NCASE M1: a crowdfunded Mini-ITX case (updates in first post)

ranix said:
Are all those fans really necessary?

that seems like a lot.
Click to expand...
So, yes and no. I did a little bit of testing. The 92mm on the side to exhaust did drop my temps on my 950 pro. The 2 fan config of the C14 seems to make about 5 degrees difference when I benchmark my overclocked CPU so that IS helpful and it also runs quieter with the 2 fans (as in both run lower RPM). The left most bottom fan in this pic http://i.imgur.com/3lLEiZU.jpg probably does not help much BUT I had it already so if it makes a marginal difference that is okay.

Either way, the bottom fans DID make a difference with my overclocked reference GPU. I ran 3dmark runs with fans on and fans off. I ran the benchmarks 2x back to back each config and my max temps on the GPU (according to HWMonitor) were about 4-5 degrees lower in the tests with the fans. With the fan the max temp I saw was 77 degrees.. thermal throttle for these cards maybe be around 82 or 83 degrees so it is likely that without the fan I was touching thermal throttle so the fan seemed worthwhile

The bracket fan next to the heatsink in the above pic does help my SSD temps. The one I have mounted on the front panel is 4+ degrees warmer than the 2 I have mounted inside.

So yeah, maybe the leftmost fan bottom and the right bracket fan are marginally helpful.

For funsies here is a benchmark with my cpu @4GHz and what my new GPU looks like installed. Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
 
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Necere said:
So the way the 2.5" drives are installed is to put all four of the rubber washers and pan head M3 screws in the drive first, and then just slide the whole thing into the keyhole mounts (on the front panel or on the bottom). There's no reason to remove the optical drive to remove an SSD on the opposite side. It's only the shovel-shaped keyhole mounts (on the bottom and HDD cage), which are used just for the 3.5" drives, that you can't slide the drive into.

This is where I kind of have to apologize, since it's where a manual would come in handy. Making one is something that's been on my to-do list for a while. It is kind of a project unto itself though, and takes some time and wherewithal to actually get done.
Click to expand...

Ah, I thought the screws would need to be tightened down just to eliminate the risk of the SSD slipping (admittedly unlikely taking into account orientation and the lack of weight!).

The photo of the screws, rubber bits etc on your website; labelled to explain use was a lifesaver, to be honest. I've built at least a dozen PCs over the years but my memory is hazy when not dealing with the usual case screws with the hex shaped head!
 
astheria said:
Interesting, I've been planning a loop for my M1 that would use the EK 240 SE and 15mm Silverstone fans in the bottom of the case (really wish there was a way to get 25mm fans in down there... if only that part of the case were 15mm taller...) and a 92mm rad on the rear exhaust. Would you estimate that would be adequate for good temps given your experience?
Click to expand...

I've seen another build which is essentially the same as what you're suggesting; NCASE M1 v1 Mini-ITX Build
Unless you're going for the window, a 120mm rad oin the side provides almost 50% more frontal area than the 92mm and you don't need to run the fans so fast.

Personally I'm pretty happy with the additional 120mm EK PE 120 on the side with a Noctua NF-F12 it's made a world of difference to temps compared to just the 240 rad.
Getting the pipes in is vexing, particularly (for me) getting the pipe from the pump to the lower rad since it's a 90 degree bend in not much space, but once it's all in then actually it's fine; nothing is particularly stressed although if I could justify it I'd get some custom length cables to deal with the bunching under the psu.

One thing I'd have done differently, which you may still have the opportunity to do if you haven't finished yet, is to cut away most of the lower floor in order to provide less air restriction for air exiting the lower rad.
 
COOJ said:
I just draw and 3d print a mount for the ek reservoir (EK-XRES 100 Revo D5 PWM (incl.pump) - Glass), this is the first trial:
vXgl0sT.jpg


This is what it looks like after mounting inside the case:
gFrc3o4.jpg

s8LKq9q.jpg

I2Y2ru0.jpg


May I ask if anyone knows what is the height of the display card with blackplate on it? because I am afraid that it will touch the bottom of the reservoir. Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...


This is awesome; you've got a pretty cool mount there; I used some sheet aluminium to mount the same pump in the same place although looking at it you have the mount about 7-10mm lower than I have it
Essentially for me the top of the reservoir is more or less at the top of the case (there's about 5mm until the top plate).

This is how I mounted it: the 4 hex bolts are the ones provided with the reservoir and the flat-head bolts hold the aluminium plate to the case with nuts.
It's not particularly pretty, especially the elongated rectangular hole on the left, but it fits securely and, sprayed black, it looks ok. The harsh flash on my camera makes it look worse than it is.

I should say, with the pump mounted where I have it, there's technically enough space for a 12mm hard tube to squeeze underneath but I didn't like that in the end so I switched to soft tubing when I added the other radiator.


IMG_0915-crop.JPG
 
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For all your greasy-fingers out there.
Go buy a pair of Swarovski gloves.
Works wonders for black cases
 
Is there anyone on here who has built in the NCase and used custom length cables? If so, would you be able to tell me the lengths of each cable?
I hope this is the correct place to post this question.
 
ranix said:
Are all those fans really necessary?

that seems like a lot.
Click to expand...

I have a similar number of fans in my M1 (missing one of the side 120mm fans, and the bottom fans are slim 120mm). In my case (pun?) the bottom fans allow me to keep the GPU fan below 50% while still maintaining decent GPU temperatures (on a Asus GTX970 Mini). 50% GPU fan speed is my threshold for annoying fan noise...the two 120mm slim fans at ~600rpm makes way less noise than the GPU fan at 50+%
 
Are the FW121's still the best bet for bottom mounted radiator? I see a lot of places saying they are end of life - is there an upgrade?


Shu-tography said:
Hey guys, just thought I'd share my build here with you.

My full buildlog is here
ZBOX Mobile Watercooled Workstation

CPU: 6700K
MOBO: Asus Z170I pro gaming
RAM: Corsair 32GB Vengeance 2133
Graphics: 980Ti
SSD: Samsung m.2 500GB EVO
PSU: Silverstone SFX600W
Click to expand...
 
MarkRWatts said:
This is awesome; you've got a pretty cool mount there; I used some sheet aluminium to mount the same pump in the same place although looking at it you have the mount about 7-10mm lower than I have it
Essentially for me the top of the reservoir is more or less at the top of the case (there's about 5mm until the top plate).

This is how I mounted it: the 4 hex bolts are the ones provided with the reservoir and the flat-head bolts hold the aluminium plate to the case with nuts.
It's not particularly pretty, especially the elongated rectangular hole on the left, but it fits securely and, sprayed black, it looks ok. The harsh flash on my camera makes it look worse than it is.

I should say, with the pump mounted where I have it, there's technically enough space for a 12mm hard tube to squeeze underneath but I didn't like that in the end so I switched to soft tubing when I added the other radiator.


View attachment 1450
Click to expand...
Thanks for the information.
The ek reservoir I am using is another model which is slightly bigger than yours, so I have to mount it a bit lower.
I just tested the build with an old gtx285 without backplate, and there are still about 10mm space, so I should be safe.
One more thing, the glass tube of my ek reservoir just cracked while I open the top without applying any extra forces on it, I am now requesting for a replacement.

UMo4WW8l.jpg
 
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Is it so hard not to include images wider than a typical computer screen? Is it?
 
prava said:
Is it so hard not to include images wider than a typical computer screen? Is it?
Click to expand...

The forum auto-resizes to fit screen width. Blame the devs for not enforcing a maximum width. Text is terrible too, the lines are insanely long and it reduces readability. Look at this line right here. This line spans more than the entire width of a 1080p monitor. I recommend using CSS to limit width or using your phone. The mobile page is also really good for reading.

EDIT: Or maybe you're referring to the full size view. Yeah, but if you open in a new tab instead, you get a proper size.
 
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The problem is that those links won't open the full res image.

EDIT:
Here's an example. I know we all agree which one is more appropriate for forum viewing, but that one won't maximise. It's unreadable.

iBfopro.png

iBfoprom.png
 
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XelNika said:
The problem is that those links won't open the full res image.

EDIT:
Here's an example. I know we all agree which one is more appropriate for forum viewing, but that one won't maximise. It's unreadable.

iBfopro.png

iBfoprom.png
Click to expand...

With Imgur links you can use their Linked BBCode. I haven't tried it here since the forum software changed. Here goes! (What happened to the Preview option?)



Yes, that thumbnail links to the full size image.

Ah, to get the Preview button you have to first click on the More Options one. Also, I see I can switch to the BBCode edit mode by clicking on the rightmost icon in the editor toolbar.
 
XelNika said:
The forum auto-resizes to fit screen width. Blame the devs for not enforcing a maximum width. Text is terrible too, the lines are insanely long and it reduces readability. Look at this line right here. This line spans more than the entire width of a 1080p monitor. I recommend using CSS to limit width or using your phone. The mobile page is also really good for reading.

EDIT: Or maybe you're referring to the full size view. Yeah, but if you open in a new tab instead, you get a proper size.
Click to expand...

My point is that we nobody needs files that are 4.000 pixeles in width. Or even 2000, for that matter. The point isn't to show uber high-res pictures... but to show whatever you want to show, on a size that is reasonable. Heck I always resize all my images to 1280 so that for starters you can't see how shitty they are (sharpenss-wise) and so that you do not bother others while they open them. Even imgur allows you to resize the images when you upload them. Its very very convenient.

Qrash said:
The above image is from Imgur and has an address of "http://i.imgur.com/UMo4WW8.jpg". To post a version of the image that is not full size simply add s,m,or l (for small, medium,. and large) to the end of the filename as so:

http://i.imgur.com/UMo4WW8s.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UMo4WW8m.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UMo4WW8l.jpg

UMo4WW8s.jpg

UMo4WW8m.jpg

UMo4WW8l.jpg
Click to expand...

Wrong quote?
 
prava said:
Is it so hard not to include images wider than a typical computer screen? Is it?
Click to expand...
I just edited the image, I never view this site (or any sites) in full screen, it was looking perfectly fine in safari on my mac (half 1920x1200), so sorry for giving you hard feeling, are you feeling better now?
 
So I wasn't really happy with the noise of my NCASE M1 at idle, but I am sure I am just being anal, I literally put my ear right next to the case to catch any noise.
There was some vibration noise and coil whine, I was trying to locate the component at fault but after couple of days fighting I was tired and too much hassle to exchange anything. I looked into damping/absorption material for the case it self.
Cut to the chase, the material I bought is 3M 38500, which is a damping mat for cars. 3M also has 08840 damping pad but 38500 is cheaper on Amazon and I think they are the same thing, just a bitumen sheet. It is 50cm x 50cm, thickness is around 2mm. Operation temp is up to 70 degrees C so it will be fine in case.
There are some other damping mat like DynaMat or whatever, but it has aluminum shield which is not good.
I cut the mat and stick them to the front and both side panels and I am genuinely surprised with the noise reduction. There is still slight high pitch whine but overall it is quieter.
I guess the aluminum chassis is not very good at suppressing the resonance of the noise of different component and the non-rigid linkage between chassis and panel isn't helping either, so the high density damping material can make a difference.
 
Just changed my NCASE PSU from a Silverstone SX500-LG to a Corsair SF450 and am really happy with it. The fan hasn't turned on at all during light use, whereas the Silverstone was constantly turning on and off, even when I'm pretty sure it wasn't at the supposed 41℃ activation point, which produced an annoying amount of "galloping". There is an acceptable amount of electrical noise (the Silverstone had none in fairness), as I can only hear it when I'm very close to the PC with fans turned off.

I'm considering changing my fans to something with better acoustics. I'm currently running a Noctua NF-S12A PWM and a Noctua NF-P14. Can anyone recommend anything in particular which I could run at under 600rpm and produces under 10dB? I think I might remove the 140mm heatsink fan and have two 120mm side intake fans instead.
 
kylemd said:
Necere/Waha, what sized screws are used for the PCI slots?

Not included in the FAQ ;)
Click to expand...
M3. All the threaded holes on the chassis itself are M3. The only exception is the 3.5" HDD cage, which uses M4. All other screw sizes are for components that don't come with the case (PSU, fans, ODD).
 
MarkRWatts said:
I've seen another build which is essentially the same as what you're suggesting; NCASE M1 v1 Mini-ITX Build
Unless you're going for the window, a 120mm rad oin the side provides almost 50% more frontal area than the 92mm and you don't need to run the fans so fast.

Personally I'm pretty happy with the additional 120mm EK PE 120 on the side with a Noctua NF-F12 it's made a world of difference to temps compared to just the 240 rad.
Getting the pipes in is vexing, particularly (for me) getting the pipe from the pump to the lower rad since it's a 90 degree bend in not much space, but once it's all in then actually it's fine; nothing is particularly stressed although if I could justify it I'd get some custom length cables to deal with the bunching under the psu.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm definitely going for the windowed side panel, I was also inspired by that build, but the temps he's posted don't seem inline with my research on other peoples builds. He's listed a Titan X and his claimed temps are CPU 57c GPU 51c at load, *without* the 92mm in the rear which he added in later (I've sent him a message regarding temps after adding it). My plan has been to include the 92 rad and do something like rear mounting the rad outside of the case and potentially doing a push/pull with some combination of the noctua slim and 25mm 92mm fans. If I could get his claimed temps I think I'd be more than happy.

I'm currently running two AIO 120mm side rads with an i5 6600K on a H75 (intake), and a EVGA 980Ti Hybrid (exhaust) with the slim Noctua 92 fan (intake) and get awesome temps, but I was looking forward to trying my hand at a custom loop for purely selfish aesthetic reasons.

MarkRWatts said:
One thing I'd have done differently, which you may still have the opportunity to do if you haven't finished yet, is to cut away most of the lower floor in order to provide less air restriction for air exiting the lower rad.
Click to expand...

I've been thinking about this (and it terrifies me to bastardize my beautiful case!) as well as looking at potentially replacing the case feet to get a little more height on the bottom of the case to attempt a push/pull of the 15mm fans or even trying to mount 25mm fans *under* the case. So far I'm not excited about the aesthetic result of this route, but I have some ideas around creating some sort of shroud to clean things up visually.
 
prava said:
My point is that we nobody needs files that are 4.000 p\tixeles in width. Or even 2000, for that matter. The point isn't to show uber high-res pictures... but to show whatever you want to show, on a size that is reasonable. Heck I always resize all my images to 1280 so that for starters you can't see how shitty they are (sharpenss-wise) and so that you do not bother others while they open them. Even imgur allows you to resize the images when you upload them. Its very very convenient.
Click to expand...

First of all, as I demonstrated with my screenshot, resizing doesn't always work. I would have to cut it to pieces and glue it back together to get the relevant info in a smaller image. Second, a 1280 px width is tiny on a high res monitor. The forum should handle image size.
 
glenarama said:
Are the FW121's still the best bet for bottom mounted radiator? I see a lot of places saying they are end of life - is there an upgrade?
Click to expand...

Well I'm feeling like for me it isn't enough, because my load temps are around 72C with an ambient room of 28C. And with both GPU and CPU under 100% load it shoots up to 95C.

I've ordered some noctua nf-12 PPC 3000rpm fans to fit down the bottom, but that will mean modding both the fans and the radiator a bit so they both fit
 
Shu-tography said:
Well I'm feeling like for me it isn't enough, because my load temps are around 72C with an ambient room of 28C. And with both GPU and CPU under 100% load it shoots up to 95C.

I've ordered some noctua nf-12 PPC 3000rpm fans to fit down the bottom, but that will mean modding both the fans and the radiator a bit so they both fit
Click to expand...

Those temps sound wayyyy off, are you sure everything is mounted properly with the correct amount of thermal paste?
 
May as well post in here too - a quick pic of my updated Ncase build with new BitsPower Monoblock (for Asrock X99E-ITX) and hard tubing.

Messing with the hard tubing and fittings behind the side mounted rad was a PITA...

Still trying to bleed out the air, but otherwise temps are pretty good for only 1x240mm rad - 65C [email protected].

I'll post some better pics later.

X99ITXTubing.jpg
 
Sebbie said:
I will try again, any1 who wants to sell their Ncase M1??

PM me :)
Click to expand...

Well I have a used NCASE M1 V2.0, Silverstone SF600-G and Scythe Kabuto II for sale, but I live in Europe and I think shipping overseas would be too expensive...
 
I might get myself a 4th NCase if Necere figures out a way to fit a EKWB Predator 240 in easier (or more realistically as it says on the spreadsheet) with just minor adjustments.
 
Build finally done and its virtually silent.

i5 -> 4,5Ghz
Noctua fans with PWC control all around 3-400rpm
EVGA GTX 960 SC at 1455Mhz / 7,8Ghz memory (cooling shroud removed - idle 25°C instead of 35°C with shroud)

Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

(how do I actually post the pics? Tried to post the links but no luck...)

SR9jGiC

4yBE1Qe

UENnjM7
 
Did a Ncase M1 V1 build today.
Case: M1 Black
CPU: Intel i7 6700k
Mobo: Asus Maximus VIII Impact
Cooling: Asetek 545lc AIO Liquid Cooler (2x90mm Noctua fans in push/pull config)
RAM: 16GB (2x8) Corsair Vengeance LPX
SSD: Samsung 850 1TB (I only need one drive for this rig)
GPU: eVGA GTX970 SC (Reference blower card)
Optical: Silverstone Blue-ray (rebranded Panasonic UJ-265)
PSU: Corsair SFX 600w (this thing is quiet!)
O/S: Windows 10 (yeah I took the plunge finally from W7)


The Asetek 545lc fit in without hiccup. However running a push/pull config meant I could only use one Noctua 120mm side fan instead of two. I think that will be enough though. I didn't put in any bottom fans. I'm thinking I won't need them since the GTX 970 blows out the back but I can add two fans (I have them on hand) to the bottom if things get too toasty. Next up is stress testing. See how hot things get. I took some pics during the build so I'll try and get them up tomorrow(if I can figure out how to do so). Hopefully they come out good since I used my smart phone. Cable management is a pia. Need to invest in some of those round braided cables for sure.
 
Skott said:
Did a Ncase M1 V1 build today.
Case: M1 Black
CPU: Intel i7 6700k
Mobo: Asus Maximus VIII Impact
Cooling: Asetek 545lc AIO Liquid Cooler (2x90mm Noctua fans in push/pull config)
RAM: 16GB (2x8) Corsair Vengeance LPX
SSD: Samsung 850 1TB (I only need one drive for this rig)
GPU: eVGA GTX970 SC (Reference blower card)
Optical: Silverstone Blue-ray (rebranded Panasonic UJ-265)
PSU: Corsair SFX 600w (this thing is quiet!)
O/S: Windows 10 (yeah I took the plunge finally from W7)


The Asetek 545lc fit in without hiccup. However running a push/pull config meant I could only use one Noctua 120mm side fan instead of two. I think that will be enough though. I didn't put in any bottom fans. I'm thinking I won't need them since the GTX 970 blows out the back but I can add two fans (I have them on hand) to the bottom if things get too toasty. Next up is stress testing. See how hot things get. I took some pics during the build so I'll try and get them up tomorrow(if I can figure out how to do so). Hopefully they come out good since I used my smart phone. Cable management is a pia. Need to invest in some of those round braided cables for sure.
Click to expand...


You can never have too many fans, add those two fans to the buttom (orient them as intake) and it will decrease temp..
 
Skott said:
Did a Ncase M1 V1 build today.
Case: M1 Black
CPU: Intel i7 6700k
Mobo: Asus Maximus VIII Impact
Cooling: Asetek 545lc AIO Liquid Cooler (2x90mm Noctua fans in push/pull config)
RAM: 16GB (2x8) Corsair Vengeance LPX
SSD: Samsung 850 1TB (I only need one drive for this rig)
GPU: eVGA GTX970 SC (Reference blower card)
Optical: Silverstone Blue-ray (rebranded Panasonic UJ-265)
PSU: Corsair SFX 600w (this thing is quiet!)
O/S: Windows 10 (yeah I took the plunge finally from W7)


The Asetek 545lc fit in without hiccup. However running a push/pull config meant I could only use one Noctua 120mm side fan instead of two. I think that will be enough though. I didn't put in any bottom fans. I'm thinking I won't need them since the GTX 970 blows out the back but I can add two fans (I have them on hand) to the bottom if things get too toasty. Next up is stress testing. See how hot things get. I took some pics during the build so I'll try and get them up tomorrow(if I can figure out how to do so). Hopefully they come out good since I used my smart phone. Cable management is a pia. Need to invest in some of those round braided cables for sure.
Click to expand...

Pictures or it didn't happen! :)
 
Sebbie said:
You can never have too many fans, add those two fans to the buttom (orient them as intake) and it will decrease temp..
Click to expand...
Yes you can have too many fans. Orienting them all as intake will just bottleneck the intake volume to the max pressure the fans can achieve and vent everything out through every hole in the case, potentially causing unwanted noise.

Balanced airflow is when X volume of air goes into the PC (intake fans) and the same X volume goes out (exhaust fans). This achieves the lowest noise, the lowest temperatures and the best price/performance.
 
Phuncz said:
Yes you can have too many fans. Orienting them all as intake will just bottleneck the intake volume to the max pressure the fans can achieve and vent everything out through every hole in the case, potentially causing unwanted noise.

Balanced airflow is when X volume of air goes into the PC (intake fans) and the same X volume goes out (exhaust fans). This achieves the lowest noise, the lowest temperatures and the best price/performance.
Click to expand...

Well with side fans and Buttom fans as intake will cause positive airpressure, and ye your right force air out every possible holes. And have an exaust fan In the back will help guide the air...
If you are worried by the noise get sine High quality fans with silent operations such as the Corsair quite edition etc.
 
Anyone know what the max high load temp for a 6700k is? I been looking around google and I hear 80c, 85c, and 90c, but no definitive answer. Many saying don't go over 90c. My stress testing so far shows 69c -75c across the four cores using latest P95 and that seems to be what most others have been getting on their 6700k for max load. This info from googling around the net. Its looking fairly good so far I think.
 
Skott said:
Anyone know what the max high load temp for a 6700k is? I been looking around google and I hear 80c, 85c, and 90c, but no definitive answer. Many saying don't go over 90c. My stress testing so far shows 69c -75c across the four cores using latest P95 and that seems to be what most others have been getting on their 6700k for max load. This info from googling around the net. Its looking fairly good so far I think.
Click to expand...

75c is pretty hot for a CPU but not 'danger' hot, are you overclocking? What's your cpu cooler look like? Did you apply the correct thermal paste to the heat sink? etc etc.
 
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