Lifting the lid on the Node 202 reveals a clever layout. Removing the top panel is relatively simple, you unscrew the four screws at the bottom, flip it over and voila. That being said, it was a little fiddly when re-attaching but it’s easy enough. It is certainly true the Node 202 can accommodate a proper gaming graphics card (up to 310mm in length) and the Integra SFX PSU has the necessary pair of 6+2 power connectors.

For the Ridge, Fractal appears to have switched to a different supplier for this 90-degree power cable. While I prefer the cable that came with the ERA, this isn’t a bad cable and it does exactly what it needs to. The stand is made of plastic and not aluminum like the face of the chassis. Only the mounting points are metal

I Swapped the CEO's Assistant For a Day!

The Node 202 is the ultimate PC case for those looking for a beautifully designed, compact chassis that can house a capable gaming build. Due to the small footprint of the Node 202, we see an impressive interior layout with separate chambers. The motherboard and graphics card are separated in what Fractal Design call, thermal interior design. Once the graphics card is installed you connect the various cables and here we wish that Fractal Design would include two short SATA cables to help keep everything tidy.

The Ridge chassis is shipped inside a brown box where its simplicity practically screams “Product of Sweden”. While a Noctua NH-L12S HSF would have been my personal choice of heatsink for this chassis, the Scythe Big Shuriken 3 ( reviewed here) put up an equal fight in our testing. That said, depending on your processor, fan, voltage, and chiplet orientation, thermal paste, and the temperature of your room, your thermal results may vary. There are two screws on both sides of the chassis that will need to be removed. Rest assured, these screws are only visible when the side panels are off. On the inside of both the top and bottom panels, the case uses the same ball joint clips to snap into place just like the side panels which is a very welcome feature if you only have two hands. All that said, those are very impressive results. With a 95w TDP processor, you would likely experience similar or better results.

The collab I THOUGHT I wanted... - Razer Blade x Lamborghini

This small footprint is an intelligently built unit where extreme detail was placed into the design phase to get every line and spec in perfect harmony. With both horizontal and vertical orientation possibilities, the Node 202 can be placed anywhere in the house. The sleek design makes it very attractive next to the TV in the living room or on your desk in the office. Make sure when you get the case that you NOTE which screws are the GPU RISER SCREWS. I almost messed up, those GPU riser screws can be tough to get in once you already have the cpu cooler on. Consider that when building