click to expand...

I had many complaints with the Lian Li. Taking off a side panel involved removing 6 tiny machine screws. You can rotate the HDDs 180 to hide the wiring. But if you do this you can't access the drives without removing the motherboard side panel (huge pain). The mobo standoffs are sharp and narrow, and they cut into the PCB when you tighten things down. You have legitimate restrictions on cooler height. I really like aluminum cases, but with the combination of tiny fasteners and thin sheets of aluminum, I was constantly stripping out threads on this thing. I like to think I have a loving and deft touch when working on hardware, but maybe I am more brutish than I thought. I also have virtually no use for an optical drive bay.

The node 304 just seems sturdier, it is easier open up and work on, I didn't strip out every other screw while working on it, and the HDD system is much more modular allowing for easier HDD maintenance. The node 304 also has more room for PSU cables. The icing on the cake is the HSF clearance.
 
raymondo said:
Looking good in your new Node. However, what were your passive PSU's temperatures like in the old case? I think Seasonic recommends the PSU to be mounted horizontally, not vertically.
Click to expand...

Yes, the ideal orientation is horizontal with the honeycomb mesh facing upwards. This new case allows for that, but sadly the psu is directly beneath the HDDs, probably the only reason I have the two 92mm fans enabled.
 
raymondo said:
Looking good in your new Node. However, what were your passive PSU's temperatures like in the old case? I think Seasonic recommends the PSU to be mounted horizontally, not vertically.
Click to expand...

I didn't measure any temperatures or anything, but I was never worried about overheating, between the many vents in the chassis and the relatively small load. That lian li case was almost as perforated with vent holes as the seasonic psu.

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I have a Node 304 with a Pentium G2030, I'm using the stock Intel cooler, the 92mm fans, the 140mm fan (both on low) and the power supply fan and it's still pretty much silent, no difference with load. Have you monitored HDD temps with and without the 92mm fans? I'd be interested to see what difference they made. What case is that sitting under the Node in that picture?
 
That PSU is overkill for your requirements. Try a more modest semi-silent SFX PSU like the SST-ST30SF. The BeQuiet 300W SFX PSU also seems to be quiet. Next you should spend some time cleaning up the cabling. Doing both will give your CPU more breathing room and give you room for a larger cooler. Indeed, I thought the Node 304 came with the same PSU and power cabling as the old Array R2.
 
Quartz-1 said:
That PSU is overkill for your requirements. Try a more modest semi-silent SFX PSU like the SST-ST30SF. The BeQuiet 300W SFX PSU also seems to be quiet. Next you should spend some time cleaning up the cabling. Doing both will give your CPU more breathing room and give you room for a larger cooler. Indeed, I thought the Node 304 came with the same PSU and power cabling as the old Array R2.
Click to expand...

I agree 460W is a little much. I think the only reason I would install that SST-ST30SF would be to get more space to stuff cables. More fans equals more noise, (though I doubt you could tell the difference over the noise of those HDDs) I do plan on doing some cable management, though I'm not sure where all the cables will live. Should probably pick up some shorter sata cables.
 
I used a non modular ATX PS, the CX430. There is plenty of room alongside the power supply, under the left most HDD cage to zip tie up wiring. You have to plan it well.

I also removed the front USB connector and audio connector. For the sata cables I ended up just tucking them in between the HDDs, each cage holds two drives and there is enough of a gap between them to put excess cabling. CPU has plenty of breathing room, I have a picture I can upload later; despite all that it still looks messy :D
 
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