A Closer Look - Inside

To access the interior, simply pull each glass panel off using the tabs. If you require more peace of mind, you may secure each with a single screw underneath the top cover of the chassis. Looking at the interior, the biggest differentiator is the top-mounted PSU where we would usually find an air vent and possible fan mountings. The freed up space on the floor may now be used for two fans or an AIO. On the back, all major cable-routing holes are covered by grommets, and there is a large opening for easy access to the mounting plate for the CPU cooler. Fractal Design mentions 29 mm of width behind the motherboard tray for cable management, which is plenty.


There is a branded metal bar towards the front. I am not sure what this is used for, but it could be for cable management. Fractal Design has placed a main cable trench with Velcro strips down the center of the chassis, with several additional ones around the bottom all complementing the rubber grommet-equipped cable routing holes. You may also install two additional 2.5" drives behind the motherboard tray, bringing the final total within the Torrent Nano to four such 2.5/3.5" storage devices. Interestingly enough, there is no fan hub controller anywhere in sight, something both the Torrent and Torrent Compact do offer. While the Torrent Nano may not be able to hold quite as many fans, ITX boards also tend to have fewer headers, making such an omission quite odd.


In the front, you can see the single 180 mm intake fan with some room underneath, so using a 280 mm AIO on the floor at the same time should be an option. Unlike the original Torrent, Fractal Design did not fill the floor space with fans, and note that you will block your expansion slot should you opt for a radiator on the floor as well.


Looking at the rear, the three expansion slots each come with thumb screws. This is nice, but they are flat-ended, which makes re-applying them a bit more difficult compared to those with a pointy tip. The fan-placement possibility is basic but functional with a single set of classic mounting holes for a 120 mm cooling unit. Many brands instead add elongated mounting holes for users to adjust the placement of their exhaust fans or radiators to suit their needs.


Looking at the ceiling, you can see the space taken up by the PSU and its large vent, which has the power supply fan act as an additional exhaust fan above the CPU area. Fractal design also embedded an ARGB strip into the PSU cover for added measure. In addition to that, the large cutout in the front will come in handy when installing larger AIOs or radiators into the front.


All the cables within the Fractal Design Torrent Nano are of the default variety and sleeved black. The cable of the 180 mm intake fan is slightly different with the braided sleeve. It features one for PWM and another for the ARGB with a pass-through connector to daisy chain your lighting and connect it to a single motherboard header.