A Closer Look - Outside

Right out of the box, the front of the chassis is covered by a protective layer of plastic to ensure that you receive your Node 605 in pristine condition. This is good because the chassis features a nice solid front-cover made of aluminum.


Fractal Design made sure that the chassis looks quite minimalistic in terms of the design. There are no visible drive bays or displays. All of those are hidden below a flip-down panel. You will find a slimline drive-bay, two USB 3.0 ports, a pair of audio and a single FireWire 400 port behind it. All the way to the right is a multi-functional card reader to give you all the usual connectivity of an HTPC chassis. The only two elements one can see at the front while the panel is closed are a Fractal Design logo and the square power button that also acts as an LED.


The seven motherboard expansion slots and the full ATX power supply bay are part of the back. The configuration is a lot like that of most desktop-style enclosures today.


Fractal Design has placed two mounting sets for fans above the motherboard backplate. These are of 80 mm size, which should give you many choices in terms of silent or high-performance fans. Next to it are the seven motherboard expansion slots that are protected by individual white covers. These covers are held in place by a contraption attached to the exterior of the chassis. All the way to the right is the full-sized ATX slot with two sets of screw holes, so you may mount the unit with the main fan pulling air in from the outside or hot air out of the case through the back.


Both sides of the chassis have large 140 mm fan openings. Fractal Design has installed such units onto two such spots. All of these have dust filters, so you do not have to worry about dirt entering the chassis through these vents. A small switch on the right side of the chassis allows you to adjust the fan speed within the Node 605.