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

Assuming it uses the same or similar PCB dimensions as the 980, the MSI 980Ti should fit but will require low-profile PCIe power connectors, otherwise the side panel won't close.

Good catch! So, are there any customer cooler 980Ti cards that will fit inside the M1?
 
Not sure why you would want the Titan Hybrid instead of the ti Hybrid, the ti has much higher value, and even better performance if you overlock. So unless you really want that crazy amount of vram for something specific.

That's what i wanted to find out. Thanks.
 
Hi guys, (this may not be the correct place to post this)
I bought one of the originally Ncase M1 case's.
My plan was eventually build a small powerfully pc in it but i never got the chance.
I also bought a Compact Splash and my build went into that instead.

I am selling the Ncase M1 that has never been used and only taken out of its original shipping box once, then returned and stored in my cupboard.
Where is the best place to sell the case and how much is it worth?

I am also selling my compact splash if anyone is interested.

You should make a for-sale thread in the proper sub-forum. :)
 
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99 @ B&H)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII IMPACT Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($218.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Value 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($56.37 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($50.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($117.99 @ Directron)
Total: $864.21
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-03 17:18 EDT-0400

I have this build with gtx 980 and planning to build it into ncase m1 and I want it to be as quiet as possible.

Which gtx 980 I should go, reference is probably no go because it is a lot louder than aftermarket ones. And with aftermarket cooler, would my harddrives get too hot even with two fans at bottom of the case.

Also which cpu cooler should I go for? Is there any 120mm aio with quiet enough pump or would air cooler be better even with hot gpu air inside the case?
 
Tried to tidy up my WM.
Flipped the PSU to take fresh air from outside. So far so good.

Moved the SSD and HDD inside (i had them in front)

Put 2x Nosieblocker Multiframe M12-P - 2000 rpm 79 CFM fans down to to blow intro the video card.
Put a 140 mm Reveen fan with PWM - 1700 rpm 93 cfm on the CPU cooler (Thermalright AXP-100R) to see how it goes (initially i had a eLOOP B12-P with 2000 rpm & 75 CFM)
Put 2x Noiseblocker eLOOP B12-P on the side, one to blow into the CPU , one to exhaust.

http://i.imgur.com/b4MHCv8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/y1bJlOm.jpg

And this is my question.
Will this work or i should just leave them both intake or both exhaust?

Thank you.

So far no need to leave my MSI GTX 780 Ti with a custom (almost max) rpm profile. So it's way more silent.
And if i have under 60 degrees C at the cpu and under 75 for the video card i think it's good.
Witcher 3 at max settings inlcuding hairworks, no v-sync on 1080p after 15 minutes of gameplay.

http://i.imgur.com/AbqFyTe.jpg
 
So... My spacial thinking is pretty shit, and I'm struggling with the question of powersupply at the moment, what exactly is the tradeoff when using SFX-L over regular SFX? The website says it might interfere with the GPU, what about the ssd slot on the inside of the front? I have 2 regular ssd's and 1 hdd that I need to fit, preferably with a 980ti hybrid and a sfx-l psu. I'm feeling a bit confused, can anyone straigthen things out for me?
 
So... My spacial thinking is pretty shit, and I'm struggling with the question of powersupply at the moment, what exactly is the tradeoff when using SFX-L over regular SFX? The website says it might interfere with the GPU, what about the ssd slot on the inside of the front? I have 2 regular ssd's and 1 hdd that I need to fit, preferably with a 980ti hybrid and a sfx-l psu. I'm feeling a bit confused, can anyone straigthen things out for me?

SFX-L is only longer, it's neither wider or taller so it doesn't interfere with the SSD/HDD mounts at all. The problem is that the cables will touch a long graphics card. It's not a huge deal if you have the V3 or V4.

You can mount the two SSDs in the front and the HDD on the bottom. If it's a 2.5" HDD, you could also mount it in the ODD slot.
 
SFX-L is only longer, it's neither wider or taller so it doesn't interfere with the SSD/HDD mounts at all. The problem is that the cables will touch a long graphics card. It's not a huge deal if you have the V3 or V4.

You can mount the two SSDs in the front and the HDD on the bottom. If it's a 2.5" HDD, you could also mount it in the ODD slot.

I'm getting the V4 in a few weeks (I guess, it's ordered atleast :), do I understand you correctly if it should be possible to mount 2 ssd's underneath the front-panel if you don't have an odd? And then another on the inside of the front and a 3.5" in the bottom?

edit: I just read the spec-sheet a bit more carefully, was getting ahead of myself I guess ^^
 
Has anyone tried mounting the SX500-LG PSU in the front of the case using the SFX -> ATX bracket? Is there any GPU room to be gained by doing this?

Cheers
 
I'm getting the V4 in a few weeks (I guess, it's ordered atleast :), do I understand you correctly if it should be possible to mount 2 ssd's underneath the front-panel if you don't have an odd? And then another on the inside of the front and a 3.5" in the bottom?

edit: I just read the spec-sheet a bit more carefully, was getting ahead of myself I guess ^^

2 inside the front, 1 in the ODD slot (I think it's too tight for 2 drives, but don't quote me on it), 1 in the bottom.
 
Has anyone tried mounting the SX500-LG PSU in the front of the case using the SFX -> ATX bracket? Is there any GPU room to be gained by doing this?

Cheers

My post from quite a while ago might answer some of your questions. It includes some photos and measurements I made with my SX600-G attached to the ATX PS bracket by means of the SFX-ATX adapter that came with the power supply. Note the comment about the ridges on the adapter that prevent raising the SFX by this strategy. Those ridges could be eliminated and then the SFX-ATX adapter plate could be attached to the top surface of the ATX PS bracket, and even raised by means of spacers and longer bolts.

I'm not sure the end result would be higher than the V3/V4 SFX PS bracket. It would also prevent use of the hard drive cage and the front fan on the side bracket.
 
Exactly like that, thanks.

Note that, it's a custom bracket.
The sfx atx combo will not give you that much space.

Search Aibohs post and you'll find his files if your thinking about making your own.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the info guys. I was thinking of mounting the SFX-L psu in that orientation in order to gain space for a slightly longer GPU. Was thinking a Gtx 970 strix, but I'm thinking I might still need more space and I don't like the idea of bending my card, so I might do one of the mini 970s instead with an ATX PSU. I'm a silence freak anyway so that might be what I end up doing.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I was thinking of mounting the SFX-L psu in that orientation in order to gain space for a slightly longer GPU. Was thinking a Gtx 970 strix, but I'm thinking I might still need more space and I don't like the idea of bending my card, so I might do one of the mini 970s instead with an ATX PSU. I'm a silence freak anyway so that might be what I end up doing.

Odd, many in this thread told you specifically that there is plenty of room. Not sure where you got on this bending of your card, but it's inaccurate at the very least.
 
I have a Ncase M1 with a v3 bracket to give a few millimeters more space, but without fully flatening the wires coming out of the SFX-L PSU and thanks to my backplate-less GPU, the card is only ever so slightly bent:

LmrT0Uk.png
 
we still need a manual for this case and I also think they should start letting non bix box stores to buy and sell the case in there retail store
 
I wouldn't say there's "plenty" of room, it's a tight fit with a long card and SFX-L PSU even with the V3 and V4 PSU brackets.

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1041471045&postcount=15851

http://i.imgur.com/lOnod1t.jpg
The second pic is a V1/V2 bracket. I actually just got ahold of a SFX-L (a prerelease 700W platinum Sirfa), and installed it with a V1 bracket and reference GTX 780 and, while the cables do push down on the card, it's not actually that bad. With the fan facing inwards, the 24 pin motherboard cable actually sits off to the side of the GPU, so there's only the cable for the 8 pin motherboard connector and one other 6 pin cable for drives that are pushing on the card.

we still need a manual for this case and I also think they should start letting non bix box stores to buy and sell the case in there retail store
If I get time for a manual, maybe. It's not a high priority though.

We will most likely continue to sell exclusively direct for the foreseeable future. There are a lot of disadvantages with distributors for us. They expect a certain profit margin which would either result in an even higher end price for the M1, or an untenable margin for us. It would likely also produce higher return rates and more time spent on support.
 
With the fan facing inwards, the 24 pin motherboard cable actually sits off to the side of the GPU, so there's only the cable for the 8 pin motherboard connector and one other 6 pin cable for drives that are pushing on the card.

Can the 24pin cable that come with the 700W Sirfa unit sneak in the narrow space between the mobo and the PSU? I recall a discussion of a 173mm wide mobo barely fitting next to an SFX unit, but when the 24pin conenctor on an ITX board is located along the front edge of the board, routing the 24pin cable behind the PSU seems quite challenging depending on the type of cable. Otherwise the 24pin cable would have to go around the GPU from underneath to come back to the upper portion of the case, correct?

We will most likely continue to sell exclusively direct for the foreseeable future. There are a lot of disadvantages with distributors for us. They expect a certain profit margin which would either result in an even higher end price for the M1, or an untenable margin for us. It would likely also produce higher return rates and more time spent on support.
I know Dirac is distributing M1 starting this month in Japan, and the retail price is surprisingly reasonable, seems neither side is making any profits at all. What was the deal (if you could disclose anything)?
 
Last edited:
Hi guys, first of all, sorry for my english (i'm from Argentina).

I'm having a problem with my v2. The screws on the Corsair h60 rad doesn't allow the side panel to enter right. Anyone had the same problem?

I'll upload a picture of the situation later. Hope i had explained myself :D

Thx!
 
Can the 24pin cable that come with the 700W Sirfa unit sneak in the narrow space between the mobo and the PSU? I recall a discussion of a 173mm wide mobo barely fitting next to an SFX unit, but when the 24pin conenctor on an ITX board is located along the front edge of the board, routing the 24pin cable behind the PSU seems quite challenging depending on the type of cable. Otherwise the 24pin cable would have to go around the GPU from underneath to come back to the upper portion of the case, correct?
With a reference GPU there's plenty of space between the end of the card and the inside of the chassis, so I routed the 24 pin cable up through there and over the top of the card to the motherboard. I'd imagine it'd be more of a problem with cards over 11".

I know Dirac is distributing M1 starting this month in Japan, and the retail price is surprisingly reasonable, seems neither side is making any profits at all. What was the deal (if you could disclose anything)?
Japan is a small market for us and Dirac's terms were favorable. Basically they just came to us and said we'll buy x units and we negotiated a price and that was that. Yes, it's a lower margin for us, but the quantity they wanted was about 4x our normal sales to Japan so in this case it made sense. They can also offer better support there.

Other distributors we've looked at have unfavorable terms for us which include a higher potential for returns and other support costs. As an example, if we were to use Fulfillment by Amazon we could expect returns rates of 20-30%, according to some sources. That's much higher than our current rate, and would make it difficult to stay afloat.

I'm having a problem with my v2. The screws on the Corsair h60 rad doesn't allow the side panel to enter right. Anyone had the same problem?
Are you installing it with the dust filter? Put the filter on the inside of the bracket if so, so it's bracket -> filter -> fan/rad.

Has anyone managed to put a GTX970 under water with a H220 in the M1?
I don't recall anyone with that specific setup, but there are certainly builds with similar and more powerful cards in a loop with the H220. There wouldn't be any concern with regard to installation or compatibility if it's a reference PCB. Are you wondering about temperatures?
 
I don't recall anyone with that specific setup, but there are certainly builds with similar and more powerful cards in a loop with the H220. There wouldn't be any concern with regard to installation or compatibility if it's a reference PCB. Are you wondering about temperatures?

Not necessarily concerned about temperatures too much. I'm primarily looking to reduce noise.
I was fishing for waterblock recommendations.
 
Not necessarily concerned about temperatures too much. I'm primarily looking to reduce noise.
I was fishing for waterblock recommendations.
I wouldn't count on noise reduction really. Sample of one, so ymmv, but my rig is quite noisy under load (H220 with 2 Noctuas on a 4770 and a Titan with an EK block). In idle it's mostly noise from the PSU fan, but it would be the same on air anyway. Not to discourage you from building it of course, a 970 will probably work with lower fan speeds as it emits less heat.
 
Hi guys, can anyone comment if my parts will be compatible with the ncase?

Ecs h67 itx
I7 3770 - stock cooler
Powercolor 7950
1tb wd blacl
2 tb wd green
Seasonic m12 550 watts psu

Im a little worried specifically with the psu and the 2 mech drives. Do i need to get a sfx psu or components above will fit? Thank you
 
The two HDDs fit in the HDD cage, but the website claims that the HDD cage won't fit if you use an ATX PSU.
I don't see why not though, I think it could be mounted over the CPU. You can also always mount one of the drives in the bottom of the case.
I'm still inclined to say no to the PSU though, I'm sure the graphics card is longer than 20 cm.
 
Ok so until i buy an sfx psu, i can use current aetup but mount 1 hdd on the bracket, and mount 1 hdd on the bottom. Is that correct?

Edit: i just read about the gpu part. So psu will not fit because of the long gpu?
 
Has anyone managed to put a GTX970 under water with a H220 in the M1?

I was going a similar route and ended up with an mcp-35x based loop. MSI GTX 970 gaming 4g w/ cpu and gpu cooled on single 240mm rad, from an initial 'h220 on cpu only' setup

Don't go this route for noise reduction, go big air for lowest possibly noise floor

Expect:
High degree of difficulty if you have never done custom water cooling loops before
High probability of certain things not fitting certain ways
Build being put on hold due to needing additional 1-3mm of clearance here and there
High amounts of patience and steady hands + the right tools
Relatively extreme costs to do things right when you realize certain things don't fit or don't perform the way you anticipated

If you can handle all the above, then consider going this route if you want to have very consistent speeds that don't ramp up or down (drastically/noticeably) depending on load, and enjoy a nice project/challenge.

See the Fury X for a good example of what to expect in terms of noise, as you'll probably end up with similar end results and conclusion - louder @ idle due to pump noise, relatively very quiet load
 
The two HDDs fit in the HDD cage, but the website claims that the HDD cage won't fit if you use an ATX PSU.
I don't see why not though, I think it could be mounted over the CPU.
It's not mentioned on the website because I didn't want add yet another long detailed explanation that would only apply to <1% of use cases while just adding confusion for the other 99%. But yes, you can mount the cage on the rear half of the bracket over the CPU, at the cost of CPU cooler height (obviously).

Ok so until i buy an sfx psu, i can use current aetup but mount 1 hdd on the bracket, and mount 1 hdd on the bottom. Is that correct?
You can mount the HDD cage only over the CPU if you use an ATX power supply. It will limit CPU cooler height to around 65mm with two drives in the cage, or 75mm with one drive.
 
Last edited:
So the panel clips that are offered on the website, how fragile are they? Would it be a good idea to grab some with my M1 order?
 
So the panel clips that are offered on the website, how fragile are they? Would it be a good idea to grab some with my M1 order?
I haven't seen any reports of clip breakage since V2. That doesn't mean there hasn't been any, of course, but it doesn't seem to be a significant problem. The case does ship with a couple of extras though, just in case. In all likelihood those will cover any breakage you might have.
 
So the panel clips that are offered on the website, how fragile are they? Would it be a good idea to grab some with my M1 order?

I ordered extras for my case (get them while you can, right?), but have never needed to use them. I've had all of the panels off quite a lot and I always pull them off and press them back on slowly. So far the original clips are still fine.
 
Hi everyone, I have a few questions regarding cooling with the h100i.

1. Is the h100i gtx a better option for this case than the normal h100i?

2. With the h100i installed, are you able to fit an exhaust fan on the rear?

3. Any other cooling options you recommend?

Thanks everyone!
 
Back
Top