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

i think an matx version would get even more buyers

Necere literally has hundreds of designs, accumulated over a decade.

After people get their M1s in the mail and assuming everything works out.

I'm sure we can convince Necere to release his other unique designs. We can all vote which ones we like and hate, then figure out where to go next.
 
Necere literally has hundreds of designs, accumulated over a decade.

After people get their M1s in the mail and assuming everything works out.

I'm sure we can convince Necere to release his other unique designs. We can all vote which ones we like and hate, then figure out where to go next.

im a noob on this forum, but can you inform me of who this "Necere" is? i see everyone asking him all the questions, and i do see some of his design on this thread.

does he work for someone? who are you Necere?
 
o lol, told you i was a noob. thanks


i would suggest turn the sfx psu over, drill vent holes on the right panel...so that sfx psu can draw colder air from the outside and eject through the top panel.
 
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o lol, told you i was a noob. thanks


i would suggest turn the sfx psu over, drill vent holes on the right panel...so that sfx psu can draw colder air from the outside and eject through the top panel.

the psu is drawing air from the side fan directly in front of it. if there's a slim rad there then the air could be slightly heated, but still plenty cool enough for a psu.
 
I wish this forum had an option that wouldn't let you read the later posts (or post yourself) unless you had read all previous posts :p
 
I wish this forum had an option that wouldn't let you read the later posts (or post yourself) unless you had read all previous posts :p

Yes, at almost 2300 posts, it would kind of a PITA to do so :D
 
Oh my god! It looks beautiful in the new pictures!
I absolutely cannot wait to get this case *giggle* :D

Edit: Btw, have you made any progress on the dust filters? How will they be attached? Just out of curiosity :p
 
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the psu is drawing air from the side fan directly in front of it. if there's a slim rad there then the air could be slightly heated, but still plenty cool enough for a psu.

but what if you don't want a fan there. flipping it around. no matter the configuration, the psu will always get cooler air, so convenient
 
I just remembered something... The PSU's power button is going to be inside the case. There's no reset button. If Windows hang, there's no quick way to reset the system.
 
but what if you don't want a fan there. flipping it around. no matter the configuration, the psu will always get cooler air, so convenient

This argument has been done to death already in the SG05 thread. (The case that these Silverstone SFX PSUs were designed for.) No one has actually proven with temperature measurements that the PSU is even running higher than its operating range when sucking "hot" air from inside the case. Nor did anyone come with example of SFX PSU which died and was RMA'd and shown to have overheated. Hot box tests in review sites have shown both ST45SF(-G) PSUs to perform very well at high loads when over-heated. PSU lifespan is estimated at 100k hours, which is like 11 years MTBF.

So yeah, turn it over if you like, but you can drill your own holes for that once you get your case :)


I just remembered something... The PSU's power button is going to be inside the case. There's no reset button. If Windows hang, there's no quick way to reset the system.

The gold modular version has no power button anyway. If you really need a reset button, mount a vandal switch on the back instead of one of the watercooling grommets.
 
Its looking pretty. I'm a mATX user but I admit I'm more interested in a new itx box than a new matx box these days. My V354 handles all my matx needs currently. This little box Necere is proto typing will replace my SG03 lanbox quite nicely.
 
The gold modular version has no power button anyway. If you really need a reset button, mount a vandal switch on the back instead of one of the watercooling grommets.

All the more it needs a reset button somewhere. If I'm the only one out of 500 who needs a reset button, I'd buy the vandal switch.
 
I just remembered something... The PSU's power button is going to be inside the case. There's no reset button. If Windows hang, there's no quick way to reset the system.

Unplug the power cord? :p
Anyway, you don't need a reset switch when you have the option to hold down the power switch for 10 seconds.
 
Yep, as long as you can unplug it easily, a reset button is completely superfluous. If you need to reset so often that unplugging is a PITA, you're doing it wrong! (I obviously don't push OC'ing far)
 
Every time I unplug it live, I hear that sizzle that says "you have a 0.1% chance of getting electrocuted every time you try this." Oh, I didn't know that you can hold the power button for 10 seconds.
 
Can't you just hold the power button depressed for 5 seconds (system turns off) and then hit it again? :confused:
 
I've needed the reset button exactly 0 times since Windows Vista was released, I don't see why you'd waste space on a button only overclockers need. Don't OC motherboards already have a reset switch on them ?
 
Every time I unplug it live, I hear that sizzle that says "you have a 0.1% chance of getting electrocuted every time you try this."

Haha! True :D

I've needed the reset button exactly 0 times since Windows Vista was released, I don't see why you'd waste space on a button only overclockers need. Don't OC motherboards already have a reset switch on them ?

This.
 
Is there a reason you haven't flood this thread with Pix??? I'm dying over here.
Two reasons:

1. Ran into a small issue that's preventing PCI cards from seating properly; need a Dremel to fix it, which I'll have tomorrow
2. Should have a better camera starting tomorrow as well, hopefully

Oh, cool!
How will that work on the side panel? I don't want it to be sitting on the outside of this beauty :p
They'll attach to the fan bracket so you won't see them on the outside.
 
Alright, I just finished a fitment test. Because of the PCI card seating issue, I did not try to power it up.

Specs:

Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-I deluxe
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-C14
Power supply: Corsair CX600
GPU: BFG GTX260 (vintage! 10.5" long, blower-style rear exhaust)
Drives:
-1x3.5" HDD, bottom mounted
-1x2.5" SDD, inside front
-Slim ODD
Fans: 2x140mm on the Noctua; 1x92mm below the GPU intake. Sadly the NH-C14 doesn't quite leave enough room at the back of the case for a 92mm fan (though if you had 20mm thick one, that would work).

Pics:

nsBi02C.jpg


6OJ3gBy.jpg


Yeah, that fan filter probably isn't being completely effective on that fan. But it fits (barely)!

Honestly, the cables were hell. Stuffing ten feet of stiff cables into a tiny space is enough to break a man. It's not completely obvious from the picture, but pretty much every available corner in the front and bottom of the case is packed with cables, to the point they're pushing against the side panels. I managed to keep some space free directly in front of the PSU intake, but otherwise it's just stuffed to the gills.I really, really, wouldn't recommend using an ATX PSU in this case unless you plan to mod the cables. The modular 450W Silverstone is a dream to work with in comparison.

More of the guts:

UHjy0Tv.jpg


eWVcbjG.jpg


djN1mGh.jpg



And a couple more myspace shots of the empty case:

p5UKWvg.jpg


NMKrh21.jpg
 
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Good Lord, those pics are like porn. I wish LL would mass produce this thing. It's just so compact and beautiful.
 
wow that thing is denser than the amazon forest. a full modular psu with custom made wiring for sure!
 
1. How does one eject the dvd from the drive? Certainly removing the top panel is possible, but not really practical. If the position of the eject button is standard on slim drives, we need something there.
Does a slim dvd drive operate properly in a vertical position? Perhaps the best solution would be to have an opening wide enough to accommodate either a slot loading or tray loading drive.
2. How long can a graphics card be that will not impact a psu that is > 140mm long? The CX600 is 140mm long. If a ATX psu were any longer, it will impact a graphics card that is in the 10" + range. But, if you want a strong graphics card like a GTX680 or titan, you are looking at 10.5" or so. Such a card will need a psu capable of 38a. Per EVGA recommendations. can find no sfx or modular units capable of 38a that are <140mm long. I don't know if I am comfortable with one of the Silverstone sfx 450w units. They advertise 37a, and that might do, but the psu may need to run at max and be noisy.
 
Can't believe the Noctua fits. Now it's a tough choice between that Noctua air cooler and a Corsair CLC.
 
At this point I dont see why we even need an eject button. I always thought it was very elegant how you could eject a cd from a mac through the OS.
 
1. How does one eject the dvd from the drive? Certainly removing the top panel is possible, but not really practical. If the position of the eject button is standard on slim drives, we need something there.
Does a slim dvd drive operate properly in a vertical position? Perhaps the best solution would be to have an opening wide enough to accommodate either a slot loading or tray loading drive.

On a PC, you can right-click on the drive in "My Computer" and click "eject"
You can also get a batch file or an app which does this (desktop icon or keyboard mapping)
 
No doubt there are ways around the inconvenience. If you do not have a os running, as when booting from a dvd, then you need a manual eject option. My take is why not eliminate whatever issues when you can?
 
Well if, in that rare instance, you need the button, pop the top panel off and use a pin to manually eject the disk.
 
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